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By Shneur Zalman Levin, Beis Moshiach Magazine

“South Africa,” two words that were repeated time and again by the group of men gathered for a Shabbaton in Florida. They weren’t talking about South Africa’s outrageous legal accusations against Israel in the Hague. These men, in their sixties, were reminiscing about their two years on shlichus in South Africa forty years ago.

THE FIRST GROUP OF PIONEERS

It was the early eighties and the concept of “talmidim shluchim” had become a “thing” among nineteen and twenty-year-old Lubavitcher bachurim. They went to Melbourne, Miami and Brunoy; these were some of the cities that bachurim were sent to for a year or two to found or strengthen an existing yeshiva. The goal was not just to strengthen a local yeshiva but impact the entire community.

26 Teves 5744. Ten young students were traveling to South Africa on the Rebbe’s shlichus, for the purpose of founding a yeshiva gedola in Johannesburg, turning the city into a place of Torah, and bringing the spirit of Torah and Chassidus to the entire country.

There were a number of shluchim working in the country for many years already, but on a local scale. The time had come to intensify the Torah activities.

Preparations for shlichus to South Africa began already in Menachem Av 5743. At that time, 770 was relatively empty with some of Anash in the mountains on vacation and most bachurim on shlichus in various cities. Only a few bachurim who wanted to stay near the Rebbe as much as possible, chose to stay in Crown Heights.

After Tisha B’Av, some bachurim were called to the secretaries’ office where Rabbi Binyamin Klein told them they were chosen to be part of a group that would start a yeshiva gedola in South Africa.

The shliach, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Lipskar in South Africa, had asked the Rebbe to found a yeshiva in his country, but it was only at the beginning of that summer that he got the okay. At the beginning of Tammuz, the roshei yeshiva submitted a list to the office with names of bachurim who they thought would be suitable.

“It was motzoei Shabbos parshas Eikev, 20 Menachem Av 5743 when I was standing near the small zal and speaking to a guest who had come for Shabbos,” said Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Lew, one of the group. “Suddenly, R’ Klein came over to me and told me to come to the office. When I walked in, he told me to close the door. Then he said, ‘You were chosen to be part of the group of talmidim shluchim to the yeshiva in South Africa. Do you want to go?’

“Thoughts began flying around my head. I was only a young bachur, barely nineteen, who just finished learning in Oholei Torah. The groups of talmidim shluchim had already been chosen. And anyway, I had never heard of a yeshiva in South Africa, and suddenly, I was told I was chosen.

“Despite all my questions, I said, ‘What do you mean, do I want to go? It’s the greatest privilege.’

“‘Does that mean yes or no?’ asked R’ Klein.

“‘Of course! Who chose me?’

“R’ Klein ignored that question and asked, ‘What about your parents? Will they want you to go?’

“‘Of course! What’s the question?’

“‘Did you speak to them already?’ R’ Klein insisted on knowing.

“‘No, but I’ll call them as soon as possible.’ [My parents lived in England and it was the middle of the night over there.]”

On the plane on the way to South Africa.

R’ Klein then softened somewhat and he explained that the Rebbe had made three conditions for going: 1) parents’ consent; 2) that the bachurim have the documents needed to leave the country; 3) that they have no health problems. During the days to come, R’ Klein informed the other bachurim who were chosen to be part of the group who would be making history in South Africa. The bachurim were: Chaim Boruch Abrams, Pinchas Ezagui, Moshe Avrohom Dovid Druin, Sholom Dovber Harlig, Yosef Levi Chaiton, Avrohom Cohen, Yosef Yitzchok Lew, Yosef Yitzchok Rosenblum, Meir Eliezer Schmukler, Menachem Mendel Sossonkin.

Two bachurim, who came from South Africa to learn in 770, were asked to help the Americans arrange their papers and passports. They were informed that the trip was for two years, two years of being away from 770 without breaks, not even for Tishrei or Pesach. Back then, when communication was lightyears away from communications nowadays, it was especially difficult. Nevertheless, the bachurim who were chosen had no doubts and they happily took on this assignment.

