Lag B'Omer by the Rebbe, 1970-80, pre 6 day war 1967, Speaks in Russian 1980 - Rabbi Chaim Dalfin

So today is erad and we're going to um we're going to fabang a little bit talk a little bit about we'll get back to Tanya Mitashem on the Monday brings very warm memories to many many Jews who had the ex opportunity and experience of and in particular for those that attended whether they were Kabad or not Kabad the labbas parades which were in my days only on Sundays and the reason is very simple the parades started actually during the lifetime of the previous the 1940s And they were geared to taking children out of public schools, children who attended public schools to come and have an authentic Jewish experience by being with the Labidim in Crown Heights. And the day, the only day that this could be was on a Sunday because during the week they had public school and to start a parade at 3 4:00 4:00 after school finished was difficult and that's how the tradition started. So, so even as as 1980 I believe I remember a parade 1980 1983 or 84 as well and and it was only on Sundays. So if came out like this year tomorrow Friday there was no parade and the rebbber would be would be very involved in the parades in the sense that he when he became a a reb551 and all the years following he actually spoke at the parade and there's pictures and videos of it but even earlier he was involved with the parade. So the the focus number one I'm sharing with you is with the public school children. Now naturally they didn't exclude anybody. So children came from different congregations and different yeshivas and girl schools but that was the the main focus was those children that for some reason aren't in a Yiddisha school in a Jewish school should have this opportunity. And this falls in line with the overall message of the pre the previous Reb setting up what's called we sometimes don't emphasize the last word of the organization means a center for ideas for concepts for subjects of that's that's the goal of the meas not building buildings not raising funds. It's naturally to have good you need more money and you need a building and all that but it's so anything that could be done for to to augment Jewish education this was the objective of the organization of which the previous rebba appointed the rebba as the director right the rebba came came to America in June of 1941, not 1940. His father-in-law came in March of 1940. A year and several months later, his son-in-law came and the Reba appointed him to be in charge direct the three organizations, the Merino, the Kahus publishing house and Makn is um Mak Israel uh a third organization that the previous set up in the early 1940 4142 those years. So the parades were under the opaces of the mercy attending these parades as a young child. I have very fond and warm memories. I remember I probably was seven, eight, nine years old, you know, young boy and we we went to the way it worked was we went to yeshiva. We had yeshiva, we met in the yeshiva and in the from the yeshiva they took us to the parade. That's my recollection. The buses took us to the parade. at the parade on the service lane of of of of uh 770 right of Eastern Parkway. I don't believe in my times it was the uh main road. It wasn't that large. It was the sidewalk, the both sidewalks, both the sidewalk closest to 770 and the sidewalk of uh of the service lane which on one side is the small street in front of 770 and the other one is the large Eastern Parkway boulevard Eastern Parkway. So that's where they put out shares. years later, it became so large that the they blocked off the entire Eastern Parkway from Kingston to Brooklyn because there was so so many people. But in my times, it wasn't that way as far as I could remember. And they set up a a um a stage with a a deis of sorts and they had a red carpet that went from the stage all the way down to the steps to to the to the to to to the steps of 770. And when the Reb came out, they would play the song an which is the traditional song of faith in Mashiach. And it and it was when the the door of 770 opened and the Reba finally came out while everyone's already waiting and in their place it they that music played that song played and he walked down the red carpet. It was regal. It was just so regal, so elegant, so godly, so holy. You could feel it because the music with the niggan of an imam and the you know the kind the red carpet and and the stage that ambiance that was created it was it was like the kayen god know like we read in the kipper of the co I'm telling you the way I felt maybe others felt otherwise but that's the way the feeling that I had and the the the rebba spoke in Yiddish in Yiddish and Rabbi JJ He translated it into English. One year 1980, the rabbi in middle stops speaking Yiddish and he starts speaking Russian and we're all standing there and we have no idea what he's saying. But I recall hearing from him the words constitutia constitutia which is constitution. I I remember hearing that word. So I said ah he's talking about the the constitution. It was about the Russian constitution in which the Reb argued and said that according to the Russian constitution, you're allowed to teach Tyra and but he said it in Russian because he wanted the message to get back to Moscow and to this in Russia who is still dealing with the issues of you know of of the Soviet oppression and uh the iron curtain. Okay. But that was a that was a scene to be seen cuz here we are and there