Reb Mendel "der Soldat" Greenbaum- Sincerity, truth and love of Rebbe - Rabbi Chaim Dalfin

So I was invited to this uh group here by label label green bell >> but I want to talk a little bit about his grandfather but before that about his father who's sitting right across me. Yosi is a childhood friend of mine. Your father is a childhood friend of mine. Your [snorts] employer whatever. We grew up in Boro Park together. went to Simpson >> and we went to the same sh of Simpson shul and then we went to yeshiva and Mars town together and uh that's a discussion uh for itself a lot to say a lot of memories a lot of very important things and that's what I want to get to talk about how do you develop someone's story how do you develop someone's story in this case it's going to be about the uh senior green bound Mendel the sold as the Eb called him Mendle the soldier who I personally knew and spent time with in Florida and also I don't know if you remember but also at the mountain lodge and I want to I want to begin with something that I saw that I always repeat in all of my lectures and talks of fabangans that Mendo that a Mendo bid that really left an impression. And I want you to think of it not in a political way because it is going to bore on uh politics and I'm I'm not coming from that perspective. I'm coming from a different perspective. Let me get right to the story. So it's Shabas afternoon in mountain lodge. Shabas after Kdesh there's 150 people sitting there. I remember mazari was there and uh and many other you know people who respectable people knowledgeable people really people who have a lot of information and then people are making kdish. I happened to end up sitting next to Tura Mendel because of my kinship and relationship with Yosi and uh I don't think Yosi was sitting next to us but I was sitting next to him and I see him making kdish and he makes on a on a large cup of scotch okay and you know he's not a youngster he's not you know this must have been about 25 years ago a full cup of scotch And after he makes kdish and he's not fathomemed and he no signs of in intoxication shikas he just makes kdish and downs it and you know and THEN HE GETS UP IN FRONT OF [laughter] 150 people and this is you know mango greenbomb who you know was a plumber was this he was didn't look he was no rabbi he was no that was giving shurim And I want to show you what he does. So he gets up like this, brings kaputa, and he goes like this with he had a he had a fist five times my size. >> Oh wow. >> And he goes adono. >> Ado. >> It didn't say like adeno whatever whatever THE WORDS ARE. MELIK AMOSIACH. [laughter] NOT HAMOSHIACH. THAT'S THE WAY I REMEMBER IT. >> AMEN. >> And >> I thought that there was some real anti-histan sitting in Fabangan, those that knew knew mountain lodge 25 years ago or both. But there were some very, very outspoken, VERY outspoken individuals. And I looked at them and they're all looking at Mendle and they don't say a word. THEY DON'T SAY A WORD. >> HELLO. >> And it's not that they were scared of him when he said that to me. You know what he was saying? >> IT'S GOOD. REB, I love you. That's what he was saying. I don't even know if he knew the details of Malu [laughter] Mel and all the explanations that probably some of these rabbis can get on the board probably shared or know to share. Ain't no one think that this reb this labeba by him is reality. And my point is to you guys it's not such a big hiddish cuz you're all about but when I speak outside and people constantly still till today I was at a Shabaton in Long Beach New York and a young Israel this past summer and I was bombarded with questions after I spoke about Msiah and Labavage and all that. So this is an ongoing issue right? So the the sincerity of a of a person in this case aid with his reb transcends you know the politics of course you could TAKE IT IN A POLITICAL way but if you're looking for truth and we should be looking for ems then you see that here is a PERSON WHO FOR WHATEVER reason whether he was told he has to say this or whether he really believes he has to say it as we say in giddish I don't care what I care is to see a sincere heart a genuine heart and this brings us back to who did who he was he was born in 1928 in the in I believe in and he was raised in East New York and from there he moved on he learned the yes inhib Berlin first after in Berlin I think he went to Vadas at some point and he met I think the heft j he ia gross and somehow somehow he they he transfers to lab yes I wish I would have had more time and his mind would have been clearer cuz the main interview came in Florida when he was already a kind of stroke patient semi-stroke patient and um we sat for hours and we spoke and he would get up and I said menal No, I'm going to go get it. It was hard for him to walk. No, no, no. And and get go get it. Get me a drink and get me a soda. Get me this, whatever. And then and then so he tells me that the story, which I would assume some of you know, it's definitely family, but it's worth repeating to the others. He was drafted to go to the uh to the war, right? He was supposed to go to uh Korea. He had