TU B'SHVAT THE HUMAN TREE PAGE 10 TU B'SHVAT Q & A PAGE 10 STORIES PAGE 11 RECIPES PAGE 12

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1 1 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~February כאן צוה ה את הברכה פרשת בשלך שבת שירה יב' שבט, תשס ט 15 February 06, 2009 Shevat 12, 5769 weekly vol. Ii NO TU B'SHVAT THE HUMAN TREE PAGE 10 TU B'SHVAT Q & A PAGE 10 STORIES PAGE 11 RECIPES PAGE 12 LIVING IN SDEROT page 15 Hagaon Hachossid Horav Chaim Meir Bukiet Part II WE ARE SUSPENDING PUB- LICATION OF THIS PAPER FOR THE TIME BEING. THANK YOU FOR READING Beis Din of Crown Heights 390A Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Tel- 718~604~8000 Fax: 718~771~6000 Rabbi A. Osdoba: Monday to Thursday 10:30AM - 11:30AM at 390A Kingston Ave. Tel ext.37 or Sunday-Thursday 9:30 PM-11:00PM ~Friday 2:30PM-4:30 PM Tel. (718) Rabbi Y. Heller is available daily 10:30 to 11:30am ~ 2:00pm to 3:00pm at 788 Eastern Parkway # ~604~8827 & after 8:00pm 718~756~4632 Rabbi Y. Schwei, 4:00pm to 9:00pm 718~604~8000 ext 36 Rabbi Y. Raitport is available by appointment. 718~604~8000 ext 39 Rabbi Y. Zirkind: 718~604~8000 ext 39 Rabbi S. Segal: 718~604~8000 ext 39 Sun ~Thu 5:30pm -9:00pm or Rabbi Bluming is available Sunday - Thursday, 3-4:00pm at 472 Malebone St Rabbi Y. Osdoba 718~604~8000 ext 38 Sun~Thu: 10:0am -11:30am ~ Fri 10:am - 1:00 pm or Rabbi S. Chirik: 718~604~8000 ext 38 Sun~Thu: 5:00pm to 9:00pm Erev Shabbos 5:02 Motzoei Shabbos 6:03 Gut Shabbos

2 2 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~February The Vaad Hakohol REBBE'S STORY Enhancing Achievement Reprinted from the book To Know and To Care - Volume 1 Published and copyright by Sichos in English The Rosh Yeshiva Horav Piekarsky OBM with the Rebbe Great Torah giants of our day stand in awe before the magnitude of the all-encompassing knowledge of Torah texts and sources which the Rebbe displays in all realms and levels of study. The illustrious Rabbi Yisrael Yitzchak Piekarski, Rosh Yeshivah in Lubavitch for many years, said: Appreciation of the Rebbe s unparalleled knowledge of Torah takes priority over describing his miraculous feats. Nevertheless, there is a connection between the two. If I am not mistaken, the Rebbe himself once said, One who is great in the study of Torah law (nigleh) is also great in other things. His preference for highlighting the Rebbe s scholarship did not, however, prevent Rabbi Piekarski from relating some of his own personal experiences with the Rebbe. Once, prior to a journey, I visited the Rebbe. When I informed him of the details of my return flight, he responded, Why should you stay away so long? You can return two days earlier. I was very surprised. I had already made all the arrangements and booked my flight. The departure date fitted my itinerary perfectly. Of course, I did not question the Rebbe s remark, and immediately changed my plans. Later, I learned that the flight on which I was originally scheduled to depart met with disaster. The plane was involved in a tragic accident in Bulgaria and its passengers perished. 392 Kingston Avenue Brooklyn, NY chp5768@gmail.com Published & edited weekly by the Vaad Hakohol of Crown Heights. Moshe Rubashkin, Rosh Hakohol Dr. Tzvi (Harvey) Lang, Chairman Rabbi Plotkin, Secretary Layout: SimplyUnique (basmelech@gmail.com) All material in this paper has been copyrighted. It is the exclusive property of this newspaper, unless otherwise attributed., and cannot be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Composition responsibility: This newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in advertising, beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Advertiser assumes responsibility for errors in telephone orders. All advertisement designed and prepared by the CH Community Newspaper are the property of the newspaper and cannot be reproduced without the consent of the publisher When one tells a story about his Rebbe he connects to the deeds of the Rebbe (Sichos 1941 pg. 68) And yet, continued Rabbi Piekarski, perhaps more than these miracles, is the tremendous concern for others that the Rebbe displays. His willingness to deal with the most insignificant and minute details touches me most deeply. Before my annual summer trip, the Rebbe always asks about my itinerary and the length of my stay in each country. He always gives me shaliach mitzvah coins in the currency of the countries I will visit. As a rule, Switzerland is usually my first stop. Once, the Rebbe spent a considerable amount of time searching his drawers for Swiss coins. Waiting uncomfortably, I finally said that the Swiss accept U.S. coins as well. Only then did the Rebbe seem satisfied and stop his search. On another occasion, shortly before the wedding of a certain yeshiva student of limited means, the Rebbe questioned me in detail about the wedding arrangements. I could not understand how the Rebbe knew of all these minute details, nor could I understand his concern. The Rebbe noticed my discomfort in discussing these details and explained, I manage the distribution of funds from several charities. This is a responsibility that I don t want to give up. There is no need for you to get excited A colorful combination of adept professionalism, personal charm and downright chutzpah blended in the 770 photographer, Reb Levi Yitzchak Frieden. Reb Levi Itche, as he was affectionately called, has visited 770 from his home in Eretz Yisroel during each of the High Holidays since His camera s lens captured many touching incidents, such as the Rebbe s blessing of yeshivah students moments before Yom Kippur began. With one eye on his watch, as he dared not desecrate the holiest day of the year, and the other eye focusing his camera, Levi Itche took shot after shot of this memorable moment. He was so involved in his work that the Rebbe once told Frieden to tell the yeshivah students studying at 770 that if their enthusiasm would match Frieden s passion for photography, things would look much better. Freiden was eager to share the scenes of 770 with other Jews in Eretz Yisrael. In 1976, he held an exhibit called 770 at Tel Aviv s journalist center, Beit Sokolov. The exhibit, which later moved to Jerusalem and Bar Ilan University, afforded the large crowd of viewers a mix of spiritual experience and professional expertise. On the whole, the exhibit was highly applauded. However, one journalist commented in the guest book: With all due respect to the superb photography, the subject you have chosen is extremely clerical and takes us back to the primitive darkness of the Middle Ages. Upon my next visit to the States, Freiden continued. I presented the Rebbe with the guest book. Leafing through it quickly, the Rebbe noticed that negative remark. Please compliment the journalist on his strength of character. It takes fortitude to differ from all of the other responses, the Rebbe said, But tell him that not everything in the Middle Ages was dark. Furthermore, ask him to review his own newspaper. Today s news is not all that bright either. The Rebbe then handed me a dollar, asking me to deliver it to that journalist. Before he returned to Eretz Yisroel each year, Reb Levi Itche would wait a t t h e sidewalk before the Rebbe s home to take leave of the Rebbe. He always thanked the Rebbe for allowing him to take photographs, excused himself for any disturbance he may have caused, and also asked for a blessing for his family. One year, he waited with increased emotion. He had just met a young man who sorrowfully confided of his distress at having been married ten years without having children. You have your own way of approaching the Rebbe. Please mention my difficulty, he asked. Reb Levi Itche was touched by his request and resolved to bring up the subject in his brief encounter with the Rebbe. As he described the man s troubles, the Rebbe gazed sternly at Reb Levi Itche while the secretary, Rabbi Binyamin Klein, waited nearby to drive the Rebbe to 770. When Freiden concluded, the Rebbe responded: Tell the young man to write a note with his name, his wife s name and the names of their mothers. I will take it to the Previous Rebbe s grave. Then, as he often did, the Rebbe invited Reb Levi Itche to accompany him in the car to 770. Usually, Reb Levi Itche would decline. However, this time he entered the car, hoping to put in another good word for the young man. He did not have the opportunity. During the short ride, the Rebbe asked Freiden about his family and inquired if he had purchased a gift for his wife and children. When the car arrived at 770, Freiden took leave of the Rebbe and rushed to the man s home. He quickly gave him the Rebbe s response, took off for the airport and boarded his plane to Israel. Less than a year later, on the twentyfifth of Elul, Freiden returned to New York. As he arrived in Crown Heights, his host, Rabbi Gavriel Shapiro, was just leaving his house. Welcome, Reb Levi Itche. Remember when you requested a blessing for that childless couple at the beginning of the year? Well, you re just in time for the bris. Freiden glanced at his watch. It was almost 10 o clock, when the Rebbe would be leaving his home for 770. Without a second thought, he dashed over to President St. Rebbe, said Frieden, the blessing you gave last fall was fulfilled. Today is the bris. The Rebbe listened patiently, radiating composure. Don t make an issue of everything, he said waving his hand in dismissal. There is no need for you to get excited.

3 February 06, 2009 ~ crown heights Newspaper 3 The Rebbe's Sicha Parshas Bo A thought for the Week Reprinted from A thought For the Week By Rabbi YM Kagan THE SONG OF MOSHE. MIR- IAM... AND DEVORA Sedra Beshalach is highlighted by the dramatic account of the splitting of the Red Sea, at which two songs receive mention the Song of Moshe with the men, and the song of Miriam with the women: After the sea had returned to its original form, drown ing the Egyptians, Then Moses and the Children of Israel sang this song to G-d and they said etc...(1) When Moses had ended his praises, Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron s sister, took the drum in her hand, and all the women went out after her... and Miriam answered them, Sing to G-D etc... (2) The Haftora, the special weekly reading from N ach (post-mosaic bible including Judges, Samuel, Kings etc.) was selected to reflect the content of the weekly Sidra, the Torah-reading. There are two portions of N ach that seem equally suited for the Haftora to follow the reading of Moses song and Miriam s song. One is the Song of David,(3) a man, and the other is the Song of Devora(4) (Deborah the Judge and prophetess), a woman. It is the Song of Devora that was chosen to be read as the Haftora. The choice of this Haftora underlines the fact that there are certain areas and roles in Jewish life in which the Jewish woman has a particularly crucial role, mission and responsibility. One such area is the home to lead the home and ensure that it is a Jewish home, in the very fullest sense, a home permeated with the light and warmth of Torah and Mitzvos. When we examine the historical background of the songs of Moses, Miriam and Devora, an interesting and important distinction comes to light. The Sidra is describing a period in which the Jews were in the desert on their way to conquer the land of Israel, to gain a home for themselves. In such a period, the men led; it is the Song of Moses that receives the most prominent and detailed mention. The Haftora however, describes events taking place when the Jews were already in Israel and it was necessary to defend and maintain the Jewish home our homeland. It is Devora that leads now; Barak, the general of her army, is secondary and insignificant to her! And so it is in all generations. In maintaining, supporting and defending the basic fundamentals of the Jewish home, the woman foundation of the home leads the way. HEAP The HEAP Program Outreach Workers The scheduled appointments are on TUESDAY, February :15 AM--3:30 PM. at the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, 387 Kingston Avenue (corner Crown St.). Please come early -- First come, first served REFERENCES: Based on Likuttei Sichos Vol. VI p. 307 Exodus 15:1 Ibid : 20 Samuel II, Chap. 22 Judges, Chap. 4 GREAT NEWS. The outreach workers will accept BOTH regular and emergency applications. (To apply for emergency heap you must have a shut-off notice.) Those families on Food Stamps with a child under 8 need not apply unless you pay your own heating bill. You will receive it automatically. All other families must apply. Persons 60 and over can apply with DFTA Households on Section 8 are only eligible if they pay their own heating bill. Please bring in the following documentation: 1) Proof of income, Soc. Sec., or support letter for the past two months 2) Rent, mortgage or tax papers 3) Birth certificates and social security cards for family members 4) Fuel or utility bills 5) Proof of Citizenship (Citizenship paper). 6) Letter for child 18 and over that he/she is in School. Thank you Adapted from Shmais.com Engagements Eliyav Ben-Atar (Jerusalem) to Soudie Milecki (Sydney, AU) Moshe Bloch (Los Angeles, CA) to Miriam Ellenberg (London, UK) Sammy Fraenkel (London / Jerusalem) to Rina Zagauri (Casablanca, Morocco) Mendy Hershkop (Crown Heights) to Chiena Borenstein (C H) Shloimy Sandhaus (Buenos Aires, Argentina) to Malky Goldstein (Jerusalem) Yechiel Schmerling (Zurich, Switzerland) to Dina Lozenik (Miami Beach, FL) Yehoshua Schreibman (Highland Park, NJ) to Rivka Shaffer (Baltimore, MD) Menachem Mendel Shushan (France) to Zohara Dery (C H) Mazal Tov! Meir Szokovski (Melbourne, Australia) to Chevee Hein (Morristown, NJ) Chesky Wasserman (Crown Heights) to Rochel Gould (Monsey, NY) Menachem Yarmush (Crown Heights) to Sima Rabinowitz (S. Monica, CA) Pesach Zirkind (Crown Heights) to Sarah Leah Groden (Long Beach, CA) Weddings Avrohom Kaufman (Rockaway, NJ) to Channah Jones (Brisbane, Australia) Osher Klein (Melbourne, AU) to Ilana Kahn (Melbourne, AU) Yankel Potash (London, UK) to Shternie Rabin (Edgware, UK) Ariel Spiegel (Los Angeles, CA) to Rozy Brashevitzky (C H) Births Twins Shimon & Chanie Kramer TWIN GIRLS!! - Merrick, NY Shneur & Ruty Kramer TWIN GIRLS!! - Tel Tzion, Israel Births Boys Tzali & Chaya Camissar - Crown Heights Meyer & Tziporah Fischer - Crown Heights Levi & Chaya Risa Sabol - Monsey Yitzchok & Malky Schmukler - Houston, TX Zalmy & Dinah Shapiro Jerusalem Avremi & Nissa Bracha Yarmush - Los Angeles, CA Shaya & Esther Channa Zirkind - Montreal, Canada Births Girls Yossi & Toba Leah Charytan - Seattle, WA Moshe & Chani Gourarie - Toms River, NJ Mendy & Mattie Hecht Crown Heights Yehuda & Shayna Tilles - Jerusalem, Israel Yosef Yitzchok (YaYa) & Devorah Wilhelm - Crown Heights READ THE CROWN HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CROWNHEIGHTS.INFO

