Purim: We Will Not Kneel, Not Now, Not Ever

When the Megila speaks about Mordechai's refusal to bow down to Haman, the pasuk says, "ומרדכי לא יכרע ולא ישתחוה". While this could be understood  as "Mordechai would not bow", the literal translation is "and Mordechai will not kneel and he will not bow".

The implication is that there is something about Haman and Amalek that is so antithetical to the Jew that Mordechai absolutely could not kneel. In his not kneeling, Mordechai gave the message that Haman is so evil and so foreign to the Jewish mindset and experience that we will not kneel and we will not bow. Not now and not ever. He didn't bow with such defiance and conviction that it was clear to all that he could not and would not at any point in time.

When Haman saw this total and absolute determination-and he recognized it to be forever unfaltering-that's when he knew he would have to destroy Klal Yisroel, that there was no way to "convert" them.
Adar is a time of to renew. It is a time to renew convictions and reaffirm our undying and unwavering allegiance to Hashem and the mission he has charged us with.

On Shabbos Zachor and Purim, when we remember to forget Amalek, let us do so with every fiber of our being and let there be no room for anyone, including ourselves, to misunderstand our intentions. We will not give in to the yetzer hara. We will not kneel to Haman. We will not bow to any other than Hashem.

The Fight Against Amalek

Relevant to Shabbos Zachor, here is an excerpt from Mishpacha Magazine (Issue 196), as "heard from the Milwaukee/Hornsteiple Rebbe, HaRav Michel Twerski, shlita":

What were the two things that drew Yisro close, which convinced him to cast his lot with the Jewish people?  Rashi, quoting Chazal, tells us that it was the splitting of the sea and the war with Amalek that were the catalysts for his conversion. These two things symbolize the path of a good Jew; these two experiences represent the two facets of our work in this world.  Kriyas Yam Suf gave us the ability to jump in, to leave everything behind, to throw it all away and take the plunge.  Then after the initial enthusiasm wore off, after that burst of self-sacrifice, the uphill battle began.  The fight against Amalek represents the fight against all those forces that wish to ‘cool us off,’ to lower the flames of our passion and determination.  As hard as it is to take the plunge, it’s equally hard, if not more so, to keep the battle going, to persist and endure.

Photo of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel Twerski, ztz"l

This photo was taken in Detroit, apparently at a bagleiten. I'm guessing that it was on the way to the chasunah and not Shabbos morning since there are no shtreimelach. (Also, if it was Shabbos morning it would have been taken by a goy. Possible, but not likely we would have it if that were the case).

Click to enlarge.

From left to right, Rebbe Shlomo Yaakov "Zeide" Eichenstein of Burshtein, Rebbe Moshe Panet of Dej-Shotz, The Rebbe Reb Yaakov Yisroel of Milwaukee, Rebbe Yosef Bentzion Rabinowitz of Orel-Brezna (Reb Yossel Detroiter), the chosson Rav Meir Moskowitz son of Rebbe Avrahom Chaim of Heirtz,  Harav Avrahom Dov Twerski son of Rebbe Baruch Dovid of Kalinkovitz, Rav Aaron Halevi Pintchick son of Rebbe Nochum Yehoshua Halevi Pintchick of Dombrovitze-Sarne, Rebbe Dovid Moshe Shapira of Gvoditz-Sadigura, Rav Yoel Brandwein. Picture was taken in Detroit in 5713.

(Thanks to Reb Chaim Shmeel Twerski for the precise details.)

The Propitiousness of Purim

HaRav Shloime Twerski of Denver, ztz"l, on Purim.

From the sefer Pele Yoetz (free translation):

"During the Purim seudah, Reb Motele said L'Chayim in his holy manner and then said the following:

Today, on Purim, there are three hashpaos:

1) The tefilah of each and every member of Klal Yisroel, even if davened by themselves, will come before the King of Kings and his request will be fulfilled.

2) On the average, our lips are moving and we are not so present to the davening. On Purim one is able to connect his thoughts with his speech during davening and learning.

3) Even one who is caught, chas v'shalom, in thoughts of heresy and transgression, today he can be aroused to repentance and he will return from his wicked thoughts and ways."

Look it up to see how he reads these three things into the Megilla (9:25).

In another maamer in Pele Yoetz, Reb Motele says:

"Today is the time to accept the yoke of Heaven and the oneness of Hashem upon ourselves, to serve Him completely through self-negation and the extirpation of personal interests, to fulfill only the will of Hashem. [This can occur] through the revelation of the central point of the neshama, the "pintele yid". From today on, we can accept on ourselves to serve the One G-d in all our actions and affairs."

