THE SIBLING WAVE L ENGTH ב ה Sponsored by the VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 KISLEV 5777 The Rebbe Doesn't Make mistakes Feivel was a man who lived in the times of the Tzemach Tzedek. Although he wasn't a Lubavitcher Chossid, he still had lots of respect for his Lubavitch friends, especially the Tzemach Tzedek. One day Feivel traveled to the Tzemach Tzedek to get help. You see, Feivel owned an inn and, B"H, was very successful. He had a great relationship with the poritz of the land, and considered him a dear friend. Then one day, out of the blue, the poritz came to Feivel's inn. He said you have one month to pack up and move out of my property! Feivel could not believe his ears. "What? Why? How?!" he thought to himself. "We have been friends for so long," Feivel replied. "Why are you doing this to me? I have always paid your rent, and I was never late paying. You know I have nine children to feed at home, how can you do this to me? The poritz looked at him and said, you have one month. And just like that the poritz left. Feivel was very depressed. What would he do now? How would he support his family? With no other choice, Feivel traveled to the Tzemach Tzedek to get a bracha. While meeting with the Tzemach Tzedek, Feivel told the Tzemach Tzedek the whole story. As he was finishing his story, the Tzemach Tzedek took out a paper and a pen and wrote something down. Then he put it in an envelope and addressed it. He told Feivel to give the envelope to the name it was addressed to, and he should have hatzlacha. Feivel thanked the Tzemach Tzedek and left the room. As soon he was out of the Tzemach Tzedek's room, Feivel looked at the name on the envelope. He could not believe his eyes. The name said Shmuel Hakatan. In Feivels town there were two Shmuel's: one known as Shmuel Hagadol and the other known as SHmuel Hakatan. Shmuel Hagodol was a very rich man with lots of influence. He owned lots of land in the town and had connections to wealthy and powerful people. Some people even said he had connections with the Czar. The other Shmuel, Shmuel Hakatan, was a poor wood chopper. He was so poor he couldn t even afford to live in the town, so he lived on the outskirts (Continued on page 2) 1
(Continued from page 1) of the town next to the forest. What should Feivel do? He couldn't go back into the Tzemach Tzedek room. He thought maybe he could find one of the sons of the Tzemach Tzedek and they would be able to help him out. The Rebbe's son assured him that the Rebbe doesn't make mistakes. So with a heavy heart Feivel started traveling back to his town. Two weeks had already passed. Another two weeks, and he would be homeless. Feivel arrived at the outskirts of his town and went to Shmuel Hakatan's house. He knocked on the door and handed Shmuel Hakatan the letter. Shmuel Hakatan welcomed him inside the house. Shmuel told him to to be his guest for a few days and to make himself comfortable. "Maybe some miracle will happen," thought Feivel. But, after a week nothing happened. Feivel was more depressed than ever. That night, a huge snow storm started. The winds were so loud and the snow accumulated quickly. All of a sudden there was a knock at the door. Shmuel went to open it and found a man there, half frozen. Shmuel brought him inside, put him by the fireplace, and gave him a hot tea and warm soup. The man started to warm up a little and took off his coat. Shmuel Hakatan was able to see that this man was none other than the poritz! Feivel was in the other room, and Shmuel debated whether he should bring him in the room. He ultimately decided not to. The poritz said to Shmuel, you saved my life. I owe you my life. I was lost in the forest when this big storm came. I couldn't see anything. I finally saw a tiny light in your window. What can I do to pay you back? Shmuel answered, you want to pay me back? Yes, I will do anything for the man who saved my life. Now Shmuel went to bring Feivel from the other room. Shmuel told the poritz, I want you to let this man keep his inn, the one that is on your property. The poritz agreed in a second. The poritz asked for a pen and paper and made a contract that neither him or any future descendents could tell Feivel or his sons to leave the inn. The poritz also gave Feivel the next three years rent-free. Feivel was so happy to see what had just happened. Feivel asked the poritz, Why did you tell me I needed to leave? I thought we were friends. I always paid you on time. "there was a man who came over to me and offered me more money for his son-in-law to be the innkeeper," the poritz answered. "Now you have nothing to worry about, you will be in my inn for a long time. I just have one question for you: How did you know I was going to be here tonight? Feivel just smiled from ear to ear Hey kids, isn't this an amazing story? We can learn many lessons from this story. What lesson can you think of? Let us know and it will be featured in next month's magazine. Email all entries to yossi@yaldei.com. You might win a raffle to the store of your choice! Look for more details in the editor's letter. Check this spot next month to see if you won the raffle! J Words~of~Wisdom J It says in Parshas Vayetzei, Lavan gathered