friends that were going to Germany. He asks the Rebba. He had a relationship with the Reba from the 1940s when the Rebba was the Raash. And he also told me the first time he he saw the Reba, which maybe I'll get to soon. He remembered it. He remembered the first time he saw the Reba. [snorts] Shortly after the Reb came in June of 1941. Anyway, he says to DBA, you know, it's d it's going to be dangerous. Let let me go to um let me uh he he he was going to Yeah, let me go to Germany, right? Let me go to Ger was the right >> was he asked he asked the reb to dodge the draft, >> right? >> So asked him, how are you going to dodge the draft? >> Said very simple. I'm going to jump on a Greyhound bus going to Canada. No one will find you for years. Nobody. That's >> Uhhuh. Anyway, what he told me was something about Germany and Korea that >> friends certain friends went here some friends there. So he asked the to switch cuz it was safer. And the Reba said, "No, >> stay where you are. >> Stay where you are." >> A few weeks go by and you know he says again to the he said stay where you are. I think two or three times that ever didn't let him change and was those that went to I I think it was uh a Germany got bombed and killed and he went to Korea and he he made it that that's dust mal is up he told me this himself this is not and talking about in 195 what 52 in the early 50s another thing he told me was and this is a this is kabad is a famous thing but it's worth repeating He had furlow. He had a weekend off. So his friend says, "Dave, if you want to hop on a plane and go to New York, friend wasn't I don't think he was any Jewish, you know, he's going to go party then the Broadway, you know, tonight's New Year's." They go on go out on town. He says he has an opportunity to go see by. So they go on a cargo plane. He described to me how there was no seats were laying on the floor with the guns. You know, they get to New York. Here's a 770 for Shabas Heights. The Reb tells him to say and the Reb goes like this. I don't know if those that remember most of the younger but probably remembers if the Reb went like this, he means he wants you to say on a cup like this. He would he could hold his his his his drink. The Reb goes again like THIS SEVEN TIMES. THE REB TELLS HIM TO say on a cup of vodka. Did you label you know this story? >> Vaguely. >> Vaguely. This is what he told me. [laughter] After seven times, you know, he's he's like out of it. I mean, seven cups. And he wonders to himself. And everyone's wondering seven times that would say Emanuel would say another one say once maybe sometimes twice. Seven times. It's unheard of. He comes back. He comes back and he had an anti-semitic he told me general. I forget his name or maybe never told me his name. I didn't write it down. So he probably didn't tell me his name. And the guy says, I don't know what they Greenbound. He green Greenbound. WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT FOR DRINKS. LET'S GO. AND HE REALLY, you know, he bothered him. They go into the bar, the tavern. [clears throat] And they start drinking. And he says, "This is what we're doing tonight. You have to match me. Drink for drink." Yes, you correct me if I'm wrong. Drink for drink. They start drinking and drinking and drinking. Four, five, six. And the and the general and now the general is, you know, and Mendle is the drink number seven that the general picked up and he drank. He collapsed AND HE DIED ON THE SPOT. Drink number seven. How many cups did THE REB TELL? Seven glazer. Seven cups. That happened. Okay. Now, what is it about him? What is it about him? So, Dere is the one that coined the name. I think the only one Mendel the Sodat Mendel the soldier cuz he was a soldier in the Korean army. But it's a lot deeper than that. A soldier has what we call inidus in the cab. He accepts he does. He doesn't deviate from what I know this is the type of person he was very simple but by him uh the reb you know I've met a lot of people I've interviewed a lot of people and his pos his sincerity and simplicity of his love for the rebba I haven't seen you know ALL THESE RABBIS WE'RE ALL RABBIS, you know. In other words, our conditioning of a connection to is like I understand his I understand I I like this. This is another thing that I'm going to be bringing in Montreal in two weeks and this is one of the things I was once and there was a lot of them there and they start with me about Msiah. So I turn to them and I say this I don't want you to believe that my Reb is Msiah. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOUR REB IS MESSIAH? AND THEY SAID you know what no that's my question. In other words, forget about in other words, but in your doctrine of this is not important in our doctrine. It is very important. NOW, YOU CAN ARGUE WHO IS THE MESSIAH AND ALL THAT, but the concept that Messiah is a reality should be [laughter] part of the [snorts] mindset. So, what am I saying? Ra mendel remendal the rebb calling him mendel the sat means he is a soldier he is a fighter he is a believer and that's very important that's something that we can all and need to identify and understand not again I see a NOTAB NOT but whoever your is or whoever your is your despite them have their gift no The question is and what if yourb OR YOUR DOESN'T DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LIKE? WHAT DO YOU DO? So let me tell you I have a guy in borrow park in Marul he was a bian HE FELT THE BIANBA DIDN'T TREAT HIS DAUGHTER RIGHT. So he CHANGES [laughter] FROM THE BIAN AND NOW BECOMES A LABURE. Since when does a reba have to correspond to your liking? famous mice which right? The Reb tells them to invest in the lumber business going down the river and what happens? >> Down the river. >> And then down the river AND EVERYTHING GOT LOST, DESTROYED. And they say, "You still believe in the he says, "I NOW JUST BEGIN TO [laughter] BELIEVE IN THE REB UNTIL NOW." HE WAS A Reb that fit my agenda. That's a reb. And I I I believe I I it seems to me that that men you say then was a ye who you know what are people going to people going to going to uh say why did people why did the people who politically didn't like that agenda why did they why were they quiet and why were they looking and why you know why because it came from the heart AND WHEN SOMETHING COMES FROM YOUR HEART, it talks loud and clear. Another story that Mendel told me, and I think he said he heard it from you, Yasi, but it's an important story. Not going to say names because it's very personal, very private. Someone who was close to the Reb had and he was had a difficulty in parasa. He went to the Reb and the Reb said go out and ask mendel greenbellum. I [laughter] mean that that itself also is like to me like what [laughter] the didn't say go to a rabbi arov a mashpia go ask mendel greenbalm what business you should do to have parnosa. He goes out and he says mendle says to him you should go into the shoe business. So he says that menal they know each other that menal I don't know [clears throat] anything about shoes right he SAYS WELL YOU'LL FIND OUT EVERYONE NEEDS shoes how can you not make money in the shoe business goes back into the this person and he says to the he told me something ridiculous to go into the shoe business I know nothing about the shoe business and he goes out [snorts] without going into the details because of [clears throat] privacy. He had a a hard life, a very hard life. When the Reb tells you something, whether it's through mental greenbound or yank tugris or him or her [clears throat] listen and this is relevant today even though we don't see or hear at least I don't hear and see that right physically but the the the reality of his of who he is and his teachings and his is real. So you write into the reb you go to the oil you go to 770 WHATEVER YOUR METHOD of connection is and I'm not telling you what it should be but whatever that is are you ready to listen are we ready to listen I know I'm not I'm not always willing will willing to listen because I'm not a real believer a real believer listens and doesn't like I said before a reb to him is not what HE CAN DO FOR ME IT'S WHAT I CAN DO FOR HIM. So you know when the rabbi tells you to go to mendle greenbound to ASK HIM FOR ADVICE WHAT PRONOS HE SHOULD GO INTO and he tells you to go into the shoe business fool that MEANS THE RABB'S TELLING YOU that ah you don't know about shoes SO YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT SHOES YOU LEARN ABOUT SHOES. So I I heard these things from him. I'm sharing things I heard from him that left an an indelible impression. This is talking about now uh 15 years ago. the the little that I know and Josie knows a lot more but I forget the name. He had this person who used to used [clears throat] to I think live in your basement or I forget who was he used to always hang out and what was his name? >> Mle. >> Yeah. Yeah. Small guy. in the balcony, you know, it's also like, you know, I have a house. You know what I'm saying? Do do I have do I let people in? There's something that that that there's to learn from. Look, here is not this rub, not this mashia, not this rabbi, a simple ye and look at this. Look at how and here I am, you know, with all you know, everything I do and I don't have that. So, so what what what what's happening? What's going on? In other words, >> what was the >> he lived in his house? >> He lived in his house >> for 40 years. >> For 40 years. >> As soon as he got married, he moved upstairs and he never left. >> Yep. You hear that? >> You know what? What did your your grandmother say? I I have no idea. But >> he learned with us. He he he what he called my wife years. He lived in the house. >> You just lived there. You never left. >> Yeah. No. No. Fine. Even later when my parents moved to Carit, he moved by my brother Liber. >> Yeah. >> You always stay. >> Yeah. So >> Yum from the war. It was >> Oh, it was from the war. I didn't know. >> He was a little kid when he left when he was in the war. >> So when when we talk about a person's life and this is the the the next maybe final part of this talk. I wanted to give a sh but he's he labels talk about my grandfather. So Um, we're not recording our grandparents, parents' information. I've been over the last five years doing one of the