Ep. 41: How Does One Transcribe The Rebbe’s Maamar? with Rabbi Dovid Olidort

I listened to the Rebbe's ma'amar, so more or less I remember, more or less I understand what he said. I understand a little bit what he said. Then, when the beur said sicha zora what the Shabbos, you write down you write down details. You write down kitzur what the Rebbe said. And then you sit down to write it down. You use both. You use what you remember and you use the the foot the notes, which are short notes. And together Today's episode is brought to you by Machaneh Israel. There's a very special Torah being commissioned right now. And stay tuned a little bit later for more details about how you can be a part of it. I'm Yossi Chaim men. Welcome to a Mong Chassidim by Der Rebbe, an ongoing farbrengen about life as a Chassid, our vibrant connection with the Rebbe, and inspired living shaped by the way he teaches us each and every day. How are you, Rabbi Olidort? Baruch Hashem. Thank you so much for being here. Always help Always happy to help. Okay, I appreciate that. I would like to begin and ask you if you can talk a little bit little bit about your upbringing, where you came from. I know you're not born in these parts. And not born in Eretz Israel, so you have a unique a unique story. So, maybe you can share that with me a little bit. Okay, well, I was born in in a in Russia, in the suburb of Moscow. Tafshin Yud Zain. Uh my parents were all born obviously there and um And I I lived in Moscow that suburb until till >> [clears throat] >> other actually that was Yud Zain other Tafshin Lamed Chof Zain. That's when he moved from Moscow to to Eretz Israel. And to talk about more about the background of my family, my father came from a from a from a family from Ukraine. His His parents His father was a was a swell Hasid. And they ran away during the World War II, evacuated from Ukraine from Odessa. Well, in the east and they ended up being around Tashkent in that area. And that that's when my my father was then as as around mitzvah age. So, that's when my That's when my father was introduced to Chabad because they were they were Chabad chadorim ran cheder Chabad ran in that area. It was the only only frum environment. So, that's when my father So, my grandfather sent my father to study there under Chabad and that's how my father became a Hasid. Together with a lot of people that area in that from that era that went to those to Chabad and became close to Chabad. I mean, a big chunk of them moved in the famous echelons here to here to to the western world. But, they also also hash v'chayil stayed in in Russia. My parent My father stayed in Russia. Cuz they weren't able to leave? They weren't able to leave, yeah. Now, now it to leave was was was a process. Not everybody was not able or there were reasons why they couldn't A lot of them came later. We all know that a lot of them came later. And then my father and his family moved to Siberia because the government His sister His sister studied there. And they the government sent her to work in a factory in in Siberia. Then later he he came to Moscow to Moscow in the area of Moscow had a a lot of frum frum families there. A big part of them Chabad families. And And then that's when he met my mother, who also came one of the relatives there. One of her relatives lived in that area. What What type of family is she from? She came from also from from a farm family in Odessa, from I think city of Ruzhin of Berdychiv. And that's when they met, and that's why I say I was born there. And my my my grandfather, my father's father, who was already retired, I mean, he wasn't that old and but he was very retired at point. He is the one who who taught me everything. He taught me from Aleph-Bet till Gemara. You didn't go to cheder or anything? There was no cheder. There was no cheder in Moscow. No, there was no cheder in Moscow. So, I was homeschooled in Yiddish and Jewish stuff and Jewish studies in uh by my grandfather. Taught me everything, like I said, from Aleph-Bet till Gemara till till 9 till I was 9 and 1/2. And uh and and I I was quite young when I was in Russia, but my memories are weird. In our little suburb of Moscow, we had we had a minyan We had a minyan Shabbosim. Most of Everybody was very old, old-timers. I was the only child there. My My cousin, my father's sister and husband, they were also lived there with my grandparents. So, they had children, but they were all old. My cousins were older than me. And uh we used to have a minyan there Shabbosim. And uh I think if I think I remember correctly, I was once mashlim a minyan with a with a with a Chumash, mashu kaze. Simchas Torah Simchas Torah Taf Shin Chaf Zayin, I was Simchas Torah there. I got maftir age 9. I got maftir. It's kind of funny memory to have in the past. Well, you know how to read it, no? I don't Yeah, I'm telling you, my grandfather taught me everything. Gemara, not just like even Homish, Mishnayis, Gamorah. Then my father also learned miller and shchita in order in order to help in that in that area in that era again. It It was the time when there wasn't enough of people. We all the families all our from families used to get together. >> They were Lubavitcher Hasidim? Pardon? Lubavitcher Hasidim? Pardon? Not Lubavitcher. Hasidim. So who was Anyone Anyone was organizing these activities or was all It was all Yeah, it was I don't know. Yeah, there was there was probably some kind of organization. Remember also going to those the main shul in Damascus, the big shul in the city. The chief rabbi was Rabbi Levin. Remember I think going with my father there when he gave us uh I think it was a seder, small seder to learn sham and Iyamim. We got I think they got it they used to get it to the Israeli embassy there. Um He's the one that came later to the Rebbe. >> Right. Came later to the Rebbe. Um I mean from the the the Greenberg family obviously and his Rabbi Greenberg from Alaska. His uh his his older brother in our town is my age and uh and his he had cousins. He had his grandfather Rabbi Boruch Hazan. And uh What's other families? Were there any like notable Hasidim that came around over the that you remember? A lot of names that I remember. I don't I don't know if this guy is notable Hasidim but you know there's a lot of names from that era. There was I remember a beautiful colossus. Who was there? He was He was in the city. He lived in the city. Where is the suburb? It was a sub It was a sub of Mask of Mask but now it became a really part of the city. What's the What's the What's the name? The name was Klazma. Uh member There was also There was also the Machna of Karev. He was a Rebbe from the from the Chernobyl dynasty. Which like I said, my grandfather was also like originally a Hasid of of uh of Skver, which was also Chernobyl dynasty. So my grandfather had his own shul in the city of Moscow. I remember going there a few times. Later he moved to neighbor and he moved to neighbor too. The I don't know if he was also my son actually. >> Actually. My grandfather wanted me to be my son too. It was considered the shivest ever a Rebbe a Rebbe to be. Um At Okay, so that that's step one. Uh another small part is that uh first grade public school yet yet we must go to public school in Russia. In Russia those days at least Shabbos was also school was on school was six days a week including Shabbos. And because our school was a small school small so Friday our class is till one in the afternoon. So in the short Fridays was also a problem. So as far as Shabbos we got some doctor to to write a note that that I need an extra day off. But Fridays was an issue. This the winter Fridays. Sometimes I I always looked for excuses. One day they didn't let let me uh leave so I made a little a little uh I acted upset and this and that and they got got me some help. It's funny. I mean in my memory as when I experienced it it was it was obviously bad but going back looking back it was a it was a little incident. Was it like um How was it uh like be a minority of a minority uh Jew and from you like how how was that like? >> to for example you can see that for example you used to I used to wear to wear a yarmulke, right? So in in class I think I had to take a I'm not sure if in class maybe I had to take a yarmulke but in the street I had to wear a yarmulke. I couldn't wear a regular Jewish yarmulke. So they they the you can see that the Uzbeks the Uzbek they have this big head covering called tubeteika. That's what it's called in Russian. So I used to wear one of that in in Russia. Some people today you can see it uh some the some people do it still, you know, in the Uh you shouldn't get it. It's it's it's some kind The hard the life was hard. So I was taunted as a Jew obviously. But I remember I was sitting in in uh in public school next uh it was mixed. So I I I mixed the times up a little bit. The beginning was that the first class the first grade somehow my father managed to to get me out of the first grade but second grade I had to go. The first is to go. So all these things happened there. I remember there was some good some girl there. She says, "I'm not Jewish. My both grandparents and are Jewish but I'm not." She told me. Stop. memory It turns out later on she moved to Israel like after I after like 40 years later 30 years later. Right. So she's she's still >> I don't know anything about her. I just my mother told me about it. Uh Um all of life in this that's step in a way step step one shlav aleph. Shlav bet was the like I said chof zayin baruch Hashem we we moved we moved to Eretz Yisrael. We It was It was a process. They rejected us. >> before that. >> Sure. Um was there like like as you felt you knew that you were like uh a Lubavitcher chossid? That's how I went to the doctor. I told you. Side down the Sahara. To to the Sahara. My grandfather was a square house and down to the Sahara. So we And so there were we I felt there was also other relatives we had. They were also relatives of the Greenbergs. We were like also now Polish chossidim. So they used to down the Sahara. They used to down the Sahara. It was a there was a little stickle friction even. It's children. We're talking about small children. It wasn't a serious friction. But it was obvious that you will we said. I remember even even having a minyan Shabbos Mevorchim for Tehillim. Mhm. As a child I remember. The one once there was we wanted to have Tehillim Shabbos Mevorchim. So people walked to our house like Shabbos afternoon to have a minyan Shabbos Mevorchim. And your father was part was part of the Yeah, my father is the one I mean he's not the only one. He was