Hundreds Of People Attend Dinner For Eshel- Hachnosas Orchim
By Shneur Zalman Levin
Hundreds of people attended the festive evening held in the
Beis Menachem shul in Kfar Chabad in support of Eshel- Hachnosas Orchim, under
the slogan of "Take a guest to 770"
There were many moving moments at the dinner in support of
Eshel-Hachnosas Orchim, but probably the most touching of all was when they
dimmed the lights and showed the "fruits" of last year’s dinner. On
the screen you saw over a thousand Tmimim from Eretz Yisroel arriving at Kennedy
Airport, boarding buses and receiving a welcome reception in Crown Heights. You
saw a packed 770 like in the good old days; you saw the dancing after the davening
in Beis Chayeinu and you relived Tishrei. At that moment you, the viewer,
asked yourself, "What am I doing here? Why don’t I go to the Rebbe?"
Then you remember what the Rebbe MH"M said, "Now is
the time to mention the nachas ruach caused by Hachnosas Orchim who help
the guests who come here for some or all of Tishrei," and as though to
emphasize its importance, the Rebbe repeats, "So it is proper to mention
the special nachas ruach which is brought about by this..."
This was the reason people came to salute the Hachnosas
Orchim organization – to give the Rebbe nachas, which is the
desire of every Chassid.
This is the second year that a dinner was held for Hachnosas
Orchim on behalf of the thousands of guests who will be coming to Beis
Chayeinu for Yom Tov. The Beis Menachem Shul in Kfar Chabad filled up with Anash
who came to salute the philanthropists supporting the organization, and the chayalei
Beis Dovid who devote themselves to the cause.
The tables were attractively set and the shul was
beautifully decorated. The evening’s program began with a video of the Rebbe
speaking about the importance of Hachnosas Orchim, especially for those who
arrive in Crown Heights this time of year.
Rabbi Yerachmiel Garelik, director of the Chabad House in
Cholon, emceed the program. He spoke about the tremendous importance of
Hachnosas Orchim, which helps Anash and the Tmimim from around the
world spend Tishrei with the Rebbe.
"In the famous sicha of "Beis Rabbeinu
She’b’Bavel," the Rebbe speaks of 770 being a "makom
talpios," a place which all turn to. The Rebbe explains that the fact
that more and more Jews come each year shows that this is Beis Moshiach, the
heart of all Jewry.
"There is no Chassid who doesn’t yearn to be with the
Rebbe for Tishrei," the emcee continued. "It’s what we all want, but
sometimes there are physical constraints making it difficult for people to go.
Eshel - Hachnosas Orchim provides the solution to all who want to visit 770 for
Yom Tov."
"This evening is first and foremost a salute to the chayalei
Beis Dovid, the close to a hundred Tmimim who volunteer for over a
month’s time to help run this organization. This evening is also a salute to
many outstanding individuals who support Eshel-Hachnosas Orchim, as well as a
call to every Chassid to join in this good work."
R’ Mordechai Brodsky played "Ki Anu Banecha v’Ata
Avinu" on the violin, a niggun that expresses the desire
of the sons to be with their father.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gluckowsky, assistant secretary of the beis
din rabbanei Chabad in Eretz Yisroel and rav of the Chabad community
in Rechovot, spoke about the importance of enabling Jews to greet the Shechina
by helping them go to the Rebbe. "When you see the tremendous spiritual
inspiration of the thousands of Tmimim who go to the Rebbe – that is the
clearest answer that the Rebbe is chai v’kayam. We know how much the
Rebbe encouraged traveling to him for Tishrei, and the enormous importance the
Rebbe attributed to a Chassid being with him for Tishrei.
"When Amalek wants to cool down a person, he starts with
the subject of traveling to the Rebbe, offering various reasons why it isn’t
necessary or important and proposing why it would be justifiable to stay home.
But Chassidishe warmth begins with traveling to the Rebbe."
Rabbi Gluckowsky thanked the guests of honor who support the
organization and called upon every Chassid to contribute as well, thereby
further strengthening the hiskashrus of Anash and Tmimim.
Rabbi Assaf Chanoch Frumer spoke briefly and asked everybody
to open their heart and pocket and to contribute to the cause, which exists
entirely on donations.
The mara d’asra Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi
blessed the participants of the evening on behalf of Hachnosas Orchim, who with
their contributions help thousands of Anash and Tmimim in their hiskashrus
to the Rebbe. "These days, when darkness covers the earth, this is the
most important thing – to ensure that as many as Chassidim as possible go to
the Rebbe. The channel for every Chassid for children, life and a livelihood
come from Hashem through 770 and from there to other lands."
Rabbi Ashkenazi spoke about the student of the Baal Shem Tov
who asked for permission to go to Eretz Yisroel. The Baal Shem Tov agreed, but
he asked that the student first go to the mikva with him. While
immersing, the student beheld a wondrous vision in which he saw how he arrived
in Eretz Yisroel, went up to Yerushalayim and to the Beis HaMikdash.