things I do is oral history, family oral history. Not just about the Reb, about your family. Who is your family? You know, there was a Jew 97 who's passed away. Mullapkin Platkin. He just passed away. Thank God I was able to convince our cover of Abrakin to to have me do this interviews with him 8 to 10 hours on camera that belongs to the family. It doesn't go out to the public. It's theirs. I'm commissioned to do it. And we have the family has gems and what they do with a different story. The point is how many people don't we have on camera? Someone said here they come from Daskkins. And I want to tell you something. There's a difference between having a granddaughter, a grandson because there's certain things that you can't ask them and I can cuz I ask all kinds of questions. And there's another someone else who I did this in in about 12 15 hours in Kron Heights the last two years. And then I said to him, because it's a lot of mental work, this isn't just recording. I'm listening. After I say to him, I think I have to take something out. He what do you have to take out? I said, when you mentioned one of your children, your nose went up. [clears throat] And when you mentioned another child, your nose went to the right. I don't think I want them to see that. In other words, you're showing favoritism to one over the other. No good. We're taking that out. When he heard he didn't even realize and he said, "Thank you very much. We took it out." The point is that people have history. Now, I just brought this as an example. My father, who [laughter] you kind of grew up with, knows very well. My father was born in Romania 88 years ago. Thank God. You know, he comes to the early minion 770. He's the he's he's the show at the 7:00 Minion, right? The 770. But the point is like this. A lot of the stuff I heard over the years cuz my father is a talker, a big talker, you know, and [laughter] he and he says everything. But nevertheless, nevertheless, you to put together real information. You need dates. You need years. You need to ask questions. You can't just a general question. And now in his older age, when I ask him questions, he gets real nervous cuz he's 88 years old and lost his patience, right? But you need to ask questions. IF YOU DON'T ASK QUESTIONS, you don't get answers. This is this is what every one of you should make sure that your parents and your grandparents for your own family. I mean, this is out IN THE PUBLIC FOR EVERYONE. BUT THE POINT IS, I'm not here. I'm not soliciting you. I'm I'm sharing with you something that makes me very sad all over. I talk about this all over. People are going to the graves with the information. Mish mish I don't want to say who but another older person in this community in Heights. I beg him I beg this kids get him to speak and then and I say if you let me do this I will get gems out of you because he's not going to tell you. So for example, I saw him once and we're talking and he says to me, "Yeah, I remember when I was 11 years old, I almost killed a guy and together next to me was Ritz because Ritz went to the mikvah in a in a in a pond." This is in Russia and he had to take off all his clothes in the mikvah and they were going and they were making fun and all and I saw this and I almost killed him. Now it it's a stupid, right? But it's not stupid because for a writer, every little story points to a certain narrative. And this is what you need to take out. That's how a book becomes interesting. That's how a story becomes interesting. Not through, you know, the great things, you know, the seven with with it's a fascinating story. But then there's the details everyday life. You know, how did how did you h how did a mendel davin as a stroke patient shabas and labores in his in the house in in Miami, right? Who's thinking about that? I am. What side did he go into? What side did he come out from? See, so so only when you do oral history do you get a chance to get into it. And I'll tell you something, what I see from all the different people that I did this with over the last two, three years, they love it. First, they're like ambivalent. [clears throat] And then when we start talking and you know, they just I'm not going to say they say everything cuz they don't and they shouldn't, but they say a lot. They say a lot more than than than the average person. So my message I guess today is besides you know the speaking about a mendle which was is you know the reb calls him mendle sat to me that's that's that's that's big stuff that's big stuff but but besides that it's the importance of of getting your story out and maybe writing a diary keeping a diary do you guys keep a diary you know I keep a diary to 25 years now I'm not going to say I'm perfect. You know, uh there's [laughter] many days I don't write. But how about how about keeping a little diary? [snorts] You know, you think what's wrong to keep a diary? And you look back at it. My father has a little book, you know, this little uh with the spiral from 1960 when he started to [clears throat] work when he came to America. So he was invited here to a to a dinner, a birthday party for the scholar risen about five, six years ago whenever. And my father was they asked him to speak. So he goes up there. He takes out his little book and he says, "Show him bad." The Kimmel. >> You were there. >> No, but he told me himself the story. >> HE OWE ME money and and looks at him >> at the birthday party. >> At the birthday party. >> He had no shame. There's no shame. >> No. No. These guys are buddies from back then. >> So buddies. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Way before. So my father >> and there's a lot of compound. >> Wait, wait, wait. >> So my FATHER SAYS, "SHOW HIM BETTER." HE CALLS HIM, you know, he's a friend. Remember, he says, "State through. I gave you $4,5 cuz he was single. Sh was married already." So he says to MY AND MY FATHER WAS WORKING FOR him at the time. He was So he says to him, "Uh, now when you when you get married, I'll give you THE MONEY BACK. OW ME THE MONEY." AND MY FATHER DID BUT HE WROTE it down and he asked if it's a book and everyone plots another person left I just saw I was in Cleveland speaking I went to see label is 86 years old he's a wheelchair stroke patient so I'm talking to him my father tells me LET ME SHOW YOU guilt he has it written [laughter] DOWN IN HIS LITTLE BOOK everyone the point is these things for family it's a beautiful thing years later you know so That's that's I want to encourage you to to to do that. Now we'll just uh any comments, questions, anything and then we'll turn it off. You don't have to be sh bashful. We're all here. >> Y did I leave anything out? >> No. >> I mean I you know I wish >> there is an interesting story. I don't know if you know where >> um Re Krenky >> Reb Krenky when they inaugur inaugurated the Reba >> to be Reba they had this on East Parkway they had like a little get together people came in wish the Reb so he he wrote his father that he told his father that uh you should have came you would have enjoyed it I know it's a long ride there's a whole letter he wrote he writes to his father >> in Boston >> why he didn't come and he says And you should just know he spoke about Medal Greenbound on the day of his inauguration. >> I never knew that. >> And there's a letter that that Yiddoo wrote to his dad. >> Yeah. You've seen the letter. >> I think I once I didn't I didn't copy. >> That's very interesting. I didn't >> That is very interesting to me. And I think also I think >> you all the you don't know. >> I'm going I'm going to try to find out >> story. The night before night before >> someone told me that someone to my brother told me someone told him. >> Mhm. >> The night before called >> the night before he took theas. >> What's the story? >> What does that one say? >> That he called him in Europe. He called your grandfather in Europe and said that he's he's doing that he's taking a [clears throat] >> That has to be verified. He he was in Europe at the time in 1950. was in Europe or >> Yeah, it was in Germany. >> Yeah, >> in Germany. That's what they say. >> Yeah. >> And he called him that he's >> a DP camp or something and he called the paper. >> Can you I would love to verify that. It has to be verified verified. >> But well has this letter >> Y has a letter. >> That's that's very talking about him on the day of the day. >> And he and he didn't he give the rebels some rides on a car. Is that true or not true? >> Because he had a car, right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Look, um, you know, uh, he did he he did, but but >> he told me an interesting story also that he walked into 770 and he sees someone take like a gamarra, >> but the gamar is this way, right? Gamar is left to right, >> right? >> And he sees that he lifts it up like an inch. >> Yeah. >> And he's going turns the page. He went like a few few do but he didn't look at the other side. He didn't look at the back page. He only looked at what was in front of him with what he could see very in very in very uh quiet way. He didn't want anyone to see. So he did it like this. He didn't look at the back. My father didn't know at the time it was the so he went over he saw it. He told this is the the way he's told me the story. He went he he he saw a person he never saw before at Min who who opened up look like this. >> Yeah. It's a little surprising during took into but whatever the case he was like this >> and he didn't know who he is >> after Ma he went over to was the and he says he says is the >> [clears throat] >> Aiden Aiden the now he remembered the first time he he saw it anyway and together with my good friend Leished we should sometimes speak about Leish he was a very interesting individual to say the least aut um and he learned he learned >> a pioneer a pioneer a fighter a fighter for for he was a real >> first line. First line. >> Yeah. [snorts] And he and he learned he knew I spoke to him in he told me he was uh >> Yeah. Anyway, David should help. We should only have you guys should have everyone and everyone married single. Those that are single should find and those that are married have my children grandchildren and we should taking it off. >> Also the sponsor today was my grandmother. Thank you for saying that. >> Yeah.