must have been 5,000 people, you know, and the the sun is usually a beautiful day and the trees are, you know, it's just gorgeous setting. Um, and all of a sudden he goes into Russian like what? And I think it was this same lag bimmer that was the only time that I saw his wife from the next door what was called the library what's called the library the second floor the window they I looked and I I was told that that was the reba's wife again I couldn't I was far away couldn't see clearly but she obviously uh was listening to her husband to speak to to the yisha children to the Jewish people. Then I want to go back to that. I wasn't there but it's online and it was the 1967. It was May of 1967 where the Reb spoke and before the I think before the before the six day war right the six day war broke out in June right June of ' 67. So this was maybe less than a month before and you should hear it because the Reb is storming loud speaking about having faith talking that he remember the words behold God will not sleep and doesn't sleep and doesn't slumber and will protect us and he's like pounding away in those word on those words May of 1967 and then came the miracle of the six day war right so you have to listen that was la 1967 at the lab parade very very important historically and to look at the correlation between the two and the what he said so that was a lot parade so what I'm sharing with you is that very significant things took place besides ides him speaking to little children which is the ultimate to educate Jewish children but if you you know if you were if you're uh uh you know I I want to see something great miraculous is the and speaks about the holiness and the miracles of the well if you take a look at these three events that I just spoke about 1967 two events 1967 and 1980 1967 about the situation and 1980 about the situation in Russia. It's miraculous. It it it's it's miraculous in the sense I I'm not I'm not saying that I know that the reb talk of 1967 caused the miracle of of June 1967. I mean, I I believe that it definitely helped and it could quite well be, but even if you don't come to that conclusion, you don't believe that, but it's just a a very interesting phenomenon that the uh less than a month before gets up and speaks about it. And remember, no one knew there's going to be for sure war, there was a threat of war. And the Reb was speaking as though there is a war. And there's no qu or or at least that there's going to be a war. If you think about the words that he said with the with the way he said it and the emotions how he said it, there's no question that you knew something's hap is going to happen. And Hashem, Hashem made the great miracle of the six day war, which really is the is the you could say is the is the timing when the Balthoua movement really sprout forth. I mean, started in the 60s already with the counterculture revolution, but it wasn't until the six day war that people just started to gravitate to terror. AI wrote that letter. You you you hope you read it. He says it there clearly. A AI our our friend and student that's that's what got him and he was one out of thousands or maybe millions. So it was a significant date and told us amro in the history of the Jewish people is the sixth day war of Eric Isisro 1967 is a monumental day for claws. Then in 1980 we had several other very important historical things. Of course in January of 1980 Rabbi Salovich came to the fabbran as a gesture of thanks to the Reba that he was a Reb for 30 years. It was the 30th anniversary and that was monumental too. And insiders and outsiders tried stopping him from coming. And because he was an honest person and a a great man, he disregarded all the pressure and he did what he felt was right. But that was very monumental to have the the house of the vet of misnav to face in 770 was very monumental. It was a coming together of the world of brisk, the world of the world of the go and the world ofidus. So that was monumental too. And on top of that he talks about the whole idea of the the curtain and what happened several years later the iron curtain broke and as Dr. Bronover writes and I interviewed him how even during the the the the refusnic time that he was part of in the 1980s he detailed how 198586 with Gorbachov I believe I don't know if it was then or a few years later how it all came together. So what we see is that is a day of of great miracles and and gilium we call them guim revelation revelation but you got to be plugged in. So the alterb the mitereb has a mimer in the sidor you know if you take out the balatan's cidor called sidelim which is theorim are from the mitler yes yes that's not the same as right no that is the lash yes Okay. Same one. So in the there's a lot of around the page of of of that's from the it's his so there is a mime there on it's called in other words you theidis per yumto is called sh this and this this this portal this portal And over there he speaks about the the what is and we know that you know last night was and is about. So what is this? So just briefly means thankfulness means thankfulness within thankfulness. And the explanation is that you could be thankful begrudgingly. You could be thankful for a condition and a reason. And then there is a cabal soil thankfulness. A unconditional thankfulness, an acceptance thankfulness. Not acceptance in the sense that I'm forced to accept. I want to accept because I like being a servant of God Almighty Hashem. So which is