The 'heroes' from left: Binyamin Weiss, Levi Waks, Reuven Weiss and Zalmy Plotke
COTTAGE GROVE, MN [CHI] — A Minnesota woman sent a letter to her local paper thanking her 'heroes', local Chabad Bochurim. The Bochurim helped her get her car moving in the snow. The letter was published in the South Washington County Bulletin. She goes on in the letter how the Yeshiva, known as 'My Yeshiva' is doing a great job raising these Bochurim.
Read the Full Letter in the Extended Article!
Woman Thanks her ‘Heroes’ – Chabad Yeshiva Bochurim
COTTAGE GROVE, MN [CHI] — A Minnesota woman sent a letter to her local paper thanking her ‘heroes’, local Chabad Bochurim. The Bochurim helped her get her car moving in the snow. The letter was published in the South Washington County Bulletin. She goes on in the letter how the Yeshiva, known as ‘My Yeshiva’ is doing a great job raising these Bochurim.
Read the Full Letter in the Extended Article!
Letter: Help came from Yeshiva
I am writing to tell you of an incident which happened to me on a wildly snowy Thursday afternoon. On my way home from work in Mendota Heights, my car had already gotten stuck several times. As I reached the unplowed streets of Cottage Grove, I knew I would be getting stuck again. I approached the 80th Street and East Point Douglas intersection, which is very busy. When the light turned red and the wheels lost their traction, I sat there spinning my wheels as many cars and even snow plows went around me without stopping.
All of a sudden, a white passenger van pulled alongside me and several young men dressed in black fedora hats and long overcoats jumped out of the van. Without the benefit of mittens or boots, they selflessly began pushing my car until I got moving again. And it took several of them to push to keep my vehicle moving! The van and passengers went on to follow me to my destination. I was very touched and unable to thank them, because I knew if I stopped again, that I would get stuck again.
I am making the assumption that these young heroes are Yeshiva school students due to their distinctive, formal clothing. The school is doing a very good job teaching the students about basic decency and courtesy. They cheerfully waved at me as I pulled away, trying to shake the snow out of their now wet shoes. They had put themselves at risk dodging other cars that probably couldn’t have fully stopped in that slop. I admire their courage and compassion. What a tribute to the school’s work and their families!
Ann M. Mattson
Cottage Grove
Beutifull
The parents and the Yeshiva most be real proud!!
Kollel for Life
I am NOT impressed! Bochurim sould be busy learning (or doing mivtzoyim), not tow truck work. Chavayrim help people with car trouble.
The famous story’s message: When the gvir does the work of the ba’al agola, and the ba’al agalo does the work of the gvir – nothing gets done.
Remember, the biggest kiddush Hashem is learning: v’talmud Torah k’neged kulam.
joe
i didnt know that mn. changed their plates
Dan l-kaf Zchus
Dear Kollel guy,
It was 7:00 A.M and the Bochurim were on their way to the Mikvah to prepare themselves for the day, the way a yid is supposed to.
They made a small stop to make a massive KIDDUSH HASHEM.
ch
to Kollel for Life,
you are 100% crazy!!!!!!
To Kollel For Life
I am NOT impressed with you.. (BTW, I saw this identical comment on COLlive).
First of all, judging by the name of the town, Chaveirim probably doesn’t even exist here.
Second of all, judging by the lady’s name, she probably never even heard of such a thing.
Since when is it a mitzvah to ignore someone who is stuck & leave them in the middle of the road in danger.
Kol hakavod to these bochurim that they thought to stop for her when everyone else just passed her by.
anon
Proud of My Yeshiva, doing everything right, teaching the boys Torah and mentchlechkiet a real kidush shem shomayim. Keep up the good work Friedman brothers, Lubavitch is proud of you!!!!
To Kollel for Life:
You are completely ridiculous!!
