Geulah Cunin
Invites all women to her Shabbos Kalla
3:30 pm at 128 N Mansfield Ave.
Mazal Tov!
Geulah Cunin
Invites all women to her Shabbos Kalla
3:30 pm at 128 N Mansfield Ave.
Mazal Tov!
4:30 pm at the home of Mrs. Sima Zeifman
421 N Poinsettia
Speaker: Rabbi Yecheskel Raeburn
Upcoming Birthdays
Upcoming Anniversaries
Upcoming Yahrtzeits
With what are you my Chosid?!
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
31 years ago the Rebbe announced in a fabrengen that everyone should prepare thirty days in advance for Yud Shvat (according to the custom brought in Shulchan Aruch to prepare thirty days in advance of Yom Tov). The Rebbe wanted three reports, one every ten days in the thirty days leading up to Yud Shvat. Yud Shvat is the Yom Tov of hiskashrus, the day we became connected to the Rebbe.
At the Hey Teves fabrengen we spoke about the sefarim and a few stories were told. Once, a son of a chosid of the Tzemach Tzedek was picked in a lottery to be drafted to the Russian Army. When the father found out, he ran to the Tzemach Tzedek for a bracha. The Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek replied, “What do you want? Am I the minister of the lotto?” The chossid replied; “But I am bound to you like all the chassidim and you help everyone.” The Tzemach Tzedek asked, “In what way are you my chosid?” The chosid replied, “I come to you and I learn your chassidus. I was here last year.” The Rebbe asked the chosid to repeat what he had heard from the maamorim. The chosid was able to give a full explanation. The Rebbe asked him when was the time he had visited him before last year and to repeat those maamorim. The chosid again gave a clear review of those maamorim as well. After the test the Rebbe told the chosid to go to the town of Lipaly and visit a certain person who would help him. The chosid relied; “But I don’t know this person at all.” The Rebbe answered; “What are you afraid of?” “He will recognize you and he will help you.” When the chosid arrived at the home of the person, it was the middle of the night. He waited for daybreak and to hear that people were awake before he knocked on the door. Someone answered the door and let him inside. No one responded even though he was able to hear that there were people inside. He saw a man pacing back and forth seeming quite upset speaking out loud; “Ribono Shel Olam, what is this?” When the man pacing back and forth realized someone was there, he asked; “Who are you, and where do you come from?” The chosid said his name and that he was from Tsasnik. The man said; “You are from Tsasnik?!” and the he started to clap his hands. The chosid thought to himself that the man is meshugeneh. The owner of the house said to the chosid that he is probably wondering what all his excitement is about. He explained that he had not seen the Rebbe for five years and last night the Tzemach Tzedek appeared to him in a dream and told him that a Yid from Tsasnik is going to visit, and that he should help him. I woke up and decided it was just a dream and went back asleep but then had the same dream again. This repeated itself a number of times. When I woke up in the morning I was beside myself. When is asked you where you from and you said Tsasnik. I realized that this was not a dream and that the Rebbe is demanding something of me. The chassid then told the man the story of his son and this man who had connections with the government got the chassid’s son out of the draft.
The lesson we need to take from this story, standing within thirty days before Yud Shvat is; in what way are we the Rebbe’s chassidim? Is it because we wear a kapata and a hat? The Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek wanted the chosid to reveal and explain how he was a chosid. What will we tell the Rebbe about how we are his chassidim?
On Hey Teves we buy sefarim and we learn from them. When I was in Brunoy, France, Reb Nissan was looking for a certain sefer which I had. He requested to borrow it and explained that whenever a new sefer in Chassidus comes into print he needs to learn it. He borrowed it for a few weeks, learned through the sefer and then returned it. Once after Shavuos, after returning to Yeshiva from 770, Reb Nissan sat me down and asked me to repeat what I heard from the Rebbe. He demanded that I explain the sichos from the period of Shavuos as much as possible in great detail. A chosid learns the Rebbe’s Torah and is able to share it. Each one of us needs to learn, to know and to share the Chassidus that we learn.
The Hayom Yom for the twenty fourth of Sivan says the following, “You ask how you can be mekushar to me when I do not know you personally…” “…The true bond is created by studying Torah, when you study my maamorim, reach my sichos, and associate with those dear to me – the Chassidic community and the Tmimim – in their studies and farbrengens, and you fulfill my request regarding saying Tehillim and observing Torah study times – in this is the bond.”
