Beis Moshiach 945

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BH. 30 Tishrei 5775 24 October 2014 Number 945 Price: $6.00 Part 2 of 2

The international weekly heralding the coming of Moshiach

LONG LIVE THE REBBE MELECH HAMOSHIACH FOREVER AND EVER!

TALK O

ETERNAL LIFE O

3 TAMM

DVAR MALCH

THE RETURNIN

SOUL WHO

RETURNIN

SOUTHE LIFE STORY O

NOAM YISROEL HARP

NOAHS ARK AN

HAMANS GA

LOW

BY RABBI H. GREENBEddush Levana [should be] with the especial intent of speedingand immediately bringing about the advent of Dovid Malka

shicha, by increasing in asking for and beseeching for the

emption, as in the closing words of Kiddush Levana: And they

ll beseech G-d their L-rd and Dovid their king, amen.bbos Parshas Noach 5752)


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CONTENTS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

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HEBREW EDITOR:

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ENGLISH EDITOR:

Boruch Merkur

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FEATURED ARTICLES

5 FROM INDIA TO BOLIVIAPrepared for publicationby Menachem Ziegelboim

12 THE RETURNINGSOUL WHO IS

RETURNING SOULS

Nosson Avrohom

24TO LOVE THAT WHICH ISMOST PRECIOUS OF ALLMenucha R.

28 THE CHALLENGE OFOUR GENERATION

Michoel Leib Dobry

WEEKLY COLUMNS

3 Dvar Malchus21 Parsha Thought

34 Tzivos Hashem

28

12

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TALK OF

ETERNAL LIFE

ON 3 TAMMUZTranslated by Boruch Merkur

Prior to the Rebbe Rayatzshistalkus in 5710, he emphasizedthe concept of chayim nitzchiim,

eternal life. The Rebbe MHMpoints out the profoundsignificance of the topics a Rebbediscusses in his final sichosdelivered in this world: they serveas instructions for how to proceedin the wake of his histalkus. InChapter 7 of Likkutei Mekoros,

author Rabbi Shloma Majeskinow cites similar reference in the

final sichos the Rebbe deliveredon Gimmel Tammuz.

5. [] The words Korachand Chukas both contain thetwo letters Ches and Kuf that comprise the word chok;the difference lies in the fact thatKorach has a Reish, whereasChukas has a Tav. Korach(who came from Shevet Levi)experienced the revelation ofchok, transcending reason andintellect and beyond measureand limitation. (Chassidus

explains that Korachs quarrelstemmed from his virtue, as ourSages attest he was clever,for he beheld the revelationthat transcends measure andlimitation, as will be manifest[universally] in the FutureEra. His mistake, however (indisputing the appointment of

Aharon as Kohen [Gadol]),was on account of the concept

represented by the letter Reish(poverty), which signifies howthe manifestation (of thought

and speech) does not comeabout through [the regularchannel of] Seder Hishtalshlus(Korach had sought to separateSupernal reality from Earthlyexistence), for the letter Reishlacks the third line ([the verticalline on the left side] of the letterHei), corresponding to action.

Chukas, on the other hand this is chukas haTorah,the law of the Torah draws

down from chok (beyondmeasure and limit) into theletter Tes, the final letter of thetwenty-two letters of the Torah.Chukas thus represents drawingdown G-dliness through theentire Seider Hishtalshlus (allthe letters from Alef to Tav),utilizing all the three lines (of theletter Tes) of thought, speech,and action, as well as Torah,

avoda[i.e., tfilla, prayer],

and acts of kindness. In fact,this manifestation occurs in amanner whereby all three unite.

The significance of thisunion is as follows. The finalstage and perfection ofavodais characterized by speed,described as mhiros dkdusha,the alacrity of holiness (of thehamshachathat transcendsHishtalshlus within Seider

Hishtalshlus). At this spiritualheight there is the union ofall three lines, meaning that with alacrity the Supernal(i.e., thought and speech) is

directly expressed within theEarthly (action, deed) withoutany interruption between them(unlike what is represented

by the letter Hei). Thus, thepoint beneath (the left line of)the letter Tav is attained, thepoint of bittul, selflessness. Itis actually a large point (havinglength and width), meaning thatthe bittulgoes together with[the seemingly contradictory

expression of] the expansionof length and width. The pointappears at the end of the Tav,symbolic of the perfection of thepoint of bittul,at the completionof onesavoda.

This process also bringsabout the concept of chukasmeaning chakika, engraving,signifying an (unchanging)eternal manifestation, whichis connected with the letterTav, as our Sages say, Tav tchiya, enlivens, the ultimateexpression of which is chaimnitzchiim, eternal life.

(From the address of Thursday

of Parshas Korach on the second day

of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 5751, as

well as Shabbos Parshas Korach,

Gimmel Tammuz; Seifer HaSichos

5751, pg. 656)

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Radio Host: We are nowestablishing a connection

between two brothers, each oneon a different continent. I willsay hello now to Shneur in India.Good morning, Shneur?

Shneur: Good morning!

Host: Where are you in India?

Shneur: Delhi

Host: I will say good morningalso to your brother Itzik inBolivia. Good morning or is itgood evening?

Itzik: Over here its goodafternoon or good evening.

Host: What time is it there?

Itzik: 5:20pm.

Host: Morning in India,night in Eretz Yisroel, September1, and the brothers Itzik andShneur Kupchik are in differentcountries on shlichus for theLubavitcher Rebbe. Let us start

with the larger country, maybethe second largest in the world,

India.Host: Shneur, tell us about

your work and shlichus.

Shneur: We have a Chabadhouse in the south of Delhi.There are two Chabad housesin Delhi, one for tourists andone for Jews and Israelis wholive here in Delhi or for visitors

who are not tourists. They are all

invited of course, but our placeis primarily for Israelis who areliving here for shorter or longerperiods.

Host: They recentlyinaugurated the Chabad housethat had been demolished in theattack, right?

Shneur: Yes. Last week theyre-inaugurated the Chabadhouse that was attacked six yearsago. Shluchim from all over

Asia came: Singapore, China,Thailand, Cambodia, and I wasthere too. I think that unlike othershluchim who only saw the new

building and the great joy of theinauguration, I am the only one

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who was there at its destructiontoo. I was there at the time of theattack with my wife. For me toenter this building now and seeit again They preserved someof the walls, and the upper floorsare not yet renovated. For me, it

wasnt an easy visit.

Host: Thats in Bombayright? How far is that from you

by car?

Shneur: 49 hours. Its a twohour flight.

Host: So you were at thebuilding in Bombay where thechild Moishy remained cryingand his parents were murdered.Perhaps this is an opportunity to

mention their names.

Shneur: Gabi and RivkyHoltzberg. Both of them Israeli.Rivky was from the Rosenbergfamily in Afula, and Gabi fromthe Holtzberg family, originallyfrom Yerushalayim.

Host: Now lets jumpfrom India to Bolivia. First, Iunderstand that you get a mazaltov you have a new baby!

Itzik: Another shliach of theRebbe was born.

Shneur: I will take thisopportunity to say mazal tov tomy brother; I still havent said it.

Host: Go ahead

Shneur: Itzik, can you hear

me? Mazal tov, mazal tov! Mayyou merit to raise him to Torah,chuppa and good deeds, mayhe be a ChaYaL, an acronymfor Chassid, yerei Shamayim,lamdan. I havent heard your

voice in a long time.

Host: Here we are, connecting

the brothers, Shneur in India andItzik in Bolivia. Itzik, whats the

babys name?

Itzik: Shneur Zalman

Host: How original

Itzik: Exactly. It is thename of the founder of ChabadChassidus.

Host: Obviously. By the way,how many children in the world

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DIA TO BOLIVIA

Two brothers, at two ends of the world, both shluchim of the Rebbe and both marking a

special celebration. Shneur Kupchik, the shliach in Delhi, celebrated a last minute Hachnasas

Seifer Torah, and Yosef Yitzchok Kupchik, the shliach in La Paz, Bolivia celebrated the bris

of his son. * Channel 2 of Kol Yisroel had the brothers meet over the airwaves, and aside

from being able to wish one another mazal tov, they told the thousands of listeners about

their work. * In addition, the shliach in Delhi, who was the only other shliach to see the

terrible destruction of the Chabad house in Bombay with the massacre perpetrated there,

was present at the inauguration of the renovated Chabad house.

Prepared for publication by Menachem Ziegelboim


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are named Shneur Zalman?

Itzik: I have no idea. EveryChabad family that has two orthree sons is likely to have thisname.

Host: So Itzik, how old is thebaby now?

Itzik: Two weeks old.

Host: Mazal tov. And wheredid the mohel come from?

Itzik: The mohel camefrom Chile, a four to five hourflight with two stopovers. Theinteresting thing is that before

we moved to Bolivia on shlichus,we lived in Tzfas and that samemohel also lived in Tzfas. Imoved to Bolivia and he movedon shlichus to Chile. I told himthen, that one day a bris wouldtake place in Bolivia and he

BRIS MILA WITH A LACK OF OXYGEN

R Itzik Kupchik relates:

We decided my wife would give birth where we liveon shlichus, in Bolivia. Why not? There are enoughreasons. Why yes? First of all, so we could celebrate ahappy Jewish event with our community. The last bris

in La Paz took place over a decade ago. Aside fromthat, a trip of a day plus, including several flights andterminals, when about to give birth, with little children,endless luggage and strollers and pacifiers The mainthing, it is not the height of the season. Nevertheless,every Shabbos we have dozens of tourists at ourShabbos table.

