Friday, January 3, 2020

Parsha Vayigash, 2 stories, video life after life, news





Parsha Vayigash


Yacov was away from Yitzchak 22 years. Now Mida Knegged Mida he is about to see Yosef after 22 years. A Tzaddik gets in modern terms ‘His Karma kickback in this world’ rather than in the next or through reincarnation.

44:18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said: 'Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

Diplomacy is Yehuda’s first tactic. “Your eminence, I am your servant”. This is not as a man with Chutzpa to challenge but humble appeal.

19 My lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a brother? 20 And we said unto my lord: We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.

He has no reason to believe that Yosef is dead but when talking to the mighty Zaphenath-paneah it was the best policy as Yehuda could not produce Yosef. Perhaps Yehuda is thinking ‘Oh what I could do if Yosef was here’ for Yosef had received extra training in dealing and business from his father.

21 And thou said unto thy servants: Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. 22 And we said unto my lord: The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

If he does not come back, it will kill our elderly father.

23 And thou said unto thy servants: Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. 24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Another time your servant our father.

25 And our father said: Go again, buy us a little food. 26 And we said: We cannot go down; if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

We cannot see the man without our younger brother.

27 And thy servant my father said unto us: Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;

Now he is telling the story of Rachel and her two sons. Yet again your servant our father. By holding his peace, Yosef is losing at least one year from his life each time.

28 and the one went out from me, and I said: Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since; 29 and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

A touching story but will Zaphenath-paneah buy it?

30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul;

How can I account this to my father?

31 it will come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father forever.

I told my father that I would be the guarantee for my younger brother.

33 Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

Take me as a slave in his stead supposedly Zaphenath-paneah does not know of the sale of Yosef there this is complete Teshuva and he realizes that he must pay the price even if it means being a homosexual tool of this Egyptian as Benyamin must return. There is Mida Knegged Mida for Yehuda but not for Benyamin.

34 For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.'

Yosef sees Yehuda is a real brother and has manned up to his past behavior and repented.

45:1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried: 'Cause every man to go out from me.' And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

Yehuda had also prepared for war and the Medrash says he started roaring to show how strong he was but Zaphenath-paneah was not at all impressed as if he had the protection of the DIVINE NAME. At this point when the people leave this Egyptian the brothers are shaking in their boots. But he says I am Yosef and here is my holy Bris as he pulls up his Egyptian skirt. He welcomes his brothers to him and said look at my face and Benyamin’s face you can see our resemblance. He called each of them to him and spoke to them in Hebrew without the interpreter who was supposedly Menashe.

2 And he wept aloud; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren: 'I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?' And his brethren could not answer him; for they were affrighted at his presence.

This was a rebuke as he was basically saying that dad’s favorite son was lost be he did not die so how can you say that he would die if Benyamin was enslaved? He would come down to Egypt to free him.

4 And Joseph said unto his brethren: 'Come near to me, I pray you.' And they came near. And he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

Come near unto me. I am Yosef your brother even though you sold me into Egypt it was part of HASHEM’s master plan. Therefore:

5 And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life.

I was sent like the Moshiach ben Yosef will be sent to save the world.

6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land; and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to give you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive for a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

You did not send me here and you wanted to see what would become of the dreamer of dreams. Now you have seen that my dreams have come true and that you bowed down to me and my stalks of gain.

9 Hasten ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him: Thus says thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry not. 10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou have; 11 and there will I sustain thee; for there are yet five years of famine; lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, and all that thou have. 12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks unto you. 13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall hasten and bring down my father hither.'

Hurry down with my father and your families because of the continuing famine.

14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

Rashi and the Medrash say that he wept because he saw the destruction of the first and second Beis HaMikdash that the holy of holies was in the tribe of Benyamin but the simple Pshat is that after 22 hugging of these two long lost full brothers, it was time for tears of joy and sadness at not growing up together.

15 And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren talked with him. 16 And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying: 'Joseph's brethren are come'; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'Say unto thy brethren: This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; 18 and take your father and your households, and come unto me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye: take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good things of all the land of Egypt are yours.'

He asked Pharaoh permission to grant them citizenship along with his father and Pharaoh was most gracious and like it very much that despite Yosef’s power, he was humble enough to request this simple request from Pharaoh.

