Weekly Story: A Tribute to my Father-In-Law
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
As I begin bezras Hashem the 11th year of this weekly column, based on the feedback I have received, I am making some changes. The primary focus will be to think about what would benefit the community at large in the long run. Simply speaking, if I am working on a new book, I will post sections or chapters of it, so that writing this column doesn’t delay the publication of that book.
Similarly, when it relates to the section called A Taste of Chassidus, I am beginning to base it on a maamar of the Alter Rebbe’s (from Likkutei Torah (as in this weeks’) or Torah Ohr) and explain one or two concepts mentioned in the maamar.
The intent is to familiarize these concepts to a wider audience, or beginners in Chassidus.
As always, your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated and most welcomed.
Two weeks ago, on the 16th of Elul my father-in-law HaRav Hachossid Rav Moshe Pesach ben Reb Shaul was niftar. In this column I will note a few points about his life.
His parents Reb Shaul and Chanah were married in Poland around 1910 and before WW1his father came to America to establish himself with the intent that she would join him in a year or two. However, the war then broke out in 1914, which prevented her from traveling. Some years after the war ended in 1918, he sent her money to purchase a boat ticket and join him in New York.
By profession he was a tailor, however, since he refused to work on shabbos, he was fired quite often. Boruch Hashem, he finally found a shop owner who told him, “I don’t care which days and hours you work, as long as your weekly production is complete. You want to work on Sundays instead of Saturday, that is fine for me.” [Later on in life he began working as a self-employed tailor from his apartment, which was in Brownsville.]
In 1929, on the first day of Pesach they were blessed with a son, which they named Moshe Pesach.
As a child he was enrolled in the Toras Chaim elementary school, and every year the class became smaller and smaller as some of the other students switched to Public Schools.
In 1942 when he graduated from the eighth grade, his parents immediately set out to register him in a Yeshiva high school that was located near their house. However, the Rosh yeshiva said to them that at the moment he was too busy to test their son and told them to bring him to be tested a week or two before the new school year begins.
This arrangement didn’t settle with his parents, as they were concerned about what will happen if the class is already full or for some other reason their only child would not be accepted. So the next day they made an appointment for him to be tested by the administration of the Lubavitch Yeshiva, and he was immediately accepted.
Around three years later the Frierdiker Rebbe established a yeshiva in Chicago and sent a group of six boys to help strengthen it. In the summer of the following year, after he graduated high school, the hanhala of the yeshiva came to his parents and by the table they said that the Rebbe instructed them to come to you and ask for your permission that your son Moshe Pesach learns in the Rebbe’s yeshiva in Chicago for the coming year (of 1946-47).
For many parents that would be a difficult decision, (as indeed some parents did not allow their sons to go), after all in 1946 how many New Yorkers traveled to Chicago, and especially to send your only child so far away.
His parents looked at each other and then his mother spoke, it would be extremely difficult for us to send Moshele away, but the Rebbe is a tzaddik. A tzaddik doesn’t think about himself, but about others. If the Rebbe wants to send our Moshele, that means the tzaddik thinks it is in the best interest of our son to go there. He is saying that this is the best thing for him.
We also only want the best for our Moshele, so if the tzaddik is saying this is best for him, how can we stand in the way of what is best for him.
Turning to the hanhala she said, we gladly give our consent to what the Rebbe wants.
In the summer of 5712 (1952), Rabbi Hodakov suggested that he meet a daughter of Rabbi Simpson, and they were married on the second day of Rosh Chodesh Kislev 1953.
At the kabbalas ponim the Rebbe said two sichos and the Rebbe was mesader kiddushin.
For the following school year, he was hired to teach 7th grade in the Lubavitch Yeshiva, and some years later he was transferred to become the melamed of the 8th grade.
Around two years ago, a frum nurse, who was in her high fifties or low sixties entered his room to check up on him and asked my brother-in-law “Where are you from?”
“Crown Heights,” he replied.
“Oh you are Lubavitchers,” she said. “My husband was a student in Lubavitch Yeshiva for elementary and then transferred to another yeshiva, around fifty years ago.”
