Pillar of Strength
Whenever I start a letter, I think I need to start writing all the letters over again, because whatever I wrote is no longer the story of the past. We are living it constantly, every day, every hour, and every moment. It is very hard to believe but this is the reality, that it is all one man and it is all being done by one man.
Rabbi Tuvia Zilberstrom
The upcoming month of Tammuz marks not only the beginning of summer, but an intense time on the calendar: 12-13 Tammuz (chag hageula, the liberation of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe from Soviet prison), and 17 Tammuz (start of the Three Weeks, the period mourning the destruction of the Temple). But even while others slipped away for vacation, the Rebbe remained, like a general, at his post, forever committed to his work and mission.
The Avner Institute presents letters to home, written by Rabbi Tuvia Zilberstrom during his student years at 770, describing some of the events during Tammuz 5734 (1974) and revealing glimpses of the Rebbe’s relentless schedule: audience with the Ribnitzer Rebbe, pleas to his student army to “conquer New York and the world” with their mitzvah tanks, and leading farbrengens packed with visitors and dignitaries.
“I had such spiritual energy”
Wednesday, Erev Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 5734
Erev month of Redemption – and as the Rebbe mentioned in the Shabbos farbrengen, when each one of those gathered makes mention of Shabbos Mevarchim Tammuz, he is immediately reminded of the days of 12-13 Tammuz.
To my dear ones, for length of days and good years,
I am again attaching with this letter some of the sichos [speeches] from the past Shabbos. Of course, what was again spoken about in the main was the mivtzaim [projects]. This is something especially timely, particularly as it relates to protection and defense.
As I wrote already, the Rebbe’s first response to the report on mivtzaim was “Many thanks and many thanks, and fortunate is their lot.”
On Sunday, there was a gathering about mivtzaim, an appeal was announced in the amount of “mivtza = $202,” and it was resolved to hold another meeting on Motzaei Shabbos, at the monthly farbrengen of Lubavitch Youth. The Rebbe included in his response the amount of “mivtza mezuza = $267,” and added that by Motzaei Shabbos it is possible to conquer the entire New York and its neighboring cities with this mivtza, in ways of pleasantness and peace, such that the mivtza becomes stronger each and every day. The mivtza of mezuza induces the greatest agitation, as the Rebbe said in the farbrengen.
Every day, large cars set out from here with placards and loudspeakers about these mivtzaim. I heard that in Eretz Yisroel they have also gotten inspired about this in a strong way, in connection with the Education Ministry and all of its institutions. It would be interesting to know if the “frum” [pious] in Yerushalayim have also gotten into this lofty mivtza.
“Getting Shalom”
The previous Sunday, as I wrote before, the Ribnitzer Rebbe was here for about an hour with the Rebbe. The Rebbe rose and greeted him with a big smile. At the end of the hour, [secretary] Rabbi Leibel Groner entered the room and told the Ribnitzer that the Rebbe was concerned that the Ribnitzer had not yet eaten anything and was fasting. As a result, the yechidus lasted only a short while.
As the Ribnitzer departed, his Chassidim approached the Rebbe one at a time and extended their hands to him (what they call “getting shalom”), and the Rebbe asked them to see to it that the Ribnitzer eats. However, when they answered that the Ribnitzer does not want to, the Rebbe responded, “Obviously, if he does not want, there would be no need for concern.”
In response to Rabbi Leibel Groner that he had not eaten all day, the Ribnitzer said later, when he returned to Boro Park, “I had such spiritual energy, we could have sat together a lot longer. And who is that young man that disturbed in the middle?” He also revealed that the Rebbe spoke to him mainly about Russian Jewry and their situation there, and that the Rebbe gave advice about how they could get out of there more easily.
Today, the Rebbe went to the Ohel again, in honor of Erev Rosh Chodesh. Tomorrow there will be yechidus again, and so one day follows the next, with the Rebbe continuing his service with an alacrity that imbues in the Chassidim a similar mode, to light up the world with a shturem [storm]. And may G-d constantly add strength to the head, and thus also to the rest of the organs of the body, in the fulfillment of their purpose. And in the meantime, Shabbos Shalom, and to hear from each other.
Tuvia
P.S. You have surely heard already that they are covering the entire floor of the shul downstairs with Formica tiles, and it looks really nice relative to the way it looked in Tishrei. Included is the addition of a new large lectern, at the midpoint of the shul. Now they are working upstairs at changing the floor and the walls, from the entrance until [secretary] Rabbi [Mordechai Isaac] Chadakov’s room. Meanwhile, they have torn out the old ones, which apparently have been there for sixty years. It seems that they will be laying in marble.
“Everyone is ‘filled up with gas’”
Sunday, 10 Tammuz, 5734
Dear Family, for length of days and good years, many greetings!
Here, we are all involved in preparations for the upcoming chag hageula [12-13 Tammuz], on Tuesday and Wednesday. The mivtzaim are also going full steam ahead, with offices of the headquarters (Lubavitch Youth Organization) open and working nonstop.