from the make a um a mound gal reversed. So it says that the gali there's a verse in I believe reveal [Music] your eyes my eyes in Torah referring to what's there to reveal learn the Torah knows the depth of Torah and this the connection to who's the author of the habadesh which talks about the teachings the esoteric teachings the secrets of tyra gal reversed reversed gimmel is the revelation of your Torah visades the mystical writings whichidis develops etc etc and how is it done and on what day is it done I don't want to say the day because I don't want to count right but it's you can say the you say In other words, the idea is that the greatest revelations of godly secrets will be expressed through not through intellectualism, not through emotionalism, but through and what is practically gratefulness. gratefulness. A ye needs to a a person in general, but a ye in particular needs to to to think to take time to think what Hashem does for him or her and her and to be grateful and and it's not a given. It's really not a given because we become self-centered at times even if we don't become self-centered but you know we kind of feel you know Hashem you owe it to us I'm give I'm doing what you want you know you promise me you know kick back you know so everyone in different ways there is you know there is that feeling in a coarse way in a grub way you know in a egoomaniac back way and then there's the feeling in a subtle way. I recall hearing that there was a question about the choice of one of a RV in Crown Heights at one point and they had different potential speakers. And one of the speakers who came from realad stock and he was a a massive of all parts of Torah and he expressed himself at some point with a feeling like you know like in a way like it I I'm owed this you know if not me my my parents not my parents my community you know because I come from Russian stock. So if you know you really should have a real Russian viper as there not an American. He didn't say those words but that was the implication. You know what I'm saying? It's like Misha we've discussed you know the the rabbi you know from from a lot the lineage of the sat and then then he has not he's the lineage but I'm saying it's like okay you know this is the way imagine you bring in someone who is uh from North Carolina to be and he happens to be a big rabbi a big mind and and and and you're going to put him up as a candidate to be the rv of a kesh I don't think it's going to work well you know I don't think it you know why it's a kesh they're trying to keep the tradition is the the the family were rabbis ofidic rabbis in Tel Aviv so the same thing same thing when it comes to to gratefulness need to humble yourself and is about humbling yourself and it's in a way it's so it seems antithetical to l because what a splash the bonfires are outside the kids are marching and bows are narrow you know what I'm saying it's it's it's leed and that's the way it should be it's really lively it's it's it's a wonderful day of liveless and and what are we saying that really the day is about which is humility And the answer it's not a contradiction because when you're really and truly humble, it's expressed in the liveless because the liveless is not about you. It's about the the the day the day the day of Rashi and Rabbi Aka and Claudius. Now going back to other things that I remember the reb would go to the on and in my days it's you know well you know here it's it's late later my is later probably an hour later than by you inro and um the reb would come back an hour later than that so he would come back 9:30 at night sometimes 9:30 10 and David Mina and MV and and then there was a Fabangan was always a faban in the 1970s before he left to the oil. Of course, he went to the mikvah and he would drive through the park because I failed to mention after the Reb spoke to the children then all the floats every yeshiva and and made a float of a certain mitzvah or mitzvah that the Reb was speaking about you know Shabas candles fill in zuza saka Uh and and that itself is was unique. You should see it online because I remember I was on a float with someone who already passed away. He was his name was Kajaminsky. He was um a very special man who came I think born in Argentina. He came to to to America and then he ended up in Yeshiva and he he took an interest in in in Kabat history and he spoke to every older and and you know his the the way who he was and the way he was built and the way he looked. He put he became a baker. He was baking matas. So he was the baker on the the on the float with with showing how you bakeura matzah. Right. And I was on that float. And as we p the every float would pass by the Reb, the Reb would stayed by the on on on the stage. And the Reba would wave, go like this sometimes, smile. And when he went when our float went by with Kajaminsky dressed with a baker's hat and a white apron apron, the ever broke out with such a smile. He was so, you know, so cute that you don't you don't see this this guy this way. You know, usually, you know, he was dressed like he was dressed like a 770 guy, okay? He wasn't dressed anything and it so I mean it was those type of images that and feelings that you um that we saw uh now after all the floats. Oh, and then there was marching bands. the US uh Marine Corps marching band, the fire department came by with their with their large fire engine and and then the the the yeshivas had their own choirs boys which dressed up. It's