The decision wasnt lightly made but the momentwe opened to the Rebbes answer, May Hashemcomplete his wifes pregnancy properly and easily sothat she gives birth to a healthy child in the right timeproperly and with ease, it all became obvious and

matters progressed nicely.My parents, who had to leave their place of shlichus

in Poona in order to renew their visas, decided to travelto the furthest point on the globe, to Bolivia. In amazingdivine providence, a week before the birth we gave oursecond son, Berele, an upshernish. Who would haveimagined that my parents would have participated inthat event? I usually celebrate alone and usually, they

do not attend most of the simchas of the children andgrandchildren. This time, they even got an upshernishincluded!

The birth went smoothly, boruch Hashem. OnFriday, my wife was supposed to be released from thehospital when they discovered that the babys oxygenlevel was very low, about 70%. This is because La Paz isthe highest capital in the world and is on a mountaintop

which is 3000 meters above sea level. This makes forvery thin air.

My mother did not tell me but it seems she wasplenty nervous. Long ago, in Eretz Yisroel, one of

my brothers was in the ICU with an oxygen level thatwas much higher, and yet, they wanted to release hergrandson with such a low oxygen level? Why?

We are so distant from everyone and everything, wecould have managed on our own, but my mother washere

The baby was sent to be checked by a cardiologistand my mother spoke to the cardiologist who,fortunately, spoke a bit of English (most of the peoplehere do not speak English). He said all was well. Babiesthat are born here after many generations are born

in a physical state that is suited to the atmosphericconditions, but a baby whose origin is at sea level needsto adjust and it takes time.

So with all the Erev Shabbos pressure, my wifebeing released, preparing the Chabad house for aShalom Zachor with 100 tourists, I had to get a mobileoxygen tank and bring the baby home.

There was another stage in the middle. Thecardiologist left it up to us as to whether to be releasedimmediately or after Shabbos. What should we do?My parents taught me to always consult with a doctor-friend, as the Rebbe says to do. A doctor-friend in

Bolivia? Well, my wifes doctor who accompanied usfaithfully throughout this period is the president of

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would come and do it. And he did.

Host: Itzik, lets hear about youractivities. Who are you targeting?

Itzik: Our target group is thesame as any Chabad house: everyJew. Here in La Paz, the capitolof Bolivia, there is a small Jewish

community of 150 people, well,now its 151 Then there are thethousands or tens of thousandsof tourists. Bolivia is the center ofSouth America so its a populardestination. People who comeup from Argentina or down fromPeru always come to Bolivia. The

Chabad house is always hummingthroughout the year.

The highlight of the year isPesach with about 1500 peopleattending the seder. And there isanother Chabad house in the jungleof Bolivia, in Rurrenabaque, wherethere are over 100 participants.

Host: Tell me Shneur, is thattypical, that two brothers are indifferent locations, or is it rare for

two brothers, both on shlichus?Shneur: Two brothers on shlichus

in different locations is normal but Ithink that this distance, with each ofus at opposite ends of the world, is ahuge physical distance. The distancedoes not weaken our spiritualcloseness and it might strengthenit. My parents are also shluchim;they have a Chabad house in Poona,India.

We are a veteran family ofshluchim here in India. For mymother the distance was very hardand its not just the distance. Everyso often we visit Eretz Yisroel andmeet the family, but the freedomto do so is only at a time whenthe tourist season is weak.

Unfortunately, the slow time hereand the slow time in Bolivia are notthe same, so we brothers hardly evermeet.

Before the birth, my parentsmade a major effort and flew fromIndia to Bolivia, attended the brisand took part in what is a simcha forall of us. They represented the rest ofthe family, those in Eretz Yisroel andthose here in India.

Host: Nice! Itzik, in comparisonto Eretz Yisroel, you were in Tzfaspreviously, how do you rate thehealthcare for an expectant womanand the birth experience? Did youhave to be more careful? What

would you say the differences are?

Itzik: The truth is that if we wereon our own here, we would have

been worried. Since we are shluchimof the Rebbe and he takes spiritual

the Jewish community here! Headvised us to have her released.

When I had not obtained amobile oxygen tank, he approvedour taking the baby for a shorttime without oxygen.

Now we had to import amohel, to find flights, to arrangea seuda

The first mohel I called,R Berel Sokolowitz of Chile,immediately said okay. Did I saythe closest? A 5-6 hour flightand a four day stay until afterShabbos.

The bris would be celebratedwith family (okay, just myparents from my side and withoutmy brothers, but to us thats alot!) and with our communityand tourists.

To my great surprise anddelight, a special guest cameon the day of the bris, R OferKripor, the shliach in Cusco,Peru. He set everything aside andcame with some of his family ona 15 hour bus trip! I deeply feltthat Chassidim are one family.

We showed up at the briswith the baby and an oxygentank, the local pediatrician, andthe one who gave the go-aheadto hold the bris on time alsoshowed up to supervise the brisand the baby. The seudas mitzvaand farbrengen were celebratedinto the night together with the

American consul in Bolivia, thehonorary consul from Eretz

Yisroel in Bolivia, and members

of the local community.

We left the airport in Delhi and experienced

humidity that is unworldly. Our glasses

fogged up. A minute of walking and we were dripping

with sweat. The driver was actually happy with the

weather. It was more pleasant than the previous days.

Its enough to make a grown person cry.

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and physical responsibility for hisshluchim, we are relaxed.

Like everything else, thisis connected to a miracle.

The president of the Jewishcommunity is a doctor and hetook personal responsibility forthe entire process until the birth

and in the days following thebirth.

Since we are at a height of3600 meters above sea level,

AGAINST ALL ODDS

There is a special personal story having to do withthe Hachnasas Seifer Torah that took place in Delhi asrelated in the radio interview. From a letter written byMrs. Sarah Kupchik, shlucha in Delhi, to her family:

First of all, I dont know how many moments of

sanity I have to work with. The children are using theirworkbooks, Geula is quiet because of the intense heat,and the baby isnt crying for a change. This is a goodtime to update the worried family about recent events.

A few months ago, we received a phone call from afamily in Eretz Yisroel who wanted to contribute a Torahto the local shul in Delhi. They wanted our help with thecatering in honor of the festive event.

A little background: Delhi never had a large Jewishcommunity. There is a shul which the Shila family fromPoona founded. Today there are a few remnants of thecommunity with whom we are in close contact, but

as far as the shul, whoever comes does as he pleases.There is no mechitza, women and even non-Jews join aso-called minyan. In order to understand the situation Ican only tell you that we were invited to an aliya lTorahand bas mitzva celebration of a thirteen year old girl, thedaughter of a woman who is not Jewish. Shmulik Scharftried to make changes in the shul which, for variousreasons, did not work out.

Shneur tried to find out from them on the phonewhy they wanted to donate a Torah. I dont have theenergy to explain the entire story. The point is, when

we visited Eretz Yisroel, we decided to visit the home of

the couple who were making the donation. It turned outthey had an emotional reason for making this donation.They showed us the Torah and it was painful to see amagnificent Torah with large, beautiful writing that wasgoing to reside in that kind of synagogue.

They wanted us to do the catering and for Shneurto lead the inaugural reading of the Torah. It wascomplicated, given the situation at the shul. Theypromised to buy a mechitza and catering would besupplied by the Chabad house of the Main Bazaar.

A few days before our arrival in Delhi, there was asudden change in plans. The person in charge of theshul did not see eye to eye with the donors and so thedonors decided to give the Torah to us! That meant thatthe day we landed, a Friday no less, there would be anevent in our home which would be followed by hosting

the donors and guests for the Friday night meal, and thenext day there would be a minyan for Krias haTorah inour new Torah. The family has connections with localgovernment people and so they invited dignitaries, Jewsand non-Jews, to the event.

I wont get into the story of the visa and how wemanaged the passports, shopping, and packing the

entire night before the flight.After sleeping four hours, we left Tzfas. There was

a siren on the way. We passed through customs with allthe meat.

We left the airport in Delhi and experienced humiditythat is unworldly. Our glasses fogged up. A minute of

walking and we were dripping with sweat. The driverwas actually happy with the weather. It was morepleasant than the previous days. Its enough to make agrown person cry.

It was a more pleasant welcome when we arrived

home (sarcastic). The dust that filled every corner ofthe house (a month in the filthiest city in the world)was okay as compared to the unpleasant surprise. Wehad left one freezer out of three running. The smell ofrotting meat reached the street.

Mendush, who was deeply asleep, woke up fromthe odor and began to cry. All that we wanted after twosleepless nights was to collapse into bed but the bedroomair conditioner did not work. Ditto for another one inthe living room.

In another twelve hours they would all be here in ourhouse. It was four in the morning. I began to cry. The

new ambassador who arrived just two days ago and thenew attach and other people, more and less important,for some of whom this would be their first visit to usand there would be no second chance to make a firstimpression.

In the morning, Shneur went to the market, built achuppa (out of bamboo and fabric from the market),and ordered a group of musicians for the procession(and it wasnt just a simple phone call). To our dismay,

we found out that the Chabad house at Main Bazaarhad not prepared anything, which meant we had norefreshments for the event. The donor suddenly told us

that she had also invited the new ambassador and hiswife to our home for the Shabbos meal. Another fourcouples from the embassy, the military attach (and wecontinued to hear about more and more).