These are just a sampling of the awesome power of Purim!

Reb Motele on Purim

A little about the Rebbe Reb Motele on Purim...

I remember hearing on numerous occasions that the chassidim used to file by the Rebbe Reb Motele and each one would pour a little of what they were drinking into a large, sliver negel vasser cup that was placed before the Rebbe. It didn't matter if they poured in beer or vodka, wine or whiskey. When the "cup" was full, the Rebbe would drink the whole thing and begin saying Torah.

Tachanun During Adar

Specific minhagim as heard from the Rebbe, shlit"a:

1. Yahrtzeits during Adar are kept during both Adar Rishon and Adar Sheini.

2. Tachanun is omitted on the 7th of Adar, the yahrtzeit of Moshe Rabeinu.

3. During the Shivas Y'mei Hamiluim, the last seven days of Adar, Tachanun is omitted. However, in Adar Rishon, Tachanun is said since these seven days are not inherent to Adar rather they are the seven days prior to Rosh Chodesh Nisan.

Heard of any particular minhagim of the Rebbe or the Rebbeim of Hornosteipel for Adar/Purim? Post them in your comments.

Rosh Chodesh Adar II משנכנס אדר מרבים בשמחה

We had an extra month of Adar this year to prepare for Purim.

We are already half way through שלושים יום קודם החג.

Better late than never.

So here is a recording of the Rebbe's Layehudim, sung at the Purim Seudah in 5768 (2008) to get us started.

PLAY DOWNLOAD

Nusach: Weekday Shmone Esrei

Shemoneh Esrei from the Radviller Siddur

I have received a number of requests to post about the differences between the Siddur Tefila Yeshara and the actual nusach of the Rebbe, shlit"a.

The first thing we need to remember is that while the Rebbe, shlit"a, does daven from the Tefila Yeshara siddur, it is impossible to clarify the actual nusach of Hornosteiple in any conclusive manner.

There is a letter in the back of Pele Yoetz from the Rebbe Reb Mottele, zy"a, to his youngest son Reb Burich Duvid'l, asking him not to forsake his nusach in favor of the nusach of the Baal Hatanya and that he should rather daven according to either the Siddur Nehora or Siddur Radvil.

Now, I have toyed excessively with possible theories as to what the Rebbe Reb Mottele could have meant when he wrote "either Nehora or Radvil", since they are two distinct siddurim, the differences between them vastly outweighing the similarities. While the Siddur Nehora is basically Ashkenaz, the Radviller nusach is clearly a Chassidishe nusach (although it too resembles Ashkenaz to a much greater degree than other Chassidishe siddurim).

For the sake of getting to the point, I have kept out a lot of details and history. Maybe I'll get to write a post about the whole topic in greater depth...

We start with Siddur Tefila Yeshara (Radvil), printed for the second time in 1820 (date of the first print is up for discussion).

It was printed a number times after that and eventually found its way to Barditchev  in 1894 where it was combined with the by then famous commentary Keser Nehora (which was previously printed in a different siddur). The siddur we have today is called Siddur Tefila Yeshara v'Keser Nehora Hashalem Bardichev and it was printed with some amendments in Premishla in 1929. Until the new edition came out this past Chanuka, all prints of this siddur were copies of the Premishla edition.

Without further ado, let us begin. 

Weekday Shmone Esrei (the number connotes which bracha):
1) same as printed.
2) "ורב להושיע" also in all three tefilos, not just Mincha.
3) same, in Kedusha we say "לעומתם ברוך יאמרו" as is customary in Chernobyl. The chazzan doesn't say "לדור ודור נגיד גדלך" rather ואתה קדוש
4) The Rebbe Reb Leibele's son, Reb Nuchim from Tel Aviv, wrote that in Hornosteiple they said "חכמה בינה ודעת". However, in Pele Yoetz (Parshas Vayigash) and in the Siddur Radvil the nusach is "דעה בינה והשכל". The Rebbe, shlit"a, says דעה בינה והשכל
5) same.
6) same, without what's in the parenthesis.
7) same, without what's in the parenthesis.
8) same. (9) same. (10) same. (11) same.
12) same. In the letter from Reb Nuchim he mentions some differences regarding this bracha but the Rebbe, shlit"a, davens like in the siddur.
13) same.
14) same (k'minhag ashkenaz).
15) same.
16) שמע קולנו ה' אלקינו אב הרחמן חוס ורחם עלינו
17) same. (18) same.
19) We say שים שלום by all the tefilos. 


