By COLlive reporter
This Shabbos, 13 Iyar, will be the 60th yahrzeit of the passing of R’ Yisroel Aryeh Leib Schneerson, the Rebbe‘s younger brother, who lived in England and Israel.
In honor of the day, a never before seen letter he wrote to his esteemed mother, Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, has been published this week.
Dated 16.2.50 (Shvat 29, 5710), the short letter delivers words of comfort after the passing of the Frierdiker Rebbe, expressing the sincere pain he felt upon hearing the news.
The letter was sent from his new address in London’s Belsize Park – Swiss Cottage, and signed with his legal name M. Gurary.
It was jointly published in “A Chassidisher Derher,” a weekly newsletter distributed in Chabad Yeshivos across America and in “Beis Chayeinu”, a weekly Hebrew newsletter compiled by a group of 770 bochurim (both publications are affiliated with Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim).
“It is our hope that the release of this special treasure will help our readership better appreciate his extraordinary personality,” one of the editors told COLlive.com.
“One can read of his deep bond to the Frierdiker Rebbe, the close relationship he maintained with Anash and Beis Chayeinu, and the intimate connection he observed between the Frierdiker Rebbe and his daughter and son-in-law, the Rebbetzin and the Rebbe.”
DOWNLOAD:
+ Derher #49 (PDF)
Reb Yankel lives in Hendon and his connection to Liverpool other than being brought up their was the fact that his father was the Liverpooler Ruv for many many years. Ren Yankel is a huge Baal Tzeduka and has helped may rabbunim, rebbes and roshie yeshivas
It seems to me that it could be an apostrophe מנד׳ל and not really a Yud.
OF COURSE IT HIS LETTER, HE WAS NIFTAR IN 1953.
YANKEL PLITNIK IS IN HIS LATE 80’S. NEVER MARRIED, LIVES IN GOLDERS GREEN….HE WAS A REVEREND OR BAAL TEFILLAH IN LIVERPOOL IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS…HENCE THE CONNECTION…REB YISROEL TAUGHT THERE IN THE UNIVERSITY UNDER THE EXPLICIT DIRECTIVE OF THE FRIEDIKER REBBE.
The name Mor Gurary was used for documents to smuggle him out of Soviet Russia, and he continued using the name afterwards,
This letter is dated 1950, Reb Leib passed away in 1952. It’s obviously his letter. Also, this is only the first few lines of a longer letter, which is the reason why its not signed, etc.
After YA”L passed awy, The Rebbe’ OBM ZY”O, would continue writting letters to his mother, so that she wouldn’t know that her son was niftar.
He would mail the letters to yankel Plitnik, who would then mail them from England to his mother.
Is it possible that this letter may have been written by the Rebbe himself.
As far as I know Yankel Plitnik is still living in Golders Green London, although not a Lubuvitcher Chosid.
You could possibly contact him & find out.
My favorite part of every Shabbos!! Thank you!!
Is this the whole letter? no signing off? Who found it and where? I would imagine him writing to his mother in yidish not in laha”k. And the Mendil with a yud makes it more doubtful knowing the diference between the Tzemach Tzedek and the Tzemach Tzadik and how the Rebbe signed his name etc.
His handwriting seems very similar to the Rebbe’s
Its well known that the rebbetzin was called mussia
Why was that his legal name? Also interesting to see the Rebbetzin was called “Musya” in the family, and he spells the Rebbe’s name “Mendel” with a yud.
The letter was sent from his new address in London’s Belsize Park – Swiss Cottage, and signed with his legal name M. Gurary.
Interesting fact. How did that happen?