By COLlive reporter
Photos by Shimon Roumani
An electrifying Kinus event marked the 63rd anniversary of the founding of “Tzach” –Tzeirei Agudas Chabad Hamerkozis — Lubavitch Youth Organization, by the Rebbe in 1955.
The celebration at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights was timed with Beis Iyar, the birthday of the fourth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known by the acronym the “Rebbe Maharash.”
It was the Rebbe Maharash’s staple motto of “Lechatchilah Ariber” (“Go above from the start”) that was the theme of the festive farbrengen that united Chabad Shluchim from around the New York Metropolitan area.
A video of the Rebbe speaking about this motto was the opening salvo of the event, invigorating the participants to continue their mission to rekindle the holy spark in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people.
In the Sicha, the Rebbe spoke about the particular significance of the day of “Lechatchilah Ariber” when it falls on a Tuesday, the day that “Ki Tov” was doubled. This year, indeed, Beis Iyar came out to be on Tuesday.
The emcee was Rabbi Leibel Baumgarten, Shliach in the Hamptons on Long Island, who welcomed both the Shluchim and members of the Board of Tzach which oversees Chabad’s outreach activities in the New York Metropolitan area.
Rabbi Baumgarten introduced Rabbi Moshe Pesach Goldman as senior member of Tzach. Rabbi Goldman, the long-time secretary of the organization from its founding, indeed recalled how Tzach was founded and its first activities to awaken American Jews to Torah and Mitzvos.
Rabbi Goldman remembered the first days of the organization and the special attention the Rebbe devoted to it. Rabbi Goldman continued with a story of the Rebbe Maharash in his personal conduct of “Lechatchila Ariber.”
Rabbi Shmuel Butman, Director of Tzach, highlighted the organization’s pivotal role, quoting what Tzach’s late chairman Rabbi Dovid Raskin, said in the name of the Rebbe that although the Rebbe spoke about the founding of Tzach on Shabbos Mevorchim Iyar, 24 Nissan 5715, nevertheless, the Rebbe wanted that the founding should be on Beis Iyar.
Stressing that since this is the birthday of the Rebbe Maharash, Tzach should be in the manner of “Tiferes Shebitferes” and “Lechatchile Ariber,” the Rebbe said.
Rabbi Butman emphasized that the Shluchim in the New York Metropolitan area have a special Z’chus of being Ligyono Shel Melech – the Shluchim in the Rebbe’s city and the Rebbe’s specific directive that being part of Tzach is a Tzinor, a conduit, to spiritual and material Hatzlocho.
Rabbi Butman mentioned what the Rebbe said to Reb Zalman Gurary that “From all the institutions that I have the institution that is dearest to me from all institutions is Tzeirei Agudas Chabad.”
Rabbi Kasriel Kastel, Program Director of Tzach, spoke about a letter, many years ago, that came to the Rebbe from a Jew in Kathmandu, Nepal about Pesach.
“Later my son, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kastel went there,” he said and noted that the Rebbe’s Head Secretary Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Eizik Hodakov (whose yarzteir is on the 3rd day of Iyar) funded the project and today it is the “World’s Largest Seder.”
“It’s absolutely remarkable,” said Rabbi Kastel, “that a Jew from the other end of the world writes to the Rebbe, the Rebbe directs the letter to Tzeirei Agudas Chabad and today that Seder becomes the Worlds Largest Seder.”
Rabbi Yitzchak Hassin, Shliach in West Hills, Long Island, told a story that in his Chabad center a young man was offered to choose a Yarmulka from a basket of Yarmulkas. The young man put his hand in the basket and pulled out one of the Yarmulkas. That Yarmulka that he pulled our was from his own Bar Mitzvah. “I told the young man that it means that Hashem is sending you a message that He loves you and thinks about you,” he said.
Rabbi Hassin told a personal story about his Chabad center when it was getting too small to house the large crowd of participants. “There was a need for expansion but they did not have the funds for it,” he said.
One day, he sent an email to an individual that there is a need for expansion and would like him to check out the matter. Rabbi Hassin then went to the Ohel to ask for a Brocha on this matter.
“This was on a Friday and that same day, the man calls and apologizes for not getting back sooner. He said that he wants to come and visit our facility on Monday,” he said.
“If he would give us at the time $50,000 that would have been for us the biggest miracle,” the Shliach said. “The man came and he did the entire project and ended up giving us over one million dllars.”
Rabbi Eli Goodman, Shliach in Long Beach, Long Island spoke about the fact that the Rebbe chose the establishment of Tzach on Beis Iyar – Tiferes Shebetiferes is because “the Rebbe is sending a message to each one of us Shluchim that we can and we will succeed in doing our Shlichus in the Matter of Lechatchila Ariber.”
Rabbi Goodman told a personal story of Lechatchila Ariber. He told that he once wanted to make a bonfire for Lag Baomer and was told that he could never get a permit as its too close to the beach. It was the night of Lag Baomer, he made the fire for the Hilulah of the Rashbi and everything went well. The city officials even came and asked how they can help. “This was ‘Lechatchila Ariber’ in front of our eyes.”
The main speaker was Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, the Rebbe’s secretary and the Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and the Machne Israel Development Fund.
Rabbi Krinsky enthralled the participants the with personal experiences that he was privileged to be involved in and special responses and directives that he was personally privileged to receive from the Rebbe.
From the personal stories and answers from the Rebbe, it was very clear that if the Rebbe wants something to be accomplished, we will overcome all the difficulties and it is going to be accomplished, he said.
“The very clear message to the Shluchim is that in all matters that you are doing in your Shlichus of the Rebbe no one will be able to stand in your way and you will succeed in the Shlichus of the Rebbe in the manner of ‘Lechtchila Ariber’ in all that you do.”
Rabbi Krinsky’s words, his unique form of delivery, had a deep and profound effect on the participants. After his formal talk, Rabbi Krinsky took questions from the Shluchim.
This was a great uplifting kinus of enthusiasm, unity and dedication. “This was an electrifying and warm event,” one Shliach commented. “We were uplifted by what we heard and empowered to take the Rebbe’s messages back to our Chabad centers and communities with greater enthusiasm, resolve and energy.”
The Shluchim left with a great feeling of strength and determination in their unity and commitment to the Rebbe’s Shlichus of preparing the world for the coming of Moshiach.
Reb Dovid Raskin was greatly missed