A CHASSID IN THE LION’S DEN

Along with his work helping his father in the founding of Chabad mosdos in Australia, R’ Chaim used his business trips to carry out various missions for the Rebbe. * This is how he became the Rebbe’s first shliach to Athens and how he conducted himself when he had a meeting in the Kremlin. * He then moved to Crown Heights where he became one of the most active mashpiim in the neighborhood. * Part 2 of 2.

R’  Chaim was a young bachur in the 1950’s, and although he had not seen the Rebbe, he was mekushar to him, heart and soul. He even worked to get others to connect to the Rebbe. When his father started the network of institutions in Melbourne, as the Rebbe instructed him, R’ Chaim was enlisted to raise funds. The refined bachur, who had been completely immersed in learning while in yeshiva, was suddenly discovered to be a talented communal worker who was able to successfully raise large sums.

Every Sunday, R’ Chaim would circulate in the section where most of Melbourne’s businessmen lived, and enlist the aid of Jewish wealthy men for the yeshiva. Within a short time, the donations he raised covered all of the yeshiva’s expenses.

At the same time, R’ Chaim worked to register students for the Chabad school. He worked hard to convince parents that for their children’s welfare they should be taken out of public school and put into the Chabad school. When poor parents said they preferred public school so they wouldn’t have to pay tuition, R’ Chaim told them they did not have to pay for the Chabad school. He resolved to put more time into fund-raising so another Jewish child would attend the Chabad school.

When he wrote to the Rebbe about his work, the Rebbe responded in a letter dated 3 Adar 5715, acknowledging his efforts.

FIRST TRIP TO THE
REBBE AND THE DATELINE PROBLEM

As mentioned in the previous article, R’ Chaim yearned to go to the Rebbe for years but was told no. It was Erev Pesach 5718 when he finally got a yes. He immediately ordered a ticket for Chol HaMoed, not thinking that by doing so he would be crossing the International Dateline.

It was only after he arrived in New York that he realized that since he had crossed the Dateline from east to west, he had gained a day so that when people were counting the third day of the omer, he was already up to day four. After asking the Rebbe what he should do, the Rebbe told him that he should hear the blessing from someone else but follow his own count, and then with a break in between to count according to the local count. The Rebbe also instructed him to consult rabbanim about when to keep Shavuos.

The Rebbe, who ten years earlier had written on this subject at length to R’ Betzalel Wilschansky, addressed the topic again at length and even mentioned R’ Chaim’s case in a letter to R’ Zevin.

NO WORRIES

After Pesach, before his birthday on 6 Iyar, R’ Chaim had yechidus for the first time. Before the yechidus, he wrote to the Rebbe that he planned on traveling to Eretz Yisroel to look for a shidduch, but the Rebbe told him to remain in the US and to learn in yeshiva in the meantime.

R’ Chaim, who had shown aptitude for raising money for the yeshiva, did not take any salary for doing so, and upon arriving in the US, he hardly had any money with him. However, the Rebbe reassured him saying, “Since from Above they brought you into inyanim pnimiyim [lit. internal matters] you have nothing to worry about.”

R’ Chaim, who always conducted himself modestly, did not tell anyone about this amazing line from the Rebbe which showed the special regard the Rebbe had for him. It was only last Yud Shvat that he told his son Menachem Mendel, and he concluded by saying that since then he saw how his parnasa was always assured from Above, and all the years he had abundant parnasa and did not lack for anything. When his family members wanted to ask him about this again, wanting to know exactly what the Rebbe said to him, he refused to repeat it.

In that same yechidus, he asked how to be connected to the Rebbe and the Rebbe said, “Watch what I do and do as I do.”

Last Sukkos, when he farbrenged with bachurim from Australia, he told them this and said that to him this meant to act with Ahavas Yisroel and to help others as we see by the Rebbe.

Indeed, those who knew R’ Serebryanski say that his life was devoted to others’ welfare. He was so permeated by Ahavas Yisroel that even on his last day, when he lay weakly in the hospital so that he was unable to daven the entire t’filla, when a friend came to visit him, he opened his eyes and said with the last of his strength: Last year, you gave me money for maos chittim for a family in Eretz Yisroel. Please give again.

The friend was so moved that he quickly gave a nice amount and R’ Chaim’s son sent the money to Eretz Yisroel before Pesach.

THE REBBE’S INVOLVEMENT IN HIS SHIDDUCH

Shortly after arriving in New York, someone suggested Esther, the daughter of R’ Moshe Mordechai Magnes, as a shidduch for him. When he inquired into the shidduch, he heard wonderful things about her and that both her parents were considered expert educators. The Rebbe had once suggested that her father run Beis Rivka and her mother was one of the founders of the Williamsburg Beis Yaakov in the 1930’s.

However, along with all the good qualities, he heard that as a typical American she had gone to college and this made him hesitate. He wrote to the Rebbe and after not receiving a response, he concluded he should continue.

At this time, one of her friends had yechidus, during which she mentioned Esther Magnes who needed a shidduch. The Rebbe said: She has a shidduch – Chaim Serebryanski!

This was repeated to R’ Chaim and he submitted a question to the Rebbe asking what he should do next. The Rebbe’s answer was, if she agrees to two conditions, to live in Australia and to wear a wig, marry her. They met and after she agreed to the two conditions, they were engaged.

When they had yechidus before the wedding, the Rebbe spoke to them about the wedding meal and said it was not necessary to waste money on a hall. They had the wedding meal in the home of R’ Mendel Shemtov, R’ Chaim’s uncle. The wedding was on a Friday and it was a low key affair with no wasting of money. The Rebbe was very pleased to hear this and said if only others did as they did.

A HARD BUT
PLEASANT SHLICHUS

After they married, the Rebbe told the young couple to go to Australia so R’ Chaim could continue helping his father establish the mosdos. During the yechidus, the Rebbe said to him: I’m sending you on a difficult shlichus but a pleasant one.

Toward the end of the yechidus, the Rebbe gave his wife a siddur and gave him a Tanya, telling him to give it to someone. R’ Chaim thought he would give the Tanya to his brother, R’ Aharon, who was in Australia. But as he thought this, the Rebbe said: Give the Tanya to someone on the boat, on the way to Australia.

On the ship, R’ Chaim met a Jewish musician, a member of the renowned Menuhin clan, who was related to the Rebbe’s family and was a descendant of the Alter Rebbe. After explaining to him the importance of the Tanya, which had been written by his ancestor, and telling him that this particular Tanya came from the Rebbe himself, he gave it to him. The man was very moved and thanked him warmly.

R’ Chadakov gave him half the money for the expenses of the trip, apparently upon the Rebbe’s instructions.

LIVING WITH THE
REBBE IN AUSTRALIA

Years passed and every time R’ Chaim wrote to the Rebbe about wanting to see him, he was told no since his job on shlichus did not allow him to leave for an extended period of time. After five or six years, R’ Chaim wrote to the Rebbe that he had the opportunity of borrowing money for the trip and he asked for the Rebbe’s blessing. The Rebbe said he should give the money he wanted to spend on the trip to tz’daka and that would be the trip to the Rebbe.

R’ Chaim did as the Rebbe told him and much later he told his son that during that period of time he felt as though he was actually by the Rebbe. R’ Chaim was not known to exaggerate and if he said this, that is truly how he felt.

Over the years, he continued to help his father in running the Chabad mosdos, starting summer camps, and in 5726 he was involved in starting the yeshiva g’dola as was related in the series about his father, R’ Shneur Zalman. He also founded the organization FREE which was the first Chabad house in Australia and focused on working with Russian Jews.

R’ Chaim was there for eleven years and it was only for Yud Shvat 5730 that the Rebbe finally allowed him to visit. He was present at the conclusion of the Torah for Moshiach. During this visit, he had yechidus and in his great humility he told the Rebbe that he felt he wasn’t doing enough for the Rebbe and said he wanted to do something special.

The Rebbe told him: When you see that something is lacking and other people aren’t doing anything, then you do it.

Over the years, R’ Chaim carried this out and when he saw something that needed correcting and that nobody was doing so, he did it. He did this in Australia and also when he immigrated to the United States.

During the 1960’s, R’ Avraham Aharon Rubashkin visited Australia and R’ Chaim helped him a lot. When he returned to the US and had yechidus, he told the Rebbe about the help he received from R’ Chaim. The Rebbe responded: There aren’t many like R’ Chaim.

