Comments the Rebbe Made on Shluchim’s Reports

Welcome to our weekly Mivtza Shabbos program. This program is a continuation of last week's program about the new mitzvah campaign that was initiated by the Rebbe.

So after the Vaad was established, and the two that the Rebbe called in, as we mentioned last week, were Rabbi Hodakov and Rabbi Nissan Mindel. They wrote letters back and forth to the Rebbe. Then thousands and thousands of reports, duchos, came in from around the world, from different yeshivas, from shluchim, from mosdos, from camps.

At the end of this program I will share with you some of this — this is the peckel that the Rebbe gave to Rabbi Mindel. These are all the duchos, all the reports that people sent from all over the world, and the Rebbe looked over every name. On some names the Rebbe made a comment — very interesting — and whoever listens, if I mention the names I will say the comments that the Rebbe made. So the Rebbe made a comment, sometimes the Rebbe asked a question — it's very, very interesting.

So these came in from all over the world. I have over here a list of where it came in — let's say the first two months, the duch reports. What came in: Canada was one of the first, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Carolina, Florida, New Jersey. That came in from Maine, I have here, and from New Jersey. Now also from Brazil, Argentina — of course United States came in a lot — from Spain, England, Belgium, Holland, and Italy. Now I forgot to say that from the United States, from Massachusetts, came in quite a lot. California came in, and Ohio. These are some from the first.

So I will share with you, after, if I have time today, some of the details of what the Rebbe wanted. So today I'm going to read a memo that was written from Rabbi Hodakov to Rabbi Nissan Mindel, after Rabbi Mindel wrote his last letter, which we discussed last week. So this is a follow-up. He wrote to Rabbi Mindel and he enclosed letters that had come in regarding the establishment of the three-member committee, also the announcements about decisions and activities from the various committees, also a copy of a publication from Rabbi Efraim Wolf — and Efraim Wolf had to do a lot with it, he put a lot of work into this — and also a list of reports that we received, and writes about the activities of individuals after the last report we sent out about the individuals who wrote in — another several more reports.

Anyway, so he writes here also — this is in Hebrew, I'm translating into English: "I now have about forty such items in the office. In the meantime I have spoken personally with several people about arranging committee-wide gatherings in every city possible during the month of [Elul]. The main topic for these gatherings should be the chinuch of our sons and daughters. The matter of all this is under the Mivtza Chinuch initiative." And Rabbi Hodakov signs his name.

Now the Vaad continued for about a year, until, for various reasons, it eventually stopped being active in the summer of 5749.

The following year, 5750, Rabbi Hodakov wrote a heartfelt letter to the Rebbe, and I'm going to read to you what Rabbi Hodakov wrote in Hebrew to the Rebbe — I'll translate it into English as much as I can, as I read it. This is a letter from Rabbi Hodakov to the Rebbe, 5750, [date unclear].

"It is my — I recall today, exactly two years ago, 5748, the Rebbe was kind enough to summon myself and Rabbi Nissan and entrusted us with the holy work of arranging and organizing the inyan of Mivtza Chinuch throughout the entire world. Enclosed is the transcript of the Rebbe's holy talk to us on that day, and also a copy of the Rebbe's words on the subject at the farbrengen of Shabbos 5748, as we mentioned last week. With the help of Hashem we immediately approached this task with great energy to fulfill our duty."

Then he writes: "My son Sholom Yisroel volunteered to manage and organize the multitude of technical matters required for this, and with Hashem's help he succeeded in fulfilling this role in the most beautiful manner possible. Our appeal regarding Mivtza Chinuch was received everywhere with great seriousness and joy, both among the anash and among individuals. As is known, we would send the Rebbe from time to time the general duch reports that reached us from the anash and the institutions. The thousands of reports from private individuals that reached us we have, for the time being, kept in our possession. Our work continued in this manner for a full year from its start."

Then Rabbi Hodakov writes — it's all in Hebrew: "Apparently it was our obligation to clarify, after that point, if we should continue our activities in the future and in what manner. But due to various and strange reasons, and different confusions, and who knows if perhaps excuses and mistakes did not creep in, our work ceased, stopped — even in thought, and certainly in practice. Indeed, as we stand on this auspicious day, the anniversary of the beginning, and as I feel that the obstacles have in any case lessened to the point that the possibilities are now visible that with Hashem's help we would be able to be involved in this again, if it's necessary — so I am requesting the Rebbe's directive as to whether and how to act on this." And Rabbi Hodakov signs his name. This is a letter to the Rebbe — it's a very heartfelt letter.

Now I will read to you the Rebbe's answer to Rabbi Hodakov, and it's a powerful lesson. I'll read it first in Hebrew and then I'll try to translate it into English as much as I can. He circled around — that's number one. Then, two — circled around — that's number two.

Now let me translate this. First of all, the Rebbe circled the word "necessary" and wrote: "Every inyan of spreading Yiddishkeit is necessary" — he circled especially the word "above." And then, number two, the Rebbe circled the words "whether and how" and wrote: "In continuation to the way it was until now, however, with an addition and ascent in holiness — after all, Elul is approaching, and the king is in the field and greets everybody."

Rabbi Hodakov then took this answer and forwarded it to Rabbi Nissan Mindel with the following cover letter — this is a letter from Rabbi Hodakov to Rabbi Nissan Mindel about restarting the whole Mivtza again. He writes to Rabbi Mindel again in Hebrew, and I will translate into English. This whole thing is very strange, how it all went. "Sunday, to my dear friend — as the saying goes, through action one can act for another's benefit even in their absence. Enclosed is the maaneh, the answer of the Rebbe, which was written on my letter from this past Thursday, the eighteenth of [Elul], regarding the Mivtza Chinuch initiative. And now, with Hashem's help, I am certain that you will approach with renewed vigor the fulfillment of our joint task in this matter. With blessing." Rabbi Hodakov signs his name.

Upon receiving the above letter, Rabbi Mindel wrote an open letter to all, to be signed — he signed it together with Rabbi Hodakov. Michtav from [Elul] 5750. This is after the Rebbe's answer, and after Rabbi Hodakov wrote to Rabbi Mindel, to all, in every place:

"The Rebbe shlita has seen fit to greatly arouse us in several recent farbrengens regarding the obligation to engage with great energy and extensive effort in the matter of Mivtza Chinuch. Those who merited to be appointed at the time by the Rebbe shlita to manage the world committee of Mivtza Chinuch have merited a special arousal in this matter. And now we have been commanded to strengthen this work of ours and spread it with even greater strength and vigor, both regarding institutions that must engage in this and regarding individuals. Therefore we are turning to everyone, and to each individual in particular, to hurry and exert themselves with all strength in their participation in this great and holy campaign established by the Rebbe shlita. With G-d's help it has already spread throughout the entire world and has been received everywhere with great joy and with actual practical dedication to this work, and they have seen abundant fruits from their activities for the benefit of spurring action. We are attaching a copy of the holy talk of the Rebbe shlita to us at the time, regarding the activity and method of sending reports. With blessing."

Now, this is what went on last week — this week, this is the whole thing that went on.

Now I'm going to read to you some of the duchos that came in — this is the peckel that I have that was given to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe gave it back to Rabbi Mindel. These are some of the writings — there's not much time, but I'm going to read some of what they wrote over here.

Okay, so first of all, one of the first duchos that came in was from Kfar Chabad [heard: "Israel Sabah" — unclear]. He wrote that he made, in addition, an hour of learning about Taharas HaMishpacha. And the Rebbe wrote a comment next to the name.

Then somebody wrote also from there that he made a vaad — he writes that he learns the whole week with many, many people.

Okay, now let's go to another one. The other one was from [name unclear — heard as "Mia waso wer"]. He says that he's going to send the names of the three people that he appointed, and he's going to send in a few days what he learned with them.

Then there is from Detroit. [Detail unclear — heard as "heavto"] is in Detroit, and he did a lot of push on this, and he also made for non-religious children a two-week camp for free — this is his addition. And he wrote more: the three people that he appointed were [heard as] Yitzchok Mann [?], Ben Stein, and Yitzchok Meir Kogan. So that's Detroit.

There's more here, but let me go to another city. Then from Rabbi Yisroel Deren [?], from Springfield, Hartford, Stamford, and the Rebbe wrote over here [a comment — unclear]. Then I have over here, this is from Chabad mobile centers — they wrote a whole page, and the Rebbe [responded]. Then I have over here from... this is from Rabbi Rosenfeld, what they wrote — it says here "[unclear word]."

Then I have over here from Rabbi Dovid Raskin. He says that he appointed three people, and the three are: Ginsburg, Yehoshua Zelig Katzman, and Mendel Shemtov. Rabbi Dovid Raskin, Pinchas Goldman signed, and was very happy with what they did. From Rabbi Fogelman and Rabbi Fisch, they signed — this is from Worcester, [list of Massachusetts locations — unclear: "vulcro center, masses lab, central, maln kit, and yodim alonk"].

Then I have from New York, and this signed Spritzer, and the Rebbe answered a beautiful answer to the shliach — they wrote like: [unclear] and Oholei Miriam, 770.

So this is as far as — let me see if I have more time now.

Now from Montreal I have quite a lot over here, and the Rebbe was very happy because Kessler wrote — let me see over here — Kessler and [Mochin? — unclear] from camp, and what they did, let me find over here... These are only the ones I'm mentioning from the first few weeks that came in; besides that, the whole year there were thousands and thousands of letters that came in from people, and the Rebbe looked over each and every one.

We have over here from Reb Yukoslavski [?]. He wrote from — also, we have over here from [unclear] that they did in Chabad and from Beis Yeshivos [?]. Then we had this from Lev Britzky [?] and from Kramer, and Sonin, Halpern, Yosef Karl [?], from Yosef Kirbach [?]. All these are [a list] handled from Montreal, Boston, from Miami — from Miami. I have hundreds of — hundreds of — I have no time now to go through all this, but maybe we'll have another program where I'll be able to share with you what they did. They did a lot, and also [worked] to teach children to say Shema every night — this was something the Rebbe liked. And this was from Friedman, Zalman Marcus [?], and [By Glock? — unclear], and from Lev [?] and Brickman, and from Gerari Plotkin [?], from Lev Beneta [?], Marov [?], Varish [?] — I mean, I'm just [reading names] from Sudak [?], anyway.

So, the main thing is that I don't know why this stopped, but I think it wouldn't be a bad idea if people would continue what they put so much [effort] into, and I think they should continue, and if they want they can be in touch with me — I can share with them a lot of things here, only if they continue. I think that would be a good thing. So next week we continue our weekly program. Thank you.

No, I also want to say now — the reason I'm reading this now, this list that I'm adding over here, is because the Rebbe was very happy with these people. I don't know why — this is a special page [the Rebbe] circled. And he wrote — and he was pleased with the children, that they should say [Shema]. And then he wrote about when he wrote: David Brickman, [A.] Brickman, Nazov [?], Niazov [?], Ben-Ami, Marov [?]. And now, I'm reading these names so that whoever listens, if these people are listening, you should know that the Rebbe was very happy with what you did — this is what I wanted to mention again.

I mean, this — I'm looking again, there's so much, there's no end to this — in every country, every city, came letters from Brazil, from Argentina, from Africa, from all over, came letters to the Rebbe, and here I have this peckel. But the main thing is that I want to say again, I hope this will be what the Rebbe wanted. Thank you.