לזכות הוו ח אי א נו נ דרו ושנים טובות נדפס ע י בתו וחתנו פלברבוים MEMALEH MEKOMO. The stories of kabbalas hanesius SHEVAT 5779 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER

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1 לזכות הוו ח אי א נו נ ר יואל ראובן שיחי דרו לרגל יום הולדתו השבעים לאורך ימים ושנים טובות יום הבהיר יו ד שבט ה תשע ט נדפס ע י בתו וחתנו הרה ת ר צבי גרשון וזוגתו מרת דבורה לאה ובנם מנחם מענדל שיחיו פלברבוים MEMALEH MEKOMO The stories of kabbalas hanesius 14

2 What defines a Rebbe? Is he a tzaddik? A baal mesiras nefesh? A rav? One of the Rebbe s early letters discusses this topic. The answer, the Rebbe writes, is none of the above. A Rebbe could include all of these descriptions, but that is not his defining term. A Rebbe is a nossi hador, the leader of the generation. He is lev kol kehal Yisroel the heart and focal point of all the Yidden in his times; the intermediary who elevates the Yidden and connects them with the Aibershter. Every Rebbe is different. A quick perusal of the maamarim, sichos, and letters of each of the Rebbeim shows a vast difference in style. The Mitteler Rebbe is known as rechovos hanahar (widely flow of a river 1 ) due to his long and detailed explanations of Chassidus; the Tzemach Tzedek is known for his combination of Chassidus with nigleh; while the Rebbe Rashab is called the Rambam of Chassidus, for his systematic approach to nistar. The styles of leadership and circumstances were also different. The Alter Rebbe dealt with teaching deeper elements of Torah to the Yidden; the Mitteler Rebbe sought to find jobs for his Chassidim; while the Frierdiker Rebbe battled to keep basic Yiddishkeit alive. The periods of the kabbalas hanesius of the Rebbeim has always been a fascinating subject. Witnessing the passing of the torch from one generation to the next was always an extraordinary and intense experience for everyone who witnessed it. At times, many months or even years could pass before the next Rebbe fully accepted the nesius. Yet, the Rebbe explained on numerous occasions, there is really no gap between the histalkus of one Rebbe and the ascension of the next. Although there were times that the new Rebbe didn t immediately agree to become Rebbe, and many months could have passed before he would begin reciting maamarim or accepting panim, the nossi hador existed nonetheless. Being a Rebbe isn t a job description that necessitates doing something specific. All of his actions are merely an extension of who he is by simply existing the nossi hador. In terms of Chassidus, a Rebbe is ma or, or etzem. While giluyim change with time and circumstances, the etzem always remains the same. Thus, the Rebbe explained, all the Rebbeim are really one united entity. A common saying of the Rebbe was that a memaleh makom is a real term. The term is freely translated as successor, but the literal meaning is the one who fills the place. Each Rebbe fully and completely filled the place of all his predecessors, and added another component of his own. Each Rebbe is a manifestation of all the Rebbeim before him, and through our hiskashrus to our Rebbe, we connect with all of the Rebbeim all the way back to the Baal Shem Tov. The Rebbe would also add that, in line with the dictum of maalin bakodesh everything in holiness must grow this etzem and ma or also grows constantly, and therefore each Rebbe added his own unique contributions and additions. In honor of Yud Shevat, the day our Rebbe became Rebbe, we present a short description of the kabbalas hanesius of each of the Rebbeim. 15

