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The Tiferes Turning Point Volume 1, Issue 5 Tishrei, 5763 (September, 2002)
Fixed Bearings, a word from the Director Catching the Wind, a student profile Navigating the Currents, lessons for change High Tide at Tiferes, observations
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-a word from the Director, Rabbi Avrohom Lipskier
Rosh Hashanah is the time to coronate Hashem as King. To do this we blow
the shofar, which represents the call and cry from the depth of the
heart of every Jew. In this way the people subjugate themselves before
G-d and arouse within Him the desire to accept the kingship over them.
The souls of
Israel
are called “children to Hashem”. Hashem sent the souls of Israel down
into this world dressed in bodies with the purpose of making the world a
dwelling place for Him through the performance of mitzvos and acts of
goodness and kindness. As a consequence of this the soul is elevated and
reaches much greater heights than before it descended into this world.
However, through the soul’s involvement with its body and its
materialistic needs, it can become estranged from its source, until it
finds itself in a place that knows nothing about its Father in Heaven -
Hashem. So much so, that it even forgets the language of its Father. In
great distress the soul wants to return home to its Father. So it
begins to cry out with a simple cry from its very depths. Hashem, of
course, recognizes it and welcomes the soul back home. (Likutei Sichos
V. 34 p.183)
We find ourselves in a time when so many Jews have gone far, far away
from the “King’s palace”. They have forgotten or have never learned
their native tongue, the "language" of the Torah. They are crying out
for help. So Hashem in His great mercy appointed a great leader to help
them. He is the Moshiach of the generation. Moshiach hears the cry of
every Jewish soul and awakens its essence to draw closer to Hashem. We
must know that the Rebbe is Moshiach and he helps us with this. |
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A student profile, by Chaim Moskowitz In 1977 I came to the U.S. from Russia. I didn’t know anything about Judaism. The only reason that I even knew that I was a Jew was because in Russia they hated me. I settled in Portland, Oregon and found a job. At the time my mother was living in Israel. She was ill. She wrote to me to visit her, so I borrowed money and went. It was the Jewish month of Elul. I arrived in Israel, but my mother didn’t live long. People in Israel showed me how to say Kaddish. They even wrote it down for me in Russian. They told me this is the only favor I could do for my mother now, so I tried very hard. While I was sitting Shiva, I decided to buy a ticket to go back home. Although, I would be on the plane over Rosh Hashanah, at this time it didn’t matter much to me. I also didn’t care much for mourning, but out of respect for my mother I stopped shaving and started to wear a yarmulke. On the plane back to the U.S. there were three guys with hats and beards. When they saw me they came over and asked me a lot of questions. They asked me to put on Tefillin and for some reason I agreed. They told me they were on their way to New York and I told them I was traveling on to Portland. As I would be traveling over the New Year Holiday they said, “Come to the Rebbe with us in New York.” I asked them who the Rebbe was and they said, “The tzaddik.” I didn’t know what they meant. They said, “Don’t worry, when you come you’ll see.” I was worried about losing my job, so I told them that I have to go back. They told me, “Don’t worry G-d will help you.” These words appeared to me like a joke, so I told them that they were crazy. I left them and went back to my seat. Sitting next to me was a man who I was able to talk with. He lived in Russia along time ago. He was an engineer. He asked me what they wanted from me. I told him about their crazy suggestion. Now this man was not religious, but he was a Jew. He said in all seriousness, “You know what? You have to listen to these people. It’s only going to be good for you.” I was surprised to hear this from him, but his words made an impression on me. So I went back to those guys and I told them that I would go with them, but I didn’t have any money because of my mother’s burial. Those guys were very happy and they told me again not to worry because in New York they will provide everything for me. Unfortunately, the plane landed late in New York and it was already close to the Holiday. My new friends told me to hurry up or we would be late for the Holiday. At this time I didn’t know about not traveling after sunset. I panicked and said, “No way! I need my suitcases.” I had some things packed in them from my mother. They were important memories for me. But they had no time to explain anything. They started running to catch a taxi. By now my connecting flight to Oregon had already departed, so I ran after them. I thought, “Why am I with these crazy people? Where are they hurrying? What’s the matter with them?” But I just ran after them. I was sweating. We jumped into a taxi and they said to the driver, “Hurry to Crown Heights!” It was almost sunset and the New Year was about to commence. They stopped the taxi and we started to run. At this point I was so angry I thought I would kill them. Finally, we arrived at a house of one of their friends. We put everything in the house and they said, “Now we have to go to 770.” Soon we arrived at 770. I couldn’t believe what I saw. It seemed like there were black hats and beards to the ceiling. I thought, “What kind of place is this?” The place was overfull. Everyone was pushing each other. After a while they said to me, “Pay attention the Rebbe is coming.” I still didn’t know who the Rebbe was. I thought anyone in a black hat is a Rebbe. All of a sudden, I saw the crowd, which was like a sea of black hats, split into two. I could see a man moving through the crowd. I was terrified. I didn’t