A Farbrengen with R’ Yossel

By Yechiel Wilhelm

First and foremost, Reb Yossel OBM was a tomim. He did not understand why we made a fuss over him. This was 8 years ago when I studied in 770 and together with another 2 bochurim we used to stop him outside the Rebbe’s room and ask for another memory from days bygone. He would probably be upset at me knowing that I would pen this short article in his memory.

We saw in him what he was taught not to see, an emeser Yid, full of hiskashrus. An American boy, full of pride of his younger brother’s (Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky) work, who always had another “gem” to repeat from his yeshiva days in 770.

He never said much about himself, only that he studied in 770 between 5702 and 5708, he would only mention his mashpi’im and others who were the life and soul of Lubavitch in the 40’s.

After six months of small chatter, I asked him to come and farbreng for my friends in honor of my birthday. He was very hesitant, and only after I said that other “speakers” will be there, he agreed to attend.

The farbrengen lasted for two hours, and besides for my 3 minute review of a sicha, he spoke the entire time. The 40 bochurim that attended were amazed at the pearls they were listening to. The next morning he came over to me and thanked me for allowing him to share these stories and did not stop praising the bochurim who had attended, who listened without interrupting and sat for a few hours without drinking.

A few days later I left 770 to continue my studies elsewhere, but every time I visited 770 I would stop him for a short chat, his kind manners and wonderful stories continue to inspire me.

Below is a collection of some of the stories he repeated at that farbrengen. May this be in his memory.

* * *

*R’ Itche der masmid stayed in the Krinsky home in 5694 for one month. He would wash his hands with 5 quarts of water and only next to the table. The preparation for the meal took longer than the meal itself, and r’ Shmaya Krinsky OBM (Yossel’s father) would tell his kids: “It’s not a chochma to fast, it is a chochma to eat the way r’ Itche eats.”

*There was a chossid called R’ Michoel Dworkin, he arrived to the Friediker Rebbe all of a sudden in the shin’s and passed away on erev Shavous 5709. Once R’ Michoel came over to Yossel and asked him if there was any news. When Yossel answered no, R’ Michoel looked at him and said: “It says hamechadesh betuvo bechol yom tomid! How can there be no news?”

*Beis Nissan 5709 fell out on a Shabbos. Yossel came into 770 during the afternoon and Berke Gourary saw him and called him to come upstairs, since the Friediker Rebbe needed a minyan. There were exactly 10 men there, and between them 5 “Berkes”. Berke Gourary, Berke Rivkin, Berke Chaskind, and two others.

*On Simchas Torah 5701, Yossel was waiting outside the Friediker Rebbe’s apartment and Sholom Mendel Simpson was behind him. The door opened and R’ Elya Simpson came out and wanted to let his son in. But Yossel said: let me in and then him. R’ Elya said: first I will let him in, then I will reopen and let you in. Yossel says now: “It is 64 years and I am still waiting!”

*Once R’ Itche der masmid came to R’ Lezer Nanes’s house, when r’ Lezer was a child. r’ Itche had a chumra that he checked the shochet’s chalaf, before AND after the shechita, so r’ Lezer’s mother told him to go to the market and bring the shochet. Then she made r’ Itche chicken and kugel. But r’ Itche only ate the chicken. when she asked him why he didn’t eat the kugel, he asked: how did you make the kugel? She answered: with potatoes and shmaltz. Said r’ itche: and the schmaltz came from which chicken? Not from the chicken that was just shechted.

* Once Yossel’s brother from Melbourne davened at the omud on Shabbos teshuva (Rosh Hashana was Thursday and Friday) in full army clothes, as he was on the way to be deployed in World War 2.

*Another brother walked in to 770 before leaving to the Far East (during WW2), Yochanan Gordon said, “Wait a second, I will see if the (Frierdiker) Rebbe can see you. He came back and said “ok, but one medal looks like a cross so please take it off.”

* There used to be bookcase next to the aron in the upstairs zal. The Rebbe once came in and Yossel asked the Rebbe about a rashi in mishpatim about a vav which isn’t printed but it looks like it should be. the Rebbe immediately opened a gemoro Shabbos, daf 25, amud beis and showed them a gilyon hashas which shows there is a vav.

*There used to be parking lot at the back of 770 and the Sukka was built there, 15 ft. by 12 ft. (today it is part of the main shul). One hoshana raba just before shekia he wanted to make a lesheiv basukka, so he ran from the upstairs zal into the Sukka and slammed the door. He looked up and saw one man sitting eating a cookie – the Rebbe.