Rabbi Shabsi Alpern in Cleveland 5/26/19

the first story we started the babad many years ago and um we had a rented house a rented house and the people that went around with me to look for that rented house they told me afterwards I forgot I had said that they were look walking around Sundays looking for a house to rent they said they said to me let's I they say that I said we should look for a narrow Street cuz a narrow Street we can someday maybe change it to r r Ru means Street rabad and years later we actually change it to R so we rented this house and in the beginning a very rich man helped me Ellie Ellie horn why did he help me cuz I used learn him three times a week and he also was involved with the shik he tells the story in public that's why I'm I wouldn't tell a story with somebody you know private stories about people he himself tells the story in public I took him away once from a a very from a shik and he was a yet even if she become there was no and it took four hours I'll tell you know why he's there we're not talking about it here on the the tap um four hours I stood with him both of us were staying standing screaming at each other for four hours on the clock four hours in in a hall someplace in a hall of a building and when we finished screaming he left her that that was the kiter of the story so he rent he helped us and we rented a house and we started working and the main p and those few few first months was was um the first pool in this this of this new place was the first months was shabas we used to bring Mish hundreds of boys and girls shabas 300 was normal they used to come it was very nice and one time he came shabas afternoon to see what we're doing and later you don't understand why I'm telling you this scene there's other scenes so the sh was very nice after after Havi said what could I do for you when a rich guy says what can you do for you you have to think quickly you know he can change his mind a little later so I told him there's a house across the street for rent I mean for sale this was for rent there's AC there's a street across the street there's a house across the street for rent for for sale let's go across and buy it let's go across street and buy the house I said before we cross the street I see something touched you today what touched you here in the afternoon I I want to learn what what touched you was it my my speech or the story I told my Shas or the hering it says no you know what I loved that when everybody washed the shalas there was a little white towel for every person in a basket the person wiped his hands and threw in the basket I never knew that religious people could be so clean no I'm telling you the story you have to know this sometimes the only time you did that sometimes you know they go to visit people rich people and they have to spray them before you go to this the guy was very impressed by that little white towel he crossed the street we rang the doorbell the guy didn't answer the door I start to pray in the name of and the guy was in the bathroom on the second floor he came down and he bought the house for $100,000 cash he paid Monday morning and that's way that was the first house yeah then we bought the other hous of things okay a lot of things happen this this all part of the first story the first story has three parts this is the first part you have to learn to be clean the Bubba would like that story The Bubba was very into the cleanliness okay very good the second part of the story we had now a house the house occupied the house occupied a third of the land 2third of the land was push at a garden and I wanted to build there we have no money for a secretary even much less to build a house or anything anything we didn't move for we didn't have money for a secretary even we just had a janitor my weal and Esther so um we started praying you know asked bro from the re five days after this man bought a house a woman calls me up Thursday he bought the house Monday morning he paid for it and Thursday a woman calls me up this woman was from Rak and she had such niil p i mean she called me up every third word was you know I can't repeat it here we don't you w stand anyways it's in Portuguese but you the English version can so she came and she would tell me had St with her husband with her son with her daughter all kind of stories and I gave her some advice some bro some help by the elevator by the elevator you in Brazil you walk the person to the elevator by the elevator she just me you know Rabbi I once made a to build a sh I said I didn't know you're so quick I mean it was like five days later but I couldn't ask you know to build a sh we waited three weeks she came a few more times and later she built a Sho and the first sh and the first M she did everything herself how much was that she was that that was her business she was I don't know she didn't give the money she been everything she buil she bought everything she that was her business building fan fancy mansions for rich people people the day the day that we finished building the sho I'm sorry I skipped the important part the day we're supposed to start building the Sho she went to back out why cuz I told in those days you know Brazil was a heare today is also a heare but it's a more controlled heare then you can do anything you want I didn't ask for permission for the go from the government to build on this piece of land why didn't I ask for permission because I want to use up every inch you're supposed to leave at least the third for