The story of a young wife who was taken from her sheltered environment straight into the world of Chabad. * She tells us of her rocky engagement, the crisis during sheva brachos, and the joy in hiskashrus to the Rebbe.
“The first time I saw the Rebbe my whole body began to tremble. I felt that I was standing before a king.” Rabbi Mordechai Siev is a very dynamic personality. He has met thousands of Jews over the years who have turned their lives around after meeting with him. With a humorous smile, he combines his own life story with some fascinating stories about the countless Jewish souls he has encountered.
It’s no coincidence that the kidnapping of three Jewish high school boys took place near Chevron and all rescue efforts are presently focused on this area. The one who handed Chevron to the terrorist organizations was the incumbent prime minister who ran into their waiting arms during his first term in office and presented them with the Holy City of our Forefathers in the ‘Chevron-Wye Plantation’ agreements. Now he has the opportunity to rectify his blunder. The IDF operation underway in Chevron must become the trigger for reconquering the city and reinstituting military control over its entire territory.
“I’m so glad you came!” shouted a redheaded boy. “Yeah, we were waiting for you,” said another boy. Then the one on the side, the tallest of them all, called out, “Let’s go! One, two, three …” That was the sight that I saw as I walked on the edge of the park. What was I doing all alone in the park in this unfamiliar place?
Yaakov shared this sentiment with Pharaoh when they first met. He expressed his dissatisfaction with his life in order that Pharaoh would not err to think that Yaakov and his children would suffice with settling “in the land of Egypt, in the finest region of the country,” and be content with living off “the fat of the land,” which Pharaoh had given them; redemption is what was important to Yaakov.
R’ Ariel and his wife Rochel Elias made a long journey until they came to their shlichus among Russian speaking Jews in Givat Shmuel. Ariel himself was born to a non-Jewish mother and experienced anti-Semitism because he was considered Jewish. He was a member of street gangs but extricated himself, studied, went on to university, and eventually found his way to Eretz Yisroel. * Wherever he went he met Lubavitchers. It’s no surprise then that he himself became a Lubavitcher after converting. * A fascinating life story.
“In this week’s parsha we learn of… the rebellion against Moses and Aaron launched by their distinguished cousin Korach. As we will see, this rebellion provides us with an invaluable lesson on how we should view Torah, Moses and Moshiach.”
How can we overcome jealousy, anxiety and other worldly distractions that threaten to derail us? There is a way to do it, and even an “express lane.” It pays to stop a moment and get in touch with the yechida that operates within us and the electronic circuits it creates, in order to develop a complete redemptive operating system.
A point from the weekly D’var Malchus for Parshas Shlach with a relevant message. * Why didn’t the almonds blossom without flowers, why didn’t Yehoshua allow the hail of stones to finish the job, and why didn’t the Rebbe Rayatz go free on Gimmel Tammuz?
A compilation of stories about the Rebbe that R’ Boruch Aharon Huss, of Anash of Montreal, wrote as he heard them from reliable sources, mostly from the protagonist himself.
R’ Berish was the image of a Chassid and a man of warmth, good to heaven and good to his fellow. While he himself was particular about his learning and his conduct to an extreme, he treated others with openness and great warmth and had a smile for everyone. * About the Chassid, R’ Dov Berish Rosenberg a”h who was a model of a Chassid. * 2nd and final chapter.
“My wife had gone in for yechidus hoping to receive one very important blessing. She gave several people the opportunity to pass her in line, and she ended up being one of the last people privileged to go before the Rebbe. As she stood before the Rebbe’s penetrating look, she felt his great love for all his Chassidim…”
“…they had not yet realized the importance of educating girls. The widespread view among many families was that it was not necessary to formally teach them Judaism; they could learn on their own by seeing what was done at home.”
June 24, 2014