At the time, South Africa was under apartheid rule and the government made it difficult for those who came there. The official answer was that the bachurim would not be able to arrive until background checks were done on them. The government wanted to know which countries the bachurim had visited in recent years and had other questions, to make sure they would not be a disruptive element to life in South Africa.

It was on 20 Teves 5744 that the news came that the government approved their entry and the bachurim could set out.

MOVING YECHIDUS

26 Teves. The flight to South Africa was supposed to leave in the evening. The bachurim’s excitement continued to mount.

“We anticipated having yechidus with the Rebbe before we left,” said R’ YY Lew, “as usually took place with groups of bachurim who went on shlichus to yeshivos around the world, especially when our group was going to start a new yeshiva in a distant place.

“The morning of the trip, I went over to R’ Groner to ask him about the estimated time for yechidus, but he said, ‘The Rebbe said there is no more yechidus for bachurim.’ I expressed my shock but he repeated what he told me.

“Okay, but does that include a group of bachurim traveling far away for two years?” R’ Groner raised his voice and repeated, ‘The Rebbe there is no more yechidus for bachurim.’

“I left in shock. As soon as I went out, I saw Rabbi Meir Harlig, whose son was a member of our group. I told him what happened and he said he would try to do something about it. Afterward, I learned that he went to R’ Chodakov’s office and arranged things through him.

“I told the other members of the group about the situation and we decided to tell the Rebbe that we were leaving that day and ask for a bracha for our shlichus. We hoped that this would serve as an ‘arousal from below’ and we would have yechidus after all. We wrote that we were traveling to Johannesburg that day, ‘and Chazal have already said that all beginnings are difficult and so we were asking for a ‘shtarke bracha’ for the success of the shlichus.’

Kabbolas panim for the Shluchim – a Melava Malka in the home of R’ Koppel Bacher

“At ten in the morning, I gave the letter to R’ Groner and we waited tensely for a response. In the meantime, I went to the second floor of 784-788 to the office of Hanachos, because I was a member of the Vaad Hanachos, and we were working on a reshima of the farbrengen that had taken place the night before.

“At 1:00, the phone in the office rang and it was R’ Groner. He asked whether there were any kuntreisim left in the office, of the Rebbe’s sichos on the importance of saying ‘Hareini Mekabel’ and ‘Ach Tzaddikim.’ At hearing this question, I suspected that it had something to do with our shlichus. I hesitantly asked, ‘How many do you need?’ Twenty, was the answer.

“I immediately thought, surely the Rebbe is planning on having us for yechidus and will give us the kuntres as is customary at events like these. I took twenty kuntreisim and ran to R’ Groner’s office. When he saw it was me, he said, ‘Ah, it’s you… you will all have yechidus in gan eden ha’tachton after Mincha. Since you will want to join the Rebbe’s minyan, I suggest that you remain in the small zal for Mincha and when everyone finishes saying tachanun, go out, one by one, to gan eden ha’tachton.’

“He emphasized that we shouldn’t leave the zal together and we shouldn’t go straight to gan eden ha’tachton. Some bachurim should go up via the stairs in the hall and some should go up through his office. This was to avoid attention.

“Right after mincha, we all stood in gan eden ha’tachton in a half circle, from the mezuza of the Rebbe’s room until the wall to the right of the door of gan eden ha’tachton. R’ Groner said that the parents were also invited to come in and they should stand on the stairs of gan eden ha’tachton.

“I told the rest of the group and we were all thrilled.”

The kuntres that the Rebbe gave the talmidim shluchim

CAN SOMETHING BE LACKING IN THE HOUSE OF THE KING?

As soon as Mincha was over, the Rebbe went to gan eden ha’tachton where the talmidim and their parents were already tensely waiting. The Rebbe began with a short sicha:

It says regarding tzedaka that the closer it is to actual usage its effect is that much more powerful, as the Gemara says regarding the difference between the tzedaka of a man and the tzedaka of a woman. Therefore, what will be given to you (instead of dollars of this country which will later have to be changed for the money of the country you are going to) is currency from the hemisphere of the country you are going to (Australian dollars), which is closer to (tzedaka for) actual usage than American money.

