Shabbos Parshas BeShalach

Thursday February 1, 2024 – 165th yahrzeit of the Kotzker Rebbe.

We drove to Toronto on Wednesday, January 23, 2024.  We stayed at Chani Janowski’s house which was an 8 minute walk to the Shul, Aish Hatorah of Thornhill.  The Rabbi is the grandfather of the Bar Mitzvah boy.  The Rabbi spoke beautifully.  Friday night at Shul Rabbi Rothman spoke the Kotzker on the  Verse  וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ מָרָ֔תָה וְלֹ֣א יָֽכְל֗וּ לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת מַ֙יִם֙ מִמָּרָ֔ה כִּ֥י מָרִ֖ים הֵ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא־שְׁמָ֖הּ מָרָֽה׃.   The Kotzker on  כִּ֥י מָרִ֖ים הֵ֑ם says that it does not go on the waters but on the people.  The people were bitter.

Shabbos morning Rabbi Rothman spoke about the need to be awed.  He started  his speech about the piano of Beethoven.

I did not speak and it bothered me.  I did not  feel it was appropriate for me to ask.  

Alesha’s oldest son, Shimi, came in from Israel.  Joany Noble-Shokiet came in from Miami.  Joany was very close with my mother in law and Joany comes in for every Simcha.  Her father was my mother in law’s twin brother.

It is always a shame when the Simchas are over and on Sunday we drove back to Chicago.

If I had spoken, I would have spoken the below Vort in the Sefer Emes Ve Emunah, page 56 in the  new addition

BeShalach Verse 14:15 says “And the Lord said to Moshe, Why dost thou cry to me? speak to the children of Yisrael, that they go forward”.

“The Goan, Chosid Reb Yaakov Dovid, the head of the Bais Din in Koshnitz was a

student of Reb Shlomo Leib from Lentshna and he came to Kotzk.  The Kotzker

asked Reb Yakov Dovid, he is your teacher, I love him very much.   But what can I do?

He cries to God in prayer to send the Mosiach, why can’t he cry to the Jews to repent.

The Kotzker ends by saying that this is the explanation of the verse.  Things are dependent 

on man.  Inspire the people to make themsleves better and this is the way to bring Moshiach.

Two comments on the Kotkzer. 

First Comment:

Reb Yaakov Dovid was the community leader in Koshnitz.  When we say Koshnitz we tremble.  The  holy Koshnitzer Magid  lived in Kozhnitz.  Koshnitz is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by the Kozhnitzer Maggid, Rebbe Yisroel Hopsztajn. Kozhnitz is the Yiddish name of Kozienice, a town in Poland.  Rebbe Yisroel Hopsztajn, the Maggid and founder of the Kozhnitz dynasty, and one of the three “patriarchs” of Polish hasidism, was a disciple of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk (Rabbi Elimelech Lipman of Lizhensk), author of Noam Elimelech. The Rebbe Elimelech was a disciple of the Rebbe Dovber, the Maggid (“preacher”) of Mezeritch, the primary disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism.

Yisroel Hopsztajn (c. 1733 – 1814), author of the classic Avodas Yisroel.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kozhnitz_(Hasidic_dynasty).  My Zedi Sholem Skar would raise his hand when  he mentioned the Koshnitzer Magid.

Second Comment:

What is the Kotzker saying with his Vort?  Is it just a cute Vort?.  I think the answer is no.  This Vort tells us how the Kotzker advised people and how he looked at the world.  He had confidence in humans that with proper teaching and inspiration they will do the right thing.  We do not have to pray to Hashem as leaders, we have to lead and the Jews will do the right thing and bring Moshiach.  This is the Kotzke’s life outlook.  This is the Kotzker’s message to  Reb Shlomo Leib from Lentshna.  Inspire people and you can bring them to the mountain of God.

Thursday February 1, 2024 – 165th Yahrzeit of the Kotzker Rebbe.

I had a zoom with my family to discuss the Kotzker and his legacy.  I started with the above Vort.  I then played Avrohom Fried’s cappella, I Am I.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-HvhT8OPs0. The words are:

• “If I am I because I am I, and you are you because you are you, then I am I and you are you. But if I am I because you are you and you are you because I am I, then I am not I and you are not you!”

This theme is consistent with many sayings of the Kotzker.

Serka, Debbi Janowski – grandmother of the bar Mitzvah boy, and Joany Noble-Shokit – our cousin.

Serka Morgenstern and Alesha Rothman – mother of Isaac.