whaT'S wiTh The dollarS?

Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman

QI was gifted a dollar that my mother received from the Rebbe. She said it is a source of blessing and goodness, telling me the Rebbe would stand for hours and hand out dollars to people who would line up to see him. What does it mean? Is there spiritual value to this dollar? What should I do with it?

For the first twenty-five years of his leadership, the Rebbe would receive his Chassidim, as well as men and women from all walks of life, in private audience three times a week. As the number of those seeking the Rebbe's advice and blessing continued to grow, the requests for meetings with the Rebbe reached such numbers that it was no longer possible to accommodate them. Individual contact with the Rebbe now took the form of written correspondence: some three mail sacks of letters would arrive each day to his office at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, each of which he would personally open and read.

In 1986, the Rebbe began conducting a weekly "receiving line." Each Sunday, the Rebbe would stand in a small room near his office as thousands of men, women and children filed past to see him and receive his blessing. Many used the opportunity to pose a question and receive a word of advice. To each of them the Rebbe gave a dollar bill, appointing them as his personal agent to give it to the charity of their choice.

The Rebbe’s intention was that the recipient should give the dollar to charity. In this way, explained the Rebbe, when two meet, it should benefit another. Usually, instead of giving the actual dollar bill to charity, the recipient would keep it and give away another dollar in its place. If you received a dollar from the Rebbe, perhaps the first thing to do is give a dollar (or more) to charity, as the Rebbe intended.

The Rebbe explained his custom by quoting his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch, who would often say: "When two people meet, something good should result for a third." The Rebbe wished to elevate each of the thousands of encounters of the day to something more than a meeting of two individuals. Often the topic of conversation during these encounters with the Rebbe involved the Rebbe asking the person where they live, what they do, and inquiring how they contribute goodness to their surroundings.

Receiving a dollar from the Rebbe reminds you of the responsibility of helping another. Whether it’s physical charity with money or goods, or time and effort, going out of your way for another’s benefit is what this dollar represents. Thus, the dollar serves as a constant reminder that the Jewish people are all about helping others, both spiritually and materially. And since it comes from the Rebbe, a righteous person, it embodies the energy and blessings he bestows for you personally and for that mission. The dollar becomes a channel for that energy and blessing. Indeed, the there was a blessing given to all without exception: “Blessing and success.” Success in what? In the job you have to do, in your mission in life, in doubling the power of that mission. What mission? The mission in which you have been empowered. Now go, choose, and do something good.

For this reason, many keep the dollar in their wallets, or in a place where it can easily be seen, to serve as a reminder and motivator and a source of blessing. EM

Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman is the Senior Rabbi of the Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario. You can Ask the Rabbi at jrcc.org or fax to 416.222.7812. To meet with Rabbi Zaltzman in person, feel free to call 416.222.7105 to book an appointment. Appointments are generally available on Wednesday evenings after 7pm.

Rebbitzin Chiena Zaltzman is also available for private consultations by appointment on Wednesday evenings from 9 to 10pm by calling 416.222.7105.

Рабби, как в современном мире можно разобраться, что является истинным, а что нет? Почему люди должны соблюдать законы и запреты, которые были установлены тысяче-летия назад? Нужно ли менять законы в связи с развитием науки и мира в целом? Что скажете о людях, которые меняют запреты одеваться скромно и, например, носят короткие шорты, вступают в отношения до брака, говоря: «Ведь 21 век на дворе!» основной труд философии хасидизма

Прежде всего, законы не были установлены людьми, они были даны Б-гом на горе Синай не только евреям, но и всему человечеству. Еврейскому народу были даны 613 заповедей. Всему миру – 7 заповедей. Б-г создал мир с единственной целью – для того, чтобы человечество соблюдало Тору. В этом смысл Творения мира. Вот Вы говорите «сегодняшний мир..., 21 век..., наука...» Скажите, улучшилась ли мораль человечества за последние несколько столетий, за последние несколько десятков лет? Смотрите, что происходит в мире? Мир катится в бездну. Увеличивается процент людей, причем, успешных людей, которые не хотят иметь детей. Многие считают, что женой мужчины не обязательно должна быть женщина. Надо признать, что этот кошмар был всегда.

The article above is excerpted from the Russian edition of Exodus Magazine. To subscribe, please visit exodusmagazine.org or call 416.222.7105.

LAG B’OMER FAMILY FESTIVAL

The Jewish community in the Greater Toronto Area experienced an amazing, unified citywide Lag B’Omer Family Festival on Tuesday, May 9. Due to the large amount of expected participants, the free event was held in two locations – one at Earl Bales Park in central Toronto, and one at the Schwartz/Reisman Centre in Vaughan. Organized by the JRCC in partnership with a dozen local Jewish organizations, the carnival-like Lag B’Omer event draws thousands of people from different communities throughout the GTA and beyond for an afternoon of fun and unity. This year’s event featured live festive music, an amazing children’s show, rides, and carnival games, along with a children’s rally and parade, a bonfire, and lots of awesome food. By far the greatest aspect of the event is the mere fact that so many Jewish people from different backgrounds celebrated together – a tremendous show of unity that is very much in the spirit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, for whom the day of Lag B’Omer is established. Thank you to all the participating organizations’ staff and volunteers from across the city who helped make this year’s event amazing.

Shavuot At The Jrcc

On Friday, May 26, hundreds of children and adults attended the annual reading of the Ten Commandments on Shavuot at ten JRCC locations in the GTA. The children were treated to the now famous Shavuot Ice Cream Party, as they joined. Thousands of Jewish communities around the world in celebrating the receiving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai over 3,300 years ago. The readings were followed by a light dairy brunch buffet, including delicious homemade cheesecakes. The event was held simultaneously at all JRCC branches, with some branches holding multiple readings and parties throughout the day to accommodate everyone’s schedules. On the previous evening, dozens of people joined the traditional all-night learning sessions and the reading of the Kabbalistic “Tikun Leil Shavuot” on the night of Shavuot, expressing our love for the Torah and anticipating receiving it anew as we do at this time each year.

JRCC DISTRIBUTING 10,000 BOOKS OF PSALMS

The JRCC organized the printing and distribution 10,000 copies of a Book of Psalms (Tehillim) to members of the community. For thousands of years, millions of Jews around the world have turned to the Book of Tehillim as a source of inspiration, solace and prayer. The rich, moving, poetic words of Tehillim have been engraved in the hearts and minds of people of all ages from all walks of life, and many have been composed into popular songs. If you or your family are from the former Soviet Union, you are eligible to receive a free copy of this treasured book. If you have not yet received a copy and wish to do so, please contact Igor Saikov at 416-222-7105 x291.

Sunday morning Minyan at South Richmond Hill was a joyous occasion as Rabbi Avrohom's son, Mendel, began the tradition of putting on tefillin. The community came together to celebrate this significant milestone in Mendel's spiritual journey.