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baby Shneur Zalman had to getused to the oxygen level. Hehad a very low oxygen level andhe was put on oxygen for 24

hours. Since this wasnt a healthproblem, just something havingto do with the local environment,

we could make the bris on time

and the Jewish doctor brought apediatrician along so everything

would be done in the safest way.

A bris for a baby with an

The house was not at all in a condition in which Icould begin cooking or baking. Only cleaning could bedone.

Shneur emptied the fridge of the rotting food but thestench in the house only increased. I was in the middleof a phone conversation with the donor who wanted tocome and help with the preparations but I couldnt even

speak. We were simply choking from the stench. I ran tothe porch and there too, it was impossible to breathe. Itold her that the house was in the midst of being cleaned.She wanted to come and help. An idea occurred to me,to send her to an air conditioned, pleasant store for herto buy nice dishes for the buffet, pretty tablecloths (allmy tablecloths were in the laundry from before our trip

because it had been Shavuos and Shabbos, but therewas no water to do a wash), fragrant candles, flowers,and whatever would make the buffet (as of now, there

was nothing to put on it) decent. We arranged that shewould call at twelve to see if she could come over.

At one we were still cleaning and cleaning on ourown, without help. Suddenly, I heard, Sarah, Sarah

The donors had arrived. Help!

Straight into the stink, with black buckets everywhere.On the one hand, it was extremely uncomfortable. Onthe other hand, there was a sense of relief. Thats that,they saw what was going on here. Next.

She was in helping mode. Dragging sofas and tables.After an hour of helping, they left and we had twohours until Shabbos. She bought deodorizing sprays inaddition to what we had bought.

Friday afternoon, at four oclock, the guests began toshow up. The living room looked clean. The fragranceof challa and meat spread through the house. Someonefrom the embassy took out a CD with HachnasasSeifer Torah music (a miracle since we did not havetime to prepare). The children were clean and dressedfor Shabbos. (Fortunately I had packed their Shabbosclothes separately; otherwise, there is no way I couldhave extricated them from the suitcases.)

The buffet was ready with nuts and dry fruit andcookies that I had bought for the children in Eretz

Yisroel. Not what we would have prepared if only there

had been time.

All the tie-wearing dignitaries came, one after theother. Handshakes, officialdom and formalities. If onlythey knew what was going on here just an hour ago.

The Torah procession was on our street. One ofthe most bizarre scenes this place ever saw. History inthe making. An amusing Indian band. Everyone wassatisfied. An attraction for the new folks. A chuppa madeof bamboo and Indian fabric.

Then there were seven hakafos. Shneur tried to getall the diplomats to dance, with some success. For the

first hakafa, the ambassador and his number 2 and 3person were honored. For the second hakafa, the militaryattach and his aides were honored. Shneur gave themall honors.

The grandchildren of Shila came and they saw thatthe Chabad house is the real local community (theylearn Hebrew at Main Bazaar and they celebrated his barmitzva at Main Bazaar this week). Pictures were taken.Then speeches by the donors, the new ambassador, anda speech in a more endearing style by Shneur.

One of the guests told Shneur that it was nice andrespectable.

It did not end there. There was an hours respiteuntil candle lighting and masses of people packed ourhouse. Additional tables were opened. We brought someshortcuts from Eretz Yisroel that they dont havehere. Sweet potato, avocado, salmon, meat, lettuce. Theatmosphere was incredible. We could not have had a

warmer reception than this.

All is by divine providence. If we had landed in thehumidity and stench but to nothing else (most of thepeople arent here at all, for its peak summer now) that

would have been really depressing. But, boruch Hashem,

we landed straight into action, straight into such abeautiful and uplifting event, for such important guests.It was fantastic!

Then it was Shabbos. There was still no fridge. Weare helped by the African neighbor downstairs whohappily stores our Shabbos food.

We had a minyan for Krias haTorah and this wasfollowed by a Shabbos meal with chulent and meat! Thistoo was a rare event here. There were many guests. Itcould have been a situation in which it was just us withthe donors.

When they began singing Shir HaMaalos beforeBirkas HaMazon, there was nobody happier than me.Finally, we could sit down, rest on the couch, relax a bit.

A new year of shlichus is about to begin.

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oxygen tank I dont think weveever heard of anything like this

before

Host: No we havent. And thebaby is adjusting to oxygen atthis height, 3600 meters, we wishhim a speedy adjustment without

any complications.Itzik: Amen!

Host: Shneur, lets go back toIndia, to Delhi, the big city. What

were people saying there aboutthe war we were fighting withHamas?

Shneur: Surprisingly, untiltoday, we have been asked hardlyany questions about the situationin Eretz Yisroel even though itis mentioned in the newspapersand all over the place. At the

beginning of the war we were inEretz Yisroel on a visit and weflew back here in the middle ofthe war.

We landed here on a Fridayat four in the morning and thatday, at four in the afternoon,

we made a Hachnasas SeiferTorah. A family from Hertzliyadonated a Torah lilui nishmas afriend of theirs, and they decidedto dedicate it here in India and

it somehow ended up with us.They asked for this date and this

was the day we returned. Duringthose twelve hours from when wecame until the celebration, wehad to get ourselves organized

we are a family with four children to land and recover and arrangefor a respectable HachnasasSeifer Torah (see sidebar).

The highlight was during

the procession in the streetwith masses of Indians gapingat us. Although this was inthe middle of the war in Eretz

Yisroel and there were gravesecurity concerns, especially

when it came to members of

the diplomatic community, westill all walked in the street. Theambassador was there as wasthe military attach, the embassystaff and many assistants. Theprocession was led by a groupof local drummers. Pictureeveryone dancing and rejoicing

with the Torah in 40 centigrade(104 degrees Fahrenheit) heat.The ambassador was honored

with a hakafa, the militaryattach was honored with a

hakafa in the merit of all theIsraeli soldiers, the embassyssecurity detail was also honoredas were the members of the localJewish community.

After the festivities were over,more and more locals cameover and asked me what wasgoing on in Gaza. WheneverI encounter local Indians ona level slightly higher than the

cleaning help, they ask me aboutwhat is going on there and it hasbecome a topic of conversationhere in India. The Indian people,from what I can tell, love Israel.

Without understanding all thedetails, they realize that there are

two sides to the coin even thoughthe newspapers dont alwayspresent it as such.

Host: Itzik, how is the topicregarded and discussed inBolivia?

Itzik: Its just the oppositehere. In India there aregenerally admirers of Israel

while here, following the CastLead operation, the governmentdecided to cut off ties with

Israel. This time, the localpresident announced that he waspronouncing Israel a terror stateand he canceled the free entry ofIsraelis here. From now on, they

will have to request a visa. At thelevel of the ordinary people onthe street it is not felt as much.

Host: Do you have a largeMoslem population?

Itzik: Yes. There is a

community of Iranians and ingeneral, there are Moslems.

Host: As a Jew who dressesand identifies as a Jew, do youfeel any antagonism?

Itzik: I am used to peoplestaring when we walk in thestreet, but we have not been onthe receiving end of anti-Semiticremarks. Last Friday, there

was an Israeli here who neededhelp. He had a flight Sunday

morning; he had come fromPeru. Since he had already beenin Bolivia, they did not give hima visa to enter again. He calledme from the border for help.

When we arrived to speak to theimmigration official, a petty anti-Semite, he said to him, You arean Israeli. You are from a countryof terrorists and you wont get a

visa.

Babies that are born here after many generations

are born in a physical state that is suited to the

atmospheric conditions, but a baby whose origin is at

sea level needs to adjust and it takes time.

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I explained to the officialthat he did not want to enterthe country; he wanted to leave.He had a flight and he needed atransit visa. The official persistedand said again that he wouldnot allow terrorists to enter the

country. In the end, we managedto straighten things out another

way and this morning he leftBolivia without incident.

Host: According to whatyou say then, there are hardlyany Israeli tourists in Boliviaanymore.

Itzik: Last Shabbos we hadover 120 tourists at the Chabadhouse.

Host: Israelis or Jews?

Itzik: Most were Israelis.There were also a few Jews fromall over the world.

Host: So they are letting themin despite what you said?

Itzik: Thats true for now.

The law is supposed to go intoeffect tomorrow and well see

what will happen.

***

Host: Which of you twobrothers is older?

Shneur: Me.

Host: We thankyou for speaking tous on this program,one from India andone from South

America. This isdefinitely a uniqueevent. Mazal tovon the baby andcontinued successin matters relating

to Eretz Yisroel. Bewell and thank youvery much.

Itzik: Shneurand I are waitingto meet together in

Yerushalayim with

the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach.

Host: Here, in the studio, weare waiting. Kol tuv.

Itzik: With the Geula shleima.Kol tov and besuros tovos.

nail polish so her nails would not beas showy.

The next morning she cameover to me and said, Look, I cutmy nails. She did this even thoughI hadnt asked her to. It just goesto show how much something isaccepted when it is presented in anatmosphere of good will and propercommunication.

How do you explain to a girl

why, according to the principlesof tznius, a certain accessory,although seemingly modest, is notacceptable?

This week, students came overto me and said, Morah, we dontunderstand why this skirt is notgood. It isnt tight and its even moremodest than what other people are

wearing!

