While spending an uplifting Tishrei 5736 with the Rebbe, Reb Naftoli Kraus, an Israeli journalist, wrote up his experiences in the famous Maariv newspaper. But his writing that chassidim drink “vodka” displeased the Rebbe.
A delicate balance was always drawn with saying l’chaim. “Mashke is sometimes used to remove a growth in the lung,” the Rebbe said, “but if one drinks over the limit, halevai (one needs to hope) it won’t cause new growths…”
While spending an uplifting Tishrei 5736 with the Rebbe, Reb Naftoli Kraus, an Israeli journalist, wrote up his experiences in the famous Maariv newspaper.
One day, he was summoned to the Rebbe. The Rebbe was sitting at his table, with a copy of the article. Smiling broadly, the Rebbe gave him a yasher koach for the article, but also had some criticism.
“Why did you have to write ‘vodka’? Why not ‘mashke’?”
Vodka, the Rebbe explained, has a connotation of people going wild.
(Toras Menachem Vol 44 p. 100; Hasipur Sheli Issue 30)
From The Weekly Farbrengen by Merkaz Anash
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