3 Stories of the Lubavitcher Rebbe By Rabbi YY Jacobson

Someone Oh my Oh my god. Mama Where are you? I came back. So slow. I came so I came How is he all the Lord, >> I want to share with you today a very special story. The story was told by the rabbi of a city called Elizabeth in New Jersey. His name was Harav Pinis Tites. Rabbi Pinhis tits a blessed memory who was a great Tom Kim a great rabbi a well-known leader here in America now today people make trips from America to Russia from Russia to America very frequently but for many many years you know there was what they used to call the iron curtain between Russia and the rest of the world. It was very difficult to travel back and forth. People who lived in Russia usually could not get out and if you wanted to make a visit, it was a very complicated procedure. Communism then was very powerful and the communist regime in the Soviet Union had a held its citizens in a very very tough grip and to visit could be very dangerous. One of the people who visited Russia in those difficult years was Rabbi Tites. Rabbi Tites knew that Labavich Kabad has an underground network in Russia. Already from the days as you know of the rebay and then continued by the Reb there were underground secret schools yeshivasim mikvas shulsvarim gettogethers fabangans all in secret and the rebbber had secret communication with many of his people in Russia although it was kept completely confidential because of any information would be exposed. The people could be severely punished. Even the letters were masked. The title that they used to use when they wanted to write a letter to the Reb was Za to the grandfather. So that when the government, the sensors would read their letters, it was written to the Zeta to the grandfather. So they didn't have a suspicion that it's being written to a Reb. and never mind who were not looked at very positively in Russia because of all the problems the freed gave them and there was nothing involved in spreading ydishkite and religion which was forbidden in communist Russia. So before Rabbi Tites would go to Russia, he would always go into the Reba and receive from him requests or suggestions or instructions what to do, who to visit, what to bring to the country. Rabbi Tites was not a not a at all, but he was a close friend to the Reb and he tried to help any way he can the Russian Jews. And in this case theatidum in Russia once before such a journey he went in to the Reb's room and he informed the Reb that he is soon going to travel to Russia and they spoke about different plans and different suggestions and then the Reb said to him I want to ask you for a favor. Sure. And the Reb took out a Tanya and says, "Please share this Tanya with theim that you will meet in Russia and tell them that this Tanya I sent with you." Rabbi Tit said with pleasure, "No problem." He takes the Tanya. When he opens the Tanya, he sees that the Reb actually wrote his name on his Tanya. It was his personal Tanya that he was learning from. A few days later, he calls up Rabbi Khadakov. Rabbi Kaim Isaacov was a personal secretary of the Reb. And he tells Rabbi Khadikov, "Please tell the Reb that I apologize, but I can't take the Tanya." Why? The expert that goes through everything I take to Russia to make sure it's kosher looked at the Tanya and when he opened it, he said, "Rabbi Tites, don't take this book." I said, "Why?" He says, "The Russians are going to open it. They're going to see it says Miss and the Reb's name and his last name. The schneers are personana non grata in Russia. They are not welcome there. They are considered to be great troublemakers. The freed was arrested. The sins are people that are illegal in Russia and by you carrying a book from you can be arrested. You can be investigated. You can be punished. I don't know what can happen to you. Who knows? Don't take this book. So he tells this to Rabbi Khadikov. Rabbi Khadakov tells Rabbi Tites, he says, Rabbi Tites, do you think the Reb knows about the situation in Russia? He says, I know he knows about the situation in Russia. He grew up in Russia. Do you think he knows about what the Russians are capable of doing to the Schneers? I think he knows about it. He knows what they did to his father, what they did to his father-in-law, what they did to many others, what they did to many other of the sobs, do you think the Reb would ask you to do something that would endanger your own life? He would give you something knowing that you can end up in prison or you can end up with many difficulties and challenges. You would think he would want to put you through this. Rabbi Tit says obviously not. So Rabbi Khadakov says trust him. Trust him that he doesn't want you to suffer. Rabbi Tites although not being aid can accept the logic of Rabbi Khadakov's argument and he said okay I'm going to take the Tanya. He takes the Tanya. He travels to the Soviet Union. And you have to realize how meetings took place. You couldn't sit down with somebody in Shul and say, "Hey, how are you? Shalom. Shalom." Because there were spies everywhere. Every official Shul there were spies. So