BaalHabooze

From Revach.net

Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk: A Chassidic Renaissance?

His whole life he waged a war for the truth. The external and internal truth. This was the essence of Rav Menachem Mendel Morgenstern better known as the Kotzker Rebbe. The word Kotzk has become synonymous with a burning and piercing kind of truth. A truth so hot it singes anyone who dares to delve deep enough to uncover it.

The Kotzker was born in 5547/1787 and lived at a time when Chasiddus was making great inroads into the mainstream of Jewish society. He felt that Chasiddus needed to be tuned up by correcting some of its basic flaws. Chasiddus had become too Chassidishe for him. He wanted to restore torah as the focal point of all Avodas Hashem and get people to become more self reliant and not subjugate their God given minds to the Rebbe. A person, he felt, needed to take responsibility for his life, his ways, and develop his own personal relationship with Hashem.

He left no seforim, no tales of miracles, and no biography. He did not seek honor, fortune, or fame. He sought to raise Chasiddus to a movement for the elite. He longed to metamorphis Chasiddus into a movement with truly inspired Avodas Hashem and intense Torah learning as its cornerstone. His lone legacy is his short sharp sayings that he became famous for, to the world outside of Kotzk.

When the Kotzker was asked why he does not want to write a sefer he said that in Kotzk they work hard all week. The only time to read his sefer would be Friday night after the meal. Then however a person is tired from the entire week and will lay down on the couch with it. He will shortly thereafter fall asleep without reading anything and the sefer will fall on the floor. So why should I write a sefer whose only use will be to lie on the floor in shame? Such was the Kotzker truth.

He was born into a family of a Misnagdim and eventually became a talmid of the Chozeh of Lublin and then later leaving Lublin for Peshischa where he became a Talmid of Rav Simcha Bunim of Peshischa. After Rav Simcha Bunim’s petira most of his talmidim who were peers of Rav Menachem Mendel, including the Chiddushei HaRim the founder of the Gerer dynasty, chose to follow Rav Menachem Mendel and make him their leader. His other main talmid was Rav Mordechai Yosef Leiner who eventually broke away and founded the Izhbetza Chasiddus. Rav Laibele Eiger, the grandson of Rebbi Akiva Eiger, was also attracted to Kotzk much to his father’s great dismay. The Kotzker’s son in law was the Avnei Neizer and he was succeeded by his son Rav Dovid.

The Kotzker was niftar in 5619/1859. He spent the last 20 years of his life in seclusion frustrated by his inability to create the flock of his ideals while refusing to play the role of the ideal Rebbe as the Chasidim wished.Yehi Zichro Boruch!

I have heard from the mashgiach of Kaminetz in E”Y (r’ moshe aaron stern zt”l) about this topic, a few times, and he quoted seforim, saying: There is an idea that Gehennom is for a MAX 12 months – no more. After that, the soul goes into GanEden clean and pure. However, that’s only if a sinner MERITS going to Gehennom. A Rasha Gomer is much worse off, his soul gets flung from one end of the world to the other ETERNALLY – whatever this concept means but is excrusiatingly(?) painful and the suffering is unbearable.

There is a story about a big Kabbalist, he quoted, (I forget his name, he was a Sefardic Kabbalist)who lived about 100 years ago, was once approached by a soul who begged for him to daven for him. He was one of those “wandering souls” that found no rest, and has been suffering for years and years. He asked him his name and asked him what he had done wrong in his life. He told him that he was the FIRST roman soldier to fling a stone at the Bais HaMikdash by its destruction. The Rav was stunned. All these years he had been tortured by the malachei chavala, to no end. He begged for a tikun to be “accepted” into Gehennom. He agreed to daven, and after a week or so, the soul came down and told the Rav, thank you, he was just admitted to Gehennom! SO AT LEAST THERE WOULD BE AN END TO HIS SUFFERING!

Oyom V’Noyra!

happy half! may the other half be even better!

lol, zahavadad, although they aren’t typical chassidim, Lubavitch is a chassidus. I also wasn’t expecting to see a lubavitch family after reading the title, but they very much are chassidim.

