Rabbi Leibel Kaplan, as a loyal soldier of the Rebbe, ultimately receives the reliable and accurate transcript of the Rebbe's words to journalist Oded Ben Ami - and alongside his efforts to "minimize damage" on the intra-Haredi level, vis-à-vis the Council of Torah Sages and Agudath Israel activists, he does not abandon his essential role and mission.
He recovers from the initial lack of understanding and embarrassment that attacked him and immediately begins to lead the moves to thwart the establishment of a coalition government.
These initial actions are also described in his authentic diary:
"On Tuesday night (after the decision of the Council of Torah Elders and the signature of the MKs), clear information arrived for the first time to act with all force to thwart the aforementioned decision. Then vigorous action was initiated on our part, vigorously seeking advice, etc., and on Wednesday we met with Rabbi Alter to seek advice on what to do, and he told us at the time that the MKs had the impression that Chabad was not interfering and perhaps even inclined their minds toward the arrangement, and in any case, they were not interfering the entire time, and they did what they did based on this assumption."
"And also from the fact that it is known that when Chabad wants something, they do not sit in their rooms but act vigorously, in meetings with everyone, etc., and they go with a bang to the Council of Torah Scholars, and here there was a thin silence, and that even the expression of opinion is not clear, and after all, etc. The continuation was in action to thwart, etc. as above, and as has been reported over time."
On the eve of Passover, Rabbi Leibel Kaplan writes the following letter to the Rebbe's secretary, Rabbi Leibel Gruner, which he faxes:
"This morning, Rabbi Hershel Katz, the gabbai of the Rebbe of Moishnitz, called me and asked to inform me of an official statement on behalf of the Rebbe of Moishnitz, that he is very hurt and very broken by what Rebbe Verdiger announced that he had received an order from the Rebbe Shlita not to obey the decision of the Council of Torah Elders."
"If they had come on behalf of the Council of Torah Scholars, and had come before they had discussed and decided, and in any case had officially informed the Council of Torah Scholars that the Council of Torah Scholars believed so - he would have understood, but without informing the Council of Torah Scholars, he, as the president of the Council of Torah Scholars, sees this as an insult to the Council of Torah Scholars and an insult to the Council of Torah Scholars, and he is very hurt and very broken about this. I received the message and said that if I have anything to say, I will let you know."
As mentioned, all the efforts and "all the treasures", all the connections and all the figures that could be mobilized for the benefit of the cause - were mobilized by Rabbi Leibel Kaplan in an attempt to calm the members of the Council of Torah Scholars, and to ensure that the Lord would not raise a Torah dispute between them and the Rebbe.
Another entry from Rabbi Leibel Kaplan's diary, which allegedly implies that Rabbi Ephraim Wolf (the Rebbe's representative in Israel), who was asked at such complicated moments to join the campaign, expressed dissatisfaction with being implicated at such a late point in time in moves in which he was not involved at all:
"In the meantime, I received the message from the Rebbe (Rabbi Ephraim Wolf) about the matter, which was not known to him before; and for now, I do not see what I have to answer in this regard (to enter into an argument about it or to be specific about whether he had an explicit instruction directly to him, etc.). The Rebbe (Rabbi Ephraim Wolf) told me that he would visit the Rebbe of Admgur (the current Rebbe of Gur) in accordance with the instruction he received, but in the current state of affairs, there is apparently no point in visiting the Rebbe of Doiznitz now, especially since it is highly doubtful that he will accept us."
From the present letter, as well as from additional correspondence between Rabbi Kaplan and Rabbi Leibel Gruner, from which I will quote below, it appears that the instruction given by the secretariat to convey the message to the members of the Council of Torah Sages was accompanied by another instruction to explain that the Rebbe's words to the journalist should not be seen as interference but rather as an 'expression of opinion' (as Rabbi Leibel called it in his diary).
In other words, there was no explicit instruction from the Rebbe here, but the Rebbe made his personal opinion clear to the journalist, and the expectation and hope is that everyone to whom the Rebbe's opinion and positions are important will act accordingly. However, to emphasize in every possible way, the Rebbe did not order anyone to do anything in place of the Council of Torah Scholars or to interfere with their powers, he merely revealed his holy opinion in response to a question addressed to him by the journalist. Therefore, it is impossible not to act in accordance with his holy opinion.
