Posted to Chabad News on

Video: Missionary Who Visited the Rebbe

25 years after a famous encounter between the Rebbe and a ‘lost’ Jew who declared himself a missionary at Sunday dollars, this same Jew was ‘found’ by Lubavitcher Bochurim in Yeshiva Kayitz in Lugano, Switzerland.

Related Articles

35 Comments

  • Ma Rabbi

    This is an amazing Mofes from the Rebbe
    That this lost soul should return to Yiddishkeit
    after so many years of being in the depths of Tumah.

  • Ch'er

    How can one know the powers of a few words to another jew,,
    I was always surprised when he asked the Rebbe to “pray for me” and the Rebbe didnt bless him , only saying “your illness is much deeper then you or I can Imagine,,,,,”

    Now perhaps I can in my humble opinion, presume,,, he was asking the Rebbe to make it easy for him, and Pray for me,,
    however the Rebbe wanted him to realize how far he has strayed from his jewish path. the foresight of the Rebbe is just wondrous <<< just my thoughts

  • Only the Rebbe

    Shouldnt someone interview him about his journey to yiddishkeit??

  • To #2

    If you noticed, after he asks the Rebbe to pray for him, a few seconds are skipped in the video. During these skipped seconds he mentions Oso Haish (I guess he asked to daven for him and for Oso Haish).

  • Check facts

    I heard he still believes in yoshke, but agreed to put on tefillin and say shema. Please check facts and update

    • A former Christian

      In my opinion, the possibility that he still believes in Yoshke is not as important as the fact that he puts on tefillin. Torah doesn’t command us to “believe”. Torah commands us to “do”. The problem with Christianity is not so much with a preoccupation with a false messiah as much as it diverts a Jews attention away from Torah and mitzvos. As this gentleman takes on more and more Mitzvos, and as he learns more Torah, his Christian beliefs will fall away and seem silly to him.

    • Milhouse

      The Torah certainly does command us to believe. The first of the Aseres Hadibros is to believe in Hashem. And this week’s parsha explicitly forbids us to believe in any avoda zara, including Jesus.

      The problem with Xianity is not “a preoccupation with a false messiah”; yoshke is not a false messiah, he’s a false god. Believing in him is forbidden, even if one does all the mitzvos, and in fact turns those mitzvos into aveiros. If someone puts on tefillin with the thought that he is doing so because Jesus commanded him, or that he is worshiping Jesus, then he is doing an aveira, not a mitzvah, and it would be far better if he didn’t do it.

  • THE STORY IS NOT OVER YET - he still needs a complete recovery!

    According to the Shluchim and bochurim in Lugano, the guy still says he believes in Yoshke, so apparently the story is not over yet, he still needs a complete recovery!

    • Obviously

      Obviously, because the Rebbe said then Moshiach would come, the real Moshiach.

  • How Did They Know It's Him

    He looks different now. How did they know it was him?

  • Amazing!!!!

    This is beyond words! The tanya says that all jews eventually do teshuva but to see this is like living proof! Jews must be jews, thats how they feel the best and are meant to be!

  • you missed it!

    The rebbe says at the end when he recovers the real Moshiach will come. Does that mean that Moshaich is about to get here.?
    I sure hope so!

    BH I hope he is cured. Lets start dancing

    L’ Chaim

  • Missing facts

    Where is the actual story????

    If the dots cannot be connected then there are too many holes in this story to make it believable.

  • attn #8

    what kind of nonsense are you spewing?? A Yid’s Faith is the most important aspect of his yiddeshkeit. If he doesn’t believe in Hashem properly and accepts Avoda Zara his whole yiddeshkeit and mitzvos are misguided!

  • #8

    I was appalled by comment #8. If you are in fact a former Christian as you address yourself – you should hit the books sgain because you have made an egregious error.

    If in fact this yid did Teshuva it is a moifes and I too was excited when I saw this video. But if he in fact retains his belief in a deity which is Avodah Zarah according to the Rambam that would need to be addressed.

    • Milhouse

      Not just according to the Rambam. There is no opinion that Yoshke is not an avoda zara.

  • Tefillin Shel Roish

    The Tefilin Shel Rosh is not sitting in the correct place. According to Halacha it has to be above the hairline. I hope this is not intentional.

  • Milhouse check your piskai din with a competant Rov before publicising them on a public forum!