green to plant things so I said so she agreed but then the day that we wanted to build she backed out was at Tuesday morning she says I'm not going to do it I'm not going to ruin my name because of you I said I asked so many times don't worry about it say no I asked another BR from the re it was Monday before that Tuesday and every Tuesday Morning those days I used to go to the mo there in Brazil to the old homes still put on film tell them story sing with the people there as I'm going out after Shak 7:30 to the old home the phone rings a woman wants to come to see me she name she identified herself as re Rita r i t a in Brazil Rita is a very famous Name by the swc women so I told listen here I'm I'm going now to the old home you can come 10:30 I'll be gladly to help you she walks in 10:30 this woman I saw a Goya in front of me the first time a Goya came since then lot of big people came big people big people very big people yeah she she came and she had a problem with um with her when her daughters has problem with the kidneys and the husband when has a heart trouble all kind of things so I said call up this heart there's a Jewish big the biggest guy in heart was a Jewish guy then I said call him up he she says I'm not going to call him it takes three months he should he should uh take a patient my my husband won't last so long as he call up my name cuz his daughter had a kidly problem the re saved her and the daughter's daughter is getting married now the same night as yosi's daughter is getting married in Brazil the daughter who the Reb saved her daughter is getting married the same night now in M whose wedding are you going to go to I'll give you one guess well anyways well anyways no here's in Brazil York well anyways she said to me uh Rabbi I thank you very much she called up the doctor gave her appointment right away two days later she opens up a purse takes out a checkbook she Rabbi I want to leave you a check for the for the synagogue I said no no I don't want by go usually we don't take money today things changed but then we didn't take money by go The KES was worth more than the money so she says well if you want takeen money do like our priest does our priest he takes money for the orphans not for himself I said here nobody died yet everybody's alive here there's no orphans here so she says maybe well listen if you don't want to take our money uh maybe my husband can help you I said what does your husband do she says he's the guy with signs and all building permits in the city of Brazil there was an hour to the building she called up her husband he came running he said like this I cannot give you official permission to build but if anybody of my inspector show up you take my private number and you tell them to call you tell them to call me and you'll see what will happen the whole building the whole the whole thing took 13 months middle middle one time inspector came so I said please call make the phone call there so the guy came out and he ripped up the report and he went away the second time it was s my father was there for SAS he was so scared his gu guy inspector walks in you know starts writing out reports it was right after SAS in the morning so I said please go into the other room make this phone call so this friend of mine the said to the inspector what do you prefer the fine from the rabbi or to lose your job so he came in he asked for everybody M it's very dramatic you know the guy asked like this and he went away and now I called up the reab going back to the story I called up the reab that this guy show up my life and I'll before the building two hours so the answered then we started building this still the first story the first story has one more chapter okay the lessons all instead I mean I have to explain the lesson no you don't have to explain the lesson that's clear so um the day we finished building the man this this woman from rashik and her husband they built a the sh in the first mik the man fell off fell off a horse he used to like to go horseback riding he fell off a horse and he hit his head and he went into a coma for 61 days 61 days his yish do one thing he put on F every day and said the first part of that's I got by him I poil by him it was holy nothing else he did so every day I used to go to the Jewish hospital I used go to the Intensive Care hold his hand and say with him theay is soil and Friday I used to say shabbat shalom and go away on the 61th day it was a Friday so he woke up the Friday before now I'll come back to the 61st day the Friday before the matah was very bad in those days not only I didn't have a phone at home when you had a phone in the office so you had to wait Line hours to get a line to America you know a few hours today things changed a little bit a lot so I called up the re twice that Friday and I got a bro for the guy twice but the Friday was very bad I was going home for shabas and the Jew hospital was two hours walking from my house I had to leave quickly so I said to her listen here her name was Miram Mira Mir I said mea you should know I know you have a those days in Brazil all the rich people had their private Kish you know if they ask for br and now also but not so much then everybody had so um I said to her listen here I'm warning you if you call up this your friend I KN I knew I knew her name Susanna you can call up Suzanna the north of Brazil and it's going to be a short circuit that the re won't work and she won't work it's not going to work do me a favor promise me that's why