21 And the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

Six Wagons which would last for more than 250 years with the entrance into Eretz Yisrael and the conquest of the land. They might have even lasted until the Temple of Shlomo was completed and the holy items moved and stored in the Mikdash.

22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver, and five changes of raiment.

The brothers, who had been jealous of Yosef, were not jealous of the most favored status of Benyamin. They were happy that no vengeance was extracted upon them.

23 And to his father he sent in like manner ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread and victual for his father by the way. 24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and he said unto them: 'See that ye fall not out by the way.'

This last sentence has a double meaning. The first go straight to our father and bring him and your children here post haste. The second is don’t blame Shimon or Shimon and Levi for all the happenings but stick together as brothers united.

25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying: 'Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.' And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.

From grieving for the loss of Yosef to hearing this. Asher according to the Medrash married a woman with a daughter named Serach. She had a pleasant singing voice and sang a song to Yacov that Yosef was alive in Egypt ruling over the land.

27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

He reminded his father that they were learning the laws of the Egel Arufa (calf who has it neck broken upon finding a dead body near a city or town). Also wagons = Agalos and of his dreams of bowing down. Yacov revived and suddenly his prophecy returned as he was joyous. So with the Shechina again upon him he had the spark and gumption to travel Egypt. Yacov’s life had spunk in it again!  

28 And Israel said: 'It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die.'

I must see Yosef before my eyes shut on the final day and I am ready for the journey.

46:1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

After 22 years he offered up his first thanksgiving sacrifice (Korban Todah).

2 And God spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said: 'Jacob, Jacob.' And he said: 'Here am I.' 3 And He said: 'I am God, the God of thy father; fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation. 4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again; and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.'

His prophecy was back in full and HASHEM would be with him on his journey to Mitzrayim and until death.

5 And Jacob rose up from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him; 7 his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt. … 26 All the souls belonging to Jacob that came into Egypt, that came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives*, all the souls were threescore and six. 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls; all the souls of the house of Jacob, that came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

We have a problem with the numbers that don’t add up. 66 from Canaan and Yosef and sons. So where is or who is the 70th woman. *The hint is that either Osnat was the daughter of Dina making it 70 or Yocheved bas Levi was born at the gates of Mitzrayim.

28 And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to show the way before him unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

Rashi comments about establishing a Talmud-Torah but it appears to me to find land and an area to build up the Bnei Yisrael Community.

29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

He had given orders that upon arrival of the Yacov Family Caravan that he be notified by the speediest horse riders.

30 And Israel said unto Joseph: 'Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, that thou art yet alive.'

Why ‘die’? For Yacov knew if he lost a child during his life that he would die without a place in heaven. Now he had a secure and stable place in the next world so he could now die in peace with Olam HaBa.

31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house: 'I will go up, and tell Pharaoh, and will say unto him: My brethren, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 32 and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. 33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say: What is your occupation? 34 that ye shall say: Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers; that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.'

Abomination is used in the Torah with idol worship, homosexuality, cross-dressing and a few rare other things. The sheep was the god of Egypt and therefore an abomination.

47:1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said: 'My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.' 2 And from among his brethren he took five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. 3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren: 'What is your occupation?' And they said unto Pharaoh: 'Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.'

Yacov did have cattle so if they did as Yosef said, things would have been easier for them. Instead they decided to tell the whole truth as the false report about Yosef was one of things that had brought them to Gallus (literally France but meaning outside of Israel).

4 And they said unto Pharaoh: 'To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants' flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.' 5 And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph, saying: 'Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee; 6 the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell. And if thou know any able men among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.'

As today with the host countries, the Bnei Yisrael were volunteers and patriots. Disraeli (UK), Dreyfus (was a French Patriot), (In Austria) Admiral Siegfried Popper and my great uncle Julius Pascheles who went into a burning forest in Romania for the Kaiser and never return or my grandfather Isadore who was a Calvary Officer, and my great-uncle Julian, uncle David, Rabbi Glixman and my mother’s cousin Mimi for the US Armed Forces. However, the volunteering for Pharaoh in the first generations would lead to slavery later as what happened in Germany and Austria in WWII to patriot Jews. The IDF may not be yet the Army of HASHEM but it is a step in the right direction and as in one of my stories the teacher at West Point told the Jewish Soldier by all the rules of war, the Israelis should have lost each war but they had G-D on their side. After that, the soldier who was not religious decided to believe and put on a Yarmulke.    

