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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.
 

   

 

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hendel presenting an award to Rabbi S.B. Drizin
 


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