There will iy"H be a Melava Malka for men in honor of Hay Teves
8:30 - 10:00 pm
Guest Speaker: Rabbi Tzvi Boyarsky
Upon the Rebbe's instructions,
Chassidim have a tradition of celebrating the 5th Teves not only with Chassidic gatherings but also with purchasing seforim, since the real victory for the seforim is when we fill our homes with volumes of Jewish books, and our days with their teachings.
To facilitate following the Rebbe's instruction,
Chabad/Atara's will be opening up Motzei Shabbos at 7:00 pm especially for our community to be able to fulfill the Rebbe's instructions.
Seforim will be discounted!
We therefore encourage all of Anash to join together at Chabad/Atara's to fulfill this special tradition.
Chabad/Atara's is located at:
369 North Fairfax Avenue #1.
(323) 655-9282
Thursday, Teves 10/December 28
Fast of Asarah B’Teves
4:15 pm at the home of Mrs. Sima Zeifman
421 N Poinsettia
Speaker: Mrs. Chani Pinson
Upcoming Birthdays
Upcoming Anniversaries
Upcoming Yahrtzeits
Alef Beis Gimmel: Emunah Bitachon Geula
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
Forty years ago on Zos Chanukah 5738 the Rebbe made a surprise seudah and farbrengen. The Rebbe spoke about how the eight days of Chanukah are compared to the eight days of Sukkos. Since that year was the year of the Rebbe’s heart attack the Rebbe did not make a farbrengen on Simchas Torah nor did he give out kos shel bracha.
The Rambam’s opinion is that not only do we light candles say Al Hanissim and Hallel but we also have a mitzvah to make a seudah. Although we haven’t seen this to be custom of the Rebbeim, nevertheless there is a mitzvah to make a seudah on Chanukah according to the Rambam.
As the Rebbe explained the connection between Chanukah and Sukkos the Rebbe mentioned that he was now completing Simchas Torah with this seudah and farbrengen.
This year Shabbos falls out on Hei Teves, a day of rejoicing after the US Federal Court ruled that the sefarim and manuscripts stolen from the Previous Rebbe’s Library be returned to the Chassidim. This year is the 31’st Anniversary of the original event. Thirty years ago, one year after the original celebration, Hei Teves fell on a Shabbos and the Rebbe spoke for the first time about Hei Teves being a Yom Tov. The Rebbe compared it to Chanukah, in that it was only established as a holiday a year later, so too with regard to Hei Teves.
This week we merited to finally see Shalom Mordecai Rubashkin come out of an unfair and biased eight and a half year imprisonment. The story and treatment of Sholom Mordecai Rubashkin remind us of the notorious Bailis trial of 1913. The bias and anti-Semitism was blatantly evident for all to see. He had bipartisan support in Congress for his release, even former attorney generals spoke out in his behalf.
In the sicha from Zos Chanukah in 5738 the Rebbe spoke about extending the joy of Chanukah into the following day similar to the second day of Yom Tov added to Sukkos, Simchas Torah . The victory of Chanukah was because of the emunah and bitachon in Hashem of the Maccabees. Their strong emunah and bitachon brought about the milacle of the many falling into into the hands of the few and the mighty into the hands of the weak. During Chanukah we bring light and thereby dispel the darkness of galus. When a Jew is not afraid of the darkness he is able to dispel it with the light of Torah and mitzvos (represented in the Chanuka candles) with his or her emunah and bitachon.
We see this so clearly in the story of Shalom Mordecai Rubashkin and the way he lived during his years of imprisonment. He remained committed to a good outcome with strong emunah and bitachon throughout.
The first time he spoke in public after his release was the night following Zos Chanukah. He said; “Alef Beis Gimmel stands for Emunah Bitachon Geula. With emunah and bitachon the geula follows.”
From the achdus and simcha that we have witnessed throughout the entire world with singing and dancing throughout the night for one individual Jew that many never have met, we should merit to immediately see the darkness of galus transformed, and go together dancing in the streets with the geula ha’emitis v’hashleima together with Moshiach now!
A Good Shabbos
The new issue of the "Chabad Chodesh"
is now available online by clicking here
Dear shul member
I'd like to remind everyone that this Sunday is the Masbia Program.
The shul kitchen will be open from 7am till 12pm.
All foods are fine, including Milchig, Fleishig, Pareve, fruits, vegetables, frozen, canned and packed foods. All except foods cooked at home.
Please note: If you can send proteins such as- chicken, meat, fish, and cheeses, it would be tremendously beneficial to these families.