THE SAME AS IN SAMARKAND

Since R’ Chaim did not want to benefit from holy work, he went into business with the Rebbe’s blessings. He started with chocolate candies and then expanded to selling fish and wine and other alcoholic beverages. He started a number of businesses and was one of the biggest importers in Australia. He was also a member of the USSR-Australia Business Council.

The business world did not blind him and he continued to maintain his Chassidishe character. I heard from a Lubavitcher in Australia that he once passed by R’ Chaim’s office and R’ Chaim came out and chased after him and asked him whether he could review a maamer Chassidus on Shabbos. “He was sitting in his office in the middle of a business day, but what was on his mind was reviewing a maamer.”

R’ Mordechai Kozliner said about him that although he had big businesses, he remained the same as he was as a Tamim in yeshiva in Samarkand and material things did not mean much to him.

As part of his avoda in breaking gashmius (materiality), R’ Chaim would often fast. He did this secretly and nobody knew. But the Rebbe knew and in one of their meetings the Rebbe told him to stop fasting. The Rebbe said that since he had to speak to other businessmen, if he ate, he would speak better.

A VISIT TO THE LION’S DEN

In 5742, the Russians wanted to develop trade with Australia and they invited the members of the USSR-Australia Business Council for an official visit to Moscow. R’ Chaim was afraid to go to Russia since he had left the country on false papers and had taken part in the counterfeiting documents industry. He was sure that the KGB knew about him and so his going to Moscow was entering the lion’s den.

But as a Chassid who does not make a significant move without asking the Rebbe, he asked the Rebbe who told him to go. After receiving this response, he went with full confidence that nothing bad would happen during the trip.

Upon arriving in Moscow, he was welcomed by a representative of the Russian Ministry of Finance who stuck to him throughout the trip and was his personal driver. He was obviously from the KGB but R’ Chaim was confident in the Rebbe’s bracha. He asked to be driven to the main shul where he davened. During the davening, the driver had a private talk with the gabbai of the shul who was known to collaborate with the government. After they left the shul, the driver casually mentioned that the gabbai told him that his Yiddish wasn’t a Polish Yiddish but a Ukrainian Yiddish. R’ Chaim was sure this was being told to him in order to hint that although his official papers said he was a Polish citizen, the KGB knew who he was and where he came from.

R’ Chaim went to the Kremlin where he met with the leaders of the Russian Commerce Ministry. Since he traveled with the Rebbe’s bracha, he felt he was on the Rebbe’s shlichus and he used every free moment to review T’hillim and Tanya by heart. That is how he walked about the corridors of the Kremlin, reviewing one chapter after another.

In a meeting with senior Russians, the members of the Australian delegation asked their colleagues to sell more minerals to Australia of a certain type which was lacking in Australia. When the Russians said they did not have large quantities of those minerals, R’ Chaim stood up, looking obviously like a Chassid, and berated them: You know, if you had faith in G-d, you would have much more minerals and you would be able to sell them to us!

The Russians were taken aback and just sat there quietly.

WRITING TO THE REBBE IS LIKE HAVING YECHIDUS

Most of R’ Chaim’s business was with factories in South Africa. During 5746-7, Australia joined most countries in the Western world who imposed an embargo and economic sanctions against South Africa because of their apartheid state. That instantly cut off most of his business. He lost most of his money and moved to New York.

Although he was a businessman, his friends knew that R’ Chaim was immersed in Torah study, both Nigleh and Chassidus. Once he moved to New York, several mosdos asked him to be a mashpia in their yeshiva.

R’ Chaim, who always wanted to return to yeshiva, thought the Rebbe would finally allow him to throw himself into learning but in response to his question, the Rebbe told him: Continue in business, think good and it will be good etc. I will mention it at the tziyun.

He first dealt in marketing fish but after a short while he got a job at the Kedem winery and that was how he made a living until his last day. In recent years, he could only go to work twice a week, but the owners who recognized his special character continued to pay him a full salary.

As in Australia, in Crown Heights too, R’ Chaim used every free moment to arrange or give a shiur in Gemara and Chassidus. Within a short time, he became one of the active mashpiim in the neighborhood and many people consulted with him about spiritual matters.