Yeah, he was he taught me to to to down Tehillim in the Sahara. And all the whatever minyan they had there. I I think I remember him also. So yeah. You know anything about the Rebbe? The I I don't I don't know I don't recall exactly. But they probably they said something about the Rebbe. They they they I was young and I don't remember. I personally don't remember that but uh I assume that that the older people knew more about that. Interesting. Okay. So tough to have Zion Yeah. decision that you have to get out of there. No, the decision is not mine. My parents my parents. So they asked to be to be released and they were rejected twice. Till finally some somehow uh consider it a miracle that uh I remember I once met in Moscow later later I met the ambassador the Israeli ambassador I think ambassador to Moscow. She says, "I came out of Russia in 19 '67 also have Zion." So I said, "Really?" She said, "According to statistics, in that year only 1,000 people left Russia to Israel. I was one of 1,000." Just So, it is a miracle. >> Yeah, it is quite a miracle. She She knew the statistics. She also came out that year. I was I was surprised. Um Okay, now I was going to say So, you went out to Israel? Yeah, we went out to Israel, my family. And we We beginning we moved to Bnei Brak because our relatives, my my mother's cousin The closest relative my mother had that was her cousin. So, we stayed with them in Bnei Brak. We rented a place in Bnei Brak. And that was other tough of the time. Then, Pesach I made Pesach We We took a trip to Jerusalem to see from far. It was before the Six-Day War. So, we look went up some mountain, I think, to see from far parts of our bias. I should go there. It was all trip. It was a major trip. And then, in in in in Also, when I came there, I went to Chabad cheder, by the way. So, the neighborhood Yeah, there was a There was a cheder Chabad, a very small cheder. There was a picture, actually. There's around the picture because some kid over there had a birthday or something. So, there's a picture. A lot of people there that I should I should mention that day, like Zalman Landau Chaim Diskin And And I I don't see. Maybe Askin is also in that picture. And um My melamed was a Zalman Leib Estulin. And he Well, it was exciting because First of all, Zalman Leib Estulin was also my father's melamed in Russia in the forest. So, the same I had the same melamed. And uh And uh And also, if I remember correctly, Zalman Leib Estulin left Russia about half a year before us. But he He came from from Uzbekistan, from Tashkent. So, on the way to leave Russia, he went to Moscow. He stayed in my in my grandparents' house. So, So, I remember I I saw him already before. I learned I remember he learned about a comma and he it was it I'm surprised at my at myself how my how good my grandfather managed to teach me. You're up to the level. I was up to the level. I was able to to follow. It's not like a person comes up out of nowhere. And I didn't learn till then I never learned a haido. So, So, well, I mean, that that really I have to credit my grandfather for that. And uh So, we learned for 3 months there. So, we were there for 3 months. And my father was looking for a job, looking for a for a house. Uh Then, the Six-Day War started. Of in year tough shin kuf zayin, all right? Year tough shin kuf zayin, I remember during the war we came to haider, the haider is closed. So, we had to run to a to a to a special underground place. I think it was under one of the shuls. Or under Zalman Landau was our classmate. So, his grandfather, Yankel Landau, arranged for the place. I think in the place. Maybe not not maybe it's not exactly the Sasha Kaza. Uh but in Maybach, you didn't feel anything. You didn't hear anything. So, right after that, the Yerushalayim became a place so that the government offered my father a place apartment in Yerushalayim. Not for free, but it was a special program area on old border with And that was before before the war it was mom and dad on the border of Yerushalayim and and Jordan of these of the southern Jordan. So, So, they offered him a place there. And my father wanted to be able to live in Yerushalayim. So, right away, so we moved to Yerushalayim in the base time of tough shin kuf zayin. And in the first day, obviously, the first time in Yerushalayim, we came there and we met the Chabad people there. We went to as a farbrengen shul in Chabad in Yerushalayim, the shul. In base time of kuf zayin, I was still I was still 9 years old, like I said. And we got to know the the few Chabad people, important Chabad people. There was Tuvia Bloy, which is very became a good friend of my father. And I also used to give Later I used to give shiyurim in his in his home in Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch for children. Like we remember going there. And it was also the menahel of the cheder then was Abba Shalom Leib Eisenbach, alav hashalom, who was in Later he moved to Montreal. So he he had a strong effect. He was my melamed there in the beginning. He was also the menahel with the melamed. So that's how I already started in a regular Chabad cheder, cheder Yerushalayim. For a few years after I had the Menachem Wilhelm, alav hashalom, and a lot of important people. And then later I had my bar mitzvah 1953, melamed. So that was the first bar mitzvah in Tzemach Tzedek shul. Tzemach Tzedek shul was in the old city. It was Take you know, in the old city, Tzemach Tzedek shul in the old city, it was still some old factory. They turned it into a factory. You say the Arabs >> was when it was under >> Exactly. When the Arabs took it over it was a factory. And then Chabad took We took it over. So it was being rebuilt and and they finally finished the downstairs so it should be able to make it make it simcha there. So I think my It was the first bar mitzvah 1953 in Tzemach Tzedek shul. And then at that point we moved from The cheder was in Shikun Chabad, which is a shul as now, you know, the area of Yerushalayim. Downstairs the Chabad Chabad shul. Then we moved to Yeshiva Yeshivas Tiferes Tzvi was then in the Hovevei Zion. The end of Hovevei Zion, near near Breslov. You know, familiar? No no, I'm not so familiar, but yeah, I'm familiar. Okay. So it's the end of Hovevei Zion. And that's what we I was from Tofshin Lamed till Tofshin till Tofshin Lamed Gimmel. But there I had a the the most important person that affected me was Reb Zalman Feldman, alav hashalom, who was a shiver there. There was other Nachman Vilner was also again there and there was also there was also Segal who's now the Rosh Kollel of Machon Chaim who gives them a shiver then. And then and then my my chaverusa I had a chaverusa I'm a very we learned together a lot and then he he decided to drop out and go to Mir Yeshiva. So that that had a very you know, it put me in a in a bad situation and I felt uncomfortable so one of the options was to come here. Okay, that's one that's one thing part of How do you then? By the time 15. I'm in the midst of Tofshin Lamed. This is one of the one of the options to come to New York. Yeah. And then we had a bunch of bochurim kvutza in like today they're called shluchim. I don't remember they were called shluchim then. Elder elder bochurim used to come to came to Yeshiva and they inspired us. I got I remember Moishe Perlman who's now a shliach in Caracas and uh Chaim Ashkenazi, alav hashalom. Uh there was a lot of old the old bochurim They were coming from 770. Yeah, they they was after the kvutza. They came to us after kvutza. So they gave you a little bit of a flavor of 770. >> gave us a flavor of 770. And I remember those years of Tofshin Lamed and Lamed Aleph was also very important here because Likutei Sichos used to come out every week. It was a major a major inspiring And you would get it in the mail. Yeah, we got the Likutei and everybody would learn and koch very much in the Likutei. I might as well have nasty I wanted to tell you. I might as well have that Shalom Mordechai Mordechai so I think over a lot of of Zion It took when they speak to boys and says you should know that it's my new way of learning Russian homage. I must tell you it's unbelievable and he gave us this thing says everybody has a question tell it to me and I'll send it to the river. I just rush not in the challenge Russia you have a challenge Russia. Yeah that's the kind of Russia. It's never 9 years old. Today people children 9 years old so I mean it's my kind of work. I I learned the Russia with my 8 year old it was it was difficult. Yeah. So I'm saying uh I even gave him some kind of questions stuff. It was so I'm saying that this this types of things were already started earlier but but we are children we really didn't appreciate it but when we we got the issue and we had the we had the boxing that came from 70 and we had the the the liquid in this to come out and we it was very inspiring and uh And there was no the hookups yet? No the okay wait a minute. Okay so you're right okay hookups also I remember the hookup situation. So the hookup started first of all was you try to learn it. That was yeah that's that was also an important event. The shakes of the table Yeah the shakes of the table right I don't yeah I remember about the shakes of the table but the whole first of all was you try to learn it I remember waking up in the middle of the night. Like 3 3:00 in the morning is this that was the that was the time that we times are still organized before we become a boxer you know. Right. It's at 3:00 you usually asleep. So you wake up wake up at 3:00 and I believe then in in the middle of the line in Sanhedrin to walk it was a it was a nice walk like a maybe 20 25 minute walk up a up a hill. It was a long long walk in the middle of the night. We come to shiva and there's a hookup. And it's a gate niche. Like you can't hear you could hear. It was it was quite sporadic. But it was the first time we heard the Rebbe. It was extremely Then I was still 12 years old. You try to remember this only 12. My bar mitzvah was aleph. So but you I yeah I do recall it. But later the shidduchim started to become more organized. It was also part of the inspiration. >> were already listening to the Rebbe's bringing in Australia. Sure. Not that I'm saying I understood but You didn't understand then? No, I understood something. Some things I understood. It's very What? Le fe my age and especially when the Rebbe spoke about some things that we when he spoke about a gemara something something that we something with law especially something that we learned in the gemara etc. It was very inspiring obviously. And um So then the option to