Weekly Story: Detroit, Michigan
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
As a continuation to last weeks’ post about the Frierdiker Rebbe’s visit to Chicago, I am continuing on his visit to cities in America. From Chicago he went to Detroit, Michigan (my home town) for a week. As always your comments and feedback are appreciated.
From there, accompanied by some chassidim(1) of Chicago, the Rebbe went on Sunday the 29th of Nissan (April 27th) to Detroit(2) and remained there for one week, until Sunday the 6th of Iyar. He arrived at 4:15 in the afternoon and was greeted by hundreds of people. From the train station the motorcade went to the Taylor shul (Emanuel) where the official reception took place.(3)
Afterwards he went to the house of Mr. Altschuler(4) who graciously gave him the house for the week.
Tuesday evening the Rebbe spoke in the Delmar Street shul (Ahavas Achim). Rabbi Stolman opened the evening explaining that the Rebbe is raising money (not for himself, but) for our brothers in Russia. Despite the fact that it was in midst of the great depression, eight hundred dollars was raised for the Rebbe’s yeshiva and activities on behalf of Russian Jewry. Then the Rebbe was introduced by Rabbi Fein, who knew the Rebbe in Russia.
On Wednesday, Beis Iyar he said the maamar Karov H’ Lechol Kor’av(5) in the nusach Ha’ari shul. On Shabbos he said the maamar Rebbi Omer, eizeihoo derech(6)…. On motzei Shabbos there was a tzeischem l’sholom gathering in the Polishe shul (Beis Yehudah) on Pingry SP Street. The gathering was only for an hour as the Rebbe was going directly from there to the train station to go to St. Louis, Missouri.
The Rebbe writes that at the farewell meeting there was a large crowd and he spoke for fifteen minutes. He stressed the importance of putting on tefillin, keeping Shabbos, observing family purity and raising children in a Jewish way. He notes that many there said, that they were never heard such topics being discussed. He also told them that he is aware of the financial difficulty that America was enduring; however, one has to have faith in Hashem, and hope that this is just a temporary blimp, and America will rebound to its prosperous ways.
He concluded, It is wonderful that you feel at home in a shul. Coming to a shul, you will feel a closeness to Hashem. When you learn some Torah teachings you will feel that the time was not wasted. If someone can learn gemora that is excellent; if he can only learn a chapter of mishnayous, that is very good for him. Even if a person can only learn chumash with Rashi, that too is very good. And even if his ability is limited to only being able to read a chapter of Tehillim, that too is very good and important.
When you sit together and eat some herring and potatoes, wish each other a l’chaim, that too is called serving Hashem. The mitzvah of loving a fellow Jew, is a fundamental pillar in the Torah.(7)
Every weekday the Rebbe accepted individuals for a yechidus, however, many individuals (primary those who were born in America) did not understand Yiddish, so Mr. Issidore Starr (who was then around twenty) was asked to come to the Rebbe’s lodging for the entire week and serve (when needed) as a translator.
He related
A certain individual wanted to receive the Rebbe as a guest in his house. He was from a Lubavitcher family and claimed that as a youngster he was together with the Rebbe in Cheder. He said/promised that he would donate a very large/substainal sum to the Rebbe’s activities in appreciation to having the Rebbe as a guest.
He began with an offer of $25.000. When he saw that that did not produce immediate results, he raised the offer again and again, until he proposed donating no less than $100.000, an absolute fortune in those depression days.
The committee advised the Rebbe of the invitation and offer that went along with it.The Rebbe thought for a few moments and then said that he could not possibly accept the offer. He explained that there were many men of less wealth, who were perhaps more deserving and more entitled of a visit. To have a man receive this honor simply because he can afford a large sum of money is morally unjustified. If the man was truly interested in the work of Chabad, and desired to support it, he should make the contribution and the Rebbe would certainly send a letter of appreciation.
Mr Starr adds his own observation; This amount of money could have established at once the yeshiva, the Rebbe was determined to open. Big money in the world can accomplish a lot, but in Lubavitch Principle stands higher.
Growing up in Detroit, I heard the following story. The Rebbe gave to two individuals a dime as a segulah (or kemaya). To one of them the Rebbe instructed him to insert /place it in the corner of his tzitzis and to the other man the Rebbe did not give this guidance/instruction.
When the first man heard about this he exclained, That is the greatness of the Rebbe. My friend maintains the way of life that we both grew up with. He stills fulfills all the mitzvos and even maintains our customs. I stopped wearing a four corner garment.
The Rebbe sensed this shortcoming, and instead of confronting me or challenging me, he encouraged me in a sensitive way, as if I was wearing a garment that is obligated to have tzitzis.
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. he can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com
- Shlomo Palmer, who else
- He was scheduled to arrive in Detroit the previous Tuesday and in fact a few thousand Jews were awaiting his arrival at the train station, however, due to his health concerns, the trip was delayed until Sunday.
- The reception was for three hours as many of the rabbonim of Detroit spoke. After all of their introductions the Rebbe spoke.
- 2454 West Euclid Street.
- Printed in Sefer HaMaamorim Kuntreisim vol. 1 pp. 210 – —.
- The manuscript for this maamar was found and published in 5764 (2004).
- From Mr. Issidore Starr’s memoirs. Printed in kfar Chabad vol. 579.
