MOSAIC EXPRESS 1

MOSAIC Menachem Av 17, 5780 - Friday, August 7, 2020

EXPRESS

ב"ה

Montreal Torah Center Bais Menachem Chabad Lubavitch Joanne and Jonathan Gurman Community Center ⬢ Lou Adler Shul ⬢ Marcia Gillman and Michael Flinker Early Childhood Center

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TORAH PORTION EIKEV ⬢ עקב

AVOT CHAPTER 4

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2 MOSAIC EXPRESS

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THIS SHABBOS:

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Sunday…..Shacharis………...10:00 am

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MINCHA Sun-Thurs..…...........8:05 pm

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themtc.com/Zoom or FB Live

Torah Classes for the week of August 9tth

LEARNING

Sunday morning at 9:20 for a class

on the weekly Parsha. This is a

class geared for both the novice

and the more advanced student.

Monday thru Friday morning at

8:00, a more advanced class on

Chassidus related to the Parsha

and Holidays. This is followed by a

chassidic story.

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Join a live class on zoom.

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Pirkei Avot Chapter 4

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OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES TO

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MOSAIC EXPRESS 3

General Overview: continues his pep talk to the Israelites, cautioning them not to fear the

Canaanite armies for G-d will wage battle for

them. He also notifies them that their entry into

the Land is not due to their own virtues – Moses

reminds them of their many transgressions to

emphasize this point – but rather, it is in the

merit of the nation's Forefathers. The

commandments of prayer and Grace After Meals

are mentioned. The second part of the Shema is

also found in this portion.

First Aliyah: This sec tion begins w ith a

promise: if the Israelites observe G-d's

commandments, they will be blessed in a

multitude of ways, including the obliteration of

their Canaanite enemies. Moses enjoins the

Israelites not to fear these enemies, for G-d will

miraculously deliver them into their hands.

Moses instructs the Israelites to destroy all the

idols and their accoutrements which they will

find in Canaan. Moses then discusses their forty-

year desert ordeal, and the many tests and

miracles which accompanied them. Moses

provides a description of many of the wonderful

features of the Land of Israel, and the Israelites

are commanded to bless G-d after they eat and

are sated.

Second Aliyah: Moses admonishes the

Israelites that the new-found fortune which will

be their lot once they enter the Promised Land

should not lead them to forget the One who

provided them with the wealth. Such a blunder

would lead to their destruction and ruin.

Third Aliyah: Moses tells the Israelites that

they will inherit the Land of Israel not due to their

own merits and righteousness, but because of

the promise G-d made to the Patriarchs. In fact,

Moses reminds them of the many times they

angered G-d while in the desert, placing special

emphasis on the sin of the Golden Calf, when G

-d would have annihilated the Israelites if not

for Moses' successful intercession on their

behalf. He also makes brief reference to the

other times when the Israelites rebelled

against G-d.

Fourth Aliyah: Moses recounts how after

the Golden Calf debacle, G-d commanded him

to carve two new tablets upon which G-d

engraved the Ten Commandments, to replace

the first set of tablets which Moses had

shattered. At that time, G-d also designated

the Levites to be His holy servants, because of

the devotion they demonstrated throughout the

Golden Calf incident.

Fifth Aliyah: Moses charges the Israelites

to love and fear G-d, and to serve Him. He

expounds on G-d's greatness, and impresses on

the Israelites their great fortune: that G-d has

chosen them to be His treasured nation. He

again reminds them of the many miracles G-d

had performed on their behalf since they left

Egypt.

Sixth Aliyah: Moses tells the Israelites

that the land of Israel is constantly dependent

upon G-d for irrigating rains, and that the land

is constantly under G-d's watchful eyes. We

then read the second paragraph of the Shema

prayer. In this section we are admonished to

observe G-d's commandments, which will

cause G-d to supply bountiful rainfall and

harvests. Non-observance will lead to exile.

We are commanded regarding prayer, tefillin,

mezuzah, and teaching Torah to our children.

Seventh Aliyah: Moses informs the

Israelites that if they follow G-d's ways and

cleave to Him, they will easily occupy the land

of Israel, and no man will stand up against

them.@⬢

ALIYAH SUMMARY

By Sarah Chana Radcliffe

You said or did something that caused your spouse or child pain. Now what?

Don't make excuses to your loved ones for

your hurtful behavior. Avoid "I had no sleep

the past week," "I've been so overwhelmed

with everything that's going on," "I've been

dealing with this problem at work and it's

getting to me", "It's been one thing after the

other," "This diet makes me nuts," "My

health has been horrible," "I've been so

worried about grandma," and any other

"reason" for what you said or did. Instead,

just say, "I'm so sorry I hurt you. There's no

excuse for treating you that way."⬢

When you don't like what's happening, but you haven't got a parenting plan in place....