come to New York starts Yeah, yeah. There's a few reasons. First of all like I said I lost my and in the issue in Tel Aviv I don't know if I want to talk It wasn't I didn't feel comfortable. It was a big war. Let's go to let's go to the Rebbe. Everyone was talking about it. So so I so So aleph aleph gimel I ended up here. You were off. I was off. I was ended up here. The first month I slept in some some another average of family on Carroll Street because their son was punctual in my class. So so he He was in your class? He was in my He came all sleeps from another average of family came alone up session Tel Aviv. I don't remember why. His last name was Donner. What's his name? Donner. Donner. I don't know. Okay. He lived on Carroll Street so because I stayed tisha in in their house. Just sleep. Stay means sleeping. And okay tisha aleph aleph dalet anybody knows about history It the It like one of the It was a major month. The funny To me it felt This is what it was. I didn't I didn't realize later that it was something very very different from the year before and the year after. Because first of all, the people were happened then. They were for bringing the spoke It thought that there was a moon out. There was a lot of things happened that month which didn't happen later. But to me, that was my introduction. You came Like I fell in right into the Yeah, with the bank like you say, right. I fell into this year and uh for you know, I have to find a place to stand before being and all these type all these type of things took a while a while to to land as they say. And then also there was also There was a lot of interesting things that happened. I don't know I don't remember the details. We're talking something about more than 50 years ago, but uh There was then a cloud that no Yeshiva can accept someone unless the Yeshiva comes from gives it settled. And there are some of them didn't want to let me go. So I knew I didn't get the the Yeshiva Yeshiva to leave really. So I had to struggle here. So for a month I was just sitting in 770, sleeping on the bench and like it was I was really homeless. Oh, sort of. And uh but then later in the in the end, Eliyahu Teitelbaum Eliyahu Teitelbaum took me in. I went to Actually, the truth I went to Morristown, but I also to try Morristown, but I but so I wasn't happy. I was like I came to be by the Rebbe. Why would I want to be Morristown? That's why I came for. Okay, so So and I ended up being in Eliyahu Teitelbaum. Eliyahu Teitelbaum then is not the totally not Eliyahu Teitelbaum of today. In in There was a There was a building called 695 Eastern Parkway. I don't think it exists anymore. So the There there was 695? which which on the corner of Brooklyn Eastern Parkway. Across the street on the on the side of where the is today. >> Yeah, yeah, on the side of the I think had something there once. Not so so on the corner here. Uh-huh. So, 695 there was a there was a had a branch over there from the old the itself was in line with In Troy. In Troy. So, there I actually I remember learning the thing teach me maybe I took it or not. But then when I 695 had the three there was a there was a social Friedman. The speaker was Majeski. That's what was and there were three three classes there. The oldest class it was the difference was probably for the old also also there there there the show and they got it You were in the old school. Exactly. I was the youngest. I was 16 in when I became 16. I went I came there like a I came to when I was 16 and I So, you ended up with older people. No, no. There was also So, three three grades there. There was the highest grade. I was in the lowest grade. That was my age group. I want to share something special that's happening through Machne Israel. Many of you listening can remember the moments that you spent in the Rebbe and the Rebetzin's home. Whether it was in the Rebbe's physical presence or whether it was davening or a special occasion that you recently were in the Rebbe and Rebetzin's home and how powerful those moments were. Now there's a new safe Torah being written for that purpose. The Torah that is being finished now will be used in the Rebbe and the Rebetzin's home and it is commissioned for the Rebetzin. Before it is finished, each of us has a chance to be part of it. You can buy a letter in the Torah. Think about that. Your letter will be in the Taita that's in the Rebbe and the Rebbe's house. It's not every day that we have a chance to be part of something that has permanence in the Rebbe's home. And it's a huge schuss for us and our families to be a part of it. Don't wait until it's too late. Go to torah 1304.com right now and purchase a letter while it's still available. Let's all have a part in this Taita together. One of my good friends from those years, alav hashalom, Lipa the Busky. He was a friend of mine. I think he was in my class. There was also a few. There was a guy Avram Boruch, alav hashalom, and then we have Yosel Katsman, you know. That was my class, the lower grade. The higher grade was Yossi Gurary at the toyit, Shalom Charitonov. I don't know his name, I think Yosel Machkin. The middle class was Shalom Bergo, he was in Brazil. And Dovid Zalmanov, the mashpia. And Mendel Kaski, the the rov. Mhm. See, I was I became a chavrusa of Mendel Kaski. And we learned together for a year. So, one one year we were there in our Taita. And we saw what was our mashpia or our mashiva. We learned maseches Shabbos. And Gestetner was our mashpia. We learned anach Learned anach by him. Remember at one point you see in the other interview it was mentioned that at that point lamid daled the situation with anach was very schwach. There was not enough There was not enough anach. So, when the Reb Gestetner decided that we will going to write kitzurim of anach every every the bochrim in in in that in that group will write anach. Everybody got his piece. My my lot was likutei leviim. So, as I was saying, you have to slow down over here. I'm I'm trying to process what's going on over here. So, now you're moving on from all the tater to to to the fact I'm saying that I don't know if it's not sound related. I'm just going to say one point that I remember the same majestic. Okay, yeah. So, he's thought as a nut. I just want to tell you one cent. So, everybody did like the old the book and that's guy that's the like the first sixes. Some people are the Russians somehow I ended up I know that maybe it went on for didn't go on for too long, a few months. I forgot one of my classmates was also Nachum Shapiro Maschio Basin. Mhm. The kids so so because I remind he was also involved. So, I remember so I I wrote it to the Itzhak. So, I remember The sixes. The sixes from ourselves. I remember I heard once the the Rebbe in Hebrew I wrote all this Abba. So, just tells me what's got Abba. You write Amur. You write Abba. Some Abba what you do. Okay. Cuz the Rebbe said the Rebbe said so I translate Abba but he said that's not the way you You write. You write Amur. Some Some of that All right, so that's that's how the medal ended. The end of the medal teacher of my day the Rebbe sent everybody away. That was Yana Kamel. If you look at the sixes the Rebbe everybody went away. My entire class went away. Half to Israel to Montreal Schlessinger. But I said I they didn't even offer me. Nobody told me I should go but I said I came here why am I going away now? So, I So, I was left alone and then I had no class. I wait that's the next I was wait there but wait there you have to be a certain age to be there. What? >> Isn't it the sixes for my No, the sixes are older. I was 17. So, in in Hebrew isn't that usually the No, at that point Hebrew started Gimel or Lamed Gimel. The sixes the Rebbe spoke of. Yeah, the sixes the Rebbe spoke of. The Rebbe sixes. It's I remember we heard that sixes in a shadow. Yeah. The Rebbe spoke of it. My 13 Yeah, and and the the book and came from some sent to explain to us what he's talking about because we didn't write everything in English. >> Yes, yes. >> yeah. talking about. He was talking about that the bochurim needed to move to Exactly. He was talking about 770 to have a day. So, that point have a day was So, so I ended up being the youngest bochur in 770 because I was the only one left. In other words, my class left and so as I ended up in 770. And then in 770 we have uh Mendlik gave us a sheer. I think it was Gitten then, if I remember correctly. Gitten and uh Zalman Zalman taught us some tough and what's tough the uh Tough I think some one of the some of them, I don't remember. But it's music then. Not sure it's music. You know, he gave us sheer in the I remember highest quality highest quality. What is some give or take? So, he gave us sheer in the in the city of Nigler. So, that's what that's how I ended up in 770. One year. At that point So, let's take a step back. And I came here to 770. We didn't ask me about it, but I'll cut it here. About the hazola. So, I The hazola was >> going to ask you about it cuz I >> Exactly. So, that's a hazola. The only The only kind of hazola that's it was total total democracy. There was not a chance that somebody was interviewed someone or something. >> what was the democracy? The hazola was democracy? Yeah, democracy means anybody who wants to you will be able to sit down with a Shabbos when I came at least downstairs in 70. In in over there, you can see in the pictures. And anybody, nobody asking you who are you, what do you know, what do you don't know. Everybody can sit and sit down and mix in. Excuse me, the Rebbe said this, the Rebbe didn't say this, you know. But I interviewed other people. >> Yeah. They said there was a hierarchy. Meaning if you if you had something to say and you weren't part of the club, someone would give you a look and then you were you were intimidated to to say anything. And is that is that not your experience? Yeah, there is to a degree, but I mean, you know, when you go into a new group and all of a sudden you start talking, say "Who are you? Who are you?" Yeah, that's for staying in this. But but but you know I mean it's not shiny. The fact The fact that you mixed in that that made you a part of it. Nobody said to you, "Excuse me, I'm longer." Maybe we'll be in this. Actually, I remember that in that rush, you know. Rush Simchas Torah. Simchas Torah It was a three-day Yom Tov, right? And three-day Yom Tov Simchas Torah If you pay attention, it was like four for wingers in the Altona Club. Because it was a Shabbos Breishis. You like this. No, it's the after Two for wingers Shabbos Breishis. So, first there's a for winging of Friday Motzei Simchas Torah. The