I have never heard anything as stupid in my life. Wouldn’t be suprised at all if you watched someone collapse in the street, and continued walking so as not to waste time learning and anyway, its hatzalahs job… perhaps the bochurim were on there way to do mivtzoim…. dont be so pathetically judgemental – esp. when such a wonderful kiddush hashem was made..
and btw you should research what tow truck work is. Its NOT when bochurim voluntarily help a woman get her car out of the snow.
Another Kollel Yungerman
Kollel for Life, get a life, what a Kiddush Hashem these boys did. there is a problem with only sitting in zal and how dare you say that is not mivtzoim. Perhaps you forgot that chesed is a good midda to posses. i have much more to say but I’m so disgusted by your comment I can’t think straight.
artsy
I am very impressed by the bochrim, and saddened that someone could comment that the bochrum should have not stooped to being “tow truck workers” Ignore “holy” people who have their priorites and values completely messed up. Remember, the biggest Kiddush Hashem is what you did – making someone comment on the good midos of our yeshiva boys.
Go Friedmans
We need more mechanchim like the Friedman brothers!
what-s your business?!
Kollel For Life Wrote:
I AM NOT IMPRESSED!! Buchurim Should be busy learning…chavayrim help people with car trouble
A Great Kiddush Hashem is happening here and “you are not impressed” i don’t know where you come from, but where i come from a Kiddush Hashem is VERY important
Kollel for Life
To “ch”, “To Kollel for Life:” and “Another Kollel Yungerman”:
I am not mochel your words that were written to be mevazeh me!
Those who learn Torah are a cheftzah of kedusha and are not to be defiled by chullin. Learning Torah is mikayem the whole world. Trading diamonds for a few copper coins of a momentary chesed is foolish.
Praising misguided judgement perpetuates the folly to the masses. Get your priorities in order.
Bochur in BMG
As a bochur, I must comment: A “bochur” (translated “chosen one”), is an amassador of HKB“H. It is beneath his dignity (ayno lefi kvodo) to push a car on a public road. It is a bizuy of Torah – misusing a keli of kodesh for chullin. That would NOT be a Kiddush Hashem, adaraba!
When I was home for pessach I looked for an opportunity to do kibud av v’em in a big way. Therefore, I offered to take out the garbage!! I though I was doing a dovar gadol, but instead my Father shlitah (who is a choshev rov and mechaber sforim) rebuked me, ”How can the hands that hold seforim all day carry a garbage bag?!”
Either you use your koach for Torah or you use it for pushing cars.
To Mr. Kollel for life.
Mr. Kollel for life.
Due you recall the story the Rebbe said in the first Mamer how the Alter Rebbe went himself on Yom Kipper (Didn’t even send someone else) to give food to a women.
to kollel for life
actually the way the story goes is that the baal agalah was stuck in the mud and one of the “meshugener” told the bochurim to go help him get out. they continued learning and the “meshugener” said you’ll see one day it will come back at you and it did the boys who did not help get the wagon out ended up losing the ability to walk!
as hillel hatzadik said the whole torah is encompassed in the posuk “veahavta lerayacha kamoicha”
YASHER KOACH TO THOSE BOCHURIM WHO STOOD OUT IN THE COLD TO HELP ANOTHER PERSON AND ESPECIALLY A NON JEW WHICH MADE A BIG KIDDUSH HASHEM!
MAY WE LEARN FROM THEM WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO
keep you hats on yall
settle down everyone
cant you see that kollel and bochur in BMG are both making fun. they are writting satire… they are having a luagh. probably the same person
lighten up
NICE
kollel guy was just trying to be funny, people aren’t that crazy….. I would like to believe. I think their parents get credit! They were taught from young be a mentch. Good job my yeshiva!
Nat
The Satmar Rebbe (Reb Yoel) zt”l was once(in the 1960’s) riding in a snow storm thru Crown Heights in the middle of the night, when he noticed a chabadsker yungerman having problems with a stalled vehicle. The Satmar Rebbe had his driver push the disabled vehicle with their vehicle, a few blocks until the yungerman’s home. (I verified this story, from the Satmar end, many years ago.)