That's all for now. I would appreciate any corrections or additional information. Thanks!

Come To Take

The Rebbe, shlit"a, related that after the passing of one of the Rebbes of Modzitz (the name of whom escapes me) there were older chassidim who found the transition to the son of their previous rebbe very difficult. Finally, one of these chassidim came to the new rebbe and complained, "By your father I would walk in and immediately be overcome with feelings of elation, thoughts of teshuva and pining for the Ribono Shel Olam. Now, when I come to the Rebbe's tisch I feel nothing."

The new Rebbe answered, "In this week's parsha (Pekudei) it says by all of the various parts of the Mishkan it says "vayiten", "and he put" (lit. gave) each on in its appropriate place. But when it comes to tell us that Moshe put the luchos in the Aron, the Torah says "vayikach vayiten", "and he took and placed". This is to teach us that one must come to take and then it will be placed in his heart. If you are not coming to take you cannot possibly be given."

And the chasid remained with his new Rebbe. 

(Leil Shabbos, Parshas Pekudei 5571)

Pekudei Download

To download the weekly D'var Torah from this past Shabbos so you can print it easily (.pdf format) click DOWNLOAD. Sorry for not getting it up here earlier.

NEW NIGGUN ADAR 5771

This past Shabbos, the Rebbe composed a new nigun and introduced it by Shalosh Seudos. The Rebbe called it "Avi's Aufruf Nigun", in honor of the chosson Avi Appel, whose chassuna is this Wednesday night in Toronto, בשעה טובה ומוצלחת. To hear the nigun click here. To download, click here.

Pekudei: Everyday Ruach Hakodesh Part II

...This is a continuation of the previous post.

Is This Ruach Hakodesh?
These three stories all deal with people who have been liberated from everything which confounds most of our minds. And because their minds are free, what comes to them is significant. They understand that its not capricious. There is meaning to what enters their awareness, especially, if what enters their minds is in any way unusual. Why, after scores of years, did I think about this question of chicken before the soup or vice versa? When I’m touching the mezuzah, why is my mind reviewing the laws of Tumah? Why, when someone is telling me something which is perfectly logical, that they should retire and learn Torah, does my mind tell me that he should continue working?
You could argue that it isn’t ruach hakodesh. It could just be a keen sense of intuition. Maybe. But it sure is prophetic caliber stuff (ruach hakodeshdik) when someone has a mind that is free of debris and garbage to such a degree.

My Heart Told Me: Rashi HaKadosh

Rashi's Synagogue in Worms

When describing the garments of the Kohen Gadol, Rashi (Shmos 28:4) says: “My heart tells me that [the Ephod] is similar to the type of apron worn by princesses when the go horseback riding.”
Our attention is drawn to this comment, merely for the fact that the phrase “my heart tells me” is not only uncommon with Rashi, but in his entire commentary of Tanach, it appears no place other than on this verse.
In addition to the fact that Rashi’s mind was clear of debris, his line of sight was also not subject to anything disharmonious with Torah. If something came to his attention, not only in the form of a thought, but even if he saw something, totally outside of himself, that wasn’t congruent with his discipline, it had to be for a reason. When Rashi was walking along and his attention was diverted to the apron of a princess riding by, the likelihood is that he was plagued to no end. Why did he need to see this, something so out of place with who he was? But, he knew it must be for some reason. When he encountered difficulty understanding the nature of the ephod, it all came together and he knew that “his heart had told him” what the Ephod looked like.
 
Further Illustration: The Rebbe Reb Zisha

Compilation of Reb Zisha's divrei Torah

A woman came running into the Beis Medrash, crying hysterically. “My husband has gone missing! Am I to remain an aguna my entire life? Have mercy!”
“Your husband is in the hekdesh (the local inn for transients and paupers).”
Everybody turned in the direction of the voice. It was the none other than the Rebbe Reb Zisha, zy”a, of Anipoli who has spoken with such confidence. It took no persuading anybody and the hekdesh was promptly investigated. Sure enough the woman’s husband was found and convinced to give his wife a proper get.
When queried as to how he knew, Reb Zisha responded in all simplicity, “This morning when I went mikveh, I overheard two vagrants conversing and one told the other that there was a new addition to the regulars at the hekdesh. Now why would I have heard something if it wasn’t going to be of some use to my avodas Hashem? I couldn’t figure it out. When this woman said her husband went missing, I understood; it was obvious that her husband had to be at the hekdesh.”
 