I told them, Im sure you

remember that a few months ago,

there was a polio scare and inorder to prevent it, everyone was

vaccinated, even those to whom itwasnt an immediate threat. It isvery possible that a skirt made outof fabric that does not meet thestandard looks modest to you eventhough on most other people it doesnot. It has to be off limits so that theepidemic does not spread, even if itlooks as though you dont need thisrule.

In my experience in teaching,I have seen that girls want tounderstand why something is notappropriate. We need to combinethe two: to tell them that this is thesituation and that in order to preventdeterioration we have to call a haltto it immediately, and to provideexplanations as to why to dress likethis and not like that. We need to

take advantage of every possible time

to reach them all. The best times arefarbrengens and lessons, Shabbatonsetc.

When hearts are open and peoplefeel close and receptive and notthreatened, we have an opportunityto focus on this important topic andto listen to their questions (let themask and talk about the difficultiesthey are experiencing!). We will soondiscover that many girls observe therules because that is what it says

in the rule book from the rabbaneiChabad, but they dont understand

why these rules are beneficial anddesirable. They are interested inhearing answers to their questions.

Remember, the Rebbe does notremain in debt! For all our efforts,even the smallest, in this lofty matter,each of us will merit material andspiritual good!

Continued from page 27

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THE RETURNING SOUL WHO IS

RETURNINGSOULSThe fascinating life story of R Noam Yisroel Harpaz

can ll several books, from his childhood when

he swam against the tide until today, when he is a

maggid shiur and a mashpia. * About the yechidus

which he did not know how to end. * The Av Beis

Din who suddenly recognized him and said, I

am your student. * The work he did on yoga

and meditation with the help of

rabbanim and mashpiim until

the Rebbe stopped him with his

ruach hakodesh.

Interview by Nosson Avrohom

It was a number of years agothat R Noam Yisroel Harpaz hadoccasion to be at the Beis Din

HaRabbanim in Yerushalayim.One of his students, animmigrant from the CIS,

wanted to get married andhe had to obtain the beisdins affirmation as tohis being Jewish. RHarpaz, who knew the

bachurs parents, wasthere to help him andto testify on his behalf.

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Silence fell upon the roomwhen the three dayanim entered.As is customary, the Av Beis Din,R Yisachar Dovber Hagar, askedR Harpaz to identify himself

while showing his ID card.

A few moments passed and

then R Hagar looked up fromthe papers in front of him, staredat R Harpaz and said that hisname rang a bell and he couldnot figure out why. R Harpazlooked at R Hagar and couldntremember either. As far as Iknow, this is the first time weare meeting, he replied, a bitpuzzled.

But R Hagar was unwillingto give up and he said to R

Harpaz that after the halachicproceedings, he would try againto remember from where he knewthe name Noam Yisroel Harpaz.

When the session was over,R Hagar remembered. I am oneof your students, he exclaimedsuddenly. The other dayanim,as well as R Harpaz, were takenaback by this pronouncement.

When I get home after a

long day at the beis din, I am tooexhausted to learn inside a text. Icame up with a way that I couldcontinue learning. I heard aboutthe phone system Nichayeg

VNishma and I would call thenumber and listen to shiurimin Chassidus. Just recently Ifinished listening to your series ofshiurim.

R Hagar was happy to meetR Harpaz in person and the

two of them continued to keepin touch. They have met, at RHagars initiative, and discussedtopics in Chassidus. This closerelationship which began bydivine providence continued for along time until the sad day, a yearago, when R Harpaz heard of RHagars passing.

R Harpaz has had numerousstories like this. Some people stop

him on the street and some callhim directly to ask questions andto consult with him after listeningto or attending one of the manyshiurim in Chassidus that hegives. For thirty years now hes

been traveling; in the morning

you can meet him in yeshiva inYerushalayim, in the afternoon atan army base somewhere, and inthe evening at a Chabad house inthe Yerushalayim area.

Wherever he goes hefarbrengs or gives a shiur inTanya or the Rebbes sichosand maamarim. He alsoteaches deep hemshechim; itall depends on the audience,the age and intellectual level.

His speaking style is articulate,

captivating, knowledgeable,and most importantly, clear andilluminating to the broad array of

listeners who flock to his shiurim.R Harpaz does not limit

himself to one sector; his shiurimare successful with those whogrew up in religious homes as

well as with those who are recentarrivals.

Before Rosh HaShana, wewent to the Maaleh Zeitimneighborhood of Yerushalayim topersonally meet the mashpia whois responsible for hundreds of

baalei tshuva over the years. Theconversation was fascinating andcould have continued for manymore hours if he hadnt had toattend another farbrengen in ayeshiva in Tel Aviv.

YEARS OF SEARCHING

R Harpazs life story is noless fascinating. It was a long and

winding road that he took fromwhen he was a boy growing upin a typical, Israeli, Ashkenazifamily in Givatayim, until hereached where he is today.

I had heard about Judaismmainly from the radio or when I

saw religious Jews on television.At home we were not traditionaland I naively thought that those

who were traditional were fewin number and would soondisappear. I remember that we

built a sukka but I know that itwas more suitable for a childrensclubhouse than as a real sukka.

Even if we kept certainmitzvos, it was only because ofthe experience. My parents sent

me to a local public school, but

from a very young age I felt thatI was different than my peers.I was a child who broke with

convention. I was unwilling forpeople to lead me to thinkinga certain way without that way

being perfectly clear to me.I searched for the depth ineverything.

From a very young age Ibegan feeling an emptiness andI searched for pnimius. I wasa child who thought and read atremendous amount. From a veryyoung age I felt a strong needfor meaning and truth by whichI could live. I was unwilling to belike the rest of the fish that swim

with the current.

The fact that his motherworked as a librarian in the citylibrary was good for him since he

was able to borrow three or fourbooks a day which he finishedwithin hours and could do the

All this teaching of Chassidus apparently

disturbed the sitra achra, for one day, R Harpaz

found himself under criminal investigation because of his

shiurim.

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same again the next day.

My search began in theenormous investment I made inreading and acquiring knowledge.I read all kinds of literature,science, history, biographies, butI was mainly drawn to reading

about mysticism.When he turned fourteen he

felt that reading alone was notsatisfying his hunger for someas-yet undefined dimension andhe joined a group of youths who

were also searching. They wouldmeet and listen to psychedelicmusic and smoke varioussubstances.

Then he discovered the worldof vegetarianism and naturalhealing. He avidly read books on

the subject and was a memberof naturalist forums. Twice ayear for several weeks he livedonly on fruit and vegetable juicesin order to cleanse his body oftoxins and metals. After a whilehe registered to learn at the KfarHaYarok boarding school.

While I studied there Ibecame acquainted with yoga andmeditation and heard about themeditation center in Ramat Gan

which was run by disciples ofan Indian guru who immigratedto Britain. I visited the center

regularly and spent hours onmeditation and various yogaexercises. The lingo of the people

who ran the place, about theinner dimension and the world

beyond ours, spoke to me and Iwas sure I had reached what mysoul yearned for.

However, as with the earlierstations along my way, the samething happened with meditation.

Even though I thought I hadattained the highest levels ofunderstanding and training, Idecided to leave the center theminute they began includingpersonality worship of theirguru. Without knowing what

avoda zara is, I felt that I didnot relate to this ceremony andI did not want to be a part of it.The punishment for this wasthat they did not register me as amember in the cult.

I stopped visiting the centerbut did not drop my involvementin mysticism. I continued doingmeditation and yoga. The staffat Kfar HaYarok, who saw thatthe academic part of school

was not interesting me much,

also decided, at the end of mysecond year there, to recommendanother place. I went to AnkoriHigh School in Tel Aviv which I

also soon left in order to work atthe Tel Aviv zoo.

When he was sixteen and ahalf, Noam bought a bus ticket toNuweiba in the Sinai.

Back then, those whowanted quiet would go downthere. I thought that maybe there,in the Sinai, I would be able tosoothe the inner turmoil that Ifelt, a turmoil that I did not knowhow to assuage. I spent a numberof weeks there doing nothing. Ispent day and night staring at the

blue skies, wanting to find innerpeace but to no avail. I decided togo back home.

SUDDEN CHANGE

My younger brotherwas almost bar mitzva. Thepreparations for his bar mitzva

were different than for mine. Mymothers friend brought her to ashiur given by Mrs. Luba Garelikof Kfar Chabad and that is howshe found a teacher to preparemy brother for his bar mitzva,R Chaim Tzadok, a shliach in

Ramat Chein in Bnei Brak. Hewould come to our home once aweek and prepare him for his barmitzva.

At the time, I was sitting athome doing nothing. R Tzadok

wasnt fazed by my appearanceand whenever he came, he tossedsome Chassidic lines at me that

were like riddles, but his simchacaptivated me.

One of the lines stuck with

me and shook me up without myunderstanding why. A Rebbe is aRosh Bnei Yisroel, the leader ofthe Jewish people. He said it andleft. I really liked R Tzadok.

On Shabbos Parshas KiSeitzei 5737, my brother had hisaliya lTorah. Early that morning,R Tzadok knocked at our door,shocking us all with his presence,as he had walked nearly an hourfrom his home. He urged us allto get ready for the davening inthe nearby shul which was aboutto begin.

