The 18th of Elul is the birthday of both the Ba’al Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe. To mark the occasions, Bris Avrohom in New Jersey held various events and farbrengens.
A Farbrengen for the teachers of Cheder Yaldei Menachem was held at the Kanelsky residence to commemorate the day and to thank G-d for successfully commencing the 24th year of the Cheder.
Rebbetzin Shterney Kanelsky spoke of the importance and holiness of the job of educating children. She illustrated this by quoting the Mezricher Maggid, a student of the Ba’al Shem Tov, who said, “if only we would kiss a sefer Torah with the same passion with which the Ba’al Shem Tov kissed the young children he was an assistant teacher to.”
Rabbi Kanelsky shared stories of the mesiras nefesh his and the Rebbetzin’s families displayed in the former Soviet Union. He then spoke of his first encounter with the Rebbe in 1970, when the Rebbe asked him if he was wearing tzitzis. When he responded in the affirmative, the Rebbe stated that tzitzis have 32 strings, which is the numerical value of the word, lev, heart. The Rebbe then told him that one who wears tzitzis is blessed with a good, Jewish and Chassidic heart. Rabbi Kanelsky then asked the teachers to make sure that all the boys in the Cheder wear tzitzis to ensure that the children will have the blessing of good heart.
In addition, a Farbrengen was held at the Bris Avrohom Shul. Rabbi Avremy Kanelsky shared wondrous stories of the Ba’al Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe. Rabbi Mordechai Kanelsky then articulated that there are 12 days from Chai Elul until Rosha Hashana and that each of these days represent a month of the previous year. Our job is to reflect on how we can rectify the opportunities we missed during each month on the corresponding day.