Baal Shem Tov: Chilul Shabbos?

The Baal Shem Tov, zy”a, once saw a certain individual violating the Shabbos (some versions say he was informed that someone was seen violating the Shabbos). The Baal Shem Tov had no rest. He was sure he had somehow desecrated the Shabbos but could not find in himself even the slightest dereliction of this holy mitzvah. He then understood (or, according to some versions, he davened to the Almighty and it was revealed to him) that inasmuch as there was such strong opposition to the Baal Shem Tov, he had once been present when some of the Chassidim and their opponents were arguing and the Baal Shem Tov overheard someone disrespect another Talmid Chocham who was present. The Sages teach that a talmid chocham is likened to Shabbos (see Zohar 3, 29a) and since the Baal Shem Tov did not protect the honor of the talmid chocham, he saw the violation of the Shabbos. The Baal Shem Tov immediately set out for three of the great tzadikim of that generation to serve and honor them. (A story in and of itself.)
 
Listen To Your Own Questions
With a parsha such as Pekudei, we are often faced with some pretty basic questions which are dismissed for their simplicity. Any question that is troubling you is significant and you should stop and ask yourself, what does that mean to me?
It happens all the time. We go through these sedras every year. Every time I come up with some question that never occurred to me before. And virtually every time I thought about what it is that stopped me it was something that was pertinent to me at this point which would not have been pertinent to me or it wasn’t particularly relevant to me at that time.
The questions or comments that pique our interest when we are learning are really kinds of messages that we would do ourselves a disservice if we brushed them off. There is something there for us to find if would just look a little.
 
Hashem’s Direct Guidance

 The Baal Shem Tov himself imparted that whatever a person sees or hears is meant to tell him something meaningful in regards to the service of his Creator (see Keser Shem Tov, hosafos, 224). This is true for every individual, not just the likes of the aforementioned Tzadikim. The problem is that most of us have not disciplined ourselves and our senses to only take in that which is pertinent to us and the Almighty’s service. Because detrimental influences and distraction have a free pass into our field of awareness, the significance of those messages is greatly diminished. Unless we see something flagrantly out of place, it is difficult to discern that which is important from the static. The extent to which we commit ourselves and our “inbox” exclusively to G-dly things is the extent to which what we see or hear will contain a meaningful lesson for us.
The Master of the Universe converses with us on a regular basis. But one needs to tune up and tune in to hear it. We need to clean the receptor. Ruach hakodesh is alive and well even today but it is reserved for those who believe in and are faithful to its Source.

Pekudei: Everyday Ruach Hakodesh

The Rebbe Reb Leibele: Questioning Order

In the area of Russia (present-day Ukraine) where Hornosteiple was located, it was common practice to serve the meat before the soup. The exception was Shabbos when they served the soup before the meat as we do today. It was a prevailing convention with no special reasons attached to it.

One Friday night, they brought in the chicken soup and placed it before the Rebbe Reb Leibele, zy”a. The Rebbe did not eat from the soup; it just sat there. Finally, he asked those seating around him, “Why is it that during the week we eat the meat before the soup and on Shabbos we eat the soup before the meat?”

Of course, nobody knew. It was nothing more than a convention. So the Rebbe said, “We might as well have the chicken first, just like during the week. Bring in the chicken.”

When the chicken was placed before the Rebbe, he immediately noticed something that didn’t look right. The chicken was sent to the Rav who promptly ruled it was treife. Had they eaten the soup first, which had been made from that chicken, they would all have eaten treife.

At once, the word amongst the Chassidim was this was a demonstration of the Rebbe’s ruach hakodesh, his prophetic sense.

Reb Leibele silenced them, “We have done it this way for years. During the week, first we eat the chicken and on Shabbos we eat the soup first. Tonight, when they placed the soup before me, was the first time I ever wondered about it. The question occurred to me now as opposed to any other time. It was clear to me that I should think about this. No ruach hakodesh was involved.”

The next Shabbos and on all subsequent Shabbosim, Reb Leibele continue to eat the soup before the chicken, just as he had until then, even though nobody could explain the reason for switching the order. But that one Friday night, because the question occurred to him, he understood that he had to change something. 


