R’ Shabsi Kutaiser fulfilled the dictum of Chazal to exile oneself to a place of Torah. In his youth, he went to Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in Lubavitch. From there he went to Rostov, Kutais, Poltava and Charkov. * After he married, he was the head shochet and mohel in Kutais, where he raised a fine Chassidishe family.
R’ Shabsi Kutaiser, father of the Elberg family in Crown Heights, was born in 5660/1900 in Kutais, the second largest city in Georgia. His father was R’ Yaakov. The Jewish community in Kutais is ancient and goes back to the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash and the expulsion of the Jews from Eretz Yisroel by Nevuchadnetzar. The Jews of Kutais are blessed with fine character traits in general and they excel in hospitality. Love for Torah is also an important value in their lives, and even during harsh times in the Soviet Union they supported those who learned Torah.
When R’ Shabsi was a young boy, R’ Shmuel Levitin arrived in Kutais on shlichus from the Rebbe Rashab to revive Judaism in the entire area. In one of the Rebbe’s letters about R’ Levitin’s work in Kutais and surrounding towns, he writes that the number of talmidim in the Talmud Torah that he opened reached 2000!
R’ Levitin’s greatest accomplishment was the yeshiva in Kutais, where talmidim learned according to the schedule and curriculum of Tomchei T’mimim. The Rebbe Rayatz describes alumni of this yeshiva as “Talmidei chachomim, knowledgeable in many Masechtos, ritual slaughterers, teachers, and Morei Halacha.”
R’ Shabsi’s father instilled in him love for Hashem and love for Torah and sent him to learn by R’ Shmuel Levitin. R’ Shmuel, who recognized the boy’s special abilities, sent him to learn in Lubavitch.
He learned in Tomchei T’mimim for nine years, during which the yeshiva moved to Rostov, and he did very well in his learning. He learned with R’ Zalman Shimon Dworkin and with R’ Yehuda Chitrik and other Chassidim. He received smicha for rabbanus and learned sh’chita and mila. He also learned to lain from the Torah accurately and fluently and he was a superb baal tokeia (one who blows the shofar).
IN THE HOME OF RABBI LEVI YITZCHOK IN YEKATERINOSLAV
R’ Shabsi stayed in the home of R’ Levi Yitzchok and Rebbetzin Chana Schneersohn, the Rebbe’s parents, and he even saw the Rebbe there. How did this come about?
Following World War I, his older brother was missing. At a certain point, word came that he might be in Yekaterinoslav. He asked the Rebbe Rashab about this, and the Rebbe gave him a letter sending him to one of his great Chassidim: the rav of Yekaterinoslav, R’ Levi Yitzchok.
He arrived at the house and was warmly welcomed. During this visit, he saw their oldest son, later to be the Rebbe. When he told about this later on, he said that as soon as he saw the Rebbe he observed that he was unusual, G-dly. The Rebbe was always closed off in his room where he learned without disturbance. People were constantly coming and going, but the Rebbe lived in a different world. He would come out of his room for five minutes to eat a little and then go back to his room. His conduct was of someone elevated.
R’ Shabsi spent a week or two in Yekaterinoslav during which time he found out where his brother was and even went to the house where he was told his brother was staying. Unfortunately, his brother had left before he arrived, and once again his brother was missing.
WANDERING TO SECRET YESHIVOS
When he was 22, R’ Shabsi returned to Kutais, where he went back to learn in the yeshiva run by R’ Shmuel Levitin. In 5684/1924, when the NKVD found out about R’ Levitin’s activities, they went after him. R’ Levitin had to flee and leave the region where he had done so much for Jewish life. As per the Rebbe Rayatz’s instructions, he went to Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in Nevel.
Once the yeshiva was closed, some of the talmidim went to other secret branches in Russia. R’ Shabsi learned for a while in Poltava, and in 5685 went to learn in Charkov.
AN OPEN CHASSIDIC HOME
After many years of learning, he returned to Kutais and married Dina the daughter of R’ Yaakov, a G-d fearing man. During the forty days between Rosh Chodesh Elul and Yom Kippur he would fast, and throughout the year he refrained from eating meat (except for Shabbos and Yom Tov) so as not to take pleasure from this world.
R’ Shabsi, who had studied sh’chita and mila, became a prominent person in the Jewish community of Kutais. He was the chief mohel and one of the chief shochtim. He also taught others sh’chita and mila. He did not take payment for mila and only earned a small salary as a shochet.