3 FROM BODY TO SOUL THE BAAL SHEM TOV RESTORED REPLICA OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV S SHUL IN MEZIBUSH. The story of the Baal Shem Tov s kabbalas hanesius, or, better said, his hisgalus (revelation of his greatness), takes place with the backdrop of terrible times for the Jewish people. Born only 50 years after the horrors of Tach V tat, when hundreds of thousands of Yidden were slaughtered by Ukrainian Cossacks, the Jewish community was in tatters. People were miserably poor, barely eking out a minimum to live; all of their time and energy was expended on procuring food for their next meal. The spiritual state was no better. The lomdim remained closeted among themselves, occupied with their personal spiritual pursuits, while the simple and ignorant were deemed unworthy of their attention. Generations of Jews although devoutly pious were raised to feel secondary and unimportant due to their ignorance. 2 It was due to this situation that the Baal Shem Tov revealed himself on Chai Elul 5494*, when he was 36 years old. His previous 10 years had been spent under the tutelage of the novi Achiya Hashiloni, who would teach him Torah. Achiya had begun their studies by teaching him Parshas Bereishis on Chai Elul 5484*, and upon concluding the entire Torah, the revelation took place. 3 From age 22, the Baal Shem Tov had been part of the Chevraya Kaddisha, a society of hidden tzaddikim who sought to better the welfare of their fellow Jews. This group was, in essence, the forerunner to Chassidus. At one point, its leader, Reb Adam Baal Shem, gave over the reigns of the secret leadership to the Baal Shem Tov, and by the time the Baal Shem Tov was 33, Reb Adam began to urge him to reveal himself. He wrote to the Baal Shem Tov that Eliyahu Hanavi had revealed to him that his time for revelation had arrived. 4 After three years, his efforts were successful. After the revelation, the work of the Chevraya Kaddisha changed dramatically. Previously, their work had been primarily to help the Jewish body they dealt mainly with the simple folk, encouraging them and helping them, but after the Baal Shem Tov revealed himself, they began to focus on the talmidei chachamim as well, bringing them the warmth of Chassidus z ,

4 THE HEAVENLY ENTOURAGE THE MEZRITCHER MAGGID THE OHEL OF THE MEZRITCHER MAGGID, IN ANIPOLI. When the Baal Shem Tov was nistalek on Shavuos 5520*, after 26 years of leadership, the bereft Chassidim naturally turned to his son, Reb Tzvi, for guidance. Initially, Reb Tzvi accepted the mantel of leadership, and he began to follow in his father s footsteps. However, the Baal Shem Tov s talmidim were worried. The mounting pressures on the new movement necessitated a leader who could properly nurture and defend it from the misnagdim who were constantly seeking to delegitimize it; someone who was blessed with a strong character. The answer came on the Baal Shem Tov s first yahrtzeit, when the Chevraya Kaddisha came to Mezhibuzh and gathered around the table of Reb Tzvi throughout the Yom Tov of Shavuos. During the seuda of the second day of Yom Tov, after concluding his Torah, Reb Tzvi stood up and announced: Today, my father appeared to me and said, The heavenly entourage that always accompanied me has moved today to accompany the holy and awesome Reb Berenyu ben Reb Avraham. Therefore, pass the leadership to him in the presence of the entire Chevraya Kaddisha. He should sit in my place, and you, my son, should sit in his. Know that you will be successful; u pi shnayim b rucho (double the spirit of his predecessor). Saying this, Reb Tzvi turned to the Maggid, wished him mazal tov, and gave him his cloak and his place. The Maggid seated himself at the head of the table, and the Chevraya Kaddisha immediately stood on their feet, ready to hear Torah from their new Rebbe. The first Torah was on the possuk Mar eihem u maaseihem, which was later printed in Torah Or Parshas Yisro (in the style of Chassidus Chabad). Within a short period of time, the centers of Chassidus throughout Europe were reenergized. Originally, the news had spread that the Baal Shem Tov s work was falling apart, but now the efforts to spread Chassidus doubled and tripled, with the Maggid s talmidim spreading far and wide. The Maggid set up his talmidim in places where he knew they would have maximum influence, and Chassidus even made significant inroads in the misnagdisher strongholds of Lithuania

5 CHASSIDUS CHABAD THE ALTER REBBE The Mezritcher Maggid passed away on Yud-Tes Kislev 5533*, almost 13 years after the histalkus of the Baal Shem Tov. Following his passing, all of his talmidim returned to their hometowns where they began to lead the local Chassidim, while the Maggid s senior talmid, Reb Mendel Horodoker, was viewed as the primary leader of Chassidus. However, there was a general consensus among the talmidim that one person should be appointed as the head of the vaad to energetically defend Chassidus from the misnagdim and to actively lead the campaign to spread Chassidus. The person chosen to head the vaad was the Alter Rebbe. The Alter Rebbe had already begun formulating his special brand of Chassidus, called Chassidus Chabad, before the Maggid s histalkus. Now, he returned to his hometown of Liozna and founded a cheder a place for superior talmidim to gather and study Torah in a an organized fashion unlike the yoshvim that existed in Chassidic centers until then. Streams of Torah scholars gathered to Liozna and became the founding nucleus of the Alter Rebbe s Chassidim. He would also travel throughout the area (often with Reb Mendel Horodoker) to visit the batei midrash and bring the light of Chassidus to their lomdim. A few years later, in 5536*, the Mezritcher Maggid s talmidim held another asifa, where it was decided that Reb Mendel Horodoker would journey to Eretz Yisrael. His position as nossi of the Chassidim in Lithuania and White Russia was to be filled by the Alter Rebbe. 7 Even then, the Alter Rebbe always deferred to Reb Mendel Horodoker as the final authority. In letters, the Alter Rebbe often mentions Rabboseinu in Eretz Yisroel, and for all intents and purposes had accepted him as his Rebbe. It was only when Reb Mendel Horodoker passed away 12 years later that the Alter Rebbe agreed to remain the final authority of Chassidus. The first maamar that the Alter Rebbe said when openly accepting the nesius over Chassidus Chabad was on the verse Gadol Hashem u mehulal me od b ir Elokeinu. (This fact was said by the Rebbe in the name of the Frierdiker Rebbe, but they didn t clearly explain if it was referring to the time after the histalkus of Reb Mendel Horodoker or perhaps a time before then.) 8 18 z ,

