Heichal Menachem of Golders Green, London, hosted two special events this week.
In honor of Chof Daled Teves, the community farbrenged with their Rov, Rabbi Gedalya Leiberman and with Rabbi Nechemya Vogel, shliach in Rochester NY and member of Merkos board.
Rabbi Lieberman focused on the Alter Rebbe’s uniqueness in that he excelled in both nigleh and Chassidus: when learning the Shulchan Aruch Harav, its possible to forget that the author also wrote incredibly deep maamorim, and vice versa.
Rabbi Vogel also focused on the greatness of the Alter Rebbe, by relating stories the Rebbe told about him, zeroing in on the need for the Alter Rebbe’s accomplishments to have an effect on our everyday life.
“Chassidus is like toothpaste,” Rabbi Vogel quipped. “Once it’s out the tube it cannot go back in!” In the same vein, once somebody has learned Chassidus, it affects him and it cannot go back into the sefer – and once somebody has Chassidus running through him, he must share it with others.
Rabbi Vogel shared his commitment to join the project to study two sichos a week to complete the entire Likutei Sichos in eight years, and encouraged the community to undertake this as well.
This past Motzaei Shabbos, the shul also hosted its annual Melava Malka for men and women. Yehuda Kanar, a local anash member and accomplished cellist, mesmerized the crowd with his beautiful niggunim and shared what brought him to Chabad: while studying music, he happened to meet with a Lubavitcher chossid – and this encounter changed his life forever.
