I asked him if he could give me examples of his wife’s contribution towards being mekarev people, and he sounded surprised. “What do you mean? There are no examples of cases where she does not play a prominent role!”
Stories and sayings from R’ Chaim Shaul Brook a”h as recorded by his close talmid, R’ Chaim Ashkenazi a”h.
It is ten years since the passing of the Chassid, R’ Zalman Levin a”h of Kfar Chabad. He walked among us, but he belonged to the generation of giants, Chassidim who lived lives of mesirus nefesh. In a series of meetings with him, he recounted the story of his childhood in a Chassidishe home in the Soviet Union where children learned Torah and where kosher meat was secretly slaughtered. * Part 6 of 9
Why did the Rebbe want the study of Rambam to be promoted behind the Iron Curtain? What connection is there between the Rambam and the Alter Rebbe? * A compilation of insights and stories connected with the daily study of Rambam from the introduction to the book “Mishna Torah L’HaRambam.” * Presented for 20 Teives, the Rambam’s yahrtzait.
Sometimes there are things that cause us problems and we don’t know the reason why we must experience the challenges. We often are forced to search our hearts: perhaps we have done an offense against one of our fellow Jews – all of whom are on the level of “children of Hashem, your G-d.” Offending another Jew is no small matter – he is the King’s son. The following six amazing stories will testify to that.
Chazal tell us that the reason why King Dovid was not given the privilege of building the holy Beis HaMikdash was because his hands were red with the blood of the wars that he fought. How, then, can the Rambam say that Moshiach will fight wars and build the third Beis HaMikdash?
For six years, the Rebbe held his large farbrengens in four spacious halls in the vicinity of Crown Heights. * This began with the big farbrengen of Yud-Tes Kislev 5714, when the small zal of 770 was too small for the crowd. It ended in 5720 when the first phase in the expansion of 770 was completed.
On both scientific and spiritual frontiers, the subsequent advances created a new reality, and the world would never be the same.
Many argued that Israel should not initiate war but find a peaceful solution instead. With G-d’s mercy, Israel opened the attack, disregarding world opinion. The entire world saw the miraculous victory. After the Six Day War, the view not to retreat from the territories took precedence… * The fact is that whenever Israel took the initiative when faced with war, the number of dead was minimal.
R’ Zalman continues with his big dreams for the yeshiva even in the face of low enrollment and community apathy. * The Rebbe decides in favor of R’ Zalman’s position and assures those involved that positive changes are coming. * From the life of R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman Serebryanski a”h.
The question is even more pronounced when we consider the role of Yehudah as the progenitor of royalty. Yehuda was the ancestor of King David and of a long line of kings and leaders that occupied leadership positions throughout Jewish history to this very day. And, indeed, one of Moshiach’s—the ultimate leader and king—qualifications is that he descend from the Davidic line that traces itself back to Yehudah. Royalty and scholarship, while not mutually exclusive, do not necessarily complement each other. Why then the emphasis on Yehudah, the leader, being the one to establish a center of Torah learning?
Stories and sayings from R’ Chaim Shaul Brook a”h, as recorded by his close talmid, R’ Chaim Ashkenazi a”h.
How would you like to find out that Chanuka could be extended to nine days? It would be another night to light Menorah, to eat Latkes, to receive Chanukah gelt, and to play Dreidel! Well according to some commentaries that is what will happen in the times of Yemos HaMoshiach!
December 26, 2012