R’ Yossi Pogatch is a fascinating person who combines broad Torah knowledge with expertise in electrical and robotic engineering. * In his work with the biggest car companies in the world, he is often away from home, traveling to distant locales across the world. Since he became a Chabad Chassid, he started viewing his travels in a different light, in which every trip is a shlichus. * He told Beis Moshiach the very interesting story of his life and work.
The Rebbe [Rashab] said to someone in yechidus: Ever since G-d told our father Avraham, “Go from your land etc.” and it is then written “Avram kept traveling southward,” we have the beginning of the mystery of birurim. By decree of Divine Providence man goes about his travels to the place where the “sparks” that he must purify await their redemption.
There is no doubt that this selection from the HaYom Yom is relevant to each one of us, but there are people for whom its relevancy seems so much more obvious. One of them is R’ Yossi Pogatch, a Lubavitcher Chassid from Netanya, who travels the world. As of the writing of this article, he is in Guangzhou in China.
R’ Yossi, along with being a talmid chacham who went through Shas several times, is an international expert in inspecting complex electrical systems with a specialty in robotics. He works with some of the biggest companies in the world, including BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Ford, GM, Nissan, Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, Fiat, Airbus, Grumman, and more.
In his line of work, he flies to companies around the world. There is hardly a country in the world, excluding certain Muslim countries, that he has not visited. His personal “Lech lecha” leads him to sparks around the world on a regular basis. You can sit with him for hours and hours while he regales you with stories from his travels.
PENGUIN SHLICHUS
“Every time I return from a trip, my wife asks me, ‘What was the shlichus this time?’ It is clear to both of us that the real goal of my trip is not the work in this or that company but a mission from Hashem, and we try to discover what it was.
“I usually have stories about encounters with Jews, about Jews who put on t’fillin, learned Torah or came closer to Judaism in some way or another thanks to my visit to that part of the world. But sometimes, I come back and don’t have a story. It seems as though nothing happened. We call it a penguin shlichus, for the bachurim who went on Merkos Shlichus and felt they didn’t accomplish anything. When they returned to 770, the Rebbe said that in the town they visited there was an older Jewish woman whose grandchildren saw that bachur walking down the street. They told her they saw a penguin on the street. She was horrified that they were so ignorant of Judaism that they did not even know what a religious Jew looks like and thought he was a penguin. As a result of this, she persuaded her daughter to give the children a Jewish education.
“Since I heard that story, I realized that even if it looks as though we did not accomplish anything, just walking down the street dressed as a Chassid is a shlichus onto itself.”
UNCOMMON LIFE TRAJECTORY
I met with R’ Yossi at the Chabad House in Guangzhou, China. At first glance it was hard for me to fit him into an existing stereotype. In the morning, I saw him sitting before davening immersed in a maamer of the Rebbe Rashab. In the evening, I saw him giving an in-depth shiur to a group of religious businessmen. Here and there I overheard him talking shop with some high-tech people. R’ Yossi is not a “type,” and his life has not been typical.
“I grew up in Switzerland. On my mother’s side, the family is Ger. My grandfather was the shochet of the Imrei Emes of Ger. On my father’s side, we are Chabad. My great-grandfather was a Chassid of the Rebbe Maharash. We even have a picture of him from that time. Aside for my grandfather who left for Switzerland and became Litvish, or more correctly put, oilemish, the rest of my family is Lubavitch.
“Our home was modern Litvish. I grew up in the Agudas Achim community led by Rabbi Mordechai Yaakov Breisch z”l, a known posek and author of the Chelkas Yaakov responsa. I went to Yeshivas Eitz Chaim in Montreux in Switzerland, founded by Rabbi Yerachmiel Eliyahu Botchko [d. 1956].
“At age eighteen I made aliya. Although I considered myself Litvish, I went to learn in the hesder yeshiva in Chispin in the Golan Heights and was drafted into the army to do combat duty as a paratrooper where I served in a chareidi unit.
“After the army, I studied mechanical engineering at the Technion while simultaneously learning in the kollel of Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Zin in Haifa. I wore a big knitted kippa and adopted the Chardal style. Our home was Litvish-Zionist. I had a daf yomi shiur and was particular about my Torah learning along with my secular studies.”