4 4 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~February Our Heroes Hagaon Hachossid Horav Chaim Meir Bukiet th of Teves 1998 Part II By Rabbi Michoel Seligson With special thanks to Reb Dovid Zaklikowski Trip from Vilna: Not to Sleep Reb Chaim Meir recalled. For the trip from Vilna we needed to have visas. There were different opinions among the various non-chabad yeshiva students regarding whether it was worthwhile to travel through Russia. Many were of the opinion not to go through Russia. The Lubavitch students unanimously supported traveling through Russia since this was the Previous Rebbe s directive. The officer who was responsible for issuing visas in the Russian consulate in Vilna was a Jew and a communist. It seemed that he knew Chabad chassidim, since he made a comment about our being Lubavitch chassidim. To our astonishment he requested that we supply him with a talis for his father. This is how we developed a relationship with him. He pointed out that the Lubavitch bochurim walked very slowly. Actually, this was because we were cautious with every step we took. At one point he instructed a student, Tell them to be quicker and not to sleep. When this student relayed the message to the other students, the mashpia Reb Aizik Boruch heard about it and gathered the students for a Farbrengen. Over the course of a full hour he elaborated on the words of this communist. He added, I constantly demanded of you not to sleep, but to hasten and do avodas Hashem with full energy and my words were not accepted. [But] when the communist demands not to sleep, you are immediately on the run. In Shanghai, there were three yeshivas. One was Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch, where the students sat and learned through hunger and good times and bad. The Lubavitch Yeshiva was in Shanghai for almost five years. The lack of food caused a susceptibility to the many illnesses rampant in Shanghai. This eventually took the life of one of the students, who was nifter in Shanghai. Rabbi Mordechai Bryski told this story. An epidemic spread through the Jewish ghetto. The sick that were contagious were brought to a house at the outskirts of the ghetto. For a while no one took care of them fearing that they themselves might become infected. When Reb Chaim Meir heard about them, he visited them daily, took care of them and gave them what food he had managed to find one way or another. In this fashion he risked his own life in order to save the lives of others. Kiruvim from the Rebbe In Shanghai, Reb Chaim Meir established his first contact with the Rebbe, then referred as the RaMaSh. At that time the Lubavitch publication house, Kehot, printed sforim in Shanghai, some of which were used in the yeshiva. The remaining copies were sent to New York to be sold. One of the students involved in the printing was Reb Chaim Meir. At that time the RaMaSh was the administrator of Kehot. He would send instructions from New York regarding which sforim needed to be printed and in which format to do so. Reb Chaim Meir would correspond with the RaMaSh regarding Kehot business. The esteem and kiruvim from the Rebbe to Reb Chaim Meir grew. Once the Rebbe asked Reb Chaim Meir about a certain law regarding Brich Shmeh, which is recited at the open Aron Kodesh. Reb Chaim Meir responded according to what he remembered from Otwock. The Rebbe then approached distinguished elderly chassidim from Russia and asked them the same question. Their response was the exact opposite of Reb Chaim Meir s. The Rebbe then called Reb Chaim Meir and again asked the same question in the presence of the older chassidim. Reb Chaim Meir gave the same answer as before. The older chassidim dismissed it saying, It is a Polishe maaesh (story). The Rebbe said, I asked my father-in-law, the Rebbe, and he responded as this young man responded. A R o s h Ye s h i v a D a r f Nisht Shlepen Zeklach Some years later, when Reb Chaim Meir was the Rosh Yeshiva in the Lubavitch yeshiva in Brooklyn, he would stop at the store on the way back from yeshiva to purchase groceries as his wife requested. Once, Reb Chaim was walking on Eastern Parkway with packages in his hand. The Rebbe walked over to him and took the packages out of his hands saying, A Rosh Yeshiva darf nisht shlepen zeklach - A Rosh Yeshiva should not carry packages. Reb Chaim Meir answered, Than for sure the Rebbe should not carry the packages. The Rebbe did not return the packages. Reb Chaim Meir said to the Rebbe I will find a bochur to carry them. The Rebbe did not release the bags until a bochur passed by. The Rebbe gave the bags to the bochur to take to Reb Chaim Meir s home. In 1988, a letter which Reb Chaim Meir wrote to the Rebbe regarding several sforim was discovered. The letter contained the RaMaSh s handwritten response. Member of the Lubavitch Yeshiva Faculty In 1946, the last group of students from Shanghai arrived in New York City. Reb Chaim Meir was asked to become a Rosh Yeshiva and join the faculty of the Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva located in 770. The Shidduch When Reb Chaim Meir came to New York, he entered into Yechidus with the Previous Rebbe to receive a brocho to find a shidduch. The Rebbe told him, You have a cousin in Uruguay. Go there to meet her, and it should be in an auspicious time. With that the Yechidus ended. Reb Chaim Meir left for Uruguay to meet his future wife. She came to greet him at the port and a short while later they agreed to marry. The wedding was scheduled to take place on Sunday, the 3rd of Kislev. All the preparations were nearly completed as the big day grew closer. A telegram was received from the Previous Rebbe which stated that the wedding should be held on Friday, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, instead of the 3rd of Kislev. The bride recounted that when they received the telegram the family wanted to inform everyone who had been sent an invitation that the wedding date had been changed. Reb Chaim Meir did not let the family inform anyone except those who after the wedding would be able to return home before Shabbos began. In the summer of 1948 Reb Chaim Meir was offered the position of Rav in the Oneg Shabbos Shul in East Flatbush and in Elul the family relocated to East Flatbush. The Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brooklyn, founded in 1940 on the tenth of Adar, the day after the Previous Rebbe arrived in the United States, was established initially in this very shul. In 1957 Reb Chaim Meir was selected to be the Rosh Yeshiva of the Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva, located, until 1969, on Bedford Avenue and Dean Street. He continued until his last day in this position, at the yeshiva s next location on Ocean Parkway and then in the Chovevei Torah Shul on Eastern Parkway. Concern for Others Reb Chaim Meir gave a shiur twice a week, impacting the lives of many of the students by talking to them and appealing to their hearts with the warmth and love of a father to a son. Reb Chaim Meir showed a special concern for students who were from out-of-town and his warmth was reciprocated by the students. One parent recounted one of the many stories about Reb Chaim Meir s interactions with the students. My son loved to do childish things. When my son brought shlach manos to him, Reb Chaim Meir sat down with my son to speak with him and was able to reach him. After that he changed his silly ways. After the Rosh Yeshiva of 770, Horav Hagaon Hachossid Reb Mentlik, was nifter. Reb Chaim Meir took over the maintenance of the Kupas Bochurim fund, which paid for clothing for bochurim. His house was open to all and it reflected his good heartedness. One of his famous quotes, constantly repeated, was the Rebbe s Maharash s saying of the 8th of Menachem Av published in the Hayom Yom. From my grandfather s aphorisms: What good is Chassidus and piety if the main quality is lacking - Ahavat Yisrael, love of another - even to

