By CJ Ross
I have not missed davening shachris in shul, since February 1st 2016. I can tell you that with certainty, because that was the day, I resolved to making sure, I would always get to shul for shachris. I am so committed to be getting to shul, that even when I travel, I book my tickets around finding a Minyan for Shachris!
Don’t get me wrong, I sometimes show up late or leave before the last Kaddish, however, I have NOT missed a shachris in shul, in over 2 years! You see, it was never really that important to me to make sure I got to minyan each and every morning. With working several jobs, raising a family, and the regular pressures in life, I believed I needed that extra time in bed each morning.
Over the years, my wife patiently would remind me of the importance of going to minyan (sometimes not so patiently). You know the drill. She would say something like, “If you had to meet the President or even your boss, would you blow it off to sleep a bit more?” That argument never really worked on me, because the chances of having an early AM meeting with the “Donald” or even my wonderful boss, were slim.
My wife was raised seeing her father leave the house each morning before 5 AM (he would open the shul, put on the lights and say Tehillim each morning). This month he will turn 84, (עָד מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים) and he still is the first to get to shul each morning! My wife’s persistence and my admiration for her, is what led me to make the commitment. It is truly thanks to her, that I have stayed the course!
This morning I arrived at 770 as I usually do, for the 620 minyan. Since its close to Pesach, and 770 is being cleaned, we davened in the courtyard. When it was time for Krias Hatorah, we all assumed that a Torah would appear. After chatzi Kaddish, the Gabbai turned to us and said, that 770 was “locked” and we couldn’t get access to the Sifre Torah. People starting grumbling, “That Rasha it’s all his fault” or “What a chutzpah ‘they’ have”. The Gabai instructed the chazan to keep davening and we skipped Krias Hatorah today!
People started scrambling: I observed one fellow trying to call someone who had a Torah in his home to see if he could bring it over. Another, tried in vain to force the door open. Alas, ALL the Torahs were locked away and no matter how much pleading and bargaining, the cleaners refused to allow us access to the Torahs.
I don’t have the answer or the solution to this problem, but I do have some questions that may hopefully push our thinking and prevent this from ever happening again.
How is it possible that a handful of people who can barely speak English, are left to their own devices and have the power to lock down 770 and refuse a request for accessing a Torah?
Who is in charge of this talented crew and why wasn’t he called?
Surely, he must have known that we would need a Sefer Torah this morning!
Why didn’t he prepare a Sefer Torah for our the long established Minyan?
How do we prevent this from happening again next year?
If it does happen, who can we call to get a Torah on such short notice?
Finally, what would the Rebbe’s response be if he was davening with us at the minyan? Would he have scaled some walls, (think Tashlich) in order to get us a Torah?
—The author is a resident of the Shechuna and a not so frequent contributor to COLlive.com
B”H So much bitterness!!! This is not about the Sefer Torah, and not about the devout attendance at a minyan. It’s about an opportunity to blast against the gaboyim. Why don’t you take the complaint directly to the gaboyim and work something out with them with regards next yom-tov? You can even get a letter signed by all the people of your minyan asking for some special kind of access. This whole article was written with a deep bitterness against the gaboyim and as an opportunity to collect similarly hateful comments. The needs of many (all the thousands of mispalelim… Read more »
Do you have your children eat in the foyer/porch/yard as you clean the house? Do you think they should kvetch that they deserve their regular service as they get year-round?
The 770 has to be cleaned. If you don’t like it maybe help them clean it, at least put your own books away for a change.
I commend you for being careful to daven in Shul with a minyan every day – there are many people who can learn from you!….. But I have a hunch that your article is not coming from a good place ……
Are you serious “they lock the Shul and make people Davey outside rain, cold, windy” poor you… they need to clean the shul if they didn’t it would be much worse.
ASAP!! We need it! All the mafiah people that use their hands should leave- like the Rebbe told r’ Dovid raskin!
Would you care to tell me where serious daveners go.
Does 770 have issues? yes
do all shuls have issues? Yes
Does 770 have more? Possibly or certainly yes
But doesn’t 770 also have something no other shul in ch or elsewhere has? Isnt this the place where OUR rebbe davened farbrengend.
