Author: Avrohom Meir Morgenstern

A Man’s Wages

On By Avrohom Meir MorgensternIn My LifeLeave a comment

Mr. K_____ is 80+ years old. He lives in a nursing home and attends our Synagogue, Mishna Ugamorah, every Shabbos and Sunday . He is important as we are happy to get 10 men for the Minyan. He comes at 9:30 AM and stays all day. He will eat either at my house or the Rabbi’s house. He worked all the years for Milt Gershowitz on the Montreal pop truck, delivering cases of pop in glass quart bottles, 12 to a case. I first met him when he was still able to live alone. He has since moved to the nursing home. He has only one or two living relatives and is not in contact with them. He talks about politics and only watches Fox news.

This past Shabbos, January 4, 2013, he ate at my house. During the meal he is contemplating his life and says, “I never earned a man’s wages.  As a result I could not get married and have my own kids”. He repeated himself a number times, “I never earned a man’s wages. I never earned a man’s wages. Nothing ever went right for me.”
I spoke to the Rov and what we surmise was that in the 1940s, he was in the Marines. He was issued a general discharge. The Rov was a Chaplain in the US Army and told me that in the 1940s and 1950s, in society a man was judged by his military service and if he was dismissed under a general discharge, it was held against him.  I sense that his entering the Marines was almost by accident and not really what he wanted or a stupid decision. Life often hinges on one act, on decision, one moment.

There was nothing I could say or that could be said.  My response was that we appreciate your effort in coming to our Synagogue and that there is huge merit waiting for him from God.   He is able towards the end of his life to come to pray, be called up to the Torah, participate as one of the guys.  This alone will pay him great dividends in the next world.

I have said this many times in the past.  This is one of the purposes of the Synagogue, to give everyone a place, a sense of belonging.  I love Synagogues that are robust, full of life, people talking, full of Torah.  Rabbi E. once told me that I would love his Synagogue.  He has no rules.  He knows me quite well.   I detest Synagogues with “Hakpodos”, heavy handed rules. 

The movie Back to the Future opens up with Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly with his family. His father lives in fear of his boss, they have a very modest home, and are losers in life. At the end of the movie after Marty McFly goes Back to the Future, history has changed, and his family now lives an upper middle class life in a gorgeous home and are winners in life. What changed? In the movie there was a pivotal scene which changed his father’s life. His future boss was the school bully. Originally, in the pivotal moment, his father does not stand up to the school bully and as a result lived his entire life in fear, downtrodden. When Marty McFly goes back to the future, he changes that moment of truth. His father stands up to the bully. His father now sees himself differently, as a winner, and his entire future changes.

Mr. K____ ‘s moment of truth did not turn out well for him. As a result a Man’s Wages . . . a Man’s Wages . . .

Parshas Vayechi

On By Avrohom Meir MorgensternIn My Life1 Comment

Good Shabbos

How is everyone?  This is the last weekend of the year.  I hope 2012 was at least a decent year and let us hope for better things in 2013.    As we go from then end of one year into a new year, so this week’s Bible portion of Vayichi is the end of the opening chapter of the Jewish nation.  The last of the Avos – (our forefathers) dies, along with his twelve sons.   Next week we start with a new chapter of the Jewish people, the slavery in Egypt.

I do not know what I will focus on this week, Shabbos morning.  I am thinking about the blessings Jacob gives to his twelve sons.  The first three are rebukes.  Why not couch it in positive terms?   Yet Yehuda is blessed by Jacob to be the leader of the Jewish nation – despite being the one who may have done Jacob the most damage, as Yehuda was the ringleader in the selling of Joseph and causing 22 years of agony for Jacob.     Did Jacob even know the Joseph was sold ?  And if he did, was Yehuda forgiven?    It appears that Jacob did not know because Rashi says that when it came time for Yehuda to receive his blessing, Yehuda started to turn away out of fear of being rebuked over the incident of Tamar.  Rashi does not mention the selling of Joseph.   I have to look at the Midrash.  We were not there so we do not know how the family handled everything.  It is interesting that after Jacob dies, the brothers were afraid that Joseph would turn against them.

Great stuff.