Nice
It seems obvious that the “Kollel” dude and the “Bochur” dude are just satirical comments, no need to blow your fuse.
But while we’re already at it: The Rebbe points out that the same Kohanim dressed in the same priestly garments offered the sacrifices – but also cleared the ashes off the Altar and took them out to the ash-heap each day… He says this tells us that no only involvement in the holy is necessary, but also to deal with mundane things and people who our talking to will not directly – at this point – even get them to do a Mitzvah. Anyway, the religiosity of someone who isn’t decent enough to help another in need is ungrounded; he’s like trying to paint a wonderful scene – on the face of a lake… He’s spinning his wheels in the snow, imagining that he’s really going somewhere fast… And one more point, while we are at it: You can substitute all the “he”s in this post for “she”s and it will work just as well.
G-d bless these Bochurim.
Dovid
Bochur in BMG- what does your father shlita say about hands that hold seforim all day typing garbage on the internet and wasting time?
Kollel for life (leydiger)- Same goes for you- if helping her was a waste of time what about wasting time online?
amazed
“I am not mochel your words that were written to be mevazeh me!
Kol haposale, b’mumo posale – why would you think that hochacha requires asking your mechila (BTW you did notice that no one was asking)
”Learning Torah is mikayem the whole world.“
Silly of me but I thought there were three things articulated in the mishneh – I guess that’s where we part ways – apparently avoda and gemilus chasadim didn’t make it into your Artscroll.
”Trading diamonds for a few copper coins of a momentary chesed is foolish.“
”Momentary chessed? How truly pathetic that a mitzva of HKB”H is subject to such condescension
WADR, YOU need to re-examine your priorities (and while you’re at it, check your mezuzah)
Praising misguided judgement perpetuates the folly to the masses. Get your priorities in order.
Bochur in BMG
To Dovid – typing comments of hashkofa and da’as Torah on a Yiddishe blog is not bitul zman because it is marbitz Torah l’rabim and giving people a glatt hashkofas ha’chayim.
Also, since Maran v’Rabanon placed an issur on using the internet, I, and I assume others also, do not go on the internet directly, only through a shaliach, by applying the principle of ain shaliach lidvar averah. The shaliach is alwayssomeone who anyway uses the internet and does not adhere to divrei Moran, therefore there is no lifnei ivayr. L’tzorech mitzvah such as harbotzas hatorah – there is no issur of internet or batalah!
AUSSIE
GO LEVI WAKSSSSSSSSSSSS
anon
GOOO LOOOOUUIIII!!!!!!
levi u make us proud :D
kutos
to dan l chav schuz i agree with u in all ways besides the fact that it wasnt at 7 am it was in the afternoon! they could have been on there way back from doing miftzoim but not the mikvah
to kollel for life
you never heard the story of the bochurim who didnt hel the bal hagola and they all died?
Duvid Doo In LA
Bochor in BMG, Your father is wrong. Simple tasks like taking out garbage for your mother is a mitzvah. Please dont tell me that taking out garbage is a task left for women or for hired help in the house. If you can help make prepare for the Chagim or assist in any way then that is a mitzvah. I would love to know what your mother really felt when she heard that. I am sure she would disagree. This to causes friction in the home and that is called shalom bayis, another important mitzvah that affects many every day. Torah V’Avodah!
Kollel for Life
To Nat –
Indeed, the Satmar Rebbe “had his driver push the disabled vehicle”…he had his bal agolah do tow truck work, but he would never do so himself.
And the how the Alter Rebbe went himself on Yom Kipper (Didn’t even send someone else) to give food to a women – that was a case of pikuach nefesh mamash. In such a case (and also a mes mitzvah) one can be mivatel torah and even a kohen can defile himself.
The obvious problem here is that many commentators think “bal habatish”, and da’as bal ha’bayis hepech Torah. Your simply misguided in your priorities and logic and don’t appreciate the chashivus of Torah study which is ultimate.