6 EACH GENERATION TO ITS OWN THE MITTELER REBBE The Alter Rebbe passed away on Chof-Daled Teves 5573*, while on the road fleeing from Napoleon and his army (see The Battle of Good vs. Evil, Derher Teves 5779). The Mitteler Rebbe was in Kremenchug at the time, where the Alter Rebbe had sent him to see if they could settle there. Upon notification about the histalkus, the Mitteler Rebbe began a journey to rejoin the family and Chassidim. This journey spanned several months, and the Mitteler Rebbe stopped off in many cities and towns where he spoke Chassidus and accepted the local Chassidim for yechidus. Many Chassidim requested that the Mitteler Rebbe stay in their town, but he ultimately decided to settle in the town of Lubavitch. During the lifetime of the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe had been appointed to fulfill numerous tasks for his father. When he was just 16 years old, he was appointed to guide the younger Chassidim, and later, some four years before the Alter Rebbe s histalkus, the Alter Rebbe began sending Chassidim to him when they had questions in avodas Hashem (with the Alter Rebbe himself only answering questions on material matters). Before receiving people, the Mitteler Rebbe would enter the Alter Rebbe s room for a short while, and if someone requested a bracha, he would SIGNATURE OF THE MITTELER REBBE. return to consult with the Alter Rebbe on that specific issue. The Alter Rebbe also tasked the Mitteler Rebbe with saying Chassidus; he would recite his father s maamarim, with additional explanations in his own specific style (more on this later). There were instances when the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe would both say a maamar on the same Shabbos! Sometimes, the Alter Rebbe himself would listen in to these recitals. After the Alter Rebbe s histalkus, many Chassidim felt that it was only natural that the Mitteler Rebbe assume the nesius. However, some Chassidim felt that the nesius should be passed on to a talmid of the Alter Rebbe, not a biological son, just as had occurred after the passing of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid. (It should be noted that the Maggid s son, Reb Avraham Hamalach, passed away shortly after his father s histalkus.) Those Chassidim chose to follow Reb Aharon Strasheler, who had been the most prominent of the Alter Rebbe s talmidim, and whose style closely resembled the Alter Rebbe s, unlike the Mitteler Rebbe, who had a unique style. There are two extant letters of prominent Chassidim answering these claims; one from Reb Yehudah Leib, the younger brother of the Alter Rebbe, and the other from Reb Pinchas Reizes of Shklov. Reb Yehudah Leib related a story: Once, the Alter Rebbe heard that the Mitteler Rebbe had revealed something in one of his maamarim that the Alter Rebbe wouldn t have allowed to be made public. The Alter Rebbe s reaction was, What can I do? Dor dor dorshav, each generation has its teachers. Perhaps his generation has reached a level where they are worthy of it. Reb Pinchas Reizes related another story, which highlights this idea even more clearly: Four years earlier, when the Mitteler Rebbe s daughter married Reb Yaakov Yisrael Cherkasser, the son of Reb Mottel Chernobiler, the Alter Rebbe had called Reb Pinchas and the Mitteler Rebbe into a room and closed the door. He explained that being that the Mitteler Rebbe s entire life is dedicated to spreading Chassidus and teaching and guiding the Chassidim, he requests that Reb Pinchas see to it that after his passing the pidyonos be given to the Mitteler Rebbe and no other. Upon hearing his words, we were both deeply frightened and we remained deathly silent, for we understood the implication of his words. The Rebbe would be taken from us; he was wanted in the heavenly realms....due to the recent circumstances, I feel obligated to publicize these words