New York and the surrounding areas are being conquered, house by house, district by district, as every day the tanks go out for this purpose. Understandably, the morale of the soldiers is high, especially on Mondays and Thursdays, when they arranged it that when the Rebbe arrives at 770 in his car, the tanks set out.
How wonderful is the sight when the Chief of Staff appears and the tanks start moving with happy song as the Rebbe urges them on with motions of his holy hand and stands at the entrance to 770 until all the tanks disappear from sight. One can still hear the loudspeakers playing “Ashreinu Ma Tov Chelkeinu … K’Mofes Hayisi L’Rabbim.” Also, when they return with all of their conquests under their belts, they dance.
When the Rebbe returned from the Ohel last Sunday, once again, it was with a smile and encouragement toward the students of Hashem’s army. The same happened when he drove home after Maariv, and last night, on Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh after a relatively restful day — including walking to Flatbush and Brighton Beach to promote the mivtzaim, based on the answer from the Rebbe on Friday to the reports, “Many thanks, and they should continue on Shabbos as per the law that one may oversee the needs of the public on Shabbos,” when they are preparing for the continuation of the conquest.
And so they danced outside of 770 and again, the Rebbe urged on with his hand toward the crowd and from his car for a few minutes, including on the other side of the street when the crowd continued singing and the Rebbe continued encouraging with his holy hand from the car while it was moving. Of course, everyone is “filled up with gas” for the rest of the week. Every few days there are responses from the Rebbe to the reports with blessings of “Many thanks etc.”
Conquering New York
Last Wednesday, I also joined in the conquest, and one can readily see how the matter is being carried out successfully, as Jews respond, some in English and some (many) in Hebrew, that they already received the materials the day before. In Manhattan too, one can meet people that one already met on the other side of New York.
For [brother] Binyamin: We have heard a lot about your blessed activities that provide nachas for the Rebbe. Of course, if you were to get, for all this, some motion of the Rebbe’s hand, that would add a lot. In any case, I think of you at such times, and surely that helps increase in alacrity etc., and of course above all else, that the Rebbe himself wrote a letter to you.
As far as what is going on around here, there are students who left already last week to be counselors in camp in Canada. Another group will go this coming week to upstate New York … students of our group will apparently move from [yeshiva] Chovevei Torah to learn in 770 during this time. In the meantime, surely the letter will arrive after you hear the live broadcast from Beis Chayeinu [770], and we should only hear from each other constant good news.
And of course, as we are absorbing the message here in our blood and soul, that everything be with a shturem.
Wishing you all well,
Tuvia
“We are all on the battlefield”
17 Tammuz 5734.
The fourth fast day that will be transformed into happiness and rejoicing.
To my dear parents, for length of days and good years,
Whenever I start a letter, I think I need to start writing all the letters over again, because whatever I wrote is no longer the story of the past. We are living it constantly, every day, every hour, and every moment. It is very hard to believe but this is the reality, that it is all one man and it is all being done by one man.
I’m sure you heard the farbrengen [of 12-13 Tammuz] in the live broadcast that goes all over the world and how it was joyous, especially the songs where the Rebbe clapped and, of course, the entire crowd joined in.
Guests came for 12 Tammuz, including Gershon Mendel Garelik, Rabbi Ralbag of Yerushalayim [a Laufer of Lud – Dad’s student from Paris] and others. It was interesting to see how the children are scattered all over the world but are happy when they come home for a short while, to Beis Chayeinu, di varme shtub [the warm home] where they load up until the next visit.
Today, once again, there was a new experience when the Rebbe came out to daven Mincha. After Ashrei and Kaddish, instead of the Torah reading for the fast day, the Rebbe took three steps back and began Shmoneh Esrei [Eighteen Benedictions]. Naturally, the crowd, which was taken completely by surprise, joined in.
After Shmoneh Esrei and the cantor’s repetition (Tachanun [penitential prayer] was not said because of a bridegroom present), the Rebbe asked Rabbi Groner, who was standing nearby, to ask a rav [legal authority] whether to say Avinu Malkeinu if a bridegroom is present.
The Rav said yes, which Rabbi Groner told the Rebbe, and then Rabbi Groner continued, “Before the Torah reading or after?” The Rebbe said again to ask a rav, and they said Avinu Malkeinu, Kaddish, then read the Torah, the Haftorah, followed by Aleinu.
When the Rebbe left the synagogue, R’ Moshe Pinchas Katz, one of the caretakers, said to him, “May Hashem help that these days will begin to be transformed into rejoicing.” The Rebbe answered, “In our times,” and left with a big smile.
Novelty of a Tank
This Shabbos there was a farbrengen, and the talks were in continuation of what was spoken on 12 Tammuz. I will write at greater length soon. The mitzvah tanks were mentioned again. As I already wrote in my earlier letters, the Rebbe used this term for the trucks used by the activists and added at the 12 Tammuz farbrengen that all of the mivtzaim serve the function of a tank, with the first letters of the words Taharos, Nezikin, Kodshim. Taharos – that he purifies himself of any ulterior motives, then nezikin – removing anything harmful, and kodshim – the sanctuary within each one of us. And this is the novelty of a tank.