the people of the city and made a big feast. This feast is talking about the wedding feast. When making a wedding, don t you first make the food for the wedding and then gather the guests? So why does the Torah write it in the opposite order? Yaakov worked for Lavan for seven years for free. The condition was that at the end of the seven years, Yaakov was going to marry Rochel. Lavan liked having work done for free. He needed to come up with a plan to continue the free work. He gathered all the people of the city to tell them about his plan. Lavan told the townspeople, it has always been hard for us to get water from the well, but since Yaakov came to our city, it has been very easy. Yaakov is planning on getting married to my daughter, Rochel and leaving the town. Now the water won t be as easy for all of you to get. The people of the town were not happy to hear this. Lavan told the townspeople, I have a plan to keep Yaakov here longer. I will put Leah under that Chuppah. When Yaakov realizes, he will still want to marry Rochel, so he will work for me another seven years. That way we have another seven years of getting water easily. The people of the town were happy with that plan. Lavan said to them, Now you all know my plan, but you can't tell Yaakov. So to make sure, I need a valuable item from you each so I know you won t go and tell Yaakov my plan. 2 The people of the town each brought Lavan an item worth of value to give him till after the wedding. Lavan then went to the store and switched in all the people's valuables in for food for the wedding feast. After the wedding, the townspeople came to Lavan to get their belongings back. Lavan told them to go to the shop to get their belongings back. The store owner told the people that they would need to pay for Lavans food if they wanted their valuables back. The people of the town paid because they wanted their valuables back, and that is how Lavan made a wedding without paying a penny. This is where Lavan got his name "Lavan HaRamai" from. The word "Rami" means a scammer. Not only did Lavan scam Yaakov, he scammed all the people of the town.
Dear Shluchim & Shluchos, Are you ready for a fun month of Kislev? After a month of recuperating after a great Tishrei, we are now ready for the month of Kislev. Kislev is an action-packed month. There are so many Chassidishe Yomim Tovim in this month. Even starting on Rosh Chodesh, we have a special day when the Rebbe came home for the first time after his heart attack on Shmini Atzeres. There are so many other special things including everyone's favorite: Chanukah! Check them out in the special days column on page 4. The Tzemach Tzedek used to always make a special Chanukah party with his family on the fifth night of Chanukah. This custom was started by the Alter Rebbe, and the Mitteler Rebbe continued it. It was called a "Latkes Avent" meaning a latkes evening. Why was it on the fifth night and not any other night? The fifth night is the only night that can never fall out on Shabbos. This was a time when the Rebbeim would give Chanukah gelt to their children and grandchildren. We hope you enjoy reading this month's issue of the Sibling Wave Length. Don t you love playing the game hide and seek with your siblings and friends? Now you can play against yourself! We hid 9 Chanukah items around this newsletter. Can you find them? We are excited to announce something new. For every answer you write in, whether it is the question at the end of the story, the question of the month, or if you write in to An Opened Door, you will get a ticket into a new and special raffle. So if you write in all three, you will get three chances! There will be two winners every month. To make it even better, we will even let you choose the store you want to buy it from. The options are endless! This past month Levi won the raffle, and we want to wish him a big MAZEL TOV! Wishing you all a freilichen Chanukah and a great month ahead! Yossi & the SibClix Team Myth or Fact? "People with down's syndrome all look alike." Many people think that people with Down s Syndrome look alike. This is not all true. As human beings, when we see things, it sends a message to our brain. When someone sees two Asian people, a message is sent from their eyes to their brain. It tells them that they look alike. Do all Asian people really look alike? Of course the answer is no. Our brain looks for similar signs and connects the dots. People with Down s Syndrome have special features that Hashem blessed them with. They are born with three chromosomes while most other people are only given two. This makes them have a bit of a rounder and flatter face with eyes in a unique shape. If you were to see a Down s Syndrome person with their sibling, you would see that they look very similar just like any two other siblings would look like. It is all about our brain sending messages on things our eyes pick up on. We must always remember that it isn't what the person looks like on the outside that matters, but rather the inside. Have a question relating to special needs? Email it to yossi@yaldei.com and we will IY"H get it answered for you. Plus, you'll be entered in the raffle for a $25 gift card to the store of your choice! 3