Last Shabbos, I walked to Anshe Sholem for morning services.  I love speeches, especially Rabbi’s sermons.  I wondered what Rabbi Lopatin would focus on and what his message would be.  There is a great deal of excellent Torah on last week’s Bible portion that is relevant to us, that we can learn out great lessons, especially the words, “I am Joseph, is my father still living”.    Rabbi Lopatin in his words captured the emotions and feelings of the congregation and us Jews in the lesson of Sandy Hook.  He mentioned that last week’s Torah portion started with “Viyagash Alov Yehuda”, as the Targum translates the words, Yehuda came close to Joseph.  Rabbi Lopatin said that to influence people, we have to come close.  It appears that the Sandy Hook killer was not abused, not bullied, no one may be to blame.     Talk to people, don’t let people be isolated.  It may not help or the person may want their privacy, but we must try.   Rabbi Lopatin talked about his trip to Israel, walking the streets of Bnei Brak, meeting with Rabbi Shteinman and Rabbi Keneivsky, the two great Cheridei leaders.  Rabbi Lopatin is reaching out to all different parts of the Jewish people.  He also met with Rabbi Melchior and Rabbi David Hartman.  He was warmly received by all  these leaders.   He said that Rabbi Hartman although weak, is full of life and about to publish a new book.  Rabbi Lopatin talked about Achdus – togetherness – in Israel and the Jewish people.

I also talked to Jack Berger, the super Jew.  He was in Israel for the Likud primaries.  I asked him if he saw our Rebbe (teacher) Rabbi Nachman Kahana.  He had breakfast with Rabbi Kahana at the Inbal hotel in Jerusalem.  I told Jack Berger a great – great story that Chazzan S. told over at Kiddush a few weeks ago.

Chazzan Silber. has a daughter who is Chereidei and lives in the New York area.  She has a son who volunteered for the IDF.   Chazzan Silber,’s daughter called up her parents and tells this amazing story.

Their son served 2.5+- years in the IDF and was released about 4 months ago.  Since he was an American, he was not in the reserves.  About 2 months ago his unit was called up to Gaza.  The kid called his commanding officer (CO) and wanted to come back.   His CO told him that if he decides to re-enlist, the CO will make sure the kid ends up with his unit on the Gaza front.  The kid re-enlists and makes it back to his unit.   The kid is on the Gaza front with 70,000 other soldiers.  The Lubavtichers were there handing out Titzis and putting on Tefillim.  The kid told his parents that he was able to see with his own eyes the holy sparks of holiness ascending from the soldiers to the heavens.

Jack Berger told me that the spirit of the IDF has never been better.

Contrast this Holiness of the Jewish people, Mi Kamacha Yisroel, with the nonsense coming out of the Cheredei community.  My nephew pointed out a Cheredei website that has an audio of a Yeshiva student going to a recruiting office and telling them he will not serve.   I do not know if this audio is true because it is so infantile, but I do believe this mentality permeates Cheridei society.  They do not have the decency or the humility to recognize what others are doing for them.   I do not believe that the leaders of Chereidei society agree with this type of behavior, but they have yet to stand up to this boorish behavior and indirectly encourages it.  It is tragic that they do not realize they are clowns and unfortunately this type of infantile behavior is applauded.  This Cheridei website just does not get it and does not even know to be embarrassed.  This is not the first time that they published something I considered wrong and when I e-mailed them they defended their position.

The Chief Rabbi of Israel and my Cousin

On By Avrohom Meir MorgensternIn My LifeLeave a comment

Quite a bit has been happening and I hope to write about the events.  Three weeks ago, I spent a magnificent Shabbos at the Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS) and I plan to write about it.  This past Shabbos,  Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau visited Chicago for the weekend.  He had the Shabbos afternoon meal, davened Mincha , and had the third Shabbos meal at Sidney Glenner’s house.  I was privileged to be in the presence of the Chief Rabbi.   Rabbi Lau is a prolific and emotional speaker.  Recently his memoir, Out of the Depths, was published in English.  Rabbi Lau was liberated from Buchenwald at age 8.

At the Shabbos lunch meal Rabbi Lau told two stories.  His first story brought a cousin of mine to life and answered a question, I have had for a number of years.

