From Chilul Hashem in Zimbabwe to Kidush Hashem in Jerusalem

No less than eight "pashkevilim" (posters) adorned the walls of Jerusalem over the weekend, a so-called day of routine.

The posters convey, as usual, a negative criticism of the whole world, because they are sitting on the 'Even Hashesiya' from which the world was founded, as they were educated that the land of Israel is the center of the world, Jerusalem the center of Israel, Meah Shearim the center of Jerusalem, and the Shtiblach in Mea Shearim is the center of the world. From there it is determined how to behave and operate.

The posters' formulators often use empty phrases that include the words "Kidush Hashem", "Messirus Nefesh" and more.

One of them went further, describing the size of the "Messirus Nefesh and Kidush Hashem" of these brave soldiers, successors of the Hasmonean Cohen Gadol Matisiyahu and his sons, who attacked this week a woman fighter from a fire team dispatched to extinguish two burning garbage cans on Zonnenfeld street in the Mea Shearim neighborhood.

'It will not happen', 'Hefkerus', 'sending the woman fire fighter to Meah Shearim is a deliberately malicious act of the Zionist authorities to implement National Service to the daughters of Israel "(quote from Pashkevil).

The fire fighter was taken for treatment after a bottle was smashed on her back, pained, and especially humiliated for the reward she gained in return for her want to help the residents, and the "Hasmonean" went back to his base while getting much praise for his heroic deeds and misdeeds, which will be inscribed in the magnificent pages of the history of the fanatics of Jerusalem.

This is the realization of the ideal of 'Kidush HAshem', 'Love the Lord your G-d ... with all your soul - that the name of Heaven become beloved through you, about which it was said, "You are Israel in whom I take pride".

Messenger from Africa

At the time, in New – York, thousands of Chabad emissaries from around the world gathered in a Shluchim conference, who are real soldiers on a real front, in the big challenge imposed on us: to save precious souls of the masses of our brethren from the wave assimilation. To give them a Jewish education, to bring them closer to the shull, to deepen the Jewish connection in their spirit.

These are required to give up a comfortable life in a pampering religious community, to face enormous difficulties in their children's education, to make do with little for reasons of kashrut. All this – in order to save the ship of Am Yisroel from drowning.

Their Messirus Nefesh and great contribution for Jewish existence, their sacrifice, love and devotion to all Jews has become renowned and famous.

I have met emissaries in countless countries across the globe. There is almost no Chabad emissary in the world that I have not "bothered". Not only in the United States and Europe, of course. But also the most remote countries and in unusual hours, by day and night in affairs of Chessed Shel Emet or other issues of aid and assistance to Jews.

I always, always found a sympathetic ear for my various and strange requests, in enormous efforts to prevent the burning of bodies or autopsies of Jews.

For example, in Zimbabwe, Africa, died a lonely Jew. One of the emissaries from the region came to the event by chance, and called me to ask for guidance to treat the body, for there was no Jewish cemetery and no Jewish burial conditions there.

I advised him what to do and asked him to take three buckets of water and purify the body. He could not believe his ears.

After a minute of silence, he asked me in shock: "What? I? I never messed around with things like that and I'm not sure I can meet the task." After we finished the call, in my mind I thought what would be the fate of the deceased. I totally understood the messenger, when he hesitated. Despite all the activity of the Shluchim in every day life, that's more difficult, which they have never been accustomed to.

Two hours afterwards I got a phone call, and when I answered, I heard the Shaliach screaming into the phone: 'I did it! I did it! ' Apparently, he was so excited about outdoing himself and doing it, that he broke out in excitement.

This is the difference between real soldiers fighting on the genuine front and 'Lego' soldiers who play pretend games of Kidush Hashem – when the result is one big 'Chilul Hashem'.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!