I had to speak there her she was very very okay I come home that's it much shabas we say we finish she walks in she used to walk into my house without reading the bell in those days you used to leave the doors open in Brazil today locks don't help even in those days you leave the doors open at night many time she just walked in that's why D she walked in and she was white I said Mir I was sure he had died shabas she said no he didn't die he's better even a little bit and T of the next Friday he woke up the next Friday he woke up I said shabbat shalom he opened his eyes and said shabbat shalom to me and he lived another 12 years but not 900% he was 90% he had quality of life 90% so I said why are you white for if he's better he says last night at 10:00 the doctor called us in the doctor called us in and the doctor said that it's the end so she said goodbye to him she said I didn't call you because I know you don't answer a phone or shabas so I called up Susana I said why are you white that was yesterday now it's already shabas night she say listen what suzan said so said why are you bothering me if there's somebody on the other side of the ocean praying for him the real ones in Brazil there's other stories I don't want to keep you up a whole night here this Beautiful Stories the the honest ones they don't take any money they don't take any money and they know and they know exactly the truth one of them told me that that among thema since the there was never the like the on the earth one of them told me that's what they speak okay other stories but not now so I I I just want to repeat the punch line all night the punch line was beautiful you she she she she said why are you bothering me if there's somebody in the other side of the ocean praying for him okay that's the first story now there's two more stories any questions how's the coffee the coffee is disgusting time I'm used to Boiling coffee gave me cold coffee I'm from Brazil has be boiling Brew this is it has to be boiling not hot I'm sorry sir got wait come on in come on in I'll tell you quickly another one this is i to the three stories another another one how come here come here I'll get you chair do they say call it makumba no no they call different names today this was a long time ago this was my time was your time now different name different names there was one guy he died already that's a long story I'll tell the end of the story his K was he knew how to get into contact with and write letters to the family and it's true I saw the I saw it was a case the doctor their son was killed in an accident 20-year-old boy and he managed to write 20 letters from the son and they published the letters I tried I tried to avoid it should publish it I was fighting it didn't work out in one of the letters the boy describes in heaven it can't be that this boy names he says was here the B Bash was here he couldn't say these words even the Go I mean he couldn't say it it's true the guy was describing the cab shabas I can't remember now there was a little mistake in the in in the ding there's a little mistake in in in the letter where what what the guy wrote From the Sun so I explained later to the people that's what it says by us that M when he saw something he saw it clearly when bam saw it wasn't clear he saw the ding but it wasn't the didn't see it perfectly so there was a little small I can't remember words thank you this very good thank you sir thank I bring another coffee real brother okay next story I'll tell you nice story about parosa soon okay let me talk about the Second Story pronoun not a story you know this isn't personal you'll do that later listening to three stories let's get the stories and let's go to sleep in the beginning of babad I used to give a big class Tuesday night open for the public from 7:30 to 9 uh boys and girls and then they used to go out do we saw him together 9:00 and from 99: to 10:30 for adults used to be Mish in a Night 500 people the two groups together 600 everybody used to come it was a big all right he free of charge sometimes go used to come also sometimes go used to come also so one time one time uh I saw I was about to speak 9:00 I saw a couple walked in they were both going you could see them them they're both going all it's no problem we don't say anything bad against anybody when the ding finished they both said to me uh we would like to speak to you in private so I took him upstairs to my office and I told them please tell me what's your so they told me they have a an only daughter she's 11 and a half years old her name is Angela Angela means Mal like Angel Angela is similar to the English Angel and she has a tumor a tumor in the head in four places only daughter IM imagine she said we went all over the world already we tried everything the only thing is we heard about the re and we heard that through you we can get to the re in those days like I told you there was no facts yet there was no other ways of getting to the re there not we had a phone ready in the office but there was no phones so what did I used to do I used to have a lot of stamps American special delivery stamps in my office and every time somebody had an urgent thing I would write a letter and go to the airport always do find Jews Jews love to travel especially Brazilian Jews we found somebody they would always would have it a day later so I wrote a letter about the daughter the whole thing a whole page a whole page I wrote in English CU they SP spoke perfect English he was a prosecutor and she