5 February 06, 2009 ~ crown heights Newspaper 5 the extent of causing (G-d forbid) anguish to another! Chizuk Hashechuna of East Flatbush Reb Chaim Meir and his wife, may she live and be well, lived in East Flatbush, a five-minute drive from Crown Heights. Reb Chaim continued to serve as the Rav of the Oneg Shabbos Shul. East Flatbush, after years as a vibrant Jewish community, became a place where one seldom saw a Jew. When Mrs. Bukiet was asked why they stayed all those years, even when there were no Jews, she related the following. Remaining in East Flatbush My husband wanted to move to Crown Heights a long time ago to live as close as possible to the Rebbe. I wanted to live close to the friends in East Flatbush that I had made over the years. My husband wrote to the Rebbe asking his advice. The Rebbe responded, It is up to the wife where to live, since she is home the whole day and would like to be around her friends. Later on when there was no longer a community of Jews, I wanted to move. Since the Rebbe came out with a declaration not to move out of a Jewish community, my husband would never have the audacity to leave and he did not even want to write a letter to the Rebbe about it. So there he lived till his last day, taking care of the Mikva and the Shul, gathering a Minyan every Shabbos and Yom Tov. Daily, he traveled back and forth to the yeshiva on Ocean Parkway in Flatbush. A few times a year Reb Chaim Meir was accustomed to make a Farbrengen for his students in his home and in later years in the shul. The shul was located five blocks from his house. Once, students wanted to escort him home at the conclusion of the Farbrengen, since East Flatbush was not so secure in those days. Not wanting them to go even a block out of their way, Reb Chaim Meir told them, I am not scared of them, they are scared of me. Throughout the years, Reb Chaim Meir walked to the Rebbe s Farbrengens, on Shabbos and Yom Tov. When there were Farbrengens every Shabbos, he would walk for thirtyfive minutes to Crown Heights. His son remembers until this day how they were accustomed to run home from Crown Heights to notify their father that there was going to be a Farbrengen that Shabbos. Exceptional Hospitality His love for every Jew was beyond bounds. Whether relating to spiritual or physical matters, he was willing to do any Jew a favor. There was once an individual who came from Israel to New York to collect money for an institution there. He asked Reb Chaim Meir if he could stay in his house for a few weeks. Reb Chaim Meir agreed and he moved into the basement of the house. Mrs. Bukiet would prepare supper for him every night. A few weeks passed and he did not leave. After a month and a half, and then two months he was still there. So it went for months. All that time Reb Chaim Meir did not let anyone ask this man why he did not leave. A year after his departure, he returned to the United States and again asked if he could stay with the Bukiets. Reb Chaim Meir again agreed to let him stay. The same thing happened as before. At no time, did Reb Chaim Meir treat him any differently or less courteously. Choosing Esrogim Reb Chaim Meir was very particular about not hurting another Jew. The following story displays this quality. Reb Chaim Meir would go out of his way to ensure that everything was according to Halacha. It is an old custom to buy the four minim [species] for Sukkos from a Rav who is knowledgeable in the standards of Halacha and could choose a kosher and nice set of the four minim. Many people were accustomed to come to Reb Chaim Meir to buy the four minim which he chose especially for them. Giving Away His Esrog There was an individual who once called Reb Chaim on the eve of Sukkos and told Reb Chaim Meir that his esrog had a blemish on it. Reb Chaim Meir had already distributed all of his sets. Knowing that this person would have an unpleasant Yom Tov if he did not receive a new esrog; he took his own esrog and exchanged it for the blemished esrog. The next morning, the first day Yom Tov, he went looking for another esrog. Reb Pinchos Blatt recalled. Reb Chaim was weak his last year, and unable to choose esrogim. When I visited him, he told him that he had already requested that someone should choose an esrog for me. The Oneg Shabbos Shul In shul he was accustomed to give a shiur every Shabbos in Likkutei Torah. A number of non-chabad individuals participated in the shiur. Someone related that he once spoke in a shul in Boro Park and one of the individuals told him afterwards that his speech did not coincide with what he had learned in Reb Chaim Meir s Shul on Shabbos morning in Likutei Torah. His knowledge in Chassidus was great and throughout the years he continuously learned Chassidus. During the period when he was sick, the family made a gathering over Shabbos in his house and brought the Sefer Torah from the shul. In the afternoon after Mincha on Shabbos it is a Chabad Chassidic custom to recite a Maamar orally. As Reb Chaim Meir saw that no one started saying a Maamor, he began saying a long Maamor. Despite his pain he exerted himself to say a chassidic discourse from memory, something that younger and healthier men consider a strenuous venture. Chabad Houses Reb Chaim Meir had a special fondness for the Chabad Houses of his children, Rabbi Alter Bukiet in Lexington, MA and Rabbi Zalman Bukiet in Boca Raton, FL. He traveled there often, coming to dinners and special events. He was accustomed to call up his son Zalman every Motzoei Shabbos, and ask him what he had said in his speech that week. Almost every Chanukah and Purim he traveled to Lexington. This story transpired there. Mark was a young man who had no interest in anything Jewish. All he wanted to do was study to study at university and have fun. His mother worked in the Chabad House and he helped her out there from time to time but he was never seen at any of the Chabad House functions. Once when Reb Chaim Meir asked her where her son was, she answered it was a waste of time trying to get her son to the Chabad House. Your son tried all day to get him to come here, but he refuses to come. Reb Chaim Meir asked her for her home phone number. Reb Chaim Meir called Mark and asked him, Why don t you come to the Chabad House? After a few minutes of disagreement he agreed to come, out of respect. From the minute he came until the end of the party, Reb Chaim Meir danced with him without letup. Today Aryeh (Mark) is married and learning in the Kolel Tiferes Bachurim in Morristown. Long years on his reign In 1991, on his birthday on the 24th of Av, Reb Chaim Meir went to the Rebbe for a dollar and the Rebbe told him that he should have long years in his reign. The Rebbe then gave him an additional dollar, saying, Shnas Hatzlacha. Suddenly the Rebbe turned to him and said, This is for the Rebbetzin. Reb Chaim Meir was puzzled since the Rebbe had never given him a dollar for his wife. That summer Mrs. Bukiet was bitten in camp, poisoned and had to be hospitalized. Reb Chaim Meir then understood the Rebbe s foresight. In addition to Reb Chaim Meir s involvement in rabbinic matters and leadership of the yeshiva, he was among the elite members of Vaad Rabbonei Lubavitch, and served as the Rav of the Chevra Kadisha. When the Rav of Crown Heights, Horav HaGaon Hachossid Reb Zalman Shimon Dworkin would convene a Din Torah, he would generally choose Horav Hachossid Reb Yitzchok Duber Ushpal and Reb Chaim Meir to join him on the Bais Din. Referring to Reb Chaim Meir, Rav Dworkin said, He has a straight mind. When Vaad Horabbonim Hakloli was established, Reb Chaim Meir was one of the first members chosen. Reb Chaim Meir left thousands of his manuscripts, written scholarly texts on everything from Chumash to Gemoro, currently being prepared for publication by his children. In his last months, Reb Chaim Meir suffered terribly from his illness. Rabbi Bryski related that when he asked Reb Chaim Meir about his pain, he responded that pain refines the person. He was nifter on Motzoei Shabbos on the 27th of Teves., כז In Hebrew, the letters for 27 are pronounced zach in English, which means refinement. His ptira was a great loss for his family, students and the Chabad community. He left, may she live and be well, his wife, Rebbetzin Esther Bukiet; his daughter, Mrs. Rochel Stillman, the wife of Horav Hachossid Reb Yerachmiel, Mashpia of the Lubavitch shul in Los Angeles, California; his son, Horav Hachossid Reb Yosef Yitzchok, the Rebbe s Shliach of Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad, Los Angeles, CA; his son, his son, Horav Hachossid Reb Avrohom Shmuel, the Rebbe s Shliach in Israel and Mashpia for the girls school in Lod; Horav Hachossid Reb Levi, of Chicago, Ill; his daughter, Mrs. Chaye Bukiet of Crown Heights; his son, Horav Hachossid Reb Alter Bukiet, the Rebbe s Shliach in Lexington, MA; his daughter, Mrs. Sara Kramer, the wife of Horav Hachossid Reb Shmuel, a member of the board of Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in Montreal and administrator of the yeshiva Zal; his son, Horav Hachossid Reb Zalman, the Rebbe s shliach in Boca Raton, FL; and grandchildren serving as Shluchim across the globe, from Brazil to the Ukraine, to Canada and the United States. Yehi Zichro Boruch! We should speedily witness The ones who dwell in the dust will awaken and rejoice with Horav HaGaon Hachossid Reb Chaim Meir Bukiet among them.

6 6 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~February A Rabbi s Northern Adventure From the Heights of Alaska to the Golan Heights Reprinted with special permission by the author and Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch By Rabbi Yisrael Haber My fantasy was shattered immediately. The office looked nothing like the recruitment advertisements for the Air Force on television. Instead of a large desk with American flags all around it, and a view of the United States Capitol outside the window, Chaplain Gabrielsen s office was tiny, flagless,with a view of a truck parked in the lot outside. The chaplain was reading a newspaper, his legs propped up on his desk. He looked up at me, and without saying a word, he picked up his phone and dialed another office in the building. Hello, come in here a minute, he said, still looking at me. There s something I want you to see. He stood up and smiled. At ease, chaplain, he said. A moment later, a master sergeant came into the office. Looking at me up and down, both men enjoyed a good laugh. What s the matter? I thought. Had I put something on wrong? Had I forgotten to close one of my buttons? Was my hat tilted in the wrong direction? Then Colonel Gabrielsen apologized and welcomed me to Elmendorf. Patting me on the shoulder, he said, The first thing we are going to do is to get you out of that uniform. You look like a poster for Air Force recruitment. This is Ron Applegate, our section s head N.C.O. I remembered that N.C.O. stood for non-commissioned officer. Chaplain Gabrielsen, I began. Call me Lou, he said. Thank you, but I would like to know what was so funny. Izrel, he said, it has been years since I have had the chance to meet someone fresh out of chaplain school so slickly dressed and polished. And your official greeting was most refreshing. But it won t be necessary here. Ron will take you over to the Base Exchange where you can purchase a more casual zipper jacket, a more casual flight jacket, a more casual flight cap, and some authorized open-collar summer shirts. We only wear full uniform on special occasions. The Lutheran chaplain didn t stand on ceremony. He was friendly, experienced, and genuinely eager to assist his new rookie rabbi. He introduced me to the staff and turned me over to Ron and Chaplain Kennedy, who helped me with my processing. We went to many buildings and filled out many forms. In addition to receiving a more informal uniform, I was issued a parka and a full wardrobe of Arctic survival gear, since I would be traveling throughout the state in all kinds of weather. That evening, as some of our packages were being brought into out lodging, there was a noisy knock at the door. A soldier came in with an order. You are requested, Chaplain, to meet with Lieutenant General Gamble tomorrow morning at 0900 hours. Quickly, I make the calculation in my head: 0900 hours is nine o clock in the morning. Very well, I said, returning his salute. A few minutes later, the base chaplain, Colonel Gabrielsen, came running frantically up to the door. Izrel, he said in a Southern twang, there is a serious problem with you. What problem? I asked. I ve just been here a day. You have to meet the Lieutenant General tomorrow morning. Fine with me. He stared at me in wonder. You ve been here only one day and you are given appointment with a Lieutenant General. I have been in the Air Force for twenty years and I don t even know what a Lieutenant General looks like. What s going on? Beats me, I said. Well, I am going to find out what this is about, he promised before hurrying away. Fifteen minutes later, he came back out of breath. It s about the Congressional order, he said. I want to know everything there is to know about this mixer. Mikvah, I corrected That s what I said mixer. Why do you want to know about it? I asked. It s the subject of tomorrow s meeting with the Lieutenant General. In all due respect, sir, I hedged, a mikvah concerns many intricate laws of ritual purity, and I ve just arrived from a very long trip. What could I say? How could I begin to explain? The man was a Lutheran minister. Was I supposed to sit down with him with an opened Shulchan Aruch and start to explain Jewish law? I have to know everything, he insisted. It s all codified in the Jewish law books. I ll need them to explain all the details. You ve got them don t you? I m not leaving. I ll sit here while you unpack. Fortunately, or unfortunately as the case may be, I had taken a lot of my books along on the plane, in order to have a basic Jewish library until all of our possessions arrived. There were boxes of Talmud, Mishna and Jewish law. Colonel Gabrielsen watched as I opened the boxes and set a few large volumes of Talmud and the Shulchan Aruch on the table. Unable to contain his curiosity, he opened them up and stared like a blind man at the Hebrew and Aramaic texts. Explain to me, he commanded. On one leg? I thought. It had taken me many, many long months to learn the laws of Niddah and family purity, and he wanted it all in five minutes. So as Miriam went about unpacking our things, I sat for four hours with the Lutheran minister, delving into the intricacies of Jewish Halacha. He sat with his mouth opened, totally impressed. He had heard about the Talmud, but he had never actually seen a volume in his life. His eyes seemed to say, Not only are all of these laws written here, but here are a husband and wife who actually live in this way! When the crash course in mikvaot was finished, he said, Listen, Izrel, when we go in to see the Lieutenant General in the morning, do me a favor. Don t say anything. Just let me do the talking. He was my boss, so I said okay. Next morning, I dressed in my new casual uniform, not realizing that as a three star general and the highest commanding officer in the region, Lieutenant General Gamble was responsible for American security against military attack from Soviet territory which was only a few miles away from the tip of Alaska. In fact, just the day before, he had been in Washington for a personal pow-wow with President Nixon. Chaplain Gabrielsen came to get me first thing in the morning. As he led me into base headquarters, I immediately sensed that Elmendorf wasn t just a backwoods base of little importance, but a vital component of the country s defense. Uniforms were starched and stiff. Personnel performed their duties with a nononsense officialness down to the tiniest detail of military protocol. Before we got through to the Lieutenant General s second-floor office, we had to pass through two secretaries and the major who acted as the Lieutenant General s chief aide. Good morning, chaplain, they all said, greeting me politely. By all means, please step inside. The Lieutenant General is expecting you. If, back in Brooklyn, someone had asked me how a Lieutenant General looks, I would have answered, Exactly like Lieutenant General Gamble. He was the picture of an Air Force commander. Tall, broad shoulders, square jaw, short haircut, gray at the temples, icy blue eyes a double for John Wayne. His jacket was top-heavy with medals. Walking over to me, he gave me a smack on the back. Welcome aboard, rabbi, he greeted. Please, have a seat. You too, Chaplain Gabrielsen, glad you re along. So there we sat the Catholic general, the Lutheran minister, and the Jewish rabbi what might have been, in another situation, the start of an off-colored joke. Though you would think the base commander had more serious things to worry about than the new Jewish chaplain, he looked uncomfortably nervous to me. Is Mrs. Haber well? he asked politely. Yes, thank G-d, she s fine. Thank you for asking, sir. I am asking because I have been requested by the Congress to issue emergency orders for your wife. Emergency orders? I asked. That s right. I have been asked to approve that your wife fly alone once a month to Seattle on one of our transport aircraft. Normally a spouse can only fly if she is traveling with her husband in his official Air Force capacity. For a dependent to fly without her sponsor, she needs emergency orders cut out by the highest ranking officer on the base, which in this case happens to be me. I nodded my head. What could I say? Was it my fault that there was no mikvah in all of Alaska, compelling my wife to travel every month to the nearest mikvah nearly two thousand miles away? The Lieutenant General was staring at me with a look of displeasure. Well you see, I stuttered. Izrel, Colonel Gabrielsen warned, cutting me off. I can explain, sir, he said, facing the Lieutenant General. I spent the better part of last evening with the rabbi, and believe me, sir, do yourself a big favor and just sign the papers. I think I should know what this is about, the base commander answered. Please sir, Colonel Gabrielsen said. This is a religious matter. I am the base chaplain, and I advise you to sign without further protocol. Well Lou, you are my head chaplain, the Lieutenant General said. If you think it s the right thing to do. Absolutely. Take my word for it. Just sign the order. Nodding, the Lieutenant General signed the paper and handed it over to me. Have a Happy Mikvee, he said.

7 February 06, 2009 ~ crown heights Newspaper 7 Parshas Hashavua Vedibarta Bam ~ Beshalach By Rabbi Moshe Bogomilky QUESTION: Moshe should have only said, Do not fear. G d will fight for you. Why did he add You shall be silent? ANSWER: The Midrash says: Continuously Hashem has an argument with Satan. Satan complains to Hashem that the Jewish people commit various crimes. Hashem tells Satan, Instead of speaking evil about the Jewish people, let us compare their record with that of the gentile world, and you will see how upright the Jewish people are. However, Hashem has a problem when Satan complains that the Jewish people speak in shul during davening and the reading of the Torah. It is difficult for Him to defend them because in church the gentiles are very quiet and well behaved. Alluding to this Moshe told the Jews, Do not worry about any problem Satan tries to create, because Hashem will fight him and defend you. However, the condition is Ve atem tacharishun You should be silent in shul during davening and the Torah reading. Do not speak any devarim betteilim idle talk because Hashem finds it difficult to defend us from this complaint of Satan. of Israel? Targum Yonatan ben Uziel explains that originally Moshe told Paroah that the Jews would leave Egypt to serve Hashem and that the trip would take only three days. Thus, when the time came to leave Egypt, the infamous trouble makers, Datan and Aviram decided not go because it was not worth the effort to make such a big trip in three days. Hence, the B nei Yisrael Children of Israel to whom Paroah will speak are Datan and Aviram. When Paroah and his select armies chased after the Jews, Datan and Aviram joined him. Hashem told Moshe to tell the people not to fear the Egyptians, whereupon they started going into the sea. The sea then miraculously split, and the waters stood like a wall on their left and on their right. Afterwards, when Paroah and his army came after them, the waters covered over them and they were drowned. The Torah is relating that another miracle occurred while the Egyptians were drowning. Namely, there was a special splitting of the sea so that, B nei Yisrael the Children of Israel i.e. Datan and Aviram, could go through in safety and join with the rest of the Jews on the other side of the sea. The word chomah with a "ו" means a wall. Without a "ו" it can be read as chaimah מ ה),(ח which means anger. The first time the waters split for the entire Klal Yisrael, they happily stood like a wall on their right and on their left. However, when they had to split a second time for B nei Yisrael Datan and Aviram they were angered to have to change their free-flowing nature for these wicked people. Therefore, the word chomah is written without a "ו" to indicate that this time they stood as a wall chaimah angrily. )הגדה מוצל מאש( "ויסר את אפן מרכבתיו וינהגהו בכבדת" And He took off the wheel of their chariots, and He made them drive heavily. (14:25) QUESTION: Why does the pasuk say ofan wheel in the singular, although a chariot has four wheels? ANSWER: Had Hashem removed all four wheels of their chariots, the horses could have exerted themselves and dragged the chariots on the ground. However, by removing only one wheel, Hashem caused their ride to be turbulent and agonizing with the chariots violently swaying from side to side. Thus, the riders were pummeled and pounded by the damaged chariots. )שער בת רבים )ילקוט האורים בשם חידת שמשון( "ויבאו בני ישראל בתוך הים ביבשה והמים להם חומה מימינם ומשמאלם... ובני ישראל הלכו ביבשה בתוך הים והמים להם חמה מימינם ומשמאלם." "ויקח משה את עצמות יוסף עמו" Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him. (13:19) QUESTION: In the Gemara (Sotah 13a) there is a dispute as to where Yosef was buried. According to one opinion he was interred in the crypt where the Kings of Egypt are buried, and according to another opinion he was buried in the Nile river. Yosef was definitely one of the greatest personalities of his time. It would be logical to assume that his burial place was a national monument; how then is it possible for such diverse opinions as to where he was buried? ANSWER: The name Yosef can refer to the Jewish people. As the Psalmist says, O Shepherd of Israel (Hashem), You who leads Yosef (the Jewish people) like a flock (80:2). Since Yosef provided for his brothers and their families throughout the years of the Egyptian famine, all of Jacob s descendants who survived by Yosef s benevolence are called by his name (Rashi). The views expressed in the Gemara can be explained as a metaphor for the survival of the Jewish people throughout the galut. The issue is what is the source of strength of the Jewish people. What secret power is buried within them that helps them endure and survive all the persecutions they encounter throughout their lengthy exile? One opinion is that it is due to the crypt of Kings their political connections to the highest officials in government. Fortunately, often the intelligence, wisdom, and contribution for the betterment of the country made by members of the Jewish people has been recognized, gaining them access to government. In turn, these individuals used their influence on behalf of their brothers. Another view claims that their source of strength is the Nile river a body of water completely separate from the land. This symbolizes that the Jewish people have nothing to do with the inhabitants of the country in which they dwell. Their absolute detachment and isolation from Egyptian society helped preserve their identity and ultimately enabled them to survive the alien forces which sought their destruction. In reality, both views are correct. Even when the Jew rises in government circles and in the eyes of its leaders, he must always remember to maintain his identity and his unique Jewish spirituality. This was actually Atzmut Yosef (lit. the bones) the essence of Yosef, and the philosophy he embodied. Moshe carried this legacy and imparted it to Klal Yisrael. )מצאתי בכתבי אבי הרב שמואל פסח ז"ל באגאמילסקי( "ויגד למלך מצרים כי ברח העם ויהפך לבב פרעה ועבדיו" And it was told to the King of Egypt that the people fled; Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart. (14:5) QUESTION: The people did not run away. Were they not asked to leave? ANSWER: In Parshat Beshalach the term am people refers to the eirev rav, a mixed multitude of Egyptians who left Egypt together with the Jewish people, and the expression B nei Yisrael refers to the members of the Jewish community. When Pharaoh asked the Jewish people to leave Egypt, he sent along with them a contingency of his own Egyptians. He anticipated that this fifth column would assure the return of the Israelites to Egypt. Suddenly, word reached Pharaoh that barach ha am his own people whom he sent along with the Jewish people had fled. Pharaoh now had a change of heart for permitting the Children of Israel to leave, because not only did he lose his slaves, but he also lost his own subjects who enriched his coffers with taxes. (אור החיים) Originally, the Children of Israel were destined to be slaves for 400 years in Egypt, but were only there (ברח) barach 210 years. The word fled has the numerical value of 210. When the Egyptians began to complain to Pharaoh that barach ha am the Jews were there only 210 years again his heart hardened and he regretted sending out the Jewish people pre maturely. )רבינו בחיי( "ויאמר משה אל העם אל תיראו...ה' ילחם לכם ואתם תחרישון" Moshe said to the people, Do not fear...g d will fight for you, and you shall be silent. (14:13-14) The Children of Israel came within the sea on dry land, and the water was a wall for them, on their right and on their left... The Children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea; the water was a wall for them on their right and on their left. (14:22,29) QUESTION: 1) Why, after relating that the Children of Israel walked through the sea on dry land and that the entire Egyptian entourage was drowned, does it repeat that the Children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea? 2) Why when first describing the splitting of the sea, is the word chomah (חומה) wall written with a "ו" and when the Torah describes the miracle a second time it is written?"ו" without a ANSWER: When the Jews started their travel in the wilderness, Hashem told Moshe to change direction and start traveling back towards Egypt, so that Paroah will say livenei Yisrael to the Children of Israel they are locked up in the land; the wilderness locked them in (14:3). Commentaries ask, since all of the Children of Israel left Egypt, how can Paroah possibly say something livenei Yisrael to the Children

8 8 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~February You are invited to Participate in a Workshop on Life/ Career Visions, led by Career Counselor (25 years experience) on Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 1-3PM Walk away with a Posterboard and a clearer life vision! Where: Crown Heights Center 305 Kingston Ave. between Eastern Parkway and Union Street Brooklyn, NY When: Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 1-3 PM Cost: $36.00 Interested? Please register no later than Wednesday, Feb. 4th at 12 Noon through jherman44@hotmail.com

9 February 06, 2009 ~ crown heights Newspaper 9 Tznius: "America Is Nisht Andersh The Courage to Break a Tai ve By Mrs. M. Resnick How often do we look at some fad or style taking a hold of these beautiful, pure Neshomos, that are our children and we rationalize, what s wrong with that? It s only a flower ornament, it s only a feather trim, it s only a trend. It will pass. How often do my friends urge me: Leave well enough alone! Why make mountains out of mole hills? How often do our Mechanchim and Mashpiim turn a blind eye to infractions so they can see only the positive? And sometimes these chessidike questions and urgings almost succeed in creating doubts in my mind but inevitably the Rebbe always sends some Igros or rather Sichos, my way, that keep me staying the course. Here is one such example of Hashgocho Protis that showed up as soon as I opened my Dvar Malchus this week: Sicha of Yom Daled, Parshas Beshalach, Yud Shvat, Tof Shin Tes Vav. (my free translation): There is a story that the Frierdiker Rebbe told about an incident that occurred after the wedding of the Alter Rebbe s grandson (son of the Mitteler Rebbe). (It was customary at the time to marry at a young age, almost after Bar Mitzvah). Among the gifts the young man received was a beautiful and expensive fur coat, with a special leather trim. The Alter Rebbe told his grandson that if he would be willing to tear, and remove from the katinke (over-coat), the special leather trim, although that portion of the coat represented its particular beauty and worth, he would promise the boy Iti, Imi, Bimchitzosi - that he would merit to be with the Alter Rebbe in Oilom Habo. The boy asked if he had to comply with all his inward essence (b Amitius, b Pnimius) or whether it would be sufficient for him to do it only because he was obeying his grandfather. It seems that the young man was not up to the level of doing it for its own sake, and Azoi iz dos guebliben - so it remained. (Editor s note:he removed it because the Rebbe asked and not from his own P nimius the way the Alter Rebbe wanted) Later on at the end of his life the grandson spent several years in Hodich, the location of the Ohel of the Alter Rebbe, to be Mechaper (atone) for not having had the ability to tear the katinke in the proper manner. When the Frierdiker Rebbe told this story he explained why this sacrifice (that the Alter Rebbe was asking from his grandson) merited to have such a special reward attached to it, being that this is one of the greatest gifts and promises that can be awarded. The Frierdiker Rebbe s explanation: In that particular place, county or country, where the Alter Rebbe lived, Yidden had started to adopt the fancy attire (putzen zich) of the nations of the world.(ed. note: A new trend was in the works.) When the Alter Rebbe discerned that this was a new Klipa in the field of Tai ves (desires) that was at the onset of the peak of its strength, he decided that it had to be broken and annulled before it had a chance to grow and spread. The breaking of a Tai ve has to take place in those who have that Tai ve and in this case it mostly affected young men, especially after their wedding when there is a desire to adorn oneself (oisfeinen zich). Since this particular Tai ve had particular relevance to the subject (the grandson), the Alter Rebbe was willing to promise such a special reward. From this it is understood that if one notices that there is a special place or time when there are those who are lusting after a certain element that has no place according to Torah, and one acts to break that particular element it can have an effect in other things and for years to come. (End of that portion of the Sicha interestingly the next portion is about not putting emphasis on Tachlis i.e. secular education and career goals at an early age, in fact not to embark on it until almost the age of 20, and staying strong with learning Torah.) So how do we apply this breaking of a Tai ve, that has a tendency to take hold of youth to our lives today? Here are some suggestions that occurred to me. Perhaps our readers could come up with others. How about every mother and father taking this Sicha and reading it and discussing it with their teenagers, both girls and boys and asking them if they can think of similar katinke s in their lives? How about every Rebbe and Mechaneches teaching the Sicha and using it as a springboard for discussion with their students? Why not have this Sicha be the guide for the next Hiskashrus or Tznius, week, month or fair that is set up in our schools? For example, would it be too great a leap to take the idea of the removal of the trimming from the Katinke and apply it to the curbing of the Tai ve for manicures - the new weekly hygiene routine which has taken hold of our teenage girls? Perhaps we should start training ourselves to think in terms, not of what s wrong with it but rather in terms of what s right with it? Maybe that paradigm shift would not rate the reward of Iti, Imi, Bimchitzosi, but I am sure that it would certainly bring us closer to our Rebbe on this Yud Shvat. Comments & Questions: Tznius1@ Verizon.net. Shevat Yahrzeiten This week we continue with the Yahrzeiten of people who lived in our shechuna. We are also including the Yahrzeiten of Shluchim. In mentioning them we come to v Hachai yiten el Libo. We learn from their lives, lessons that we can incorporate into our own. This column includes the Yahrzeiten from the 12th through 17th of Shvat. The respective resting places of the individuals noted in this column are near the holy Ohel, unless otherwise specified. Men 14th of Shvat Horav Hachossid H atom i m R eb Shmuel Dovid Belinow The son of Horav Hachossid Reb Avrohom Osher, he sacrificed himself to study in Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Russia, and was among the devoted mekushorim of the Previous Rebbe and the Rebbe. He was born on the 18th of Kislev 1910 in Klimovitz and was nifter in Horav Hachossid H atom i m R eb Y i sroel (I z z y) Halevi Rosenfeld The son of Horav Hachossid Reb Yitzchok Eizik Halevi, over the course of the years he merited many kiruvim from the Rebbe. Reb Yisroel was very involved in the shechuna and its vital interests, and assisted many people. He was nifter in th of Shvat Horav Hachossid H atom i m R eb Yehuda Chitrik The son of Horav Hachossid Reb Tzv i Hirsh, he was among the few people who merited to see the Rebbe RaShaB, the Previous Rebbe and the Rebbe. Born on Rosh Hashana 5659/1898 in Krasnaluk to a distinguished family which traced its origins to the Alter Rebbe s chassidim, Reb Yehuda studied in Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Lubavitch and later moved to Kharkov where he studied with the noted Rosh yeshiva HaGaon Hachossid Reb Yehuda Eber, after which he had to flee from government agents. In 1926 he was married to Miss Kayla Tumarkin, the daughter of the Rav of Kharkov, Hachossid Reb Aharon, and served as a shochet until the government closed the shechita plant. He sacrificed himself amidst great challenges to raise his children in a chassidishe atmosphere and was a role model despite all the obstacles against Yiddishkeit. After WWII, he relocated to Antwerpen, Belgium, with the intention of moving to the United States, but the Previous Rebbe instructed him to remain in Belgium in order to spread Yiddishkeit and the warmth of Chassidus among the refugees who came in Belgium. In later years, Reb Yehuda moved to Montreal, Canada, where he was appointed mashpia in Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim and in the 1970 s he settled in Crown Heights to live near 770. He was nifter in 2006 at the age of 106.