first for winging Motzei Simchas Torah with the Rebbe only made a short for winging. Then Shabbos Breishis. Oh Oh, no. Don't forget. There was also The first night was the first night. The first The first night you have There's there's the the Simchas Torah for winging before Altona Leil Simchas Yeah, Leil Simchas Torah. Then Then Yom Simchas Torah. Then Shabbos Breishis morning, Shabbos Breishis evening. So, you have four for wingings. Can you imagine that? So, and and people in the Altona Club when the Rebbe said what? And before between the for wingings, they used to uh the Rebbe used to go and a few bochurim used to come listen to him and mix in this and that. I remember that cuz I was a child. I was 16 years old. So, I see a bunch of bochurim. I remember with Shalom Bochman Yisrael Yitzchok. But the Rebbe was sitting I think it was Simchas Torah one of these for wingings. I ran over to hear to listen. I did I didn't I don't think I mixed in, but I wanted to be part of it because of all my Like I said, the excitement was from from the feeling from before that you wanted to hear what the Rebbe said. >> Right. This is before you're running Hanukkah suddenly. No, no, no. It's not in the running Hanukkah. I'm talking about this as as a bochur in 770. Then actually So, what happened? So, that's what simple said then I was I was interested first of all I want to tell you that that after after the tisha I came shabbos tisha there's a moon sukis and keep us in with the mall shabbos shabbos kitchen comes nothing doing there's no for bringing there's no for bringing it was such a downer calling but then I I used to have a change of the mems Yeah Yeah things change later but that for me again it also there was happening ups and downs later also but for me specially like if you let's say if somebody came in the summer when there's no for bringing and then this tisha then you go back but you start on the high and all of a sudden it's a different I did start writing to my in my letters to home because I was because I was so excited about about being able to listen to the Rebbe and then calls like and everything so I used to write the kids so some whatever said this that you know To your father To my yeah to my parents And to my father and But then now another point is Reb Leven Reb Leven happens to be a stickler relative of mine Quite far because his grandmother my grandfather were cousins So because of that so that he he felt a certain kinship and he at that point he was he was writing my brother's my mother He was writing my brother's my mother so he he got me also interested in that already then he didn't I didn't actually write but I was like involved he showed me You know I knew the process a little bit Then then hasaura happened so I used to come to hasaura mixing a little bit And I mostly I came to listen to Reb Yael and at that point Reb Yael your side was the main like second second he was arguing with the devil said this said said it said this way that way when he said it the first thing and the second thing and I was involved. And slowly slowly I got involved more and I wrote I wrote and then like I said to him hey hey my all my friends went away when he left >> So what was this project of writing Lam Adaled and all that that was like >> stamp for ourselves for ourselves enough practice for ourselves for ourselves have a cup of coffee Exactly because there was because the people didn't there was not produced in time it was the role and if you look >> This was mentioned in a different interview why you will get into later I don't know. Yeah yeah it's not doesn't matter why actually okay the I had friends who like I said they all ran away with something else to solve something to material So I used to write also send them my my shimmers not like not full but you know from the sickness So that got me involved a little bit. And then I was I was talking talking to him also once in a while ask him you know So that was and uh And David Feldman used to write every for bringing in in Hebrew himself and send it out of your friends we started We we used to have a friend mutual friend used to have with me you are the money then is the youngest he had an older brother who all the money men only have He was the younger one. >> Many of them have been translated in the Yeah yeah Yeah but I'm I'm saying so so so is a good friend of mine and we used to like converse and talk and uh He used to help type Marshall David was I think David had points to write and then he was to type. We we like in a small group used to do things together. And uh So again, so I'm in hey, it was my year that I was in have a terror and uh learning learning a little bit learning learning the things but must might must have my co-already became but in the in the in whatever says. Then you have to understand another point we'll talk about it later that there's a major there's a major difference between Shabbos Shabbos and the other for bringings and and and and and and you may have because you may have because we knew there is a tape somehow at least me and my you didn't pay you didn't matter when you listen to I have to remember it. There's a tape. So so you listen to what is in you don't apply so as much you're not working. You're not not work you don't apply in forget maybe it's a mile you listen to instead of time to memorize it you listen to the more So there's a there's a difference. I'll tell you later why why it's relevant. Call it different then top of above came those years those years uh there's a special incentive for Bachum to go be on Shlichus on Ocean Parkway. Rabbi Yisrael used to give Shuir in the summer of '72. And only Bachum got to Ocean Parkway because why do you want because they wanted the elder Bachums in '72 got sent to to Ocean Parkway to to inspire the younger generation. So so I also apply applied for that so to speak. My and my brother Tzvi Greenblatt the Shliach in Russia in Argentina he he convinced Rabbi Mentlik that that I'm I'm loyal to the kids so we he was in the city so we we went together. A bunch of there was a group of guy there was Felman was there. You know else was there? I don't know. There was I don't remember any any other names now. And there So, we got That's how we got to know the younger generation. Like Who was there? The young class then was There were two classes in in Mesivta Ocean Parkway. The old What do I remember from the older class? It's a boost. Mhm. Shimon Aron Rosenfeld. Altibook became later my mentor. He was from the younger generation. He was And then we had the Rabbi Dotan. Rabbi Slabkovsky was Slabkovsky and Rabbi Booker and Rabbi Ushpal. And the guy is that Rabbi Yisrael gave a share of Chassidus. Some of 12. And the mashpia there was Berl Lipsker, actually. Official mashpia of the younger generation was Berl Lipsker. So, Berl used to give us share in the something in the Chassidus some of 12. That's That's when we really got At least me. That's when got really a chunk of Berl's learning. And um And this also 12 is also year that the Rabbi starts started spoke There was a a lot of farbrengens, especially relative to to 12. Hey, at least in my memory. A lot A lot of farbrengens some of 12. It was a shalom zachar of Berl's also. But, there was a lot of farbrengens. I still remember like uh I think Zion order There was There was a farbrengen also. They told us a farbrengen we were in Ocean Parkway. We ran on the train to come back. So, uh we got trip we got What do you say it? Uh hitchhike. We kids used to hitchhike. And uh A lot of times we used to run back and forth because we wanted to not to miss the Rabbi farbrengen. Shabbos we were here, for sure, but even weekdays. And at that point we got involved more. They were already in the other interview that somebody spoke about more what happened that uh Mishpatim 12 there was uh A new order. A new order. Now, Nachas. So, I got involved much more. So, you So, when the new order of Nachas started, right, you became officially involved. So, the officially truth is started earlier also a little bit because I I started really helping to write the all the Nachas. The sichos of the memory >> Sichos sichos. They found it lately, actually. I'm sure it only it showed me found something. I wrote Islam and hey Xavier the English for being. I didn't remember it. Looks like I I was sporadically asked to write something. So, at that point I got involved much more and uh Mishpatim 12 it was parshas Mishpatim. Uh No, no. Mishpatim was the first sicha. Then the Uh Vayakhel Pekudei also we said that we want to ask the Rebbe questions. We didn't it was no for us what he say what he is how do you sign you get So, you have the Rebbe question and the Rebbe answered a look at the sicha and look at the sichos. Now, it's a liquid already printed in the sign, but about about machshava about machshava versus dibur nisan tishrei So, the Rebbe wrote in the answer a look at the it's a sicha and look at the dalet. The Rebbe said it's written in the only in 25 years. So, number I don't remember the number. Actually, say all of that. So, it inspired us. I understand. You asked the shaila on the >> the shaila on the farbrengen, but it was in Likkutei Sichos talked about it on >> spoke about it in Likkutei Sichos. No, no. Likkutei Sichos the question is in Likkutei Sichos also. Okay. So, when the Rebbe said why it took us took us so long to remind us to ask a question something was printed 20 24 years ago. >> Yeah, yeah. So, it was of course. The Rebbe was very it was very it gave us a huge boost. Answered like Ganz and Koch. Then also Then it's the way we organized again I don't want to get into too many details but we remember he started my morning something similar to my morning I don't know what the over. And uh And David Feldman is tired of the series until the morning. Nice try to see after the morning. The the Russians Russian with the pizza pie. Whatever the car was everything. And so then after that I answered that we got a little more breaks to start asking questions and in the morning you can see it's all printed these days. Sign is but Kadish Shabbos Tzv which is which is Tzv lighting. Shabbos Tzv the Rebbe said in the morning Rebbe said something that didn't fit that big the corner something. So And when I was sitting in the before the Rebbe again person was sitting next to me because he showed me that says something similar which also doesn't fit the the Homish. So can we ask the Rebbe and I tell you something? >> [laughter] >> He could ask her on the situation. No but it's also on the and the morning and the morning also somehow connected. So the