was a district attorney very very high class going and um and I wrote everything down I gave him to read it he said it's okay and that was the end of the story the next Tuesday they come back and every Tuesday they start they they they came back every for a few weeks Brazilians have a nature they like to tell their sorus to everybody you know you start today on the on the plane here I said one word in Portuguese the woman behind me cuz she was from Brazil so she H told me a whole life story almost in 10 minutes that's what 10 minutes or that's you spent was her birthday Etc okay so you gave her a broken that's it and she's building you another Sho so could use some some theist list listen to the story listen to the story okay in a few weeks everybody knew about their story when every time they used to come every Tuesday night everybody used to Baby around them listen to the the latest developments after a month oh this very important the day this happened in in in purm TI a little before purm a little before purm okay I come into the into the class also this is important thing to know I us to come 5 minutes earlier like today by the hotel I was downstairs 5 minutes has to be 5 minutes earlier be on time is no have got 5 minutes early wives over I don't think we have that rule in Cleveland so different Lait you grew up in I tell I told her a story in the car I'm in 58 years this between between parentheses I told her story that when my daughter Sara got married the wedding finished 4:30 in the morning and she'll start 630 6:30 is Hu the first minion i d first minion always so you have to come early 65 610 to put so two guys made a bet because the rabbi never came late till sora's wedding so there there was a big money involved so I knew about the bet so instead of coming in 610 I I left the zal 4:30 for the wedding so I came in 10 to 6 the guy start to curse me out cuz he lost the fortune I said I said loud I I remember that though you remember the story sure I remember yeah but you told me then you came 5 to six it's okay five to six what happened I so I told I'm good for you you know me you lost money she okay so so I come in 5 to9 to give this class there and I see everybody's around this couple the go and everybody's smiling so I knew there was good news I ran over there I said what's new so they said that the girl is cured this was five weeks after I wrote the re and like happens after a short time when a doctor or a rabbi you loses his clients you know everything's okay they don't they sto going to the rabbi sto going to the doctor that's how it works in the world so they they stopped coming that was the end of the story you which is four months five months almost after puim I went to New York in those days I could allow myself to be by the rebba for a longer time not like the later years I us there for 10 days the 10th day was a Sunday and such a B crowd out downstairs downstairs and after I was going home that night Sunday night after grown was looking for me he says the Reb sent you out a tle he gave me a little piece of paper a little bit twice his size and the Reb wrote how's that girl what's the continuation I wanted to dig a hole there and bury myself because I realized I didn't do the correct thing I didn't tell the Reb the good news that she was okay why didn't I write to the Reb cuz the Reb had had to open 500 envelopes a day himself even the envelopes Reb used to open so I figured why should I be a and make him read my letters the Reb took care of it he knows but then I learned the lesson so mistake you have to send good news also so I went into the office remember that desk of Rabbi Quint the same's desk with holes and bums and I asked him permission to sit down at his desk and I wrote theab a whole page anything I could think of and I said into the re and I went to the airport and I came home okay in the morning Monday morning I took care of the urgent things and I call up the mother of Angela and I said to her you know I was in New York 10 days and yesterday there grand rabbi asked about Angela is all very nice then I said yeah it's interesting you know the re saw me every day I was talking to her we had a friendship I said only yesterday she is Rabbi don't you understand yesterday was Angela's birthday that's why the RAB felt it the Goya tells us to me it was her birthday yesterday she became 12 years old why am I telling you the story if four or five months passed and the did not forget about Angela do you people think he forgot about us we can never have doubts in our minds or questions in our minds or we have to tell the story to other people if they never thought about Angela four months what about what about it's unbelievable the story it's unbelievable 7 years passed and we rented house to make a little club for for children to come in the afternoon and pray Play and Learn Play and Learn so I gave it person the job to be the the the of the place and I told them find the house also so one day he comes say I found a beautiful house and I want you to come see it I said listen here if I trust you with the kids I'm not going to trust you with a house I have no time there's no one house one it's beautiful so I went with him and as we come close to the house I said I'm not taking it because in order to get to the house you had a CL cross cross cross a big Avenue I don't want to take a chance that little kids run across the street of an Avenue every day it's not from it's not for me such a thing he said okay but at least take a look