Around 1980 Rabbi was elected Chief Rabbi of Netanya. Rabbi Lau explained the responsibility of his new job; Kashrus, Eruv, the Synagogues, the hotels, policing 49 butcher shops, and trying to please all factions of the religious spectrum.   He also had to worry about preventing the desecration of Shabbos.  There were 4 movie theaters in Netanya owned by one couple,  He got the wife to agree not to open on Shabbos.  When the wife died, Rabbi Lau was worried that her husband who had little connection to religion would open the movie theatres on Shabbos .  Rabbi Lau got the husband to promise  at his wife’s funeral, that the husband would continue the legacy of his deceased wife and not cause desecration on Shabbos.

There was a social club in Netanya at Ramaz 8 that had planned to open on Friday night for theater performances and other activates.   The social club at Ramaz 8 was owned by the Histadrut.  The Histadrut* is a powerful workers Union in Israel that had and has enormous power in Israel. They were leftist, secular, and anti-religious. They had no problem being open on Shabbos and probably encouraged the desecration of Shabbos.   Rabbi Lau called to his office the head of the Histadrut in Netanya. This person was Nosson Shachar.

Nosson Shachar is a son of Rabbi Yehoshua Zelig Morgenstern, son of the Lukover Rebbe (Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Morgenstern),  Nosson Shacher is a  brother to Menucha Morgenstern- Lahav, first cousin to my father, and first cousin – once removed to myself.   Rabbi Yehoshua Zelig Morgenstern was the youngest of the 10 children of the Lukover Rebbe and made Aliyah to Israel in the early 1920’s.  I had thought that all of the Lukover Rebbe’s 10 children and their families were martyred in the Holocaust.  About 10 years ago I  found out that the youngest made Aliyah after the Lukover Rebbe passed away in 1920.  I met his daughter Menucha about 5 years ago when I had her and her family over for a Friday night meal, when I was in Israel visiting my daughter in Seminary.

Nosson Shacher comes into Rabbi Lau’s office and sits down.  Rabbi Lau looks at him and says, your last name is Shacher, you must be a descendent of the Kotzker Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Morgenstern. Nosson Schacher is surprised and says that he has not heard this for many years as he was secular and in his circles, the Kotzker Rebbe would  rarely be mentioned.  Additionally, the Kotzker’s last name was Morgenstern.  Many individuals when they reached Israel from Europe took Hebrew last names instead of their European last names. Morgenstern in German is morning star, so the last name became Shacher. Rabbi Lau continues and says, when you pass on and in the next world you will  meet your holy grandfather, the Kotzker Rebbe.  The Kotzker will ask you, so Nosson, what have you done during your lifetime, what positive thing have you done about Shabbos, did you prevent the desecration of Shabbos.  What will you say? Nosson Shacher is quiet for a moment in thought, and after a short while says, we will move the programs to Saturday night, and promises that there will be no desecration of the Shabbos. Imagine the merit of Nosson Shacher.  He merited the world to come, just with this one act. Perhaps this is the reason why Rabbi Yehoshua  Zelig Morgenstern made Aliyah, so that in 1980, his son Nosson, despite being secular, met with Rabbi Lau to prevent public desecration of Shabbos.  Perhaps this is why Rabbi Yehoshua Zelig Morgenstern and family were spared from the horrors of the Holocaust.

I hope to be able to learn Torah with Menucha, her husband, their kids, and Nosson’s children in Israel one day.

* Wikipedia – “The Histadrut became one of the most powerful institutions in the state of Israel, a mainstay of the Labour Zionist movement and, aside from being a trade union, its state-building role made it the owner of a number of businesses and factories and, for a time, the largest employer in the country.   Membership in 1983 was 1,600,000 (including dependents), accounting for more than one-third of the total population of Israel and about 85 percent of all wage earners.”