7 A PROOF FROM TORAH THE TZEMACH TZEDEK Following the passing of the Mitteler Rebbe, on Tes Kislev 5588*, the leading Chassidim held a meeting, where they decided to crown the Mitteler Rebbe s son-in-law and nephew, the Tzemach Tzedek, as the new Rebbe. They publicized their choice to all of the Chassidim, far and wide. A delegation of Chassidim, including Reb Hillel Paritcher, Reb Aizik Homiler and Reb Peretz Chein, were dispatched to the Tzemach Tzedek to tell him about their decision. To their consternation, the Tzemach Tzedek refused to accept the nesius. The uncertain state of affairs continued until Pesach of that year. Then it was decided that the issue would be resolved during Shavuos, when many of the prominent Chassidim were due to visit Lubavitch. Shavuos was quickly approaching, and no progress had been made. When asked, the Tzemach Tzedek said they should turn to the Alter Rebbe s son Reb Chaim Avraham or the Mitteler Rebbe s son Reb Nochum. On Erev Yom Tov, Reb Peretz Chein gathered a minyan of Chassidim, including Reb Aizik Homiler, and they paid a visit to the Tzemach Tzedek. When he once again refused to accept the mantle of leadership, Reb Peretz exclaimed, The Rebbe s (i.e. the Alter Rebbe s) grandson must be the Rebbe. And I have a proof from Torah that you are the one: איש מזריע תחלה says, The possuk first, (when the man seeds יולדת נקבה a female will be born), which refers to your mother (Rebbetzin Devorah Leah, the Alter Rebbe s daughter) and אשה מזרעת תחילה יולדת זכר (when the woman seeds first, a male will be born), referring to you. Hearing these words from Reb Peretz, the Tzemach Tzedek leaned his head on the cushion and went into a dveikus. Reverently, the delegation of Chassidim left the room. Some time later, the Tzemach Tzedek left his room garbed in a white sirtuk and a white shtreimel, which he had inherited from the Alter Rebbe, and entered the large beis midrash of the Mitteler Rebbe, and he recited the maamar Al shlosha devarim. When he concluded the maamar, he returned home, while the Chassidim broke into a joyous dance, celebrating their new Rebbe. The elder Chassidim decided to encourage the younger folk to become mekushar to the Tzemach Tzedek. To do so, they each committed to travel around during the upcoming year, and they divided among themselves all of the Chassidishe communities. Reb Hillel Paritcher traveled to Cherson, Reb Aizik Homiler to Shklov, Mohilev, Zhlobin, and Homil, and other Chassidim took up postings as well z

8 KEHOT PUBLICATION SOCIETY THE FIRST MAAMAR. As a young child, the Tzemach Tzedek s mother passed away, and the Alter Rebbe took responsibility for the upbringing of the young orphan. Often, Chassidim would see the Tzemach Tzedek running around the room with his toy tefillin fashioned from potatoes, and the straps would become tangled around the legs of the Alter Rebbe s table. The Alter Rebbe would bend down and free the straps, and the Tzemach Tzedek would continue playing. Once, a select group of Chassidim entered the Alter Rebbe s room to hear a maamar. One youngster among them was Reb Aizik Homiler. The Alter Rebbe began to recite the maamar, and, intently concentrating on the Rebbe s words, Reb Aizik suddenly felt movement near his legs. Looking down, he saw the Tzemach Tzedek pushing his way through the crowd. Reb Aizik bent down and whispered, Reb Mendele The Alter Rebbe abruptly stopped the recital, and interjected. Loz em, er hert, du vest vissen az er hert. Leave him be, he is listening; you ll know [one day] that he is listening. And the Alter Rebbe continued the maamar. Many years passed. The Alter Rebbe, and then the Mitteler Rebbe, were nistalek, and Reb Aizik was now one of the elder Chassidim, beseeching the Tzemach Tzedek to accept the leadership. When the Tzemach Tzedek finally agreed and recited the first maamar, Reb Aizik trembled when he heard the opening words. The maamar was the same as the one he had heard from the Alter Rebbe so many years earlier, Al shlosha devarim. Loz em, er hert, du vest vissen az er hert, the Alter Rebbe had said, Leave him be, he is listening; you ll know that he is listening 11 21