"Major Shmoati" enlists
In the short time remaining between the meeting of the Council of Torah Sages and the signing of the coalition agreement and the swearing-in in the Knesset, members of the Council of Torah Sages and the Shin Bet security services tried to take every possible step to preserve the original decision and ensure that the entire Agudat Yisrael faction would support the establishment of the Peres government.
Accordingly, there were apparently deliberate actions by politicians who created deliberate disinformation. The "Major Shmoati" campaign was launched with great enthusiasm, and among other things, pressure was exerted on MKs Avraham Werdiger and Eliezer Mizrahi in an attempt to convince them that "Chabad activists" believe that they should not oppose the directives of the Council of Torah Elders.
The government swearing-in ceremony scheduled for the Sunday of Dachul HaMoed (and a second Yom Tov abroad) was unsuccessful.
On the eve of the holiday in New York (when the holiday had already begun in Israel), the secretary, Rabbi Leibel Gruner, sent a fax to Rabbi Kaplan with the following message (copied here from the fax page given to me from Rabbi Kaplan's archives):
"Before the holiday began with you, I received two phone calls. First, Rabbi Avraham Shai Werdiger told me that the collector of the Vishnitzer told him that he had spoken to you about the whole matter. And the collector told him that it was as if you had told him that it was true that the opinion of the Rebbe Shlita was such and such, but since there was no explicit instruction to the PB (-so-and-so son of so-and-so), it does not bind him and he can also obey the decision of the Moegada (-Council of Torah Elders), etc.
"Later, Rabbi Eliezer Shai Mizrahi called me with a message that the collector of Wishnitz had called him and told him that Chabad officials say that even after the declaration of the Rebbe, Shlita can fulfill the words of the Moetzgath."
"I replied to the two above that there must have been a misunderstanding on the part of the tax collector, because it is impossible for you to say such things.
"I am writing to you as above, because it is very necessary to clarify with the above-mentioned gabbai that the words of the Rebbe Shlita are unequivocal, etc., etc.
"Please let me know, Happy and Kosher Passover, Label"
Rabbi Kaplan responded on a website on the eve of the holiday to Rabbi Leibel Gruner as the Lishna:
"I received the fax the evening of Passover. Of course, it said what I said to the collector of the Huiznitzer - to the HADAM! It is also understood that the collector of the Huiznitzer is looking for a way to find a pretext for his own direction. I will call him to clarify to him that I did not say that, and that he should not say such things in my name."
"In the meantime, a meeting has been agreed upon with RA Werdiger and RA Mizrahi tonight in Lod, and I will hurry to leave in order to get there on time."
"The meeting was at the request of Rabbi Werdiger, and Rabbi Wolf, Rabbi Yaroslavsky, Rabbi Ashkenazi, and also ... Rabbi Blau (- Rabbi Tuvia Blau).
"I will continue to inform you by fax when there are developments, have a good day."
Indeed, since the Rebbe's declaration of intent to encourage Ben Ami, all the rabbis and activists have devoted themselves to fulfilling the Rebbe's holy will - while making great efforts to extinguish every flame and prevent any possible damage, even on the intra-Haredi level. Incidentally, as stated, Chabad activists, led by Rabbi Leibel Kaplan, Rabbi Ephraim Wolf, Rabbi Tuvia Shai's brother, and also, to no less extent, and perhaps even more intensively, Rabbis Ashkenazi and Yaroslavsky, who were partners in all the contacts and meetings.
This introduction is important, because anyone who claims that the Chabad hasbara at that time "sinned" against loyalty, and went against the holy will of the Rebbe - should know that this unfounded claim is directed first and foremost at those rabbis who were at the head of this "political" hasbara system and activity, and certainly no less than their activist colleagues, who were brutally denounced by them, shortly afterwards.
