Rabbi Yoel Kahan A"H - Part VII

00:00 Behamishach in continuation to the earlier installments regarding an overview of Rabbi Yael Kahn's life, we now continue with installment number seven, where we will discuss additional stories which he shared at a Shabbos table. Firstly, to add a few facts benegeah to one of the stories that was mentioned in the earlier installment about Rabbi Yitzchak Dubov and the Nigunim contest that took place in front of the Rebbe, when every one of the Hasidim who represented a specific country chose a nigun to sing in front of the Rebbe, and the Rebbe said, "We'll see, we'll see who sings nigun." So the Rebbe says the , "Who can sing better?" There was Rabbi Zalmanov from the United States. He resided then in Crown Heights. Rabbi Yitzchak Dubov, as mentioned, was from Manchester, England, and there was also an from Eretz Yisroel, et cetera. Rabbi Yitzchak Dubov saw that this is gonna be a little dilemma. To sing in front of the Rebbe and to compete with Hasidim from other countries, especially also from the United States, Rabbi Shmuel Zalmanov. So Rabbi Dubov announced that even if I will sing well, Rabbi Zalmanov is gonna have to win because the Rebbe finds himself in the United States, so therefore the representative of the United States will be the winner. Rabbi Yael, when he mentioned this story, he added that this made a very strong impression on him. The Rebbe was very much mechavev the nigun of Rabbi Dubov. It was very cherished by the Rebbe, and it was then,

02:08 in nineteen fifty-six, that Rabbi Dubov's grandson, Rabbi David Dubov, relates that he heard from his father that the Rebbe asked Rabbi Shmuel Zalmanov, who was the one that put together the records, the Lubavitch Nechiach records, that he should record the nigunim that he hears from Rabbi Dubov, and, uh, it should be on file for the future. There was a Hasid who originally was a child from the Kantinisten, and he later became a Gabbai by the Rebbe Rashab. His name is Rabbi Nachman. He was niftar in nineteen oh five, and Rabbi Dubov heard many nigunim from him. Now going on benegeah to additional stories that Rabbi Yael told at, at his Shabbos table. One story is benegeah to, uh, the Choizejim, those that reviewed the maamarim by the Rebbe Rashab. One of them was Rabbi Mordechai Cheifetz, and the previous Rebbe writes about him that he was a very emotional person, got excited quite often. And the saying was that the Choizejim, those that were responsible to review the maamar by the Rebbe Rashab, they would go into the Rebbe Rashab's room, they would review the maamar in his presence, and he would comment if there was anything to correct and, uh, add, et cetera. Memaishech this was also an occasion, a very special occasion, to ask if there was need for explanation in a maamar or an explanation in the inyonim, the topics that the Rebbe Rashab mentioned in this maamar. In Shabbos Shuva , that is late nineteen oh five, when Rabbi Mordechai Cheifetz

04:17 went out of the Rebbe Rashab's room, he started to dance with a intense joy. The Hasidim standing at his side said to him, "True, Shabbos Shuva could also be written in an abbreviation of Shin Tov, which means Simchas Torah, but it is not Simchas Torah now. It's a solemn time. It's the days of repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Kippur. Why is he dancing?" So he told them, "True, you are cor- right, but when we hear such wonderful explanations, how could we not dance?" This Rabbi Mordechai also was present by the previous Rebbe, Rosh Hashanah . That is late nineteen thirty-four. In the , which is the series of maamarim that the Rebbe, the previous Rebbe, delivered in , the Rebbe writes about this . Our Rebbe, um, writes at the end, "The there, this the previous Rebbe did not complete, did not conclude, not in saying and not in writing." What was the story? The story benegeah to this was as follows. Rosh Hashanah , the previous Rebbe came to Warsaw, and prior to the previous Rebbe's arrival in Warsaw, there were already Hasidim in Warsaw who were very involved in bringing Yidden from other circles to Chassidus, to bring them closer to Chassidus, to introduce Chassidus to them. And they were hoping that when the previous Rebbe will come, he will say my Ma'arim, and that will bring the people who are not yet aware, are not yet affiliated, not yet knowledgeable of Chassidis Chabad, that this will be appealing to them. But what

06:28 happened was that when the previous Rebbe said the Ma'arim, even his own Chassidim did not understand the Ma'arim. They were very deep. The previous Rebbe was explaining new concepts in the nyonim of Chassidis, b'negeah to the godly light, b'negeah to the state of nullification in which this godly revelation finds itself in, and it was over their head. B'meilah they came to the previous Rebbe and they requested from him that they're not able to understand it. The Shabbos after that, the previous Rebbe changed course and he said a very light Ma'arim, a very easy Ma'arim, and he added privately or in front of a group of Chassidim. I'll say it first in Yiddish and then I'll translate it in English. Ich hab getracht, ich geben meppes recht, un ihr wild a zucker lekechol. I figured I'm going to give you something solid. And you're asking for a sugar cube, which means something which is very delightful for you, something easy, something comfortable. Our Rebbe was there at that time and he was very upset about those that came to the previous Rebbe and suggested that he should change course. And the Rebbe then said, Vos misht mezich im mein shverz in yonim. What are you getting involved in my father-in-law's in yonim? When a Rebbe says a Ma'arim, there's a very special meaning to it, a heavenly meaning to it, a spiritual meaning to it. And you should not have intervened and offer advice which Ma'arim is an appropriate Ma'arim to deliver. This is how the

08:50 Hemsek was published. This Rebbe did not continue, not in writing and not in saying it orally. Another two short stories. B'negeah to the Rebbe. One story was in the first years of the Rebbe's Nesi'os. The Rebbe fabrenged and after the Sichra, the audience remained silent. And the Rebbe motioned with both of his hands, new. And they called, the audience began singing a joyous nigun. The Rebbe made with his hand like that this is not what he meant. And he said, I didn't mean this. I meant that you should say l'chaim. Another interesting short story that happened in Tafshin Mem 1980. It was then the historic Sichra that the Rebbe delivered during a Lag Bamer parade, 1980. And the Rebbe then spoke in Russian and actually spoke to the Russian government. People were fearful. What could the consequences be? This is the middle of communism. What does this mean? So the story goes as follows. That it was that Lag Bamer in front of thousands of children and adults. The Rebbe spoke a Sichra in Russian to the children from Russia. And at that time, there was a great danger for Yidden in Russia. The next day, a Yid came in to the Maskirus, to the secretariat, the Rebbe's secretariat, and gave an amount of tz'dakah for charity to Rabbi Nyoman Klein, the Rebbe's personal secretary. And he said, I am giving tz'dakah for the purpose that the Sichra that the Rebbe delivered yesterday should not make any damage. When Rabbi Klein heard it, he related

11:09 to the Rebbe. And the Rebbe said, giving tz'dakah is a good thing. But to be afraid? From what? And from what?