After quickly gettingourselves ready, we all wenttogether to the shul. R Tzadokseated us on the eastern wall andgave us siddurim. He showedme what page we were on andI began to read. I can onlydescribe what happened then

as no less than enlightenment.It was something that could notbe explained rationally. I beganreading the words of the tfillaand felt enormously connected.Each additional word that Iuttered was said with tremendousdveikus.

After the davening I told RTzadok that I wanted to go toKfar Chabad, the only religious

Then he blessed me with a line I will never forget,

Every addition in Torah study will lead to an

addition in Hashems blessing.

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place that I knew of, and thatI wanted to learn how to bereligious. When my mother metme outside the shul, she toldme that the women in shul wereamazed by my davening.

On Motzaei Shabbos there

was a bar mitzva celebration. Oneof the guests was Mrs. Garelikwho came with her husband.The feeling that Noam hadexperienced during Shacharishad only gotten stronger and hetold the Lubavitcher couple thathe was interested in Judaism and

wanted to go to Kfar Chabad.

Mrs. Garelik was happyto hear this and the followingShabbos I was the guest of the

mashpia, R Zalman Gopin andhis wife Rivka of Kfar Chabad. I

went for a week and stayed on.

That was at the end of 5737.R Gopin was mekarev him. Inthe morning, they would gotogether to yeshiva and in theevening they would go hometogether.

For a week I was hesitant

but then something happenedthat made me realize that this ismy place forever. My chavrusafor Chassidus was R YitzchokElishevitz and we learned thekuntres UMaayan MiBeisHashem together. When we

got to the part that talks aboutlevels of inanimate, vegetation,animal, and human, it says thatthe mashpia is above the mekabelso if I receive enjoyment andsatisfaction from animals, I amlower than them.

I loved animals and themessage seemed to be that I waschoosing to receive chayus froma lower level. R Elishevitz didnot try to soften the message. It

shook me up. I thought aboutthis a lot and it led me to theconclusion that this is a systemof thought that is structured anddeep, far more than I thoughtand understood.

After completing the maamer,Noam Yisroel left the yeshiva

building and strolled throughthe pathways of the Kfar ashe thought over what he had

learned. He knew that he hadreached a moment of truth andthat in order to be a Chassid it

wasnt enough to take a peek; hehad to completely give himselfover.

After an hour of wandering

around, I went to the Gopinhouse. Mrs. Gopin realizedwhat I was going through andshe served me a plate of pretzelsand a cup of lchaim. Then Ilay down to sleep and the nextmorning, when R Gopin wokeme up for Chassidus, I rememberthat I felt I was already someonecompletely different.

OPEN RUACH HAKODESH

That morning, Noam Yisroeldecided that he was choosingthe Rebbe and Chassidus and he

went to learn in yeshiva like anyother bachur.

That was the end of Elul.R Gopin went to the Rebbe andI spent Rosh HaShana and YomKippur in Shikun Chabad in

Yerushalayim. The second half

R Harpaz discussing Judaism with soldiers in the Shomron

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of Tishrei, Sukkos and SimchasTorah, I spent with the Garelikfamily in Kfar Chabad. At the

beginning of the winter semesterin yeshiva they arranged a bed forme in the dorm and chavrusos.R Menachem Brod taught meGemara and R Moshe Winnertaught me Chassidus. I was very

drawn to Chassidus and for twoyears I learned a lot of Chassidusfrom all the Chabad Rebbeim.

Before he wrote his letter ofhiskashrus to the Rebbe, he wrotea letter in which he asked theRebbe to arouse great mercy onone of his friends, a request that

was fulfilled in an astonishingmanner.

I had a good friend whom

I learned with when I was inschool. Despite the upheavalsI had gone through, we hadkept closely in touch. I triedto be mekarev him but wasunsuccessful. He laughed at whatI had done which is why I decidedto write to the Rebbe about him.Just two days after writing the

letter, he called me and said thathe had a tremendous urge to goto the yeshiva in Kfar Chabadand to join me.

R Eliyahu Landau, whotaught in the yeshiva, questionedme about many topics having todo with yoga and meditation.He told me that his father, R

Yaakov, had received letters fromthe Rebbe on the subject. The

Rebbe viewed it as a medicaltreatment and wanted peopleknowledgeable in the field toremove the avoda zara aspectsof meditation and leave just the

curative elements that could helppeople. I was even asked to go tohis fathers house and he showedme a folder of letters from theRebbe on the subject.

The Rebbes wishes in thisregard reached R YitzchokGinsburgh of Kfar Chabadand he got me involved. A fewtimes a week, in the eveningsafter sdarim in yeshiva, I

would visit his house and tellhim about different approachesin meditation and he wouldput it into terms of sfiros andkabbalistic levels.

It was 12 Tammuz and theRebbe would be farbrenging.Together with all the bachurim,

we went to Beit Shazar in orderto hear the broadcast. Since I didnot understand Yiddish, I decided

R Harpaz on Mivtza Tfllin

Write a check of even ve gures and you will

see that it will be covered. The founder of the

yeshiva, the Rebbe Rashab, will make sure to cover it.

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to use the time to write my firstletter of hiskashrus to the Rebbe.I wrote a letter about everythingI had experienced until I cameto yeshiva, and added aboutthe project I was doing with RGinsburgh on meditation. I had

a few questions about meditationand asked the Rebbe to respondto them.

When I finished the letter Iput it in my pocket. I planned onmailing it the next day. My friend

Y. Y. Butman regularly recordedthe broadcasts and afterward

we would gather in a side roomand he would translate it forthose who did not understandit. We did that this time too.

When he got to the last sicha andtranslated it, I was in utter shock.My face turned white.

The Rebbe explained thatevery good thing in the world issourced in Torah and added thata medicine must be given by adoctor because he knows howto adjust it to the patient. Whena healthy person takes medicine,it is harmful, not helpful. TheRebbe went on to say that this

is also true of meditation. Itcould help those with emotionalproblems but hurt those who arehealthy. The Rebbe then said aline that stunned me. There arepeople who are trying to developmeditation according to kabbalaand as such are trying to adaptthe Torah to people. The Rebbenegated this outright. I heard thisand realized that there was nopurpose in sending my letter for

I had already received an answerthat responded to each of myquestions.

I asked all those present towait. I took the letter out of mypocket, told them when I had

written it, and read the questionsthat I had on meditation. Thisevent greatly connected me to theRebbe.

Speaking of the times whenfarbrengens were broadcast, R

Harpaz tells of the days of greatexcitement about the Rebbe andMoshiach.

We would wake up for thebroadcasts and the discussionamong us bachurim was that thistime, the Rebbe would begin themaamer with Anochi MelechHaMoshiach.

During his second year inyeshiva, Noam Yisroel developeda good relationship with the

Yerushalmi mashpia, R MosheWeber.

I spent a Shabbos with himand we connected. He called therosh yeshiva, R Yaakov Katz,and asked permission to host meevery Shabbos. For months hepaid for my trip to Yerushalayimto visit him for Shabbos.

Toward the end of the secondyear, R Weber decided that

Noam Yisroel was ready for ashidduch.

Our first meeting was in theWeber home in Yerushalayim andthe second took place at the homeof Sudakewitz in Kfar Chabad.During our second meeting, wealready contacted the secretariatto ask for a bracha. After lessthan half an hour, we receivedthe Rebbes bracha and consent

and the shidduch was sealed.

The wedding took place on

18 Elul 5739 in Kfar Chabad.

SHIURIM ON A GLOBAL

SCALE

During the first three years oftheir marriage, the couple livedin Kfar Chabad and R Harpazlearned in the local kollel.

At the same time, he took ajob teaching in the yeshiva forbaalei tshuva founded by RZimroni Tzik of Bat Yam.

That was my first attempt atgiving classes. In the morning Icontinued learning in the kolleland in the evening I would giveshiurim in Chassidus in yeshiva.

When I returned home everyevening, I would visit R Gopinand repeat the shiur that I gavein Derech Mitzvosecha and he

would make his comments. I

had the privilege of his investinghundreds of hours of guidancein me and teaching me how toprepare a shiur properly.

Since then, its all history. RHarpaz is one of the top lecturersin Chabad today. His students,

who learned Chassidus from himover the years, number in themany thousands, especially sincehis shiurim were put online and

R Harpaz receiving a dollar from the Rebbe

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are heard all over the world.

I recently met R ChaimBrod, one of the shluchim inMexico, who came to visit hisfather-in-law, R Dovid Offenin Beitar Ilit. He told me that ashort while previously, he had

visited 770 and went on mivtzaimto the places he had visited when

he had been on Kvutza. One ofthe stores belongs to an Israeli

with whom the bachurim werein touch over the years. Theyschlepped him to farbrengensand did a lot with him, but forsome reason, he did not makespiritual progress.

On that visit, he went to see

him and the man was wearinga yarmulke and tzitzis. He waspleasantly surprised and askedhim about the change. The mansaid he had recently discoveredan internet site with shiurimon Tanya and once he began

listening to them regularly, hismindset changed.

R Brod asked him toshow him the site and who wasgiving the shiurim. They werethe shiurim I gave in HeichalMenachem in Yerushalayim

which were uploaded to the web.

I recently davened in ShikunChabad in Yerushalayim. A

bachur came over to me to thankme. It turned out he had been

in some third world country onMerkos Shlichus and had toteach Tanya. It was the first timehe had to do so and he lookedaround online and found ourshiurim and that is what helpedhim prepare.