this is all online. You can see it all. And someone is not muted. Whoever I don't know who this Moshe, could you mute yourself, please? Anyway, so so after all that and that took us several hours, took several hours. So then the Reba prepared him went back and went to the mikvah and then headed out to the O. But before we already all went to the park down Kingston Avenue towards East Flatbush, I think it's called the Windgate Park. And over there, you know, it's large and they had a clowns and they gave us sandwiches and they had prizes. It was just a uh and they said that it was just a wonderful time, you know, boys on one side, girls on the other side. And the rebel drive through and he would stop sometimes and speak to Rabbi Heck, who was the organizer kind of the parade, one of the organizers together with the Americas. And from there he went to the OHL. So I remember seeing how the reb's car would stop there. Yes. Doing two two questions. I'm sorry to yeah just jump in but two questions because people have been asking me. The first question is that always comes up every year and I'm sorry you I think you touched on it a little bit but just maybe give it again. What was the what was the whole point of the of the of the parade of the tala? What was the whole in other words it's like no only the rabbi only does that? So people sometimes ask me like what's with the tal what's what's so that's one question. Question number two is people asked me recently inad did the rabbi go to a mid did he go to a bonfire you know you see many otheridus is the the rabb they make a b like there's a central midra you know a central bonfire people are asking you know what what what's what's what's done in kabad okay so those two answer the second question first the rebba did not go to a bonfire and kabad did not make bonfires in my days. That wasn't the La Bulma that I grew up with. If not for the parades on Sundays, La Bulma would be kind of a regular day. What did we do? We went to yeshiva. We were all dressed yum dick and we had a they gave us a nice hot dog meal, you know, a nice good better meal than usual. And then we went out with our rebies, with our teachers. We went to the park, the prospect park and and and and we played and because it says that the mitlerba and others went out to the park to to the to the forest the park and performed miracles and played with bows and arrows because you know with the rainbow and the colors and all of that. So the answer is the Rebba did we did not the Rebba didn't go to a bonfire nor did I go to a bonfire okay there's nothing wrong with bonfires but that was not the tradition in Lebadage could it be that in Russia that it was difficult um having bonfires because of the situation I maybe I don't know now as far as the first thing the tala like I said started so that public schools children should have an opportunity to be with other children and be with other yeden and to celebrate their Jewishness. Meisuk's idea was Jewish education and to find any and all ways to bring more from Yiddesh Tyra or education for Jewish children. That's so so on Sundays they were able to gather the children. Once they gathered the children, they they made it exciting. One of the exciting thing is is to march to make a float to to and and and and to participate and you should know there was one year 1973 that the Reb was supposed to come but he the last minute he canled he's not coming was on a Sunday and everyone was heartbroken. I've told you about this over the years and the Reb said that he's at the Fabrang in Shabas. He said that it breaks his heart. I'm paraphrasing that he's not able to participate with at the parade. Do you understand what those words mean? That means that the parade wasn't just, you know, a march. That means Shim 2,000 years of Shim who's in Miran is marching somehow spiritually at the parade because of the Yiddisha children that are marching and the Reb would like to be part of it and for some reason which I'm not going to go into now he felt he couldn't come that year. So when you ask when people ask you the purpose of the parade was again literally you know if you wanted a a simple answer it was to inspire Jewish children to be more Jewish. Okay. And and and how is that done? It's done by gathering them and giving them both spirituality and physicality. So the first they had a talk of Torah from the Reba and and then they had you know various programs to make it fun and exciting of which you know the marches included the the marching bands from the US government the navy and the fire and you know it was a uh very colorful and then we went to to a park but that's the that's the simple answer and spiritually Actually the idea is that that we we we want and to to bring Shim not just who's late in Iran you're in Bish I don't know how many of you going I mean I remember we didn't go one year and I was there we went a few weeks later it was fantastic hill played it was it was it was it was wonderful it was a very special time but we went within three days right So in kronites too and all over you know shim is is a sadic so it's not limited to I mean of course he's buried there and if you can get there on the day is but it's getting more and more difficult so the idea is as the said to to march with to experience the day that's the answer that's the answer and I tell you Misha and you could communicate this to people in Bamesh who ask you there are so many people here in borrow park who are not