9 NO REVELATIONS THE REBBE MAHARASH About half a year before the Tzemach Tzedek s histalkus on Yud-Gimmel Nissan 5626*, he instructed his youngest son, the Rebbe Maharash, to begin saying Chassidus. This may have come as a surprise to many of the Chassidim. The Rebbe Maharash was the quietest of the Tzemach Tzedek s seven sons. While others, such as the Maharil, were well known to the Chassidim, the Rebbe Maharash had never taken an active part in leading Chassidim or demonstrating his talents and knowledge in Torah. Along with the Tzemach Tzedek s instructions came a message for the אליו תשמעון, כאשר שמעתם Chassidim: Listen to him, just as you have,אלי listened to me. Another letter of the Tzemach Tzedek, this one directed to the Rebbe Maharash himself, also seems to be from that period of time. In it, the Tzemach Tzedek writes that he had read the Rebbe Maharash s Chassidus, and that it was good in his eyes. Ani somech os ha b smicha rabbah, ( I offer you ordination with great joy ) the Tzemach Tzedek writes, and includes many brachos in the letter. 12 After the histalkus, many Chassidim didn t know which of the Tzemach Tzedek sons to turn to, and many visited each one separately. One account tells of a Chossid who davened each day in the presence of a different brother to witness their unique avoda. The Chossid related that the Maharil was known for his hispa alus during davening; once he began davening, he would lose track of time and space and would pace around the room davening slowly, totally oblivious to the fact that he was the chazan. Once, he agreed to be tied to the amud to help him remain aware of his surroundings, but even then, he simply dragged the amud around the room. Another brother, the Maharin, was known for his intense crying. Everyone participating in his minyan would be swept along in his tears; no one would be able to retain their composure. When a few young Chassidim decided to pinch each other so that they wouldn t cry, nothing changed. The first yungerman began to cry, and when they pinched him, it only strengthened his sobs. Soon enough, everyone was crying along with him. The Rebbe Maharash s minyan was entirely different. His davening was simple; no cries, no ecstasy, no length. The only thing they noticed was that before Ashrei and Uva L tziyon, he would pull his tallis over his head and do something. A certain young Chossid brazenly peeked under the tallis to see what he was doing, and the Rebbe Maharash flicked his nose. The yungerman later told his friends, While I did get a flick, I also got to see what he was doing. The Rebbe Maharash was changing his head tefillin from Rashi to Shimusha Rabba. 13 During that period, most of the Tzemach Tzedek s sons began saying Chassidus, and Chassidim went from 22 z

10 A MANUSCRIPT OF A MAAMOR OF THE REBBE MAHARASH. one son to another to try to decide whom to accept as a Rebbe. One Friday night, the Rebbe Maharash said the maamar, Az Yashir... Ali Be er. The next day, Shabbos morning, his brother the Maharil repeated the maamar with an addition of his own. On Motzei Shabbos, the Rebbe Maharash repeated the maamar with an addition of his own. This repeated itself a number of times, until Tuesday evening, when the Rebbe Maharash said the maamar for the fifth time, again adding something new. With that, the Maharil came to him and said, This time, our father said it, and I don t want to stand up against father. One of the young Chassidim at the time, Reb Shmuel Gronem Esterman, went to consult with Reb Shmuel Ber Barisover, a distinguished Chossid, regarding whom he should accept as Rebbe. Reb Shmuel Ber advised him as follows: We cannot distinguish between the Rebbe s sons, since they are all tzaddikim, and so I cannot advise you. What I can say is I will travel to the youngest son [the Rebbe Maharash]. Rabbi Shmuel Ber explained why. I was recently in Lubavitch. The Tzemach Tzedek said Chassidus, and among other things, he referred to something that seemed to contradict the sefer Eitz Chaim. I thought about this and found no solution. On Motzei Shabbos, I went to one of the Tzemach Tzedek s sons and presented this question. He began to explain it to me, but I didn t accept his answer. I went to a different son and presented my question, and he said it was a strong question and began to resolve it; but for some reason his explanation also didn t sit well with me Suddenly, I saw that the house of the youngest son was lit up. I said to myself, I ll go to him and ask him my question. I peeked through the window and noticed to my excitement that he was studying the very passage in Eitz Chaim that had bothered me. I tried opening the door, but it was locked. Who s there? He asked. Shmuel Ber, I answered. Just one second. When he opened the door, I saw only newspapers spread across the table. Yes, Reb Shmuel Ber, how can I help you? I told him that I had a question on the maamar that had been said on Shabbos. He looked at me and said, Reb Shmuel Ber, they say you are a smart man. Why are you coming to me about this? I told him, I saw that you were studying Eitz Chayim a moment ago. If you don t help me, I will tell everyone what I saw. Hearing that, he began to smile, and we spent the rest of the night in discussion