To Kollel for life
What are you doing on this site? you are being mivatel torah.
Vos mir zet in yenem hot min in zich alein!!!!
Well done bocurim. You have made everyone who was once a bochur proud.
admirer
GO REUVEN WEISS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
me
Can i just say that this is why I love crownheights.info :) Because when these morons choose to comment, it makes for wonderful reading. To kollel for life, I hope you get stuck in the snow one day, and everyone is too busy learning and doing mivtzoyim to help you.
Normal guy
koolchossid
LOL
Come on ! Kollel for life is a troll
these bocherim are incerdible, great kiddush Hashem!
these are real naches for their parents, teachers,us chassidim and the Rebbe!Moshaich Now!
honestly
people who waste their time arguing with the idiots who rebuke this article are just as dumb as the idiots….
go levi waks
levi waks your the best !!! keep on being a great source of chassidishe naches to all of melbourne. cant wait to see you next week!!!
shrapp
GO WAKS!!
LEGEND
U BEAUTY!!
AWESOME WORK MATE
KEEP IT UP
MAKE US AUSSIES PROUD!!
UR FAVOURITE AUSSIE FRIEND
mt
but when u dont have a wagon driver, bochurim can also do a kiddush hashem!
but i disagree sort of with this ‘thank you letter’ by a non jewish WOMEN writing to her HERO BOYS….
Chaim
Go Rubin Sierra!!
some1
excuse me
taking out the garbage is NOT the same as making a kiddush hashem by helping someone.
i really wonder about the garbage tho, your mother told you to and your father told you not to. what does one do in such a situation?
get a job
What is a bochur from BMG doing on a Chabad site? Could it be (gasp! shock!) he sees that Chabad & the directives from our Rebbeim are the Emes? And all that “garbage” (pun intended!) he swallows every day is just that. Garbage.
As for Kollel for life…his title says it all. Instead of supporting a family he’ll leave it for others to do. In my eyes, he’s a loser & a moocher…who will marry off his kids? Me?? Like hell. He has no moral values either.
Maybe Kollel & BMG should marry. They sound perfect for each other.
Meanwhile, apart from making a Kiddush Hashem, they are behaving like mentschen. Their parents must be so proud of them!
enough is enough
lol bochur in bmg and kollel for life are cracking me up!!!
but seriously there are other ways to have a good laugh stop pulling e/o’s leg!
Getting in on the fun
Hayitochen! After wasting time helping someone, the bochurim wasted more time posing for a picture?! What kind of world do we live in?!?!
LGN
TO Kollel For Life & BMG Bochur:
Clearly you have both been caught with your foot in your mouth!
Why do you insist on wasting time & defending your ideology?
Chap Arein & Get back to your very choshuv learning already!
If you even bother to continue responding and participate in the continuation of this thread, you will just be showing all the other readers/posters how full of garbage you really are!
From bored sem girls
To ‘Kollel for life’ and ‘Bochur @ BMG’: thanks for the entertainment!!! We propose this dialogue should be republished next Purim!
Agree Ch
Kollel 100% Crazy!
simcha
Dear Bochurim- We are so proud of you!
You and others out there who follow the teachings of Rabbis Akiva- who by the way was a big tzadik and talmud chacham- know that he emphasized the importance of stopping to help before going to learn.
Every simple child knows the story of the students of Rabbi Akiva dying because of their lack of ahavas yisroel.
For those that sit and learn all day hatzlacha rabba to you, firstly you should remember – that in order for you to do that, someone else will have to go out and earn a living and donate generously.
What these boys did was making a kiddush Hashem-it is a great thing. They saw someone in trouble and helped. It was not as if they were hanging around the area loafing around.
If someone needs our help and is in trouble how can we as a human being- alachas kamaveka, a chosid stand by or turn our heads and not extend a helping hand.
Surly this is why the Bal Shemtov and his chassidim came about because people were too busy and felt too important to help another.