basically in Shul as you were walking and you saw somebody and nobody was looking, you had to whisper, "I'll meet you Tuesday 7:00 in the morning in the park." And then you both went 7:00 in the morning to the park. And first you were a half a mile away and then you got closer and you looked a h 100 times every minute if there's a car, if there's a person and then you sat down on a bench for a few minutes and you spoke and you left. That's how meetings were arranged because of the intense danger. Anybody who came from America, they were suspicious. They would follow him and if he was meeting people, those people were under suspicion and they could suffer terribly afterwards. Rabbi Tites comes to Russia In the first city he visited, whether it was Moscow or another city, he went to the shul, he met Kabatidim and he arranged with them in a very secret almost sign language communication that at this and this day, at this and this hour, he wants to meet them in this and this place. And so at that particular hour, a group of Kabadnik living in the Soviet Union came and they met him. And after validating and confirming that no strange eye was observing them, they finally met in this park in a remote location where nobody can see them for a few minutes. Rabbi Tites turns to them and he says, "Before I came here, I was by the Reba and he asked me to share something with you." And Rabbi Tites takes out the Tanya and he says, "The Reb asked me to share this safer with you." They looked at the Tanya. It's hard for us today to understand their response, but if you know a little bit about how life then was in Russia and how cut off they were, you could understand it. One of them tells them Rabbi Tit the Reb actually touched this Tanya he touched this Tanya with his holy hands. And Rabbi Tit says, "Not only did he touch the Tanya with his hands, but this is his own Tanya." He opens up the Tanya, shows them his name, and he gave it to me and asked me to share this Tanya with you and say that it's from him. And the person says, "I did not go to the mikvah today. I'm not going to touch the Tanya." But somebody else with great trepidation took the Tanya and for Rabbi Tit was not a he said himself it was very strange is a holy book it's a great safer but why the trepidation why the year why the war and one of them took the Tanya with so much respect and reverence and slowly began to open its page ages as though he just encountered a sacred object that he was waiting to touch his entire life. And he and the others started to turn to p the pages page after page after page. And then one of them stopped stopped and started to read lines from a particular page and became pale and very very emotional. Rabbi Tit says thus vas what and it says look on this page is a you know what a is a is a fold you know sometimes in aer you have a page that's folded in Yiddish this is called a or in English a fold one of the pages was folded Ak. So Rabbi T says, "Okay, ak you know people that use a lot, right? Sometimes they want to hold a place. So they make a they make a fold. They can come back there. Or if they use it, if you just from frequent using, sometimes the pages bend or fold." The person says, "No, you don't understand. This is a fold." He says, "Here is the answer from the Reba." Says, "What answer from the Neba?" And the man tells him, "As you know, a little while ago, we heard the news that the government is accepting some requests of citizens for visas and passports and permission to leave the country." And the question was, should we apply for these visas? because it's very risky in Russia. You can apply and strike lucky and leave. You can apply and then you're accused of being a country of being somebody who's opposed to the government, somebody who hates Russia, somebody who wants to leave and you could be sent to Siberia for applying for a visa. So we did not know should we apply should we not apply. So we wrote a letter to the rebba but there was no way you could send such a letter to New York. Should I apply for a visa to leave Russia? So what did we do? We wrote a letter and we put it into a Tanya. Here in this Tanya is the answer. Look the page is folded. Rabbi Tit says where is there an answer? He says, "Read what it says in the Tanya." That page in Tanya, it said that when you confront, every person has in him negativity. Every human being has in him or her a person in him or her has sometimes darkness. And when you see it coming out, what do you have to do? You have to run away as fast as possible. Run, run as fast as you can. The said this is the answer. When you see evil is here and you could run run I have to apply for a visa. Rabbi Tites was very very suspicious. He's thinking to himself, "This man is going to put himself in danger and apply for a visa to leave Russia because it says in Tanya that you have to run away from evil and there's a fold on the page." He couldn't accept it. On the other hand, I'll speak loud. on the other hand on the other hand to tell the Jew not to apply for the visa. How can he take responsibility? Maybe this Jew will get out