Rebbe answered answered can you show me in the series of the Tzedek? We never found it but later printed looks like the Rebbe translated what what the Rebbe said. The Rebbe said that this kind of it's it's all in the morning and the series of the Rebbe said the Rebbe said this that there's probably a this type of comment by the Tzedek somewhere. But but later we found when he was printed that someone asked the Rebbe that question in the youth in the letter to the Rebbe the same question that the Rebbe the Rebbe said There's no clear answer. I don't remember the answer. That was the beginning of of a situation that we started sort of writing at asking questions of the Rebbe. Would you look for what to ask or no? No. If they had the there's always you know that I spoke so much and so many topics. There was always things that you can ask. Didn't look to ask but we had a great got the great to ask. So you would once you got an answer from the Rebbe you would write down a based with that understanding. >> Sure. No, but usually it was a usually it wasn't on the on the general and the general my concept of the mind but on the detail. Again, don't forget come was always always involved still always involved him in the same as came but he it's not like he was always like overseeing it not in the not in the direct way but if there was something serious we asked the And so the if you if you find today in the it's all scattered but you'll find the the time above the Zion you'll see there's a lot of answers from the Rebbe and a lot of it because it was all based on that thing. So it's all above the Zion so then okay so it's all about the writing my morning but whatever was he in the summers used to go to Argentina. So somehow I took over I I took over for him. I don't remember exactly how it was decided I could took over that I it's not like I was specially knowledgeable or anything. He had sorry. That I that I took over for him in the summers. So I started writing my morning in a more organized way. So actually that I the I don't remember above the Zion. Okay so so the mail so then the all above the Zion we say my mom. I mean Again again like I told before the all the six after the my mom but I don't remember if every bringing the important thing is that I don't know how important but it's interesting thing is that the comes it came to the tape of wingers we were not stomach and them down because Because it's still the tape. Anybody was talking listen to the tape. Those days it wasn't as easy as today but it was still >> When they when they printed sichos kodesh >> Yeah. Kham shaal talked about it. Part of that video was to write the hanokhas of the weekdays which you guys didn't do it. So if they're making a book they have to write from the tape. They did it from tape. >> it from tape and the and the Rebbe was very adamant against against miluli. So you can't just take the the the direct transcript from the tape. Right. That's what it has to be something you can read. It has to be readable. They have to check the mikorios to fix the whole thing. Amongst the dim is brought to you by a sichos der herr. We live in a chaotic world. A world where for us sichos dim as a saynu leda inu we do not have the ability to hear and see the Rebbe on a daily basis. Yet we know that the Rebbe is very much with us. And the sichos Chabad is alive and thriving more than ever before. One needs to only tap into it. Sichos der herr provides you and your family with the tools necessary to tap into all of this. Whether it's the monthly magazine, the way it all began. Whether it's der herr books, der herr online content and so much more. 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You can be part of the here through your financial support as well through visiting our website the here.org or through contacting us through setting up a meeting. Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of the podcast. I mean the time was a was a was a very interesting intense year. A lot of interesting things happened. We asked a lot of questions. Something interesting happened with I hope this is close enough to me that it was a guy named Shalom Mordechai like I said the guy was right on the moment then. And the guy named the Rebbe said the Rebbe said the Mimer twice Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos. And the Rebbe gave a rule after Shabbos they should turn it into one Mimer. The main Mimer should be the one from Motzei Shabbos because that was named of Rabbanim and then the bottom should add the addition from Shabbos. So we wrote it and the Rebbe was Maggid. Then after Shabbos the next Shabbos Beshalach the Rebbe wanted to say the Mimer in any moment to him. And again I don't know what to say with this. I have I wrote it and we printed it about Maimonides that was on the of the the new so to speak was everything came out right away. We we So the Rebbe said the Mimer in any moment to And actually it was it's a tape. Maybe it was a tape. So we right away made it and and printed it. All of a sudden the Rebbe taped sends it takes the printed the printed Mimer the way we did it the way I did it, was it was from a tape. Yeah, it was from a tape. So So when I wrote the my tape, I was I was I was 19 years old, okay. So So the So I wrote my letter to the Rebbe said I wrote the Rebbe said I fixed the language a little bit. Like it was my solution is from from from more or less. It's stable out. It's not It's not written about the style, but it was still my gear and he wrote in it. And then then we In those days we used to give it a second time after it was typeset. We used to give it the the long used to be called gallies, but but there was my gear a second time and came out. That was like my first experience that was my gear my letter I wrote. And not that I If I In other words, if I would have known that it was my gear, I wouldn't even do it. >> You didn't do it. Yeah, you didn't do it. Yeah, this actually that's the guy that did. It somehow I did it just to help to help out. >> Right. And then it ended up being my gear. Then it ended up being my gear. Okay. So that's what happened. But in the meantime this one is also something interesting. The Rebbe said that that this the memory that I have that the Rebbe said That that was the nice sale. The Rebbe said in the mind of this in this people should take this. It's I dig in the showing this is state in Jacob. Jacob the here is named the famous Jacob wrote Jacob is a couple with also more than him. Say for me with the big person that's what I was looking for. So we look So like those days there there was limited ways how to get sources. We look we can't find the Jacob. Can't find Later by the way it was found not in this world it's in a different But in this way we couldn't find it. We ran around and found a safer that still showing me in a safer from here. Keep a lot in here other place. So we had to way rent to my grown up the be fun and so he told that the other day the other said he does everything nice and basic. Yeah, yeah. She was interested. I'm just a memory that I have from those days. So, all I'm in Zion we were very involved in and you can see you can see in the sky dish especially in the summer always almost every always yes, there's questions and there were answered and there were also gave him this it was a very very Going back I'm going back to I'm going to very interesting thing. I have a spoke about scaling. But we are scaling that the becomes it's like like girls because the was in the of a guy. So, it has more it has more food and then you take it away from the shoes of a guy to eat. It now you can only have kosher foods kosher the other going to the other day the question why we don't sell why we don't tell the guy after Pesach. I have about the shark and said I started going to say that I don't disagree with the shark talking my but it's a good. There was then there was a dying fish from England came to the England was all interesting things happen in the world. I remember because I was in Zion but later other interesting things happen in Zion my mom my mom said my mom said my mom said my mom Why are you in the bathroom in the shower on Shabbat? And spoke about whether we All these things are printed. I'm just expressing things that the way I experienced them then to give it a little more background. So, um So, we have the some happen to be strict. The Rebbe said that every that that that on Shabbos they're going to come to every Shabbos they're going to go back and forth. It was a Yesh to me my own soul. So, yes, the Rebbe said it was a mind. I asked the Rebbe the question. And you come >> You you you you wrote >> I wrote in my mind. So, I asked the Rebbe the question. Rebbe had a long answer. The Rebbe client said the Rebbe asked him to go to the library to find it. safe very answer. It's printed now in in my mind and you look at the Rebbe's. It's it just was an interesting experience. Another another interesting experience that happened on the design Shabbos Aikev. Shabbos Aikev, so the Rebbe said the Rebbe said at least that's what they told us. The Rebbe said there's going to be a farbrengen. So, we all went to to Camp Gan Israel for Shabbos. The Rebbe wasn't here. So, it was a very small farbrengen. And so, the only people who were left were us, the few boys. So, the mind of the mind of the Rebbe and the Rebbe's everything we wrote basically basically got to learn. But, no, it was it's a memory of a time that the Rebbe wasn't there. It was time in my experience the Rebbe wasn't there. We had to basically got to by ourselves what had to write in this What I wanted what I'm curious about >> Yeah. is the process of writing So, how does it get from the Rebbe to the Rebbe? To to What's What's the process to to writing the Rebbe's, but also specifically I'm also interested in the Rebbe's mind. And my question is do you have to be able to do both? You have to be able to remember and or or How How does this work? There's no claw limit. I mean, I have to tell you how it happened in real life. So, in real life we lost we lost I can tell you from my own personal experience what I remember. Let's say I listened to the Rebbe's ma'amar, so more or less I remember more or less said, I understand a little bit what he said. Then, when the Rebbe said the sicha zora motzei Shabbos, you write down you write down details, you write down kitzurim what the Rebbe said. The mail of here the kitzurim the kitzur to mem- and then you sit down to write it down. You use both, you use what you remember and you use the the foot the notes, which are short notes, and together I still have