Stories Archive: #1294 - present (5783)

The books and booklets of the

"Full Moon stories" series) Last week

by Yerachmiel Tilles

are now available for purchase from

our KabbalaOnline-shop site.

1320 (5783-27) 5 Nissaan 5783 (March 27, 2023) Next Week

"The Rock & Roll Promoter who demaned answers from the Rebbe"

In my early twenties, I was invited to travel with the Rolling Stones on a concert tour; I saw more depraved human behavior than most people will ever see in a lifetime.

Connection: This Saturday night-Sunday, the 11th of the Jewish month of Nissan (this year: April 2), is the anniversary of the birth in 1902 of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem-Mendel Schneerson.

Two Chabad chasidim, one Belz and the Klausenburger Rebbe had the bravery and presence of mind to secure wheat and bake matzah amidst the abysmal oppression and suffering.

Connection: PASSOVER

"From Bleached-Blond Princess to Queen Mother"

My name was not only designed to sound non-Jewish, but was carefully calibrated to look symmetrical up on the marquee. By age 3, I was already competing in beauty pageants.

Connection: This week we read the last sections of Shmot (Book of Exodus), which concludes with a reckoning and detailed accounting of all that was invested in fulfilling G-d's commandment to build the Sanctuary, the predecessor to the First Holy Temple in Jerusalem nearly one thousand years later. Similarly G-d expects each of us to do a periodic spiritual account and reckoning, such as described in this story.

"Purim Justice"

The large masqueraded motley crew danced and tottered their way into the household of the tzadik, Rebbe Zvi-Hersh of Zhidachov. Of course, in that whole itinerant band there was not one man sober.

Connection: The Holiday of Purim

"Two Inspired Gifts"

He yelled at the pauper that he should be ashamed of himself for not having any Torah thoughts to share.

Connection--Weekly Reading: The 'uniforms' for the Kohanim-priests.

1315 (5783-22) 29 Shvat 5783 (Feb.20, 2023)

"Carrying a Beard"

The main synagogue of Gur in Jerusalem was packed wall to wall, but they determinedly pushed themselves through the surging crowd, trying to get as close as possible to the Rebbe, the Beis Yisroel.

Connection: The 2nd day of the Jewish month of Adar (2023: Feb. 23) is the yahrzeit of the Beis Yisroel

1314 (5783-21) 22 Shvat 5783 (Feb.13, 2023)

"The Nicest Gift Imaginable"

On Purim, all of Crown Heights, and many, many people from further away, would bring shalach manos to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his Rebbetzin, Chaya-Mushka.

Connection: The 22nd day of the Jewish month of Shvat (this Wednesday) is the yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbetzin.

"From Nechemia to Nechemaih"

Even though Rabbi Nechemiah ultimately accepted the Tzemach Tzedek as his Rebbe, their relationship remained one of sincere and egalitarian friendship.

Connection: R. Nechemiah entered the world on Tu b'Shvat and left the world on Tu b'Shvat.

"A Summons to Spiritual War"

"What we heard and saw during that Purim meal we did not hear or see our entire lives - shocking terrifying things for those who witnessed them. The pain of the Rebbe was overwhelming."

Connections:
1) Wednesday this week is the 10th of the Jewish month of Shevat, the date that the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe passed from this material world to his eternal reward, in the year 5710/1950.
2) Weekly Torah reading of Beshalach: Many parallels are intentionally presented to the Crossing of the Reed ("Red") Sea.

1311 (5783-18) 1 Shvat 5783 (Jan.23, 2023)

"In the Rocking Chair"

Unexpectedly, people began to bring her photographs of Baba Sali, even though they knew nothing about the deepening soul connection with him that she felt. And more photographs kept coming her way from different sources.

Connection: Thursday (Jan. 23), 4 Shvat on the Jewish calendar, is the hilulah-yahrzeit of Baba Sali.

1310 (5783-17) 23 Tevet 5783 (Jan.16, 2023)

"A Rabbi's Chemical Cure for Insanity"

Shortly before his Bar Mitzvah, the boy suddenly stopped eating and drinking, and began wandering aimlessly around the house, mumbling incoherently to himself like a madman.

Connection: Tuesday of this week, Tevet 24, is the yahrzeit of the Alter Rebbe of Chabad.

1309 (5783-16) 16 Tevet 5783 (Jan. 9, 2023)

"The Singing Stutterer"

During the farbrengen, one of the participants cried out very loudly, shocking the young woman so much that it caused the onset of birth pangs.

Connection: This week's Torah Reading of Shmot tells us that Moses had a stuttering problem (Ex. 4:10).

"Tipping the Scales of Justice"

The phone rang in Ben Meed's office. A restrained, sorrowful voice asked to speak to the president of WAGRO (Warsaw Ghetto Resistance Organization). "Speaking," responded Mr. Meed.