and as a result of his suggestion the Jew will remain stuck in Russia. So he decided as the Gmorra often says Chevvasa better I'll be passive. I won't do anything. I won't say anything. He bids them farewell. He takes the Tanya and he goes on to the next city. In the next city, he once again meets a group of Kabadim. He arranges for a meeting with them in the park at a particular day, at a particular hour. And the story repeats itself. When nobody is looking, they sit down. He takes out a Tanya. He says, "I was by the Reb and he gave me something special for you." They can't believe that it's the Reb's Tanya. One of them says, "I wasn't in the mikvah. I can't touch it." Somebody finally takes it, starts turning the pages, goes further in the Tanya with tremendous cover, tremendous respect, and suddenly the man stops short and again he's very very emotional. Rafite says the man says look the Reb's answer to me what answer he points to the page he says he went to another page in Tanya that had a second fold of Titus is thinking to himself oh my god what's going on here what answer and the man says the same story as you know now people are applying the question was to apply not to apply I knew I can't send the letter to you New York. I put a question in the Tanya and here is the answer. You say it's the Tanya. Here's the fault. What does it say there on that page in Tanya? In that page in Tanya, it says that in life sometimes you can take the negativity, the darkness, the evil that's in you and transform it into goodness. You can change it around and use it for the good. Some things in your life you have to run away from. Some things in your life you could transform and use for good. Because even the greatest darkness that you have in your life, hasn't it a spark of goodness? And you could turn it around. Ah, this is my answer. The Reb is saying that somehow I have to remain here. and transform my situation to the best of my ability into a positive experience, not to run away, to remain in Russia. And Raptit is thinking to himself. This Jew is not going to apply for a visa based on a fold on a page that the Reb probably made maybe 10 years ago when he was learning the Tanya. How can how can how can he think this way? He wants to tell him no. But then again, how can he take responsibility and what if he applies for a visa and gets arrested? Again, he says nothing. But he's thinking to himself, you know, this is mamish great cuz if you learn Tanya, you know, half of the Tanya basically says run away from evil and the other half of Tanya says transform it. So half of the Tanya says get out of Russia and the other half of Tanya says stay in Russia. you know this is awesome but he's quiet he keeps his thoughts to himself closes the Tanya and when he closes the Tanya he says goodbye to them or leaves them the Tanya or goes to another city he concludes his visit a few weeks later returns to the United States as always he comes to New York he pays a second visit by the reb to give a report. He's in the Reb's room and he shares everything that occurred in Russia. He decides to himself that he's not going to talk to the Reb about what happened with the Tanya. very painful for him and he felt that the Reb is going to be very sad to know that because of the folds on the pages these Jews decided to apply for a visa not to apply for a visa. The Reb carries enough responsibility on his shoulders. Why burden him with these responsibilities that he might feel guilty or he might feel upset or he might feel agitated about that making such major decisions based on the based on the fold. So he decides not to bring up the topic. In middle of the conversation he sees that the Reb is looking to hear something. He doesn't know what. He's quiet. Finally, after they discussed everything, the Eb turns to him politely and he says, "Did you have a chance to take the Tanya?" They're talking, they're conversing in Yiddish. So, he says, "Yes." "Did you have a chance to give it over to the in the different cities that you visited?" He says, "Yes." I showed them the And then looks at him and asks this question in Yiddish. He says the kan gazen did they see the kation did they see the folds on the pages and that moment Rabbi Tites who shared the story said that moment he understood something of the relationship between aid and ab because sometimes a reb communicates in words. Sometimes a Reb communicates in writing. Sometimes the Reb communicates through eyes. Sometimes the Reb communicates with a gesture of his arm or hand. And sometimes the Reb communicates through a through a fold in the page. No sh A sush. Sh. Lord down. Hallelujah. Amen. A she lie. I love when I sh Enough sh you know dear boys I want to share with you another very special story. Today is a day when we're focusing on what the Reb taught you and me and all of us about our life, about our existence, about ourselves, about our responsibilities, about our gifts, about our privileges. And we don't have to look for a fold in a page, but rather I sat in your place here for many, many, many, many years when I was your age and a