the same as she used to have those days. So basically So so you you have if you're writing a hanacha you have to make sure that you know the whole sicha from the Rebbe. And then, when the Rebbe is doing the hazara, it's like a refresher and you could write down so you write down >> Write down the kitzurim, write down the kitzurim of the sicha. You write the kitzurim and from yourself and what you wrote from the Rebbe, you're able to to start writing a hanacha. Not only that, when it comes to ma'amorim, you have to also open the books. It's sicha as well, it's sicha as well, but ma'amorim even more, cuz the Rebbe said well, Rebbe said ma'amar Rebbe said in sicha, you know, say it from now, what does it say? And sometimes it says a little differently, so you have to know how to write it and then you make the decision do you sometimes yes the Rebbe talked and Rebbe said it says this, it says a little different. Depends, sometimes you have to ask such things. Yeah, that that's an important component of what you're saying. But the truth is that even the write ma'amar from the tape, it's also a process because there's words that the Rebbe says, but then you have to to understand what he means and how how it fits with with the sources. The after like I said after sholom zocher, we we started writing sichas. So like Be'er Mayim Chaim the Rebbe said I think this is the first time or this first time the first of this of the Beis Hamikdash. The Beis Hamikdash was the first or the second? I don't remember. So so after that uh I would go on to call us and they said me and David Feldman they said we have to write up this the sicha in a way I guess it was for the Pardes probably or the more For the publication. >> For the publication. So we sat down and wrote it and this to us was the first experience to write something not an office, something to write it up properly. And the Rebbe was very unhappy with it. So he wrote this this thing that that you have to make sure not to write me lolly. I think after I got that very sharp answer in in a lot that's that lolly after rewrite it in a normal way. It shouldn't also be said should shouldn't be in a signal of newspapers in the signal of if you do code. And and and this kind of applies to everything especially this is like when we speak about the children to write that in a way that it's uh it's it's that's a major challenge. Basically that that went off but it was a major teaching experience for us. The way the Rebbe wants the signal should be written. Right. Tash Mem Vov uh if I remember correctly it was Mem Vov. So you have to be able to kind of mean not a meaning. Every every after every farbrengen Shabbos one bochur is to come with him home to to sit in the basuda Shabbos to to repeat the sichos between themselves before before the has a Friday night. So when I came Yossi was the guy who was Before Friday night? Motzei Shabbos I mean. Before Motzei Shabbos. Uh so when I came Yossi was the bochur who used to come to him. Then Yossi got married but then he he got married and then he moved to shlichus to Israel. So at that point Y- Y- asked me to stop. So from Mem Vov until I got married Mem Aleph So every Shabbos I after farbrengen I used to go I have to go come to him after farbrengen. By the basuda Shabbos. We used to repeat the sichos. He used He used to repeat the sichos and I was like his sort of What is the What is the word? Uh kick kick uh >> Sidekick. Sidekick. Not sidekick in the way that like uh asking him if maybe that Pushback. Pushback. Discussing it. Shouldn't shouldn't talk to the Rabbi Weinberg used to come sometimes Shabbos and also because he used to say the sicha Motzei Shabbos and then the radio. So, he used to want to hear what the Rebbe said. So, so that's some things. Lamed Vov Lamed Zayin was a very high end uh situation. Also, by the way, Yechidus I went to Yechidus also Lamed Vov L Alef Lamed Vov I went into Yechidus. At that point, we came Lamed Daled was an announcement, no more Yechidus in the letters. No more No more such There's no more such thing as Yechidus in the letters. But, when I my Lamed Vov was my 19th year in letters, I came to L Alef Lamed Gimmel Alef. First of all, from my 18th year in letters, those days, you had to I had to write a letter and then settle to the Rebbe that you want to start learning I mean no time. That was the minag then. The age 18, you had to have But, when I 19 years to L Alef Lamed Alef, it's true the year in letters, but I I was not in Yechidus. I want to go in Yechidus once. So, Chodesh Av was probably it was Parshas Re'eh because they were mentioning the possuk Parshas Re'eh, probably the end of Of the beginning of Alef Yeah, the end of Of, I think. I went Tafshin Lamed Vov I went into Yechidus. The Rebbe told me a few interesting things. What? Mhm, what? The Rebbe spoke about about three things, the importance of shmiras hazman. Because obviously I wasn't shmiras hazman. But, the Rebbe had a report about it. Yeah. No, I wrote myself to the Rebbe that I'm having a hard time. It's a big challenge for me. The Rebbe spoke very strongly it's important. Shmiras hazman, mivtzoim, that I wrote to the Rebbe that I have a hard time doing mivtzoim. He told me get also get encouraged and said oh, it's important. What did the Rebbe say? That I think the Rebbe said that you have to feel that you go up the koach of the Rebbeim. Something like that. And the third thing I asked the Rebbe was about about um memory that that I felt that I don't remember when I learn. I learn Gemara and I said I don't remember everything. Mhm. So Rebbe said Rebbe said something interesting that you should every time you finish learning something you should write down for yourself in short the take in. He said something like cook up and say it like every 10 minutes or something. Write down to yourself the kids of what you wrote and and and cancel out what you the kids of what you wrote. That will help you memorize things. That's interesting. Interesting. Then the the Rebbe in Yechidus used to go with a pen with a pencil go to you'd say first you had to settle once then he went back the pencil and everything he wrote and so then he came to my name when he put it in my name he said said since you came from a Moshav of Basel and there you had a hard time there was it was it was hard to to be to shachman shachman it is and here you came out of this you have to utilize the fact that you that you are now in a in a state that you can do it. You have to you you have to take advantage >> have to take advantage and also like appreciate it. Not just appreciate it, use it. Use it. That's what generally I remember from that Yechidus. Okay. Going back. We're going to have to go over this. >> That's that's a little bit more than a typical Bible time I think. >> but yeah but somebody told me somebody told me what the Rebbe used to say that to to people who came from Russia. Somebody told me that once. Okay. Holly Nazel in your nano. So I want to tell you that I want to tell you that office limit chess after this after What happened limit was there limit chess? After the Rebbe's heart attack. >> Yeah. So the the whole thing changed cuz there was no more Shabbos for beings. Do you remember what I told you earlier? The big koch wasn't Shabbos for beings because you have to memorize it. So the whole idea of memorizing Cuz the Rebbe said learning matters Shabbos that time. >> Everything with matters Shabbos there was not everything there was a tape. So that part it was a little bit of in a way a let down. There was a mile of the tape that he said. We didn't have that experience of sitting with a hazara and try to understand what they were said. The truth in the beginning when when the Rebbe was the few the few Shabbos and the Rebbe was Magia, I was sitting with the Rebbe typing his what he wrote, helping with Mama Kimes. Because the first few weeks that the Rebbe wanted to the Rebbe wanted to be Magia. Yeah, everything but there was Yeah, there was Magia that Simchas Torah and Reishis Lech Lecha and Chayei Sarah. Then it stopped after a while. So So in a way that was a little bit of a a downer because the koach You know, like I said like I explained before, when when something you have to memorize, so that there's a koach. People say, "Hey, do you remember the Rebbe said this?" When he said But now that everything's on tape, so So if you want to listen, go listen to the tape. The The There was a little less People are We all listen to the tapes, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the same koach. There was not sitting with a hazara and saying the Rebbe said this the Rebbe said the main dos was the pshat and There was a little bit of a You understand? So that So So from basically from Tammuz till Tash'emem till the Rebbe started farbrenging Shabbos'em again, this the whole maiseh changed changed the form. It was more taking tapes and rewriting them. So there was no there was no push like we said earlier that everything was on tape. Okay, people can listen tapes. You don't feel you must come out today. >> Did you have to do hazara then? No, there was no hazara. No hazara. Exactly. Then Pesach Lamed Ches Dovid Feldman went to Eretz Yisrael. And Sacha Shabbos Lamed Ches in a way I felt I was left alone. I was the only I mean, I was sitting with the bunch of guys around, but I I I wrote the sicha I wrote the ma'amar. And after I did the seder Lamed Ches The seder was a seder in Farband. The Rebbe came, so I think it was Farband already. So, I I I wrote down what the Rebbe said then also. Did you mean the Rebbe came to visit the Bochur? >> came to visit the Bochur. That that's that's a memory I have from Torah, yes. Then but my mom was still at my mom at that point. I think it was that point I was I don't know what happened but there was a fight, you know, fight living in Australia. So, I was living at that point got involved also in in writing the memoir a little bit for a little while. And the Torah, yes, the end of the Torah, yes, my my sister got married in Israel, so I went for a few for a few months to Israel and because there was tapes, so so I didn't feel that much that I'm missing that much because I can listen but I should do it. You got to do it here. I mean you miss the Rebbe Rebbe 770 but but the like the actual Torah, yes. So, you're saying if if you were if it wasn't if the Rebbe was having a Shabbos, you wouldn't leave for so I wouldn't leave for such a long time. You feel like you can hear everything anyways. It's a funny it's like looking back it's a it's a funny type of thing but that's that's how it felt then. >> Everything is