Suddenly he saw the High Priest and asked him to show him the aron in the
Holy of Holies. The High Priest did so. But when the Baal Shem Tov’s student
looked inside it, he did not see the luchos. In amazement, he asked the
High Priest where the luchos were, and the High Priest responded,
"The luchos are in Mezhibozh." The student, shaken by the
vision, realized that he had no reason to travel to Eretz Yisroel since he could
stay with his teacher, the Baal Shem Tov.
"Today the luchos are in 770, and every Chassid
who wants to connect with the Rebbe, the Nasi HaDor, has to go to the
Rebbe," said Rabbi Ashkenazi. "When Yeravam ben Nevat wanted to turn
the hearts of the Jewish people away from Hashem, he abolished aliya l’regel
(going to the Beis HaMikdash). From this we learn that whoever wants to
connect with G-dliness has to go to 770, the source of life."
Rabbi Garelik delivered the greetings of the secretary of the
beis din in Eretz Yisroel, Rabbi Yitzchok Yehuda Yaruslavsky, the son of
the founder of Eshel, Rabbi Moshe Yaruslavsky. Rabbi Y.Y. Yaruslavsky, who
helped arrange the dinner, sent his greetings because he wasn’t in the
country.
The emcee described the work Rabbi Moshe Yaruslavsky, a’h,
did in establishing Hachnosas Orchim when he barely had the means to fund it. He
related how each year after Yom Tov the Rebbe would ask him for a report of his
expenses, saying, "After all, they are my guests."
Tamim Yuval Brannes, a talmid in Yeshivas
Chabad of Ramat Aviv, described the feelings of a Tamim arriving at 770. "I
am not a speaker," he began and then went on to tell a short story of a
friend who went to 770 for Tishrei and changed his entire life, becoming
religious as a result. "If that’s what Tishrei with the Rebbe does, it is
thanks to you, the donors."
The lights dimmed and scenes of last Tishrei were shown, when
over 2,000 guests streamed to Beis Moshiach, each one receiving personal
attention.
Rabbi Mendy Hendel, director of the Chabad World Center to
Greet Moshiach, which includes the Hachnosas Orchim organization, thanked the
hundred or so Tmimim who work devotedly for over a month as volunteers on behalf
of thousands of their friends. "They work around the clock," he said.
"For sometimes hundreds of bachurim come all at once. Despite the
difficulties involved, no one is left without a bed that night. Within a few
hours, they are all set up for the month. Whoever knows what this entails
realizes how miraculous it is."
Rabbi Hendel thanked everyone who attended the dinner and all
those who support the organization. He emphasized that "all the work isn’t
done with our strength, but with the strength of the mishalei’ach, the
Rebbe MH"M."
"This year we have provided each bachur with a
pamphlet to learn, to prepare for the trip. It contains a selection of maamarim,
sichos, and sayings and stories about the importance of traveling to the
Rebbe for Yom Tov. Each bachur has to learn a maamer by
heart before the trip as a spiritual preparation. Our goal is to make this trip
a spiritual experience."
He concluded, "Halevai this year we can set up
the organization in Yerushalayim, with every Jew going up to the Beis
HaMikdash together with the Rebbe MH"M."
Rabbi Yitzchok Hendel, av beis din in Montreal and rav
of the Chabad community there, spoke about the importance of the mitzva
of hachnosas orchim, which is greater than greeting the Divine presence.
Rabbi Yisroel Halperin, Chabad rav in Hertzeliya, also spoke about
the importance of going to the Rebbe.
Rabbi Hendel spoke about R’ Eliyahu Ezagui of Crown
Heights, who received a directive from the Rebbe to build houses in Crown
Heights. "Last year," said Rabbi Hendel, "a few hundred bachurim
arrived and we didn’t have places for 150 of them. When Eliyahu heard
about this, he made available to dozens of boys five new apartments currently up
for sale that he had built. He was quite aware that after dozens of boys would
spend a month in those apartments, the apartments would have to be thoroughly
cleaned before being put back on the market."
Rabbi Hendel gave an award to R’ Yosef Ezagui, who took it
on behalf of his son, Eliyahu.
Another award was given to Rabbi Shalom Ber Drizin of Crown
Heights, who helps in all holy matters throughout the year, and whose heart is
open to guests. Rabbi Drizin said, "The Rebbe said, ‘these are my guests,’
and therefore it is the responsibility of each one of us to help out, especially
when Chazal say that hachnosas orchim is greater than greeting the
Divine Presence."
R’ Shlomo Kalisch was also awarded, for he opens his heart
to all holy matters, particularly to inyanei Moshiach and Geula.
He said, "Whoever lives in Crown Heights has to help out the hachnosas
orchim, and those who travel there have to help out as shluchim, for
the Rebbe’s guests are his shluchim."
The awards were designed by artist Aryeh Gabrielov, who was
encouraged in his work by the Rebbe.
Other awards were given to donors Moshe Ochiyon, Yechiel Oirechman, Yitzchok
Dayan, Avi Taub, Moshe Lerner, Dovid Marchiano, Shmuel Frumer, Yaakov Kenig, Chaim
Reichman, and Reuven Shaer.
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