Please think a little before taking it off your map and encouraging others to do the same
If you Daven at 10:00 with the rebbes minyan your all good to go…
Shachris 10:00- 10:35
Mincha 3:15 – 3:29
Mariv 8:00 – 8:10
There were signs in 770 for at least a week saying it was going to be closed, so when I went to daven in 770 yesterday and today, I went knowing that I may not get a minyan and have to daven somewhere else. Isn’t that logical? And are we not happy that 770 actually gets cleaned? Thank you to the Gabbaim for cleaning 770 for us. I am not a mechichist, and I love going to 770 to daven and learn each day. Please everyone it is time to look with a good eye. We can always find things… Read more »
Did the writer of this letter ever learn Kuntres Beis Rabeinu Shebibavel????!!!! If he did he would know that 770 will always be holy, no matter what year it is or who the gabboyim are.
What is it with some people? Such a sender is entitlement.
You don’t understand that a shul the size of 770 (which btw hosts a large farbrengen on 13 Nissan) needs to be cleaned?
If i were in.charge I would close the entire shul including the chotzer for 3 days prior to pesach.
Stop complaining and.thank the people who make sure the place is.clean for pesach so that you can daven there on pesach
I davened mincha there today and there wasn’t a torah.
All these complaints about the shul downstairs… plenty of folks with keys to the upstairs. Stop blaming people, it’s not healthy.
Don’t just throw up your hands and run away. It’s not about tou…do it for the Rebbe even if it isn’t comfortable
I am appalled after reading some of the comments and language use with regard to the rebbes shul! I highly doubt that the people writing those disparaging comments consider themselves lubavitch, those are things I would expect to hear in Lakewood Etc but not on a Chabad website. It is possible that 770 is not the most glamorous place, and it may be true that there are various different people that inhabit and frequent 770 which may not be of your liking, but to call the place a dump, disgusting and other such words is absolutely disrespectful to the Holiness… Read more »
True clarity on the issue without a possible tinge of malice.
Well if ur wife wanted a minyan husband she should have thought about it earlier in life
Anyway big deal . 770 shud be closed until ppl decide to treat it with respect. I flew in from overseas to spend 24 hours by the rebbe. After all this is lubavitch world centre a place every chossid should feel at home. I wanted to sit & learn. Walked in 12.30am. The place was a live concert for adar. Upsta3ris a video. Basically no where to learn a huge balsgan & madhouse. Shut it dowb
there is no shortage of other shuls and minyanim in Crown Heights. Serious daveners don’t go to 770.
Be thankful it gets cleaned once a year…it’s disgusting that the place is such a filthy mess.
unfortunately 770 the rebbes shul became what it is ( dont want to mention negativity) due to the people whom run it. people should wake up and stop tzafim from coming into 770. take bochurim from kfar chabad and other places. maybe different gabboim should run.
Well said #14
The Shul was closed since Wednesday and there were signs up about it. There are even signs up for cleaning out the lockers.
Watch out to anyone bashing the beis rabeinu shebabavel, where the rebbe says clearly the shechina never leaves from.
Good luck cleaning up for Pesach, and for cleaning up the chametz and hatred and cynicism in your hearts. Be sure to eat extra matza of emuna on Pesach
Please note that a sefer was brought out by 7:00, long before most people daven at 770. You’re right, this was a mistake, but this article has an unnecessary, obviously political overtone. ACHDUS is important, even when somebody makes an error.
When 770 is close, and you chose to throw together a Minyan in their yard, they don’t become obligated to provide the squatters with a Sefer Torah.
put up around Shul a few days before to let people know that there won’t be Sifrei Torah available so people can daven in a different Shul on that day.
BS”D I big to do about nothing, a mix up occurred, big deal, go on the Rebbes Mivtzoim, for instance give out matzah etc instead of wasting time writing such an article and commenting on it
This has been going on for years. They lock the shul and make the people daven outside rain, cold, windy…
The gaboyim are not in charge. The skratch mafia is running the place with tzfati dibs. A janitor who took over 770 as his personal business.
Aguch should take over and make 770 Great Again.
i was there at 10:20 and there was a torah left on a table
There’s a room downstairs in 770 basement with Aron Kodesh, you can daven there while the main shul is being cleaned for pesach.
