Rabbi Avrohom Foxbruner, The Story Behind The Photo

As part of the learning program of Project Likkuteu Sichos, we learned a sicha from Parshas Vayeshev which was about this Rashi והנה אנחנו מאלמים אלומים in Parshas Vayeshev. The close proximity of the learning of this sicha with the passing of Rabbi Avrohom Foxbruner prompted the writing of this article.

The photo enclosed in this article, along with others from his chasuna, were only recently discovered and shared by Rabbi Katzman.

by Yosef Katzman – Translated by CrownHeights.info

My father R’ Zelig Katzman would travel to Italy for business in the 60’s, and he would stay by his good friend Rabbi Gershon Mendel Garelik OBM.

At that time, a young and talented yeshiva bochur was spending time with Rabbi Garelik by the name of Avrohom Foxbruner. The bochur was on his way to becoming a chabad chossid with the help of Rabbi Garelik and his wife, my father arranged the visas for Avrohom to be able to travel to New York and study in 770 near the Rebbe.

Young Avrohom was the only son of a father, a Frum Torah Jew, but was not close to Chabad, who was unhappy with his son’s plan to learn by the Rebbe.

While learning in 770 for a few years, Avrohom received special attention from the Rebbe due to his appearance, which looked very similar to the Rebbe during his younger years.

One such incident took place on Shavuos when Reb Nachman Kovalsky brought fruits to the Rebbe during the Farbrengen. The Rebbe took an orange and handed it to Avrohom, saying “דאס איז פארן קלסתר פנים” (this is for your facial appearance).

In the year 5730, Avrohom became engaged to Chaya Hirsch, and got married during the week of Parshas וישב. During this time period, Avrohom faced the loss of his mother, leaving his father to come from Italy to his wedding without her.

For the wedding and the following Sheva Brachos, the Foxbruner family, the Chosson’s father and uncle, spent Shabbos by my parents’ house (the Katzman Home).

That shabbos, shabbos parshas וישב – shabbos Sheva Brachos, I saved them a place so they could participate in the Rebbe’s farbrengen for what was planned to be a short time.

As was customary by the Rebbe when delivering sicha on a Rashi, the Rebbe gave his first sicha on the questions and issues, leaving the answers for the follow-up sicha. As both the Chosson’s father and uncle were well learned in Torah and enjoyed the questioned asked, they were forced to stay through the completion of the farbrengen to hear the answers.

The farbrengen, as was normal at the time, went on for many hours. Once it was finished, everyone davened Mincha and I afterward exited 770 with them to go eat the shabbos meal and Sheva Brachos.

As we exited 770, they were shocked to see that it was already dark outside and they asked me where we were going. I said that we were going to the meal and Sheva Brachos, to which they turned to me and said that by now it was already time to eat Melava Malka.

At that exact moment, Harav Moshe Lazar from Italy was standing next to us and they recognized him. Turning to him they asked where he was going, to which he answered to go eat cholent and Seudas Shabbos. He also pointed out that the Rebbe at that moment was also exiting 770 on his way to his house as was his custom.

(Following the farbrengens, while the tzibur davened Mincha downstairs, the Rebbe would go to the small Zal to daven Mincha before going home regardless of the time. He would stay for half an hour before returning for Maariv.)

The guests were left speechless and shocked. They stared at one another in consternation over how people could eat seudas shabbos on Motzei Shabbos.

After a few moments the father recovered, and said “!אה, נאך אזא רש”י קען מען גיין אהיים יעצט און עסן סעודת שבת” (Ah, after a Rashi like that we can go home now and eat Seudas Shabbos!)

During the Seudas Shabbos and Sheva Brachos those who participated continued to speak about the Rashi Sicha with energy and interest for many hours after shabbos had ended.

After hearing about the passing of Rabbi Avrohom Foxbruner not long ago, I wrote this article in his memory.

Yosef Katzman