Beis Moshiach sat down with R’ Mendy Dickstein of Moscow, R’ Levi Yitzchok Cohen of Tel Tziyon, R’ Eren Yaakov Feldman of Elad, R’ Chaim Komer of Tzfas, and R’ Yitzchok Scheiner of Beitar Ilit, five Lubavitcher mechanchim.* We wanted to hear from them about what characterizes Chabad chinuch, about what they have to contend with, about anticipating the Geula as a motivational education tool, and more.
A meeting between an elderly Belzer Chassid from B’nei Brak and the Rebbe led the Belzer to make two special requests. The Rebbe replied to each of them with p’sukim from the Book of Psalms. Just before he moved on, the Rebbe added another pasuk, which turned out years later to be an amazing prophecy!
A few days after his meeting with R’ Dovid on Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim-VaYeilech, a telegram was delivered to R’ Zalman from the Rebbe with a response to his question about opening a school in Mrs. Hertz’s house. It said, “Since there is no room in the yeshiva, they should start Beis Rivka somewhere else, with blessing.” - From the life of R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman Serebryanski a”h
In the sicha for Parshas Ki Sisa 5752, the Rebbe says as a practical directive that every Jew is given the ability to accomplish all things from beginning to end and everything in between. In this column, I will share stories about people who made the long, incredible path from one extreme to another.
Not many Jews living there now know that Malachovka is a place that was once infused with Chassidic spirit, mixed with the blood and tears of Chassidim. Malachovka, a suburb of Moscow, is where the Rebbe Rayatz went after his incarceration. * The Chabad history of Malachovka along with gripping stories of mesirus nefesh.
Throughout that difficult time in which Moshe was sick and was being treated, they watched the video again and again on a screen near his bedside.
This process also brings about the concept of “chukas” meaning “chakika,” engraving, signifying an (unchanging) eternal manifestation, which is connected with the letter Tav, as our Sages say, “Tav – t’chiya, enlivens,” the ultimate expression of which is chaim nitzchiim, eternal life.
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.
The fascinating life story of R’ Noam Yisroel Harpaz can fill 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 ha’kodesh.
One of history’s most famous construction projects was the building of Noah’s Ark, through which he and civilization itself were saved from the flood that destroyed every other living creature in the world.
With 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.
Our veteran correspondent, R’ Nosson Avraham, who also works as an experienced practitioner in the field of education, recently hosted his friend, Rabbi Avraham Tzatzik, for a one-on-one discussion. Rabbi Tzatzik is a prominent educator in the Chassidic-Chareidi community and the developer of the “Cycles in Gemara” approach. They spoke about the main emphasis in education, the correct way to help a child, the dangers of modern-day technology, and the objectives we must set for ourselves.
On Friday, I noticed that Shmuely was going around the classroom and giving out a note to each boy. “Here, this is for you,” he said when he came to me and he stuck a paper into my hand. I opened the folded note curiously and read what it said in Shmuely’s curly handwriting…
October 28, 2014