Op-Ed: Publishing Private Pictures of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin
by Rabbi Gershon Avtzon – Cincinnati, OH
This Shabbas, Parshas Yisro 5786, will be the Kinnus Hashluchos and the Shabbos before 22 Shevat – the 38th Yahrtzeit of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka נ”ע. In addition to being the wife, daughter, and granddaughter of a Rebbe, she was by far the greatest Chassid of the Rebbe. Every word of the Rebbe, even if it seemed to have been said in jest, was taken with the utmost seriousness.
This is evident from a story that was recently published in Beis Moshiach after the recent passing of Rabbi Chess”ed Halberstam. He merited to work in the house of the Rebbe and recounted the following: “One time during the period leading up to Pesach the Rebbe walked into the house while I was still in the middle of working. The Rebbetzin took the opportunity to tell the Rebbe, ‘This boychick made Pesach for me this year.’ The Rebbe answered glowingly, “He is a Sanzer einikel and you call him a boychick? He is “Rabbi Halberstam!’
From that point on, every day for the next 18 years, the Rebbetzin was particular to refer to him only as Rabbi Halberstam, because that is what the Rebbe said.
When Private is Made Public
I would like to discuss an important and sensitive topic that has been on my mind since this past summer, and would like to hear your opinions as well. I refer to publishing private pictures of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin.
This past summer I merited to travel to Eretz Hakodesh with my family and my in-laws. I was invited to the special “Shabbos Shekulo Moshiach” in Teverya and used the opportunity to spend some time with the family and visit the mekomos hakedoshim. One of the amazing parts of the trip was the (almost) complete disconnect to the “real world”. While my cell-phone (talk and text) worked, I did not have my computer (my main tool of communication is through email) and I am not on WhatsApp.
Opposite Reactions
One day, I came home from davening and noticed that my father-in-law, Rabbi Avraham Simpson, was visibly distressed. I asked him if everything was okay, and he responded that someone had just published a private picture of the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin hiking in the French Alps. It bothered him so much that someone would go and publish such a private thing. A few minutes later, I received an excited text from my son, who was spending the summer as a counselor in Gan Yisroel, Florida: “Tatty! Did you see the amazing picture of the Rebbe and Rebbetzen that was just published? Is it not amazing?”
I could not help but notice the different reactions: The generation older than me was distressed and sad and the younger generation was excited and jubilant. The question I asked myself was: Why are there such extreme reactions? Why is the older generation so appalled and the younger generation so thrilled?
[To be clear: This is not a question about the general publication of a picture of the Rebbetzen, rather the publishing of an obviously private picture. Regarding the general publication of a picture, we find a fascinating answer of the Rebbe. When the picture was first published, Harav Gavriel Zinner wrote to the Rebbe asking how this is acceptable since the Gemara in Sanhedrin (45a) states, “The yetzer hara prevails only over what an individual sees with his eyes.” Furthermore, the Shulchan Aruch rules (Even Haezer 21:1), “It is forbidden to gaze even at the colorful garment of a woman he recognizes.”
In his response to Harav Zinner, the Rebbe writes that three conditions have to be present for a photograph of a woman in print to be problematic: 1. You “gaze” at the picture (rather than take a quick look). 2. The picture is in color rather than black and white. 3 . The picture is of someone you know. Since these three conditions do not apply to the picture of the Rebbetzin, there is no problem, particularly since not publishing the picture might minimize the impact of the publication it was printed in, which is “v’hachai yiten el libo —the living shall take to heart.]
Why Are So-Called “Chassidishe Geneivos” Celebrated?
What I realized is that today’s children are living in a world where they are being bombarded with constant attention-seeking headlines and so many things to grab (and in essence, distract) their attention. Everything that sounds new and exciting is attractive without thinking about the right and wrong of the material being released and publicized. In a world of “בּזבּוז האוצרות” – and (unfortunately) where so-called “Chassidishe Gneivos” are celebrated, it is not surprising that the youth have not developed the required sensitivity to the private lives of the Rebbeim, and especially Rebbetzen Chaya Mushka which was an extremely private person who truly embodied the concept of “kol kevuda bas melech p’nima – all the honor of a king’s daughter is inward.”
We, as parents and educators, should be aware of this and have open and candid discussions with our children about these important and sensitive topics.
Please feel free to share your thoughts on the above with me by sending me a personal email: rabbiavtzon@gmail.com.