understand how such a crowd could make such a split. Who is this man? He had a very holy appearance. I thought, “Such an honor to this person.” I was overfull with feelings. I felt like I was shaking. I thought that I wasn’t in this world anymore. Like this I spent the two days of Rosh Hashanah in Crown Heights. After Rosh Hashanah I needed to go back to Portland. One of my new friends, Mendel, said “If I buy for you Tefillin will you put them on every day?” I said I would. The next day he bought them for me. I asked him how much he paid for them. I was shocked. How could he spend so much on me? He made me promise to put them on every day. He also gave me books about Yiddishkeit. An extra suitcase full. We said goodbye and promised to keep in touch. When I returned to Portland I had to find a shul to say Kaddish. I found a conservative shul. When the time came to say Kaddish they said, “Stop, don’t say it, the Rabbi says it.” It wasn’t like I was taught. I was very upset. One day a friend visited and told me, “Last Saturday I was downtown and I saw a little house with a Jewish letter on it...inside there were Jewish people with hats and beards drinking vodka and eating herring.” “This is what I’m looking for,” I told him. It turned out to be a little Polish shul, the only one in Portland. There was one Lubavitcher Chassid there, also saying Kaddish. Everyday, through winter, snow and rain, even by foot, I came to say Kaddish for my mother and put on my new pair of Tefillin. I thought, “How strange that my friend should have found this shul. I felt Hashem showed him special just for me.” I met a man in that shul, and started to learn with him about Yiddishkeit. Little by little I became more religious. Now I am learning in Yeshiva Tiferes Menachem and am amazed at how Hashem has guided my footsteps. So I say, dear friends, children lost among the nations, if a Jew approaches you with a beard asking you to put on Tefillin, don’t hesitate to say yes. This person is a messenger and he’s asking you to give your hand to Hashem. This may be the chance that Hashem will direct you on the right path. |
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- lessons for change, by Rabbi Y.Y. Greenberg Rosh Hashanah is best known as the Jewish New Year. It was on this day 5763 years ago that man was created. As we recite in the Musaf prayers of Rosh Hashanah, "This day is when You began Your work of creation.” There is a question here. Since mankind was created on the sixth and last day of creation why is it referred to as the beginning of creation? However, the answer is that since the purpose of creation is ultimately realized through man, it is appropriate to refer to man’s creation as the beginning. Furthermore, since Adam proclaimed on the very day of his creation "Let us prostrate ourselves and bow down… before G-d, our Maker,” (see Zohar parshas Emor) his words had an immediate effect as all of creation had acquiesced (see Pirkei D’Rabi Eliezer Chap. 11). This changed the world so dramatically it was as if creation had begun fresh from the start. And thus the statement, “This day is when You began Your work of creation.” We can learn a lesson from this regarding the disparity of number. When we look around we notice that mankind is greatly outnumbered. Of the four kingdoms of creation mankind is the smallest in number. Yet, when we assess the intrinsic value and expression of life within each kingdom we see that mankind’s magnitude far surpasses the rest of creation. Let’s take a closer look. Of the four kingdoms of creation the largest is the inanimate, yet at this level there is no expression of life. Smaller than this is the vegetation kingdom where there is now the ability to grow. Then there is the animal kingdom. Here there is mobility. Animals are able to roam freely without being stuck to their roots. Here there is also the ability to interact with the environment through the five senses of vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Plants do not have these abilities, yet are far more numerous. The smallest of all the kingdoms is man, yet it is man who has the greatest advantages of all with the ability to think freely & creatively (when have we ever seen animals promoting social justice?). Now, even though, there are animals deemed to be clever, they are governed by instincts, and these instincts simply serve their physical needs. Man, on the other hand, can use his physical needs to serve his intellectual faculties. Furthermore, man alone is capable of transcending his intrinsic nature in the service of G-d. The disparity between number and value can also be seen within the ranks of man. For example, the smallest rank is of those who are spiritually inclined. They demonstrate the greatest expression of life. However, they number far less than those who are materialistically inclined. Furthermore, even among those who are spiritually inclined, most of their life is spent sleeping, eating and on other bodily needs. The Jewish people as a whole constitute those who are spiritually inclined, yet are far outnumbered. Furthermore, within the Jewish people, those who are fortunate enough to live according to the Torah lifestyle are yet even fewer. We can see that if one were to embrace the majority for the majority’s sake, one would easily be misled into pursuing a mundane rather than a spiritual life. Rosh Hashanah comes to dispel this notion by teaching us that creation actually begins with Man. But not the physical aspect of man, namely his body which was lifeless, as it says, “...And just dust from the grave” (Bereishis 2.7). Rather the spiritual essence of man, as it says, “Then G-d blew into Adam’s nostrils the spirit of life,” which was an actual part of G-d Himself. It is this aspect of Man’s creation that stands in contrast to the creation of the animals. Perhaps this is one of the reasons animals were created body and soul together, while Man’s body and soul were created separately, so that we would