10 10 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~February th of SHVAT The Human Tree Based on the teachings of the Rebbe Courtesy of MeaningfulLife.com Reprinted from Chabad.org For man is a tree of the field Deuteronomy 20:19 Man is a tree of the field, and the Jewish calendar reserves one day each year -- the New Year for Trees on the 15th of Shevat -- for us to contemplate our affinity with our botanical analogue and what it can teach us about our own lives. The tree s primary components are: the roots, which anchor it to the ground and supply it with water and other nutrients; the trunk, branches and leaves which comprise its body; and the fruit, which contains the seeds by which the tree reproduces itself. The spiritual life of man also includes roots, a body, and fruit. The roots represent faith, our source of nurture and perseverance. The trunk, branches and leaves are the body of our spiritual lives -- our intellectual, emotional and practical achievements. The fruit is our power of spiritual procreation -- the power to influence others, to plant a seed in a fellow human being and see it sprout, grow and bear fruit. Roots and Body The roots are the least glamorous of the tree s parts, and the most crucial. Buried underground, virtually invisible, they possess neither the majesty of the tree s body, the colorfulness of its leaves nor the tastiness of its fruit. But without roots, a tree cannot survive. Furthermore, the roots must keep pace with the body: if the trunk and leaves of a tree grow and spread without a proportional increase in its roots, the tree will collapse under its own weight. On the other hand, a profusion of roots makes for a healthier, stronger tree, even if it has a meager trunk and few branches, leaves and fruit. And if the roots are sound, the tree will rejuvenate itself if its body is damaged or its branches cut off. Faith is the least glamorous of our spiritual faculties. Characterized by a simple conviction and commitment to one s Source, it lacks the sophistication of the intellect, the vivid color of the emotions, or the sense of satisfaction that comes from deed. And faith is buried underground, its true extent concealed from others and even from ourselves. Yet our faith, our supra-rational commitment to G-d, is the foundation of our entire tree. From it stems the trunk of our understanding, from which branch out our feelings, motivations and deeds. And while the body of the tree also provides some of its spiritual nurture, the bulk of our spiritual sustenance derives from its roots, from our faith in and commitment to our Creator. A soul might grow a majestic trunk, numerous and wide-spreading branches, beautiful leaves and lush fruit. But these must be equaled, indeed surpassed, by its roots. Above the surface, there might be much wisdom, profundity of feeling, abundant experience, copious achievement and many disciples; but if these are not grounded and vitalized by an even greater faith and commitment, it is a tree without foundation, a tree doomed to collapse under its own weight. On the other hand, a life might be blessed with only sparse knowledge, meager feeling and experience, scant achievement and little fruit. But if its roots are extensive and deep, it is a healthy tree: a tree fully in possession of what it does have; a tree with the capacity to recover from the setbacks of life; a tree with the potential to eventually grow and develop into a loftier, more beautiful and fruitful tree. Fruit and Seed The tree desires to reproduce, to spread its seeds far and wide so that they take root in diverse and distant places. But the tree s reach is limited to the extent of its own branches. It must therefore seek out other, more mobile couriers to transport its seeds. So the tree produces fruit, in which its seeds are enveloped by tasty, colorful, sweet-smelling fibers and juices. The seeds themselves would not rouse the interest of animals and men; but with their attractive packaging, they have no shortage of customers who, after consuming the external fruit, deposit the seeds in those diverse and distant places where the tree wants to plant its seeds. When we communicate with others, we employ many devices to make our message attractive. We buttress it with intellectual sophistication, steep it in emotional sauce, dress it in colorful words and images. But we should bear in mind that this is only the packaging--the fruit that contains the seed. The seed itself is essentially tasteless--the only way that we can truly impact others is by conveying our own simple faith in what we are telling them, our own simple commitment to what we are espousing. If the seed is there, our message will take root in their minds and hearts, and our own vision will be grafted into theirs. But if there is no seed, there will be no progeny to our effort, however tasty our fruit might be. TU BESHEVAT Q & A By Rabbi Moshe Bogomilky "באחד בשבט ראש השנה לאילן כדברי בית שמאי בית הלל אומרים בחמשה עשר בו" The first day of Shevat is the New Year for the tree according to Beit Shamai. Beit Hillel says it is on the 15th of Shevat. (Rosh Hashanah 2a) QUESTION: Why is it necessary for us to know the date of the New Year for trees? ANSWER: The Hebrew calendar is set up according to a seven year cycle, and the seventh year is known as the shemittah year. During this year the land is left idle and no work is done in the fields. In the first, second, fourth and fifth year of the six year cycle, the farmers have to set aside ma aseir rishon (first tithe) for the Levi, and ma aseir sheini (second tithe) is brought to Jerusalem to be eaten. On the third and sixth year, ma aseir ani is given to the poor people in lieu of ma aseir sheini. Ma aseir must be given from the fruits which grow on the tree each year. One cannot give from produce of the current year for another year. For purposes of ma aseir from trees, the new year is calculated from the time when the fruits of the trees begin to blossom. Tu BeShevat is the cut-off date between one year and the next. In the year which follows shemittah, fruits which blossomed before Tu BeShevat belong to the first year of the cycle, and fruits which blossom after Tu BeShevat belong to the second year of the cycle. QUESTION: What is the basis of their dispute? ANSWER: The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 16a) states that on the festival of Sukkot (15th Tishrei) the world is judged in regard to water. This does not contradict to the opinion in the Gemara that on Rosh Hashanah (1st Tishrei) the entire world is judged, because the judgment on Rosh Hashanah is general judgment that only creates the potential for the water to be given. The detailed practical determination concerning the water takes place on Sukkot. According to the Jerusalem Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 1:2), the significance of the New Year for trees is that until then all trees live on the water of the previous year. After Rosh Chodesh Shevat the trees derive their life source from the water of the new year. Thus, the effect of the new water occurs four months after the period of judgment. Hence, the dispute between Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel concerns the (בכח) significance of the potential and the actual.(בפועל) Beit Shamai is of the opinion that the potential is of primary significance. Consequently, according to Beit Shamai, since in potential the judgment of water took place on the first of Tishrei, four months later we celebrate the New Year for the trees, when the potential begins for them to derive nurture from the waters which were included in the judgment of the entire world four months ago. However, according to Beit Hillel, priority is given to that which is actual. Thus, the actual decision on water takes place on the fifteenth of Tishrei. Therefore, four months later, on the fifteenth of Shevat, the trees start living from the new waters. )לקוטי שיחות ח"ו( QUESTION: All the different New Years discussed in the Mishnah are mentioned in the plural. Why is this New Year mentioned in the singular, for the tree, (לאילן) instead of for?(לאילנות) trees the ANSWER: The Torah commands that on the yom tov of Sukkot we take a peri eitz hadar a beautiful fruit of a tree (Vayikra 23:43). Our sages say this refers to the etrog the citron. People spend lavishly to purchase a beautiful etrog in order to fulfill the mitzvah in an exceptional way. The Mishnah tells us that Tu BeShevat is the New Year for the tree, and by using a singular term it informs us that we should pray particularly la ilan for the tree namely the etrog tree, which is very important to us. On this day, one should beseech Hashem that He grant us a beautiful etrog with which to perform the Torah s commandment. (בני יששכר) The word ilan (אילן) tree has the numerical value of 91, which is also the numerical value of א-ד-נ-י י-ה-ו-ה (The L rd G d). This emphasizes the fact that the trees of the field are not the work of man, but that of A-mighty G d.