Reb Shayale Steiner OBM“- The Kerester Rebbe – a well known Rabbi – was known for their open house and open kitchen that fed all the hungry, as well as his grand daughter Rebbitzin Malka Grosz OBM” both whom are known for their compassion and help to both to Jews and Non Jews in need.
A lack of Ahavas Yisroel and synas chinam were the reasons for this long and horrible golus , something we must fix in order to bring about the immediate redemption.
Acts of kindness are not limited , for if there had been no rightious goyim – thousands of yiddin would not have survived many different wars.
Torah without acts of kindness is not really learning Torah it is just memorizing -The reason we have the Torah and its mitzvos are to put it into practice on a day to day level.
We should encourage not chas veshalom discourage our children’s efforts to do acts of kindness as well as learning Torah. Lets use possitive reinforcement as much as possible, they need all they can get now more than ever!
Your cousin
GO LEVI WAKS!!!
Nat
Excuse me, Mr. Kolel, but the Satmar Rebbe zt”l was *inside* the vehicle that was pushing the disabled one. I am sure that he valued his time more than all of us here.
Proud uncle Doron
A Mitzva a day keeps the Ayin Hara away!!!
Way to go boys!!! What REALLY impresses is that at least one of those mitzva doers is from South Florida – Where did he learn how to move cars in the snow???
Kollel for Life
Those commentators who were making litzonus at me – I am makpid on the honor of my Torah and I am not mochel them!!
My original comment was an act of chesed, to help people appreciate the chashivus of limud hatorah which has supremacy over all else, even “acts of kindness”.
People on the fringes of klal yisroel who don’t participate even in a Daf Yomi, lack an appreciation for the Chazal that the entire kiyum haolam was “bais reishis” – for yidden who are oysek batorah.
I am in Kollel for life because that is the rotzon haboreh and in zchus of my learning, HKB“H allows the world to continue existing. Everything you and your families have, your health and possessions and even your ruchniyus – all that is in zchus of my learning. Therefore, it is a privilege for you if I graciously accept any gifts of money and allow you to take a share in the infinite pricelessness of my learning.
These words may sound like ”kabbolah” words to those who are so distant from emes. Indeed, I check this site to see the matzov of yidden who are not intigrated in the mainstream yeshivish world and may need chizuk in their hashkofos hachayim.
I hope some of you took my words to heart and gained an appreciation for Torah and lomdeha – Gedolim, Kollelmen, Yeshivos.
There are more important ruchniyus inyonim in olom haza then pushing a car. I don’t think that is a chidush – notwithstanding the surprize and resistance I am receiving.
binny
TO Kollel for LIFE:
YOu are completely ignorant, and you should try helping out someone some time; learning is essential in serving hashem but there is more. The yeshiva bochrim of Cottage Grove displayed a true Kiddush Hashem. Everyone should be proud of these young men, they will grow and continue to learn as well as help others. They are selfless human begins and you can probally learn much from them.
someone
to kolel man
ur not gaining anything by learning torah if ur being such a bigshot about it
just stop faking urself
from brazil to kollel for life
You are such a loser… Bekavono of you learning more about Chessed that I wish the same should happen to you and nobody stops their cars to help you because they have priorities. then you will see. Only torah without maasseh is worth nothing!!!
Be somebody in life!!
your sisters :)
GO LEWWWWWWI!!!
We love and miss you tons! Continue making us proud…
Love, Riv and Dee
gimpel
well done levi waks, we r so proud of u and miss u up here in NY/FL, love your fellow campers :)
Thankyou Crown Heights Info
Thank you Crown Heights Info for posting the comments of “Kollel for Life”. It is a true eyeopening experience to get a snap shot of how “others” (you know who I mean) think and their hashkofos. There is so much work to be done to bring moshiach, including in the “yeshivish world”. Nebech! Ashrenu that we are chassidim!! Today, I am so proud to say “v’hivdilonu min hato’im”.
a yid
“Haughtiness isn’t becoming in a torah scholar”,
hee hee
as a few have already said before, the kollel guy and the other bochur, are totally just trying to get everyone to start fighting, and so they could laugh that everyone actually believed them that they were serious!!! I think I also had a laugh, everyone knows that what these boys did was a great thing, and I’m sure Hashem is shepping nachas..
but people, no need to get mad at these children who are trying to make you all look silly!!
