‘It’s Erev Rosh Hashana and Nothing is Set Up?!’

Titled “yedid beis Rebbe,” Reb Elye Chaim Althaus was a devoted chossid of the Frierdiker Rebbe and stood by his side in all his activities. When Reb Yisroel Jacobson expressed surprise that the Rebbe’s shul was not ready on erev Rosh Hashana, Reb Elye Chaim turned the question around.

Reb Eliyahu Chaim Althaus from Nikolayev was a very close chossid of the Frierdiker Rebbe and stood by his side in all his holy activities, and was given the title “yedid beis Rebbe”. He was the official shadchan of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin. When the Frierdiker Rebbe was exiled to Kastrama in the summer of 5687 (1927), he traveled along.

He joined the Frierdiker Rebbe when he moved to Riga, Latvia, where he became active in the Lubavitch community, and was the gabai of the Rebbe’s minyan. He served as one of the three mashpi’im of Achos Temimim, the Lubavitch girls group established by the Frierdiker Rebbe in Riga.

In Kislev 5742 (1941) he was killed in Riga by the Nazis along with many other Chassidim.

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About a month after the Rebbe Rashab passed away, Reb Itche der masmid, who had heard rumors of the Rebbe’s histalkus came to visit Reb Elye Chaim.

Reb Elye Chaim came out of his house to greet him, and Reb Itche who was standing at the bottom of the steps leading up to the house, asked, “Is it true or not?” Reb Elye Chaim did not answer, he just let out a deep sigh. Reb Itche asked again but Reb Elye did not reply.

When Reb Itche asked the question a third time Reb Elye Chaim simply fainted, and toppled down the steps.

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Reb Yisroel Jacobson related:

One year on Erev Rosh Hashana in Leningrad, I walked into the room that was supposed to be used as the shul, and saw that not even one bench had been set up. I turned to Reb Elye Chaim and said, “It’s Erev Rosh Hashana and nothing is set up?!”

Reb Elye Chaim responded by repeating the same words back to me, “It’s Erev Rosh Hashana and nothing is set up?!”

I got the message Reb Elye Chaim was teaching me: Demand of yourself, not of others.

For sources, visit TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com