Pesach at the Kotzker Rebbe’s Seder Table

On By Avrohom Meir MorgensternIn Kotzker Rebbe, Kotzker Stories, Uncategorized2 Comments

The Lesson of Maror

 

A Chosid who used to travel to the Kotkzer, approximately 56 years earlier, was on his way home from Gur after the holiday of Succos.  He travelled by way of Sochatchov  and visited the Sochatchover Rebbe.  This event  took place in the early 1900’s.     The Sochatchover Rebbe was Rabbi Avrohom Bornsztain – 14 October 1838 to 7 February 1910,  and son-in-law of the Kotzker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avrohom_Bornsztain

When this Chosid visited the Rebbe, the Sochachover remembered that he sent this Chosed on two missions.  Once regarding the Ran and once regarding the Rashba. (I do not know what this means).

 The Chosid asked the Sochatchover Rebbe to tell him rest of the story at the Kotzker Rebbe’s Seder.    

 The Kotzker Rebbe’s Seder:

The Kotzker failed to pass out Maror to his family and those at the Seder.  This story of the Seder took place in the mid to late 1850’s.  The people around the table whispered to the Sochatchover that he should remind the Kotzker to pass out Maror.   The Sochatchover in a light-hearted comment to the Kotzker Rebbe mentioned a disagreement in the Talmud whether Marror today is Rabbinic or Biblical.  The Sochatchover said to his father-in-law that I have a proof from the Rebbe that Maror is Biblical because the Rebbe has not passed out the Maror.

 This is the extent of the story that the Chosid heard from Reb Hersh Tomashover and the Chosid wanted to know what happened afterwards.   Reb Hersh Tomashovor was the Kotzker’s Gabbai for many years.

The Sochatchover told  the Chosid the rest of the story.

 The Rest of the Story:

The Kotzker responded to his son-in-law, you are correct and gave Maror to everyone.  Suddenly, the Kotzker declared in a loud vice, “Maror Fressers”, Maror Fressers translates into, People who indulge in  Maror.  Due to the fear of the Rebbe everyone around the table scattered and only the Sochatchover remained.

 The Kotzker asked his son-in-law, what new insight have you said on the topic of Pesach. The Kotzker and Sochatchover talked in learning.   After a while Reb Hersh Tomashover came in the room and the Kotzker asked him, where is everyone.  Reb Hersh answered that the Rebbe chased them out of the house when the Rebbe screamed out, Maror Fressers.  The Kotzker replied that he did not mean the people around the table.

Understanding the Story – Understanding the Greatness of the Kotzker:

What is the meaning of this story?  Is it just a Chassidic tale that has no meaning or even worse.  Rabbi Farkas, my nephew’s father-in-law, repeated this story to me at Avrohom Yisroel Chase’s Bar MItzva two years ago and said he had no clue to what it meant.   Rabbi Farkas’s words were a little harsher and used this story almost as a metaphor for Kotzk.  Luckily I knew the story and explained to him what the story meant, why it had to be written, and how we can see the greatness of the Kotzker Rebbe.

 This Seder took place in the 1850s well into the period the Kotzker’s “Yimai Hester”, when the Kotzker withdrew from the world.    Even during this 20 year period the Kotzker never for one moment stopped being a leader.  During the 20 year period he raised a family, taught students, married off kids, was consulted by other leaders on communal matters, did not stop from praying to God for the salvation of the nation of Israel, learned Torah day and night not only for himself but for all Jews.  He was a beacon of light to all those seeking Torah and the Truth.  The best and brightest of Poland flocked to the study hall of Kotzk to be in his shadow.  The Kotzker established Poland as a Makom Torah, a place for top level Torah study.

 When the Kotzker  screamed out Maror Fressers, he was praying to God.  Enough already.  It is time for Moshaich.  The Jews have suffered and suffered and suffered.   The Jews are constantly eating Maror and it is time for salvation.  This is a leader, someone who is constantly worried and praying for his people, exhorting his community to be fierce in the worship  of God, excel in Torah learning,  and doing the right thing. 

  I wish everyone a Chag Kosher V’Sameach.