For your convenience, if you prefer having the food picked up from your front porch, please text 323-710-9954. Pick up time will be between 10am and 11:30am.
Rabbi Levi Raichik
4:15 pm at the home of Mrs. Sima Zeifman
421 N Poinsettia
Speaker: Rabbi Yisroel Hecht
Upcoming Birthdays
Upcoming Anniversaries
Upcoming Yahrtzeits
Al Hanisim
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
In Al Hanisim which we say during Chanukah, we thank Hashem that for the deliverance of the “mighty into the hands of the weak, and the many into the hands of the few”. We also thank Hashem for delivering the “impure into the hands of the pure, the evil into the hands of the righteous and the rebellious into those who are involved in your Torah”.
The fact that the Chashmonaim were victorious over the Greeks who were mighty and many, teaches us about the great miracle of Chanukah. However, what does the fact that they were impure, wicked and rebellious have to do with the miracle of Chanukah? It seems that there is no connection to the miracle of overcoming the Greeks during the time of the victory of Chanukah.
The Rebbe answers this question by explaining the historical background of the Greek decrees. Matisyahu and his children were the minority of the Jewish people. The majority of Jews at that time were Hellenists who accepted Greek philosophy. Therefore the Chashmonaim, the minority, were involved in a two-front battle, one from without and one from within. They were battling the decrees that the Greeks had placed upon them. They were also struggling with the Jewish Hellenists who consented to those decrees.
Now we can understand the greatness of the miracle of Chanukah from both angles. Chanukah comprised the victory of the physical battle against the Greek army. The miracle is magnified by the fact that we were victorious not withstanding the fact that many of our people were not deserving of the miracle. The miracle is that Hashem considered the minority, who were the pure, the righteous and those that were occupied in Hashem’s Torah, over the majority.
What does this teach us when we light the Chanukah lights? The lights of Chanukah represent the lights of the Beis Hamikdash of the future redemption with Moshiach. In the world, Jewish people are a minority. Those that keep Torah and Mitzvos are a minority of the Jewish people. How could a minority of a minority possibly change the entire world and bring Moshiach? This is the lesson that Chanukah teaches us. Because of the self sacrifice of the minority Hashem performed a miracle for the majority as well.
This is especially relevant to us today. Today the power of the individual is even more potent than ever. Most people today are no longer Hellenists. There are not many that have an ideology that stands in opposition to the Torah and Mitzvos. The majority of the Jewish people that do not perform Torah and Mitzvos do not do so because they are against the Torah per se (chas v’shalom). Rather the majority of the Jewish people today are Tinokos Shenishba, they don’t understand what Torah and Mitzvos really is. Most Yidden are like the child at the Seder that doesn’t know how to ask. Therefore, the fact that they don’t perform Torah and Mitzvos is not held against them, nor can it hold back the Geulah. We cannot blame them, nor can they affect whether or not Klal Yisroel is ready for Geula. Therefore the individual, the minority will prevail in tipping the scales and bringing the redemption. Just as nothing stood in the way of the Chashmonaim from being victorious and bringing about the miracle of Chanukah, so too will we be victorious over the galus and bring Moshiach and rekindle the menorah in the Beis HaMikdash. May we merit the immediate revelation of Moshiach and the rekindling of the menorah in the Beis Hamikdash Hashlishi now!
Mincha today will iy"H take place at
12:35, 3:00 & 3:15 pm
For the halchos of Erev Motzei Shabbos Chanuka
Please see the Chabad Chodesh
CHANUKAH FARBRENGEN
A Farbrengen will take place IY”H every night of Chanukah in Congregation Levi-Ytschok beginning @ 9:30 PM with a guest speaker & a sponsor to be announced
During Chanukah a Minyan for Maariv will start at 9:30 PM
Please note all the above is subject to change with prior notice.
Dear Friends,
As you may know our sons/daughters attend a wonderful school in Los Angeles called Cheder Menachem/Bais Chaya Mushka.
The school provides a quality education to more than 350 children each year – many of whom, by necessity, receive generous scholarship assistance.
Having benefited both directly and indirectly from the tremendous good accomplished by this organization, We are asking you to please help them take advantage of a very short, but extremely important, window of opportunity…
For the next 24 hours your donation to Cheder Menachem/Bais Chaya Mushka School will be quadrupled due to a 3-to-1 match, up to $1,000,000. This means if you give $100 it turns into $400. Donate $250 and it turns into $1000.