Connection: The Fast of the Tenth of Tevet (this year: Jan. 3), in addition to commemorating the start of the siege of Jerusalem which culminated in the destruction of the Temples on Tisha b'Av, has also become the day on which Kaddish is recited for all those whose death day is unknown.

"The Real Thing"

The chasid felt humiliated when the Rebbe Reb Boroch of Mezibuz publicly berated him, but he accepted it, thinking, “most probably the Rebbe did this to atone for my flaws.”

Connection to weekly Torah reading:
The beginning relates the extraordinary mesiras nefesh demonstrated by Yehuda, the 4th of our patriarch Yaakov’s twelve sons, by offering himself to be Pharaoh's viceroy in place of Benyamin, his youngest brother.

"Attic Inspiration"

During their first Chanukah, they marked the eight days by drawing a menorah. Every evening of Chanukah, they would pencil in one more flame. That was the best they could do. But in the 2nd year,...

Connection: The 8-Day Festival of Lights

The thinking behind the selection of Raphael Levin as one of the delegation was that many of the members of Etzel and Lechi [Irgun and 'Stern Gang'] had great respect for his famous father, Rabbi Aryeh Levin, especially those arrested by the British.

Connection: Weekly Reading of Vayeishev:
Like Yosef jailed in Egypt, Rabbi Aryeh Levin was "The Father of Prisoners

1304 (5783-11) 11 Kislev 5783 (Dec. 5, 2022)

"A Timely Crossing of The River"

Connections (5):
1- Next Monday night (Dec. 12), starts Yud-Tes [19th] Kislev, a Chasidic celebration commemorating the yahrzeit of the Maggid of Mezritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov;
… 2 - the miraculous release from Czarist prison of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the first Chabad rebbe,
… 3 - and the publication of his magnum opus, Sefer Shel Beinonim ("Tanya" vol 1).
… 4 - Also, last Sunday was Yud [10th] Kislev, the anniversary of the liberation of his oldest son and successor, Rabbi Dov-Ber [see the last four paragraphs of the story],
… 5 - and the preceding day [last Shabbat] Tes [9th] Kislev, was the date of R. Dov-Ber's birth and of his eventual passing.

"Full and Empty Synagogues"

Of the thirty men gathered in the shul to say the morning prayers, most seemed to be conducting some type of business transaction.

Connection - Weekly Reading: Yaakov's reaction to his dream of the ladder ascending from Earth to Heaven: "Surely G-d is in this place and I did not realize.... This is none other than the House of G-d, and this is the Gate of Heaven." (Gen. 28:16-17)

"Against All Odds"

The explanation we gave the Rebbe about the business is that we were having problems with the Israeli bureaucracy.

Connection (tenuous) -- Weekly reading of Toldot (ch. 26): Starting a business in Israel and succeeding despite government interference.

1301 (5783-08) 20 Cheshvan 5783 (Nov 14, 2022)

" No Payos Allowed"

Miriam simply did not yet agree to meet the young man; she first wanted to make sure that he was "in the ball park." She did not want to experience another evening of disappointment and frustration.

Connection: Weekly Reading of Chaye Sara: Matchmaking!

"Facial Recognition".

It happened that Reb Mottel Chernobler became so critically ill that he fell into a coma; he was hovering between life and death.

Connection: Shabbat, 11th of the Jewsh month of Cheshvan, is the yahrzeit of Rebbe Nachum Chernobler.

"Found in a Chengdu Cosmetic Store"

That afternoon, both couples with all their children went to the famous and gigantic New Century Global Mall in Chendu, China, which has an indoor beach along with a water park, and many other different entertainment facilities for kids.

Connection: Weekly Torah Reading of Noach (the universal Torah commandments for Non-Jews, commonly referred to as "The 7 Laws of Noah" ("Do the Seven, Go to Heaven").

"Two Shockingly Revealed Secrets"

When the Baal Shem Tov was first gaining fame as a healer of souls and a worker of miracles. the well-known Torah scholar, Rabbi Yaakov-Yosef of Polnoye, was suspicious that the charismatic new leader was a charlatan.

Connection: The 24th of Tishrei is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Yaakov-Yosef

"Roof Boards"

If a Jew was on the poor side, finding boards out of which to build the walls of his
sukkah was always a problem.

Connection: SUKKOT

The desert night was silent. In the distance a faint rumbling was heard through the wind that became louder and louder. Suddenly they appeared -- over a hundred tanks!

Connection: YOM KIPPUR

1294 (5783-01) 3 Tishrei 5783 (Sept. 28, 2022)

"Inner Peace"

I lost everything in the Holocaust. An old friend found me a job in the Vaad HaHatzala ('Rescue Council') offices in Paris. The constant workload my position required helped me maintain my sanity.

Connection: This Motzei Shabbat (Sat. nite), the 6th of Tishrei 5783, starts the 60th yahrzeit of the Rebbetzin Chana.