My brother-in-law said to her, “That means your husband learned in my father’s eighth grade class.”
That was too much for her, so she took out her cell phone and called her husband. She asked him, “Do you remember who your eighth grade Rebbe was?”
Sure, it was Rabbi Goldman, and he was one of the teachers I really loved.
She then told him, “You won’t believe it, but I am now attending to him.”
One of his students from around twenty years ago who remained close to him all these years, told me, while I was a student in his class he would ask me if I wanted to learn with him on Shabbos.
To be honest, initially I wasn’t so interested in doing so, but he was persistent so I would come over. But over the years I gained so much from the learning and having someone I could talk to openly and honestly and receive his sound advice and guidance.
As most people know, my father-in-law was quite quiet. So, it is not surprising that people don’t know other aspects of his life. In 1955, when the Rebbe established Tzeirei Agudas Chabad (Tzach), he was one of the five members who were chosen to be on the committee. In order to legally choose a President and other officers, there has to be a secretary, and he was chosen to be the secretary. In essence he was the first legal officer of Tzach.
In the early years, before there were official mivtzoyim, one of the activities that were done was blowing the shofar in hospitals, nursing homes and other places. Early Rosh Hashanah morning he would be in 770 and make sure that people went to all the places that he previously arranged with that someone would come and blow the shofar.
Similarly for many years during the summer break, he would go every Sunday to the airport to give Jews the opportunity to put on Tefillin.
So not only was he quietly directing many of the activities of tzach, but he felt it an honor and the responsible thing to do, to also participate personally in the Rebbes mivtzoyim.
One of the points that I heard over the years from numerous people is that the Shabbos they spent in my in laws house is what convinced them to become frum. Obviously, they enjoyed my mother in laws cooking, but they always would mention the beautiful chassidic stories he would relate.
This is a testament that they were following the guidance the Rebbe gave them in the yechidus before their wedding that their house should be a lichtike, varmeh uhn a chassidishe (a bright, warm and chassidishe house).
A Taste of Chassidus Shuva Yisroel Ad Hashem Eloikeicha – Likkutei Torah
This Shabbos is called Shabbos Shuva, as the first word of the haftara is Shuva. In order to understand the concept that is being discussed, one has to understand the difference between the name Yaakov and Yisroel.
As the possuk notes the name Yaakov was given because the second son was holding onto the heel of his older brother. While he was given the name of Yisroel after he defeated and conquered the angel of Esau.
Chassidus learns from this that Yaakov represents a time or situation when the Jewish people are under the influence or domain of the gentiles. Whereas Yisroel represents the time or situation when a Jew is in full control of his/her life, and acts accordingly, completely devoted to serving Hashem.
Therefore, the question in this maamar is, why does the possuk say Shuva Yisrael, that Yisrael should repent, shouldn’t the possuk have written, Shuva Yaakov? After all, when a Jew conquers their surroundings, they do not sin, only when they are being influenced by their surroundings is there a possibility to sin.
Furthermore, we have to understand why the possuk says repent or return until Hashem is Elokeicha, shouldn’t the possuk have simply written return to Hashem, and not until?
Here too, in order to understand the answer, we have to explain how Chassidus explains what the names of Hashem and Eloikeicha represent. The possuk (Tehillim 84:11) states like the sun and its shield, so too is Hashem Elokim.
The possuk says that on the third day from Avrohom’s circumcision, the heat was so strong that there were no travelers, and Avrohom was distressed that he couldn’t welcome and serve any guests. Rashi explains that Hashem didn’t want to bother him by taking care of others, so He took the sun out of its shield causing the higher temperature. So, we see the sun’s shield purpose is to diminish its outgoing strength.
Chassidus explains that the world was created by [the holy name of] Hashem. However, in order that the world not to be overwhelmed and nullified by Hashem’s greatness, Hashem concealed His essence and only revealed a very small aspect of His essence. That process of concealment is symbolized by the name of Elokim.