kabad their sapp bells whatever who have men and women I've heard it from my neighbors who grew up there or or came to the parades and they have these fond memories of the la parade on Sundays in Kron Heights so the proof is in the pudding and the pudding thing is that here it's 50 years later and a woman who's not Kabad talks so enthusiastically and wormly about her childhood memories at the parade that you see clearly that it was so impactful. Is that uh Okay, Misha Myers, you want to ask something? Wait a minute. Yeah, I was just going to add to that what you just said Rav that when I was in Toronto and growing as a Y newly sort of newly bala I didn't know a lot about Kabad but I knew they were doing a big event every year and we went to the park with the kids that at a big park in Toronto and they had beautiful picnic and they had bonfires and it was a very warm very warm kite like in terms of warming up the kabad it opened me up to a lot of things so it was great. Right. Right. Thank you for seconding that. Mosha, you wanted to say Mosha. Mosha, you wanted to say something? Mosha, Mosha Brun, you wanted to say something? Yeah, I just wanted to say once more again in the periods the were only on when Lad Bmer fell on a Sunday during the the the time and I believe all the years of the Reba after after the I'm not sure maybe towards the last years of the Reb's lifetime and afterwards they started to make it every year but the bulk of the years was only on Sunday again because that was the only day you can get per you could bring public school children that I'm I'm emphasizing that that was the way it started. It was for public school children. Everyone else was, you know, nice. But if you went to yeshiva, you went to a besakov, you know, in a sense like what you know uh the fact is that like I told you just a moment ago, everyone benefited even the most from you know but but really it was it was it was to anything you could do. That was the whole mission mo of me was to make programs for children that are not in a yiddesha school. So they made the 1940 Miba Shabas events, you know, it's all to take children. By the way, some of them were from children, but they were learning in public school. So you you want to you wanted to give them as much exposure to to T to T to T to T to T to T to T to T to T to T to Torah education. And I want to conclude with um with the following and that is that as Mosha Meyers just said, you know, the the the the We have to keep focused. In other words, as much as you the bonfires and and and the hurrah the hurrah let's you have to keep focused that that the on this day is tremendous and really if you can't get to shim and you and you can go to another sadic like you have you know shim right no the the tana outside of in the in the Muslim what no Who's what's who's who's been [Music] who? Yeah. So I was there one last I went there and now I understand it's thousands of people go there but you know I'm sure there's some holy person in in Bish they have a a place there a burial place. I'm saying that it's an invim here shimsh. So go to what what I'm saying is I if if a person's able, you know, to go to a caver of it's a very special opportunity. It's it's a one day thing, you know, and you'll say, well, every day, every other day is a one day thing. True. But but we know we know that the day of blamer in particular in Kabad they always spoke about blessings for children and for shidim and things like that. So it's an overall day for big brahas but particular to have children and healthy children and to find shidim and now I would say that some of you and many of you in besh have children in the army it's a day of prayer hashem should protect them. So again, if you're not able to, you're not able to. You know what I'm saying? But if you are able to uh to somehow find a caver of a sadic, even if you go for five minutes to say with a powerful and if you can't, you you do it in your house or in your shoe. But uh don't don't lose sight of of the holiness of the day. Yes. My shayers. Yes. Yeah. Just to say as I understand the rebi said that if someone didn't live near a sadic or ke they go to the kev of a fallen soldier he told people right I I I didn't hear that I didn't hear that but you know a fall a fallen a fallen soldier is a keshm he died of kdes and which is the greatest thing so it makes sense but I didn't hear that so I can't take the video Oh, you said Zman Orbach said that. That's what he said. Yeah, he he said that. He said not only that there was a story. Yeah, it's a it's a famous story. Basically, someone came from America to look for a ke. He says you don't have to look, just go to Harel. Interesting. Okay. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Look, you know, you have and people all over, you know, all over and it's just a matter of getting up and going, you know, and they're saying uh but um not to lose focus, you know, it's a special day of of so you know, we we you know, sometimes we get so caught up in everything else which is very important. important but we forget. So you remember this and as we you know as we go through this period which there's still a war and we still have we need Hashem's bra to be to make everyone safe. It's a tremendous day to be must follow next Monday we will learn good conversation h happy to [Music] everybody now and only bye-bye. Amen. Take care. Take care. Bye. You're welcome. You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you.