After giving out the money, the Rebbe showered the bachurim with brachos for their shlichus:

Yehi ratzon that your trip be in order and with success, and all the things we spoke about in connection with 24 Teves (the yom hilula of the Alter Rebbe) be fulfilled, since after that there are the ‘offshoots’ and ‘offshoots of the offshoots’ till the end of all generations. And this should be drawn down in actuality regarding one’s own learning and one’s own conduct, as true soldiers of the House of Dovid as well as ‘lamps to illuminate’ to bring down all the lights of all the rebbeim, especially the baal ha’hilula of 24 Teves, and the baal ha’hilula of the tenth of Shevat, in actuality below ten handbreadths. And that all the inyanim will further speed and hasten the ‘achishena’ of the coming of Dovid Malka Meshicha, speedily in our days.

Then, each one was given a kuntres about the importance of saying “Hareini Mekabel” and “Ach Tzaddikim.” The parents also received this.

Before the Rebbe entered his room, he said, “May there be tremendous success in all matters before the trip, during the trip, and after you reach your place of shlichus.”

The bachurim wondered why the Rebbe gave them Australian money when they were going to South Africa! It was later in the afternoon that they got an answer, when the Rebbe wrote to the bachurim, “I don’t have that many bills from South Africa – and therefore, at least bills from that hemisphere.” Then the Rebbe added some lines of divrei bracha.

“When I heard this, my heart constricted,” said R’ Lew. “How was it possible that something was lacking in the king’s house? How was it that the Rebbe didn’t have currency for the various countries, as needed? We decided that as soon as we arrived in South Africa, we would send maamad money to the Rebbe every month, using South African currency so the Rebbe would have plenty of money from there (see sidebar).”

The terminal at Kennedy Airport saw a moving scene that night. The shluchim, accompanied by their parents, the hanhala of the yeshiva, and a group of bachurim and Anash, parted ways in a festive manner with all those present joining in a lively dance.

EVEN FAR AWAY, YOU ARE CLOSE TO THE KING

At the beginning of Elul 5745, after a year and a half, the first group of bachurim returned to Beis Chayeinu and the second group of bachurim was sent at the end of Tishrei 5746, to continue the work of the first group.

On 25 Tishrei, they too were privileged to have yechidus with the Rebbe who blessed them, “Fort gezunterheit. Es zol mekuyam veren kol ha’brachos!”

The bachurim arrived in Johannesburg and were happily welcomed by the community. They immediately began the regular schedule of yeshiva life along with activities with the community and local Jews.

One of the bachurim said, “We felt very far from the king. Until now, we had ‘front row seats,’ next to the Rebbe, at every free moment, and suddenly we were in a foreign country, far away. If that wasn’t enough, at that time, Congress had just tried to pass the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act [it passed more than a year later – Ed] which included sanctions against the national airline of South Africa because of the government’s apartheid policy, and this strengthened the feeling of disconnect from the rest of the world.”

A few days later, the Rebbe farbrenged on the first night of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan. The first sicha was an explanation of the Medrash connected with Sukkos, “your parting is difficult for me.” The Rebbe explained the lessons in avodas Hashem and how even in a distant land each one was close to the king.

“When we heard this sicha, we felt it was a response to our overflowing emotions,” they said, as though the Rebbe was telling them, “Your parting is difficult for me but even in South Africa, we are together.”

Some months passed and then it was 5 Teves, the day with happy tidings, Didon Notzach. The bachurim together with the shluchim gathered and together with the schoolchildren and other Chassidim they danced joyously. The joy was so great and it swept up everyone in the community who got a taste of what joy, 770-style, is about.

The third group left for Johannesburg in Cheshvan 5748, to continue the yeshiva under the supervision of shliach, R’ MM Lipskar and the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Levi Wineberg, to serve as role models of Torah study and darchei ha’Chassidus to the talmidim, the community of Chassidim and the entire community.