7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

What did Pharaoh do to deserve the blessing of Yacov, Gadol HaDor? Perhaps he was Akhenaton? One thing is for sure that he sustained the whole middle east during the famine and for that deserved a blessing.

8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob: 'How many are the days of the years of thy life?' 9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh: 'The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.'

Would you go before a leader of a country and tell him your personal problems and sorrows? That Yacov answered his age and mentioned that his forefathers lived longer was perhaps correct. Rashi interprets the few and evil to mean that he did not succeed in goodness as his fathers.

10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph sustained his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to the want of their little ones.

The Bnei Yisrael had the best of the land of Mitzrayim and close enough to Eretz Yisrael. Plenty of water for crops and herds and flocks. Our soldiers stepped foot there during the Yom Kippur War but unfortunately there were a lot of mosquitoes at that time (Oct. 1973).

13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. 15 And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said: 'Give us bread; for why should we die in thy presence? for our money fails.' 16 And Joseph said: 'Give your cattle, and I will give you [bread] for your cattle, if money fail.' …19 Wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bondmen unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.' 20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them; and the land became Pharaoh's. 21 And as for the people, he removed them city by city, from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof. 22 Only the land of the priests bought he not, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land.

This is the famous fourth Estate as it was called in France.

23 Then Joseph said unto the people: 'Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh. Lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. …27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got them possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.


With the protection of them by Yosef they were under a high standard of living and the 70 souls multiplied until they became hundreds and thousands until about two to five million left Mitzrayim 210 years later.


Last week, I was at the Dead Sea on vacation. I had just been on the phone with a woman completely being taken advantage of by the city she lived in and a bad forester care company. I had walked about a mile to two miles with my wife and the conversation. I went to rest on a lounge chair but put the chair very low. When I put head back I knocked out the little grain in the right middle ear that had been moved back in place by physical therapy after a traffic accident of 23 years ago. All of a sudden, the Dead Sea was a carousel revolving around the lounge chair. I could not get up and had a feeling of passing out. Instead of calling an ambulance as I had been there and done that in the past, I called my wife and tried self-vestibular physical therapy which enabled me a day later to write the blog minus the story.

One last thing. When I had the dizziness spell I had a choice to sit home and feel sorry for myself or go to the gym and try to conquer it. I chose the gym.
Here is the missing story:


Hi Tech Impact Mr. Moshe Rappaport.