Kollel for life
There is a special place in gehnim for laytzonim who don’t take Torah views seriously.
lti
verry verry true
Kollel For Life
A final message to these bochurim:
If you want to vax oyz to gadlus, learn in a true mokom Torah, be meshamesh talmidei chachomim and realize that torah gives chiyus to the briah. Become a cheftza of Torah, ki hem chayenu – that is our entire mehus, eventually you can become a gavrah and your da’as will become da’as Torah. If you must be a chosid, that is okay. Be a chosid of the RS”O. Listen to a shmuz at least once a week, have a good chaburah and become close to a good mashgiach. If you follow this path, each of you can one day aspire with syata di’shmaya to become gedolim of klal Yisroel.
do chesed!
Torah teaches us to do chesed too!!!
Basya
The Torah is pro-life. Learning Torah is good but not at the expense of someone’s life. Life comes first, always.
yona
regarding the whole discussion about these bochurim,i teach in one of our mesivtas ,and clearly our bochurim are not being brought up with the basic concept and outlook of the Rebbe regarding the chashivus of learning Torah.It is becoming such a secondary thing in our mosdos that ALOT of bochurim cannot open up a Gmara Rashi and Tosfos and learn on their own at the age of 20!!!!???The Rebbe made comments many times that a person has to rip homself away from a gmara unwillingly and go on mivtzoim and that our whole chayus should be in limud hatorah .these are basics of judaism that the inyan of mivtzoim never came to take away.i am bothered that the limud hatorah is never heard about the koch of our bochurim is not in learning .ask the roshei yeshivos today,our bochurim don;t lig in learning its just not the style and mainly its not the chinuch.there is alot to write about this.in zichroinois the previous rebbe writes how much msiras nefesh parents would have for there children to become lamdonim.its amazing reading these thing i think it would change the way we are mchanech our children ,they need to see a koch in learning in ourselves ,in the shuls ,in the streets ,not just about shlichus.(as a teacher ,i can see bochurim strugling through yeshiva without motivation because they don’t understand the chashivus of learning ,i’ve heard from 1 to many)
Bochur in BMG
When one learns Torah he can be potur from tfilah. While learning, one does not need to give an onie tzedaka (because one is being oysek b’mitzvah).
I know that each day when I am mechadesh chidushim, HKB”K has nachas (nichoach), as if I was maktir ktores in the Kodesh Kadoshim.
I am on the road of gadlus, a Godal in the making. That is exciting and rewarding in itself. Dedicating my life to immerse myself in chochmas ha’boreh.
RD Shlucha
B”H
What a beautiful kiddush hashem, kiddush lubavitch or whatever else you want to call it.
Acts of goodness and kindness
ACTS and stress on the words ACTS f goodness and KINDNESS can help bring moshiach these are acts of goodness and kindess so kollel for life zai shtil!!!
shaya
kollel for life
you are the biggest ‘hak a tchanik’ in the world bro… are you one of those people that really think its below your dignity to help out a fellow person?! if you were walking by and saw that, than stuck to YOUR way of thinking, you would have been seen completely ignoring someone who obviously needed help.. WHAT KIND OF KIDDUSH HASHEM WOULD THAT BE? you are rediculous and have to get your priorities straight! what if she had to get to the hospital god forbid…..
Ruth
Kol HaKoved to these boys for their selfless kindness in helping out a total stranger.
And what a great example they are providing in largely non-Jewish community to show what Jews are really like–doing mitzvahs and tikkun olam.
If hands that hold seforim should not do any “lowly” tasks, what about a father changing his child’s diaper??