I received anotherheartwarming reaction froma Lubavitcher who has asenior position in a Chabadorganization. He had learned

with me in yeshiva and wantedto thank me. Thanks to you,he said, I began learning andunderstanding Tanya. He is alsoa regular listener to the shiurimand he felt he had to contact meand say thanks.

THE POLICEMEN

AT THE DOOR

All this teaching of Chassidusapparently disturbed the sitraachra, for one day, R Harpazfound himself under criminalinvestigation because of hisshiurim.

There is a wonderful fellowby the name of Eliyahu Peretz. Hestarted a pirate radio station andlooked for material to broadcast.Back then, Heichal Menachem

THE REBBE PAYS THE BILLS

In addition to giving fascinating shiurim, R Harpaz is known as amashpia who farbrengs exceptionally well.

A few years ago, I was invited to farbreng at the Merkaz MoshiachVGeula at the Midrechov in Yerushalayim. Many people participated and itwent on and on and on. At a certain point I felt I had finished what I had to

say but the farbrengen could not stop. So I took out a sicha from my pocketand began learning it with everyone. The sicha is printed in volume nine ofToras Menachem.

At the end of the sicha the Rebbe says that financial problems cannotprevent a principal from taking in students. The accountant can say there isno money but you opened a yeshiva in the way of the Rebbe Rashab. Writea check of even five figures and you will see that it will be covered. Thefounder of the yeshiva, the Rebbe Rashab, will make sure to cover it, anddont do this like so-and-so who does it in a wild way; do it with absoluteemuna and bitachon.

The day after the farbrengen, the director of the Merkaz, R Doron

Oron, called me and asked me to send him the sicha I taught. I uploadedthe sicha and sent it to him. As far as I was concerned, the story was overbut it turned out to have an incredible continuation that shows how our livesrevolve around hashgacha pratis.

That year, Yud-Tes Kislev was on Shabbos and I was invited to farbrengat the Merkaz Moshiach VGeula. Before I began speaking at the Fridaynight farbrengen, R Oron told about the sicha he had requested from meand said that he had made some copies of it and sent it to some friends. Afew days went by and he received a letter in the mail from a lawyer with ademand for payment of 100,000 shekels. The reason given was that since hehad not paid the rent for several months, he had to pay an enormous sumnow plus interest, for breach of contract and many other legal issues. He

was devastated by this and had no idea where he would get so much moneyfrom.

The next day, one of his donors came into the Chabad house. He wasone of the people to whom he had sent the sicha. The man wanted to learnit with him. When they finished learning, the man took out an envelope andgave it to him. When he opened it, he was shocked to discover twenty-fivechecks which added up to 100,000 shekels, the amount that would cover

what he owed.

When I heard this I thought, sometimes we go to a farbrengen andthink we are saying what we want to say, but the truth is, there is Someonein charge who decides what will be said.

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had produced a CD with shiurimI gave there. He bought the CDand played it on his station.

At some point, the policediscovered the existence of thisradio station and closed it down.Then they knocked at my door

and said I was being held forinterrogation. I explained tothe investigator that they weremistaken because my shiurim aredisseminated worldwide and Idid not sit in his studio and give ashiur. I was quickly released butto my great surprise, a few weekslater I received a summons tocourt.

The day I was told about thecourt case I visited Nachalat Har

Chabad. Someone who learnedwith me in yeshiva wanted tothank me for the shiurim he hadheard on that same pirate station,

which he enjoyed tremendouslyand which enabled him to betterunderstand the daily Tanya. Ithought, Perhaps this is theprice I have to pay to spread the

wellsprings to this extent.

As someone involved inkiruv for many years, whatis the best way to be mekarevpeople?

To look at the pnimius of theperson in front of you, not at hisexternals. Another thing is not to

be afraid to say the truth.

Forty years ago, after Ireturned from the Sinai to myparents house in Givatayim, Ipassed through the Central BusStation in Tel Aviv. There was a

tfillin stand there all the time,belonging to R Zalman Levin ahand R Avrohom Lisson. I lookedlike a tourist with dreadlocksand earrings, which was not

widespread in the country at thattime. One of them approachedme and asked me in English

whether I was Jewish. I said noand continued on my way. Thereality is that two weeks later I

was learning in yeshiva in KfarChabad and I stood at that verysame stand to offer people tfillin

Sometimes, we see someonewho seems so far, but he isactually quite close and perhaps,

within a short time, he will looklike us.

Share something with usabout Tishrei.

The change in my entireoutlook about Tishrei occurred in5746. We were living in Emanueland that year, the Rebbe said amaamer on 17 Kislev, MargilaBPumei dRava. In the

beginning of the maamer theRebbe quotes the Rebbe Rayatzas saying that simple peoplesay Thillim with tears. When

the Rebbe said this, he stoppedand commented, Obviously,all the avoda must be done withsimcha.

Since then, my entire wayof thinking changed and thatincludes the avoda of tshuva inthe month of Tishrei. Everythingmust be done with simcha. Rightafter this interview I am starting

a series of shiurim in Tel Aviv,the topic of which is tshuva withsimcha. Merirus (bitterness)

was fine for earlier generations.The Rebbe said it was good forthat time but today we no longerhave the ability to do tshuva

with merirus because we areafraid that the merirus will lead

to atzvus (sadness). The avodaof tshuva in our generation islike the avoda of Shabbos whichneeds to be done with simchaand we know that on Shabbosthere is no sadness at all.

Since Chassidus placesan emphasis on hisbonenus(contemplative meditation), itsnot enough to say this; we needto incorporate this into ourmeditative contemplation and

think about it.You talk a lot about

Moshiach in your shiurim andfarbrengens. Some claim that

when speaking to the outsideyou need to tone down themessage. In your experience,

what is the best way to talkabout Moshiach?

The truth is that Moshiachis something readily accepted

R Harpaz farbrenging in the Chassidus library in Beitar Ilit

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today. Last week I farbrengedat a Yarchei Kalla that tookplace at the Chassidic library in

Yerushalayim. R Yisroel Lipsker,

R Ron Kolton and I farbrengedand it was a very special event.We spoke openly about the Rebbeas Moshiach and chai vkayam.

A lot of Poilishe Chassidimwere present. After thefarbrengen, one of the attendeescame over to me and said, Ifeel that the world exists only forMoshiach. Now I understandthe meaning of the pasuk andthe spirit of G-d hovered over

the water this is the spirit ofMoshiach.

People from the outside,and it makes no difference from

which group, readily accept thesubject of Moshiach. When youlearn Chassidus, your yearningfor Moshiach only intensifies.Chassidus reveals to us the goodin everything in creation andMoshiach is the perfection ofgoodness. If you get a taste of

Chassidus, you want Moshiachbecause its the ultimatefulfillment of Chassidus.

THE REBBES SMILE

R Harpaz often receiveddollars from the Rebbe and spenttime in 770. In Tishrei 5741 hehad yechidus. That first timethat he went to see the Rebbe is

etched in his memory.

I arrived at 770 on ErevYom Kippur. My wife couldnot join me because she was

pregnant. When it was time formy yechidus, I was unsure about

what to ask the Rebbe.

A long time earlier I hadread two stories, one about theChassid who had been rich andhad lost his money and had hadyechidus by the Alter Rebbe andcomplained about his situation.The Rebbe told him: You talkonly about what you need, butnot about what you are needed

for! The other story was about RIsaac of Homil who had yechidus

with the Alter Rebbe when hewas 17 and after submitting hisnote (which said, How can thelowly soul that toils, cleave tothe Cause of all Causes) theRebbe made the unusual moveof leaving his room and showingthe Chassidim how a note to theRebbe is written.

These two stories were on

my mind and I did not know whatto ask and how to ask. I finally

wrote down my name and brieflyasked for success in everything.During the yechidus I mentionedmy wifes name and her mothersname. My wife was orphaned atthe age of two and was raised byher father who remarried. I wrotedown the name of her biologicalmother.

When the Rebbe read hername, he asked me what hermothers name is. I said, Chana,

but it was like the Rebbe did nothear me and he asked again andagain. When I repeated the sameanswer, he stopped asking and

made a mark with his pencil andbegan to bless me. I rememberthat the first bracha was for usto have children and there wereother brachos. I was so focusedon what the Rebbe was sayingthat I did not say amen at theend.

A bizarre situation ensuedin which the Rebbe finishedthe brachos, thus ending theyechidus, but I remained standing

there. When I realized what hadhappened, it was already too late.The Rebbe was looking at me, thesecretary was opening the door

because he wanted other peopleto have their turn, and I didntknow how to extricate myself.

What should I do say a delayedamen and leave?

The Rebbe then took out apaper and wrote something whileI stood in the middle of the room

and didnt know what to do withmyself. A minute or two passedand the Rebbe looked up. Hesmiled a smile I will never forgetand maybe it was worth it all forthat. Then he blessed me with aline I will never forget, Everyaddition in Torah study willlead to an addition in Hashems

blessing. I said amen andquickly made my exit.

The Rebbes last sentence iswhat gets me to focus on learningTorah and giving shiurim.The Rebbe guided me in thatdirection. By the way, when Itold about the Rebbes repeatedlyasking me about my wifesmothers name, they told me thatin fact you write the name of the

woman who raised her and notthe biological mother.