When I started leaning in the direction of Lubavitch, my father opposed me changing my religious customs, including which prayer book I would follow, and I arranged my first private audience with the Rebbe to ask him what to do. This was in 1970, when I was eighteen years old. I explained that I was a descendent of great chasidic rabbis of Poland and had always prayed in their style (known as nusach Sephard) but I wanted to start to pray according to the Lubavitch custom (known as nusach Ari). There are some Lubavitchers in our family tree and, living in Crown Heights, we always had a close relationship with Lubavitch, but my father clung fiercely to the customs he learned in childhood as a Radomsker chasid and he did not want me to change my ways. The Rebbe’s response proved very wise in that it prevented discord in the home: “Since your family’s customs are also based on the teachings of the Arizal [the great 16th century Kabbalist], it’s advisable that you continue to keep them and that you pray according to nusach Sephard.” So this is what I did for several years until my father accepted that I was a Lubavitcher through and through, and eventually he was quite happy about it. At that point, the Rebbe advised me to switch to Chabad customs. Fast forward to the time that I married Judith Sternbuch, a Jewish girl from Switzerland and, having started a family, needed to make a living. Due to the Arab oil embargo in the early 1970s, the American economy came to a grinding halt and the job market was scarce. I had just obtained a college degree in computer science and my father-in-law urged my wife and me to come to Switzerland where the recession hadn’t hit yet and where he had lined up job interviews for me. I wrote to the Rebbe asking his opinion, and he answered, “Since you have many prospects, it will certainly work out.” I took his word as a promise and I went to Switzerland for the interviews. In those days in Switzerland, a religious Jew couldn’t wear a yarmulke at work — is was not considered acceptable to wear a religious symbol at the office. But how can a chasid not wear a yarmulke? So I didn’t take it off, and I actually got the job — at the 3M Company — because of it, as the person who interviewed me owed a debt of gratitude to a Torah observant Jew. Later, my wearing a yarmulke on the job proved very important in how I was able to fulfill my assignment as the Rebbe’s emissary in the hi-tech world. When we were moving to Switzerland, my wife and I went to see the Rebbe to ask for a blessing for safe travel. The Rebbe gave us the blessing, adding that — since my wife, who was pregnant at the time, was going to fly to Zurich with a stopover in Montreal — she should ask her doctor if this was advisable, or if it was better to fly direct. The Rebbe’s comment was unexpected, but of course we asked our doctor, who said that he saw no problem with our flight plans. However, since the Rebbe brought up this point, he decided to err on the side of caution. So we purchased a non-stop ticket for her, and she arrived safe and sound. A short while later, I myself flew via Montreal, where there was a heavy snowfall. As the plane couldn’t take off, I had to stay over in a hotel, and that is when I learned that three weeks prior — just when my wife would have been flying — there was such a severe snow storm in Montreal that, due to flight delays, passengers ended up having to sleep on the floor at the airport. Clearly, not something a good experience for a pregnant woman. But the Rebbe’s advice spared her that ordeal. After some time working in Switzerland for 3M and then IBM, I wrote to the Rebbe to ask if I should quit and become a full-time Chabad emissary instead. The Rebbe’s response to my question about quitting was just one word: “Why?” I understood — there was no need for me to give up my job to be an emissary; the Rebbe wanted me to stay and fulfill my mission in the workplace, which is exactly what I did. I had started out doing normal computer stuff, but as time went on, I went into research and ended up building an IBM center in Switzerland where important people, CEOs, politicians and famous journalists from all over the world came to find out what IBM was doing. I did that for twenty years, and everyone I met who saw my yarmulke and my full beard, saw the face of a Torah Jew. In my position, I also traveled all over the world, where other Jews approached me and I was able to influence them positively. This would not have happened had I not followed the Rebbe’s advice to stay in hi-tech. I consulted the Rebbe on many other issues as well. When, in 1991, one of my children needed a serious operation, I wrote to the Rebbe to ask for a blessing. With a bit of apprehension, I awaited his response because I knew that the Rebbe would not answer under certain circumstances. I discovered this years earlier when my grandfather had collapsed on the street one Shabbat and was rushed to the hospital. My father went with him, while I went to seek out the Rebbe to ask for his blessing. I approached him as he left his office but when I made my request, the Rebbe didn’t respond. He just inclined his head. I only understood his reaction later — while I was talking with the Rebbe, my grandfather had already passed on from this world. This time the Rebbe responded “Azkir al hatzion — I will mention it at the gravesite,” referring to the resting place of the Previous Rebbe where he often went to pray. This was a “standard” answer that the Rebbe often gave, and I must admit that I wasn’t so happy with it because it didn’t sound like a full-throated blessing for a successful operation or for a speedy recovery. The Rebbe also added his advice: We should get a second opinion. We consulted with another doctor, even though it wasn’t an acceptable thing to do in Switzerland in those days, but his verdict was the same — an operation was a must. The Sunday before it was to take place, my mother decided to implore the Rebbe again, hoping for a more direct blessing. She stood in line as he was handing out dollars for charity and, when her turn came, she broke out in sobs, “My grandson needs an operation...” “I already answered your son,” the Rebbe responded, “It will be fine.” She calmed down, but as she walked away, she thought: “I never even said who I was, and the last time I saw the Rebbe was almost twenty years ago. How did he know that the person who wrote to him for a blessing was my son?” But he did. The operation was successful and my son not only recovered but was fully healed. When the Rebbe said “Azkir al hatzion,” he meant it as a real blessing. We had not needed to worry at all.