He slaughtered chickens and animals in the cellar of the butchers’ house, far from the searching eyes of the KGB agents. One day, he returned home trembling in fear. He told his family that he was asked to shecht a cow in the cellar of a butcher and when he checked the lungs, he saw that the animal was treif. The butcher, who had borrowed a lot of money in order to buy the cow and had hoped to turn a nice profit, pleaded with R’ Shabsi to find a way to declare it kosher. R’ Shabsi had insisted that it was treif. The butcher threatened him with a butcher knife and in tears demanded that R’ Shabsi say the animal was kosher. The butcher was a burly fellow and R’ Shabsi had thought his life would end in the dark cellar, but he still was unwilling to veer from the Halacha.
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Every night when he returned from work, he sat and learned until three or so in the morning and at six or seven he was on his way to shul, a kilometer away. He kept up this diligence in his learning until his final years. His grandson, R’ Reuven Elberg, remembers that when his grandfather would visit them, he would sit all night and learn. In the morning, he would see him napping in his chair in front of a pile of s’farim that he had learned from that night.
The Chassidim who came to Kutais remember R’ Shabsi’s house as a hospitable place with Chassidim constantly coming and going. During the war years, when people were starving and thousands starved to death, there wasn’t always what to eat in R’ Shabsi’s house, but even then, he and his wife Dina never refused to host Chassidim.
During the difficult times of persecution, when many Chassidim fled from the central cities of Russia to Central Asia, some of them went to Kutais, and they would occasionally go to R’ Shabsi’s house to eat. Among these Chassidim were R’ Eliezer (Lazer) Nannes, R’ Dovid Skolnik, R’ Sholom Ber Notik, R’ Yechezkel Brod and many others. R’ Shabsi took advantage of their visits to learn with them for hours. He particularly enjoyed learning with R’ Simon Jacobson, who was one of his closest friends and who hid in his house in fear of the KGB.
SECRET YESHIVA IN AN ABANDONED MIKVA
During this period, there was no place that was considered unfit for secret learning. Yeshiva bachurim even hid in the old mikva that was no longer in use and was in the vicinity of his home. R’ Shabsi and the chief rabbi, Chacham Yaakov, would provide them with food. His wife would tell her children: First, we have to take care of the bachurim, and then what remains I’ll give to you.
The Chassidim who were their guests brought a lot of chayus and Chassidic warmth into the household, through their interaction with the family and just with their Chassidic appearance. The family members remember the Chassidic farbrengens when Chassidim would say l’chaim and farbreng and dance all night. They were models of genuine Chassidim, who wholeheartedly devoted themselves to what the Rebbe wanted, despite all the tribulations.
R’ Sholom Levertov related how R’ Shabsi saved him and his friends from starvation:
“I was in Kutais with my friends, R’ Sholom Mendel Kalmanson and Sholom Ber Shanowitz and we hadn’t eaten for two days. R’ Shabsi came to where we were on the night of Tisha B’Av, and we told him our situation. We said that if on Motzaei Tisha B’Av we would not be able to eat something, we would likely die of starvation.
“R’ Shabsi immediately brought us bread to eat. He later asked local families to take care of at least two bachurim each.”
When his children grew older, he sent them to learn in a secret yeshiva along with ten to fifteen other boys. The KGB once discovered them, and at the last minute the owners of the home managed to hide the melamed in the cellar. The KGB agents hit the young boys and threatened that if they caught them learning they would be thrown into jail. That is what life was like in the shadow of the KGB.
FUTILE ATTEMPTS AT CLOSING THE SHULS
Even during the harshest years, spiritually speaking, the situation in Kutais was better than in other places. The Jews demonstrated great courage in the face of the communists who sought to close the shuls, until they retreated and allowed the spiritual activities to continue.
When the communists decided to close the shuls in the country, the Jews of Kutais held a public protest and did not allow them to approach the shuls. The communist police retreated, but they said: The next time, we will come armed and we will see who will dare oppose us.
When they returned armed, all the Jews of the city went out against them and the righteous women lay down with their little children on the road leading to the shuls. They said: You can shoot us, but we are not moving from here until you leave. In the end, the communists gave up on closing the shuls and they left.
Afterward, there were even some Jews who went to the municipal building and broke windows. The mayor and another senior official were there and they debated the matter. One of them said, “It will be publicized to the world and we will be embarrassed. Let’s just leave the shuls open.”
On another occasion, a fire broke out in the city and destroyed many houses and damaged the big shul. The communists wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. A senior communist came and said the shul structure should be demolished. The Jews who had lost their homes in the fire dropped everything and went to the shul to prevent its destruction. The official pointed at the burned structure, which had a large stone dome on it, and he said blustering: We will take down that rock first and then the entire building. As he spoke, the stone rolled off and hit him in the head. Before he died he said, “I’ve shot many times at G-d and was never able to hit Him, but He shot at me once and hit the mark.”