a fear of life. >> Yeah, yeah, it's a also a fear of life. Yeah. And then then there was I think the first Shabbos if I remember correctly the first Shabbos for Rebbe was the Rebbe the ball and if you wish the Rebbe the Rebbe yes if I remember correctly. It was the Rebbe yes the Rebbe the Rebbe I think I remember it was the Rebbe. Those other things I did was I at one point in those in those days you know Rebbe the the long Yom Kippur Rebbe after after the Rebbe came somebody used to write it down. The Rebbe Rebbe used to write it down used to write it down and the Rebbe used to write it down. The two of them used to write down. This is this is before your times. No, no, during my times. During Rebbe during Rebbe they used to prepare from before Shabbos under the table a pen and a paper and the minute physical came they started writing down the kids for themselves. And then then by azar I think by azar we used to look it helps to remember. Cuz there was no tape but but there was stuff was written down. But later on that that there was a big shinny celebration after after the interesting. For example I used to sit I used to sit on the side near I used to sit on the side near a few rows below the the center. More closer to the middle. But then after the whole shinny celebration was normal for bringing that you But first of all tape for bringing it doesn't matter even though there was a mic doesn't matter where you sit you can hear anywhere. All these things affected that's it I think that was What what did I start saying that so then at that point I I got myself a place my mission end of the shvil in a way that I was bending I couldn't See the Rebbe in the shas. >> The Rebbe started for bringing again. Again yeah yeah yeah the Rebbe started bringing again. So I was bending I couldn't see the Rebbe when the Rebbe spoke. Only between the seats I used to pick up my head. But I remember that when the Rebbe said a mymer everybody stood up I also stopped so the Rebbe was face to face with me it was very almost scary. And like I said later I started writing also in the Yom Tov for bringing. So I remember one Yom Tov for bringing the Rebbe says a mymer the mymer is face to face closer than I am with you now even I think. And I sit and I stand the Rebbe's eyes are closed and I stand and I write. You can imagine [laughter] that it's looking back it's quite uh interesting. That was one part part. So later on um when did you get married? My mouth my mouth my mouth my mouth my mouth. So So the hanachas was usually like uh >> No no but but then at that point because of the one of the results of 1940 is that 1940's Tishrei winter, Kislav, Dovid Feldman got married. He became already like he got married. And like I said, there was no there was no rush to they still gave out the there was no pressure. Present tape. Present tape. So, Dovid Feldman got married and then he decided to go on shlichus. Yeah, he goes on shlichus. He went on shlichus and then that's when Simmon took over on shlichus. Simmon started writing on shlichus in Loshon Kodesh. In Yiddish. Lamed Shimon beginning of Lamed Shimon I think it was first was It's a Cheshvan I think Cheshvan Lamed Shimon. So, Simmon at that point on shlichus became Simmon. But but I continued writing the ma'amorim always. Yeah. I mean me and Sholom it's really I and say I. I wrote the way it worked was Motzei Shabbos he started on shlichus right away right away and it was printed in Shabbos morning Sunday morning everybody had the shlichus printed in Shabbos. And then Sholom looked it over and he added he added from memory stuff that he remembered. I mean I wrote also but he also added more make it like should make more sense, it should be more organized. He also edited so to speak. Right. And then the shlichus came out with Ma'amar Kayam step two. So, the ma'amarim Yeah. >> V'ada'as Atzmiim didn't do ma'amarim. That's V'ada'as Atzmiim. That's what I'm saying. Simmon took it over and together He never did the ma'amarim. What? He never did the ma'amarim. >> never even said it I wrote the ma'amarim for V'ada'as Atzmiim. And then later when there was when it became Lehak and then >> So, so basically you have to give it to Lehak the same thing. So, there's only one two shlichus in the shlichus but there's only one shlichus in the >> shlichus in the ma'amarim. Right, yeah. Mhm. And then you also got involved in in in the shlichus now in Ma'amar of the shlichus. >> later. Around Pesach time and Nissan time or other time 1941 I was a bochur in the '70s. Label and then comes over to me and he says that a lot of sikhus feel that they don't have enough They don't have enough people working in the It's a lot of pressure. So, they need another hand. So, we need So, we need to give a little bit of a hack down here that What? There's another department of sikhus that's happening all the time. The good sikhus has nothing to do It's not going to happen. It's nothing to do with the It's nothing to do with the farbrengens that that are happening now. >> farbrengens, yeah. So, it means the good They take sikhus from previous years and rework them in a way that is a topic, not as a not as a transcript of what the Rebbe said. They take a topic that the Rebbe discusses sometimes in more than one farbrengen. And they turn it into a like an In modern terms, it's called an essay. Then it was in English those days. So, so that's what the good sikhus is. It's a separate being. It's a separate version. It's It involves more research. Because you have to go up to all the sources. It's not that you just say exactly what the Rebbe said. You You You compare what the Rebbe said to what he said in other places and you It's It's It's a much more complicated process. So, at that point, the Rebbe sikhus asked me to get involved to help them also in the good sikhus. The first thing I helped was with the minhagei birkas hachamah. Tavshin mem alef, it was birkas hachamah. It's a big came out in likut min min Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe Rebbe based on what the Rebbe spoke Yud Gimel tavshin mem Gimel Rebbe spoke about. So, that was the first project I was involved in. Then later, I started helping with the likut sikhus itself. Take a likut Take a sikhus from the old years. And I did it So, what was your job? Same job as everybody else. Take a sikhus. Prepare a sikhus for shabbos. But the way it works is not The way it worked was not not you sikhus and that's it. One person writes and the others look over over edited. >> So, what did >> you do? You wrote or you edited? >> Yeah, I wrote. I wrote. Which chalakim is that? From chof to chof dalid. From mem alef to mem mem gimmel. Then after mem gimmel, I was let go. So in other words, it the the work was too intense for me. At that point I got some and I was continuing working on writing my ma'amorim. It it parallel. Can you tell me the same thing? So then the answers from the Rebbe Yeah. >> So that's a whole 'nother involvement. You must have involved with the Rebbe with the with the sichos cuz that was In a way, yeah. >> everything. >> But a lot of hagasha, but there was no conversation going on. >> They didn't ask questions? >> Of course of course they asked questions. You know in other words, we wrote the sichos. >> was similar to the nachos. It's not it's similar in a way that the avodah itself is similar and the Rebbe's involvement is much more. There was magiah and sichos. >> At the same time, by the way, the same time when I came in there was also the Rebbe wanted Tanya to come. So the brother of the Rebbe also was involved in doing Tanya to come and people push like the Rebbe said himself in the farbrengen and va'yishlach mem bais that the the families, everybody they didn't sleep because everyone wanted it out very fast. So we were writing Tanya to come also. It was a lot of hard work, interesting work, a different type of work. But again, okay. Let me ask you Uh-huh. I'm interested in the relationship with the Rebbe Yoel. Um I understand that the Rebbe Yoel had a whole 'nother project that the Rebbe gave him to do sefer ha'erachim Right. >> on chassidus. Right. And I don't know if you were officially involved or he would talk to you about it. Maybe you can tell me >> is the truth is I wasn't that involved in sefer ha'erachim, but the Rebbe Yoel was such a perfectionist. And we're talking back to my mom and Rebbe Yoel a lot of times I've been stuck all right my mom for a girl. So he used to just tell me all right, please write this this paragraph. So I write it. He takes it, erases the whole thing, writes his own. But he needed he needed something he needed something to to It's easier to schlep up to It's easier to schlep easier but he's he was a unique mind so he's also a perfectionist. So the same to the say for him maybe if I wasn't that really involved in writing few few individual times he called me up he says there's one paragraph I must maybe can help me write it. So I write it for him. Obviously he writes something he erases it and writes something else. But he needed me to write it in order for him to be able to write his fine. There's other things I was involved with the bill later on right after Gimel Tammuz Gimel Tammuz the Rebbe calls me says I want to start giving God to have a to learn in a different format and I wanted to help me. And those that's I think computers were not there was computers already but so he came used to come to my house and and every word I used to type he used to say let's change it What are you talking about? What is it? So we're talking about two crazy Gamorah. One is Aidas Hakom Mishpatim B'Mishnaso Rebbe and one is Ma'aneh Lashon B'Mishnaso Rebbe. So a lot of a lot of work went into every word but like here's a you can see from say for example took him such a long time to because he was a he's a perfectionist and besides being a perfectionist he also he assumed that people read his text the way he reads other texts. That every word every places with mamish. So he cuz he sees depth and every he thinks people read him in the same way. So maybe he writes about no no if you write it that way people may make the mistake that it means not exactly that so you have to write it differently like the deal is outside of Florida Bush. Mhm. And the [clears throat] So so the same thing what was was with this contest team to be such a good guy. So the first one was because it was because the other hook was hook us mission hook. That's what he got in the academy. Anyway, but but it petered out somehow later. And that that was this two and then then there was a success of this which he calls me and so So he spoke