Please click on to this link to learn more and to make your essential and timely gift.
4:15 pm at the home of Mrs. Tzirel Frankel
109 S Vista
Speaker: Mrs. Chana Rochel Schusterman
Upcoming Birthdays
Upcoming Anniversaries
Upcoming Yahrtzeits
19 Kislev: By Holding on to the Rebbe’s Door Handle
we Get Lifted Up to Fulfill the Shlichus!
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
A Good Yom Tov. The Alter Rebbe said that whomever participates in his simcha, the simcha of Yud-Tes Kislev, the commemoration of his release from prison and the nullification of the heavenly decree against spreading Chassidus will merit three things. 1. To be taken from personal metzar-constrictions to merchav, an expansion: 2. To be taken out of physicality and lifted to ruach-spirit, and: 3. To be taken out of gehenom-pugatory. The Rebbe Rashab explained all of these three as spiritual elevations. To be taken out of gehenom is to be elevated from the hustle and bustle of our daily demands that block our vision so that all we think about is for today’s concerns and what we can get for ourselves. To be taken from physicality to spirit is to go from Yetzira to the world of Briyah-Creation, and to be taken from any constriction to an expansion is to go from Briyah to Atzilus, the world of Emanation.
The Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek explained participating in the simcha in the following way. To participate means to “anhaltin the klemka” to take hold of the door handle of the Rebbe’s room. Taking hold of the door handle means to desire to enter the Rebbe’s room and be entirely united. What is the doorknob of the Rebbe’s room? The door handle is the time in our souls that we set aside for the study of Chassidus and the manner in which we live and act in the ways of Chassidus and follow the minhagim. The Alter Rebbe can lift you up from the lowest level to the highest place, but if we do not participate in the simcha, then all we see is ourselves. Until we participate we are stuck, and it’s like we are in gehenom surrounded only by our personal concerns. All of us can enter the Rebbe’s room because Chassidus has equality of access for all, not only for the very learned. With Chassidus even the simplest person can go out of gehenom and reach the highest heights (Based on the Yud-Tes Kislev fabrengen 5712-1951 and 5719-1958).
There is a story about the Rebbe Rashab who fought the Russian Government when they tried to legislate changes to Jewish education and Rabbbinics that would harm the proper observance of the Torah and mitzvos. When the Rebbe spoke strongly against the government at a public inquiry he was placed in house arrest. One of the Rabbonim attending the inquiry went to visit him in his room and found him distraught and crying. He asked him why he was so upset when he had done everything possible including mesirus nefesh. The Rebbe answered that it didn’t matter what he had done, even the mesirus nefesh if the decree had not been rescinded.
When someone looks over a business, how is he able to tell the difference between a worker and an actual partner in the business? During the day you cannot see a difference because they both work hard although for different reasons. The worker puts in an honest day’s work, and the partner keeps careful watch over the business. At night however there is a real difference. If you visit the worker’s home late at night you will probably see that he is sleeping soundly. After all, he worked hard all day and he’s now getting a well-deserved rest. If you visit the partner’s house however you may well find him awake worrying about the bottom line and thinking of new ways to insure that the business prospers. The Rebbe Rashab has the concern of an owner and therefore although he really had done all that is possible, still he was inconsolable because the ‘business’ hadn’t prospered, the decree had not yet been annulled. It’s different for a worker, although it’s disappointing, you did your part and that’s what’s important to the worker.
Once we grasp the door handle we are connected, it is possible for us as well to begin to feel the same way. Participating in the simcha requires that we take hold of the handle each day with renewed energy by keeping our commitments to learning living and acting like Chassidim. By fulfilling what the Rebbe desires for us our families, our communities and for the world. And then we are in his room.
We also need to always strive to bring Moshiach. This is what the Rebbe has called upon this generation to do. The Rebbe desires that we do all that we can to bring the geula now and to cry out uncompromisingly and in truth, Ad Mosai! To truly desire Moshiach’s coming like a real partner. To daven “Pada b’shalom nafshi- that Hashem should redeem my soul, that we should see it as our soul, our ‘business’ to get out of our focus on the daily demands and to go to receive Moshiach Now!
Baruch HaShem the masbiah program was a big success.
The recipients were very grateful. Thank you to all that participated in this huge mitzvah.
The next masbiah drop off will be Sunday 29 Kislev/December 17 the Sunday following Shabbos mevorchim.
Tizku lemitzvos.