R’ Chaim emphasized horaos from the Rebbe to consult with rabbanim and mashpiim. In a letter that he wrote on the subject, he said that today too, when many write to the Rebbe using the Igros Kodesh and see miracles, they need to remember that first one must carry out the Rebbe’s instructions to consult with a mashpia, rav, knowledgeable friends, or a doctor-friend (depending on the problem) with faith that since one is asking because the Rebbe said to do so that the Rebbe is conveying the right answer through them. Only if one remains in doubt after talking to a mashpia can one, with the mashpia’s approval, write to the Rebbe about the problem and open the Igros Kodesh for an answer.

At the same time, R’ Chaim spoke about writing a detailed report to the Rebbe from time to time, as the Rebbe wants. When R’ Chaim spoke with people about writing to the Rebbe he emphasized that before putting the letter into a volume of Igros Kodesh, the proper preparations need to be made, as though preparing for yechidus.

***

At the end of Adar he became sick and he passed away on 6 Nissan. R’ Chaim is survived by his wife Esther and their children: Yossi (Brooklyn, NY), Mendel (Melbourne, Australia), Binyomin (Melbourne, Australia), Eli (Toronto, Canada), Moishe (Surfer’s Paradise, Australia), Bashi Dalfin (Brooklyn, NY) Chana Raichik (Gaithersburg, MD), Nechama Dina (Doonie) Mishulovin (Los Angeles, CA) and Miriam Simon (Crown Heights).

He is also survived by his brother R’ Aaron Serebryanski (Melbourne, Australia) and Mrs. Nechama Werdiger (Melbourne, Australia).

SHLICHUS TO ATHENS

For twenty years, from 5729-5749, R’ Chaim spent the Australian summer months, around Chanuka time, on business trips to Eretz Yisroel. His route was Melbourne-Athens-Tel Aviv. In 5742, as a result of turbulent weather, the plane arrived late in Athens and R’ Chaim missed his connecting flight to Tel Aviv. He had to spend Shabbos in Athens.

It was two in the afternoon and Shabbos was at four. He rushed out to get a taxi to go and find a shul. When they arrived at the shul, the place was locked but there was a sign directing people to the community offices across the street. R’ Chaim asked them where he could buy kosher food and was told there was no kosher store in Athens. But they looked in the rabbi’s room and found packages of matza from the previous Pesach. He took a room in a nearby hotel and bought some vegetables.

When he arrived at shul, the rabbi of the community, R’ Yaakov Arar, welcomed him. R’ Chaim inquired about the state of Jewry and was sorry to hear that there were only three families that kept kosher, the rabbi’s, the shochet’s, and a woman convert.

At Mincha and kabbalas Shabbos there were only twenty people, but the next day for Shacharis many people showed up since there was a bar mitzva boy who was given an aliya. When they noticed the guest, they invited him to come on Motzaei Shabbos to the club for the bar mitzva celebration.

R’ Chaim went to the club and when he asked the rabbi whether he could eat anything, the rabbi said it was all treif and you couldn’t even drink the water there. R’ Chaim looked sadly at the tables full of non-kosher food and wondered why he was there.

He then recalled a saying of the Baal Shem Tov about how Hashem sends us where He wants us to go and he decided he had to accomplish something there. He began talking with the youth and saw that they knew English. The young people were fascinated by the bearded man from Australia and he spoke to them at length about the importance of observing mitzvos. Then he continued talking to them and found out that the kids attended a Jewish school until the age of thirteen. The principal of the school wasn’t Jewish but it was she who saw to it that the students prayed and said blessings.

Since a few months earlier, on 11 Nissan 5741, the Rebbe had announced the writing of a Torah scroll for Jewish children, R’ Chaim decided to spend more time in Athens and get all the children to buy a letter in it.

On Sunday morning, he was able to find an open bank where he exchanged 120 Australian dollars into the local currency. Then he went to the school and gave each child a drachma note so they could buy letters in the Torah with their own money. Each child wrote his name, his mother’s name and his address and they all received certificates acknowledging their purchase.

From 5742 and on, for more than ten years, R’ Chaim was in constant touch with the community and he provided them with various Jewish items. He also translated the 12 P’sukim for them into Greek. Without an official appointment, he became the Rebbe’s shliach to Athens. The members of the community began writing to the Rebbe and some responses from the Rebbe went through him.