Dovid raskin
Rabbi Dovid Raskin (5687 - 7 Iyar 5771) served as the mashpia ruchani of the Central Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva, chairman of the Central Tzeirei Agudas Chabad, and was a member of the boards of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, Machne Israel, and Beis Rivkah.
Life History[edit | edit source]
Born in 5687 in Babruysk, Belarus, to the chassid Reb Yaakov Yosef and Mrs. Druiza Raskin.
At age two, his father was arrested in Elul 5689 and sentenced to one year in prison. Shortly after his release, the family moved to Leningrad, where his father continued his mesiras nefesh activities for Yiddishkeit.
Reb Yaakov Yosef refused to let his children attend the 'shkole' (government school), and hired Reb Sholom Marozov to teach his sons and other chassidishe children in his home.
During World War II, when the Nazis besieged Leningrad and bombed the bridges crossing the rivers surrounding the city, all bridges were destroyed except one, through which anyone who could fled. On Tuesday, 3 Elul 5701, a neighbor entered the Raskin home and informed them that he had received train tickets from his workplace, but since his sons were fighting on the Leningrad front, he didn't want to leave them. He gave the tickets to the Raskin family. The family managed to board the last train, and immediately after crossing the bridge, the Germans succeeded in bombing it.
The train arrived in Omsk, Siberia, a few days before Rosh Hashanah.
From Omsk they traveled by train to Novosibirsk, and from there decided to travel to Alma Ata, the capital of Kazakhstan. They had heard that masses of refugees had arrived in Tashkent and Samarkand and the economic situation there was difficult, so they thought to move to Alma Ata where there were fewer refugees.
During Chol Hamoed Sukkos 5702, the train arrived in Alma Ata. When they disembarked, they were told that the city authorities, who didn't want masses of refugees flooding in, had stationed special police officers at the train station, which was 8 kilometers from the city. The officers wouldn't allow refugees to leave the station, and the Raskin family was forced to remain at the train station.
After several weeks, they found some way to enter the city. Shortly after arriving in the city, the parents were arrested. After two weeks, the mother was released, while Reb Yaakov Yosef remained imprisoned for a month and a half.
The Raskin family knew that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson was in exile in Chi'ili, Kazakhstan. Reb Yaakov Yosef did everything in his power to secure his release and bring him to Alma Ata. In late Nissan 5704, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak arrived in Alma Ata, sick and weak. Reb Yaakov Yosef and his sons did much for him, securing an apartment for him and Rebbetzin Chana, and also arranged for specialist doctors to treat him. In his final weeks, the Raskin sons took turns helping him put on tefillin and standing by to assist him with whatever he needed.
In New York[edit | edit source]
He arrived in New York on Thursday, 2 Teves (Zos Chanukah) 5710. On 5 Teves, he merited to enter for yechidus with the Frierdiker Rebbe. The gabbai Reb Eliyahu Yeichel Simpson entered with him, but during the yechidus he became so emotional that he couldn't remember the Rebbe's words. He immediately went to the Rebbe [the future Rebbe] and expressed his distress. The Rebbe immediately called Reb Simpson, who related that the Frierdiker Rebbe had inquired about the family, where his father was, and gave a bracha.
Just a month later, Reb Dovid requested another yechidus. This was when four tmimim arrived from Europe and requested to see the Rebbe. Reb Dovid asked to join them and was granted permission. They entered for yechidus on Sunday, 4 Shevat 5710: Reb Dovid together with the bochurim Reb Yitzchok Shlomo Pewzner, Reb Sholom Marozov, Reb DovBer Junik, and Reb Gedaliah Korf.
During the yechidus, the Rebbe asked the tmimim how they were feeling and then inquired about their learning schedule. The bochurim answered that they learn like in Paris, and the mazkir explained that in Paris they learn an hour and a half of Chassidus in the morning before davening, then think about Chassidus, and then daven at length. The Rebbe said: "Lernen darf men, davenen muz men, uber lernen darf men oich. MiZman liZman vet yederer arayngeyn bazunder velen mir reyden" [Learning one should do, davening one must do, but learning one should also do. From time to time each one will come in separately and we will talk].