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NOAHS ARK

AND HAMANSGALLOWSBy Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

A BOARD FROM THE ARK

One of historys most famousconstruction projects was the

building of Noahs Ark, throughwhich he and civilization itselfwere saved from the flood thatdestroyed every other livingcreature in the world.

This Ark served anotherpurpose much later in history

which is not as well-known asthe Flood story. In the Biblicalaccount, the Ark came to rest onMount Ararat where it remainsuntil this very day. However,according to one Midrashicaccount, the Ark served a crucialfunction close to 1,500 yearslater. When Haman sought tohave Mordechai hanged he senthis son Parshandasa to fetch a

board from Noahs Ark to use inconstructing the gallows. It wason this very board that Hamanhimself was hanged!

Without too much probingbeneath the surface we can seea correlation between these twodisparate events:

The Ark saved humanity andthe Ark saved the Jewish peoplefrom annihilation at the hands ofthe wicked Haman.

We must, however, delveeven more deeply for a better

understanding of the contribution

of the Ark to the hanging of theJewish nations arch enemy,Haman. Why was it so crucialfor Haman to meet his end witha remnant of the Ark? And why

was Haman so intent on hangingMordechai with this board?

FOUR SOURCES OF

HAMANS GALLOWS

A survey of Midrashic

literature yields at least threeadditional views on the source ofthe gallows upon which Haman

was hanged.

According to Pirkei dREliezer, the lumber for the 50cubit tall gallows was taken fromthe Holy of Holies, the innermostand most holy section of the BeisHaMikdash.

According to anotherMidrash, the gallows were

prepared by G-d in the Six Daysof Creation.

According to the Talmud,Hamans name is hinted inthe verse which quotes G-dsadmonition to Adam: Have youeaten of the tree from which Icommanded you not to eat?The phrase Hamin-havefromshares the consonants of thename Haman. Hence Hamans

name is associated with the Treeof Knowledge, intimating that hisgallows were connected to thisinfamous tree.

Hamans gallows are

associated with many historicalevents: The first week of creation,the eating of the fruit of the Treeof Knowledge, Noahs Ark andthe Holy of Holies.

How can we thematicallyconnect the four sources ofHamans gallows?

THE ARK: THE WOLF AND

THE LAMB

To answer this question wemust refer to Chassidic literature

which compares the Ark to thefuture Messianic Age when theentire world will experiencetotal peace and unity. Thisphenomenon, in miniature form,existed in the Ark. The creaturesand eight humans that populatedthe Ark coexisted peacefully.Consequently, the Ark shouldtherefore not be viewed solely

as a reminder of the destructioncaused by the flood but primarilyas a reminder of how perfect the

world could and will be.

We can now understand whyHaman wanted a board fromthe Ark for his gallows and whyhe was ultimately hanged onit. In Hamans diabolically evilmind, the Ark symbolized utter

PARSHA THOUGHT

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destruction and devastation.For him this bode well for theexecution of his plan. Not only

would the hanging of Mordechaibe a victory for him, he believedthat it would portend an evengreater victory: exterminationof Mordechais people. Hamanknew very well that the leaderof a generation representsand incorporates all of thegeneration. Haman assumed

that if he could rid himself ofMordecai the leader he could alsorid himself of all of Mordechaispeople. Haman reasoned that the

best omen for their destructionwould be for Mordechai to hangon a remnant of the Ark thatsymbolized and was associated

with utter destruction. Thatwould augur well for the fruitionof his diabolical plan.

Haman could not have beenmore wrong. The boards of the

Ark symbolized the salvationof the world so that it couldcontinue to exist and fulfillG-ds purpose in Creation. Itepitomized the highest idealof unity that characterizes theMessianic Age, when G-ds plan

will come to pass. The Ark thatHaman scavenged to construct

his gallows symbolized thesurvival of Mordecai and theJewish people, just as the Arkallowed for the survival of the

world to ensure the enduranceof G-ds plan leading to theMessianic Age.

We can now see that all theopinions about the source ofHamans gallows revolve aroundone central point: overcomingthe obstacles to the fulfillment ofG-d plan for the world.

IN THE BEGINNING

The gallows that abruptlyended Hamans attempt todestroy the very people chosento implement G-ds plan forCreation, originated in the veryact of Creation. When G-dcreated the world, He did it sothat the world would eventually

become a dwelling-place for G-d.It stands to reason that everymajor event associated with HisMaster Plan was already implicitin the very first week of Creation.This is similar to a human

builder who sets forth the goalof his project at the very outset.In addition, he plans at the startfor any contingent elementsnecessary for the projects

ultimate success.

During the first week ofCreation G-d established thatthe purpose of Creation wasBReishis. Rashi translates thisopening word to mean Becauseof the two primary entities,

Torah and Israel, G-d createdthe world. The purpose ofCreation will be fulfilled whenIsrael receives and then fullyimplements the Torah, the MasterPlan for existence.

However, in order for theJewish people to execute G-dsplan they must survive. Werecite in the Hagada, In everygeneration they stand up againstus to destroy us. However, the

conclusion of that refrain is,and G-d saves us from theirhands. The instrument of G-dssalvation of the Jewish peopleand continuation of His planfor the world must be present inthe very genesis of the Creation.

And, indeed, it was present inthe creation of the gallows upon

which Haman, the scion ofAmalek, would be hanged. Thisoutcome demonstrated that all

the other Hamans of the worldwould fail too. The power thatguarantees this salvation has beenpresent since the very beginningof existence. This powerful factdrives the Midrashs statementthat the Ark board came intoexistence during the Six Days ofCreation.

THE TEST

Once the world wascompleted by the creationof Adam and Eve, G-d gavehumanity, to whom he wouldeventually entrust His MasterPlan, a test commandment: Donot eat of the fruit of the Treeof Knowledge. The disobedienceof Adam and Eve set back thetimetable for implementation ofG-ds Master Plan. Indeed, from

In Hamans diabolically evil mind, the Ark

symbolized utter destruction and devastation.

Not only would the hanging of Mordechai be a victory

for him, he believed that it would portend an even

greater victory: extermination of Mordechais people.

Haman knew very well that the leader of a generation

represents and incorporates all of the generation. Haman

reasoned that the best omen for their destruction would

be for Mordechai to hang on a remnant of the Ark that

symbolized and was associated with utter destruction.

That would augur well for the fruition of his diabolical

plan.

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In Crown Heights area: 1640/1700AM worldwide, online: www.RadioMoshiach.org

USA phone: 718 557 7701 In Israel (Nechayeg Venishmah): 08-9493-770 (press 1 # / 9 # / 3 #)

that time onward, everythingseemed to have gone downhilluntil the time of the Great Flood.Here we can detect a Hamaneffect: the undermining of G-dsMaster Plan. This is the reason

we associate Haman with the

Tree of Knowledge and Adamand Eves partaking of it.

However, as bad as theirtransgression seemed to be interms of frustrating G-ds will,there was a silver lining, orperhaps even more, a hidden

blessing. If evil had not mixedwith good in our world as aresult of the sin of the Tree ofKnowledge, there would have

been no challenge for humanity

to overcome and the world wouldnot have been the lowly worldin which G-d desires to dwell.Indeed, the Midrash describesG-ds purpose for Creation as adesire to dwell in the lowliestof realms. That suggests that He

wanted a world that harboredevil, and that by following HisMaster Plan we are intendedultimately to overcome thisevil. Our triumph over evil will

make this world an invitingworld for G-d. This entireepisode, therefore, can be seen

as the seeds for the narrative ofMordechais salvation rather thanthe threat to him.

REHABILITATION

The next stage in G-ds

Master Plan was the Flood. Onone hand, it destroyed the evilthat had permeated the Earth upto then and prepared the worldfor its rehabilitation. Towardsthat end, G-d gave Noach theso called Seven NoachideCommandments, which aregeared to making this a civilizedand habitable world. This set of

basic commandments served aspreparation for Sinai, when G-d

would give Israel His MasterPlan: the Torah. And, as stated,the Ark was a model of whatthe entire world would look like

when the Master Plan is finallyimplemented in the Messianic

Age.

Hence, the hanging of Haman who represented the greatestthreat of his age to the MasterPlan, with his diabolical plan tohang Mordechai and annihilate

the entire Jewish people canbe traced back to Noachs Ark.The Ark and the gallows both

reversed a potential for evil tochallenge and frustrate G-dsplan.

Finally, the Midrash whichstates that Hamans gallows

were built with materials takenfrom the Holy of Holies can

be understood in light of theforegoing analysis.

The gallows that destroyedHaman represents the force that

will enable us to rebuild the BeisHaMikdash, the place whereG-ds presence was pronounced,and is the paradigm for G-dsexpectation for the entire world.Haman saw a Temple in ruinsand thought that use of itsremains would ensure his success

in further destroying G-dsplan. G-d saw it, contrarily, as asign that His plan for the worldto become His dwelling place

would indeed come to fruition.Our Sages teach us that thedestruction of the seed of Amalek

will precede the rebuilding of theBeis HaMikdash. It is from theBeis HaMikdash that the G-dlyspirit will spread to the entire

world, which will finally resemble

the Ark with its peaceful andunified atmosphere.

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TO LOVE

THATWHICH

IS MOST

PRECIOUS

OF ALLWith the start of the school year, we

visited a teachers room to ask teachers

how to teach our girls to love tznius.