you're here already so we I ring the doorbell who lived in that house Angela and that's were religious people because she wanted you know to Rabbi you know the mother came running the mother said 50% off on the rent I said I'm not taking it she went to give me 50% discount so 7 years later Angela was in college ready and live everybody lived happily ever after that's Story number two Let me introduct your story that you were involved in also which goes back to something that you just said yeah yeah the week after yeah two days after stood up from sh we had was going to be the K in Brazil yeah Mish two days later right and we had a hold in if we should push it off because everybody came to New York we didn't know if we should push it off or we should do it believe that we should do it anyway I went over to the Reb then I don't know if you remember this part of it Reb gave aaras two nights I was leaving the second night uh my father went over the second night and he had a patch on his eye you see this in the video he had a cataract surgery is the r a permission and the re gave him a br and he walks over the re takes a look goes you like what's this know what's the patch that my father said re went like this but I went by and the re gave me a dollar then if you remember took out $18 took out from his jacket pocket which was prepared and he said to me it's and was the only time told me said I came back and I wrote I spoke about the wrote me down something that put me into a semi depression what did had many times these type of answers I wrote this from this the re wrote me then he writes different and at that period of time I had five six times and I got it the first time what is every more and this is two weeks I I cried when I got it means and this goes back to the point that you made that the devil wants today lat when I go to the this is one of the things I speak about whenever I go to the I start my right pige whatever and and I write whatever and I'll write you were just you were part of the story that's why I took the liberty of telling it thank you thank thank you for sharing that that's thank you now I'll tell you a third story which happened more recently there's a in Brazil he's getting big but he's be very big he's a very good friend of mine what his name what's his address I have a lot of go friends recently big people that's not okay well anyways this guy comes to me one day and he says listen on the plane exra shop you tomorrow they can do business in the way he's taking care of it speak to him two business class tickets now so she comes into my office this about four years ago the story he comes into my office I'll tell you what this guy does it's very interesting he developed bacteria you know what bacteria is he developed positive bacteria he uses the bacteria to do good things slave labor he has bacteria that works for him like for instance people take out oil from underground and the pipes are very dirty so he puts in the bacteria and they clean it up you fertilize the ground with bacteria it's a whole thing it's a whole it's very interesting thing it's like whole myet okay we're with friends okay so he comes to my office says me Rabbi you know I heard there's a there's a rabbi there in New York you go to his gravide and wonderful things happen I'm going to New York Sunday night Thursday or Wednesday Thursday the guy walk into the oil this guy he doesn't know anything from nobody he's going to come back and become a so I said I'm going with you you're so touched I said I'm going with you we went Sunday night me him and his wife we slept over Monday and we came back Tuesday night no we slept over Sunday we went chabas night we slept over Sunday night and Monday night we came back to Brazil okay he saw that I didn't eat Monday morning Sunday morning so he didn't eat either he saw I went to the mik he went to the Mikvah also what should I do I mean there's no what should I do with him went with a I mean what should I do I can tell you can I go to the mfield okay each one he and his wife each one wrote beautiful letters to the beautiful letters to the asking for bras about business about P he had he had a lot of Bas about business all kind of business all kind of new ideas things by the way when we came back all the things that he asked the reab worked out except one he want to buy another Factory and that didn't work out so every week he used to call me up everything worked out why why did why can't I buy that factory it doesn't work out I said it's very simple the re wants you to buy a bed one A different one it's not this one he said no it's so good the priz and it went back three months like this and I was giving him K to hold out and three months later he bought another Factory instead of the one he wanted that was double the size and half the price and they found out that the three sh him of the previous one that he wanted to buy one of them was a g yet he stole the other two I said you see so everything worked out good this is and then as we're going into the oil the wife says to me like this he says you know I told one of my neighbors a a goish woman that uh we're going to pray so she asked me if we can pray for her mother and she asked if I the rabbi could read the her letter to the Reb so I have a letter here what was the letter from the Goya that she asked the re that she has a mother very old very old woman and she has have she must have an operation on the heart so the problem is not the oper not the heart the problem is she's too