SIMCHA MONICA KINNOS AUCTION
Please click hereto buy your Kinnos.
Build the Bais HaMikdash by giving Tzedakah! Anyone who has been in Simcha Monica for Tisha BeAv will recall Rabbi Levitansky’s Kinnos Auction. Since we know that Hamaaseh Hu Haikar, the action is the main thing, and giving Tzedakah is what will bring Moshiach, and the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash, Rabbi Levitansky would offer the zechus of the Kinnos to be purchased, by having an auction for the Kinnos on Tisha B’Av morning. In recent years, he added the option to “pre-buy” and he would announce the buyers during the Auction and recital of Kinnos in Chabad House. He would have great Nachas when former “Simcha Monicans”, former counselors etc. would call in and buy their Kinnos. In keeping with this tradition, we have put up the Kinnos for auction on our website, please make your selection and may this giving of Tzedakah be the last step and bring about the complete Geulah NOW! Please read on for the story that Rabbi Levitansky would say in connection with the selling of Kinnos.
My grandfather was a traveling salesman in the Jewelry trade. His travels took him to small cities in the mid-west and northern United States. One day in the early 1930’s as he was traveling through a rural town, he saw a fire on a farm. He stopped to look and saw the farmers from all the neighboring farms form a fire brigade. All their efforts unfortunately failed. The farmers stood around and mourned the loss. “Poor John,” they said “everything is gone.” “John, we are so sorry.”
My Zaide hearing this spoke up in his European accent “I’m shorry ten dollars vorth, how much you shorry.” His words took the farmers by surprise. Not only that he was sorry, but that he was putting money where his mouth is ($10 in those days was a handsome sum.)
Each farmer, taking my Zaide’s cue spoke up one by one, pledging a dollar or two to help poor John. Eventually enough money was collected to rebuild the farm. On Tisha B’av, we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple. The goal is not to remain with the mourning but to bring about the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdosh (Holy Temple.)
At Chabad on 17th St, we have the custom to offer the z’chus (merit) of the Kinos (prayer of mourning) to be purchased.