When in doubt never shout. Yelling will

always be the wrong intervention. Except for

when there is a concern for safety, it's better

to walk away from the issue (until you can

make a parenting plan with or without help

from someone else) than to deal with it now

in anger.⬢

PARENTING POST

DOSE OF INSPIRATION

NEEDING ONE ANOTHER by Tzvi Freeman

Some imagine that in a perfect world there

will be no distinctions of poor and wealthy,

haves and have-nots. All will be the same.

Heaven forbid we should live in such a

world.

A healthy world is one in which I do not

have what you have and you do not have

what I have—and so we both need one

another.

In a truly healthy universe, all human beings

will realize that we all need one another.

May that be very soon.⬢

4 MOSAIC EXPRESS

We invite you to join our Platinum, Corporate or Event Sponsors.

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CHAIRPERSONS Jarrid Adler, Jeremy Levi, Rick & Rachelle Merovitz

2020 DRAW

Gaby & Sheila Segal

In Appreciation of MTC

Disability Tax Consultants of Canada

In honour of the Rebbe

Michael & Taryn Nehemia

Michael & Avital Goldenblatt

Michael Cons & Family

Robert & Bunny Sigler

OCTOBER 29, 2020 DUE TO COVID, VENUE TO BE DETERMINED

Ronnie & Debbie Cons

The Finkelstein Family

Peter & Marla Veres

The Slomovic Family

Cola Family

Yehuda & Bassy Gottesman

Stanley & Helen Cons

MOSAIC EXPRESS 5

By Yanki Tauber, Chabad.org

America has spawned many wonderful myths.

The myth that any man or woman, no matter

what his or her starting point in life, can, by a

combination of hard work, diligence and faith in

the system, “make it” in the world. The myth

that every citizen, regardless of race, creed,

color or gender, can not only expect, but also

receive, justice and fair play from society. The

myth that millions of voters, driven almost sole-

ly by self-interest, electing officials even more

self-interested than themselves, can create a

system of governance that not only functions,

but actually works towards the common good.

The myth that the good guys always win at the

end.

The most wonderful thing about these myths is

that they can be—and often are—made true.

There is, however, one American myth that is

very dangerous, particularly for us Jews: the

myth of the self-made man.

Here is Moses, warning the children of Israel

nearly 3,300 years ago: “Beware . . . lest you

eat and be sated, and build good houses and

dwell therein, and your herds and your flocks

multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and

all that you have increases, and your heart

grows haughty . . . and you will say to yourself:

‘It is my own power and the might of my hand

that has accumulated this wealth for

me’” (Deuteronomy 8:11–17). Such an attitude,

Moses continues, inevitably leads to idolatry

and national suicide.

Why this double standard? Why is it okay for

Tom, Jane and Spot to merrily skip through their

self-made lives, but for Shira and Chaim a self-

made attitude spells catastrophe?

But that is the price we pay for being a miracu-

lous people. For thousands of years we’ve been

(Continued on page 6)

THE MYTH OF THE SELF-MADE MAN

By Mendel Rubin

When you think of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak

Schneerson—father of the Rebbe, of righteous

memory—what comes to mind?

Historians may recall his years of rabbinic

leadership in Yekatrinoslav-Dnipropetrovsk,

beginning in the Czarist era and bravely continuing

in the face of intense Communist oppression.

Others may best appreciate the profound

Kabbalistic insights preserved in the lengthy

letters he wrote to his son, and in the notes

transcribed in the margins of the few precious

books he had during his painful years of exile.

But all chassidim, young and old, and of every

inclination, are swept up in the euphoric, dramatic,

joyous uplift of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s lively

chassidic dance tune, Nigun Hakafot.

It is told that this nigun is an old Chabad melody,

dating back to the Simchat Torah hakafot (dancing)

of the Alter Rebbe. But everyone refers to this

nigun as “Reb Leivik’s Nigun” or “the Rebbe’s

Father’s Nigun.”

There’s something different about this nigun,

especially the way we heard the Rebbe sing it,

which is most likely the way he heard it from his

father. Most chassidic melodies start low and

work their way up, the higher notes reserved

for later in the melody. This reflects the

question and answer of a nigun, as it mirrors

and guides life’s struggles, and the gradual

buildup of fortitude and inner strength to

overcome challenges and obstacles, to arrive

at higher and deeper levels of spiritual

consciousness. A nigun works its way inward

and upward, level by level, seeking and

finding, then seeking anew.

Not Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s melody. This nigun

surges from the start. Watch how the Rebbe

leads this song at the farbrengens (chassidic

gatherings). True, the second stanza reaches

even higher, especially when the Rebbe

emphasized and encouraged it, but like the

opening stanza, it starts on a high note. You

have to gird yourself to take that leap, to jump

above the fray, with vibrant and spirited

chords of certainty and triumph.