The Tzemach Tzedek: Illogical Logic

The Tzemach Tzedek, zy”a, the third Rebbe of Lubavitch and brother-in-law of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel of Cherkass, was approached by an elderly man. The man told the Rebbe how he had worked an honest living his entire life and now, with what he had saved up, he wanted to devote the remainder of his days to learning Torah. Uncharacteristically, the Tzemach Tzedek told the man that he should not retire. He should continue whatever his regular learning schedule was until now but he must continue working his job. The elderly chasid returned home and despite his Rebbe’s clear instructions, he sold his business and became a permanent fixture in the Beis Medrash.

Not long afterward, this chasid became ill and grew progressively weaker until finally he couldn’t leave his bed. He sent his children to his Rebbe to pray on his behalf. When they came in with the kvittel, the Tzemach Tzedek immediately said, “I told your father not to stop working. Go back. Tell him to commit himself to start to work again and he’ll get better.”

One of the Tzemach Tzedek’s sons had been in the room, and when he was left alone with his father, he expressed his curiosity as to what could be so bad about sitting and learning.

The Tzemach Tzedek explained: “For a person whose mind is clear of debris and garbage, the first thought that comes to his mind when confronted by a question is the thought that Heaven wants him to have. It’s not that I have any logical reason for telling him he should remain working. If anything it is entirely illogical. But when he came to me originally that was the first thought that came to mind so it was clear to me what Hashem wanted him to do.” 


The Rebbe Reb Mottele: Halacha Mix-up

When the Rebbe Reb Mottele of Hornosteipel, zy”a, would often visit his magidus shtetlech (towns), he would stay at the home of one of his Chassidim in that particular town. On one occasion, he came to the front door of where he was staying and reached up to put his hand on the mezuzah. Puzzled by something, he stopped and put his hand down. He put his hand up to the mezuzah again and the same thing occurred. When he touched the mezuzah for a third time and put it down, Reb Mottele turned to the owner of the house and asked if there was an alternate entrance. The chasid replied to the affirmative and showed the Rebbe through a  side door.

“Is there something wrong with my mezuzah?” asked the chasid.

“No,” the Rebbe responded. “I think the mezuzah is okay.”

“So then why did the Rebbe insist on entering the house through the side door?”

Reb Mottele explained: “You must always strive to be connected to the Divine Will associated with any given moment. Whenever I engage in a mitzvah, I review all of the halachos of that mitzvah. When I came to the door and put my hand on the mezuzah, I should have been thinking about the laws of mezuzah. Instead, every time touched the mezuzah, I could only think of the halachos pertaining to ritual purity. I don’t know why.”

After some investigation it was discovered that the mat at the front of the door had become ritually impure to a degree that some Tzadikim were still careful about even long after the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh.

“When I put my hand on the mezuzah for some reason I was thinking about the halachos of Tumah. It didn’t compute. What do the laws of Tumah have to do with a mezuzah? So I stopped and tried again. By the third time I understood something must be up.” 


To be continued...

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To Be Alone In Divine Service

Here is a classic vort from the Rebbe, shlit"a:

When Hashem told Moshe to ascend Har Sinai, He added this stipulation: איש לא יעלה עמך וגם איש אל ירא בכל ההר ההוא. No man shall ascend with you and also no man shall be seen on the entire mountain.
The repetitiveness of the pasuk is obvious.

More often than not, when we are engaged in avdoas Hashem such as davening or learning, we are all too busy worrying about what other people are thinking.

"How am I shukeling?"

"Am I davening too loud?"

"I better not look up out of the sefer, so-and-so is watching."
When one wants to ascend the mountain of Hashem, he must totally remover all others' presence from his consciousness.This is what Hashem was telling Moshe Rabeinu when he told him to ascend Har Sinai and "no man shall ascend with you." It is just you and Hashem.

But there is something subtler and deeper that requires our attention. Inevitably, even if we succeed and are not preoccupied with what other people think, we distract ourselves by constantly checking up on our own avodah. Not in relation to me and the next guy, but my Divine service qua my Divine service. How am I doing in relation to my obligation and abilities? In the moment of avodah, in middle of davening, is not the time to be making cheshbon hanefesh. We get too caught up in this form of self-judgment at the wrong time. How can we expect to lose ourselves in the moments of avodaha and be focused on serving the Almighty when we are busy watching ourselves under the microscope?

So the pasuk is not redundant. Hashem told Moshe: Not only do I want no other man to go up with you, but when you are there on the mountain of Hashem, do not bring yourself either. Let no man be seen at all.