11 February 06, 2009 ~ crown heights Newspaper 11 The New Year for the Trees Courtesy of Chanan and His Violin- Reprinted from Chabad.org Published and copyright by Kehot Publication Society By Gershon Kranzler Once upon a time there lived a poor melamed, a Hebrew teacher, in a small village in Poland. He had his daily troubles with the hardheaded farmer boys who were his students. For they would rather roam the countryside than learn the alef bet, the difference between the daled and the resh, or the hey and the chet. All through the summer the melamed had plenty of time for himself. The Jewish farmers needed their children to help in the fields, and his pupils would any time prefer mowing corn or loading hay to learning how to read and write Hebrew. That was summer. But now it was winter, and a heavy fall of snow covered every inch of the ground upon which the poor melamed walked. Yet this was his day off. For it was Tu B shvat the fifteenth day of the month of Shvat. You know that this day is the New Year of the tree world. Our melamed, too, thought of the meaning of Tu B shvat, as he left the village and walked towards a nearby forest. He knew very little about trees and nature in general. For he had hardly ever left his study and his beloved books. Thus, you will not be surprised to hear that the learned man was wondering in what manner the trees celebrated their Rosh Hashana. Were they budding and putting on their coat of green, or was there any other form of celebrating New Year of which he did not know? W h e n h e r e a c h e d t h e forest, he was deeply disappointed to find the trees and bushes covered with thick coats of crystal-white s n o w. W h o knows, he pondered, perhaps they were talleitim (prayer s h a w l s) a n d k ittels (white robes) like pious Jews on their High Holidays! Just then a strong wind blew through the treetops, and the sounds of the swaying branches sounded like the whispering of devout prayers. Our melamed stood quietly amidst the noise of the windy forest, as fervent melodies passed through his head. Again he asked himself: What kind of a New Year do the trees celebrate? Don t they look as if they were dead? Suddenly, the entire scene became transformed. The melamed was able to see through the glittering, sparkling snow, as if the bark was made of pure, transparent glass. From the marrow of each little branch, tender sprouts pushed closer to the surface; yet they were careful not to go too far. It was still too cold for them to face the harshness of the world beyond the casing of the branches. But within, life was stirring, and the beginnings of new, strong branches were marking time until the Master of the trees and bushes would bring them. The melamed eagerly drank in the full beauty of this tender spectacle. His strained eyes had never looked beyond the bark of oaks and birches and the poplars that lined the streets of his village. He had never dreamt of life and sprouting twigs deep within the trunks of those impersonal trees. Now he saw and understood that day, too, were individuals, each one in his own right and own way of life; each one with his proper soul and living spirit. The New Year of Trees was no longer meaningless to him. A sudden gust of wind sprayed millions off fine snow-stars into the crisp air, and the melamed s eyes were closed as by a curtain. when he was able to see again, the wondrous scene had disappeared. Only the slender fir-trees swayed back and forth, and their naked branches seemed to shake with mockery. Yet the man who returned home to the village was no longer the same poor melamed. Poor were only the clothes that covered his thin body. Poor was only the little hut that served him as a shelter. Yet, deep within him budded spirited life, the blossoms of a hopeful future. What did it matter that his students were hardheaded farmer-boys? He realized that deep within them lay seeds of knowledge and much learning. He knew that he had only to supply the warmth of loving understanding to lure the sprouts out of their hiding, so that they would blossom and show the fruits of their harvest. They, too, would yet become good Torah students some day! Cuttings Courtesy of Chabad.org By Shlomo Yaffe As we approach Tu B Shvat (the 15th of the month of Shevat on the Jewish calendar) which is designated as the "New Year for Trees" it's time to listen to what the trees have to say to us. (Trees don't talk but have a great deal to say, in contrast to candidates for political office who talk a great deal and have very little to say.) One of the most amazing things a tree tells is about survival. Even if a terrible storm or vicious beast will tear apart a fruit tree and smash it utterly, as long as one twig remains, we can plant it on its own, or graft it onto another far less fruitful tree. This cutting will flourish as a tree bearing beautiful fruit -- fruit of the same flavor the original tree had; or alternatively, it will greatly enrich and increase the productivity of the tree into which it was grafted. Recently, on a particularly frigid Friday night, one of the people who braved the elements to attend Shabbat Eve services at our synagogue was a Holocaust survivor who afterwards said the following to me: "Rabbi, I don t know how I ever survived dozens of days colder than this during the Holocaust. We had to stand motionless outside for more than two hours in nothing but a thin pair of pajamas. As the years go by I see my survival more and more as a miracle." Hearing these words as I was about to go warmly bundled up into the cutting cold evoked the unspeakable pain and suffering of the Holocaust, and my own inability to ever truly grasp it, in a very poignant way. But something else came to me: These words came from a man who came to this country after the Shoah and, notwithstanding everything he had endured, raised a beautiful family, and is very active in our Synagogue and Jewish communal life. This experience of unstinting contribution to Judaism and the Jewish community is the rule, rather than the exception, among the Holocaust survivors that I have met. They may have come here as scattered and broken twigs, but these cuttings have flourished and borne fruit in all areas of religious and communal endeavor throughout the Israeli, American and European Jewish communities where they resettled, making those communities far greater than they ever were before. We, who have merited being healthy, whole "trees" all our lives, must ask ourselves: How much more is asked of us, who have not suffered! Let us challenge ourselves to carry on the work of this most shattered yet most fruitful generation. May our deeds serve as a good answer. 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12 12 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~February Tu BeShevat Recepes CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH DRIED FRUIT ON A BED OF COUSCOUS Inspired by Moroccan tagine cooking, this dish contains modern additions: wine, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Like the Moroccan original, it is served over a bed of couscous, which lovingly absorbs the rich sauce. Chicken is considered an everyday food, but this dish is fit for the most festive occasion. Ingredients: 12 chicken drumsticks 6 whole, small red onions, peeled 12 pieces (each 4-5 cm/2 inches long) of Jerusalem artichoke, peeled 250 g (9 oz) dried figs 200 g (7 oz) prunes 200 g (7 oz) dried apricots The Marinade: 1/2 cup oil 2 Tbsp sesame oil 2 Tbsp brown sugar 3 Tbsp honey 1/2 cup soy sauce 5 cloves garlic, chopped 3 sticks cinnamon 1 Tbsp coriander seeds 1 level tsp turmeric 1 Tbsp cumin seeds, crushed 2 Tbsp sesame seeds Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 cups dry red wine To Serve: 1/2 kg (1 lb 2 oz) instant couscous 1/2 cup walnuts, roasted Note from Norene: Jerusalem artichoke is not truly an artichoke but a variety of sunflower, sometimes known as sunchoke. With its lumpy brown skin, it strongly resembles ginger root. The white flesh of this root vegetable is nutty, sweet and crunchy. It can be eaten raw or cooked. If you can t find it, replace with parsnips or turnips, cut in chunks. 1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. 2. Arrange the chicken, onions, Jerusalem artichoke and dried fruit in a baking dish and pour over the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, up to 24 hours. 3. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). 4. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until the chicken turns shiny and brown. Baste the chicken occasionally with the liquid from the bottom of the pan. The dish up to this point may be prepared in advance and later heated in the oven. 5. Before serving, prepare instant couscous as per the manufacturer s instructions. 6. Arrange the chicken casserole and sauce over a mound of couscous, sprinkle the walnuts on top and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6 TU BI SHVAT CAKE Lots and lots of dried fruits and nuts and just a little bit of dough to hold them all together. The choice of fruit is all yours, the more the merrier. Just remember to combine different colors to make the cake more attractive. This dense, juicy, not overly sweet cake will keep for a long time. Ingredients: 60 g/2 oz (7 Tbsp) flour 60 g/2 oz (7 Tbsp) sugar 3 eggs 200 g (7 oz) assorted dried fruits (prunes, apricots, raisins, figs, papaya, cranberries) 200 g (7 oz) assorted nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg Small pinch of ground cloves 1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F). 2. Mix flour, sugar, eggs and spices. 3. Chop larger dried fruits (apricots, prunes, papaya) coarsely. Add them with the rest of the fruits and nuts to the dough and mix thoroughly. 4. Transfer to a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the cake is a deep golden-brown. 5. Cool completely and slice very thin with a bread knife, but only what you plan to serve. The unsliced cake keeps better. Makes 1 loaf pan Note: There is no oil in this cake. DRIED FRUIT COMPOTE Simple, refreshing and delicious, this is the traditional ending to a rich Shabbat dinner or any other festive meal. Feel free to alter the ratio of the fruits according to personal preference. Remember to go easy on the apple rings as they swell considerably during cooking. Ingredients: 1 cup dried apricots 1 cup prunes, with pits (to maintain the shape) 1/2 cup dried apple rings 3/4 cup raisins 1/2 cup sugar 1 cinnamon stick Half a lemon 1. Put the ingredients in a large saucepan. Add water to twice the level of the fruit. 2. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for about 30 minutes. Adjust the seasonings, adding sugar if you like it sweeter. 3. Refrigerate and serve well chilled. Serves 6 to 8 From: The Book of New Israeli Food by Janna Gur CARBONNADE FLAMANDE Serves: oz. bottle dark beer 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 3 cups onion (sliced in) rings 1/2 tsp. salt 1-1/2 cups stewing beef, cut in 1-1/2" to 2" cubes 2 tbsp. tomato paste (1 more tbsp., optional) 2 tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. dried thyme (1 tbsp. fresh) 1 tsp. salt or to taste 1/4 tsp. pepper 2 bay leaves Open the bottle of beer and pour into a bowl or glass. Don't bother avoiding a head, we want it become flat. Give it a stir to make it foam a bit every couple of minutes while we work on the onions. Or, if you have time, pour it out a couple hours before you start cooking to give it time to go fizzless. Mix the oils--the idea is that you get the flavor from the olive oil and the "smoking point" (the temperature that oil smokes) from the vegetable oil. Pour the oils into a heavy 3-quart pot and heat them on mediumlow. Slice the onions into 1/2"-wide rings. How you do that is easy-sneezy. Core out the root end by sticking in the tip of your knife and slicing around it. You can pull it out with the tip of the knife or leave it in 'cuz it'll drop after the first couple rings. Now, hold one end of the onion, and just slice from end to the other. See? Easy. That's that with that. Toss the onions in the oils with the 1/2 tsp. salt. Let braise for about 10 minutes until onions rings have separated and are translucent. Turn up the heat a bit and continue cooking, stirring every couple of minutes. When they've colored a bit (another 10 minutes or so) and are completely limp and volume has reduced by half, remove them to a large plate. While that's going on, prepare the beef. You don't need to be precise here, just eyeball the beef and trim to size. I know that the second joint on my index finger is just a little more than 1-1/2" so I don't need to waste time hauling out a measuring stick or tape or anything like that. I just look and compare and cut as needed. Again, easy easy easy--look at a few pieces, stir the onion rings, look at the beef, stir the onion rings, rinse, lather, repeat. Now we brown the beef. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and add more oils (mixed half-and-half) to the pan if necessary. Then place the cubes/pieces in the onion-flavored oil in ONE (count it, one) layer, with at least 1/4" separation from the pieces. This is really important. You need to give the pieces room to sear or else they'll steam and become an unappetizing gray. That's not SO very important in the long run because the "sauce" will color them, but we want to develop a "fond" (base) that will dissolve into the stewing liquid later. If you have to, brown the meat in batches. OK, then. Leave the meat to brown on one side for two, three minutes and take the time to assemble the rest of the mis-en-place (order of the workplace, as we've discussed before). Don't turn it until you see juice beading up on the "up" side. Then flip it, be prepared for a bit of sizzle, and again, brown for a couple minutes. Then flip it around so it's browned on both sides. What's browned? Dark brown, with almost crusty streaks, that is to say, carbonized. When that's occurred, then toss the pieces around the pot until they're browned on all sides. Don't worry about the bottom of the pot- -most of that schtuff will dissolve into the stewing liquid and b'lieve me, what's left won't be that difficult to scrub off later. Remove beef and put on the plate with the onions. (if necessary, repeat steps for the second batch and even third). Now to assemble the stew. Take the dark beer that was set aside and pour Continued on page 14

13 February 06, 2009 ~ crown heights Newspaper 13 Shaalos Utshuvos in Modern Times Can I find G-d in school? By Moshe Goldman Question: I know that everything I do can be meaningful. My rabbi says that everything we do has to be an act of preparation for Moshiach. But how can studying for my high school diploma be a preparation for Moshiach?? Response: Great question! Dr. Paul C. Rosenbloom was a religious Jew and a professor of mathematics. He once told the Rebbe about a rabbi who had visited his home and expressed disapproval of the bookshelves. "How can you keep secular books together with Torah books on the same shelf?" the rabbi lamented. The Rebbe replied that to place Torah in one world and science in another borders on having more than one G d. Rather, all knowledge should have the same purpose, to further our awareness of the one Creator of All Things. So, too, your high school studies are a way that you can further your awareness of G d. And since Moshiach means a time when G dliness will be obvious, furthering your awareness of G d and making Him more obvious in your life fits right in to the preparations for Moshiach. Here are some suggestions on how to find G d in your studies: When you study biology, you can marvel at the complexity, detail and precision of G d's creations. How can a person praise G d without contemplating the many miracles of life? When you study history, you can ponder the Divine Providence with which G d ran the show at that particular period, and His mysterious reasons behind it. When you study English, you can think about how G d split the world up into many different languages at the time of the Tower of Bavel, and how prior to that there was a unity prevalent among all mankind which we need to bring back. These are all just examples. Do the same with every subject find the point in it that you can use to connect it with something G dly. When you open up your books, don't think "I hate this pointless stuff that has no connection to Judaism or anything real," rather think that "I am now going to dig until I find something that is real here, and then I will focus on that and make it the most important aspect of this subject for me." I hope this helps. Birkat Hachamah FAQs Where and when is this blessing performed?... How long is the service?... Can I do Birkat Hachamah at home?... What is Birkat Hachamah? Birkat Hachamah literally means "the Blessing on the Sun." Its text: "Blessed are You, Lord our G d, King of the universe, who reenacts the works of creation." (Though it is traditionally accompanied by a few brief prayers and Psalms.) This blessing is recited once every 28 years, when the sun reaches the point where it was at the time of its creation at the exact same time of day and on the same day of the week. Where and when is this blessing performed? This blessing will be recited on Wednesday morning, April 8, 2009, after sunrise and before a quarter of the day has elapsed. If one missed this time, the blessing can be recited until midday. Click here to find out these exact times for any location. Technically, you can say this blessing anywhere the sun is visible (preferably while standing outdoors). Ideally, though, try to join up with others; celebrate this special mitzvah amongst throngs of fellow Jews! How long is the Birkat Hachamah service? The actual blessing and accompanying prayers take no longer than 5-7 minutes. Add in some words from the rabbi, and still it shouldn't take longer than 15 minutes especially on this super-busy Passover eve day. Will we witness an unusual solar phenomenon on this date? From an astronomic point of view, nothing unusual will happen. The sun, moon, planets and stars will not be aligned in any specific pattern. The arrangement of the heavenly bodies will not even resemble the way they were at the time of creation. Birkat Hachamah marks the sun reaching a specific (and not unusual) position the same one it occupied at the moment of its creation at the same time of the week when it was created. I won t be able to make it to my synagogue, can I do Birkat Hachamah at home? Technically, there is no requirement to say the Birkat Hachamah in the presence of a congregation. So if you can't make it to your synagogue, print out the text of the service and say it wherever you may be. However, due to the momentousness of the occasion, it is customary to make a big public to-do out of the ceremony. So make every effort to attend the service and bring along your spouse and kids too! Is Birkat Hachamah any different this year because it falls on the morning before Passover? The ceremony will be no different than any other Birkat Hachamah. However, because of the day's many other Passover-related responsibilities such as finishing and burning the chametz and preparing for the night's Seder it will probably be time-efficient and brief. Additionally, your local Chabad Center will likely combine this service with the customary Passover Eve Firstborn Feast and/or provide those attending with the opportunity to sell and burn their chametz. What if the sky is obscured by cloud cover? The blessing can be recited as long as the sun can be seen, even if not clearly, even if only its outline is visible through the clouds. If the sun is completely obscured, then one should wait until right before midday, with the hope that perhaps the sun will appear. If that does not happen, then right before midday the blessing should be recited while omitting G d's name ("Blessed are You who reenacts the works of creation"). Why does Birkat Hachamah take place once every 28 years? According to tradition, the sun was created at the moment of the spring equinox which coincided with the first moment of the fourth day of creation. When the sun reaches this starting point again at the exact same time of day and on the same day of the week, we recite the Birkat Hachamah. According to the astronomical calculations of the 3rd century sage Shmuel, the length of a solar year is days, or 52 weeks plus 1¼ days. It thus follows that precisely one year after creation, when the sun returned to its original position, it would be 1¼ days (one day and six hours) later in the week. After two years, it would be 2½ days later in the week. Only after 28 years, would the sun return to that position at the same time at the onset of the "fourth day," Wednesday. Why is Birkat Hachamah on the 8th of April when the equinox falls 18 days earlier? This has to do with the fact that the length of the "tropical year" used to compute the date of Birkat Hachamah is slightly longer than the actual tropical year. See Calculating the Date of Birkat Hachamah for an extensive discussion on this issue. From Chabad.org I thought the sun was created on Rosh Hashanah? Though we celebrate the anniversary of all of creation including the sun on Rosh Hashanah, approximately six months before the spring equinox, there is actually a debate in the Talmud whether the world was created in Tishrei or Nissan. The consensus reached is that with regards to the counting of years we count from Tishrei, but in all areas of Jewish law that pertain to the calculations of seasons (and equinoxes falls under this category) we calculate from Nissan (click here for more on this topic). Is there any connection between Birkat Hachamah and Passover? There is no connection between the two. The timing of Birkat Hachamah is related to a solar event, whereas the Jewish calendar and the date of Passover is determined by the lunar orbit. Birkat Hachamah always occurs on a Wednesday morning in the beginning of April, which will always be around the time of Passover but could be before, after, or even on Passover. Is there also a blessing recited on the moon? Yes, on a monthly basis, a few days after it begins to wax. For more information on this blessing, see Thank G d for the Moon! Is this related to ancient sunworshipping rites? The blessing is addressed to G d, the creator of the sun and all else. Jewish tradition absolutely forbids worshipping or praying to any entity other than the one G d and numerous times the Bible singles out the sun as one of those entities we may not worship! Is this biblical, rabbinic, or kabbalistic? It is a rabbinic ordinance first mentioned in the Talmud as are virtually all the blessings recited according to Jewish tradition. Do Sephardic and Ashkenazi customs differ on this? Yes, slightly. The blessing and core prayers are the same, but different communities will say different Psalms and prayers based on their ancestral tradition. Can this phenomenon be proven scientifically? The phenomenon that prompts the Birkat Hachamah is the vernal equinox definitely a scientifically verifiable event. As for the timing of the Birkat Hachamah ceremony (which is several days after the equinox), see Calculating the Date of Birkat Hachamah.

