Mrs. Schneerson. Are you related to the famous Rebbe in Brooklyn?

Although she avoided the public limelight, the Rebbetzin shared her husband’s dedication to his work. Sometimes, when she least expected it, the Rebbe’s work had a way of entering her private life, as shown here in the following encounter. Indeed, the Rebbetzin not only shared the Rebbe’s passion for outreach, but his special power, the Following is an excerpt from the new book on the Rebbe www.inspiringageneration.com

“The Rebbetzin waited in line as usual at the Manhattan library she frequently visited. When she got to the front desk, she presented her library card, along with the book to check out.

The librarian, blasé with routine, took the card and placed it under the check-out scanner.

More Than A Purim Shpiel

Back in the mid -1970’s, Chairman Leonoid Brezhnev addressed a large audience of Communist Party faithful, gathered at the great stadium in Moscow.

A great hush overtook the crowd. Then from nowhere a voice boomed: “Of course we shall need an airplane! How else will we get to Kiev when there are potatoes for sale?”

The Rebbe was always so tired and busy

“She also confided in us her anxiousness and worries over her son’s health, since the Rebbe was always so tired and busy” The following is a conversation that the Rebbe’s mother, Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson had with Rebbetzin Sima Ralbag from Yerushalayim in the early 1960’s. It’s an excerpt from the new book on the Rebbe “The Rebbe Inspiring a Generation” to see more information on the book see www.inspiringageneration.com

Rebbetzin Ralbag Relates:

“In 1960, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Rebbe’s leadership, I traveled to New York. Upon my arrival Rabbi Chodakov, the Rebbe’s secretary, asked me to address the annual Chabad Women’s (N’shei Chabad) convention, which coincided with my visit.

The Weekly Sedra – Vayikra – Self-Sacrifice, 
It Doesn’t Really Kill

On a freezing winter night as Napoleon layed under his warm covers, he was overcome by a sudden bout of thirst. Considering that in order to satisfy his craving he would have to leave his cozy conditions and go outside to fetch some water, he contemplated ignoring his nagging discomfort, but was quickly overcome by a powerful sense of shame.

“Napoleon! You have become all but lazy,” he said to himself. “There is evidently no difference between you and the common yokel.” With that, he tore himself out of bed and proceeded out the door to fetch himself some water.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Vayikra

The Rebbe says:

1. This week’s Torah portion begins a new Chumash (book) in the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) named Vayikra (Leviticus). Chumash Vayikra mainly deals with the sacrifices that the Jewish people brought to Hashem in the Beis Hamikdash (the Holy Temple) and it details the work of the Kohanim (the priests).

2. The Torah is everlasting and its lessons are eternal beacons of light which guide the life of every single Jew throughout every generation.

If this rule is generally true with the whole Torah, it is especially true with the lessons that we can learn from the Beis Hamikdash (the Holy Temple) because every single Jew is a “miniature Beis Hamikdash”. As we have pointed out many times, when Hashem promised to rest in the Tabernacle He said, “Make for Me a Temple and I will rest in them” , and our Sages explain that Hashem said, “in them”, in the plural sense, to tell us that every single Jew is just like His Temple in that if they act according to His will He will rest in them.

Rebbe, I Would like to Donate Money for a ‘big cause’

“I would like to donate money for a ‘big cause’ – something tremendous, awesome. What does the Rebbe suggest?” the following is an excerpt from the new book on the Rebbe “The Rebbe Inspiring a Generation” to see more on the book see: InspiringAGeneration.com.

The following is an encounter that took place shortly before the Passover holiday, when a philanthropist approached the Rebbe, wanting to make a generous donation to a Chabad institution. Apparently, concerning the definition of a “generous donation,” the Rebbe had different ideas. From this we learn that the “little things” done quietly, behind the scenes, can often prove to be in the Rebbe’s eyes a far greater cause.

The philanthropist waited impatiently outside the Rebbe’s office. Ignoring the swirl of black-coated bodies of students and secretaries around him, he instead concentrated on himself—not without satisfaction, he felt, considering his reasons for coming. No doubt the Rebbe would be impressed as well.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Pekudei

The Rebbe says:

Part one:

1. This week’s Torah portion, as well as last week’s Torah portion (Parshas Vayakhel), discusses at length exactly how all the elements of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) were made.

2. The Rebbe now questions this:

Three and four Torah portions earlier, in Parshas Terumah and Tetzaveh, the Torah told us exactly how Hashem (G-d) told Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) to make the Mishkan. Now, in this week’s and last week’s Torah portions, the Torah tells us exactly how the Mishkan was actually made by the Yidin (the Jewish people).

IDF commander: “But why my child..the Rebbe just cried”

In connection to the massacre that took place in Yerushalayim today, in which the lives of a number of Yeshiva Students were taken from this world. The following is a very moving and uplifting “Yechidus” that took place with an IDF commander and the Rebbe, regarding the Death of two Israeli Soldiers following the Yom Kippur war in 1973. it’s an Excerpt from the new book on the Rebbe to see more information about the book click: www.inspiringageneration.com

“Battle weary and depressed by the constant fighting, the officer expressed his wish that there be no more combat with enemies. Being realistic, however, and acknowledging that it was highly plausible that there would more conflict, he asked the Rebbe’s opinion on whether there would be another war, or whether perhaps the Arabs had been so discouraged, during the Yom Kippur War, that they would never muster the confidence to fight again.