DON’T BE AFRAID, I AM ALSO A CHASSID!
Due to the difficult situation and the government persecution, the natural feeling of mutual responsibility among Jews was that much stronger. R’ Shabsi instilled a love for Chassidim in his children, until they felt like family with every Chassid, even if they never met him.
His son Yaakov related this story:
I was traveling to the capitol city to take care of some matters and I arrived at the airport on Erev Shabbos in order to fly back home. I noticed a 35 year old Jew with a beard and peios who looked troubled. It turned out that there was only a small plane at the airport, and since many people wanted to travel, there was no room for him. I always gave bribes to the right person and got a spot even if 100 people remained behind, so I was determined to do the same for him.
After I saw that he didn’t know what to do and where to stay for Shabbos, I went over to him and said in Russian, “Come over here, I want to talk to you.” This made him very nervous since his first thought was that I was from the KGB.
I asked him, “What’s the matter? I can help.”
After he whispered that he was a Chabad Chassid, I told him that I was too and I asked him again, “What happened?”
He said, “I need to get to Kutais for Shabbos.”
I said, “Give me your passport.” When I saw that he was afraid to give it to me, I mentioned the names of some great Chassidim who had been in our house and I said, “My father is also a Chassid.”
He was finally convinced and gave me his passport. I went to the people in charge and after bribing them, they gave me a ticket. When I went back to him with the ticket he was so happy. We traveled together, though we were quiet the entire time in fear of those around us. Years later I met him in Crown Heights and he remembered this incident.
TWENTY MINUTES IN YECHIDUS
In 1946-7, following an agreement that was signed between Russia and Poland, permission was granted for those with Polish citizenship to leave Russia. They crossed the border in Lemberg/Lvov. Many Lubavitchers took advantage of this opportunity. After obtaining false documents and presenting themselves as Polish citizens, they crossed the border. Some of the Chassidim in Kutais left Russia in this way. When R’ Shabsi was told about this opportunity he declined, saying that he could not leave the holy work in Kutais.
In 5732/1972, when a small crack in the Iron Curtain opened, R’ Shabsi left for Eretz Yisroel with his family and settled in Nachalat Har Chabad. He continued his work there.
Shortly after he arrived in Eretz Yisroel, the Rebbe invited all the new immigrants to him and the Rebbe assisted in the cost of the tickets. R’ Shabsi was one of the lucky ones who went to the Rebbe. He merited many kiruvim during his stay.
After the secretaries told him that he had an appointment with the Rebbe, he decided to take this opportunity and tell the Rebbe about a dream he had while he was in Kutais. It was a number of years after the passing of the Rebbe Rayatz when R’ Shabsi woke up one morning in great excitement. When his children asked him what happened, he said he had had a special dream. In his dream, he saw the Rebbe talking with the Rebbe Rayatz on the phone. The Rebbe Rayatz told him it was time to be revealed as Moshiach. The Rebbe refused. The Rebbe Rayatz asked him: Why?
The Rebbe said he did not have sufficient strength. The Rebbe Rayatz said: We, Admorei Chabad, will help you from above. But the Rebbe continued to refuse, saying he did not have the strength. At this point, R’ Shabsi woke up.
Two years later, he dreamed about the same thing, but this time he refused to tell his family details about the dream. He just said it was a continuation of the first dream.
When he had yechidus, he spent twenty minutes with the Rebbe, during which the Rebbe asked him about his work in strengthening Torah and Judaism behind the Iron Curtain. R’ Shabsi did not remember the dream and he said nothing about it to the Rebbe.
When he left the yechidus, he suddenly remembered the dream. He went over to R’ Groner and asked him for permission to go back to the Rebbe, since he had forgotten to tell the Rebbe something very important. R’ Groner refused to allow him to go back in and so he did not hear any comments from the Rebbe about this.
R’ Shabsi’s son, Yaakov Elberg, lives in Crown Heights. He also enjoyed special attention from the Rebbe. Inspired by his father’s life work, he continued to look out for members of his community who immigrated from Kutais to the US, many of whom settled in Queens. He built a mikva there according to the Chabad shita and under the guidance of R’ Zalman Shimon Dworkin.
R’ Shabsi passed away on 9 Elul 5740/1980 and is buried on Har HaMenuchos. His descendants follow in his path, the path of Chabad Chassidus, with fine middos and love for Torah and those who study it.