head out the bathroom door, and asked again. She held the phone out, gesturing for him to come and take it, and said in a lower but more severe manner, “Rabbi Weissman.”
He walked to the phone mumbling, “What does he want this early in the morning?”
“Why don’t you take the damn phone and find out,” she muttered as she handed him the receiver, turned away and stuck a pillow over her head. The rabbi heard this little exchange.
Alfred greeted the rabbi in a friendly, respectful manner. He still remembered that, at least in person, rabbis were to be treated with reverence.
“Good morning, Mr. Sims,” the rabbi said in his thick Eastern European accent. The rabbi knew that Alfred cringed at his accent. It reminded Alfred of his parents and grandparents, of the heritage he had so readily discarded. It embarrassed him that there were still Jews who spoke that way, as if they were too stupid to learn proper English. But Rabbi Weissman’s problem wasn’t stupidity, not in the least, for English was only one of eleven languages in which he was fortunate to have an accent.
“I’m sorry to call this early, but I understand from your son that you are an early riser, and the morning is such a vonderful time to have a meaningful conversation. People think vith such clarity this time of day, yes?” The rabbi knew an evening call would probably not have found Alfred at home.
Alfred listened, wondering what the man wanted.
The rabbi was calling from his home in Crown Heights. “I have to be getting to shul for the morning prayers soon, so I von’t take up too much of your time.” He knew that Alfred was a bottom line sort. “I vas hoping to be able to have Paul visit vith my family for the Sabbath.”
Alfred immediately grabbed the pillow off Evelyn’s head. He wanted her to hear this. “This weekend?” he asked the rabbi, as he mouthed to Evelyn what they were discussing. She definitely wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep now.
“Vell, I vas thinking that Paul needs more vork during the two veeks ve have left before the Bar Mitzvah, and it vould be difficult for me to spend Shabbos in your home, yes?”
“But he tells me he’s doing well, not to worry,” Alfred said nervously.
“Indeed he is, Mr. Sims,” the rabbi asserted. In fact, Paul had been fully prepared months ago with the essentials for the ceremony. What he and Rabbi Weissman were presently studying was well beyond that.
The rabbi didn’t feel deceptive, for he believed that he was still teaching Paul things that were very much related to entering Jewish manhood. They were toiling through the pages of the Tanya , the great book of mystical lore written in 1796 by the first Lubavitcher Rebbe , Schneur Zalman of Liady, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov , the original founder of Hasidism. Paul had learned that Lubavitch was only one of many Hasidic sects that had emanated from the Baal Shem Tov’s teachings, and that the Tanya held the path to spiritual enlightenment through the doctrines of Chabad , a Hebrew acronym for wisdom, understanding, and knowledge . Lubavitchers believed that the true Hasid, or pious one, strives for these three ideals, and therefore refer to themselves as Chabad Hasidim.
Another thing that the rabbi was teaching Paul was the history of the Chabad Hasidim, and how the name Lubavitch came from the Belorussian village in which Rebbe Zalman lived during the last years of his life. Although the Rebbe died in 1812, most of the Hasidim remained in the town until 1915 when they were forced to flee because of Russian persecution. They relocated to other parts of Europe, and in 1940, the sixth Rebbe , Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, brought many of them to Crown Heights. Of those who remained in Europe, most eventually perished at the hands of the Nazis.
Ten years after their arrival in Crown Heights, the sixth Rebbe died, and his post was assumed by his distant cousin and son-in-law, Menachem Schneerson, a renowned genius
He walked to the phone mumbling, “What does he want this early in the morning?”
“Why don’t you take the damn phone and find out,” she muttered as she handed him the receiver, turned away and stuck a pillow over her head. The rabbi heard this little exchange.
Alfred greeted the rabbi in a friendly, respectful manner. He still remembered that, at least in person, rabbis were to be treated with reverence.
“Good morning, Mr. Sims,” the rabbi said in his thick Eastern European accent. The rabbi knew that Alfred cringed at his accent. It reminded Alfred of his parents and grandparents, of the heritage he had so readily discarded. It embarrassed him that there were still Jews who spoke that way, as if they were too stupid to learn proper English. But Rabbi Weissman’s problem wasn’t stupidity, not in the least, for English was only one of eleven languages in which he was fortunate to have an accent.
“I’m sorry to call this early, but I understand from your son that you are an early riser, and the morning is such a vonderful time to have a meaningful conversation. People think vith such clarity this time of day, yes?” The rabbi knew an evening call would probably not have found Alfred at home.
Alfred listened, wondering what the man wanted.
The rabbi was calling from his home in Crown Heights. “I have to be getting to shul for the morning prayers soon, so I von’t take up too much of your time.” He knew that Alfred was a bottom line sort. “I vas hoping to be able to have Paul visit vith my family for the Sabbath.”
Alfred immediately grabbed the pillow off Evelyn’s head. He wanted her to hear this. “This weekend?” he asked the rabbi, as he mouthed to Evelyn what they were discussing. She definitely wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep now.
“Vell, I vas thinking that Paul needs more vork during the two veeks ve have left before the Bar Mitzvah, and it vould be difficult for me to spend Shabbos in your home, yes?”
“But he tells me he’s doing well, not to worry,” Alfred said nervously.
“Indeed he is, Mr. Sims,” the rabbi asserted. In fact, Paul had been fully prepared months ago with the essentials for the ceremony. What he and Rabbi Weissman were presently studying was well beyond that.
The rabbi didn’t feel deceptive, for he believed that he was still teaching Paul things that were very much related to entering Jewish manhood. They were toiling through the pages of the Tanya , the great book of mystical lore written in 1796 by the first Lubavitcher Rebbe , Schneur Zalman of Liady, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov , the original founder of Hasidism. Paul had learned that Lubavitch was only one of many Hasidic sects that had emanated from the Baal Shem Tov’s teachings, and that the Tanya held the path to spiritual enlightenment through the doctrines of Chabad , a Hebrew acronym for wisdom, understanding, and knowledge . Lubavitchers believed that the true Hasid, or pious one, strives for these three ideals, and therefore refer to themselves as Chabad Hasidim.
Another thing that the rabbi was teaching Paul was the history of the Chabad Hasidim, and how the name Lubavitch came from the Belorussian village in which Rebbe Zalman lived during the last years of his life. Although the Rebbe died in 1812, most of the Hasidim remained in the town until 1915 when they were forced to flee because of Russian persecution. They relocated to other parts of Europe, and in 1940, the sixth Rebbe , Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, brought many of them to Crown Heights. Of those who remained in Europe, most eventually perished at the hands of the Nazis.
Ten years after their arrival in Crown Heights, the sixth Rebbe died, and his post was assumed by his distant cousin and son-in-law, Menachem Schneerson, a renowned genius
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