The Rebbe led this song at hakafot

celebrations and farbrengens, continuing his

father’s legacy. His singing emphasized the

dramatic uplift, peaking at the very start of

the melody. The Rebbe referred to this song

as der emeser ra’ash—the truly dynamic

uproar.⬢

PARSHA INSIGHT

6 MOSAIC EXPRESS

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TORAH IN VERSE

By Justice Michel M. J. Shore

Every Shabbat is our honeymoon with G-d.

Would we work on a honeymoon or rather laud?

Greet the Shabbat with Leha Dodi;

Observe and Remember and truly see.

Each week recall G-d's dowry and present;

Love bestowed in beauty its Covenant.

Thirty-nine labours are prohibited

To awaken our renewed soul, thus gifted.

How could we depart from our love’s groove

Further than the area of our Eruv?

To carry a burden would not behoove

Love which remains from which not to move.

The Respect and Honour within our gates,

The treasure of Shabbat that love celebrates.⬢

happens to you.” And that is a very danger-

ous situation for a Jew to find himself in.

Does rejecting the creed of self-making

mean that we don’t have to work as hard

as the other guy? Unfortunately, no. The

difference between the self-made man and

the G@d-made man is not that the latter

need not catch the train to work in the

morning. For while the G@d-made individual

appreciates that everything he or she has

is granted from Above, he or she is still

obligated to fashion the “vessels” with

which to receive the divine blessings. You

can strike oil, but unless you build the

pipes, tankers and refineries to hold,

transport and process it, it won’t be much

use to you or to anyone else. Divine bless-

ings work the same way. That’s why you

still need to catch that morning train.

Still, there is a difference. You may work

as hard, but not as obsessively. And while

it may be exhilarating to stand on the top

of a pedestal of your own making and pro-

claim “My power and the might of my hand

have accumulated this wealth for me,”

that’s also a very lonely and scary place to

stand. Come to think of it, partnering with

the One who wrote the rules and runs the

show can be quite an exhilarating experi-

ence, too. And if you ever feel the need to

be scared, you can always watch a horror

movie.⬢

AND FINALLY...

I’ve always hated elevators…

so I’ve been taking steps to avoid them.⬢

PARSHA INSIGHT CONT.

Monday 7:30PM - Special 20 Av Edi�on -

working miracles, transforming the world in which

we live. But being a miraculous people has a flip

side—it also means that our very existence is a

miracle. By all laws of history and nature, we

should have vanished long ago. For us to survive a

single day in this world, let alone prosper, re-

quires constant divine intervention.

Our sages tell us that one of the built-in laws of

creation is that “in the measure that a person

metes out, so is meted out to him.” In simple

English, this means that we decide the criteria by

which our lives will run. If we say, “I’m a self-

made man,” G@d says, “Okay, make yourself. The

laws of nature, which are the grounds from which

your human self derives, will determine what

(Continued from page 5)

As a young man, while studying at Chabad’s Yeshivas Toras Emes in Jerusalem, I became curious about the

Rebbe’s background. Of course, I knew that the Rebbe shared his surname with the Previous Rebbe — who was his father-in-law — and that he was the descendant of the famed Tzemach Tzedek, but I knew nothing beyond that.

My fellow students also knew nothing more, and when I asked the elders in the yeshivah, I received no further details. The lack of information troubled me very much — it just didn’t feel right. “He is our Rebbe,” I thought, “so why don’t we know more about his roots?”

This matter continued to trouble me into adulthood, and I decided to do something about it. So I sent a letter to the Rebbe, telling him that I would like to write a book about his father — Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson — but I never received a response.

Nine years passed.

In 1974, during the month of the High Holidays and Sukkot, I traveled for the first time to New York to see the Rebbe. After the conclusion of Simchat Torah, when everyone approached him to receive wine from his cup — a ceremony known as Kos Shel Brachah — I went up as well. As the Rebbe poured the wine for me, he said, “You promised me a book about my father. Where is it?”

I was momentarily shocked that he should remember something from so long ago, but then I responded, “I sent the Rebbe a letter, but never received a reply.”

The Rebbe smiled and said in a voice loud enough for the people standing nearby to hear: “I don’t need to answer you. G-d needs to answer you.”

He continued: “Now that you are here, collect material for the book. There are many people in New York who knew my father. Try to publish it quickly.”

Within moments, people who had heard what the Rebbe said came over to me to say that Rebbetzin Chana, the Rebbe’s mother, had kept a diary in which she wrote at length about what she and her husband had experienced during the harsh years of persecution in the Soviet Union.

They sent me to the right sources, and I was able to obtain copies of some of the Rebbetzin’s hand-written notes in which she vividly described her husband’s arrest in Yekaterinoslav — where he had served as the town rabbi for thirty years — for allegedly conducting counter-revolutionary activities — i.e., teaching Torah. She also related how, after a year of imprisonment and torture, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was exiled to the remote village of Chi’ile in Kazakhstan, where he continued to record his novel Torah insights.

