Tzavei to Perform at YU

Come one, come all!

The Stollel's very own

Tzavei

to perform in Tenzer Gardens in YU for Yom Ha'atzmaut festivities!

Wednesday, April 29

1:00-2:30

Also featuring Ta Shma and The Otzar (a.k.a. Rabbi Benji Epstein).

Pirkei Avos Series from the Rosh Stollel

The Rosh Stollel has begun to give his annual Pirkei Avos shiur.

Click HERE to check it out---> Tazria-Metzora-Avos perek 1.

Shushan Purim and Beyond (Part 1)

I know it's been a while since Purim, but like the young girl walking on the table said, Purim is forever. Let's finish up the story.
~
Everyone woke up in a stupor the next morning. Some found themselves on the Rebbe's couch, others in the yard. We prayed the morning service down the block and headed back to Nachal Shimshon where we were greeted with grilled-cheese sandwiches and juice.

"Why are you walking on the table Tiferet?" one boy asked.
"My Abba lets me walk on the table when it's Purim and every day is Purim according to my Abba."
She was right and she was teaching us a very important lesson.
~
"Sabari, we want to hire you for today?"
"How many people?"
"A full sheirut to go around different places in Yerushalayim."
"Top or bottom?"
"We'll meet you on Rashi."

We had essentially 5 goals that day:
1) Deliver mishloach manos to the Amshinover
2) Visit Raz Hartman
3) I don't remember this one (maybe visit Dan Wurtzberger?)
4) Stop by the Machlis residence
5) End up at Chaim Dovid

Sabari headed towards Bayit Vi'gan where the Amshinover was supposedly based:

"This is it. He lives here," someone said as we pulled up to the Amshinovers building.

We walked up the steps to the third floor and his door was open. There was some guy in there and a lot of mishloach manos lying around. The Amshinover, however, was nowhere to be seen. Nonetheless, we took advantage of the open-access and checked out his gear.

We were told that he was still davening down the block at his Yeshiva. We ran over and were supposedly some of the last few in before they locked the doors. We saw the tzaddik praying, followed him down a hallway, down the steps, waited, up the steps, back down the hallway, and into a large room. It was time for him to distribute mishloach manos.

We waited in line to get very intense personal l'chaims from the tzaddik. He would stare you in the eyes and slowly say "L'chaim Tovim uli'Shalommmm" holding the "m" until your soul nearly shot out of your body. Justin knows what I'm talking about.

We got an extra l'chaim and rugelach for the Rebbe and we were going to try to meet up with him wherever he was.

After numerous failed attempts at calling the Rebbe we received a call that he was somewhere in Me'ah She'arim and his phone was broken. We didn't know how or when he made it to Me'ah She'arim but we were going to find out.

We drove to Raz and found a spot for Sabari right outside the apartment building. As we got off the sheirut Jason Allen ran off. We didn't see him for a few hours until he caught up with us on the way out of Yerushalayim. We asked him where he had been but he didn't remember.

The rest of us went into Raz's building. Some of us had been to Raz the previous Friday night and so we were certainly aware that it would be difficult to walk all seven flights in our current state.

"Squeeze in to the elevator. It'll be tight but hey, it's only seven floors." The door closed and we began to accelerate upwards.

1...2...3...4...5...6...6...6...6...

"Did we stop moving?"

"I think so."

"Why isn't the door opening?"

"Give it a second."

"Oh no, I think we're stuck."

And so we were. 10 people stuck in an elevator which we now noticed had a maximum occupancy sticker for six.

"What should we do?"

"Push the alarm."

And so we did. We also managed to wedge open the door only to find we had nearly made it to Raz but were stuck between floor 6 and 7. We made contact with Raz's wife and it was comforting to know that at least people knew we were stuck.

We called the elevator man but with the traffic in the streets of Yerushalayim on Shushan Purim and the fact that the elevator man himself was probably somewhere and intoxicated, we could have been there all day. We tried to keep our composure. Diller took advantage of the time to have a photo shoot.

After 45 minutes of no elevator-man, Raz's wife thought that maybe her neighbor might know what to do. We closed the door and slowly felt ourselves being lowered to the ground. At any moment the wire could snap and we could plummet to the ground.

The holy books teach that before any light there has to be a darkness that precedes it and so after and hour and change of darkness we had our own miniature redemption.

[At this point, I realized I have much to do before Shabbos. I'll say the story bi'kitzur and you can watch the videos and put together the pieces.