R’ Yossi completed his degree as an engineer and took a job as a systems tester for an electric company.
“My G-d given talent is in the field of test inspections, being able to identify problems and knowing how to find solutions to them. For example, there was once a problem that I did not know how to begin solving. Suddenly I saw ‘error #32’ flash on the screen. I asked the experts sitting there, ‘Did you see that?’ but nobody saw it. The moment I saw it, I knew how to solve the problem. It was amazing. They were all there but none of them saw it. I always say that Hashem helps me in my work. It is He who does all the work and I get the salary.”
In the course of his work he was sent to the United States in order to study a certain system that they wanted to implement at the electric company. He flew to New York many times and even stayed there for a long time, but throughout that time, despite visiting the vicinity of Crown Heights, it did not occur to him to see the Rebbe.
“Ironically, I made a special trip from Brooklyn to Boston to get a bracha from the Bostoner Rebbe, but did not go to the Lubavitcher Rebbe. I was hosted by Jews in Brooklyn and none of them spoke about the Rebbe. I suppose my neshama had to come to Lubavitch after Gimmel Tammuz.”
I LEARNED SICHOS OF THE REBBE WITHOUT KNOWING WHO THE AUTHOR WAS
R’ Yossi made continued strides in his work as a systems inspector. He left the electric company because of shmiras Shabbos problems and went to work for private companies while continuing to learn in the Litvishe kollel. Life could have continued in this way except that heaven decided otherwise; Yossi needed to join Lubavitch.
“I became friends with a Lubavitcher in Netanya, R’ Moshe Bernstein. One day, he brought me thirty photocopied pages and suggested that I learn it. It was the kuntres Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel. He knew my views about Chabad, which is why he photocopied only the content without the introduction and without telling me what the source was. I read the booklet and was blown away. I said, wow! This is amazing! This is probably from one of the g’dolei Yisroel of earlier generations.
“He smiled and said, ‘Actually, it’s someone from our generation.’ I was very excited when he told me that the author produced similar booklets every week. He asked me whether I would be interested in getting more of them. Of course I said yes.
“He started bringing me Likkutei Sichos and D’var Malchus, all without the cover pages, and I learned them avidly without knowing who the author is. He slowly exposed me to the world of Chassidus. When I was ready, he told me that the sichos were from the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
“We arranged to learn Tanya together and over the course of three years we got to chapter 32. We learned in great depth. We also learned Derech Mitzvosecha of the Tzemach Tzedek and other Chassidic works. At this point, I was completely immersed in Chassidus. I began davening at the Chabad shul and even went to the Rebbe.
“One of the things that helped me greatly to progress in learning Chassidus and consequently, in the darchei ha’chassidus, was the order and structure of the learning. I am Swiss with a Swiss nature, so everything must be organized and orderly for me. One of the rabbanim with whom I consulted when I was first taking an interest in Chassidus made me a learning schedule. I stick to it meticulously until today. I have daily learning schedules for Nigleh and Chassidus. I learned the three volumes of maamarim kuntreisim of the Rebbe Rayatz in daily increments. Then I moved on to the teachings of the Rebbe Rashab. Now I am learning Hemshech 5672 with the explanation of Rabbi Arad. I learn everything twice and then I learn it a third time. This way, I am able to retain the information. It really helps me tremendously. Now it’s time for me to add the teachings of the Rebbe Maharash. This is in addition to a fixed schedule I have in studying the teachings of the Rebbe which I learn every day.”
GOING GLOBAL
Professionally, R’ Yossi continued to advance. He was appointed section head in a large company that was bought by the international Siemens firm and became the liaison between the company and Siemens. From there he was moved to the sales support division. Along with professional promotions he began to travel more often.
In his travels, he meets with top scientists and engineers. Somehow, he always ends up talking about the Jewish religion and faith and R’ Yossi uses these conversations to speak about the Rebbe and about Moshiach. Often, his long beard and Chassidic appearance mislead his conversation partners, but when he begins talking they realize that he is someone with his feet on the ground.
Even when the conversations touch upon sensitive subjects, such as “chai v’kayam,” he manages to convey the message in “keilim of tikkun.” He explains what it says in Chassidus that the Chabad leaders, like all Jewish leaders throughout the generations, are souls from the world of Atzilus who retain the unique characteristics of the world of Atzilus even when descending to this world.