This was stunning information, and there was more. The Rebbe gave me the names of several chassidim from Russia who knew his father, and although a few of them were too old to be interviewed, I got some great leads. I found that in the Geulah neighborhood of Jerusalem lived

continued on reverse

Marking 70 years from the anniversary of the Rebbe’s leadership, each week, JEM will be focusing on one event, idea or personality in the Rebbe’s life.

HERE’S my

STORYGenerously

sponsoredby the

mystory@jemedia.org | myencounterblog.com | © Copyright, Jewish Educational Media, 2020

ערב שבת פרשת עקב, י׳׳ז אב, תש״פErev Shabbat Parshat Eikev, August 7, 2020

I S S U E

395

ב“ה

WRITING THE BOOK ON SELF-SACRIFICERABBI NAFTALI TZVI GOTTLIEB

For this week’s episode of Living Torah,

visit 70years.com

the poet Zelda Schneerson-Mishkovsky, whose father, Rabbi Shalom Shlomo, was Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s brother. She’d had a long correspondence with Rebbetzin Chana, letters which contained additional details that weren’t mentioned in the notes I had received previously.

Although I started with nothing, once I began to work, more and more material surfaced every day. I felt an urgency to complete the task, and pursued anyone who had information, and after word about what I was doing got out, people began to call me to share things they had heard.

Little by little, a picture emerged of a man who bravely defied the Communists; a man who stood in the breach at the risk of his life to keep Judaism alive while in Yekaterinoslav and then, when in exile, labored under the most grueling living conditions, beset with hunger, sickness and little hope of release; a man who lived each moment by the dictates of his soul and his faith in G-d.

Every time I finished writing a chapter, I immediately sent a copy to the Rebbe. This was about his father after all, so he needed to be the first one to see it. He made some comments and some deletions.

For example, Rabbi Simcha Gorodetzky shared an interesting story with me. He had visited Rabbi Levi Yitzchak in Yekaterinoslav and stayed there for two weeks. One day, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak pointed to an adjoining room and said to Rabbi Simcha, “You see that youngster sitting and learning over there? He is my oldest son, Menachem Mendel. He is fluent in both the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud, as well as the Midrash and every other part of the Jewish Oral Tradition, not to mention the Kabbalistic teachings …”

I included this story in one of the chapters and — as I did with every other chapter — I immediately sent it to the Rebbe. A day later I got a call from Rabbi Mordechai Hodakov, the Rebbe’s secretary, who said that the Rebbe wanted me to take out certain pages from the last chapter. “It’s imperative that these parts be removed,” he wrote.

When I got the list of pages he found objectionable, I realized that he had deleted all the stories that spoke of him as a young genius. The Rebbe was so humble! Of course, I followed his instructions and, as a result, that chapter became quite short. But I reported back to the Rebbe that I did as he asked, and he was pleased.

About eighteen months had passed since I began working on the book and I still continued to accumulate new material. Naturally, the editing also took a long time, and the publication of the book was postponed several times. In the Hebrew month of Adar 1976, I received a sternly-

worded letter from the Rebbe, in which he wrote, “It is a big shame that the book about my father is being delayed for so long … and till when? It seems that it won’t even be published for the 11th of Nissan.” (He meant, not even by his birthday.) From this I understood how urgent this project was for the Rebbe.

I began to work even more diligently and I made a lot of progress. Finally, right after Passover of the following year, 1977, the Hebrew version of the book was published, entitled Toldot Levi Yitzchak. And, as the first work about Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s life, it immediately became very popular.

I heard from the Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Binyamin Klein, that whenever he entered the Rebbe’s room — and he did so often — he saw my book lying on the Rebbe’s desk, which made me feel very honored. And the Rebbe also honored me in another way:

It happened that once I felt unwell and had to be hospitalized for two weeks. I wrote to the Rebbe, asking for a blessing for a complete recovery and, as this was right around the 20th day of the Hebrew month of Av, the anniversary of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s passing, I reminded him that “I merited to give the Rebbe pleasure by writing the book about his father.” The Rebbe gave me the blessing I asked for and, before the word “pleasure,” he added, “the greatest.”______________Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Gottlieb (1935-2017) was a prolific writer and author. His biography of the Rebbe’s father, which was originally published in Hebrew, has since been partly translated into English under the title: Rabbi, Mystic, Leader: The Life and Times of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson. He was interviewed in his home in Betar Illit, Israel, in January of 2014.

Generously printed by

continued from reverse

You can help us record more testimonies by dedicating future editions of Here’s My Story

Supported by members of

ואתה תצוה… להעלות נר תמיד

While we have done our utmost to authenticate these stories, they reflect the listener’s recollection and interpretation of the Rebbe’s words.