old to to survive an operation they's afraid to operate because she won't get up from the table she's very old so she asked that the bless her okay so I read the letter by the oil why not what's that of course you do it to people not the only case of that ask through us okay after the oil since we didn't eat in the morning they saw they didn't eat either so we came back to CR Heights and went to this restaurant I think it's basil it's called I never went there in my life yeah that's it yeah so I took him there the expensive one yeah I I couldn't take I couldn't take him to other places is one of the best restaurants in New York well I had to take him something fancy these are fancy people we're eating lunch there suddenly the phone rings it's the woman the Goya from from Brazil calling she says you know I'm I'm telling you afterwards they told me what she said what did she say she you know I was so sure that that big Rabbi will give my mother the proper blessing in that I went to the doctor this morning and to ready make the operation to make the appointment for the operation I was so sure and then the doctor said a funny thing to me let me look at your mother again and they looked at her he says you know she doesn't need an operation anymore she has no heart problem anymore so she's telling this on the phone to us this the Goya and T like now I stopped but for about two years afterwards every 3 four months I to call up the old lady and she was alive and kicking as we say she was okay I now I stop calling her Friday night I come back we came back to Brazil Tuesday morning Friday night I gave my speech here in the sh then I tell him I'm going to tell you a story without mentioning names and I told him the story briefly as I finish speaking a man gets up and picks up his hand may I say something this never happens yet that when I speak somebody should say something you know they're afraid so guy gets up Pi up his hand he said may I say something I said yes sir I don't know who it was says I am the son of that old lady I came here to thank you so I want to tell the congregation the story is 100% true so these are the three stories I was planing to tell you my friends any questions yeah what happened with the SED from these people they we have orphans in Cleveland we have more stories what can we have a few more stories no ask me something spe a story about Bobby and Z that you never shared before bbby is and now you can share more [Laughter] afraid you just say something list I'm I'm not going to sleep tonight he's telling the stories he gives the bras he has all the gas he'll be protected did you did you ever see the the Reb's letter to to to zman about Esther no no he writes on her name as a girl sheita after her name what you know what Chita the the F the feminine version of schita isita never heard he showed it to me I don't know what happened to the letter he showed it to me you better look for it this was when when she was born no the middle something she was a it's I believeable such a letter anyone that gave name the letter yeah if you get those two names Del it after but this doesn't to an older person yeah okay any questions any comments story about that you haven't shared before I just told you one now share a story sure wouldn't remember it I I I I don't have any Secret Story stories i' never shared before let me think he never got screamed at that's the first I don't think they ever heard your story Antarctica shut it's on tape yeah your mother just came down from above and told me I should tell you you should listen to me said we should get a ride to the house take your stuff it's in the book it's in the book huh in the book what she she screamed at you B used to scream at you a lot of respect to discuss ni story about B not story a short thing I don't want to say the name there's a rabbi in s Paulo a rabbi and he doesn't know and I don't want to tell him this uh that his mother Boba took her to mikah before he she became pregnant with him the parents are not I'm a little bit from but I know clearly that she took her to the mik and this Rabbi is the son of this mik and she took them to the she took her to the mik no I can't his wife comes to Lear see this every week but I never told him this story that's why I don't want to say any names you should tell it to me you should know that he thinks okay she was in Brazil was in Brazil few times what are you told she was in Brazil I mean I'm asking this then she was in Brazil she found a woman she drg her she was there a long time she came for yosi's bris and then she tried to get a cheap ticket through Peru so she missed a ticket miss the bris and she was there for for eight days in Peru then she made up for it she was in Brazil a few months little up in a m she didn't have Dan with a little love them and a striking was bringing to you guys yeah of course everything Liv wrote itook but yes shabus at the table one of the women was telling us that she came from going to M was becoming very very difficult for her she doesn't know was just like wasn't one of the things that and after a while like she was met my mother and she said it's rent Cas this is just too much for me every month the m so my mother told her the stories about in Russia yeah how it was freezing and the woman would go and it was ice and and she knew that if she didn't go everybody else would so she she would they would chop the ice they had to put a rope around the person to make sure they didn't get lost and go into the M for water