lot younger. and had the privilege of hearing and being at many rallies, many kinusim in which the Reb stood right here and addressed all the children. And what did he say? He said many things, but I want to focus on a few messages that you can take away and you will take away for yourselves in your own heart, in your own soul. Number one, I don't know if I could say this eloquently enough, but the love and the trust and the belief that they ever had in you in children was unescribable. You know, lots of people, as you know, are annoyed by by children, right? You ever hear somebody say, "Quiet, quiet. We need quiet in the room. Go play in another room. You ever heard that? Go play in another room. Go to the basement. Go outside and ride your bike. The Reb Mamesh loved you. He loved children. He loved children with every fiber of his being. He loved children. He believed in children. He loved spending time with children. And he was happy around children and being with children because he believed so much in young people, in young boys, in young girls. Not only that, usually when you want to create an army, who do you create an army from? You create an army from tall, strong, trained soldiers. When the Reb wanted to create an army, who did he choose? He could have chosen 40year-old ala whatever the word is >> or 30 year old or 20 year old guys who did he choose who do he create an army he chose hashem he said who are the main fighters in hashem's army he created an army out of young boys young Jewish men and young Jewish woman. Unbelievable. Why? Why did he create an army from you? Create an army from you? Because he felt very strongly and knew very strongly that if you want the war to be won, if you want the battle to succeed, if you want to bring Hashem back into this world and bring redemption to the world, you need a good army. You need an army that you can trust. Who can you really trust? you can trust you and you and you and you you can trust. >> So here's the story, but the story needs a little introduction. The story is about a man named Joseph Ysef Kabiliv. Ysef Kabiliv served as a soldier in the Israeli army. One day in the early 1970s, he's patrolling the Golan Heights. The Golden Heights, Ramaka Golan. Israel took back from Syria in 1967 during the six- day war. Israel liberated Jerusalem. Many other territories including the golden heights in the north of Israel which was under Syrian control until today. There are many beautiful Jewish cities, settlements, Yeshu and cities in the Golan. I've been there many times. And this soldier Yseph Kabiliv was patrolling and unfortunately he went on his jeep went on to a uh mine. It exploded. He was hospitalized. This was around the time of the Kipper war. It happened. Young >> the sergeant was saying, "We need all our men to serve a Give me a breath I should have at SP and let's hope we'll need a new young M. You'll be protected. Well, from all those young mortals, from all those young mortals that were drafted to war. This Joseph, this Ysef was wounded badly, taken to the hospital. And when he woke up one morning in his hospital bed, it was the Rambam Hospital in the city of Kyifa. He remembered nothing of the circumstances that brought him into the hospital. All he felt was excruciating pain in his legs. But the discovery that followed was far more horrendous, horrendous than the pain. He lifted up his sheet and he realized that both of his legs had been amputated. the right leg at the knee and the left one at the mid thigh. What happened? He was serving in the army, went onto the mine. His legs were so crushed as a result of the explosion. The doctors tragically had no alternative and in order to save his life had to amputate the legs. The period that followed was terribly devastating. He made it home, but he could not move. He could not function as an ordinary person. His parents were broken. His mother would cry all day. His father was just silent. The friends that came to visit him didn't know what to tell him. So they came, they sat, they looked in all directions. You know when you're uncomfortable with somebody, they looked in all directions, but they couldn't look him in the eyes. And at the first opportunity they had, they stood up and they said goodbye and they left. He felt a lot of anger, not just because of his situation, but anger towards the country that the country that he sacrificed his life for could not help him during this time when he needed so much help. His own family, his own friends, his own country could not do anything for him emotionally. His life became a bitter, cynical and negative experience. A few years later, it was the summer of Tshin Lammed 1976. A group of wounded soldiers of Tahal came for a visit here to America. The army sponsored a fun tour for them. And one of them, one of the people organizing the tour suggested that as they come to New York, one of the places they should come visit is right here. This sh and in the summer, the month of of of around 150 wounded soldiers in wheelchairs came down here downstairs in 770. They closed up the shul and the wheelchairs