THE DETROI T JEWISH NEWS — Friday, December 9, 1960
CO
A True Story
Chalitzah
By DANIEL L. TICKTON
Here is a story that occurred thermore, I don't even believe as instructed in Deuteronomy
three score and seven years ago, in marriage." Immediately Yos- 25:9,10: "So shall be done to
and it is not meant to be either sel became the center of attrac- the man who will not establish
disparaging, critical, or deroga- tion in our town. Previously, no his brother's house. His name
one had paid any attention to shall be called in Israel baal
tory.
This incident remains with Yossel, the vasser treger, the cholutz hanaal (one freed of the
me today, in spite of all the water carrier. But now it was shoe)." Bayle then removed the
years that have passed since it different. He was a celebrity. shoe from Yossel's foot and spat
People wanted to know how he in his face according to law. And
happened. , -
all the people proclaimed that
It is set in a familiar sur- could be so mule-headed.
Bayle tried talking to Yossel, he was indeed a baal cholutz
rounding, Byalistock. My family
hanaal.
lived only a few houses from reminding him of his duties ac-
,
cording
to
the
Torah.
Yossel,
It was all over. Bayle was left
the town's rabbi, Reb Shmuel
Mohliver, olov hasholom (may with his booming bass voice and sorely disappointed, her poise
he rest in Peace), on Gumiener muscles to match, refused, gone. And Yossel was thence-
Gaas (street), a rabbi who, de- shrugging his shoulders. Bayle forth scorned and shunned like
spite shunning all manner of then tried to convince Yossel of a leper. People purposefully
publicity, acquired for himself all the practical advantages of avoided him. They never for-
a name through his own great- 1 marriage, of how good it is to gave him. Shortly afterwards,
dome home after a weary day he left for America.
ness and learning. -
In the rabbi's house, I had The and have someone to comfort
Since that time, I have
occasion to witness a chalitzah him, to sit by his side, to have occasion to recall that after
a
bowl
of
hot
soup
waiting
on
ceremony. Not many people
three times. Years later, er
have seen, and some have not a cold day. Try as she may, my arrival in Detroit, I e sun-
Bayle
remained
as
unsuccessful
heard of, the ritual of taking off
tered Yossel while searc g for
the shoe. Only -my proximity to as ever.
clients for my insuran
busi-
-
But
Yossel
had
to
face
facts,
the rabbi's residence made me
ness among the Jewishl popu-
the one in perhaps thousands no matter how unpleasant. So, lated streets. He was
' pros-
who have observed this practice. in accordance with Jewish law, perous businessman, m ried,
Chalitzah is by- no means a they went to the rabbi for con- with a family, and he wa well
quaint custom. It is the alterna- sultation.
respected in the communit
1-
Rabbi Mohliver, amid the though he told me that he h
tive of • Yivum. If a man dies
without children, his brother crowd - that had gathered to had many stormy and sorrowful
bears the responsibility of mar- watch the proceedings, heard seasons • in his life since escap-
rying the widow in order that both sides of the story. He then ing Russia. But, no doubt about
children may be born to the wo- advised Yossel to perform his it, luck assumed a prominent
man, in this manner perpetuat- duty under the Torah and to role in his life.
ing the deceased's household. take Bayle for a wife. But Yos-
When I mentioned the chalit-
However, the surviving brother sel _refused. Nothi uld be
as zah incident to him, he merely
nn.
has the right to refuse to marry done to pe
ore, to go thro h said: "I am married to Bayle,
her. That being the case, she decided
and I am very happy. I helped
may not remarry until she re- wit alitzah in order t
her, get here from Russia, and
should be free to •ma
ceives chalitzah, a • sort of re-
we are a happily married cou-
one else should the op
lease.
ple." I never repeated his story
nity present itself.
That is exactly what occ
to anyone-while he was alive.
