April 10, 1998 VOL 1, ISSUE 22 14 NISSSAN 5758

The government then seized control of all businesses, including the mills for grinding flour for Pesach, the matzah bakeries, ect. Knowing that everyone relied on my father's supervision, the government realized that without it, they would be unable to sell the flour.

They therefore summoned my father and informed him that this year he would also give his approval to the flour, and warned him that he is not allowed to invalidate any flour. Should he do so, they explained, it would be impossible to sell that flour. This would cause the government a financial loss, and he would be treated as one who is " waging war against the government"!

My father answered, "if I have a free hand in supervising the flour - having my own mashgichim, ect. - and can guarantee that it is fit according to the Torah, then I can give my approval to the flour again this year. If not, not only will I not give my approval, but I will publicly declare all over the land that the flour is not under my supervision!".

The government representatives repeated their demand that he give blanket approval to all the flour, and again warned of the consequences awaiting him should he not comply.

However, my father remained firm, and again answered that he will not do anything against the Torah. Furthermore, he said, he was prepared to travel to Moscow and explain to the head of state that it is impossible to say something is Kosher if it's not. Such a thing is against the Sulchan Arcuh, against Hashem's will, and utterly impossible! If they wish to punish him, that's their business. But he will not budge, and will never do something againts Hashem's will!

They continued their threats, but after seeing that they were getting nowhere, they left and related the conversation to their superiors ( or the head of state). They were told to cooperate fully with my father, and to follow his directions completely. The result was that the flour was again under my father's supervision, it was made without compromises or heterim and all the government's matzah bakeries used this flour!

This story took place in Communit country, where only a few people could be told what happened. It is my pleasure to be able to relate it now, especially since it includes a lesson for every Jew, beginning with small children: When a Jew stands firm and declares that he can not do anything against Hashem's will, he will ultimately be successful, even against a powerful nation, which opposes him. As we see from this story, through my father's show of strength, the government not only didn't interfere, but they themselves approved his flour and used it in all of their bakeries!

True, not everyone has the strength of my father. On the other hand, not everyone has such a difficult test- to have to stand up to a powerful government which ruled over 200 million people! The test facing the individual is much easier: he just has to overpower his own yetzer hora!

Therefore, when the yetzer hora tries to convince a jewish child that the non-jewish world will not allow him act as a jewish child should,

he should answer that this is a lie! Since Hashem constantly stands above him, He will certainly help him overcome any obstacles and to ultimately be victorious.

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What does it mean that now the land produces thorns and thistles? Before Man sinned, the potential for Good was like a beautiful flower which grows and blooms almost by itself. Good emerged into the world with but the minimum of effort. After Man sinned, another potential came into existence: The potential for Evil. Simultaneously, the potential for Good now could be realized only by hard work. If Adam had not sinned, our true potential would have been able to emerge automatically without special effort and work. The potential for Evil, however, requires no work or assistance. It sprouts and multiplies by itself. It is as invasive as a weed. That's the meaning of "Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you, and you will eat from the herb of the field" (Bereishis 3:18). Left to our own instincts, we become a field of weeds. To become elevated - to flower and blossom - we must put in a lot of digging and weeding of the soul.

"We were slaves to Pharaoh in Mitzraim" The Exodus from Egypt gave us the potential for the ultimate escape from this field of thorns. A slave can never realize his own potential. He can never flower. All he can do is to bring his master's potential to fruition. A slave is like a field that can only grow weeds. A free person is able to bring his entire potential into reality. With hard work he can blossom and bloom. The slave, like an abandoned field, is a fertile place for all kinds of weeds: The weeds of immorality; the weeds of lawlessness.

When the final redemption, the final geula comes, all domination in the world, everything which holds us in thrall, will be removed. There will be nothing to prevent us from realizing our full potential. That is the very definition of geula - that our entire potential is realized to its fullest. Nothing remains latent and frustrated.

At the first sedrer my father would be brief, (in his explanation of the Hagasa, ect.) in order to eat the afikoman before midnight. On the second night, however, he would expound at length; he began the seder before 9:00 p.m. and ended at about 3 or 4 in the morning, dwelling at length on the explanation of the Hagada.