14 14 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~February Notes No Vacation By Lieba Rudolph I know there s no such thing as a vacation from the battle to bring Moshiach, but my children s school had a week off last week and the air fare to Los Angeles was just too reasonable, so away the family went. Even the most dutiful soldier gets a little R&R but I was still nervous about what it would do to me. I made sure to tell people who commented on the terrible ice storm back east which is pretty much everyone since Californians love winning the climate comparison game-- that we actually didn t come for the weather. I d like to think that I d go anywhere to visit my children and grandchildren, but I must admit a special fondness for visiting them in the middle of winter. So while there was no mivtzoyim, no classes, and almost no writing, there were long walks, life discussions, and pleasant visits with friends and family I don t get to see often enough. At nearly every turn there was good food made even better by the fact that it s not easy to get at home. And I m happy to say that the only stores I entered were grocery ones, almost a pleasant diversion since I wasn t rushing through them. I was worried I had mellowed too much in the week I was there. Sure, I was calling it the Stupid Bowl, but in the next breath, I was justifying the healthy outlet that football provided. But I knew I had to hit the ground running ice and all when I got home and heard about our Chabad women s beauty pageant in response to Susie Essman s comments on The View. I ll admit that I watched the piece online (I was on vacation after all ) and I even ed them a brief comment suggesting they invite a real Chabad woman on the show, not to clarify our style, but our content. But I must also admit that I am shocked that we are now putting ourselves on Facebook to defend the notion that we are as beautiful as as whom? Just who is looking at these pictures and why? Aren t there tznius implications here? Not to mention, if I waste time scrolling through the pictures, commenting on Chavi s sheitl or Chaya s nose, how different am I than the women who sit at home wasting time watching TV? Shouldn t we be showing the world through our actions that true beauty comes from within? Painful events of the last few months indicate an outer urgency in the fight to bring Moshiach, but this response to The View shows a frightening inner urgency as well. Boruch Hashem, my reaction was to jump at the opportunity to have a Yud Shevat farbrengen at my house tomorrow. I am grateful to be back in battle. Jewish History Personality Horav Chaim Falagi Rav of Izmir, Turkey: Kabbalist, Halachist. Rabbi Chaim Palagi was born in Turkey in 1788 a prolific author. Seventy-two of his works are known, but it also is known that some of his manuscripts were destroyed in the great fire which struck Izmir in Every time Rav Falagi published a new book, he made a festive meal and ate a new fruit, on which he would recite the blessing of She he cheyanu. (There is a dispute amongst poskim/halachic authorities whether one may recite this blessing in honor of printing a sefer.) In one of his works, Rav Falagi describes his own life as follows: I call heaven and earth to testify that from the age when I could control my faculties until I was 20, I used to devote myself single-mindedly to Torah study, day and night, with no wasted time. I had no involvement with worldly matters. From age 20 to age 40, when my children were dependent on me, I dealt with Recipes Continued from page 12 it into the hot pan. Unless it's totally completely flat flat flat it will foam up. When that subsides, and beer is boiling, take a spatula and scrape the bottom of the pot. No need to be ultra-thorough about it, maybe scrapes, just to get the fond up and into the beer. Add the rest of ingredients, except for the onions and beef and bay leaves, and stir until mostly dissolved. worldly matters as a broker. Nevertheless, whenever I had no work, I did not turn to frivolity and wasteful things, but rather I returned to my studies. From age 40, when I was appointed to be a rabbinical judge and teacher and to handle matters of concern to the public, until this day, there is not a minute when I am not surrounded by litigants or by public affairs. These matters come both from this city and its environs, and also various decrees of the government keep me busy with matters affecting the public. Therefore my heart worries within me that I do not spend sufficient time studying. I therefore force myself to use the limited time that I have for studying, and many others see me and do the same; may they learn from me that when distractions come along, whether they come from public or private matters -- for one s eyes and heart search for a spare moment -- that spare time, when it comes, should not be wasted. If one lives thus, his Torah studies will be Again, no need to be thorough on this, it's basically campfire cooking indoors. Then add the onions and beef, including any collected juices, and the bay leaves. Bring up to a boil, then turn down to a bare simmer (time to rhyme to get you through any stew: higher heat toughens the meat). Cover, and let cook s-l-o-w-l-y for 45 minutes. If you have the time, then certainly, an hour won't hurt it at all. Check the carbonnade and if the liquid seems *too* thin, add another tbsp. Tomato paste and blessed. Rav Falagi s son wrote of him: His behavior with his family and the excellence of his character traits in blend in. Remove bay leaves (really, they won't soften and are inedible) and serve. RECAP: 1. Make onion rings and braise them until semi-caramelized. 2. Brown beef. 3. Deglaze pan with beer. 4. Add rest of ingredients and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes (or longer). Remove bay leaves and serve. dealing with them was unique in the world. He never became upset about any household issue; to the contrary, he always made peace overtures... He never became upset at the children s noise. He used to call them to him each morning to recite the morning blessings, and they prayed out loud. Very patiently, every day, he performed the mitzvah of You shall teach them to your children. He would instruct his children in fearing Hashem... and never to make fun of any person. Once, a member of his household offended another person and he [i.e., Rav Falagi] did not rest until that person had been appeased. A number of times, he even gave money to a person who had been offended. He was nistalek in Izmir, Turkey, 17th of Shvat 1858 The most famous book written by Rabbi Falagi is Kaf HaChaim.

15 February 06, 2009 ~ crown heights Newspaper 15 Shleimus Haaretz An Analysis of the Camp David Peace Process based on the Rebbe s talks I. The Halachah II. The Folly III. Fallacy and Truth Part II Pikuach Nefesh is Preeminent The critical issue here is pikuach nefesh, saving of life. The Torah tells us that pikuach nefesh assumes priority in almost every situation: Shabbos is desecrated to save life, the laws of Kashrus are discarded to save a life, etc. Jews en tered the Camp David peace process hoping it would lead to peace, and hence prevention of loss of life. Whether this goal is attained, however, is another matter. No one can maintain that the peace arrived at in Camp David is, or can be, assured. A treaty is only as good as the word of the man who signs it, and nothing on earth can guarantee its permanence. History is too full of instances where treaties were broken as casually as the tearing up of the paper on which they were written. In this case, there are several complications which further compound the uncer tainty. No one can really be sure of Sadat s intentions in signing the treaty. Did he really desire a lasting peace? Or was it just a way Living in Sderot By Elad Nehorai Courtesy of Chabad.org You walk towards your home. Perhaps you are coming home from work. Perhaps school. You've lived here since the day you were born. This is where you grew up. Where you prayed. Where you fell in love and married. This is your community. This is your home. As you walk home, you suddenly hear a siren. A siren you've learned to consider routine. "CODE RED" "CODE RED" You don't think. You run. You have twenty seconds. Luckily, a shelter happens to be across the street. Within seconds you are there, surrounded by your community. Children are screaming. Women are crying. Men are crying. You hear a whistling sound. A deafening explosion. The entire shelter shakes. Slowly, people calm down. Slowly, people come out of their shelter. Slowly, they look around for the destruction. They try to forget what just happened. Until the next time. to obtain that which he could not gain through war? He could easily break off relations once every thing is in Egypt s possession. And even if Sadat was per sonally trustworthy, there is no guarantee that his successors will be. Moreover, Egypt is not a sound democracy. Who knows what upheaval will produce which type of leadership? Egypt is unstable, a fact demonstrated by Sadat s assassination; and a new regime may not feel obligated to keep its predecessor s commitments. We will have more to say about this later. In short then, the peace is not an assured one, but merely a gamble for peace. Perhaps the peace will last but perhaps it will not. That is the idea of taking a chance. Conversely, the concessions made by the Jewish people are not mere verbal or written pronouncements, but very substantial indeed. So much so, that these concessions may put Eretz Yisroel into greater danger than before as we shall shortly discuss. In other words, while the concessions were made to avoid danger to life, they result in the reverse: they themselves are a danger to the lives of the Jews in Eretz Yisroel. We have then the following dilemma Welcome to your life. A life between Eden and Hell. Welcome to Sderot. Sderot is a beautiful town located out of sight of the big cities and is only minutes away from the now Palestinian-controlled Gaza. Its growth was spurred by its first Jewish inhabitants, such as the parents of Avi Asido, a carpenter, who, "s t a r t e d f r o m scratch, fighting for everything they had. Literally building the town and their livelihood." In the nineties Sderot reached a renaissance, doubling in size as immigrants came in droves from the former Soviet Union. The city of Sderot still reflects this history. It looks like most modern, progressive cities in Israel. According to the Chabad Rabbi, Zev Pizem, "Sderot is a wonderful, peaceful, quiet place." In fact, a little too quiet. For a city so large, there aren't that many people around. The streets don't have as many cars as you might expect. You may begin to wonder what is going on. before us: The peace process may avoid loss of life, but surrendering the lands constitutes a threat of life, G d forbid. Both acts seem ingly are for the purpose of pikuach nefesh. The crucial ques tion is: which takes precedence? What does the Halachah say? Torah is the Jew s guide in all aspects of life, and we look to it for direction in all things. There is a halachah in Shulchan Aruch, the Jewish Code of Law, which gives a clear directive in just such a case as ours. In the Laws of Shabbos, Orach Chaim, Ch paragraph 6, it states: When non- Jews besiege Jewish cities, if they came for money purposes, we do not desecrate the Shabbos because of them [by war ring against them]. But if they came [with the intention] to take lives, or even if they came with no announced purpose and there is reason to suspect that per haps they came to take lives; then, even if they have as yet not come, but are making preparations to come, we go forth against them with weapons and desecrate the Shabbos be cause of them. When it is a city close to the border, then, even if they want to come only for the purpose of [taking] straw and stubble, we desecrate the Shabbos because of them; for [if For the last eight years, Kassam rockets have been fired from Gaza into Sderot. For eight years, Sderot has been receiving sustained attacks of, "Ten, twenty even forty Kasams a day", according to Rabbi Pizem. Ten to forty times a day of, "CODE RED" Ten to forty times a day of as Rabbi Pizem puts it, "Huge, terrible, extreme noise. So loud that your head explodes." And with each attack, you hope that the rockets have missed your city, hope not to hear the stories that have become so familiar here. Stories like that of Avi's neighbor, "Ela, a 32 year old mother, who was killed by a Kasam... She died on the spot, right next to my carpentry business." Or like the story Rabbi Pizem shared of the mother who had tried for years to conceive a child. A Kasam fell by we do not prevent their coming] they may conquer the city, and from there the [rest of the] land will be easy for them to conquer [since it is a city on the bor der]. From this halacha we learn the following: Even if the entire purpose and intention of the enemy is only to take straw and stubble, and not to kill; and should we succumb to the enemy s demands and give him the straw and stubble there will be peace and no need for war; nevertheless, Torah tells us that the very threat of non-jews taking over a city close to the border constitutes a state of pikuach nefesh and the Shabbos must be desecrated to prevent its occur rence. For since the non-jews would then be in a strategic position to conquer the land itself, the security of the country is in jeopardy. Hence, although it is only a possibility in the future, Torah bids us, because of pikuach nefesh, to un dertake all measures, including actual warfare if necessary, to prevent such a situation from developing. Or in other words: the mere possibility that the security of the country s borders will, in the future, be weakened by the enemy s ac tions now, is deemed by Torah to be a situation of immedi ate pikuach nefesh and must be prevented now. them and, "The mother lost one leg, the child was killed." And if you survive the attacks, but your house is destroyed, "There could be damage estimated at 300,000 Shekel, but the government comes and says we will only give you 120,000 Shekel," says Rabbi Pizem. There are many who are forced to leave simply for this reason. Even in the moments where the rockets do not fall, the people of Sderot must constantly live with the scars that the Kasams have left. As Avi says, "Everyone is afraid all the time." Adults, children, entire families receive psychological and psychiatric attention. People suffer heart attacks. He has "witnessed families who absolutely fell apart as a result of the situation." Many have left. Many have left their families and livelihoods behind. The residents that have stayed rarely get to see their families, since the families are too scared to visit. "Meanwhile," Avi says, "we go to sleep at night not knowing whether we get up in the morning." And, yet, the majority of residents of Sderot have stayed. For eight years, ten to forty times a day, the people of Sderot and their children have Continued on page 16