The Hebrew numerical value of Elokim is 86, which is also the numerical value for the Hebrew word of Hateiva (the nature/or sunken in the sea). When something is sunk in a body of water, although it is not noticeable, the fact is it is there. The same thing is in the world, it may seem that everything is conducted by nature, but the reality is it is being conducted by Hashem, just He conceals that fact, and therefore it may not be noticeable.
Now we can answer the above-mentioned questions.
When a Jew is under the influence of the worldly perspective (as is represented by the name Yaakov), that means that the G-dly perspective is not shining brightly in them. Subsequently there is a strong possibility that the person might not fulfill some of the mitzvos, he sinned.
The way to rectify this is by illuminating and infusing that concealment with Hashem’s essence. In other words, the essence of Hashem should be drawn down into Elokim. This is the meaning until Hashem becomes Eloikeicha [Hashem becomes your Elokim]. When the essence of Hashem is shining and illuminating in a person, they will definitely serve Him properly and return from their wayward path.
However, this is only one way to fuse Hashem and Elokim together. There is another way, and that is by elevating Elokim to Hashem.
After a person realizes that their conduct and actions are contrary to Hashem’s will, their goal is to fulfill His will in all aspects. At that point they will be one with Hashem’s essence.
But after their life is illuminated by Hashem and they elevate themselves to this higher level, they come to a deeper realization, and that is, while the name Hashem is the holiest of Hashem’s seven names, nevertheless, it is still just a name. and a name is not the essence of that entity; it is merely alluding to it.
Take any person and place them in a room by themself for a few days. During those days that person is going to do whatever they want to, it may be writing a book, drawing a picture, doing research on something, but not once is their name going to be called. So, you see that the person is functioning without a name. The name is only needed when someone has to call them. Their essence is higher than a name.
Being that the world was created by the name Hashem (through the concealment of the name of Elokim), that means that the Creator Himself is much higher than the name of Hashem. Subsequently, the person realizes that what they thought was Hashem’s essence is in truth only a revelation of His greatness, but nowhere close to His true Essence.
So yes, Hashem is a reference to the highest aspect of the highest world (Chochmah of Atzilus), but by that definition it is a world, meaning something that Hashem created and not His essence. His essence is much higher than that.
Therefore, even when a Jew is serving Hashem on the level of Atzilus, they too recognize that this is only a step in the right direction, they have to serve His essence which is much exalted than this level.
Now one can understand that even a Jew who overcame the influences and temptations the world may present, the Jew who is on the level of Yisroel, is also encouraged to Shuva. They may not have to repent, but they still have to return and come closer to Hashem’s essence.
The Alter Rebbe notes this is the reason why the Jews said Hashem Hu [is] Elokim twice after Eliyahu’s sacrifice was consumed by a fire from heaven, while this possuk (as well as the possuk of Shema Yisroel) it is only mentioned once.
Then they were serving idols. So, Eliyahu had to inspire them to go away from their evil doings and conduct, by infusing their worldly perspective with a G-dly perspective. Or as we noted illuminating Elokim by infusing it with greatness of Hashem.
After succeeding in that endeavor, they were elevated once more by realizing that Hashem’s essence is even higher than what they originally thought, or as mentioned to realize that Hashem is only a name and not His essence. So they (a Jew on the level of Yaakov) were expressing the two different ways of fusing Hashem and Elokim.
However, when the Jews are on the level of Yisroel, so the first way of having Hashem illuminate Elokim is not needed, they are already on that level. All that is needed is the second and deeper understanding, so it is mentioned only once.
After Rosh Hashanah, when all Jews elevated themselves, and came closer to Hashem, our sages instructed us to say Return Yisroel and realize that the level of Hashem that you attained is indeed an accomplishment, but there is yet more to accomplish, there is yet a higher level that we should all aspire to.
May we all be one with Hashem, as the Torah states, It is very close to you in your speech, in your heart (thoughts) and your actions. This will bring us the complete redemption with Moshiach. May it be speedily in our days, that we celebrate the remainder of this Tishrei in the third Beis Hamikdash.
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.