Upcoming Of... Month א' The Rebbe comes home The Rebbe sadly suffered a heart attack on Shemini Atzeret. The Chassidim davened to be reunited with the Rebbe. Instead of being taken to a hospital the Rebbe was treated in his office in 770. When the Rebbe left 770 and was able to go home, the Chassidim started dancing and rejoicing. To this day it is a day of giving thanks and celebration for Chassidim. ה' The yartzeit of the Maharsha The Maharsha (Moreinu Harav Shmuel Eliezer Eideles) was born in Krakow and was a cousin of the Maharal of Prague. When it came time for the Maharsha to look for a shidduch, he replied I don't want to get married. I only want to spend my time learning Torah. He finally agreed to get married and moved to Brisk, the city that his wife was from. There he opened a yeshiva, and his mother-in-law took care of everything for him so that he would be able to sit and learn. As a thank you to his mother-in-law, he took on her name "Eidel" as his last name. The Maharsha also wrote a commentary on the Gemara. ט' The birthday & Yahrzeit of the Mittler Rebbe Today is the day of both the birthday and the Yartzeit of the Mittler Rebbe. For fourteen years after the Alter Rebbe got married, he was blessed with daughters but no sons. The Alter Rebbe approached the Maggid of Mezritch for a bracha for a son. Just before the passing of the Maggid, he related to the Alter Rebbe about a special occasion known to us as a Shalom Zachor. The Mitteler Rebbe was given the name Dovber after the Maggid of Mezritch. The Mittler Rebbe and Rebbetzin Sheina had two sons and seven daughters. He is buried in the city of Nezhin, a city in Ukraine. 4
י ד The Rebbe Married Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka The wedding of our Rebbe and Rebbetzin took place in Warsaw, Poland. At the time, the Freidiker Rebbe was living in Riga, Latvia. Chassidim traveled from all over to be at the wedding. The Kabolas Ponim was called for 5:00 PM. The Frierdiker Rebbe and his wife walked Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka down to the chuppah. Sadly the Rebbe's parent s, Reb Levik and Rebbetzin Chana could not leave Russia and they missed their son's wedding. The Rebbe's Uncle and Aunt Moshe and Chaya Mushka Hornstein walked him to the chuppah. After the Chuppah the Frierdiker Rebbe said a maamer that lasted till midnight. After the maamer the guests washed and ate their seuda. The Frierdiker Rebbe went from table to table pouring l'chaims for all the guests. Over 700 miles away, in the city of Dnepropetrovsk, Reb Levik and Rebbetzin Chana made a celebration in their house, since they couldn't be at the wedding. י ט Yud Tes Kislev This is a very special day for Chassidim. It is known as Rosh Hashanah L Chassidim. On this day the Maggid Of Mezritch passed away. The Maggid is buried in the city of Anipoli in Ukraine. After 53 days in prison, the Alter Rebbe was told on Yud Tes Kislev that he would be freed from prison. For the first few weeks, the Alter Rebbe was put in a cell with horrible conditions. After three weeks, they moved him into a cell that was more comfortable. The Russians charged the Alter Rebbe with treason to the Turkish government. The Alter Rebbe was saying tehillim, and as he got up to the words Pada B Shalom he was told he would be freed the following day. Pada B Shalom became a niggun that we sing on this day. It took the Alter Rebbe two decades to write the Tanya. He first sent a copy to his chaverim Rabbi Yehuda Leib Hakohen and Reb Zushe of Anopoli, to get their opinion. The first copy of the Tanya was ready on Chof Kislev, but the Alter Rebbe didn t get the copy till Chof Vov Kislev, as it was printed in a different city. In the first batch of printing 200 copies of the Tanya were printed. On the same day that the Alter Rebbe was being freed from prison, good news came that the wife of the Mitteler Rebbe, Rebbetzin Sheina, gave birth to a baby girl. She was named Menucha meaning peace and quiet. It was a wish of Menucha Rochel to move to Eretz Yisrael. With her husband Rabbi Yaakov Culi Slonim they traveled to Eretz Yisrael and settled in Chevron. They started a Chassidic community in Chevron. Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel was given a bracha by the Tzemach Tzedek that she should "walk between the raindrops". From that day on, she never go wet from rain. She is buried in Chevron. כ ה Chanukah On Chanukah we celebrate the victory that the Maccabees had over Antiochus and his Greek army. The Greeks came into the holy Beis Hamikdash and put a chazzer on the Mizbeyach and ruined all the pure oil for the Menorah. B H one small jug of oil was found. What was only supposed to last for one night lasted eight whole nights, until they were able to get new, fresh oil. We celebrate by eating yummy oily foods. What do you like better: donuts or latkes? 5
Sibling Spotlight What is your name and how old are you? My name is Levi and I am 11 years old. Where is your family on shlichus? My family is on shlichus in Chicago, Illinois. What are some special things about the place where you live? The Sears Tower is a big attraction here in Chicago. It is the 4th tallest building in the world. What are some things you do to help out with your family's shlichus? I help my parents in shlichus in many ways. Some of them include going on mivtzoim with my father and helping out at different events. What are the hard parts of being on shlichus? I go to a Lubavitch school and most of the kids live in the frum community, while my family lives in a suburb where there are not that many kids from my school. So on shabbos there are some programs that I miss because we live in a suburb far away. You have a brother with special needs. What's his name and how old is he? His name is Chaim and he is 9 years old. Tell us a little bit about your brother: Chaim loves to play temple run and subway surfers on an iphone. He also likes to jump on our trampoline and do laundry. What are the hard parts about having a sibling with special needs? In the house many times if you have a phone or a computer either he will grab it away or he will turn the sound on or off. What do you do about it? Sometimes I do not let him take it, and sometimes I calmly give it to him and then just tell my mother. What do you think people without special needs siblings in their family need to know about having a sibling with special needs? That everybody is different and if you see someone with special needs you should not laugh at them. What is your favorite vegetable and fruit? Some of my favorite fruits are strawberries, blueberries, and sabra. My favorite vegetables is hearts of palm. Finish this sentence: I could not live without My baby sister. If you could meet one person from history, who would it be? The Rebbe. Where will you be in 20 years? IY"H a shliach of the Rebbe. 6
AN OPEN D00R An open door is where you have a place to comment, ask questions, or share stories with your fellow shluchim. To submit, please email yossi@yaldei.com. Dear SibClix, I wanted to tell you a about an issue I have: sibling rivalry. It happens with most siblings, but that doesn't make it ok. I have a brother who is two years younger than me, and we fight a lot. He has a physical disability but his brain B"H is perfect. I know we shouldn't fight or get annoyed, but sometimes we just do. Every time I fight with any of my siblings, I feel bad afterwards. It makes me extra sad when I fight with that specific brother, because I know he has a challenge. What do my fellow SiblClix do to control themsleves? I would love to hear from all of you. Looking forward to hearing from you! -Chani -Ed note: Hey Chani, thanks for writing in. Sibling rivalry is a serious problem. You said it well: siblings often fight. I know I did when I was younger. B"H now as adults we are as close as they get, but it wasn't always that way. The important thing is to try to stop the rivalry when it's just starting. When you see that things are going to go in a bad direction, it's important to stop. Also try telling your brother and all your siblings how much they mean to you. Do this whenever anyone is feeling sad or down, and it is sure to make them feel uplifted. Let's see if any of our SibClix write back and see what they do to not fight with their siblings. We will publish the responses next month. YOU BE THE AUTHOR Last month the question was: You are in a public place and you see your special sibling getting a bit frustrated. You know they will get into a temper tantrum if the situation is not resolved. What do you do?" Here are just some of the responses we got. Hi I am Layah and I am 10. It has happened many times that my brother has a scene in a public place. Yes, it is a bit embarrassing, but I know I can not do anything about it. If I see that he is going to get angry I try to stop what is bothering him, even if it's to give him the family ipad that I was using. I know that he will get bored of it after a while and then I can have it back. I do find it very annoying that I have to give it to him when I want to be on it. Hi I am Levi. If I know before my brother gets a temper tantrum, that he will get into a temper tantrum l would go over to him and calmly get him over the frustration. If he already started a temper tantrum, I would go over to him and calmly comfort him. This month's question: What do you do if you see a bully acting in a bullying way towards someone with special needs who cannot stand up for themselves? Email your answers to yossi@yaldei.com to be included in the new extra special raffles. Good luck! 7
FUN PAGES ERTPOHROGAHP HPUCHAP _ EROFSLW _ DIWNDGE LALH _ DNBA SIMCU _ ATOKAP IAREWT LVEI CNESTEEISREP Yaldei Shluchei HaRebbe Merkos Suite 302 353 Kingston Avenue, Suite 302 Brooklyn, NY 11213 www.yaldei.com 8 Can you find these 9 items scattered around this month's issue of The Sibling Wave Length? ANSWERS As you read in the days of the month column, Yud Daled Kislev is the anniversary of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin's wedding. Try to unscramble the words below that have to do with a wedding. H ID E & S EEK Wedding Words: photographer, chuppah, flowers, wedding hall, band, music, kapota, waiter, veil, centerpieces Hide & Seek: Menorah p.4, dreidel p.1, donut p.6, chocolate gelt p.3, dollars p.2, music note p.6, latke p.5, oil p.8, present p.7 W ED DI NG W O RD S Yossi Smoller SibClix Coordinator yossi@yaldei.com