lined up the whole that side of the shul and the Reb came down to greet them and to speak to them. The Reb sat up there on the stage. The wheelchairs were set up. The Reb spoke to them in Hebrew. And he started by apologizing. He said, "I'm going to speak Hebrew Bahav Ashkanazis, like an Ashkanazi, with an Ashkanazic accent, so you'll forgive me. I'm not going to speak with a spartic accent because I'm not accustomed to it. I'm accustomed to an Ashkanazic accent. You know the difference? An Ashkanazic accent will be And so many differences in accent, pronunciation. He spoke to them and one of the things the Reb said then was that by a Jew the gof the body is very very important. But the gof is always an extension of the nishama. The most important thing you have to know is that you have a soul and the body is here to help and serve the nishama the soul. So the body is here for the soul the soul is not here for the body. And therefore even when the body has limitations and their bodies of course were badly wounded. You have to know that the soul is a as powerful as ever. And therefore, the limitations of the body cannot stop you from fulfilling what you are capable of fulfilling in this world. And to the contrary, because you're missing some possibilities in your body, it means that Hashem has given you a lot extra in your na to compensate for the challenges you have in your body. And therefore he says as a good Jew we mix into other people's business. I'm sure some of your friends tell you sometimes don't mix into my business. So the Reb said I'm a good Jew. I'm going to mix into your business. The name that Israel gives these soldiers is you know the name in Hebrew Sahal. means the invalids. People that have physical limitations. They can't walk. They're missing limbs. They're wounded. They're in wheelchairs. They're called the invalids of Israel. He said, "I suggest changing the name. You're not invalid of the name has to be." means the exceptional of it's not just to make you feel good. You know, we're going to be nice, you're great. But it's true because as we said, if you're missing something in the body, it means that you were given special powers in your soul, in your in your spiritual essence, far greater than any other ordinary person who is fully healthy in their body. And therefore, it's a very real name. He spoke more and then he said, "I want to ask you permission to go over to each of you and give you a dollar to give sodaka." And when the Rebba finished the usually people came up to the Reb to receive a dollar. Here he came down the steps and in a very special moment he walked over to every single wheelchair and he looked every soldier in the eyes and he gave him a dollar to give it saddaka and he said something to every single one. Initially people thought he said the same thing to everybody but later we found out that he said something different to everyone. One of the soldiers sitting there was whom? Our friend Ysef. Ysef was obviously wheelchair bound, bitter, angry, upset, cynical already a long time as I described above. And then the Reb came over to him. And the Reb shook hands with every one of the soldiers. And the Reb took the hands of Ysef and he placed them in his own holy palms and he held it tightly and warmly. He looked him in the eyes and said two words. What were the two words? The two words were thank you. Thank you. Or as we say in Hebrew, toada toadah. Thank you very much. This was a thank you for what he did for the Jewish people. It was a thank you for the sacrifice he made for Erit Israel and for Amisro. And Ysef said, "That's what I was waiting for. I was waiting for somebody to look me in the eyes and just say thank you. Thank you for what you have given. >> Thank you for your sacrifice. He shared a story a few years ago. He said that thank you took me back home to Israel and gave me a new lease on life. He's now a very successful real estate developer. And every morning when I wake up, he said, and I take a look at my body and sometimes I feel that my life is over. My life is lost. I'm incapable of doing what a regular person should be able to do. I remember the gaze and I remember the thank you. And that gives me a new vitality, a new, a new inspiration to move on. I tell you this story for two reasons. First of all, I want you to learn how to say thank you in your life. Don't be afraid. I want you to learn how to turn to somebody, look them in their eyes, and say thank you. And by the way, that could be even your teacher. Especially >> especially as the year is coming to an end. >> And it can even be your mother and your father. And it can even be somebody you don't know well. And when you say thank you, don't look away. >> But I want to say something else. I want to say something else. >> I want to say to you, thank you I want to say to each and every one of you sitting here and to each of every one of you hearing these words or that will hear these words. I want to say to you, thank you for for for being who you are. for being on the front lines of the war as the foot soldiers and the front lines of