And he spoke about mivtzaim, especially about mivtza mezuza, etc., which pertains especially in Eretz Yisroel, for the law is that even one who rents there must immediately put up a mezuza. He advised that they approach the prime minister and his deputy and insist that every Jewish house have a mezuza and that the Minister of the Treasury should finance it.
The Rebbe suggested that this request not come from rabbis, slaughterers, teachers, etc., but from the public, from the people in Eretz Yisroel — that this matter is essential and protects, defends and saves. Especially now, when the religious are not in the government and thus there would be neither pressure nor compulsion etc., and obviously, not from the Minister of Religions. It should be noted that there is no such thing as “religions,” since there is only one knowledge and the rest are foolish beliefs. There was also an instruction for tanks to do mivtzaim in the army camps. This was received as a directive over the phone on Motzaei Shabbos.
The Rebbe also spoke about schools in Eretz Yisroel that some have stopped building because of a lack of means to provide the necessary security. On the contrary, the Rebbe said, these people should go and explain to the public all over, and in their language, that every institution, building, preschool and, even more so, childcare centers, which are connected to Torah and mitzvoth, is protection for the city, and that more of this should be done.
The Rebbe even said that he would give his token participation to each person, including those going on shlichus who would previously get two shekels and who would now be given five shekels, in the merit of the five mivtzaim. He also told all the Tankistin [tank riders] to say l’chaim and to have the intention of fulfilling the obligation for all those in other locales—friends, relatives etc., to say this. The crowd answered with amen. The Rebbe that saying “amen” alone does not suffice, but to say l’chaim!
Second Blessing
It was very joyous, as with every song the Rebbe clapped. When he delivered a stern sicha about Mihu Yehudi [“Who is a Jew?”, the legal definition of Jewish identity], he then said that whoever has a joyous event coming up should do it now — Sheva Brachos, Bar Mitzva, Pidyon Haben, and with a smile. He turned to Rabbi Pinson from Tunisia, who had married off his daughter and his son but was able to leave Tunisia only for his son’s wedding; a Sheva Brachos was made for his son in 770.
The Rebbe asked, “You made weddings for a son and a daughter. Where are the second Sheva Brachos?”
Rabbi Pinson answered that they were finished already.
The Rebbe said, “You can say a bracha [blessing] again, without Hashem’s name,” and added, “We can discharge our obligation with a niggun [melody].”
He began to sing “Od Yishoma,” and for the first time ever, with this niggun, the Rebbe clapped and made motions with his head etc.
In short, we are all on the battlefield and our job is to go and conquer every mound and every hill, every ditch and every canal, with the tanks and with a shturem and with joy.
Tuvia
“He notices every single thing”
To my dear ones, for length of days and good years,
How are you? How’s the heat in Eretz Yisroel? Here the temperature is a little higher than in Eretz Yisroel but occasionally the heat breaks and it is pleasant, and sometimes, we even have Yerushalmi air. Boruch Hashem, the heat does not bother us students at all, because the yeshiva is always air conditioned.
As a rule, in the dormitory rooms each one has his own arrangements to deal with the heat. Many people go on vacation, so only a few are left here. And most of the students go on shlichus all over the world to draw the nation of Israel close to their Father in heaven, so the Israelis end up as residents in yeshiva at this time.
This Shabbos, Shabbos Mevarchim Menachem Av, there was a farbrengen again. I will include here some excerpts from the sichos. For the Rebbe, all the regular routines continue as usual, no matter the season, with no changes — yechidus nights and the like.
Two senior people from El-Al had yechidus last week. One of them is the security chief here. The Rebbe thanked them for allowing mivtzaim to be done in their offices; thanks to that, there are always about 400 people reached by the activities. He also spoke to them again about the Yom Kippur War, about his view that the Israeli army should have conquered Damascus and Cairo. And he spoke about this at length, citing the names of commanders, the number of tanks, the number of soldiers of all the armed forces, and he told them how many soldiers Egypt had on the other side. He explained once again why it was a big miracle that the enemies held back before Israeli forces arrived.
The guests asked about traveling with El-Al, and the Rebbe said, quoting the Talmud and legal sources, that if it is possible to travel with El-Al, then El-Al needs to be the first choice. The senior people left Beis Chayeinu in amazement.
Otherwise, nothing special is going on. It is interesting that the Rebbe began changing siddurim [prayerbooks] in the last two days and does not come out with the usual siddur. At Mincha on Monday, after already seated, he got up in order to remove a tallis [prayer shawl] from a Likkutei Torah [major work by the first Lubavitcher Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi]. He notices every single thing, and there is no hiding oneself, whether up close or from afar.
To hear from and to see each other, starting with the parents and concluding with the children,
Tuvia
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Mivtza equals 202 and mivtza mezuza equals 267, are those the amount of money the Rebbe gave to the mivtzoim ?