Chabad Tokyo Japan

Shavuot is around the corner, with that we are preparing the ‘’dairy menu’’ for this holiday.
In Japan, when you want to make kosher hot cocoa, on a cold winter day, it takes about 10 hours.
At 4 in the morning, Rabbi Edery wakes up, drives to the milk farm for the morning milking. The milk farms are in Saitama, Gunma, or Chiba, ranging between 1.5 -3.5 hours drive, one way. He brings with him 2- 20 liter drink tanks, which get filled with fresh milk. He helps clean the barn, feed the cows, and is happy to help the farmer with whatever is needed.
After returning to Tokyo, with the fresh, warm milk, Rabbi Edery empties the containers into an army sized pot, for pasteurizing. Once it has reached the right temperature, the milk is left to be cooled. After the milk is cooled down, it is spilled into bottles with a funnel. Now the kosher milk is ready for use. Some are distributed among people who want kosher milk, the rest of the bottles are used for the Chabad House. Some are frozen.
The trip is very interesting for anyone who accompanies the Rabbi. One experiences first hand, how much work goes into taking care of cows, from morning to dusk.
The children really enjoy going and the farmers are always surprised to see the happiness on their faces.

Lag Baomer Tokyo was truly a special and inspiring experience. There was a wonderful and enthusiastic group of guests. All enjoyed a fantastic BBQ, words of Torah, music, a lot of singing and dancing, making all the people happy and joyous on this auspicious day. Candles were lit in honor of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Surely all the prayers were answered. Rabbi Goldstien, a guest from Israel, read words from the Holy Zohar, and sang melodies from Meron, where Rabbi Shimon is buried.
Hopefully we will merit to see Rabbi Simon, and his teacher Rabbi Akiva, and all the 24,000 students, along with all the Jews who passed away, with the coming of Moshiach.
We would like to thank Shaul Ben Dayan and his family for helping out with the BBQ.
This Lag Baomer, Rabbi Edery visited the Embassy of Israel in Tokyo, and brought them the happiness of Lag Baomer. Above is the picture of Rabbi Edery and the ambassador, Mr. Nissim Shitrit.

You are more than welcome to joining us for the
Lag Baomer BBQ, this coming Monday evening.

When and Where?
This Monday,
May 11
at 6:00 pm
at Chabad Tokyo japan
1-25-18 Sanno
Ota-ku, Tokyo

Tuesday, May 12, Field Trip for children in honor of Lag Baomer
Fun! Adventurous! Meaningful!
To join, please email in advance to
[email protected]

What is Lag Baomer?
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s Yortzeit
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was a great sage who lived around 2,000 years ago.
He wrote the Zohar which is the most basic and fundamental book of the esoteric explanation of the Torah. The G-dly revelations that Rabbi Shimon revealed during his lifetime were so huge that they impact all generations until today. This day is the climax of the holy work of Rabbi Shimon and it is the reason for the great celebrations worldwide. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai asked that his day of passing be celebrated and promised blessing and much goodness to one who celebrates on this day.

On this day the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped passing away from a plague.

Visiting the sick is one of the greatest good deeds, one receives reward in this world, physically and in the next. (morning prayers)

When a person is not well, it is very difficult to function properly. It is even more difficult when one becomes ill in a foreign country, not knowing anyone.
This week, Rabbi Binyomin Edery got a call regarding a tourist who was hospitalized in Nagano. He drove right away for 3 hours, arrived at the hospital, and found the Jewish patient and his wife. The husband had a stroke, and was not conscious.
The wife was so relieved that the Rabbi came, she could finally talk to someone who understands her, and can also communicate her concerns and important information to the doctors. She felt revived and her morale was so much better, after the Rabbi prayed for her husband, said Psalms, and did not leave her husbands bedside. It made such a difference. She later said:” for me it was an angel, who gave me so much support at this difficult time. I believe that in the merit of the prayers he will wake up.”‘
Later on during the week, Rabbi Edery, drove back and forth to Tokyo, to bring more guests, including the Edery family, to pray and strengthen the family. The wife was so touched by the concern and brotherly love expressed to her and her husband.
The Talmud says that when one visits a sick person it takes away 1/60 of the illness.
The doctors are satisfied with the progress and are optimistic about his recuperation.
In the meantime if you can say a prayer for his speedy recovery, his full name is Uriel son of Chanah.
His chapter in Psalms is 65.
We are sure that with Hashem’s help Uriel will definitely recover, speedily, in this month of Iyar- healing.

Often when people come to Tokyo and see the Edery children they ask :”How do you succeed in educating children in the ways of the Torah in Japan, so far away? This is such a sacrifice for you.”
Rabbi Edery beaming, answers ” This is no sacrifice! This is a privilege. Where can you find such a great education where a child has a hands on Jewish learning experience all the time! When children (and adults) are so busy doing the right thing, they stay on the right path and are not influenced by the outside spiritually negative winds.

From a very young age the children know that the house is open to everybody, and they do their utmost to make people feel happy and welcomed. They are a huge help on a day to day basis, helping out in the Chabad House, cooking, baking bread, cleaning, and taking guests from the station and bringing them to the Chabad House.

They escort Rabbi Edery on many of his trips to bring the happiness of Judaism everywhere. From helping with the lulav and Esrog in the Succa Mobile, to putting on Tefillin on people, to giving out Purim food gifts, to menorahs and doughnuts on Chanuka, to giving out cards with the 7 Noahide laws, to sending kosher food packages, to explaining to local Japanese kids what being Jewish is all about.
It is fascinating to see them ”at work”. People react very warmly and are pleasantly surprised.

Moshiach (8), who is the oldest of the Edery kids once asked a Jewish man, if he would like to put on Tefillin to which he replied:” Sorry I’m in a rush I haven’t go time”. Then the man started talking with Rabbi Edery. At that moment, Moshiach turned to the man, and with a big ”I got you” smile said, ” well if you have time to talk, you have time to put on Tefillin” and with that he got right to his job.

When the children do things, their sincerity is so strong that it overcomes all obstacles and helps people do more good. It is for this very reason that the Rebbe refers to the children as ”The Army of Hashem” (G-d’s army).
It will be the kinderlach who will make Moshiach come!