> 5713 - 1953, at a farbrengen marking the ninth yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson, the Rebbe asked Rabbi Aharon Yaakov Diskin to share his memories of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok since they spent time together in exile. The Rebbe listened closely and wept as Rabbi Diskin described the Rebbe’s father’s suffering.1 20 Av 5713

1. Torat Menachem vol. 9 page 115 footnote 69

This week in….לע“נ ר‘ ישראל יעקב וזוגתו מרת קריינא ע“ה לאקשין

In honor of Zalman & Miriam Lipskier

of Chabad at Emory

By the Mael Family

MOSAIC EXPRESS 9

VAET’HANANE 18 AOUT 2020

18 MENA’HEM AV 5780 AVOT 4

LA SIDRA DE LA SEMAINE

EKEV- TÊTES OU TALONS ?

Dans la Paracha de cette semaine, D.ieu décrit

les bénédictions de santé et d’abondance dont

Il nous couvrira pour notre observance des

Mitsvot.

En conséquence de votre obéissance à ces lois

et à votre fidélité à les accomplir, l’Eternel

votre D.ieu respectera l’alliance et la

bienveillance qu’Il a jurées à vos pères. Il

t‘aimera, te bénira et te multipliera et Il bénira

le fruit de tes entrailles et le fruit de ton sol,

ton blé, ton vin et ton huile d’olive… (Devarim

7 :12-13)

Et les bénédictions se poursuivent.

Ainsi, la récompense qui nous soutient vient-

elle après notre accomplissement des

commandements de D.ieu.

Cependant, le choix de l’emploi des mots par

D.ieu est inhabituel. Il semblerait qu’il aurait

été plus clair de nous dire : « Si (im) vous

observez les lois… » Pourquoi D.ieu emploie-t-

Il l’expression « en conséquence » (« ékèv ») de

votre obéissance à ces lois ?

Rachi, le célèbre commentateur biblique,

soulève cette question puis l’approfondit. Le

mot « ékèv » possède un double sens. Il signifie

d’abord : « une conséquence » mais aussi : « un

talon ». C’est ainsi que Yaakov porte son nom,

possédant la même racine, parce qu’il tenait le

talon de son jumeau Essav quand il sortit du

giron de sa mère, Rivkah.

Tel est donc le secret de « ékèv ». Rachi

interprète ainsi les paroles de la Torah : « Si

vous obéissez aux Mitsvot mineures, que l’on

écrase habituellement du talon, alors D.ieu vous

bénira… »

L’interprétation de Rachi paraît donc nous

éloigner du sens littéral du verset. A priori, la

Torah semble dire que nous méritons les

bénédictions illimitées de D.ieu lorsque nous

accomplissons tous Ses commandements. Mais

selon Rachi, il apparaîtrait que D.ieu nous

demande simplement de respecter les Mitsvot

qui paraissent peu importantes, celles que les

gens piétinent, pour pouvoir mériter Sa

bénédiction.

En utilisant le mot « ékèv », la Torah suscite la

fusion de deux attentes différentes. « Votre

service atteindra son point culminant par

l’observance des petites Mitsvot, déclare D.ieu.

Le travail qui n’a rien d’impressionnant, les

Mitsvot qui apparaissent comme des talons,

sont précisément celles-là mêmes qui vont

stimuler les bénédictions. »

Nos Sages expliquent que D.ieu créa notre

monde parce qu’ «Il désire une résidence dans

le royaume inférieur ». Bien qu’il soit agréable

de se maintenir dans les règnes supérieurs,

c’est-à-dire de servir D.ieu avec éclat, c’est le

travail banal et courant, celui qui cultive le sol

le plus bas, qui attire la Divinité dans les lieux

les plus reculés et L’aide à accomplir Son désir.

Au travers de l’histoire, il a toujours existé une

élite, des êtres particulièrement vibrants et

sensibles. Et puis, il y a les gens simples, les

gens qui se battent contre des désirs primaires

et un égo fragile.

Dans la génération de Moché, les hommes

étaient particulièrement ingénieux. On les

appelle « dor déa », « la génération de la

connaissance ».

Par contre, le Talmud se réfère à la dernière

génération, celle qui précède l’arrivée de

Machia’h, comme à la génération « ikvéta

démechi’ha », « les talons de Machia’h ». Si le

peuple qui fut le témoin de la Révélation du

Sinaï est analogue à la tête de notre corps, la

dernière génération avant Machia’h correspond

à l’arrière du pied.

Voici la description que donne le Talmud (fin du

traité Sotah) de cette « génération des talons » :

« A l’époque des ‘talons de Machia’h’, la

‘Houtspa (l’insolence) augmentera et le respect

diminuera… Les gouvernements tomberont

dans l’hérésie… Les lieux de rencontre des

érudits seront utilisés pour l’immoralité… La

vision des érudits dégénérera, ceux qui

craignent le péché feront l’objet de mépris et la

vérité sera absente. Les jeunes feront honte aux

anciens, les anciens s’opposeront aux jeunes, le

fils vilipendera son père et la fille s’opposera à

sa mère… Dès lors, sur qui doit-on se reposer ?

Sur notre Père qui est aux Cieux. »

Quel monde ! Et quelle image exacte du monde

d’aujourd’hui !

Pourquoi donc les « talons » méritent-ils

l’honneur de nous faire pénétrer dans l’ère de la

VIVRE AVEC LA PARACHA

10 MOSAIC EXPRESS

Le 20 Av 1944, Rabbi Lévi Its’hak Schneerson

(père du Rabbi de Loubavitch) quitta ce monde

à l’âge de 66 ans après une courte maladie

mais surtout un emprisonnement dans les

prisons soviétiques et une terrible

condamnation à l’exil. Il est enterré à Alma

Ata, au Kazakhstan, non loin de la frontière

chinoise.

Rav Yossef Nemotin avait pris soin de Rabbi

Lévi Its’hak après qu’il soit arrivé à Alma Ata,

épuisé physiquement par les épreuves mais

toujours soucieux de transmettre ses

connaissances de Torah et ‘Hassidout. Il veilla

à son chevet jusqu’au dernier moment, procéda

à son inhumation dans la plus grande pureté

puis veilla sur la santé de sa veuve, la

Rabbanit ‘Hanna. Quand elle réussit à quitter

l’Union Soviétique, Rav Yossef l’escorta

jusqu’au train puis réalisa qu’il avait achevé sa

mission à Alma Ata. Il se mit à rêver lui aussi à

s’enfuir de ce pays où il ne pouvait pas

aisément pratiquer le judaïsme.

Dès que les portes de l’Union Soviétique

s’ouvrirent un peu à la fin des années soixante,

il présenta une demande d’émigration. Mais il

essuya un refus. Il s’entêta, demandant

constamment cette permission de partir mais il

était devenu un Refuznik à qui le

gouvernement refusait le droit le plus

élémentaire : choisir son lieu de résidence pour

ses vieux jours. Ayant été moi-même un

refuznik, je peux affirmer que le KGB jouait

avec les nerfs et la vie des gens, expulsant

certains agitateurs politiques mais en gardant

d’autres, de façon totalement arbitraire afin

d’exercer un pouvoir absolu.

Chaque année, Rav Yossef demandait et

chaque année, cela lui était refusé. Pendant ce

temps, Rav Yossef qui ne rajeunissait pas

prenait soin de la tombe de Rabbi Lévi Its’hak,

enlevait les mauvaises herbes et récitait des

Tehilim (Psaumes), en se demandant souvent

en son for intérieur pourquoi l’illustre fils,

Rabbi Mena’hem Mendel qui habitait à New

York, ne venait jamais se recueillir sur la

tombe de son père.

Un matin, en 1982, il ouvrit sa boîte aux

lettres, trouva une lettre de l’OVIR (le service

d’Emigration), l’ouvrit le cœur battant mais

c’était encore une fois un refus. Amer et déçu,

Rav Yossef se dirigea droit vers le cimetière,

pleura et pria et, avant qu’il ne réalise ce qui

sortait de sa bouche, s’écria : «Taténiou Mit

Rabénou ! (Oh père du Rabbi !), quand vous

m’aiderez à sortir de ce pays, j’irai voir votre

fils et lui demanderai pourquoi il n’est jamais

venu se recueillir sur votre tombe ! Je vous le

promets ! ». Rav Yossef n’avait jamais mis ses

pensées en paroles et, quand il se rendit

compte de sa ‘Houtzpa (audace), il se mit à

trembler !

Alors qu’il s’apprêtait à quitter le cimetière,

quelqu’un l’appela :

- Rav Yossef !

Qui était-ce donc ? Il ne reconnaissait pas ce

jeune homme élégant, manifestement un haut

fonctionnaire…

- Rav Yossef ! Nous étions des voisins. Vous

veniez chez nous tous les jours pour emmener

mon père qui était aveugle à la petite

synagogue afin qu’il puisse prier avec la

communauté ! (Rav Yossef m’avait indiqué le

nom de l’aveugle mais je ne m’en souviens

plus. Quand l’aveugle était décédé, il avait été

LE RECIT DE LA SEMAINE

enterré dans le même cimetière que Rabbi Lévi

Its’hak).

- Vous étiez un enfant alors ! Vous avez

tellement grandi depuis, soupira Rav Yossef.

Cela fait plus de vingt ans…

- Oh oui. Mais moi je ne vous ai pas oublié !

Que se passe-t-il ? Vous avez l’air soucieux…

- Cela fait tant d’années que je souhaite fuir ce

pays mais l’OVIR persiste à me refuser cette

permission…

- Ne vous inquiétez pas ! Je travaille pour le

gouvernement et je sais à qui m’adresser !