Another excerpt from the diary of Rabbi Leibel Kaplan – who wrote to his secretary Rabbi Leibel Gruner shortly afterwards on the first day of Passover, 5750 - 10:45:
"I have now spoken with the Gabbai of Huisnitzer, who says in his name that I told him that the opinion of the Grand Master of the Torah on this matter is not binding and that it is possible to obey the Council of Torah Elders, and I have never said such things. The above-mentioned person agreed and said, "Of course, of course, we did not speak at all about the Council of Torah Elders if it is nevertheless possible to obey them." I continued and said to him: "Whoever accepts the opinion of the Grand Master of the Torah and is told that his opinion on this is unequivocal, it is understood that it is binding on him." He heard the words and thanked me and we parted in a good spirit.
"P.S. I called him earlier and since he wasn't there I left a message and he got back to me and apologized that it took so long because they were finishing the table, etc."
Pressure on Avraham Werdiger
In the next stage, elements affiliated with the Council of Torah Sages, who were desperately trying to uphold the coalition agreement and form the intended government with Shimon Peres, began to exert pressure on MK Avraham Werdiger to show decency and resign from the Knesset.
By doing so, he was told, he would "gain" from both worlds. He would neither disobey the Rebbe's holy word nor deviate from his holy mind, but he would also return the mandate to the Agoy, whose Council of Torah Sages decided that the faction would enter the Peres government.
The calculation was that if Werdiger resigned, the next person on the list, Shmuel Halachmi, would take his place, who in political terminology, as is customary to say, "has already begun to measure caliphate." And despite being a member of PA (Werdiger's faction), he managed to make it clear to the journalists who reached him that if he entered the Knesset, he would obey the Council of Torah Scholars without a word.
At 1:15 a.m. on the Sunday morning of the beginning of Passover (in Israel) and the great day of Passover (abroad), Rabbi Kaplan writes the following letter to Rabbi Leibel Gruner, on the third day of that day - which he sends to him by fax, from which it can be clearly seen that from now on he not only answers the secretary's questions and provides clarifications, but also updates us on every step of the way, in every development, small and large.
In a side note: This should not be seen as a marginal or semantic thing, but rather a process of great significance. Up until now, for decades, Rabbi Leibel Kaplan had been sending every letter and every report he had to the Rebbe through his secretary, Rabbi Benjamin Klein. From then on, it happened: the HaTargil affair and its future developments, which Rabbi Kaplan could not have correctly predicted at the time, strengthened Gruner's position and led him to the center of the crossroads where he was in fact the leader and the bringer of everything on the agenda, and he was the only one who could do it.
And this is what Rabbi Kaplan wrote:
"1. Werdiger called and informed me now that he intends to resign from the Knesset so that he does not have to vote, and that anyway, since Mizrahi will vote against - the goal of the "King of the Knesset" will be achieved. I told him that the decision does not seem right to me, and it is impossible to know what will happen at the last minute - that someone will join in his place. He could not prolong it because he spoke in hints from a phone that he was afraid, etc., and it was agreed that we would talk again tomorrow morning."
Thus, Rabbi Kaplan convinces Werdiger not to resign, so that his replacement will not support the 'Ma'are' government. There is no doubt, therefore, as to the essence of Rabbi Leibel Kaplan's work and the direction of his efforts at that time (as always): to work with all his might so that the Rebbe's holy will is realized in practice.
The letter continues: "It seems to me that he has not finally decided on this and certainly has not announced anything about it yet, and his son Hanoch told me later that he would try to postpone the decision on this as much as possible."
"2. There are rumors (it has not been determined how true they are) that Shas will give Peres as many abstentions as he needs in order for his government to pass. Tomorrow morning their council of sages will meet.
"3. Meanwhile, the meeting between the Liberals and Likud exploded this evening without results, and it is unknown where they are headed.
"4. Mizrahi announced on the radio this evening that he had not received any special instructions regarding this matter."
That same day, MK Avraham Werdiger also made telephone contact with my brother Rabbi Tuvia and asked him whether it was possible to vote in favor of the Peres government. My brother Rabbi Tuvia answered him clearly: "After all, the Rebbe expressed his opinion in the clearest way, and how could you even think of going against the Rebbe's wishes?!"