11 THE EMPTY SEAT THE REBBE RASHAB LIBRARY OF AGUDAS CHASSIDEI CHABAD The Rebbe Maharash passed away on Yud-Gimmel Tishrei 5643*, after 14 years of nesius, when he was only 48 years old. The Chassidim felt especially bereft, taking into account that the Rebbe Maharash s children were still quite young; the Rebbe Rashab was 22 years old, and the youngest child, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, was just eight years old at the time. The first maamar the Rebbe Rashab recited was on the second day of Sukkos, titled Kesser yitnu lecha. Although we know the dibbur hamaschil, no known transcript of the maamar exists. The Rebbe Rashab continued saying Chassidus, doing so once again on Shabbos Chanukah, and he would also accept panim to be read at the Rebbe Maharash s Ohel; however, he still refused to accept the nesius. During the year of aveilus, he closeted himself in the yechidus room of the Rebbe Maharash, where he davened, ate, slept, and studied, and he refused to answer Chassidim or guide them. When the next Tishrei approached, many Chassidim were doubtful if they should travel to Lubavitch for Yom Tov at all. Reb Shmuel Gronem Esterman related that he brought his doubts to Reb Avraham Zhembiner, who had been a Chossid of the Tzemach Tzedek, and he told him in no uncertain terms that he should travel to Lubavitch as always. As the years passed, not much changed. The Rebbe Rashab would sometimes answer questions, but still refused to accept the nesius, and spent much of those years traveling out of the country for health reasons and for askanus haklal. The numbers of Chassidim visiting Lubavitch dropped drastically during those years, and that period of time has been remembered as churban Lubavitch. Seven years later, in 5650*, a slight change became evident. The Rebbe Rashab stopped his long journeys and remained in Lubavitch, where he began to accept Chassidim for yechidus. However, his official position remained the same. In shul, the Rebbe Maharash s place to the south of the aron kodesh was still unoccupied, and the Rebbe Rashab continued sitting in his regular seat, two seats down after the seat of his older brother, the Raza. Over the next few years, the flow of Chassidim to Lubavitch began to grow once again, where they would come hear Chassidus from the Rebbe Rashab and enter for yechidus. In the summer of 5652*, two weddings took place in beis harav; the Rebbe Rashab s sister Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka married Reb Moshe Horenshtein, and his brother Reb Menachem Mendel s wedding took place as well. Thousands of Chassidim streamed to Lubavitch for the occasions. For Tishrei of 5653*, which coincided with the tenth yom hillula of the Rebbe Maharash, many hundreds of Chassidim arrived. The shul was packed to the rafters, and many were left to daven outdoors. The Rebbe Rashab said two maamarim on Rosh Hashanah, and the Chassidim reviewed them throughout the threeday Yom Tov. That Rosh Hashanah was a turning point; Chassidim felt that the sun had begun to shine once more, and the long wait was finally over. It took one more year for the last vestige of not accepting the nesius to change. On Erev Rosh Hashanah 5654*, the Rebbe Rashab spent a long time at the Ohel of the Rebbe Maharash and the Tzemach Tzedek. Later that night, upon entering the shul for Maariv, the Rebbe Rashab walked right past his usual place, and took the place of his father, the Rebbe Maharash. The long wait of 11 years was finally over z , , , ,