I think she was extremely impressed overall, and especially at how family-oriented we are, and how our values are so part of our daily lives, not just an abstract goal or an elusive ideal.

yc-

milsa d’b’dichoso= a joke (a term used for one that begins a shiur or shmooze with a humorous pun or joke to ‘wake up’ the crowd.

miritchka- don’t be so quick to become so emotionally involved when you read such things. You can’t beleive everything you read that is against the frum community/society! double check, triple check and make sure you know about the writer or these maysos.

True we hear bad things in the jewish communities and sometimes they are nebach r”l true, but first and foremost get the facts straight.

(I hope sushe knows what she is talking about!)

“Lipa has a real stage act that no one can copy – well, at least no one who is allowed out at night without supervision :))). “

…y’mean like The Wolf! 😉

zahavadad-

It is a minhag tov, and many people do it. Perhaps most don’t, but many do.

popa-

cute story….but i can’t tell if you were trying to make a point with it.

2 points.

1) According to many, many rabbonim, (I know personally my rav screams against it every year)it is so difficult to not be oiver any issur chometz in a hotel with goyim staff/workers. I’ve heard from mashgeechim too, it is possible, but many areas where there can be problems you would like to avoid. Look into it.

2) It is so important for children to see parents pesach cleaning and getting involve in preperations for Yom Tov. One kid I know thought goyim were supposed to build sukkos FOR us because a goy builds it FOR them EVERY year! Imagine a kid doesn’t know what it means to clean the house from all chometz because throughout his childhood he never saw his parents clean and get involved in cleaning or Biyur chometz, -instead it’s close up shop, and fly to a hotel for Yom Tov. Where’s the spirit? where’s the joy of ‘shvitzing’ for a mitzvah? baking your own matza? It’s all part of the beautiful Yom Tov. Going to a hotel is cheating yourself from all the ‘fun’! Save your vacation for a different time of the year. Just my 2 cents.

kiddush? KIDDUSH?? Did someone mention kiddush?? where? when?

c’mon, everyone, lets give this young man a hand!!!*CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP

very nice peice, soliek!

yentingyenta- LOL!

simply put, the person’s personality, shprach, values, lifestyle, and attitude is one that stems from an atmosphere of the ?’ ?????? ???? ??????, of being among people and friends from a yeshivish velt. To stereo-type a yeshivish person is one thing, but nowadays, with the whole gamut of different types of yeshivas out there, it’s really anyone’s guess.

But GENERALLY, I would ‘taich’ a yeshivishe boy as one who values learning most of all, dresses cleanly – not fashionably – with a hat+jacket, doesn’t get his thrills from anything gashmiusdig(car, sports, foods, etc.)Idea of a ‘good time’ is to play chess, backgammon, or swimming. ETC.

ZeesKite you are such a zeeskite! you make me laugh every now and then. thx. I really need to lighten up these days as I’m overloaded with work/stress/responsibilities. thank you for the humor!

here’s a corny one for you (but it gets funnier if its said after 1 AM): What did the train sound like when it caught a cold?

aaaa…aaaa….choo chooo!!

l’chaim zeeskite, l’chaim!!

Besides wearing clean nicer weekday clothes (not bigdei shabbos), wife prepares a special, delicious meal for supper (not necessarily a fruit themed menu), and for dessert we have nice delicious fruits, including fruits from the 7 minim. We used to include lots of nuts, but one child is allergic, so we substitute other yummies like fruit candy, and nosh.

We try to make it somewhat of a special night, teaching the kids what it’s all about, and the ‘miracle’ of fruits. We can teach the meaning of a brocho, and the delight Hashem has from each bracha, we tell how Tatty davens for a nice esrog, and describe the 7 minim, etc.

Why can’t it be spring weather in PA, and snowy cold in NY?

??? ???? ???? ????? ????

🙂

L’chaim Punxsutwney Phil, L’ chaim!!

L’chaim Staten Island Chuck, L’ chaim!!

This guy was watching TV as his wife was out cutting the grass during the hot summer. He finally worked up the energy to go out and ask his wife what was for supper.

So, he went back in the house and fixed himself a big steak with potatoes, garlic bread and a tall glass of iced tea.

Services will be held at 10:00 AM tomorrow.