We got out and in the same building ended up in Dov Shurin's apartment. It turns out that the Rebbe had kahincedentally stumbled into the same building looking for a bathroom. Our earlier call that Rav Judah was in Me'ah She'arim must have been a distorted "Rav Judah's at Dov Shurin." They were in the middle of their seuda and were beginning to lain megillah. After a while we made it upstairs to Raz (on foot) and stayed there for a bit. We left to daven mincha and to head to Dan Wurtzberger. We walked up a very big hill. The Rebbe took a shevua that he wouldnt go up to Dan Wurtzbergers seuda unless they had an elevator. We went in for a little. We came out and headed towards Ma'alot Dafne to the home of the Machlis's. We were running late and they were already up to their seder...

TO BE CONTINUED AND COMPLETED IN THE NEXT POST!

A GUT SHABBOS, A GUT CHODESH!

Seudas _(Fill in the Blank)_ Invite

Stuck in North America for Yom Tov?

Join us for Seudas Ba'al Shem, Seudas HaGra and Seudas Moshiach

on Yom Acharon shel Pesach!

The Weinberg residence
572 Grenville Avenue
Teaneck, NJ 07666

B.Y.O.M.

May we be zoche to reach such a level...

In Search of the Happy Minyan...

We would love to have a happy minyan one of these days during chol ha'moed. If anyone knows a place where we could hold such an event - post below. Also, just comment in general if you are around for the holiday and if you are interested in being happy and davening at the same time.

Even if we don't pull together a minyan for chol ha'moed, don't despair...

We're Not Alone!

מיגון לשמחה ומאבל ליום טוב

While the past few days have been difficult ones as we davened, learned and fought for our dear chaver
דוד חיים יוסף בן צבי עקיבה ע''ה
it seems that the Ribono Shel Olam had different plans. We know that Hakadosh Baruch Hu certainly feels the pain of the family and our pain, as Dovid Hamelech wrote "עמו אנכי בצרה", that together with the Ribono Shel Olam we sit and cry.
ּ
But we must also realize that Hashem had this happen right before a Yom Tov for a reason and though we may feel an immense pain and lacking, Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants us to rejoice and continue to be בשמחה.

As we begin Pesach tonight, it's true that the marror will taste extra bitter this year but that only means we should try as best as we can to make sure that the charoses, the wine and the matzos are extra sweet.

May the Rottenstreich's and all of Klal Yisrael be comforted over this tremendous loss and may הקב''ה give us all the strength to continue to be בשמחה and rejoice this Pesach over the גאולת מצרים and the גאולה עתידה, may it come soon in our days.

!חג כשר ושמח

In need of tefillos...

Please daven and learn for one of the bachurim of our yeshiva who has fallen seriously ill:

Dovid Chaim Yosef

ben

Sima Perel

You can also sign up for learning, davening, or visits to the hospital at: http://dovidchaim.blogspot.com/

If you are in Eretz Yisrael there will be davening at the Kotel tonight at 11 P.M.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu should hear our tefillos and learning and answer them soon in a recognizably good way, and Dovid Chaim Yosef should see a personal refuah and geulah as we approach the z'man cheiruseinu.

Purim - Day 1 (Part 2)

Moshe sat down and began to play his new tune.

Meanwhile, inside the house Justin was abusing children and stealing their bodyparts.

The shiur had bought the rebbe a goat. They had stashed it for the few days before Purim behind the new Reishit gym, feeding it every once in a while some grass and chumus. He was to be "a new member in the shiur," one Fruchter reported. He came to the rebbe's house for the seuda and was tied up in the backyard. He didn't do much but complain. He wouldn't eat. He wouldn't sing. He wouldn't smoke.


"If you ask me, this goat is depressed," one Stollel member noted. We heard a booming voice..."Did you say depressed?! On Purim!?!"They came from every direction. Na Nachers. Climbing over fences, bursting through doors.

I don't remember what happened next but the goat was being dragged through the house and making strange noises. He was taken outside and forcibly placed on top of a Na Nach van which had fallen out of the sky onto Nachal Shimshon. If this goat wasn't going to be happy on Purim, the Na Nachers were going to force him to be.

They took the goat inside the van and slowly drove off into the clouds. The goat was never seen again.

The Seuda had begun, was underway, and was building speed. It was true what they say: There was chicken. There was everything.

[There were some videos of the seuda but it seemed strange to put them up. Visual pictures will have to suffice.]

Even Rav Mendel's kids found their way over.

The seuda came to an "end." Moshe had made his way over at some point and had fallen asleep. Nobody could stir him, not even the mitzvah tree.


"Wow, this has been a great day," said one bachur passed out on the couch.

"It has been," noted his friend, "but usually on Purim we get to see the beard of glory."

"The beard of glory? What's that?"

And then, as if on cue, he entered the room.

There were sleeping bodies in every corner of the house. Physically, mentally and certainly spiritually drained, we all fell asleep. We knew it had begun but we knew we would need our strength for tomorrow, for tomorrow we were heading to Jerusalem...

~

TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR MORE PURIM ADVENTURE!