12 FACING AMALEK THE FRIERDIKER REBBE When the Rebbe Rashab was nistalek on Beis Nissan 5680*, Russia was in deep turmoil. Four years earlier, during World War I, the Rebbe Rashab had fled Lubavitch due to the approaching German army, and had settled in the city of Rostov. When the war finally came to an end, a vicious civil war broke out in Russia. The Czar was overthrown, and the Bolsheviks and the anti-bolsheviks fought bitterly for control over the country. With the state of war came extreme danger for Yidden throughout Russia. With no law enforcement to control the streets, anti-semites vented their frustrations freely on any Jew they caught, and roaming the streets became a deadly venture for the Jewish community. News traveled very slowly, and it took many months for the Chassidim to hear about the Rebbe Rashab s histalkus. As the Bolsheviks consolidated their control over vast areas, they immediately began implementing their Communist agenda, and gatherings were outlawed, private assets were seized, and religion as a whole was persecuted. The continuation of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, the life-work of the Rebbe Rashab and the Frierdiker Rebbe, was in dire peril. The yeshiva was scattered in different locations, and financial support was nonexistent. It was in this climate that the Frierdiker Rebbe began his nesius. In his will, the Rebbe Rashab commanded the Frierdiker Rebbe to continue leading Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, and also to teach Chassidus (i.e. say maamarim) and advise Chassidim and guide them. Fulfilling the Rebbe Rashab s wish, the Frierdiker Rebbe recited his first maamar before the conclusion of the shiva. The event is described in Ashkavta D Rebbi, written by Rabbi Moshe Dovber Rivkin: It was after Mincha on Shabbos Parshas Tzav, the last day of the shiva. The Chassidim were all waiting for Maariv in the dining room near the study of the Rebbe Rashab, and the Rebbe shlita [the Frierdiker Rebbe] was in the study alone. One of his attendants called for me, and as soon as I entered he said with a broken heart: My father, after all, ordered me to speak words of Chassidus to anash. But who am I, and how can I bring myself to stand in front of the Chassidim and deliver maamarim? In his humility, he wanted to continue, but I interrupted him by saying that I would rather not hear further words in this vein. He continued: Nevertheless, since my father gave me an order, I would like to deliver a maamar of Chassidus for you. In that way I will have fulfilled my father s holy instructions. I of course agreed. He did not want to be seated; instead, we walked about in the study, and he recited for me the last maamar that the Rebbe of blessed memory delivered publicly the maamar that begins, Reishis Goyim Amalek. The wording was identical to that of the original maamar, except that he interspersed many explanations of his own. LIBRARY OF AGUDAS CHASSIDEI CHABAD

13 When it came to an end and I was about to leave, he held me back for a moment and asked me not to reveal to anyone what had transpired. Why not? I asked. In fact, I would very much like to let people know, and so on. He earnestly repeated his request and I remained silent. When I left the study, however, I shared my information as a secret only with the elderly chassid, Rabbi Shmuel Gurary. Since he had not been ordered to keep it a secret, he promptly passed it on. Within a few minutes, by word of mouth, the news had spread throughout the whole of the Chassidic brotherhood, to whom it served as a measure of consolation. 16 Similar to the Rebbe Rashab, the Frierdiker Rebbe spent much of the first year after his father s histalkus closeted in the Rebbe Rashab s yechidus room. From time to time he would send out fiery letters to the Chassidim, encouraging them to remain strong and to dedicate their lives to keeping Yiddishkeit alive. During those months the Frierdiker Rebbe began planning the network of chadarim, yeshivos and underground Jewish institutions that would keep Yiddishkeit alive in the Soviet Union over the next 70 years. 17 The fight for Yiddishkeit began in full swing. Once, while the Frierdiker Rebbe was davening Shacharis at the amud, a group of policemen burst into the room to arrest him. Keeping his cool, the Frierdiker Rebbe told them to return when he was finished davening, and then he accompanied them to the police station. It was during this warm encounter that the Frierdiker Rebbe said his famous statement that the little toy (i.e. the gun lying on the table) can frighten a person with one world and many gods, but not someone with one G-d and two worlds. THE SEVENTH IS BELOVED THE REBBE 26

