“Meilech, why do you cry?” asked Reb Zusha. Reb Elimelech pointed to the smelly pail in the corner of their prison cell … The two saintly brothers, Rebbe Zusha and Rebbe Elimelech, who lived in 18th century Poland, wandered for years disguised as beggars, seeking to refine their characters and […]
Daily Archives: February 8, 2022
From Rabbi “Big MO” Siev’s travel diary… When friends meet after a long absence, it is an occasion for joy. So much so, that our Sages suggest saying the bracha (blessing) Shehechiyanu – “Blessed are You, G-d, our L-rd, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us […]
A Personal Story from Rabbi Mordechai “Big Mo” Siev
30 years ago a situation arose because of a person’s ill feeling, even justified, that jeopardized Ascent and a solution could not be found. I was pacing back and forth nervously. Rabbi Schneur Zalman Gafni, one of Ascent’s teachers, sensed a problem and asked me about it. After describing the […]