    Obviesly beleiving in Yoshke and Avoida Zoroh is wrong and our hearts bleed and we pray for every Jew and Jewess to do a complete teshuva shlaima now Amain! HOWEVER to write “If someone puts on tefillin with the thought that he is doing so because Yoshke commanded him, or that he is worshiping Yoshke, then he is doing an aveira, not a mitzvah, and it would be far better if he didn’t do it.” is simply halachikly incorrect and the same in regard to the rest of the mitzvois! As even the idol worshiper beleives in Almighty G-D (although he also beleives in Shituf r”l) and he knows that these commadmants were given by Almighty G-D in his Bible, anything else he does or thinks is totaly irelavant from a Halachik veiwpoint and that is why the Rebbe NEVER asked us to first verify what thoughts and intentions the Jew has BEFORE putting teffilen on him and certainly with
    G-D’s help will be fulfilled the psak din Amiti of Mishna in Pirkai Avos “Mitzvah gorreres Mitzvah” and sooner or later BE”H the Jew will do Teshuvah! And again Mr. Milhouse sheyichye, try to understand that Halachah is decided based on chapter and verse of Shulchan Aruch – NOT Hergaishim and before you put out a public psak din on a public forum, please check with a Rov Moreh Horo-oh Bepo-al so as not to be machshil other yiddin r”l who may HESITATE ch”v to do a mitzvah, be it tefillen or matza shmura at the seder night etc’.. Due tou your WRONG misguided words NOT based on shulchan aruch!

    • K

      There are two opinions among rishonim.

      On the one hand the Rambam writes by mitzvah pirya v’rivya that one must have intent to procreate so mankind can survive – or else mitzvah is not fulfilled (Sefer HaMitzvos aseh 212). Reason explained: A gratifying act cannot count as a mitzvah unless one has fulfilment in mind.

      A contrary view comes from the Ran on Rosh Hashana 28b who distinguishes between shofer and matzah.

      See Michas Chinuch end of mitzvah 1; Mahram Shik on 613 Mitzvos , mitzvah1.

      Also, a kavanah NOT to preform a mitzvah can nullify the mitzvah requiring that the mitzvah be redone WITH a bracha according to Taz (O.H. 677:1) or without bracha according to Maharshal who holds that a negative kavanah cannot nullify the mitzvah and a second bracha would be l’vataleh (cited in Mishne Brura 677, 16).

      In short: It all depends on which particular mitzvah and according to which shitah.

      Note that even a goy must keep the 7-mitvos Bnei-Noach with the intent that Hashem commanded them. It isn’t keeping those mitzvos if he does them for other reasons.

      It is beyond the scope of this forum and I have given shiurim based on this inyan.

    • Milhouse

      As even the idol worshiper beleives in Almighty G-D (although he also beleives in Shituf r”l) and he knows that these commadmants were given by Almighty G-D in his Bible,

      A Xian does NOT believe that. A Xian believes that the God in the Bible is Yoshke. That is why if a pagan wrote a sefer torah it must be put away, because when he wrote the Sheimos he meant the Jewish God, although he doesn’t worship Him; but if a Xian wrote it then it must be destroyed, because when he wrote the Sheimos he meant Yoshke.

      Xianity is not shituf; those rishonim who wrote that it is were not aware of what it is that Xians believe.

      K., this is not connected to the question of whether mitzvos need kavanah, and if so which mitzvos and what kavanah. This is about someone who does a mitzvah, not because he thinks it’s a good idea, but because his god commanded it. He is doing it as an act of worship to his god. Now it isn’t one of the four avodos, and it isn’t the usual way that god is worshiped, so he’s potur; but it’s still an aveira.

    • K

      It seems that lomdos is beyon the ability of the average reader, so I will simply bring a p’feresh possuk from chumash:

      It is EXPLICIT in the Aseres Hadibros of this parsha:
      שמור את יום השבת לקדשו כאשר צוך ה’ אלוקיך

      Keeping shabbos (and by extension ALL mitzvos) requires that we do so:
      כאשר צוך ה’ אלוקיך BECAUSE Hashem commanded us.

      Binyan av mikosuv echad – the Torah tells us once as a general rule and it applies everywhere.