Donnez-moi 4000 roubles et je débloquerai

votre situation ! Vous avez aidé mon père,

maintenant c’est à moi de vous aider !

Cinq minutes auparavant, Rav Yossef avait

versé des larmes auprès de Rabbi Lévi Its’hak

et déjà l’espoir renaissait !

4000 roubles représentaient une somme

importante mais Rav Yossef se «débrouilla» et,

dès le lendemain, il apporta l’argent au jeune

homme. Celui-ci accomplit sa promesse et,

moins d’une semaine plus tard, la famille

Nemotin reçut la permission de quitter le

pays !

Rav Yossef s’installa à Crown Heights, le

quartier de Brooklyn où vivait le Rabbi ; il avait

réussi à emporter des manuscrits de Rabbi Lévi

Its’hak qu’il remit aux secrétaires du Rabbi.

Finalement, il reçut la permission d’entrer en

Ye’hidout, en audience privée. Quand il entra,

le Rabbi se tenait debout et non assis, ce qui

était une marque inhabituelle de respect pour

(Suite a la page 11)

MOSAIC EXPRESS 11

LE COIN DE LA HALACHA

Rambam (Maïmonide) écrit : «La prière de

la communauté est toujours écoutée (par

D.ieu). Même s’il se trouve parmi eux des

personnes peu recommandables, D.ieu ne

méprise pas la prière d’une communauté».

Il est donc préférable - quand c’est

possible - de prier avec la communauté

plutôt que tout seul.

Celui qui dispose d’une synagogue (ou

d’un lieu de prière) dans sa ville et ne s’y

rend pas pour prier est appelé «un

mauvais voisin».

Celui qui mérite d’être le dixième (homme

au-dessus de l’âge de 13 ans) accomplit

une très grande Mitsva puisqu’il permet

aux neuf autres de prier en Minyane

(quorum de dix hommes) et que leur prière

sera donc acceptée.

Rédemption ? Nos ancêtres étaient bien plus

respectueux, perspicaces et pertinents !

Une fois encore, le mot « ékèv » génère une

dichotomie déstabilisante. La génération des

« talons » est à la fois opaque et insensible et

pourtant, c’est elle qui représente le candidat

parfait pour la transformation totale.

Mais cette dichotomie réside peut-être dans la

méconnaissance de l’ère messianique. Dans le

« monde rêvé » par D.ieu, la réalité telle que

nous la connaissons restera à peu près la

même, mais la lumière de D.ieu resplendira

dans toutes les parties de la vie et tout

particulièrement dans ses facettes les plus

basses. Et c’est ainsi que culminera l’aspiration

de D.ieu pour une résidence « dans le monde

(Continuer de la page 9) inférieur ».

Et qui sont les mieux à même d’attirer la

spiritualité dans les crevasses les plus

profondes sinon ceux-là mêmes qui se battent

contre l’obscurité la plus épaisse et

l’indifférence spirituelle !

Dans notre génération, de très nombreux Juifs

se sentent étrangers au Judaïsme et se battent

contre un engagement, quelque minime qu’il

soit, dans l’observance. Mais en même temps,

notre génération grouille d’un nombre sans

précédent d’actes de sacrifice pour D.ieu,

émanant bien souvent de ces mêmes Juifs qui

étaient éloignés, ont touché le fond et sont

revenus à leur source avec une telle vélocité

qu’ils ont imprégné l’obscurité la plus profonde

de rayons lumineux. Un homme meilleur, d’une

POURQUOI EST-IL PRÉFÉRABLE DE PRIER EN COMMUNAUTÉ ?

Quand dix personnes prient ensemble, il

est possible que l’un répare les «fautes»

de l’autre car la prière de la communauté

est toujours pure et parfaite.

Dans la synagogue, on peut participer et

répondre au Kaddich, à la Kedoucha, à

Bare’hou et on peut écouter la lecture du

rouleau de la Torah.

On se conduit correctement dans une

synagogue puisqu’il s’agit d’un sanctuaire

miniature. On empêche les enfants de

courir, de jouer, de jeter des papiers, des

mouchoirs ou des chewing-gums… On n’y

discute pas de sujets futiles.

Habituer les enfants à bien se conduire à

la synagogue les influencera toute leur

vie.⬢

autre génération, aurait peut-être ri de la

simplicité de leurs dilemmes moraux. Mais eux

seuls ont eu l’opportunité de transformer

l’obscurité la plus profonde, apportant ainsi la

rédemption au monde entier.

Quand vous êtes un talon, vous êtes obligé de

travailler du bas vers le haut. Vos

accomplissements paraissent simples et

pourtant, ils détruisent la dernière barrière dans

la mission universelle d’illuminer chaque recoin

de la terre.