I take my kids outside in the snow, we play board games, visit Bubby’s house, and drive to a skating rink. I love living OOT where standard vacations aren’t lavish nor expensive. It’s simple, the kids all have a great time, and they don’t need anything more.

I teach my kids never to say “I NEED…”, but I WANT..”when it comes to anything not a necessity. Ever hear a kid say “I need a drink”? NO, you WANT a drink. Kids grow up with a certain attitude that they NEED things. Sometimes I feel it’s parents’ fault to scramble for ideas for chol hamoed or mid winter break trips. chill. kids don’t NEED that. their happy with a swing in a park and a bike ride around the block with a friend. You have to be creative sometimes, but you certainly don’t NEED to spend more than your budget will allow.

I used to walk with Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L. He was my inspiration, my mentor, my Rebbe, although I only knew him for a short little while. He literally was a walking sefer torah, a living mussar sefer, and the wisest man I ever knew. He had a clear concise answer to all my questions, and practiced everything he preached. His memory and teachings lives on

Hashem told Avrohom that his children would be enslaved in Mitzrayim for 400 years. Yet they left after 210. Many Meforshim offer explanations justifying how Bnei Yisrael were able to leave before their time. However, the Ben Ish Chai has a problem with this whole approach. When they left Mitzrayim the Pasuk says (Bo 12:42), “Leil Shimurim Hu Lashem L’Hotzium MeiEretz Mitzrayim; This was the night that Hashem waited for as they were destined to leave Mitzrayim.” This implies that they were always scheduled to leave Mitzrayim on this night even though it was not yet 400 years.

The Ben Ish Chai explains with a Mashal. A father tells his son he must empty out an entire warehouse from the junk that has been accruing there. He tells him he has the whole night and it must be done by daybreak. The father knows that this is an impossible task to accomplish so in the dark of the night as the son is working with all his effort, the father goes in and helps him. The son comes to the father proudly in the morning, telling him the job is done. He has no idea that his father did most of the heavy lifting for him.

The four hundred years in Mitzrayim was the workload Hashem gave Bnei Yisrael to be Misaken what needed to be fixed and to be mivarer the nitzotzos that were trapped in the galus of Mitzrayim. Although there was 400 years of work there, Hashem set a deadline to take them out on the night of Pesach. How did they manage? They did their best, and Hashem in His compassion did the rest for us by shining His Shechina.

This is a lesson for all generations as the end of the pasuk says, “Shimurim L’Chol Bnei Yisrael L’Dorosam; In every generation Hashem gives us a job.” We struggle to survive each Galus and be Mikadesh Shem Shamayim. If we give 100% effort and try to accomplish the impossible, Hashem will do the rest, just like He did in Mitzrayim.

For centuries, Hindu women have worn a dot on their foreheads. Most of us have naively thought this was connected with tradition or religion, but the Indian embassy in Ottawa has recently revealed the true story.

When a Hindu woman gets married, she brings a dowry into the union. On her wedding night, the husband scratches off the dot to see whether he has won a convenience store, a gas station, a donut shop, a taxi cab, or a motel in the United States. If nothing is there, he must remain in India to answer telephones and provide us with technical advice.

i don’t have allergies, so I cannot relate but my heart is aching when reading your post. May Hashem send you a quick & full recovery.

Answers:

1) “A” : playing cards

E ight

N ine

T en

J ack

Q ueen

K ing

A ce

2)correct tzaddiq

3) correct writesoul and tzaddiq

L’Chaim, L’Chaim!!

Sam4321 – that’s correct. the century of 1940-2040 (5700-5800 of to the Jewish dates) is Nitzovim -Vayeilech. According to the V.G.’s cheshbon, it’s right there in the chumash-the holocaust-Parshas Nitzovim-Vayeilech, I don’t have a chumash here by me but it says something to effect, if you don’t listen to Hashem, a great catastophe will befall the yidden, “…?????? ??? ????…” …aaaargh, I forget the words, it’s tickling my brain, but anyhow,)…even the goyim will ask why this horrible holocaust happened and you will say because we did not heed the words of the totah etc, etc.

Last night I dreamed I ate this large marshmellow, and when I woke up my pillow was gone 🙂

ok no more drinks after 11 pm…

tzaddiq, that was great, thank you for the info, very very interesting post!