“A neshama from the world of Atzilus is above time and space and death does not apply to it,” he explains. “We are the ones who are limited and suddenly don’t see the Rebbe, but he himself remains above these limitations.”
THE SHLICHUS IN GUANGZHOU
Lately, R’ Yossi Pogatch has been living in Guangzhou, China where he has been helping the shliach there, R’ Eliyahu Rozenberg. After being there for several weeks, R’ Rozenberg has come to enjoy R’ Yossi’s ability to connect with high-tech people and influence them and he suggested that he stay and help out at the Chabad House.
“At the same time, at work they also suggested I move here. At first I said there was nothing to talk about because there was no way my wife would agree. A short while later I spoke with my wife about something else and she asked, ‘What’s with the shlichus in China?’ I said that I thought she would not agree but she asked me to look into it.
“Through a third party I sent a message to the company administration that things changed and I was open to the offer. They jumped at this opportunity. Of course, before I signed a contract, we wrote to the Rebbe and asked for a bracha. We opened to an amazing answer in the Igros Kodesh and my mashpia said the Rebbe was guiding us to work together with the local shliach who is responsible for the outreach there. I would be there only to help him.
“The HR department took care of all the arrangements, finding a nice apartment, the visas, a driver’s license; I got it all on a silver platter. That’s how I can be involved in spiritual matters without worries about material things. Sometimes, people say to me, what mesirus nefesh you have! I respond by saying that I don’t think it’s mesirus nefesh; on the contrary, the Rebbe is pampering me from beginning to end.”
Along with the wonderful work of R’ Eliyahu Rozenberg, and his right-hand man, R’ M. M. Dworkin, R’ Yossi takes the opportunity G-d gave him and in every free moment from work, he goes to the Chabad House, gives shiurim to businessmen, and learns Nigleh or Chassidus one on one with people. On Shabbos he farbrengs with high-tech people and his presence gives the Chabad House a special atmosphere.
THE LONE JEW IN TASMANIA
“Before I fly anywhere, I send an email to the shliach and ask him just one question: What do you need? And I mean what I say. Sometimes, shluchim politely decline the first time, but then we get to know one another and when I go I bring suitcases full of goodies for them.”
The trips around the world, and constant search for opportunities to elevate sparks, all lead to countless stories which R’ Yossi shares, one by one.
“The most fantastical story I had occurred over twenty years ago. I was returning from Australia on Olympic Airways where you could still smoke in the back rows.
“A very old man, who looked 90, sat near me. He did not say a word to me but when I received my kosher meal he asked me in English, ‘What’s that?’ I told him, ‘Kosher food.’ He declared, ‘That’s impossible!’ I told him, ‘It is possible. You can order a kosher meal through your travel agent.’ Once again he declared, ‘That’s impossible. Only Jews ate (past tense) kosher food.’ I said, ‘Right, and I’m Jewish.’ He looked at me incredulously and continued mumbling, ‘It’s impossible.’
“I asked him, ‘Why do you think it’s impossible?’ He gave me this unexpected answer, ‘Because there aren’t any more Jews!’
“I told him that in Eretz Yisroel there are a million and a half children learning there. He maintained, ‘That’s impossible.’ I told him that in Eretz Yisroel there is also a Jewish army and tanks and planes and yeshivos. I told him what’s going on there. As I heatedly set him straight I saw his sleeve move up and I noticed a concentration camp number tattooed on his arm.
“The woman accompanying him told me that this man had escaped a concentration camp but his mind was permanently affected. He emigrated to Tasmania where he lived in a house alone in a forest, cut off from the media and society and he was convinced that Hitler had exterminated all Jews and that he was the last surviving Jew.”
ANGEL IN BLACK IN JAPAN
“A number of years ago, I was in Atsugi in Japan, three hours south of Tokyo. I was there for the Japanese automaker Nissan. I was hosted in the largest hotel in town, over the Hon-Atsugi train station, and I was the only westerner in the hotel.