The Weekly Sedra – Pekudei – Mission Accomplished

In the year 1910, the czarist government convened a “rabbinical conference” – the aim of which was to enforce change concerning Jewish religious life. Prior to the meeting, participants were privately shown a list of 102 Jewish communities where pogroms were “likely” to “occur,” should the conference fail to produce the desired results.

“True,” the Rebbe proceeded to declare: “We live under the dominion of the Russian regime. Their jurisdiction however, is restricted to material matters. It is not within the capacity of any power on earth to decree over matters of our faith.”

A Sicha for the month of Adar

The Rebbe says:

1. The Mishnah states, “When the Hebrew month of Av begins we hold back our joy”.

The Talmud supplements the Mishnah’s statement with, “Just as when the month of Av begins we restrain our joy, so too when the month of Adar begins we increase our joy”.

2. The Rebbe now analyzes this Talmudic statement:

The Talmud’s words, “Just as when the month of Av begins we restrain our joy, so too when the month of Adar begins we increase our joy”, implies that the leading principal is the Mishnah’s clearly stated law that “during the month of Av we curtail our joy”, while the law “when the month of Adar begins we increase our joy” is only secondary.

Dear Rebbe I Love You Very Much

The following is an excerpt from the new book on the Rebbe “The Rebbe Inspiring a Generation”. it’s an unbelievable correspondence that a young girl from Kfar Chabad had with the Rebbe in the late 1970’s. To see more information on the Book see www.inspiringageneration.com.

“I don’t know if I will ever be able to share my experiences with the Rebbe,” says Mrs. Chaya Kahan, from Kfar Chabad Israel, “because I will never have enough words to describe how much he looked after me and guided me, every step of my life.” She enjoyed a unique relationship with the Rebbe. At age six her daughter Rivka had written to him a sweet and simple letter, and received a sweet and charming response.

The Weekly Sedra – Vayakhel – The Book Or The Cover?

Legend has it that the late Albert Einstein, having just completed a paper and in need of a clasp, spent a considerable amount of time trying to straighten-out a clip that was twisted and unusable. While struggling with the dysfunctional object, his assistant discovered a new box of perfect clips. Einstein took one of the new paper clips reshaped it and used it as an instrument to repair the old bent one.

In response to his assistant’s bewilderment, the renowned physicist declared: “I had just established a new objective; once set upon a goal I’m not easily deflected.”

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Vayakhel

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion the Torah recounts how every single Jew- men, women, and children- donated all kinds of materials for the construction of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) to their hearts content.

2. The Rebbe now contrasts the donations given in this week’s Torah portion with the Ma’cha’tzis Ha’sheh’kel (half of a coin called a “Shekel”) that the Jewish people gave to the Mishkan earlier in last week’s Torah portion:

How is Angelo doing?

The following is an excerpt from the New book on the Rebbe “The Rebbe Inspiring a Generation”. It’s an unbelievable encounter that a Non Jewish girl from Brazil experienced with the Rebbe. to see more information on the Book see www.inspiringageneration.com.

Mel Wacks, Founder of the Jewish-American Hall of Fame, relates: “This is the Rebbe’s greatness: he loved, and he inspired others to love. He cared, and he inspired others to care. He had great faith that the Almighty would provide all the resources necessary to do His will, and he transmitted this faith to others.”

The Weekly Sedra – Ki Sisa – The Sin Behind the Sin

An utterly distraught religious woman came running to a Chassidic Rebbe one day, weeping uncontrollably.

“Rebbe,” she cried, “It’s my son. He went Meshuga. I think he needs a psychiatrist!” He’s really acting strange.”

“What’s the matter?” Asked the Rebbe.

“The matter?” cried the distressed woman. “He’s behaving like a lowlife! He dances with gentile women; he even began dining on swine! I’m telling you he’s crazy.”

The Rebbe looked at the poor woman as he tried to put her problems into perspective.

“My dear lady, if your son were dancing with pigs and dining on women, I would say that he is indeed insane. But the way you describe him he is not crazy at all. I’d say that he has become a very indulgent and lascivious young man. No my dear, that’s what we call ‘sinful,’ not ‘crazy.’ There’s nothing at all crazy about that.”

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Ki Sisa

The Rebbe says:

1. This week’s Haftorah discusses how Eliyahu Hanavi (Elijah the Prophet) was sent by Hashem to direct the Yidin (Jewish people) of Samaria back onto the righteous path so that the hunger in the land of Samaria would end.

When Eliyahu Hanavi arrives in Samaria he gathers all the Yidin, who were then serving the idol called “Bal”, and the non-Jewish prophets of the “Bal”, onto Mount Carmel and says, “How long will you dance on two sides?”

2. The Rebbe now questions Eliyahu Hanavi’s strategy:

A Purim Katan Sicha

The Rebbe says:

1. The Ba’al Haturim (the code of Jewish law written by Rabbi Yakov ben Asher) and the Shulchan Aruch (the code of Jewish law composed by Rabbi Yosef Karo) both end off the section of “Orach Chayim – The way of life” with the Halachos (laws) of Purim Katan.

2. We could explain simply that the code of Jewish law ends off with the Halochos of Purim Katan because it is written in accordance with the yearly cycle; first the Halochos of Rosh Chodesh (sanctifying the New Moon), then the Halochos of Pesach (Passover)….then the Halochos of Succos (Succot), Chanukah (Hanukah), and finally, Purim. In other words, beginning from Rosh Chodesh Nissan (the New Month of Nissan), which is actually the first Mitzvah (commandment) that the Jewish people were given, Purim is the end of the year.