about it by phone and people published books from it, but he decided once I had his own version of it also. Hours and hours we sat every word. There was a lot of It was an interesting experience the way he paid attention to every detail and every he was wanted to make sure that there's a source for everything to remember and I think it was I think in my Hanukkah the two things else and bought it. He said something I remember that I was saying that I can't find a source for it. I remember 100% that I was saying bothered him that he didn't remember where. But so he wrote I don't remember remember what the I don't remember other him what was exactly the question that that he couldn't find a source. But but I think the one thing I told him hey what about this this he said it's obvious but the other didn't say it. So I'm not writing it. I'm writing what only what the other said. So I like it in this way. Um is there any um Is there anything that that in the way you did the others mhm like in hindsight something that you would do differently if you would have if you be doing it now? Mhm. It what you're saying is the all the the understatement of of the millennium. In other words, I can't see myself writing this anymore now because now when I when I see when I read and listen I I see so much more that I missed. That I I I can't even relate to to the way I wrote it then. To the way I It's a different world. You're saying because you're older and you know more? Probably maybe that also because the because I know more and also because I'm a different person. It's not the same. Even you're young and you very focused and and just try to understand again and again and write them. Today you look more for nuance and depth. What what You're saying it it needed a certain like this. Yeah. In order to In order to do To be able to just to write whatever saying and gave right. But later you said to his own because I'm sure I missed a lot of nuances because I didn't have the didn't have the for sure I didn't have the knowledge and and the capacity to to to exact to write. I mean anyone will tell you if you learn something Right. Every decade if you learn it again it's a whole new Discover new Discover new things. Yeah. Um So I got Maybe that's what was needed. And it's interesting that was like But the truth is it's I wasn't I wasn't the different The only difference what that happened when since we started was until then every year or two the people who did it went on to their own lives. Everybody did their own lives. You know they discover they they did it as a as a constant sickness in my mind and do it and gave right. But the the started a situation that a person does it it's almost like for life. This is who you are and you stay like that. So like David did it and Simon did it. In a way I did it just to get to my mind. So you did it all the way till the till Yeah till the end. But again anytime that he would be able always had president. If he wants to write them I mean for sure he should he would he would write it. Whenever he wanted to write them once in a while he would want to sign it. Yeah once in a while either because they like the mind or whatever. And sometimes there was there was once or twice I wasn't there so I shall not talk about it. It was all about like I said. But it was it was like you devote yourself this is this is your calling in a way what we start to like see the I'm a still right. But in the in the early in the half all the people who wrote like Label Shapiro or all these he wrote his my sick and everything beautiful but then then he went he moved on in life as they say, you know. So What would you say is the you know, if you look at all the my modern But how it's interesting >> that my modern by the Rebbe Mhm. is like a detail. But by by the previous Rebbe, my my modern is the whole thing. Yeah. By the Rebbe it's it's like a detail, you know, it's a 4-hour fabric and it's it's probably sometimes the shortest part of it. >> Right. Right. So I'm curious doesn't have to do with my modern only but I'm curious what is like how would you describe the Rebbe's when when you look at all the my modern all the Rebbe, what is the Rebbe's like what is the contribution of of the Rebbe is is like to like I mean the the so this existed before that. It's it's it's too it's too the question is too what do you what's the word? Too ambitious a question to answer like as if I I I figured it all out. The you know, there's a sick of the video camera this says that that that in the order to go into the the altar Rebbe's had dying you have to be bucking all these things. You know what not to understand these things really. So the Rebbe spoke in such a way that to really understand the depth of what he is saying you you needed a lot of background. But you you see we don't have that much when you look at our knowledge let's say of the of the of the other Rebbe of the previous It's it's it's a contained thing. You know, the Rebbe spoke very sometimes my modern he said he said of all the other doctrines and and you have to really understand the depth. That's it's it's another way of saying it but like it's like it's too It's a question that can be answered like in in in a in a satisfactory way. At least I can't answer it a way that I can define exactly what the latest But they have expected I think they have expected He said people should know the latest when he spoke he expected that people know all the background. There's a certain expectation. I think so. >> when you compare the latest and the memory Yeah. Some of them are built in memory. Yeah, you will. Yeah. Um The latest the latest laying everything out for you. Right. In the the latest latest less maybe but definitely in the first part of everything. But then my memory it's like almost you can feel that the latest lying Like this is for a seasoned person that that that that has a background of latest and like and the latest coming to say like the the what the what. No, is that that makes sense? Yes, yes. And sometimes it's it's you have to work out to figure out what the what is even. So And and then in the later in the memory that became more harder. Yeah, in the memory it was kids and memory memory The memory short and very short. It's the whole the history of the way latest if you look latest in general with developing you can look sometimes they did it sometimes some of them look at my memory the way all the way the same memory said the same memory everybody added. So the way let's say the free to get over he repeats everything that one before him said and then he adds a few questions, right? The latest didn't The later years especially didn't repeat everything that said. He just he just repeated a few latest and then he added whatever he added and that's it. There was no So the structure is not so clear, you're saying. That the But But I don't I It's It's one of these areas that I'm still in the middle of figuring out. That's the truth. >> [laughter] >> It's not like I have it figured out. >> Now maybe you could say that the Rebbe also was saying in Yiddish in the sichos That maybe That maybe a Sure. To me, I don't know if it makes any sense. I'm asking you, but to me it seems like my I'm all Everything was about a about a maamar. And it seems by the Rebbe it's a fabrengen. So, the Rebbe could First of all, every time the Rebbe says maamar, very often the Rebbe will start explaining things in the sicha afterwards about the maamar. It's one It's one Yeah, unit. That is a fabrengen. In the fabrengen, there's a maamar. The sicha could have more sichos than a maamar, you know, whatever. Does that make sense? Yeah, yeah, true. No. What's unique about the maamar? The maamar maamar is limited to the structure the way it was established by the by the previous Rebbeim. So, the the questions are always maamar always the same. Even the answers are always the same. The maamar chazal that the quotes are the same. And like all It's all within a certain structure. In the sichos more free. He just discusses the concept without being limited by the by the structure of the previous Rebbeim. So, it's a different way of think thinking. But in the sichos the sicha is more about certain sugias. A maamar is usually connected to a to specific the baal maaseh or concept. So, it's different. And then when he got to the sichos as later, that was the shnas mem dal, but then shnas mem zayin, I got involved because then Likutei Sichos started coming out in Hebrew. So, then I worked That's a different type of fights. I didn't write sichos. I just I was one of the editors to edit the the the loshon kodesh. >> the loshon. The loshon. But obviously when I did the loshon, I also gave I had a whole content. I also gave one of the I have a question for you. The the Rashi sichos and the others and the other father and the say all that. It seems to me also that the other almost like the main murder with the other said it like it needs to be like this can definitely be elaborated. I'm just telling to Yeah, but I chose it's also it was just like with my mom the first 10 years till the my mom quite elaborate. It's the same thing the same thing can say about the lashes in the first five 10 years of lashes the other was much more You know, you got involved much more remember the story is you have to come the question that was more involved the later slowly the later years of less. It was more more of a kid so the remotes you're right. Look at the reason I'm not sure because this is its own way and then there was a random you know, but in other words some of them you looked almost like he says it because part of the process you have to talk about the random. And sometimes he spoke but like he a beer on a random he it's like an Indian too my viral random. No, it's like it depends so you're saying with the years that changed. Yeah, I think it changed the the first six What? It looks like to me like in the memes like the main fabric is it's still it's still the main one. They said when I came and I came here as about they always told me the main fabric is really before the main one. That's what people told me even then. Even though most of the is the second part. The fabric that's what they have to talk about the what It's about the fabric and it's to what we call in English inspiring. Not that we say it's more like to to touch you to affect to touch you should be necessary and should be Like it says in in the shower of terror and you got the terror of always love with the sham it was that type of language was more in the series before the main Right. Okay. All right. Thank you very much. Yesh koach. Shkoach.