• in
The rabbi began
with these two brothers
and
I visited with him frequently
the passages a
and Yossel. Faivel, t
take lat his store, and we traced back
Yossel officia
had been married t
i read lour ancestors, the folks, and the
Bayle fo w
thoroughly religiou
ebrew: residents at Byalistock.
aga
er. He contrieted
ake her"
only a year afte
A few years ago, at Yossel's
ute silence funeral, I sat there watching
and he died vv
ookers spoke the tear-stained faces and listen-
dren.
scarcely dared ing tO the rabbi compare him to
ter Yossel, the
Six months
Yossel sat down: one of the lamed vov (thirty-six)
younger broth , was approach.
took an all-leather most righteous men in the
arrying Bayle.
ed in regard t
d bound it on his foot. world. I saw the sorrowful
by?" "I don't sho
He refused.
rabbi read some more aloud moanings of his wife amidst her
replied. "Fur-
believe in it,"
children. I was wondering:
"How many people there know
about Yossel, the history of hav-
ing her spit in his face during
chalitzah, and about their back-
grounds?"
When • I recalled this event
for the third time, it was not
for the purpose of writing this
story. I do not pass judgment.
It was gam zu l'tovah, all for
the best.
Detroit Reception Committee Plans
Itinerary for Men achem Begin Visit
Menachem Begin, member of distinguished group active in
the Israel Knesset (parliament), the business and professional
is scheduled to arrive in Detroit fields, to be held at the Henrose
Jan. 20 for the lecture engage- Hotel.,
Begin's tour in this country is
ment 8:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at the
largely for informative pur-
Jewish Center.
poses. Intrigued by the best-
A local reception committee
seller Exodus, in which the
includes Judge. William A.
underground activities of the
Friedman, Rev. Hyman Adler,
Leumi is de-
Sol A. Dann and other co
in such
ful colors,
munal and civic leaders.
triu
antly led
The tentative pr
e lay Begin as co and in-chief,
' guest will be
g with the ice will talk on ‘"Ex us-Fact
ose Hotel and ..nd Fiction," and wil set in
press at
an in
with the broad- roper perspective som of the
cas
ilities of local sta- tirring moments of th under-
gin will attend a meet- round strug le whic
es ul ted
the Detroit Chapter of n the birth
srael.
V Zionist-Revisionist
rgan-
Ad
y cards.
izatioh, at a place
.e an- Thos
e reserva-
I nounced.
ions
DI 1-1639,
Following the
I 1
Or
150. Tickets
ap
ance, Begin wil
e ta .
ill
ale at Boren-
be
at an intimate
stein's and
er's book stores.
kah
Meals
Sabbath
Dinner
Holidays
and every day
Vninat
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Canadian Jewry
Protests Census
of course!
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for old-timey good Kasha
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Also enjoy Wolff's Creamy Kernels (grits) .
. Wolff's Kasha Soup.
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PHYLLIS WOLFF, Penn Yan, N
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DISTRIBUTED • BY:
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OTTAWA, (JTA)—Organized
Jewry in Canada was informed
by the government today that Ca-
nadian Jews, like all others in
the Dominion, will again be able
to enroll themselVes as "Cana-
dian," without indicating their
ethnic origin, when the next cen-
sus is conducted in this country
in 1961.
In the 1951 census, Jews were
permitted to register as "Cana-
dians" as to ethnic origin, while
putting themselves down, if they
chose to do so, as "Jew" by
religion. The same rules will pre-
ensus, Dr. 0.
y
e govern-•
ieux, chief o
re, told
ment's census branch
a delegation represen a the
National- Joint Public R tions
Committee of the Canadi Jew-
ish Congress and jai Br*
that
der point
Jewish
esults
la
h
1
y note
inc re
s, only
the
at,
ed them-
6 pe
nic origin,
s • 'e of ewi:
heir religion
ile 204,836 s
result, say the
as Jewish.
s, was that "the
Jewish 1
impression was given
errOn
,166 persons, or 13.5 per-
ent of all Jews by religion in
Canada in 1951, were not Jews
by ethnic origin which was evi-
dently incorrect."
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