No need to panic and let out your frustrations on collive.
My wife was raised seeing her father leave the house each morning before 5 AM
She saw him leave!
As a yungerman living in Crown Heights I feel like 770 in the past couple years has become a place that is no longer a welcome place for someone wishing to actually daven. It has been over-run by beggars and disorderly conduct. I no longer daven there if I can avoid it. Thank G-d there are other shuls around. I would rather Daven B’Yechidus in a local shul, than with a Minyan in 770.
This is a great inspirational story. Hey just want to gently point out, to any wives reading this and might be tempted to do the same “Patient” or “not so patient” , encouragement for their husbands to get out of bed. Ask your Mashpia, if that is the correct move, Sholom Bayis wise.
The Persian center 828 EP, perhaps some can come here to make a minyan, how about mincha 700, and maariv b’zman?
One comment is not correct… if you see the decorum that takes place by the farbrengen on motzei yomtov (each one), it is astounding how thousands of people sing together with just a prompting from the one starting off the niggun. It is truly miraculous (if one thinks about it). It’s hard to say that the Rebbe is not “there” – as it’s not the usual way that such a crowd has patience and achdus in a “hall” for hours – without someone actively conducting. So, as far as wildness goes – this particular scene is the epitome of decorum… Read more »
Why is everyone getting bent out of shape it’s the worst time of year the shul gets cleaned But everyone knows or most people know they close it down for that reason maybe they should have put the day before a warning that it would be closed
Last burning of chometz 1155, we called shacharis for 900 Eruv Pesach. Our minyan today very pleasant, fyi.
There were signs hanging in 770 for several days informing everyone that 770 would be closed beginning early this morning for Pesach cleaning and everything would move to the area where the large sukka is put up. There they have an Aron Kodesh and ST. The question is why was it not locked up earlier. Are there issues that out of control or need addressing – yes. However this is something that happens every year. 770 needs to be cleaned. It is their fault that they didn’t lock it up before your minyan began davening. Saying that I’m sorry to… Read more »
You should’ve made sure that you have one (knowing that the shul is being cleaned and is locked) before you started Davening!
what is the rebbe came back….
back from were?!
לא עזב ולא יעזוב את צאן מרעיתו
nice we want Moshaich now
Your absolutely right, there are indeed other shuls in he area. Of course it’s important to have a makom Chavua, but if there are circumstances beyond your control then go Daven somewhere else. That’s what I did when I can to my Shul and found it a mess (or when people were talking during laning!!)
This is not the only Shul in Crown Heights!
WHAT IF THE REBBE CAME BACK AND SAW WHAT IS GOING ON IN 770?
VERY SAD. 770 IS RUN BY WILD UNDISCIPLINED, DISRESPECTFUL STUDENTS FROM ZFAS.
NO WONDER EVERY WEEK A NEW MINYEN IS FORMED IN CROWN HEIGHTS. NORMAL PEOPLE ARE FED UP WITH WHAT GOES ON IN 770.
CRY AND PRAY FOR MOSHIACH.
why is speaking English a factor?
770 is the same place it was before tammuz 3.
To me an old timer 770 is like a shul in Boro Park.
It has nothing to do with the rebbe or Chabad.
Suolim hilchu bo.
Don’t question things that go on there, it’s a place of hefkeres.
Have a good yomtov.
You ask…
Who is in charge of this talented crew and why wasn’t he called?
HE was called. His name is Zalman Lipskier. He was called at 6:10 by one of his supporters.
EVIDENTLY NO ONE IS TRULY IN CHARGE.
SHAME ON THE CREW THAT CALL THEMSELVES GABOYIM…..
In the rain
The sefer Torah came to the courtyard when the person who had the key finally woke up at 7:00. B”H the baal korah was still there.
U just woke up? It’s the ST that bothers u? When u and your fellow CH residents fix the overarching problem in 770, namely the insane running the asylum, perhaps ur ST problem too will be solved. May we be in Jerusalem by this Pesach. That’ll solve all our problems.
Yasher Koach on your commitment it was worth you missing kriya to inspire others with your story