14 Following the Frierdiker Rebbe s histalkus, Chassidim s eyes turned towards the Rebbe in the hope that he would agree to be memaleh makom. However, the Rebbe adamantly refused to accept the nesius, insisting that the Frierdiker Rebbe continues to lead the Chassidim. Yet when anash, and especially temimim, approached the Rebbe to ask his holy advice, the Rebbe would reply to their queries. Even when pressed to give advice on material matters, the Rebbe would say his opinion, adding that the advice did not come with the title of Rebbe attached. Nevertheless, Chassidim began to pressure the Rebbe to formally accept the nesius. In letters, and one-on-one, the Rebbe always refused to change his hanhaga from before the histalkus. I didn t hear anything from the shver, the Rebbe once said. Nonetheless, changes did happen. In Iyar, the Rebbe began accepting people for yechidus with a gartel, and on Lag B omer, the Rebbe accepted panim to be read at the Ohel. On Chai Elul, the Rebbe wrote a michtav klali for the first time, addressed to world Jewry yet another indication that the Rebbe was willing to accept the nesius. The new year s beginning brought with it much positive change. On Simchas Torah, when the Rebbe received Chosson Bereishis, the gabbai, Reb Berel Chaskind had the courage to call up the Rebbe with the title Adoneinu Moreinu V rabeinu. This was the first time that the Rebbe had been called to the Torah this way publicly, and everyone present was filled with emotion. In general, from the beginning of the new year (5711*), many signs pointed to the Rebbe s willingness to accept the nesius. The Rebbe established a schedule for yechidus, receiving people three times a week A NEWSPAPER REPORT OF THE LEVAYA OF THE FRIERDIKER REBBE. Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights, starting at 8:00. From Simchas Torah onward, the Rebbe was called to the Torah as Adoneinu Moreinu V rabeinu. On yomei d pagra, the Rebbe always farbrenged. Also during this time, the Rebbe authorized the official establishment of Va ad L hafatzas Sichos. On 26 Teves, articles appeared in the New York Jewish newspapers reporting that the Lubavitcher Chassidim had crowned a new Rebbe on the 24th of Teves, and that the official acceptance of leadership would soon take place on Yud Shevat. When the Rebbe saw this, he instructed Rabbi Hodakov to have the elder Chassidim contact the newspapers editorial staff to deny the previous reports. Rabbi Kazarnovsky, Rabbi Jacobson and Reb Shmuel Levitin entered the Rebbe s room and begged him to reconsider. Reb Shmuel argued that the newspapers had not written that the Rebbe had accepted the nesius but rather that the Chassidim had accepted the Rebbe as their leader, something that could not be denied. In the end, the Rebbe agreed not to contact the newspapers. When Yud Shevat finally approached, many Chassidim felt that JEM z

15 the Rebbe would finally accept the nesius. Following Shacharis, Reb Meir Ashkenazi presented the Rebbe with a ksav hiskashrus on behalf of all the Chassidim, and he asked the Rebbe to take on the nesius in order to hasten Moshiach s arrival. The Rebbe responded, Yes, but you must see to help me out. While at the Ohel, the Rebbe was given a pan kloli addressed to the Frierdiker Rebbe, asking him to ensure that the Rebbe accept the nesius and have success in his role as Rebbe. Initially, the Rebbe refused to read it, but when he finally did so, he shed bitter tears. The Rebbe entered the farbrengen that night at 9:45 p.m. About an hour into the farbrengen, Reb Avraham Sender Nemtzov stood up and announced, Everyone wants to hear a maamar. The sichos are good and 30 SHEVAT 5711, JEM

16 fine, but we want to hear Chassidus. The shul fell completely silent. All eyes locked onto the Rebbe s holy face. The people waited, their hearts trembling with excitement and anticipation. It was 10:40 PM; the Rebbe opened the Frierdiker Rebbe s maamar and began, In the maamar that the Rebbe distributed on the day of his histalkus, he begins with Basi l gani... Then, the Rebbe began to speak in the tune of a maamar. Excitement spilled over in 770. People began pushing. And then a deep hush descended on the room and the Rebbe continued the maamar. The Rebbe spoke about the avoda of dor hashvi i and cried profusely. When he completed se if gimmel, he said, We will now take a break and say l chaim. Rabbi Nemtzov jumped up onto the table and cried out, We must say Shehecheyanu. Hashem has helped us: we have a Rebbe! He then recited the bracha of Shehecheyanu with Hashem s name and all present responded with a thunderous Amen. The Rebbe smiled and asked Rabbi Nemtzov to come down from the table. Following the maamar, Rabbi Nemtzov, in the name of the Chassidim blessed the Rebbe in honor of the nesius with banei, chayei, umezonei, and everyone again answered, Amen. At 12:55 a.m., the Rebbe initiated the singing of ki v simcha, and left the shul. The Chassidim continued to sing the nigun as they danced with great joy for a long while. 1. See Igeres Hakodesh siman Sefer Hatoldos Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Hatomim, p Sefer Hatoldos Admur Hazaken, vol. 2, p Sefer Hatoldos Admur Hazaken, vol. 1, p Otzar Sipurei Chabad vol. 16, p Otzar Sipurei Chabad vol. 6, pp With corrected details from Reshimas Hayoman pp Reshimas Hayoman, pp Sefer Hatoldos Admur Maharash, pp Otzar Sipurei Chabad vol. 8, p Ibid., p Sefer Hatoldos Admur Harashab, p Translation by Sichos in English, An End to Evil, Reishis Goyim Amalek. 17. Otzar Sipurei Chabad vol. 11, p

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