Hunger Games

On By Avrohom Meir MorgensternIn Feeling Ones Burden, Jewish MachshavaLeave a comment

A KOTZKER VIEW

On Friday, March 3, 1995 I was in LA for the 10th running of the Los Angeles Marathon.  I went to the Beverly- Grand Hotel to check in for Shabbos.  The Beverly-Grand was a Kosher hotel and planned to order eat at the hotel.   I asked for a single room and the front desk attendant told me it was $55 per day.  He looked for a room and only had rooms with two beds.  He told me the rate is $65.  I bristle at terrible business practices and asked for the location of the nearest motel.  He directed me to the Park Motor Inn on 3rd and Martel.  I checked in and got ready for Shabbos.  I remember walking to Synagogue Friday night feeling slightly discomforted.  I did not know anyone in LA and had no food for Shabbos.  Entering Sharei Tefillah on Beverly Boulevard for Friday night services and looking around I felt at home.  The Synagogue was Every Synagogue, USA.  No different than an Orthodox Shul in Chicago, Boro Park, Houston, or Williamsburg.   A doctor invited me over for the Shabbos night meal.  I had a delightful meal with his family and stayed for hours.  Although I considered myself at that time center – right and they were center –left on religious matters, there was no gap between us.  Their issues were the same as the issues my wife and I had. 

The main point of the above is that despite the fact that I had money and a family in Chicago, and my discomfort would only be for Friday night, I still felt a sense of loneliness, a sense of emptiness.   

This past Friday, March 23, 2012, I did not have my car so Mayer Chase picked me up from work.  I stopped by the cleaners on Devon and two gentlemen asked Mayer Chase for directions to the nearest Synagogue.  I came out and asked if they had a place to eat for Shabbos.  They did not and I invited them over.  That afternoon they arrived in Chicago, having driven for 15 hours straight, had  never been to Chicago, knew no one in Chicago, and had no place to eat.  They were down on their luck and came to Chicago to raise money.     Feel their sense of emotional distress, isolation and loneliness at being in a strange location in unfamiliar surroundings.  I had it in 1995 for only one Friday night, when I was on a high, in gorgeous LA to run the marathon.   They had a permanent heaviness as their problems would be there after Shabbos and will take huge effort with God’s help to solve.

My family had a delightful Friday night meal with the two guests.    They were great.   I received much more that I gave.   My kids stayed at the Shabbos table throughout extended meal and joined in on the conversation.   I felt privileged that I was able to relieve their pain for just a few hours.   I was also able to assist them throughout the week. 

This hunger is reality, it exists.   Things do not go right in life, there is unfairness, and evil prospers.  We try our best and it is not good enough.  The year is 1940 and you live in Warsaw.  You had a great life in Spain for years and it is July 1492.  Your job did not work out.    You went on your 20th job interview and did not find a job, while all of your friends found jobs. 

As a Jew, we have to feel this hunger – pain –anxiety that exists in others. not just understand it, but as the Kotzker Rebbe said, we have to feel it in our gut.    It has to be part of us.  We have to put the other person’s hunger – pain – anxiety on our shoulders and do what we can to help that person.  An Orthodox Jew can take a vacation cruise or  go to Florida for the winter,  however,  if he forgets about what is real, his mission, that people are suffering, that as Jews we have to feel the burden of others, then that person is “nisht a Yid”.   He is living for himself, and his Torah and prayers mean nothing.  Of course we cannot always be in this mode and opportunities as such do not come up often, but we have to be aware that at times we have to step forward.

In prewar Europe, travelers needing meals or a place to sleep went to Synagogue Friday night and everyone was taken care of by the community.  I first saw this in 1978 in Kesher Israel located in Georgetown, one of the great Synagogues in America.   After prayer services, an announcement was made that anyone who needs a place to eat, please see the Gabbai.   This is the ceremony of the Egulah Arufa.  The need to take care of people, that no person feels isolated and alone.

Avrumi Perl’s Bar Mitzvah – February 25-27, 2012

On By Avrohom Meir MorgensternIn Family Celebrations1 Comment

Last week at this time I was in Toronto for Avrohom – Avrumi Perl’s bar Mitzvah.  Great weekend and the following is my diary with some Kotzker Torah.

