Page 98 - issue
P. 98
Two Revolutions
in another room and ate in the dark. Then there was the time
I decided to start putting on tefilin. Well, doing it every day
was too much, so I decided to start by putting them on only
once per week. What day should I choose? Was any day dif-
ferent from any other? Of course – Shabbos!
By the time I entered graduate school in Boston, the “BT”
“revolution was going into full swing. A rather motley (stress
A rather motley (stress on “motley”) group of
students hung around the home of the
Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Horowitz,
zt”l, and somehow he tolerated us. He even
smiled one time while sitting and learning
when a student slapped him on the
”back and said,“How’s it going Rebs?”
on “motley”) group of students hung around the home of the
Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Horowitz, zt”l, and
somehow he tolerated us. He even smiled one time while sit-
ting and learning when a student slapped him on the back
and said, “How’s it going Rebs?” Then there was the motzaei
Shabbos that he knew I did not have a car, so he drove me
and a certain lady out for our date. (He greatly believed in
shidduchim!) I also remember that day that a number of us
were discussing the fact that he was a Rebbe and perhaps we
should stand up when he came into the room. After we intro-
duced this revolutionary practice, we began to wonder
whether we should ask him for brachos and realized we did-
n’t know how to do this. Somehow, we muddled through, and
the Rebbe maintained his sanity.
The Rebbe’s patience was accompanied by his wisdom.
On one occasion, a couple of students wanted to marry but
were fiercely opposed by both sets of anti-Orthodox parents,
who threatened to break up the wedding ceremony. The
Rebbe coached the couple in telling the parents that they
were already married, which included a carefully designed
halachic procedure to allow the girl to borrow the wedding
ring to convince her mother that she had missed the ceremo-
ny. The actual chasana was one of the most beautiful I have
ever experienced. In a friend’s backyard, the music was a guy
with a guitar, and the seuda was egg and tuna salad served
on paper plates. The simcha was indescribable.
94 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
in another room and ate in the dark. Then there was the time
I decided to start putting on tefilin. Well, doing it every day
was too much, so I decided to start by putting them on only
once per week. What day should I choose? Was any day dif-
ferent from any other? Of course – Shabbos!
By the time I entered graduate school in Boston, the “BT”
“revolution was going into full swing. A rather motley (stress
A rather motley (stress on “motley”) group of
students hung around the home of the
Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Horowitz,
zt”l, and somehow he tolerated us. He even
smiled one time while sitting and learning
when a student slapped him on the
”back and said,“How’s it going Rebs?”
on “motley”) group of students hung around the home of the
Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Horowitz, zt”l, and
somehow he tolerated us. He even smiled one time while sit-
ting and learning when a student slapped him on the back
and said, “How’s it going Rebs?” Then there was the motzaei
Shabbos that he knew I did not have a car, so he drove me
and a certain lady out for our date. (He greatly believed in
shidduchim!) I also remember that day that a number of us
were discussing the fact that he was a Rebbe and perhaps we
should stand up when he came into the room. After we intro-
duced this revolutionary practice, we began to wonder
whether we should ask him for brachos and realized we did-
n’t know how to do this. Somehow, we muddled through, and
the Rebbe maintained his sanity.
The Rebbe’s patience was accompanied by his wisdom.
On one occasion, a couple of students wanted to marry but
were fiercely opposed by both sets of anti-Orthodox parents,
who threatened to break up the wedding ceremony. The
Rebbe coached the couple in telling the parents that they
were already married, which included a carefully designed
halachic procedure to allow the girl to borrow the wedding
ring to convince her mother that she had missed the ceremo-
ny. The actual chasana was one of the most beautiful I have
ever experienced. In a friend’s backyard, the music was a guy
with a guitar, and the seuda was egg and tuna salad served
on paper plates. The simcha was indescribable.
94 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