the Hashem to defeat the and to defeat the darkness in the world. I want to say thank you that after all these years, you make a lot of sacrifices to live up to the calling of every Jewish child as Hashem's personal ambassadors and soldiers to the world. Keep it up and thank you. Are you I love I love Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, my I La mum bum. Hey, how are you? I am up. How are you? Hey y it up. D. Hey. La yeah it up build it up. Hey y mama. In these precious moments, I have to tell you one more story. I love this story and I think you might also once once listen to this and I'm going to need your help and some information here. Are there is there anybody here in the crowd any of you who know how to paint paint pictures? Any artists? >> Okay. How about is there anybody here who knows how to take pictures? >> Okay. Now listen. I I I I know neither. I'm not a photographer and I'm not an artist. At least not when it comes to pictures. So, I'm going to need your help in this story. So, there was once a young man, a little older than you, a little older, a young teenager who went in who went in for ais. He went in to visit the Reb and he asked the Reb a question and the question was why is he often so not in the mood of doing the right thing? Why can't he always be in the mood of doing the right thing? Somebody asks me for a favor, I'm not in the mood of doing it. Hashem wants me to talk to him. Davin, have a relationship with him. I'm not in the mood learning. I'm not in the mood. Doing a mitzvah. Why can't I always be in the mood? It's a good question, right? So the Reb told him this is the difference between Malim and people. Angels Malim always want to do the best thing. A person has a war going on. We have different sides. We have different moods. Sometimes I wake up on my right side. Sometimes I wake up on my left side. Sometimes my speaks. Sometimes my speaks. Sometimes my selfish side speaks and sometimes my godly side speaks. Sometimes my brain speaks and sometimes my heart speaks. We have lots of people talking in us. And the power of a person is to make decisions. To make decisions. So the boy asked the Reb, "Wouldn't Hashem be much happier if he would have created us like angels?" So the Reb asked the boy, "What do you do as a hobby after school?" He said, "I draw pictures. I want to be an artist. So he says, "I have a question. Do you know any great artists?" And he named off some of the great artists. He says, "And if you go into a art gallery and you buy an original painting of a great artist, a popular worldrenowned artist, how much does it cost?" And the boy said it could cost $3 million or whatever their number he gave. So the deba said, "I have a question. If you were to take a camera and go to that place where he drew the painting, let's say he draws the painting of uh children playing by the sand near a beach and the sun is setting and you went and you took a picture of the same scene. How much would that picture cost?" He said 35 cents. It's called a postcard. So the reb asked, "Now I have a question. Which is more accurate? The photo or the painting?" >> Very well. Thank you. The photo. She said, "It's not fair. The photo is more accurate and it costs >> 35 cents. And the painting is less accurate and it cost $3 million. Who is yosher? Where is justice? So the boy looked at the Reb and says, "Come on, let me explain this to you and he explains the Reb to the Reb the difference." He says, "What's a picture?" A picture is dead. You take a camera. Today it's a digital then it was a regular camera with you don't even know. You had to deposit, you had to develop the films in a dark room. You take a picture and what is it? You have it's accurate but it's dead. So it's 35 cents. A painting is not just a picture. The artist looks at it and then he experiences it in his mind and his soul and then he has the kush of taking the live experience it and putting it on canvas and he puts his whole soul and heart and genius into it. You have there his creatity, his depth, his abil, his art capacity that cost $3 million. The Reb smiled and said, and that's the difference between angels and people. An angel always does the right thing. He always does the thing, everything accurately. He's like Hashem's photo. A person is Hashem's art. We don't do it accurately. We don't always get it right. But we have to put our heart into it. We have to make choices. Our soul is there. Our passion is there. Our heart is there. We have to choose. We sometimes have to struggle. Hashem looks at your life. This is a piece of art. It's worth three million and far more. So kind I want to conclude and tell you this and that is if there's one great message the Reb taught always was see your life as a piece of art and see every moment of your life as a piece of art. Don't be perfect but put your soul into your life. Put your heart into your life because your life is a gift of art and every decision you make is a gift of art to Hashem. A gift of art that will light up the world with your art and bring the gulma to our world. Thank you very much. Heat.