Doing Outreach, But Not Compromising on Halacha

Episode 163: "Doing Outreach, But Not Compromising on Halacha" (ד' בשבט תשפ"ג)

Welcome to our weekly program, The Inside Story of Chabad in America, through the Mindel Archives. Last week we left off in the middle, and I said we were going to read the question that people asked and that I've answered, but we had no time, so I'm going to continue today. Since it's before Yud Shvat, at the end of this program I want to share with you something very special that the Frierdiker Rebbe gave to Rabbi Mindel — that'll be the end of this program.

So last week we read about the speech that Rabbi Mindel gave; he introduced Rabbi Mayer [?] Greenberg. And we see how the Frierdiker Rebbe emphasized that every Jew is important, every Jew — the tremendous [unclear] of American Jews. But on the other hand, the Rebbe was strong about this — there are certain things that you have to tell people who are not religious, that they have to keep Shabbos, and they're not allowed to carry pocketbooks or whatever. This is what the Frierdiker Rebbe said when they came to America.

So here I'm going to share with you a letter from the Rebbe that somebody from Russia asked, since they were going to a farbrengen. So, number one, the question was about drinking wine — I'll tell you in a minute — and also about men and women learning Mishnayos together. That was the question. This is the middle of a letter, and I'm going to read to you the question. This is from the Rebbe.

The question was like this: when inviting non-observant Jews who had been brought up in non-observant homes, is it right to drink wine with them?

Now, as I just said, we have to be mekarev people, but we have to know there are certain things — I'll give you an example. I had a group in Long Island before, years ago. Some people, twenty of them, wanted to come to my house for Pesach. So I asked Rabbi Watkin [?] — since they were going to drive with a car and they could have, you know, a proper Pesach — what should I do? Rabbi Watkin [?] said that you have to know how many people are going to come, and you have to have beds ready. If you have twenty people, you have to have twenty beds ready for them to sleep, and then you can bring them — otherwise they're going to be mechallel Shabbos.

So I told him, I said, "I would like you to come," but the Rav told me that I have to have — I don't have twenty beds. So he said I should give them matzah, let them have matzah, whatever, when it comes to the kezayis of matzah — but when you can't, you can't. So this is the halacha; even though I wanted them to participate, there are certain things you can't do.

There's another letter, I think, from the Rebbe, where somebody asked about a case — whether he could be mekarev them. He says if he brings them over, and if it's a Yom Tov, not Shabbos, could they come by car? The Rebbe was very upset that he even asked the question. It's very, very important that you have to be mekarev, but you have to know that there are certain things that you cannot compromise on.

So here is the question about drinking wine together with people who are not shomer Shabbos. The Rebbe answered like this: "In view of the fact that non-observant Jews constitute a wide range from one end to the other, and for understandable reasons it is impossible to check everyone's Jewish credentials, why enter into a questionable situation when there are many other drinks than wine that could be served in such company — with no question, no concern involved?"

And here the Rebbe wrote, in the end, a P.S.: "Especially as the question in most cases involves also a question about the kashrus of the wine. Where there is no question about the wine, and the occasion of inviting a guest or guests is for Shabbos, when Kiddush is involved, it is advisable that the host alone make Kiddush and limit the partaking of wine to Kiddush only." So only he should make Kiddush — you have to be very careful when you have these people.

Now, I was looking for a letter, and I remember seeing it, but I have to find it. Now, we have yayin mevushal, and it's okay, but the Rebbe wasn't so happy about [using it for] Kiddush — I'm not sure, I'm not sure, but I have to check that letter again. But he doesn't mention yayin mevushal here.

Another question: there is a group of young women who would also like to learn Torah. This is what the question was, and I'll repeat it: "Would it be permissible to admit them to men's study classes, or should separate classes be formed for the women? Also, would it be proper to have male instructors for them?" This is a question that somebody from Russia had. This is the answer from the Rebbe:

"In view of the extraordinary circumstances and difficulties in that country" — meaning Russia — "I would be inclined to take a more lenient view, to admit women into the men's classes. However, in order to emphasize the exception due to the circumstances, and also in order to be mindful of the halacha, two provisions should be made. Number one, to teach in a co-ed class only such subjects as are incumbent also on women, such as the basics of our faith, love and fear of God, prayer, and the like — subjects that are dealt with in Chassidus."

And there is a letter from the Rebbe about this, because there are six things that only Chassidus explains how to do — fear of God, the unity of God, love of God. So these things should be learned in that class if you have women also.

"And number two, that separate seating should be arranged for the men and women — they shouldn't sit together. This would preclude also other personal associations such as mixed dancing and so on. And although we are speaking of persons who, by reason of background, are not otherwise averse to mixed dancing and socializing, it is obvious that this should not be permitted in these groups, and no heter should be given for such practice, explicit or implied.

"I must emphasize and repeat again that the heter — the permission — mentioned above in regard to co-ed study is based on the special circumstances prevailing in that particular country, there being no other way to save them from assimilation and intermarriage. It should" — and here underlined twice — "in no way serve as a precedent for other countries where those circumstances do not prevail, nor continue even in that same country when the situation improves sufficiently, so as not to have [need for] that heter."

"Turning to the rest of your letter, I will remember in prayer those you mentioned when visiting the holy resting place of my father-in-law, of saintly memory, whose concern for his fellow Jews, particularly in that country, knew no bounds, to the point of self-sacrifice. And as our sages of the Talmud said, the shepherds of our Jewish people do not forsake their flock even after their passing away, and continue to intercede on High in their behalf."

And then another paragraph is not important now, but the Rebbe signs his name.

So now I want to share with you something, since it's before Yud Shvat, and I thought I would share this with you. I don't know if you can see it, but here I have — in 1949, when the Frierdiker Rebbe became a citizen, and they came to 770 — the Frierdiker Rebbe asked Rabbi Mindel [to arrange it]. The Frierdiker Rebbe couldn't speak, it was hard for him to speak, so he wrote down every single detail, how it should be, for the citizenship [ceremony] — who should come, who should not come, and if they had already made arrangements to come. And the Frierdiker Rebbe didn't want certain people to be there; he says, "Let's change it, Rabbi Mindel should change the appointment." It's very, very, very detailed, and he wrote it all down here.

This is — I don't know if you can see it — this is what the Frierdiker Rebbe was holding, written on both sides. I don't think you can see these papers, but he wrote here — he gave him instructions about the mesibah [?] of the Baal Shem Tov. This is all about that, and it's on both sides. The Frierdiker Rebbe even signed his name right here. Also, this is all the Frierdiker Rebbe's handwriting — these are all little notes, not regular paper, these are papers like little scrap papers.

He told him here — he gave him instructions about Russian Jews, about giving them matzah. Also Chicago — he wrote a whole thing about Chicago. You know, the Frierdiker Rebbe was in Chicago in 1942, I think, when [unclear] — his mother [unclear] passed away. Here I have a picture of [unclear] — what Manya gave me, my mother — and this is Manya. This I gave once to [unclear] about this picture — this original [unclear], of the nurse.

So here, the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote — this is about his brother — here it says also about the Russian Jews, he gave him instructions. This is in 1949, and he wrote why he's wearing a shtreimel. You know, [unclear] — when he came to America in 1940, he asked Rabbi [unclear] whether he should put on his shtreimel, and he said yes. And also for the citizenship papers, the Frierdiker Rebbe wore a shtreimel. So, I mean, these are all instructions — it's all the Frierdiker Rebbe's handwriting, all these papers — and he gave it to Rabbi Mindel.

Also, I don't know why it says here — one time the Frierdiker Rebbe didn't bring [unclear] to Yud Tes Kislev, and in honor of Yud Tes Kislev he explained why. [unclear]. And this is another thing here — this is [about] Yeshiva. He wrote to him in '49, a few months before he passed away, and he also has here instructions about Manya, and also about [unclear], and also about the Alter Rebbe, and also about the U.N. He wrote all this here and gave it to Rabbi Mindel.

This — since it's before Yud Shvat, I never shared this with you — these are all, you have to put together, a lot of things here. So I thought I would share this with you, what he gave to Rabbi Mindel, because the Frierdiker Rebbe couldn't speak anyway.

So he made Hashem [unclear]. Next week we will continue our weekly program, [unclear], since next week is Yud Shvat.