“One day, as I left the elevator, someone passed me whose profile looked western. I don’t know why, since this is not what I usually do, but I called out, ‘Yehudi, do you want to put on t’fillin?’ The man did not react and he continued walking, ignoring me entirely. I figured I was mistaken and went toward the bus stop.
“Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me asking, ‘How?’ I turned around and saw the man I had called to earlier. I asked him, ‘What do you mean, how?’ He said, ‘How did you know that I’m Jewish? And how did you know that I speak Hebrew?’
“I didn’t know what to tell him. Then he said, ‘I’ve been running away from Him all my life, but if He chases after me until here, then bring the merchandise.’ I didn’t have my t’fillin with me, so I said, ‘Give me a second. I’m running up to my room.’ I asked him to watch my bag and I dashed off to my room in the hotel.
“As always, when you’re in a rush, the elevator doesn’t come… I was afraid the man would leave. I was thrilled when, after I returned many minutes later, he was still waiting for me. He told me this was the first time he was putting on t’fillin. I had him also read the morning blessings and Shema, and we parted ways.
“Some years went by. At the end of Elul this year I was in Koh Samui in Thailand and the shliach, R’ Mendy Goldschmid, asked me and my wife to help him for Rosh HaShana. One evening, I was sitting with tourists and I told this story about the Israeli I met in Japan. A man of retirement age stood up and asked me, ‘It was you?’ I said, ‘Yes, it happened with me.’ Then he said, ‘I will fill in the other part of the story.’
“‘The man you met is a good friend of mine. This is how he told me what happened from his perspective. “I went out one morning to the train. I was going to get on when an angel in black came down from heaven and yelled, ‘Put on t’fillin.’ I felt that I couldn’t move.” (I had been afraid he would run away and he simply couldn’t move!). Until you went and came back and put t’fillin on him, he felt he couldn’t move. All his life he opposed putting on t’fillin but he told me, when the angel in black came down from heaven, he could not say no.’”
A SHORT SPEECH WITH A BIG IMPACT
“In 5765, in my work with the Swedish company Volvo, I was in Gothenburg in Sweden. As usual, I was in touch with the shliach, R’ Alexander Namdar, and he asked me to stay for Shabbos since it was the sheva brachos of a very special couple and he needed to complete a minyan.
“Over Shabbos I heard the story about the marriage of this young couple. In Gothenburg there is a large Reform community. A few months earlier, R’ Namdar was invited to speak to the Reform community. Before the speech, they gave him a detailed list about what he couldn’t speak about: Shabbos, kashrus, family purity. There was one thing they forgot to include and that was intermarriage, so he accepted the invitation.
“The president of the community introduced him to the crowd that packed the large hall. He made it clear that it had been arranged ahead of time that the shliach would not speak about anything that would make people uncomfortable.
“R’ Namdar went to the podium and said, ‘I was asked by the president of the community not to speak about Shabbos, kashrus, etc. I will respect his request and won’t speak about that. But I will speak about one very important point that I was allowed to speak about. I want to thank the president for allowing me to speak about the prohibition of intermarriage. You should know that it is extremely important that a Jew marry only another Jew and not a gentile.’ He couldn’t say more than that because within seconds the place had erupted and R’ Namdar was led down from the podium.
“At a gas station near the airport, a local young woman worked as an attendant. She was in contact with a local young man who pumped gas somewhere else. They were engaged to be married. One morning, the young man went to the gas station where the woman worked and with tears in his eyes, asked to speak to his fiancée. The two stepped aside and he told her, ‘I don’t know how to explain this but we cannot marry. Listen, my mother was at a rabbi’s speech yesterday, a rabbi is like a Jewish priest, and he said that a Jew can only marry a Jew. I don’t know why and what connection I have to this, but I cannot marry you because my mother is Jewish and my father is Jewish and I cannot marry you. Don’t be angry at me. I don’t want to hurt you, but this is the situation.’
“Then the unexpected happened. To his astonishment, the girl burst into hysterical laughter. ‘You won’t believe this, but I was also going to tell you that we cannot marry because my mother and father are Jewish and they were at the same speech.’
“The couple got married with a chuppa and kiddushin and I participated in the Shabbos sheva brachos. In the end, they both became baalei teshuva and moved somewhere else where they can live a Jewish life more easily.”