His ongoing influence is reminiscent of the process by which plants reproduce, forming seedlings which mature into plants, which in turn produce a third generation of seedlings, ad infinitum – this process of continually affecting the world reflects the full sense of the Rebbe’s Rayatz’s eternal life, “hu ba’chayim.”
Suddenly, the world discovers that even in the tranquility of New England, a city with no “occupation forces” or roadblocks, Muslim jihadists blow up innocent children. The victims were simple citizens, whose only crime was being on the wrong side of the global map. From the viewpoint of radical Islam, anything outside of its realm becomes a target for wholesale slaughter. These extremists see murder as a justifiable means to an end and a way of life, and it makes no difference whether we’re talking about Tel Aviv or Boston.
Highlights of the life of the Baal Koreh in the Rebbe’s minyan, R’ Mordechai Shusterman. * He owned the Ezra/Balshan publishing house, and the Rebbe Rayatz called him “my printer.” * About his childhood in the wandering Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim, learning a trade and mesirus nefesh for Torah and mitzvos in Russia. * Marking his passing on 22 Iyar 5755.
Then reality set in. The cold reality of dollars and cents, the harsh reality that making dreams real is hard work, and the simple reality that I am just a little man. A little man with big dreams…
A compilation of stories about the Rebbe, written by R’ Boruch Aharon Huss, of Anash of Montreal, as he heard them from reliable sources, usually from the protagonist himself.
He grew up in the house of his father, the Admur, and during the Holocaust he wandered from place to place until he ended up in Tomchei T’mimim. He was a rebbi for many years in Kfar Chabad. * R’ Avrohom Roitblatt a”h.
A person must recognize an obligation to treat his or her “underling” not only as an equal but as his or her master. The vaunted role as a person in whom power is vested only comes with the immense responsibility towards those who serve you.
The importance of chinuch is obvious to all. Our main difficulty is how to go about it. How do we move from our awareness of the importance of chinuch to actually implementing it?
When Moshiach comes, this mitzvah will regain its Biblical status. If so, one may reason, in comparison to its Biblical requirement it is as if we missed counting the Omer. Accordingly, one would not be allowed to continue counting with a Bracha.
He had a deep understanding of the bachurim and provided them with personal guidance in their Avodas Hashem. * Excerpts from a book compiled by Rabbi Yisroel Elfenbein, soon to be released in Hebrew.
May 3, 2013