Thursday, February 24, 2012:

Departure date.  I was trying to leave before 3:00 PM for my drive to Toronto for Avrumi Perl’s Bar Mitzvah.  Too much drama with my customers and I ended up leaving at 5:00 PM.  My mother, Bubbi Jean, and the two Chase girls were in the car with me for the trip, Penina Leah and Sarah.   Hit rush hour traffic and took an extra 45 minutes.  I told over Yehuda Avneir’s inspirational stories from his speech at the 2008 Lubavitch Shilach convention, the story that Chazzen Silber told to David Willner the Kiddush Hashem his  grandchildren are doing in the IDF.    I listened to two classes on tape.  My son- in-law burned them for me last week when I was in Indianapolis.  I heard Eli Mansour and Zacharya Wallerstein.  Both were excellent, both talked about faith and belief in God – Emunah and Bitachon.   Eli Mansour talked how we think one thing and the opposite happens.  Hamen set up a tree 50 Amos high for Mordechai.   Hamen was on top of the world, and within a few days he was hanging from  the tree.   Zecharya Wallerstein spoke that we cannot live in the past and dwell on our sins.  We have to always look forward.  Zecharya Wallerstein quoted a Midrash that said when Hamen was walking home at the height of his glory; he stopped into a Yeshiva to see what the students were learning.  They were learning the laws of the incense that the Cohen burned on the alter, the laws of Kemitzah.  Hamen goes homes and tells his family that despite the fact that there is a decree to kill all Jews and that Hamen was at the peak of power and influence, the Jews would prevail and all is lost.

The meaning of this Midrash per Zacharya Wallenstein is that Hamen expected the students to be studying the laws of Kiddush Hashem, how to die sanctifying Gods name due to their impending destruction at the hands of Hamen and Achesveirosh.  Yet the students were looking toward the future when the Temple would be rebuilt in Jerusalem.  They looked forward and not back.   They did not beg Hamen for mercy.  They ignored Hamen as if Hamen was meaningless.  This is the concept of Bitachon, everything is in God’s hands and Hamen is a puppet.  He cannot do anything unless God wants it to happen.   This is the message of the Midrash.

Arrived in Toronto at 3:00 AM. 

Friday, February 14, 2012:

Woke up at 10:00 AM.  Did not realize it was really 11:00 AM.  Spoke to work and arrived at the boat Synagogue at 11:30 AM, hoping to catch a Minyan.  It was then that I realized how late it was.   I went up the Amud to lead the prayer services.  We had 4 people praying with us, not a Minyan, however, we davened as if we had a MInyan, including saying Kiddusha out loud.  We read from the Torah and davened Musaf together.  It was highly satisfying for me.  After the prayer services, I spoke about my joy at davening with other Jews at this late hour, as we all felt connected.   I told over the story of the Kotzker when he was in yeshiva in Zamusz.  One morning when the Kotzker was late in praying morning services, the dean of the school, Rabbi Yosef Hochgalenter 1740 -1807, chased the Kotzker to the Synagogue.  The Kotzker bolted the doors and davened.

At Shul I saw Rabbi Yosef Spiro, my roommate from Ner Yisroel in Toronto.  He is not well.  He needs a kidney transplant.  I asked him for a D’var Halalch.  He told me about the law of “C’dei Achelas Peras”, that to be considered a valid Acelah -“eating” for Jewish law, the complete eating has to be within a certain time limit called “C’dei Achelas Peras” .   Rabbi Spiro said that there is a disagreement between the Mishna Berurah and the Pri Migadim or the Magan Avrohom that to say the grace after meals one  has to have an Acelah.  The question is what happens if one eats less than the amount that is considered an Aceliah, but one is satisfied, does he have to say grace after meals.  The Mishna Berurah says no and the Pri Migadim says yes.

One of the 4 people praying with us is from the old city of Jerusalem was Goldberg, and is good friends with Rabbi Yosef Soloveichik, “Joe Brisker”.

After Shul, I received a call from work that highly agitated me.   I raised my voice at a customer over the phone. 

Afterwards, I went to Pesach Chase’s house for lunch and talk.  My mother, my sister, Karen, and Karen’s daughter were there.  We had a great time.  We told over the family stories and they were just as funny as when I heard them the first time.

I had to go to the bank to take care of something and just made it back just in time to get ready for Shabbos.

 

Friday Night, Shabbos, Parshas Trumah, and February 24, 2012:

Arrived to Tzi’vi and Chaim Perl’s house for the Friday night meal.    It was great seeing all of the family.  The kids are growing up.