distinguish between them and learn the greater value of the soul. We must realize that while the creation consists of both body and soul we can revolutionize the world in a positive way by choosing the soul over the body. This is primarily accomplished by following the lead of the first man and proclaiming G-d King of all creation. In this way we exalt the spiritual over the material, and give the greatest expression to life. Furthermore, we must not keep to ourselves, but go out and teach others to add in acts of goodness and kindness, which will prepare the world for Moshiach. This includes teaching the seven Noahide Laws with all of their ramifications to the gentiles of the world. This lesson is for each and every individual. It is based on the well known Mishna (Sanhedrin 37) which relates, “Why was Adam created alone - without a partner? (In contrast to all the other species who were created by the many thousands.) To teach that every single Jew is equal to an entire world...” Every Jew has the power to change the entire world, contrary to those who excuse themselves by asking (mistakenly) “...how can such a small person change such an immense world?” Once again Rosh Hashanah, the day of man’s creation, is both a reminder of our individual responsibility and a source of strength to revolutionize the world and prepare it for Moshiach. Although this seems easier said than done, one only needs to consider our present day state of affairs. Firstly, consider modern technology, where one’s voice can be heard the world over instantly through the Internet. It becomes obvious that the possibility that one individual can impact the whole world today is very realistic. Furthermore, consider the evil and devastating events of “9-11” that were perpetrated by a few individuals. If just a few individuals on the side of evil could have such far-reaching effects, how much more so can those working on the side of goodness and kindness affect the world for good. May we merit the coming of Moshiach; the greatest individual who will usher in the final Redemption, build the Beis Hamikdosh, gather in all the exiles and teach the inner dimensions of the Torah to the entire Jewish People. Then together with his worldwide impact he will show the power that each individual Jew and gentile possesses. May it be speedily in our days, now! |
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by Mr. Avrohom Modes Visiting Yeshiva Tiferes Menachem is part of a personal return for me. I am a former student of Tiferes. I got here after a very confusing “Orthodox” upbringing, rebellion, and a lot of work by a special Chasid of the Rebbe, who practically had to trick me into visiting the Rebbe’s 13 Tammuz Farbrengen and re-considering Yiddishkeit. I was at Tiferes the next day. Among other incidents, one time we students went as a group to distribute Chanukah Menorahs at an out-of the way temple in Jersey. I got talking with a middle-aged Russian Jew. Suddenly he started quoting from Tanya. I could not hold back, “If you know how to learn Tanya, what are you doing here.” “I got stuck”, he replied. Little did I know that I myself would get “stuck” in Los Angeles (in the religious community, but…) for nineteen years. A good friend finally dragged me out, and told me that the only healing for my soul would be to pray at my parents’ grave and to finally accept them and myself. The journey led to rediscovering other parts of my past, seeing that they were not as I had seen them through immature eyes. The road led to Tiferes Menachem and yet another “father figure”, Rabbi A. Lipskier. My first impression was that the Yeshiva could use more money to spend on the little things, the grounds, etc. Definitely not up to California standards. Spending more time, I realized that this is a very special place. Twenty-five years ago, I had, unfortunately, not understood who Rabbi Lipskier was, or, for that matter, what it meant to be a Chasid. I say fortunately, because I was so sunk in selfish illusion that I would have run out the door. At that time it was enough for me to know that the Rebbe is a totally righteous human being. I had no desire to undergo major growth in Ahavas Yisroel or to nullify my will to Hashem. It was enough to find a way of life that would keep me out of major trouble. And I found it. My survival then till now has literally been a miracle, but a miracle partially based on the practical effects of attempting to observe Torah and Mitzvos. But returning to this environment, which is in unbroken continuity with the one I left, I see what a Chasid is. He is not a nice guy who is so scholarly that he is willing to shares his knowledge in exchange for a salary and a place to learn some more. He (or she) is someone who has put his personal life on hold in order to help someone else. I see this in the students here. Almost without exception, they give more than they get. There is something here (maybe it is “Yechi”?) that brings out the essence of a Yid, enables him to go beyond his personal self, not just as a nice concept or a feeling of inspiration, but putting the other guy ahead of himself. Personally, being here took me out of my shell. I did not want to farbreng with the students, but since Rabbi Lipskier suggested it, so be it. A dank dem Aybershtern, I now have the strength to take part in an active way, while accepting what I really am. And I saw who these students are, how the essence is revealed. The way this place works, no matter how many more students were to arrive, the educational experience would not be diluted, but enhanced. Students and staff would rise to the occasion. It is a big zechus for anyone to send not only the Mezuman, which is needed for the big things as well, but also those Neshamos you love and care for, whatever size or shape. This is a strong, uncompromising place to learn Nigleh and Chasidus, to be a Chasid of the Rebbe, Melech Hamoshiach, from the inside. |
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