Rabbi Fishel's Blog

That's me as a young boy receiving a dollar from the Rebbe (my younger brother is standing in front of me).

This Saturday, June 20, I will be in New York, at the gravesite of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, my teacher and mentor. I will be joined by more than 50 thousand people from across the globe who will be visiting the Rebbe's holy resting place on this auspicious day.

This day marks twenty one years since the passing of the Rebbe, of righteous memory. At this site we traditionally ask for blessings, pray, and give thanks, as is customary when we commemorate the Yartzeit of a righteous person. If anyone wants a prayer, please let me know and I will make blessings as well on your behalf. All of us can pray to G-d to whom we are all equal: to pray and seek blessings at a holy place such as the resting place of our dear Rebbe and mentor makes it even more meaningful. (Services will be on as usual led by our very own Aharon Granovitz).

It was this mission of love for every individual and a vision of a perfected world that inspired our lifetime move to Naples, FL. We carry not only his memory but his messages with us on a daily basis.

On this Shabbos Shlach, as we celebrate Alex Glassman’s Yahrtzeit, whom we all loved so much and who we miss so dearly, there can be no doubt as to what is happening in the heavens right now.   

We know that on the day of the  anniversary of passing, the soul, of a dearly departed loved one achieves an “Aliyah” – a spiritual ascendancy – in the heavens above, thus making the occasion a joyous one, rather than a sad one. 

I think that it is quite fitting that the Shabbos upon which we are celebrating Alex Glassman’s yahrtzeit is the Shabbos in which we read the Torah portion of “Shlach”… “Shlach” means we are all messengers on a mission. Hashem, our Commander-in-Chief, lays out the specifics of the mission.

If we approach our mission with the attitude of “we'll see” as in: “I’ll see… I’ll look to determine whether or not I can do this… I’ll see if it fits into my schedule, if my job allows for it,.”… It can have questionable results. Not a winning formula for success

If, on the other hand, we approach it, saying to ourselves: “Come what may, I will fulfil my mission!”.  If the question is not whether you will do it; only how you will do it, you can be sure that the Almighty will help tear down the obstacles standing in our way, and we will enter the promised land of success! After all, if G-d asks and expects something of us, it means that we surely have the capability of doing it.

In many ways, our beloved Alex was a poster-boy for this approach to life’s challenges and pursuits. He approached every new opportunity with zest and enthusiasm. He was such a warm and passionate soul. His cheerful demeanor – as manifested in his distinctive hearty laugh – would lift the spirits of all those around him. He was a proud Jew and a generous humanitarian.

He would often lament the fact that having grown up in a small town in Quebec where there was no Jewish community life, he did not receive much of a Jewish education in his youth. But gosh --- how much joy, pride and satisfaction he would derive from fact that he is now helping provide such an education to the Jewish kids of this community!

Whether it was going on a mission to help start up a paper company in Israel, supporting his alma maters, Israel’s Technion, or Chabad of Naples, his physical height was a symbol for how he stood tall for causes close to his heart. At the same time, he was a modest, self-effacing man, awkward about being thanked for his generosity -- giving and helping was "just what Jews do".

The soul of Alex – Eliyahu Glassman shall surely have an Aliyah – shall surely ascend in the holy spheres above, taking pride in all of the good that continues to be done in his name (and shall do so in perpetuity); and praying for his beloved Carol, and for all of us who have the privilege of worshiping, studying and celebrating in this sacred House of G-d that bears his name. Tihay Zichro Boruch – may his memory be an eternal blessing for all…

 Click on image to see the clip

Dear Friends,

While aware of our good health and good fortune, continually making plans for future events, we cannot be unaware at the same time of pain and suffering around us, and how easily things can go awry.  When we pray for health and strength to continue our daily activities, of course we direct our prayers to G-d, recognizing His hand in every facet of our lives.

Some years ago I caught 'one of those bugs' and lost my voice for quite a while. There I was, the rabbi, the speaker—where I was always expected  to be a man of words with a class or an invocation or a speech, and suddenly I was rendered absolutely speechless -- a mute!. Overnight, I became useless and unproductive -- all by a microscopic germ. Even when we work hard, create the most intricate business plans, or present the most wonderful proposals, ultimately our success needs a prayer. We need to recognize the hand of G-d in our lives and, hopefully, inour success.

In the past few days, so many friends, both Jews and non-Jews have sent me the following clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4GQO1L-OK0  

It's particularly significant to us as in two weeks my children and I will visit the gravesite of our dear Rebbe of blessed memory for the day of his anniversary of passing. In our daily lives,  as much as we work so hard and try to have all the plans laid out, we still need blessings from above and to recognize that a little prayer can't hurt. It can be short but  meaningful and powerful. If anyone wants a prayer, please  let me know and I will make blessings as well on your behalf. All of us can pray to G-d to whom we are all equal: to pray and seek blessings at a holy place such as  the resting place of our dear Rebbe and mentor makes it even more meaningful. 

For the past few months, among many other activities we have been preparing for summer camp. This coming Monday 180 children will be coming through our doors. We’ve worked hard to refine every detail and a big shout goes out to Director Ettie for her superb efforts!

But over the weekend we will take a moment and to reflect that as we begin the summer we know that we also need a blessing from above. Let us do our work as best as we can and then let us not forget to ask Him to bless the work of our hand.