16 16 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~February Financial Interest On Tithing Business Profits Correspondence by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, The Lubavitcher Rebbe 3rd of Nissan, 5723 [March 28, 1963] Brooklyn, N.Y. Mr. Shneur Zalmon Jaffe Salford, England Sholom ubrocho: You have no doubt received my cable, advising you that the loan has been arranged. The terms are outlined in the enclosed letter, and may G-d grant that it bring you an abundant measure of Hatzlocho. I duly received your recent letters, and the reply that follows is in the main an extension of my previous letters to you in reply to yours. Specifically, I wish to refer to the differences of opinion which you write have arisen between you and Mrs. Jaffe in regard to your Tzedoko contributions relative to your financial position, etc. The increase of your Tzedoko contributions should be at least proportionate to the increase in the volume of business. Generally speaking, one should give Tzedoko of his own money. However, I do not quite agree with your evaluation of your business results, and your position in general calls for a special approach. I will outline my views: 1) A part and not a small part, at that of the profits is consumed by exorbitant interest, and this is not warranted by the business, which should run on normal commercial credit and interest. Incidentally, it is not quite clear from your letter whether you acted on my suggestion to obtain credit from another bank, though I assume that you did obtain credit from a second bank, and for a substantial sum. 2) What is perhaps even more important is to remember that your business turnover has grown quite remarkably since we began to discuss your Tzedoko contributions. I believe I mentioned to you that sometimes the order is asseir first, and then comes the tisasheir, and sometimes it is reversed, namely, G-d extends His credit first, increasing the turnover of business and a proportionate increase in profits, expecting confidently that the asseir will follow in a commensurate measure. In your case the latter order was followed. Hence, the increase of your Tzedoko contributions should be at least proportionate to the increase in the volume of business, especially, as in your case, bli ayin-hora, the volume increase has been lma alo miderech hateva. 3) Though what follows here is entirely not in my field, nor can I base it on statistics, it seems to me that your mark-up on the goods (as I gathered from a word dropped by you during one of our conversations) is rather low. Of course, if this is the standard profit margin prevailing in this line in England, or even if your mark-up is intended as an initial incentive to gain new customers, no objections could be raised. But if both considerations do not apply in this case, a revision of policy is indicated. I repeat, however, that this is outside my competence, and I have made this observation only for what it is worth. With the increase of business and profits in an unusual way, I do not think it is justifiable to approach the question of Tzedoko with precise calculations 4) A further essential point is this, namely, inasmuch as the business and profits have, thank G-d, increased in an unusual way, I do not think it is justifiable to approach the question of Tzedoko with precise calculations, etc. 5) It is self-understood that a person residing in a community is obliged to participate in the community charities, especially on whom Divine Providence has bestowed a position of prominence and influence, which must be reflected in every aspect, including philanthropy. Needless to say, when I speak of an increase in Tzedoko, I do not mean at the expense of the Tzedoko which has been practiced before, but an increase in Tzedoko which is indicated by the growth of the business, as mentioned above. All that has been said above is relative to financial profits. Important as they are, they are by far exceeded by gains which cannot be measured in terms of money. And thank G-d, you have been blessed with such a fine Shidduch6 for your Bas Yechida7, and quite unexpectedly, and you have been blessed also with true Yiddish Nachas8 from your Ben Yochid9 (G-d bless them both), in a way which you also recognize was quite unexpected. One of the ways for you and Mrs. Jaffe as the blessed parents to say to G-d Thank You is by a greater devotion to all matters of Torah and Mitzvoth in general, and Tzedoko in particular, since Tzedoko is weighed against all the Mitzvoth. To turn now to the other matter of contention, namely, Mrs. Jaffe s complaint that you are doing too much community-wise and exerting yourself too much, etc. Needless to say, it is difficult to express an opinion at this distance as to what should be the time limit allotted to communal responsibilities. Besides, it is difficult to make a hard and fast rule, since the need is not the same in a uniform way, in every matter and at all times. However, the way of the Torah is, generally speaking, the golden rule, avoiding extremes, but occasionally to lean over to the right. As to what should be the golden mean in your case in terms of actual time, I trust you will both together be able to arrive at an acceptable solution......i will no doubt have occasion to write to you again before Pesach, but in any case I will wish you and everyone of your family a kosher and happy Pesach. With blessing, M. Schneerson Can the Jewish Community Survive the Crisis? By Tzvi Freeman Hold together now. Times are tough. In two years, we'll be laughing about it. The market will be up, real estate prices will be rising again, and people will be finding great jobs. The question is, will the Jewish community come out unscathed--or will we wake up one morning to discover we've got back our jobs and our money, but there's no kosher restaurants left where we can celebrate that, our children's schools have closed down, and our community is left desolate? I had no money to give him, no one to turn him to and no clue about social services in his townthat depends on what kind of community we are. On whether we lend a hand only when we feel secure, or even when we are tottering ourselves. On whether we look just to save our own skin when the fire is burning, or do we look out for one another as well. On whether it's every family for itself, or we are all really one family and we hold together no matter what when the world is falling apart. When this whole crunch started, I met with one of its more unfortunate victims, promising I would try to help him. I paid for the lunch--he ordered a hamburger and fries-- and sat there listening to his woes. Problem was, I had no money to give him, no one to turn him to and no clue about social services in his town. I felt physical pain. But I had to help somehow. So, I dug into my own experience of past financial crisis and I asked, "What are your long term goals? You're almost fifty. What do you want to be doing at fifty-five?" It sounded crazy to him--how is any of this going to help him now?--but eventually I got him talking about it. He had some training in electrical wiring. He could finish that off and get a better job. There were other opportunities, but he had turned them all down because, well, he had this crisis to deal with. We kept focused. We worked out a plan to get him where he wanted to be--simple, and sublimely doable. That solved, we went back to his "current crisis." And, miracle of miracles, he had solutions to every last problem. How did I know? Because I had been through the same conundrum. I had seen first hand that the most damaging approach a person could take to life was to spend 24/7 putting out the fires. When things are going good, you can survive without a long term strategy. It's when you're speeding downhill at 120 that you better have a very clear idea of where you want to get to. That was true for me, it was true for him, and it's true for our community as a whole. Decades ago, an imaginative Jewish microbiologist named Dr. Velvl Green told a story of a world where some irresponsible nuclear testing has initiated a meltdown of the polar cap. The entire world has three weeks before all inhabitable land will be submerged by the oceans. Muslims gather in Mecca, Catholics in Rome, and atheists just party. Meanwhile, Jews gather to hear the wise words of a revered rabbi. After concluding the afternoon prayer, the rabbi turns to the microphones and announces, "Jews! We have three weeks to learn how to live under water!" We already know how to live under water, under fire, on the road and anywhere else. We have inexhaustible experience at all those things. The question now is, can we huddle together while the storm rages outside? Can we preserve all that we have built together by making sacrifices to help the other guy, to help him keep kosher and his kids in a Jewish school when he doesn't have a job? Can we consolidate forces and amalgamate duplicate institutions by overcoming differences? Can we learn to buy low and invest in our fellow Jew so that we can reap the profits in the near future of a vibrant community with everyone still here and going strong? If we can, we will not just survive. We will be stronger than ever.

17 February 06, 2009 ~ crown heights Newspaper 17 Sderot Continued from page 15 stayed in this city. Why? Besides the physical beauty of Sderot, there is a palpable sense of a tight-knit love between the people here. They believe that, as the Rabbi puts it, "Sderot has something special. People have a sense of togetherness." In addition, the people of Sderot believe that they are the first line of defense for Israel. When you live in Sderot, you are a soldier of Israel. "Imagine if everyone left, what would have become of Sderot, and what is next? Ashkelon, Kiriat Gat and so on?" says Avi. But there is something more happening here. Something deep that roots many of the people in Sderot. That is the presence of G d. Two years ago, Nati Engel was driving his jeep through Sderot when, according to his wife, "a Kasam fell and a very small piece of the rocket penetrated his stomach". For two months he laid in a coma. The doctors thought he would not make it. They said his chances of surviving were incredibly low. He went through seven hours of surgery. When they were done, his wife received the news. He had survived. Says Avi: "There were about 5,000 Kasams raining on us, can you imagine the tragedies and damage it could have caused? So many times people were miraculously spared - a woman who just left her kitchen, and a Kasam fell into it, a man leaving his car seconds before a Kasam fall on it, whole families spared in a matter of seconds." Everyone seems to have a story to share. Some people talk about the time a Kassam landed in a Synagogue during a celebration, just when there happened to be no one in there. Everything in the room was destroyed. Except the holy books. And pictures of two rebbes. Welcome to Sderot. Between Eden and Hell. Home of tragedies and miracles. All that might change very soon. Since June 2007, there has been a delicate truce between Hamas and the government of Israel. Except for random rocket attacks, it was mostly honored. Until now. A shelter in Sderot. Families have 20 seconds from when the siren sounds to when the rockets hit On November 4 t h, " H a m a s fired approximately 45 rockets and dozens of mortar shells [at Sderot]," according to the Jerusalem Post. This gaily-painted tunnel in a playground is also a... bomb shelter And, for the first time in over a year, Israel responded to an attack from a Kassam. According to the same article, "The army said it identified a rocket launcher and fired in his direction... one person was killed." At the moment of this writing, both sides claim that they are committed to maintaining the truce. But one thing is clear. Sderot is at a crossroads. After some time of quiet, Sderot has become aware that it has always been in a state of war, even during the truce. Even when there is peace, they are waiting to be attacked. Even though G d watches over them, they feel the need to take action. And yet, they are stuck. They are too busy trying to live that they simply cannot take action. They cannot move an inch; every resident in Sderot is living on a tightrope. And this is why they are looking to the world for some help. This is why Sderot wants the Jews of the world to understand the world they live in. To remember the screams of the children in the shelter. The cries of the people. Sderot wants the world to hear their story. To know the truth. They want the world to know what it means to live in Sderot. And they want Jews to understand what Sderot represents. Welcome to Sderot. You're its newest citizen. Swimming is great low impact exercise! Come to the Rec-Center! February SUNDAY EVERYONE MUST HAVE A BATHING CAP TO ENTER THE POOL! WOMEN: 6:00PM - 7:45PM Girls 7:45PM - 8:45PM Women/Laps MONDAY MEN: 6:00PM - 7:45PM Boys 7:45PM - 8:45PM Men/Laps CAPS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FOR $3.00 TUESDAY WOMEN: 6:00PM - 7:45PM Girls 7:45PM - 8:45PM Aqua Aerobic Adult 8:45PM - 10:00PM Women/Laps WEDNESDAY MEN: 6:00PM - 7:45PM Boys 7:45PM - 8:45PM Men ADMISSION $2.00 Aerobics additional, not included in admission THURSDAY WOMEN: 6:00PM - 7:45PM Girls 7:45PM - 8:45PM Women Aerobics must be reserved in advance Aerobics classes Ahuva Aqua Aerobics Devorah Leah MOTZEI SHABBOS MEN: 6:30PM - 8:00PM Boys 8:00PM - 10:00PM Men Swimming Lessons: Boys: Call Shmuly Girls: Call Miriam For more information call After 6PM