Kinus
HaTalmidim-HaShluchim
in Venice
The
Tmimim started coming on Thursday, the 4th of Adar I. Some flew,
others came by train or bus. “The sight of bachurim meeting
after five months of Shlichus reminds me of Tishrei scenes
in 770, when people come from all over the world and unite with
the Rebbe MH”M,” said one of the Tmimim.
The
Tmimim attend yeshivos in France (Brunoy), England
(Manchester and London), Hungary (Budapest), Italy (Milano) and of
course the host yeshiva in Venice. The talmidim in
Venice greeted their guests and showed them to their hotel where
they would stay throughout the Kinus. Each talmid received
a folder with material they would be learning during the Kinus,
a gift of a Mincha-Maariv Siddur, a map of the area, a list
of the speakers from each yeshiva, and pen and paper. At
registration, it was already apparent that a full program awaited
them.
The
Kinus began in conjunction with the Siyum ha’Rambam.
HaTamim Yosef Yitzchok Bryski (Venice) emphasized the motto of the
Kinus: “to prepare ourselves and the entire world to
greet Moshiach.”
Rabbi
Rami Benin, shaliach to Venice spoke about the mesirus
nefesh of the bachurim who leave yeshivos gedolos
in Eretz Yisroel and America in order to help out with mivtzaim
and other projects in European cities, while learning in local
yeshivos.
The
rav of the Jewish community in Venice, Rabbi Reuven
DeLaRocca, spoke about the former glory of the community, and
about its present unfortunate state. “Under the circumstances,
when there is such great assimilation, mostly a result of
ignorance, the presence of the Chabad yeshiva in the city
helps strengthen the Jews of the community. It also serves as a
beacon for the hundreds of thousands of Jewish tourists who pass
through the Jewish ghetto. It successfully implants a love for
Hashem in their hearts, through ahavas Yisroel in a manner
that emphasizes that all Jews are equal.”
Rabbi
Ariel Chabad, the Rebbe’s shaliach to Trieste and the
chief Rabbi of the Jewish community of Slovenia, reviewed a sicha
as a hadran on the topic of “and the earth will be full
of knowledge of Hashem like waters cover the sea.” He was
followed by the rav of the Jewish community of Trieste, who
is a good friend of the yeshiva. He made mention of the
fact that the Rebbe accompanied the Rebbe Rayatz on his way to
Eretz Yisroel in 5689, when he sailed from the port of Trieste.
Rabbi
Moshe Lazar, one of the first shluchim in Milano, told the bachurim
about the early years of his shlichus and the difficulties
he encountered. Rabbi Lazar stressed that Chabad requires that you
do the work on your own, and not that the Rebbe does the work for
you. At the same time though, the Rebbe gives you all the kochos
in order to carry out the shlichus.
The
final speaker, Rabbi Eliyahu Dovid Borenstein, spoke about the
theme of the Kinus – to greet Moshiach.
On
Friday, after learning Chassidus, davening, and breakfast,
the bachurim sat down to report on their activities. Tamim
Y.Y. Mendelsohn (Venice) explained that the purpose of the
discussion was for each one to learn from the other, to gain ideas
which could be implemented when they went back to their shlichus.
Tamim
Binyamin Bitton (Brunoy) spoke about the mivtza the shluchim
did in their yeshiva by way of preparing for Yud Shvat. The
bachurim learned thousands of pages of sichos and maamarim
of the Rebbe and strengthened their commitment to the sedarim
and the Rebbe’s directives.
Tamim
Meir Shimon Moskowitz (Budapest) said that the bachurim of
his yeshiva give twenty classes a week! They also arrange
Shabbos meals for students, local Jews and tourists, all this
while learning in the yeshiva. Each week, one of the bachurim
gives a shiur in halacha l’maaseh, while
another bachur says a pilpul on the Gemara learned
that week.
The
representative of the shluchim in London, Elisha Rogalsky,
described what they did each day, whether having a chavrusa with
a bachur or the Melaveh Malka they make each week,
featuring a video of the Rebbe.
Tamim
Y.Y. Okinov (Manchester) said that every Motzaei Shabbos
Mevarchim, they all sit down together to write a duch to
the Rebbe. He said that in order to create a koch in
learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula, they bring a
guest speaker each week. He gives an in depth shiur, which
the boys can prepare for, by studying the sources posted on the
wall a few days prior to the class.
The
representative from Venice, Tamim Shlomo Abramson spoke mostly
about the farbrengens among the shluchim and about the
daily shiur on inyanei Moshiach as well as in
Seifer HaShlichus. He also spoke about their activities
with the tourists.
Tamim
Dov Ber Segal (Milano) explained that the large concentration of
Jews is not in the center where the yeshiva is located, but
on the other side of the city. They established a kollel called
Beis HaTalmud, and each evening four bachurim go there to
learn and give shiurim.
After
all the reports were given, the bachurim went out on mivtzaim
before toiveling in the sea in preparation for Shabbos.
(The mikva in Venice is about to be built.)
Friday
night, Rabbi Noam Wagner the rosh yeshiva in Venice,
reviewed a sicha from 5752, which was followed by davening.
Tamim Nachum Light (London) reviewed a sicha, and Rabbi
Leibel Groner farbrenged for hours. Rabbi Groner came
especially for the Kinus, and he spoke about the privilege
and responsibility of a Shaliach and Tamim, and how the
Rebbe gives the kochos for this and demands that they be
used.
The
aliyos at Krias ha’Torah Shabbos morning were sold
(the custom in the yeshiva in Venice) for additional
learning of sichos, maamarim, etc. This idea was
warmly received by the bachurim-shluchim who pledged to
institute the same custom back at their yeshivos. Rabbi
Groner spoke again for many hours. One of his central themes was
the need to follow the Rebbe’s orders exactly.
After
a public Kiddush Levana, there was a workshop for the bachurim
called “ha’maaseh hu ha’ikar,” moderated by
Tamim Shlomo Sternberg (Brunoy). He presented a point, and whoever
had something to say on the topic stood up and responded in open
forum. Rabbi Groner and Rabbi Shmuel Rodal of Milano joined the
discussion and offered suggestions on how to strengthen the ideas
under discussion.
The
banquet took place on Sunday, and it was combined with the Sheva
Brachos of Moshe Garelik, the son of shaliach Rabbi
Gershon Mendel Garelik. The hachlatos of the Kinus
were read by Tamim Dov Halperin (Budapest):
1)
The Shluchim plan on having a shiur iyun at least
once a week on Hilchos Melachim of the Rambam in light of
the Rebbe’s sichos.
2)
Until Yud-Alef Nissan, every Tamim attending the Kinus will
speak with (at least) ten Jews a week about strengthening their emuna
and yearning for Moshiach.
3)
A kovetz will be published once a month which will contain
questions on halacha that come up in the course of shlichus,
as well as questions about Yemos HaMoshiach. The yeshivos
will take turns producing it each month, with the
participation of the other yeshivos.
4)
Once a month they will write a duch klali and send it to
the Rebbe through the Igud HaTmimim HaShluchim of Europe.
5)In
addition to the above, each kvutza will choose their own hachlata.
Tamim
Yaakov Cohen of Venice was acknowledged for his working so hard to
make the Kinus the success it was. The bachurim went
back to their respective yeshivos having resolved to do all
in their power to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu.