What the Rebbe Asked to Relate to the King of Spain

TASK A: CLEANED TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to our weekly program, The Inside Story of Chabad in America, through the Mindel archives.

Since we're getting closer to the Rambam [anniversary] — this year the date is, I think... — and also we're getting close to Pesach, the [Yud] is the birthday of the Rambam. This year is the 40th year of the establishment of the learning of the Rambam that the Rebbe established.

So I want to share with you — this is a special program — a packet that the Rebbe gave to Rabbi Mindel. This is — this packet — documents about [the mission] to Spain, that [the Rebbe] sent Rabbi Glick [?] to Spain, 1985 and 1986, to make the celebrations. So in here you have a lot, maybe 200 pages, something special. Some of them are in Hebrew, some of them are in English, some of them are in Spanish. So to make this year special, I thought I would share with you a new revelation.

So [I hope] I'll be able to share with you some — at least I can't share everything, but just a few things of what's in this packet that the Rebbe gave. Now, every year we make a farbrengen for every city, which is important, and the Rebbe wants us to make it so that we should have [celebrations], and then people give speeches, and everybody speaks about what they think is important. But this packet is something that I feel is new, and something that the Rebbe saw, and the Rebbe was involved in that whole year, and why he started the whole 850-year celebration that we should make then. So this is what this packet is all about.

I also have a kitzur of the biography that the Rebbe asked Rabbi Mindel in 1952 to write, a biography on the Rambam, and the Rebbe [was very involved] — he wrote notations, and almost all the pages are in Hebrew, and the notations [unclear] — even though people know it, this is very interesting, the way the Rebbe said we should write and the way the Rebbe wrote. But I don't think we'll have time today to share this with you.

But before I continue to share with you some of the things of this amazing packet that the Rebbe gave regarding Spain, I want to just say that there is a similarity between the Rambam and the Rebbe. The Rebbe spoke about this, and everybody knows that there's a similarity between the Rebbe and the Alter Rebbe, but I'm not going to repeat that — you can always look it up. But there is a similarity between the Rebbe and the Rambam.

The Rebbe was the Rambam of our generation. Just like the Rambam: he picked up the spirit of everyone, Jews and non-Jews; he helped people that had doubts in emunah; he wrote teshuvot; he wrote [unclear] — the Rambam dealt with "the perplexed" — he was known throughout the entire world. The Rambam was the target of controversy. He knew science, he was a doctor, he wrote letters not only in Hebrew but in Arabic, he helped with preventative medicine. Just like the Rambam wrote letters — I don't know if there were many — I don't know whether they wrote in other languages besides — the Rebbe wrote in all different languages. He wrote in Hebrew, he wrote in English, he wrote in French, he wrote in Spanish, he wrote in Russian — different languages.

Just like the Rambam [arose as a leader in a time of crisis], the Rebbe became the Rebbe after the Holocaust — the people were down, the spirit was down, there was [confusion] — and the Rebbe lifted up the whole generation. Just like the Rambam wrote on science, the Rebbe gave out letters — the Igrot Kodesh, and many other letters, and letters about science, mathematics. Like the Rambam, he wrote on everything, and he was a target of controversy — as we know, the Rambam was involved in [controversy], and as a matter of fact I've spoken about it many times.

And here we see, just like the Alter Rebbe and the Rambam, their yahrzeits are within three or four days of each other — the Rambam's yahrzeit and the Alter Rebbe's yahrzeit — and the Rebbe's birthday is [a certain date] and the Rambam's birthday is a few days later, and the Rebbe established that we should learn the Rambam every day. This is the similarity between the Rebbe and the Rambam.

So now I want to share with you — this was a flyer that was distributed before the celebration in Cordoba, Spain, where the statue of the Rambam stands. And here the Rebbe gave Rabbi Mindel all these — you know, this is the statue of the Rambam, pictures — this is all that the Rebbe had, and he gave it to [Rabbi Mindel]. So they made a celebration, and they sent out flyers. So let me first read a flyer that they wrote:

"In the year 1135, in the city of Cordoba, Spain, was born Moses ben Maimon, whose name was to sound through the centuries that followed as the philosopher, physician, scientist, writer, rabbi, and biblical and talmudical scholar known as Maimonides. This year, for the first time in half a century, Cordoba is mounting a major celebration of the man whose statue stands in Tiberíades, a small plaza in the Jewish quarter of the city. Among the elements of the celebration are a course in Jewish culture, now underway and running through March 27, focusing on outstanding Jewish figures of Andalusia in the 10th and 11th centuries; a religious service March 30 in Cordoba's 14th-century synagogue; a recital in May and June of medieval poetry and music; and a symposium in September, bringing together an international body of scientists, scholars, and specialists in the various branches of Maimonidean knowledge, exploring his personality, his life, and his works. Many of the activities of this 850th-anniversary observance will take place in La Judería, Cordoba's old Jewish quarter, a neighborhood of narrow streets, small plazas, and whitewashed houses with wrought-iron windows and gates, balconies, and tiled patios adorned with flowers."

This was the notice that they sent out beforehand.

Now I think I'm going to read to you part of the packet — what Rabbi Glick [?] wrote to the King of Spain. In this packet we have — letters sent to the king; the Rebbe sent letters to Rabbi Glick regarding the trip to Spain; correspondence between the Rebbe and Rabbi Glick; the Rebbe and the king; Rabbi Groner and Rabbi Glick and the king of Spain; Rabbi Groner and Rabbi Mindel; a letter to President Reagan — [showing] how much the Rebbe was involved. And also we have here in this packet letters from [someone] — unfortunately he passed away not long ago — and this packet documents every step of the way. In the year 1985 the Rebbe gave instructions to Rabbi Glick.

So here I want to read this letter that Rabbi Glick wrote to His Royal Majesty the King of Spain:

"Permit me, Your Majesty, to introduce myself as the emissary of the Grand Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of New York. Enclosed, Your Majesty will find a national role of honor from the US authorities in appreciation of the selfless leadership and moral guidance of the Grand Rabbi throughout the world. The Grand Rabbi instigated the study of the works of Maimonides on the occasion commemorating 850 years since the birth of this great scholar and luminary, in Cordoba. Under instruction of the Grand Rabbi, I have made many journeys to Cordoba and Sevilla during 1985. With thanks to the Almighty's help, I have been successful in transmitting his admiration and gratitude to the great personage in Andalusia, leading to meaningful correspondence. May I beg Your Majesty's grace to be granted an audience, to enable me to bring the greetings and blessings of the Grand Rabbi direct to His Majesty the King of Spain. It is well known how occupied His Majesty is in the tireless work of his country and the world; however, I feel sure that His Majesty will extend his royal favor to receive me in my capacity as emissary of the Holy Grand Rabbi. May I remain with my deepest respect, and pray for good wishes to His Majesty, the royal family, and his people of Spain, respectfully." [signed]

So since I read this, I'm going to read to you now what Rabbi Glick reported after being received by the king, and what he wrote to the Rebbe about what happened. We don't have much time for anything else — we would need maybe six or seven programs to cover this packet that the Rebbe gave to Rabbi Mindel — but I will read what he sent to the Rebbe. This is from Rabbi Glick:

"We — this was in the month of Elul — we returned in peace from Madrid on Sunday. In addition to what we already told Rabbi Groner, we want to add a few more lines to the Rebbe. [B'ezrat Hashem], on Erev Shabbos we came to the palace of the king and queen. The king and queen accepted us with great pleasure."

Now, by the way, I am reading, translating from Hebrew to English, so I hope I'm doing a good job — this is in Hebrew, he wrote to the Rebbe in Hebrew:

"We were there more than half an hour. We gave over to them everything the Rebbe told us through Rabbi Groner, and we told him that this message is from the sender" — which is the Rebbe. What did the Rebbe say? He wrote what Rabbi Glick told the king, what the Rebbe said:

Number one — this was in the month of Elul, "the King is in the field," and he explained [the parable] to him, which I'm not going to explain now.
Number two — the Rebbe said: tell him the king of the world is similar to the King of Heaven.
Number three — [a blessing] to the entire world.
Number four — Rosh Hashanah is the coronation of the King, and it is a year of celebration of 850 years of the Rambam.

This is what he should give over to the king of Spain — that's what he wrote. "We gave the king a Tanya printed in Spanish, and we wrote something inside; we are giving the Rebbe [a copy] of what we wrote." So in this packet is what Rabbi Glick wrote to the king.

"A copy — we gave a present to the queen, a piece of jewelry," he writes. "We gave a present to the general and his wife. We spoke about [unclear] and the advice of my wife," Rabbi Glick writes to the Rebbe. "We brought a newspaper in Spanish, and the king asked to leave the paper with him, a copy, and we are giving a copy to the Rebbe" — which that newspaper is here; the Rebbe gave it to Rabbi Mindel. "We also said a brachah, and the king and queen got up — they were very emotional," and he writes that the whole atmosphere was very warm and pleasant, especially the queen was very touched and interested; they valued our [visit].

"The queen told my wife the sad news that the son of the general, his name is Kempo [?], had passed away the night before, between Thursday and Friday, and that the king and queen had returned a short while ago from the hospital." This is all written to the Rebbe.

"When I gave the king the Tanya, I read to him what I had written inside. He told me he doesn't understand Hebrew, so I told him I will send him a translation in English from Rabbi Mindel. The queen asked some questions about what we had spoken about, and we told her we will also send all the explanation in English," and he sent it, and it's all in the packet. "We asked how her children were, and she answered: a daughter lives in Madrid, a son in England, and another one somewhere else" — I just cannot read what it says here, it's in Spanish.

"Attached, I am giving the Rebbe four pictures. There was no official photographer, because the general's son had passed away, so they didn't want an official photographer there, but they still made their own pictures." So these pictures that Rabbi Glick has, he sent to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe gave them to Rabbi Mindel.

"The king said he wants to send a letter to the Rebbe through the London Embassy, but that he wants Rabbi Glick to hand it over to the Rebbe."

So here we have that the Rebbe — he gave him that Tanya, what was written in the Tanya — I mean, he gave the Rebbe a copy of the newspaper about [the visit], he gave the Rebbe all here, four pictures, five, and the letter in general. So this is what the meeting was.

Now, one more thing — I think this program is getting too long. It says here that the Rebbe should tell them this — what the Rambam did — just a few more paragraphs. I don't know why it's attached to this. This is written by the Rambam:

"I live in Fustat; the Sultan resides in Cairo. These two places are two Shabbos limits — a marked-off area around a town within which it is permitted to move on Shabbos — approximately one and a half miles' distance from each other. My duties to the Sultan are very heavy. I am obliged to visit him every day, early in the morning, and when he or any of his children or officers are indisposed, I cannot leave Cairo but must stay during most of the day in the palace. It also frequently happens that one or two of the officers fall sick, and I must attend to their healing. Hence, as a rule, every day, early in the morning, I go to Cairo, and even if nothing unusual happens there, I do not return to Fustat until the afternoon. Then I am famished, but I find the antechambers filled with people, both Jews and Gentiles, nobles and common people, judges and policemen, friends and enemies — a mixed multitude who await the time of my return. I dismount from my animal, wash my hands, go forth to my patients, and entreat them to bear with me while I partake of some light refreshment — the only meal I eat in twenty-four hours. Then I go to attend to my patients and write prescriptions and directions for their ailments. Patients go in and out until nightfall, and sometimes, as the Torah is my faith, until two hours and more into the night. I converse with them and prescribe for them even while lying down from sheer fatigue, and when night falls I am so exhausted that I can hardly speak."

We don't even work as hard as [that] — I mean, he writes more, but I don't think I'm going to share any more of this with you now.

In any case — so the 40 years that [this practice] was established — this is again [the idea of] farbrengen; people speak, and that's what the Rebbe wanted, but people speak, and everybody speaks about what they have in mind. But this packet has so much in it, that this is something new, a new revelation of the matter. So I don't know if next week I'm going to continue this — maybe we'll do it before Pesach. So, G-d willing, next week we'll continue our weekly program. Thank you.