The group knew they were being sent for two years with no breaks, not for holiday and not for family simchos, and not even for the wedding of a brother or sister. Two years in which they wouldn’t be at tefillos, farbrengens and dollars. A completely different life. It wouldn’t be possible to give a pidyon nefesh to the Rebbe before Rosh Hashana, nor say a bracha on the Rebbe’s dalet minim, nor receive lekach or kos shel bracha.

Not surprisingly, this group also asked for a bracha from the Rebbe before they left, but at this point, the practice really stopped, even for groups. The afternoon of the day of their trip, the bachurim submitted a note asking whether the Rebbe would receive them for yechidus but they received no response.

Before Maariv, the members of the group of shluchim spontaneously all stood near the elevator in the hopes that the Rebbe would bless them. This would be the last time they’d see the Rebbe for two years!

The Rebbe went to daven Maariv in the small zal while the secretary waited outside. You can imagine the utter surprise of the bachurim when R’ Groner suddenly said, “Where is the group for Johannesburg?” The shluchim were in shock. The Rebbe would receive them for yechidus pratis in gan eden ha’tachton!

The secretary told them to get ready because right after Maariv the Rebbe would part from them. R’ Groner asked one of the shluchim to go up to the office of Vaad L’Hafotzas Sichos and ask for fifteen copies of the kuntres from the weekly farbrengen that the Rebbe had edited that week, so he could give them out to the bachurim.

At the end of Maariv, the Rebbe went to gan eden ha’tachton with the secretary and the door closed behind them. The Rebbe blessed the bachurim and wished them a “healthy trip” and gave each one a kuntres. He ended with, “Zol zein besuros tovos.”

The shluchim left that night full of chayus and strength to carry out their mission, happy with the kiruvim they received from the Rebbe.

Members of the second group

THE REBBE’S FACE LIT UP

Not a month had passed since their arrival when the big news was heard in Johannesburg – the sefarim were being returned to 770 on 2 Kislev. This news filled the bachurim with longing to return to New York. They remembered 5 Teves 5747 and the celebration. They had lived through the episode of the sefarim since the painful beginning on 12 Tammuz 5745, and the joy of Didon Notzach which had lasted a week. Now that the sefarim were about to actually return, they were sure they were missing giluyim. Surely, there wouldn’t be a problem with flying to New York for a few days and coming right back.

The Rebbe announced that he would be giving a kuntres to all the shluchim who came. R’ Groner asked the Rebbe whether the talmidim shluchim would receive a kuntres and the Rebbe said yes. All the talmidim shluchim flocked to 770 – from London, Paris, Seattle… A short while later, the group from Melbourne called to say they were also coming.

The bachurim in Johannesburg figured, if they were going from Melbourne, why shouldn’t we go from South Africa?

It was 1:00 in the morning in New York and 7:00 am in South Africa. The shluchim wanted permission from the rosh yeshiva but he said it wasn’t a simple matter and he had to consult with R’ Lipskar (who was at the Kinus HaShluchim at the time).

The bachurim grew impatient and without waiting for an answer they ordered tickets in the hopes that permission would be granted. That evening, the rosh yeshiva called to say that the bachurim could not go and if anyone went anyway, he shouldn’t bother returning.

Despite the enormous disappointment, the bachurim obeyed. A few hours later, their disappointment turned into great joy. They heard what happened in 770 on 2 Kislev, when the sefarim were returned. A group of bachurim were outside 770, watching the historic return of the sefarim. The Rebbe appeared and began speaking sorrowfully about the bittul Torah of the bachurim. Those who were outside at the time were petrified and they fled into the zal and sat down with the first sefer that came to hand. ‘What mazal that we didn’t go,’ agreed the talmidim shluchim.