Last to testify by Rabbi Yaakov Cass


The Maggid of Mezritch succeeded the Baal Shem Tov as the leader of the Chasidic movement, and in turn set in motion the spreading of the wellsprings of Chasidut throughout the Ashkenazi world. The greatest of his chasidim were sent to various different countries.
The task of bringing Chasidut to Poland fell to the Rebbe Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk. Within a short amount of time the vast majority of Polish Jews were strongly affiliated. One of his great Chassidim was Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz, and when he in turn became a Rebbe in his own right many great men were drawn to him. He was reputed to have had tens of thousands of followers, amongst them the renowned 'Divrei Chaim' of Sanz. Reb Chaim's eldest son, Rabbi Yechezkel-Shraga Halberstam (the 'Shinover Rav'), although born some 25 years after Reb Elimelech's passing, was brought up on his father's knees with never ending Rebbe Elimelech stories, as transmitted by Rebbe Naftali.
In his later life, the Shinover Rav began to search for anybody who had actually met Reb Elimelech. He longed to learn something new about the great tzadik, but the task was seemingly impossible, given that by now, Reb Elimelech had been off the physical plane for over 70 years.
One day some chasidim brought him the exciting news that there was an old man, a non-Jewish wagon driver well into his 90's living not far from Lizhensk, who had actually met Rebbe Elimelech. The Shinover decided that despite the hardships of the travel and the vast distance involved, he would go to visit this man. He was determined to hear firsthand how he came to meet Rebbe Elimelech and to gain his impressions of the tzadik.
After many days of arduous travel, they arrived at a small village about a two and a half day's coach ride from Lizhensk. Easily finding the ancient wagon driver, the Shinover asked him whether it was true that he has seen Rebbe Elimelech.
Receiving an affirmative answer, the Shinover Rav asked to hear the story behind the meeting. The old man explained that his livelihood was made by taking Jewish people from his village to Lizhensk every week. Leaving on a Wednesday, they arrived early Friday morning. The Chassidim would spend Shabbat in Lizhensk, and would then leave on Sunday, arriving home on Tuesday. The following day his route would start over again. One Friday morning after arriving in Lizhensk and the passengers had disembarked, he left the wagon and horses at the side of the road while he descended into a ditch to answer the call of nature. Climbing back up the bank, he saw to his horror that the horses and the wagon had disappeared, obviously stolen.
He sat on the ground tearing his hair out and sobbing hysterically when a kindly chasid passed by. After learning of the problem, he offered his assistance. The chasid suggested that they go to the famous holy man learning in the shul only a few meters away and ask for a blessing. He said he would explain the urgency of the situation to the Rebbe's chief attendant (gabbai), in the hope that the Rebbe would admit him immediately despite his very busy schedule.
The chasid took the wagon driver into the nearby shul, spoke to the gabbai, who then went into Rebbe Elimelech's inner sanctum. A few minutes later he returned with the good news that the Rebbe would see the wagon driver right away.
As the wagon driver walked in, the Rebbe looked up, smiled and said, "I can help you." He told the distraught fellow to go with him to the window. Pulling back the curtain, he pointed out a path at the beginning of the forest. "Go out of this building, walk down that path, count three small paths on the right hand side and you will see a well. Turn right, go down this path and count three paths on the left where you will see an oak tree. Turn left and count exactly 250 paces when you will see a pond. Walk around the pond and you will see the back of a barn. Go round to the front of the barn and inside you will see your two horses and wagon safe and sound.
Thanking the Rebbe profusely, the wagon driver ran down the stairs, and followed Reb Elimelech's instructions to the letter. Sure enough inside the barn were his two horses and wagon. After retrieving them, it was business as usual.
Having listened with rapt attention to the story, the Shinover Rav said to the aged wagon driver "Nu, so what do you say about the great Rebbe Reb Elimelech?"
The wagon driver responded "To this very day I have always wondered why an old venerable rabbi should be busying himself with stealing horses."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Lightly edited and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the original translation of Rabbi Yaakov Cass, who heard the story at a farbrengen (Chabad-chasidic gathering). Rabbi Cass is a Lubavitcher chossid living in Jerusalem. Before his retirement, he was a senior official in the Israel Ministry of Health.
Rabbi Cass adds:
Much as we might smile at hearing the end of the story, sad to say there are still skeptics who refuse to believe in miracles. They think that the stories about the Rebbes and the tzadikim are exaggerated and bear no connection to reality. There is an old chasidic saying that that anyone who believes all the chasidic stories is foolish, and anyone who refutes even one of them is a disbeliever, because they could all have happened, even if not exactly as they are handed down to this generation. We should learn from this to treat all of the chasidic stories with respect.
Biographical notes (in order of appearance):
Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk [of blessed memory: 5477 - 21 Adar 5547 (1717 - March 1787 C.E.)], was a major disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov, and the leading Rebbe of the subsequent generation in Poland-Galitzia. Most of the great Chassidic dynasties stem from his disciples. His book, Noam Elimelech, is one of the most popular of all Chassidic works.
Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz [6 Sivan 5520 (the same day as the Baal Shem Tov's passing!) - 11 Iyar 5587 (1760-1827 C.E.)] became the rebbe of many thousands of chassidim. He was noted for his sharp wit and humor and his elusive sparkling aphorisms. Some of his teachings are collected in his works, Zera Kodesh, Ayalah Sheluchah, and Imrei Shefer. Many stories about him appear in the book, Ohel Naftoli.
Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz [of blessed memory: 25 Nissan 5553 - 25 Nissan 5636 (April 1793-April 1876 C.E.)] was the first Rebbe of the Sanz-Klausenberg dynasty. He is famous for his extraordinary dedication to the mitzvah of tzedaka and also as a renowned Torah scholar; his voluminous and wide-ranging writings were all published under the title Divrei Chaim. His eldest son founded the famous Sanzer synagogue in Tsfat in the middle 1800's.
Rabbi Yechezkel-Shraga Halberstam, (of blessed memory: 1813- 5 Tevet 1899), was the eldest son of the Divrei Chaim, Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz. As an emissary of his father, he founded the Sanzer synagogue in Tsfat (Safed). He served as the rabbi of Shinova from 1855 till1868, and then again from 1881 till his passing. Many of his Torah insights into Scripture, Law and Kabbalah are collected in Divrei Yechezkel.
Connection: Seasonal - This Thursday, the fifth day of the Jewish month of Tevet, is the 121st yahrzeit of the Shinever Rav.


Biophysicist on near death and life after life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyaBeHeRK6M



Again protests against Tel Aviv Shabbos Violation Buses. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273777

Lieberman is driven by hate for Bibi and Charedim.


National Union and Jewish Home fail to cross threshold for MK’s.  https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/274037




Inyanay Diyoma


Iranian inspired strike on US Forces.

Dutch lawmaker says expel ICC Judge. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273739

London assault on Jewish Burial worker. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273745

More NYPD to Brooklyn after another assault this time on a Jewish woman. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273747

If the people of Sderot are stupid, they truly appear to deserve the Kassams and other rockets. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273747

Non-Israeli got on a plane and joined the IDF. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273705



Defense Min. freezing money for families of terrorists. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273758

Netanyahu uses Mark Levine broadcast for defense. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273757


Ukraine names Nazi sympathizers as heroes. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1oTlXG18

Floods sweep away 4 Jewish graves in Lebanon. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rJ5qC8zkL





The difference between the two religious attacks is that Deacon Jack Wilson was armed and neutralized the attacker in 6 seconds.

Diane Bederman: Israel charged with war crimes for helping Jews live in Judea and Samaria. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/24949

Kim warned by Natl. Security Advisor against Christmas Gift. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273823



Ashkelon resident charged with check fraud from Holocaust survivor’s account. https://www.timesofisrael.com/woman-accused-of-stealing-nis-600000-from-blind-83-year-old-holocaust-survivor/




Secretary of State speaks with Netanyahu on Iraq strikes. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273881





Top Iranian General on Israel’s hit list taken out along with Iraqi Shiite Militia Commander by the US. Alert in the North including snowy Mt. Hermon. He was responsible for the bombing in the Israeli Argentine Embassy all of Syria and all Iraq.  https://www.debka.com/top-iranian-commander-qassem-soleimani-reported-killed-in-us-air-strike/

US lawmakers respond those against are against Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/274040



IDF goes on high alert in the north. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ry5MCD3kI

New IDF special ops for deep penetration. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/H1QhMXo18

2019 total of 1295 rockets fired 729 land in open areas Iron Dome knocks out 478 but some injuries. Yehuda and Shomron less shootings, stabbings and other attacks. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/274040

Greece, Cyprus and Israel sign gas pipeline deal. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/274018



Pray for Yosef ben Perel stabbing victim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/273992

Good Shabbos and hopefully a peaceful one,
Rachamim Pauli
Posted by Rabbi Rachamim Pauli at 12:34 PM