* Those who were interviewed were:

Mrs. Elisheva Schwartz, an educational

advisor and psychodrama therapist; Mrs.

Diamant Berger of Petach Tikva and

Mrs. Yaffa Spinner of Kfar Chabad who

are experienced preschool teachers;

and Mrs. Miriam S, a veteran seminary

teacher.

By Menucha R.

BEAUTY AND HOLINESS

How do you get a little girl tolove tznius?

Mrs. Schwartz: Lets startwith an example that is commonin a preschool, school and athome. Little Mushky is sittingon a chair in a way that her skirtdoes not cover her knees. Thereare two approaches on the part ofthe mechanech, the spontaneousreaction and the thought-outreaction. The spontaneous reactionis: Mushky! A Chassidishe girl doesnot sit like that, its not tzanua! Fixyour skirt right now. In most cases,this reaction goes along with a lookand tone of rebuke which the girlinternalizesat a young age.

The thought-out reaction iseffective in the long run and implantsin the child a positive memory fortznius. It goes something like this:Mushky, what a pretty dress youhave. Come, cover your knees andshow how pretty and tzanua youare. Or: How pretty your dress is onyou when your knees are covered.

You are a pretty and modest girl!

With this reaction, we have

achieved a number of goals. Thechild did not feel rebuked. She didnot get a message that her bodyis not okay, and in addition, shereceived a positive self-image anda compliment about how she looksand how flattering her dress is.

With this kind of reaction thereis no doubt that for this child theconcept of tznius is associated witha compliment and beauty. Isnt thisthe goal we want to achieve?

We always need to rememberand convey that tznius is notrebuke! It is a way of life that leadsto simcha, bracha and beauty too.

Unfortunately, for many oldergirls the word tznius is immediatelyassociated with negativity, feelingchoked, fear, and memories of theprincipal chasing after them. Wecan change this stigma by not, G-dforbid, conveying fear and rebuke,

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but beauty and holiness instead, and it all starts at ayoung age.

Another thing that can implant love for tznius ina little girl is being particular to dress her in modestclothes which are also esthetically pleasing, clean,and up-to-date. The way a girl perceives her bodyimage is very closely linked with the clothes she

wears. A girl does not want to wear an item that isnot flattering to her. It can make her feel sociallyrejected and will lead to her not loving that whichrepresents tznius. When we dress a child in amodest and pretty outfit, we achieve our goal.

FEMININE ROYALTY

Mrs. Berger: Boruch Hashem, we have manyoptions today with which to create a love for tzniusin preschool and at home.

First, when I sit facing the girls, I always double

check to make sure my skirt is covering my kneesfully. The girls see this and it has a direct impact onthem.

We expect of our girls/students to dress andbehave modestly, so we need to do the same. A childis mature enough to understand when its genuineand when you have to dress like that in school

what can you do ... When she sees a teacher thatshe admires dressing modestly, it makes her want toassociate with her in dress too.

In general, I am not in favor of focusing onthose who are not careful about tznius (because

that is what sometimes happens by pointing thingsout). Rather, it is preferable to praise, encourage,and promote those who are careful about it. Thiscreates a desire and even a good competitive spiritamong other girls to adopt and behave in modest

ways, because its great and worthwhile to dressmodestly.

We start the morning with a nice song in whichwe mention the rules of tznius and what a privilegeit is for us. You can actually see how, while singingthe song, the girls straighten out their skirts and sitmodestly without my having to say anything. Thereis an additional benefit in that the girls love to singand be happy and that there is also an emphasis onthe rules of tznius in an experiential way.

Stressing the rules of tznius is also done in otherways; for example, in touching up picture books.Sometimes we get books in which the girls are notalways depicted modestly. The girls absorb thepictures. Of course, we want them to absorb onlygood things, so I fix them. Sometimes this is donenear the girls who watch and ask why Im drawing

stockings and sleeves. This gives me a wonderfulopportunity to explain the rules of tznius in ahands-on way.

After thirteen years of teaching experience,I can pray and hope that we women should havethe kabbalas ol of the little girls who understand,

when we explain to them pleasantly, that tznius is a

womans royalty and are happy to observe it!

PREPARING FOR GEULA

Mrs. Spinner: Rebbe, Rebbe, and Rebbe. Everygirl loves the Rebbe with an essential bond that isinestimable. The Rebbe is part of our very personasand part of our way of life. In preschool I teachthe girls that the Rebbe wants us to be modest and

when we dress modestly it makes him happy. A girlwho exercises self-mastery in tznius understandsthat the Rebbe is smiling at her now and is very

pleased with what she does. I tell them that soon theRebbe will come and now we are preparing for this,because when he comes he will be so happy to seeus dressed modestly. Theres no question that thisgives them a lot of motivation.

Another thing I do is praise a girl for what sheis doing modestly. Yes, her skirt might be short andher blouse open, but if she came to preschool today

with tights after many struggles, thats fabulousand she deserves a compliment and a big dealmade about this. The girl then feels that she hassomething modest about her even though there is

more to fix. I will add that if she came today withtights, then I am sure she will eventually come witha longer skirt.

It is vital to make the effort to find that which ismodest about a girl, whether its proper language,long sleeves, or anything else it may be. When wesee a girl as someone who belongs and is with theprogram, it gives her the strength to continue andprogress. I am delighted in the morning when theyrun (literally) to show me what they are wearingthat is modest today.

A few weeks ago, we learned how Hashem

created Chava. I told the girls the Midrash thatwhen Hashem created her, with every limb thatHe created He said, Be modest. This is what isprimary about us. The girls feel and experiencethis. This is just one example of how, at everyopportunity, we can convey messages of tznius inan interesting way that is enjoyable to them.

And of course, above of all is being a positiverole model to the girls, not just in dress but inspeech, thought and action.

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Terrific. As a preschool teacher, do youhave a message for mothers?

Definitely! We need to remember that girlsof this age are so impressionable. The way weshape them today is the way, with Hashemshelp, they will be at age 17. This is the agethat is so uncomplicated in which they accept

everything with innocent kabbalas ol and agenuine desire to do what is expected of them.The more they internalize tznius with joy andlove, the easier it will be when they are older.Now is the time to influence them in the shortand long run. Dont say, When she getsolder, Ill teach her.

Also, a mother benefits when she teachesher daughter tznius because it gives her anopportunity and a boost to advance in her owntznius.

Every mother needs to remember that shehas the ability to endear tznius to her daughterat this age, because this is what symbolizes her

being a Jewish girl and in the future, a Jewishwoman. When a little girl plays the role shewants to be when she grows up, she is trainingherself, as the Rebbe said. The same is true fortznius. When, from a young age, she dressesaccording to the rules of tznius, she is actuallytaking a step toward being a woman!

Another message Id like to convey is, leta child be a child! Little girls love to run and

slide down the slide. Doing so with a tightskirt is difficult and uncomfortable. Even fromthe standpoint of hygiene, tights and longskirts protect the girls from germs. So, fortheir good, let us enable them to enjoy theirage as pure Jewish girls and, with Hashemshelp, we will have much Chassidishe nachasfrom them.

When a girl is in the presence of anadmired teacher, she has more of a desireto be careful about tznius. How can weaccustom a girl to tznius wherever she is,

not just at school?Mrs. Schwartz: Habits begin from

seemingly trivial things. These seeminglyinsignificant things are what accustom andtrain a girl to tznius even when she is with hercousins or her own family.

An example of habituation to tznius froma young age is dressing her after a bath.Sometimes, mothers feel that when the girl isthree or four, its not a big deal to take herin a towel to the bedroom and to dress her

there. But habits die hard and when she is sixit wont be that easy to start getting dressedin the bathroom. Then, when the girl is inthe company of strangers and is not coveredproperly, we cant be sure she will understand

what we mean when we tell her, Its nottzniusdik, because it all begins at home. If

we are not particular at home, among familymembers, the tznius wont be strong outsideof the home either.

However, when a girl is accustomed froma young age to get dressed in the bathroom,then when a situation arises in which sheis with extended family, even if she will berunning around she will remain modest sinceshe became accustomed to the idea that her

body is covered even at home.

JEWISH ASSERTIVENESS

It is easier to manage with youngerchildren because they are desirous ofearning our approval with good behavior.But what about adolescent girls? Can yougive mothers some tips about how to handletznius then?

Mrs. Schwartz: Adolescent girls areinfluenced by their peers who are the onesto set the standard. So it is much harder forparents. At this stage, parents need to be alertto early indications for a desire to change.

These indications can include speakingdifferently than usual, a different style of

behavior, and at a certain stage, a change indress. There are a number of reasons that canlead to a desire to change and we will addresssome of them (there are crises that can leadto these behaviors which need professionalintervention MR).

There is the desire to belong to the group inones way of talking, behaving, and dressing.Dealing with it is complicated and needs to

be done gently and warmly. The girls feelings

and experiences need to be understood andshe has to be told that her conduct is naturaland results from the transition from childhoodto adulthood. A parent can also share strugglesshe had when she was an adolescent.

The way that has been proven to be mosteffective is assertiveness training or, morecorrectly, Jewish assertiveness. When aparent teaches her child assertiveness from ayoung age, the child will take pride in being an

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individual and having the ability to go against thecurrent, when necessary. When the child receives alot of

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Beis Moshiach 945