The next morning, Rabbi Kaplan reports back to Rabbi Leibel Gruner that Werdiger is choosing the path of resignation, and this has become a fact:
"1. Werdiger announced on the radio this morning that he submitted his resignation to the Knesset early this morning because, on the one hand, he had an explicit order from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court through the secretary: a) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court does not understand why he is being pressured; b) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has expressed his opinion in the clearest possible way; c) he must not lend a hand to the Persian government. On the other hand, he cannot act against the Council of Torah Scholars, and therefore he is resigning. As of this morning, it is impossible to reach him."
In the following sections of the letter, Rabbi Kaplan updates the secretary on developments in other areas, and from them, again, we can learn about the efforts he himself is undertaking, in every possible way, in order to bring about the full implementation of the Rebbe's will:
"2. The Liberals signed with the Likud early this morning. 3. There is no additional information about Shas. 4. Last night I sent David Nachshon Lordiger with A. Taub (he is not at his home in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, but at the PAI institution, Yad Binyamin) and concluded that the Rev. (Rabbi Ephraim Wolf) would call him this morning. The above-mentioned resignation takes effect in 48 hours and in any case the next in line (Halhami) will not be on the vote, and Lordiger announced that he will not be either – of course, depending on what happens with the others.
"5. Mizrahi cannot be reached for now. They say he was with Huisnitzer this morning, and from there he will come to the Knesset. There is a rumor that he will also resign from Agoi and form a single faction. Things will become clear in the coming hours."
Where is Eliezer Mizrahi?
It goes without saying that the recipient of the letter, Rabbi Leibel Gruner, also knew at that time exactly where Eliezer Mizrahi was, since his faithful servant and confidant, Yosef Yitzhak Aharonov, was the one who dared to enter the story as the savior, and extended his protection to Mizrahi when he was hidden in the Hilton Hotel in Tel Aviv.
Rabbi Leibel Gruner knew very well where Mizrahi was, what he was doing, and what his plans were. But he did not bother to inform Rabbi Leibel Kaplan about this, leaving him in his innocence to continue writing to him and running around like a bee in a hive, looking for Mizrahi to make sure that there would be no 'surprises' on his part and that he would vote according to the Rebbe's sacred will.
Poor Rabbi Leibel Kaplan: I don't know how his time is limited, sir, and it's only a matter of a few days until he is slandered by a malicious hand, stripped of every Chabad-wide public position - at the initiative, under the direction and management of Rabbi Leibel Gruner - and according to his meticulous guidance from afar.
That same day, at 10:45, Rabbi Kaplan writes to Gruner:
"Mizrahi officially announced that he is resigning from Agudat Yisrael and will become a single faction and will vote against. His announcement was beautiful and respectful. He said that he did not receive an explicit order, but that the opinion of the Knesset is known."
"Peres canceled the announcement of the formation of the government and went to the president to request an additional extension so that today there will be no government in any case. If he receives an extension, Halakhmi will take Werdiger's place in the meantime, and they announced that he will vote with Agoyi."
Rabbi Leibel Kaplan continues to make an effort not to create a rift with Agudat Yisrael and the Council of Torah Sages and tries to convince them that it is advisable for the "Council" to convene again (and then it will be the one to make a decision not to support the award):
"R"i Alter (-the current Rebbe of Gur) called the Rebbe (-Rabbi Ephraim Wolf) and asked to speak to him, the Rebbe is traveling to him. I told the Rebbe to ask R"i Alter that since there is a new situation today, there is a reason for a renewed meeting of the Council of Torah Sages. Today we are meeting once again with the R"m" (-Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter, the 'Peni Menachem'. As stated, the only figure in the Council of Torah Sages who throughout the process did not support the establishment of the Persian government and therefore also the only figure who agreed to meet with Rabbi Kaplan. Y.B.)
"We will also request a meeting with Rebbe Doizhnitz. We will try to convince Werdiger to retract his resignation since Halachmi will now take his place for this vote.".