The next Friday, when the bachurim returned from mivtzaim, they met the rosh yeshiva standing next to issues of the weekly Fax-a-Sicha (a summary of the Rebbe’s sichos which were sent all over the world by fax). R’ Wineberg showed them that on the cover of the likut it said, “Addition: Blessing to the Shluchim of South Africa.” The Rebbe had especially edited the sicha that he said to them a month before. That was no small thing!

The shluchim rejoiced over this rare privilege – the Rebbe had edited the sicha he said to them without their asking for it. Months later, they found out what had happened. That day, 2 Kislev, after the Rebbe spoke, he went to the Ohel. When R’ Lipskar spoke to R’ Groner, he was pleased to say, “My bachurim didn’t go.” R’ Groner promised he would tell the Rebbe as soon as possible.

The next day, R’ Groner found R’ Lipskar and told him, “This morning, when the Rebbe arrived at 770 from home, he was still not pleased with what happened the day before. The Rebbe said to me several times, ‘Not even one yeshiva in the entire world stayed, even one yeshiva sitting and learning…’ I told the Rebbe that the group from Johannesburg did not come and they stayed and learned.

“Upon hearing this, the Rebbe’s face lit up. Then the Rebbe asked me for the hanacha of the sicha that he said to the group before they went on shlichus. About thirty minutes later, the sicha was edited and signed by the Rebbe!”

Some time after that, R’ Chodakov called R’ Wineberg and said that he wanted to personally thank the group that stayed but he saw that the Rebbe had already found a way to thank them himself.

During the next two years, the shluchim to South Africa continued to bolster the spirit of Torah and Chassidus in the yeshiva and the community and brought the spirit of 770 to mekuravim in South Africa.

The shluchim received answers to all the detailed reports they sent about their work. Other shluchim in many locations did not always receive answers from the Rebbe. The shluchim from South Africa attribute this zechus to the fact that they fulfilled their shlichus of Torah study at a very important time, thus making the Rebbe very happy.

CURRENCY FROM SOUTH AFRICA

As told in the article, the Rebbe gave Australian currency to the first group of shluchim to South Africa, saying that he didn’t have South African money. Some time after the bachurim arrived in South Africa, they tried getting new bills from the bank but even the banks didn’t have new bills; only used ones. The tellers didn’t understand why these foreigners insisted on new bills. The bachurim therefore sent used bills as maamad money.

One day, one of the Chassidim returned from the Rebbe with a worn-out bill of South African money that he received from the Rebbe before returning to South Africa. He said to the bachurim, “Don’t you have nicer bills to send to the Rebbe?”

The bachurim knew it wasn’t fitting to send worn-out money to the Rebbe but they had been unable to obtain new bills, but every time they came across a nice bill, they set it aside to send as maamad money.

An Australian bill that the Rebbe gave the shluchim at Yechidus

It was during their stay there that the bachurim understood why the Rebbe did not have South African currency, for at that time, the government forbade sending money out of the country. When the bachurim sent money to the Rebbe, this was illegal and the Rebbe even hinted to this:

The bachurim would send reports to the Rebbe about their activities. At the end of Adar 5744, a letter came from the Rebbe dated “Purim Katan 5744” and addressed to the “talmidim shluchim,” but the address on the envelope was “Lubavitch Foundation” – the office directed by R’ Lipskar.

R’ Lipskar called the one who wrote the report to his office and told him that a letter came from the Rebbe addressed to the bachurim, but to his address. “What address did you write on the envelope that you sent to the Rebbe?” The bachur said he used the address of the dormitory.

“Then why did the Rebbe address the letter to me? wondered R’ Lipskar. He asked the bachurim what they sent in the envelopes and the answer was that along with a detailed report, there were published news items and maamad money.

“Now I understand,” said R’ Lipskar. He told them that it was illegal to send money abroad and that seemed to be what the Rebbe was hinting at by sending his letter to the office of the hanhala, for he wanted the bachurim to consult with the hanhala about things like this.

The bachurim told him that the Rebbe had said he had no South African currency and they decided to send him money from South Africa. Hearing this, the shliach said, “If so, they should continue doing so.”

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