Et aussi bas qu’ils puissent paraître, ce sont les

talons qui soutiennent le corps entier. Ainsi

donc, même la génération de Moché compte-t-

elle sur nous pour illuminer l’univers.⬢

Rav Yossef. Le Rabbi remercia

chaleureusement Rav Yossef et sa famille pour

tous les soins qu’ils avaient prodigués à ses

parents derrière le Rideau de Fer ainsi que pour

les manuscrits.

Rav Yossef demanda s’il pouvait reprendre un

des manuscrits en souvenir mais le Rabbi

expliqua que, dorénavant, il ne pouvait pas s’en

défaire.

A la fin de l’audience, Rav Yossef recula

comme le veut la coutume afin de ne pas

tourner le dos au Rabbi. Alors qu’il approchait

de la porte et se tenait encore face au Rabbi, le

visage du Rabbi devint très sérieux. Le Rabbi le

regarda droit dans les yeux et lui rappela :

- Vous avez oublié de me poser la question que

vous aviez promis à mon père de me poser !

(Continuer de la page 10)

(Continued on page 12)

12 MOSAIC EXPRESS

Cette Paracha est souvent lue à

proximité du 20 Av, date anniversaire du

départ du père du Rabbi, Rabbi Lévi

Its’hak, éminent Sage et Cabaliste, mais

aussi rabbin actif dans les plus sombres

années de l’oppression stalinienne.

Un jour, lors d’un recensement, le

gouvernement russe envoya un

questionnaire à ses citoyens. Parmi les

questions, se trouvait celle-ci : «Croyez-

vous en D.ieu ?».

De nombreux Juifs avaient envie de

répondre par la négative, craignant de

susciter la suspicion du gouvernement

et/ou de perdre leur emploi. Quand

Rabbi Lévi Its’hak l’apprit, il fit un

sermon passionné, expliquant que renier

la foi en D.ieu était équivalent à un acte

d’hérésie. Quels que soient les risques,

un Juif est obligé de répondre par

l’affirmative.

Parmi les présents se trouvait un

employé gouvernemental dont la

femme avait déjà rempli pour lui le

formulaire, disant qu’il ne croyait pas.

Les paroles du père du Rabbi

l’inspirèrent si profondément qu’il se

rendit au bureau de recensement et

demanda à corriger sa déclaration. Il

voulait être inscrit comme croyant.

Plus tard, quand le père du Rabbi fut

arrêté, ses interrogateurs lui

demandèrent comment il avait osé

faire une telle déclaration. Il répondit

que ses paroles soutenaient

totalement le gouvernement : «Les

Juifs croient, de façon inhérente, en

D.ieu, affirma-t-il. Je leur ai

simplement demandé de dire la vérité

et de ne pas mentir au

gouvernement».⬢

LE 20 AV

EDITORIAL

A VOIX HAUTE POUR L’ÉLÉVATION

La prière juive est comparée à une échelle.

De fait, elle est constituée de plusieurs

échelons dont chacun nous élève. Le degré

le plus haut est atteint avec la prière de la

«Amida» que nous disons debout, sans

bouger et à voix basse en signe

d’effacement de soi et d’union absolue

avec D.ieu.

A ce sujet, Rabbi Chnéor Zalman, l’auteur

du Tanya, précise que cela n’est vrai qu’en

notre temps mais que, quand Machia’h

viendra, on dira cette prière à voix haute.

En effet, à ce moment, le peuple juif

s’élèvera à un degré plus haut de sorte que

même prier à voix haute ne gênera pas

l’effacement personnel devant D.ieu et

l’union avec Lui.⬢

ETINCELLES DE MACHIAH

Rav Yossef chancela et s’évanouit.

Il avait sa réponse ! Le Rabbi correspondait

avec son père même quand celui-ci n’était pas

proche physiquement, même quand celui-ci

n’était plus de ce monde ! Il n’avait nullement

besoin de se déplacer pour s’entretenir avec

lui ! Depuis le Monde de Vérité, Rabbi Lévi

Its’hak avait transmis à son fils toutes les

demandes que lui adressaient les Juifs qui

venaient se recueillir auprès de sa tombe et

c’est ainsi que le Rabbi connaissait les

moindres pensées et paroles de Rav Yossef…

(Continuer de la page 11) Lors du Farbrenguen (réunion ‘hassidique)

suivant, le Rabbi accueillit Rav Yossef avec

beaucoup d’égards et le remercia

publiquement. Il réalisa alors que le Rabbi lui

pardonnait sa ‘Houtzpa.

Par la suite, le Rabbi demanda à Rav Yossef

des détails sur la vie de ses parents à Alma

Ata et lui accorda toujours une attention

spéciale ainsi que de nombreuses

bénédictions.⬢

Dr Alexander Poltorak – PhD de physique

théorique et biomathématiques, Chabad.org

Traduit par Feiga Lubecki