Tzi’vi and Chaim’s kids were there, including their married son; Moshe Yaakov and Miriam and their baby,  Yitzchok and Bracha’s and kids were there from New York including their two older yeshiva boys; Mayer and Chana  and kid; Elisheva and Yossi and their daughter,  and Sholem Chase. I sat next to Pesach, Esther, and my mother.

Great food, everything was home made.  Great speeches.    Went back to the place I was staying.  Could not sleep as I was still agitated from before Shabbos.  Schmoozed with Karen and my mother.

Saturday Morning, Shabbos, Parshas Trumah, February 25, 2012:

Arrived at Synagogue at 10:00 AM, a little late, as the prayer services started at 8:30 AM.  The Synagogue was on Lawrence Avenue at the old Yesodai Torah Shul.  It was established in the 1950’s by Holocaust survivors who came from Hungary.   The Bar Mitzvah boy is named after his great – grandfather, Avrohom Friedman, who prayed at the Synagogue.    Avrohom Friedman owned a wholesale dry goods warehouse in Toronto, supplying small grocery stores.  Mr. Friedman closed his place of business at noon every Friday to prepare for Shabbos, learn, and make it to Shul early.

Avrumi Perl read from the Torah like poetry.  His leining was clear, loud, with every word pronounced with the Trop perfect.  I only heard one missed trop sound.  I sat next to a Mr. Blumenfeld.  Mr. Blumenfeld is married to a Kaiser.  I went to Yeshiva with his wife’s brother, Mike Kaiser.  Mr. Blumenfeld ’s father came to America with his sister in 1939.  Unfortunately the rest of his family could not get out of Europe and they perished.  His father was on General Douglas Macarthur’s staff in the Philippines during World War II.  Mr. Blumenfeld said that his father worshipped General Macarthur.  His father got his college degree on the GI bill.

The Kiddush was lively.  I asked Helen Friedmen for a Brocha.  Helen Friedman is Esther Chase’s mother and the great-grandmother of Avrumi.  I talked to the Chaim Perl’s siblings and told them that I met their first cousin, David Willner.   I told them the great work David Willner is doing with Rabbi Barnei Selevan.  

I met a Mr. Eckstein who was visiting from Brooklyn, NY.  Eckstein is in the insurance business.  We began to play Jewish Geography and I mentioned that I met a Joseph Eckstein from Queens last summer in LA at the ice cream store on Robertson.  Eckstein tells me that Joseph Eckstein is his brother.   Joseph Eckstein’s father-in-law ate by my cousins in Queens this past Rosh Hashana.  Small world.

After the meal went back to Tzi’vi and Chaim’s  house for the rest of the afternoon.  I was asked to speak.  I read two great stories of the greatness of the Kotzker Rebbe.  Kotzker Story #1 – The Chidushai Harim’s Manuscript.  Kotzker Story #2 – The Avnei Nezer’s Pshat in a Rambam.

After Shabbos slept for an hour, then went back to Tzi’vi and Chaim’s house for more food and talk.

Sunday, February 26, 2012:

Went to the boat synagogue for morning prayers.  The person leading the prayers was Yehuda Berkowitz.  I blogged about him earlier.  Yehuda Berkowitz is from Har Nof,  Israel and ate over my house a few  weeks earlier on a Friday night.  Yehuda Berkowitz left Chicago and I felt bad that he left Chicago without my donation.  I gave him what I was planning to give him.

Drove back to Chicago in less than 8.5 hours.

Great weekend, great times.

The Avnei Nezer’s Pshat in a Rambam (told over at Avromi Perl’s Bar Mitzvah)

On By Avrohom Meir MorgensternIn Kotzker StoriesLeave a comment

Background to the story:

The Avnei Nezer also known as the Sochachover Rebbe,married the Kotzker older twin daugher, Sarah Tzinah, in 1853+-.  The Avneir Nazar at the time of ths story was maybe 18 years old.   This story took place during the years of the Kotzker’s “Hisbotidus” – years that the Kotzker limited his contact with the world.