Following this, the Rebbe instructed them to prepare a hanachah (transcript) of the yechidus, saying that if there would be an opportunity, he would try to bring it to the Frierdiker Rebbe for editing. Reb Dovid Raskin prepared a hanachah and gave it to the Rebbe, but after a few days, on Shabbos 10 Shevat, the Frierdiker Rebbe was nistalek. Later the Rebbe said that the Frierdiker Rebbe had not had time to edit the hanachah.
In the first year after the Frierdiker Rebbe's histalkus, when the Rebbe refused to accept the nesius, the chassidim sought every possible way to request the Rebbe to farbreng. On 2 Nissan 5710, Reb Dovid entered together with his friend Reb Gedaliah Korf to the Rebbe, and requested that he farbreng with the tmimim in connection with the yahrzeit of 2 Nissan. Initially, the Rebbe told them to ask the mashpi'im Reb Shmuel Levitin and Reb Yisroel Jacobson to farbreng with them, but they replied that the mashpi'im had already farbrenged yesterday and they wanted the "Rebbe"... to farbreng. The Rebbe took out a small calendar from his desk drawer, looked at it and said: "In exactly one month, on 2 Iyar, bli neder there will be a farbrengen." Indeed, on 2 Iyar the Rebbe farbrenged with the tmimim and chassidim, and this was the first weekday farbrengen after the histalkus.
Public Activities[edit | edit source]
In 5714, Reb Dovid joined the yeshiva staff as a maggid shiur in the Bedford branch. After several years, he was appointed to the yeshiva's administration.
Although Reb Mordechai Mentlick served as Rosh Yeshiva, the Rebbe saw Reb Dovid as the yeshiva's representative for all matters.
In Nissan 5715, the Rebbe established Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in New York, and later Reb Dovid Raskin was appointed as chairman.
When the Rebbe would give new horaos (directives) to chassidim during farbrengens, Reb Dovid would call shluchim worldwide to update them on the Rebbe's new instructions.
In summer 5733, Reb Dovid traveled to Eretz Yisroel for a family matter. When he informed the Rebbe, the Rebbe leveraged his trip to strengthen Jewish education in the Holy Land. On the Shabbos before his trip, the Rebbe gave him a bottle of mashke and instructed him to make a "shturem" in Eretz Yisroel. On Motzei Shabbos, Reb Dovid asked the Rebbe in which areas he should make a special 'shturem', and also mentioned the "Mihu Yehudi" issue that the Rebbe was emphasizing in those years.
In winter 5744, Reb Dovid Raskin again traveled to Eretz Yisroel as the Rebbe's shliach. The Rebbe instructed him to visit several places and conduct farbrengens.
In 5737, the Rebbe began making a great 'shturem' about mashpi'im and their role. The Rebbe spoke about the obligation for every community to have mashpi'im. Reb Dovid took up this cause and together with Reb Peretz Feiginson conducted meetings with mashpi'im where he emphasized their roles.
In Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 5745, after the discovery of stolen seforim from the Frierdiker Rebbe's library, the Rebbe called seven of the prominent elder chassidim, including Reb Dovid Raskin, and spoke with them about the actions that needed to be taken regarding this matter on behalf of Agudas Chassidei Chabad.
Reb Dovid served in many roles. It's said that on one occasion the Rebbe remarked with appreciation: "How is it possible for one person to have so many positions?" Besides the roles already mentioned, he served as a member of the Vaad L'Hafotzas Chassidus, member of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, member of Machne Israel, member of Beis Rivkah, director of the annual 5 Teves farbrengens in 770, member of the Vaad Hamesader administration, responsible for the holiday tahalucha (parade), and for many years served as the baal tokea during Elul in the Rebbe's minyan.
He was nistalek on the eve of Wednesday, 7 Iyar 5771, at age 84, after years of illness. Many neighborhood residents attended the levaya held Wednesday morning, along with all the talmidim of the Central Tomchei Tmimim. The funeral procession left from the Shomrei Hadas chapel in Boro Park, then passed by Beis Chayeinu - 770, and he was interred in Montefiore Cemetery near the Ohel.