Less than two hours later, in a fax dated 12:30, Rabbi Kaplan returned and reported to Rabbi Leibel Gruner:
"I just spoke with the collector of the Weissnitzer. He said he didn't think there would be a possibility of a meeting with him. I asked him to find out anyway and agreed that I would call him in the evening. He then gave the phone to Rabbi Weltzer, the head of the Deshem institutions. He said that Mizrahi told Weissnitzer this morning that he had just received an order, etc., and he is very upset about it.
"Again, we are trying to explain how it is possible that the Rebbe changed his position and the 'council' comes out 'stupid,' all without giving up even a hint of the Rebbe's now-known words and his holy will. I explained once again that there was no additional instruction other than the first expression of opinion. Only the Rebbe said once again now that he had made his opinion clear and unambiguous long ago and there is no change in that. And in any case, this obliges all the rebbe to obey him.
"And speaking of the Council of Torah Scholars, I do not, H.H., wish to harm or undermine the Council of Torah Scholars, but it is still unclear that if it is true that the Rebbe does not intervene, then when we know what his opinion is, it is possible that it is not worth a repeated discussion in the Council of Torah Scholars."
"He replied that after the fact we find an excuse like that (I repeated my words but I didn't want to get into an argument about it), and after all, it was Huisnitzer who went through fire and water for Lubavitch and ordered him as a member of the delegation when he talked about the fact that Chabad was being harmed, and whether he deserved it for his war, and the opponents are happy and now see revenge, and that's how it is on the street in Bnei Brak, and this is discrimination against Hasidism, etc.
"I told him that no one can discriminate against Hasidism except Hasids themselves and for themselves, and if we don't create a dispute - there won't be one. And he said that Wiznitz won't continue to put out fires. I told him that we need to make sure that there isn't a fire in the first place. There was no point in arguing because he spoke with great emotion and in the end he apologized for raising his voice.
"By the way, I only now understood what you said to me a few days ago, because it has already come back to me that the slanderer (-slander) is as if I said about your words that it is from your own opinion, etc., and of course the slanderer, and God, that even in our current situation, so-and-so, the son of so-and-so has nothing to do but engage in slander and gossip and in order to cause disgrace and anger."
Who is "So-and-so son of so-and-so"?
From the end of the latest report, a hint emerges as to who has begun to act with great vigor in the background. The reference is [apparently] to the figure of Yosef Yitzhak Aharonov and his activities, which Rabbi Kaplan cannot stop himself from expressing displeasure at, that in the midst of such an existential war over the image and status of Chabad, over the holy name of the Rebbe and the entire system of interactions with the Rebbe and Agudat Israel, and at the same time the equally important struggle to fulfill the Rebbe's sacred will and implement his resolute opinion to thwart a 'majority' government and the establishment of a narrow right-wing government - there are those who are igniting a foreign fire from the side, seeking to cut a coupon by smelling the scent of a dedicated and loyal activist, a soldier and fighter in the service of the Rebbe.
Beyond that, this line can be seen as a kind of subtle allusion that Rabbi Kaplan uses towards the recipient of the letter. To a certain extent, the wording of Rabbi Kaplan's words - encloses within it another message, piercing and painful, that only Rabbi Leibel Kaplan, with his wisdom and talent, could have formulated. And as our Sages say about Moses, he did not tell the wicked Pharaoh on the eve of the plague of the firstborn that he himself would run and run and look for him in order to beg that the Children of Israel leave Egypt, but rather he used 'diplomatic' language by saying, "All your servants shall come down to me."
Rabbi Kaplan, in a few words, and in the margins of his report, expresses regret that "so-and-so son of so-and-so" finds it appropriate, in our current situation, to engage in slander and gossip; and it is impossible not to find a subtle allusion to the fact that "so-and-so son of so-and-so" is none other than the recipient himself.
And to disgrace and shame.
Chapter One:
35-year-old secrets revealed for the first time: The 'stinking exercise' that shook Chabad
Chapter Two:
Chapter Three:
When Oded Ben Ami asked the Rebbe: "So it is preferable that Mr. Shamir be Prime Minister?"
Chapter Four:
Sharon's Oath and the Mysterious Eve: A Dramatic and Emotional Conversation with the Rebbe
English 
Hebrew