The Avnei Nezer, son-in-law of the Kotzker told the following story.    I worked hard on a Ramban and after much effort  God enlightened for me the answer.  (The quesion at hand was a difficult Rambam who seemed to rule on a specific law in contradiction to the Talmud.) The Rambam in question had a different version of the Talmud and therefore his  ruling was proper.

I told my Torah original thought to the Kotzker and he did not say anyting.  The Kotzker told me to return to the study hall and say the Torah thought to a scholar you meet in the study hall, and report back to me.  I  found the Chidushai Harim.  The Chidushai Harim  did not agree with my Torah and felt that the Rambam was still difficult.  I reported back to the Kotzker,  who again told me to return to the study hall to speak with another Torah scholar.  I found Reb Henoch M’Alexander, who greatly appreciated and agreed with my Torah.  I returned to the Kotzker who called in the Chedushai Harim and Reb Henoch M’Alexander.  The three  of us stood  before the Kotzker, who scolded us and said, is this the way you learn the holy Torah, with uncertainty,  This one says it is difficult and the other says it is  correct.  The Kotzker proceeded  to explain the Rambam and answered it 13 different ways.  The Avnei Nezer said, I only understood  6 or 7 of the answers, the Chidushai Harim understood up to 10, and the remaining answers  we did not understand  due to their depth and sharpness.

The Chidushai Harim’s Manuscript (told over at Avromi Perl’s Bar Mitzvah)

On By Avrohom Meir MorgensternIn Kotzker StoriesLeave a comment

Translation:

The Chidushai Harim showed the Kotzker Rebbe a manuscript on Torah he wrote on the Choshen Mishpat, (the portion of Jewish law that deals with civil law).  The Kotzker looked at it for a long time and afterwards said – This manuscript is very special, however, I am afraid that if you publish it, people will stop learning  the Shach (a major commentary printed along the side of the Choshen Mishpat text).  The Shach learned Torah for its own sake with major effort and diligence.  The Chedushai Harim left the Kotzker presence and said, even though my manuscript is invaluable, it is a commandment to listen to the words of Torah scholars.  The Chedushai Harim started a fire and burnt his manuscript.

A while later a student came to the  Kotzker and the Rebbe asked the student, what did the Rim  do with the manuscript.  The student answered that the Chedushai Harim burnt it.  The Kotzker Rebbe commented – how wondrous is this great person and the generosity of his sprit, he did a great thing to sublimate his will before mine, and burnt his manuscript that contained precious  and true Torah.  Know that the light of his Torah will begin to shine.  The wisdom of his Torah will enlighten the entire world, and his Torah thoughts will be accepted worldwide.

Lukaver Rebbe’s Yarhziet – 2012

On By Avrohom Meir MorgensternIn Lukaver Rebbe - Rabbi Ttzvi Hersh MorgensternLeave a comment

Today, 2/21/12 is my great-grandfather’s Yahrzeit, the 29th of Shevat.  Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Morgenstern.  He was the Lukovar Rebbe, born in 1858 and passed away on the 29th of Shevat 1920, 92 years ago.  I made a Siyum on Mesectas Archin.  Before the Siyum I read about the life of the Lukover Rebbe.  The Sandek at his Bris was the Kotzker Rebbe.   The Lukover Rebbe soaked in the Chassidus of his grandfather, Reb Dovid and then his father, Rabbi Chaim Yisroel, known as the Pilover Rebbe.  After the Pilover Rebbe passed away in 1906, some of the Chassidim followed Reb Tzvi Hersh Morgenstern to Lukav.   I also read about the tragic end of the Lukover Rebbe’s grandson, Reb Menachem Mendel Morgenstern who was Rebbe in Wlodovia.  It was 1942 and the Gestapo rounded up the children in the courtyard of the Shul.  The Rebbe was dressed in his Shabbos clothes and stood among the children telling them stories and giving them comfort.  The gestapo soldier told the Rebbe that the Rebbe can leave.  The Rebbe said no and stayed with the kids as they went on their tragic end to Sorbidor.

Attending the Siyum as Meir Chase, Moshe Roberts, Sholem and Eli Morgenstern, Shabsi S., Ephraim Chase, Ari Pancer, Rabbi Elliot Weinschneider, and Mordy Siegal.  Of course we had herring and crackers.