Nothing prepared Zecharia and Mushky Landau, a young couple in Kfar Chabad, for the challenge that changed their lives. Nothing on their baby’s angelic face foretold his future. * What do you tell the family? How do you contend with the stares? How do you maintain normal family life? * Zecharia tells Beis Moshiach about their special needs child
One of our children was bothered by something and I suggested he write to the Rebbe. He wrote, and the clear answer amazed him and us. The Rebbe wrote a letter to a child who went to 770 for Pesach and said, surely when he returned home he shared the experiences he had in 770 with his friends and held a farbrengen. * Mrs. Chana Margolios relates about her family’s trip to the Rebbe for Hakhel
Whenever I told my story, there were people who repeated the Chassidic aphorism - the Rebbe does not remain a debtor. I did not understand why the Rebbe owes us anything when he arranged everything for us in the best possible way, our flights and our terrific apartment. I myself did not realize what miracle was on the way. * R’ Mendy Hartman tells about his trip to the Rebbe
When G-d sends angels to destroy the city of Sodom and save Lot, Avraham’s nephew asks to be allowed to stay in a nearby city.
The Rebbe’s beis midrash is crowded, even though the thousands of guests who packed the room during Tishrei already went home. There are still the Chassidim who live in Crown Heights and they are gathered for the Rebbe’s weekly Shabbos farbrengen.
“When the Rebbe Rashab (Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe) was a little boy of about four or five years of age, he entered the room of his grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the third Lubavitcher Rebbe), and with tears in his eyes he asked his grandfather why Hashem revealed Himself to Avraham but not to us. His grandfather answered him, ‘When a Jew who is a tzaddik decides at the age of 99 to circumcise himself, he deserves that Hashem should reveal Himself to him.’”
Parents often support their grown children by helping them with monthly expenditures, covering a down payment on a house, paying for the expenses of a simcha (happy occasion)—such as the bris of a newborn grandson, new-baby paraphernalia—and other such gifts. Are the children obligated to pay maaser (lit., “a tenth”; refers to the practice of tithing earnings for charity) on the money they receive?
That’s what I wrote on a note that was sent to all the members of the group during the Mishnayos class. The note was written in code, of course, so that not every boy would understand what it said. But I can tell you, only you, what it meant.
Afterwards I began to think to myself: I do not know this lady who wrote the letter to me, nor does she know me. She has merely heard of my name, and sought advice from me, etc. If so, what is the intent of this chain letter coming to my attention?! Eventually I concluded that the purpose is to utilize this approach for the sake of holiness. * On publicizing the words of the Chida and the Radak on bringing about the redemption
The name of this parsha, Lech Lecha, describes, in a nutshell, the content of the entire parsha: Avraham’s travels.
The Frierdiker Rebbe’s Phone Call to the Chairman of the JDC * The Rashag’s efforts in securing funds for the 800 Chabad Chassidim who escaped Russia and were en-route to Poland * “Sometimes they have extra special expenses, such as they had last week in connection with the arresting of a group of 38 people” * Also: The list of the Chabad Chassidim who left Russia which lists Rebbetzin Chana, and her “Emigrant Card” * Third Installment
We have B”H had a very successful Shnas Hakhel and Tishrei. It is time to start a new series for this year. While I was considering what the series should be about, I recalled a story I heard last Tishrei from Rabbi Akiva Wagner, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch in Toronto.
Hundreds of families went to the Rebbe this past Hakhel year. Some of them shared their experiences with us. * These are the stories of the Ceitlin and Sukhaik families.
November 15, 2016