    • K

      Actually it says it TWICE in this week’s aseres hadibros, also:

      כבד את אביך ואת אמך
      כאשר צוך ה’ אלוקיך

      Mussar seforim explain that the Torah must davka by these two dibros there is a need to stress that a person should keep these mitzvos BECAUSE Hashem commanded, since a person may naturally keep the for secular reasons (a day of rest and respecting parents), but this applies to ALL mitzvos which must be done . כאשר צוך ה’ אלוקיך BECAUSE Hashem commanded them.

    • K

      To clarify further (because some need it):

      כאשר צוך ה’ אלוקיך
      does NOT mean that we should keep shabbos (and kibud av v’em) “AS, כאשר, Hashem commanded it” – because, p’shita, of course we must do every mitzvah AS it is proscribed or else you aren’t doing the mitzvah!!

      (Would you be able to keep shabbos in a manner that you decided is proper?! -as the Kofrim say that a light switch isn’t “work”, especially if it is a “Kosher Switch”! Of course every mitzvah must be done AS Hashem commanded it, for if not, it isn’t the rotzon HaElyon).

      Rather it means “BECAUSE, כאשר, Hashem commanded it” – that the mitzvah should be done because Hahem commanded it..

      כאשר צוך ה’ אלוקיך is needed when putting on teffillin, eating kosher, hearing kiddush etc. for if not, it is MEANINGLESS.

      This may disturb some outreach people, but don’t get your feathers ruffled: Torah also says “stama lishma” – unless there is an indication to the contrary, a person doing mitzvos IS doing it כאשר צוך ה’ אלוקיך, because Hashem commanded it.

      An exception is someone who openly declares he does it for Avoda Zara, or for that matter, a secular purpose.

    • Milhouse

      K, I think you’re right, but one argue about it. But what is surely true according to all opinions is that if someone bedavka has in mind that he is doing this because his getchke commanded it then it’s definitely an aveirah and not a mitzvah. And that is what a Xian does.

    • Local Crown Heightser

      Both Milhouse and K are complete AM HARATZIM.

      The pshat of כאשר צוך ה’ אלוקיך is explained in Rahi so every child know (except these two) that it refers to “as Hashem commanded you EARLIER – in Marah”.

      To quote a possuk and ignore Rashi’s commentary is commentary to their level of ignoramus.

    • Milhouse

      The link between כאשר צוך ה’ אלוקיך and the requirement to do mitzvos because they are the Metzaveh’s orders can be found in Oruch Hashulchan 1:13. I know we are not gores him in Lubavitch, but he was no am ho’oretz. In any case, whether you link it to that posuk or not, you can’t deny that it is a fundamental principle of Judaism. Nor can you deny that a “mitzvah” done without belief in a Metzaveh is worthless, or that one done for an avoda zara is an aveira.

    • K

      To think that Rashi is the only and final pshat is silly and am haratzus that is beyond the pale. No answer is required.

    • K

      This illustrates what happens when people are, for example, told to learn Rambam. Suddenly they think that the Rambam is the final possek on halachic matters. When such people hear Sichos on Rashi, suddenly Rashi is “the” only pshat on the possuk. That is the danger of giving the ignorant a little bit of knowlege – they suddenly tink that they are scholars.

  • Milhouse

    I find that there are several myths about Xianity prevalent among frum Jews:

    1. That Xians believe in Hashem and the Torah, and the only real difference between them and us is that they believe Yoshke was Moshiach.

    2. That Xians are all antisemites, and those who seem to like us are only pretending in order to shmad us.

    3. That the Pope is responsible for all Xians.

    4. That Hitler was a Xian.

    All of these are false.

    1. Xians believe that Yoshke is a god, and when the Torah says Hashem it means him. He made the world, he made people, and then he came down to be a person for a while. What’s more, whenever they pray they do so davka to him.

    Yes, they call him “Messiah”, but that word doesn’t mean the same thing to them as it does to us. To them, “Messiah” means one who saves them from Hell; they believe that his death was a kaporoh for all the sins of anyone who believes in him, so the only way to be saved from Hell is to believe in him and accept him.

    2. There are of course Xian antisemites, but the ones who seem like our friends really are. They believe in ואברכה מברכך ומקללך אאור, and they want the brocho. Yes, they also want to shmad us, because they think that’s the best favor one person can do for another, to save him from burning in Hell forever. But whether we shmad or not, they love us and want to help us in any way they can, simply because we are their god’s special children.

    3 and 4 are obvious enough not to need elaboration. I’m just amazed at how many yidden believe them.