Bar Mitzvah "Bnei HaGiborim" 5747, Kfar Chabad

00:00 Speaker 1 My teachers and gentlemen, honored congregation: On Wednesday of the week of Parshas Ki Savo, “And it shall be, when you come into the land that Hashem your G-d is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it,” we open the bar mitzvah celebration for the children of the heroes. This is the twentieth celebration held in Kfar Chabad. My teachers and gentlemen, bar mitzvah boys, mothers, relatives, friends, and honored congregation: Our Sages said that wherever Scripture says “vayehi,” it speaks of sorrow. Wherever it says “vehayah,” it speaks of joy. The “vayehi” is already behind us, and at this moment, “And it shall be, when you come into the land”—we must come to joy. It is a great joy for us to come together from every corner of the country to celebrate a bar mitzvah, when a Jewish child becomes obligated in mitzvos and fulfills them. With your permission, my teachers and gentlemen, honored congregation, this joy belongs to all of us: to all the Jewish people, to every individual and to the community as a whole. Let us welcome them warmly. “You shall rejoice on your festival, and you shall be only joyful.” Each person should feel: “You shall rejoice”—you must rejoice—“on your festival,” on your own festival, “and you shall be only joyful.” May we merit to see the bar mitzvah boys continue to grow in Torah and mitzvos with joy. The orchestra, together with the entire congregation: “You shall rejoice on your festival.” You shall rejoice on your festival, and you shall be only joyful. You shall rejoice on your festival, and you shall be only joyful; you shall rejoice on your festival. Ah, rejoice.

03:26 Speaker 1 Together! You shall rejoice on your festival. Rejoice.

06:52 Speaker 2 On Wednesday, some have the custom, after the Song of the Day, to add the verses “Come, let us sing joyfully to Hashem.” This is a preparation for the coming holy Shabbos. This holy Shabbos falls on the Hebrew date of 18 Elul, Chai Elul. On Chai Elul in the year 5458, the soul of our teacher Rabbi Yisroel the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed and holy memory, descended—as I said, on Chai Elul. In the year 5505, on that very day, Chai Elul, the soul of the Alter Rebbe, author of the Shulchan Aruch and the Tanya, Rabbi Schneur Zal—may it be a good and new year—in the year 5505... On that very day, Chai Elul, the soul of the Alter Rebbe, author of the Shulchan Aruch and the Tanya, descended. May the coming Shabbos be for the good. This holy Shabbos falls on the Hebrew date of 18 Elul. On Chai Elul, his soul descended—of blessed memory—as I said, on Chai Elul, in the year 5505, on that very day, the soul of the Alter Rebbe, author of the Shulchan Aruch and the Tanya, Rabbi Schneur Zalman, of blessed and holy memory, descended. From Chai Elul, twelve days remain until the end of the year and the beginning of a good new year. In the telegram the Rebbe sent, he refers to the dates of Chai Elul, the birthdays of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe. The Rebbe shlita also sent a bottle of mashke to this celebration, so that people could make a blessing over it and say l’chaim. In the meantime, I’ll serve as a bit of a representative for the congregation. Cups of l’chaim can be poured for everyone, and before we read the telegram the Rebbe sent, let us bless the bar mitzvah boys, their families, all the participants, and all the Jewish people: L’chaim! L’chaim and blessings.

09:52 Speaker 13 Amen.

10:07 Speaker 2 Our Sages told us: “Whenever one repeats a teaching, he should picture the one who said it standing before him.” If you repeat a saying of a Tanna, an Amora, a tzaddik, or a great Torah scholar, picture its author standing there while you merely quote his words. Therefore, when chassidim receive a letter, a telegram, or a note from the Rebbe, they regard it as though the Rebbe is standing before them. We will stand to hear the telegram the Rebbe sent to the bar mitzvah boys and all the participants, read by the chairman of Tzeirei Chabad, a longtime participant in all these celebrations, Rabbi Yisroel Leibov. With your permission, my teachers and gentlemen, let us stand and hear the Rebbe shlita’s telegram. First of all, I say to the entire congregation: l’chaim.

11:41 Speaker 18 L’chaim and blessings.

11:42 Speaker 2 A good year, l’chaim and blessings. For a good life and peace, and all good things. L’chaim.

11:47 Speaker 18 Amen. L’chaim and blessings.

12:00 Speaker 2 The telegram the Rebbe shlita sent for this celebration. Boruch Hashem, the eve of 15 Elul. Yesterday was the eve of—today is 15 Elul. Boruch Hashem, the eve of 15 Elul, Parshas Ki Savo, 5747, the Shemitah year, a Shabbos unto Hashem, Brooklyn, New York. To each of the bar mitzvah boys and to all the participants in the joint celebration in Kfar Chabad, in our Holy Land, shlita. Greetings and blessings. During the week when we read in our Torah, the Torah of truth, “When you come into the land that Hashem your G-d is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it”—the inheritance of the entire land within its borders, an everlasting inheritance. And the celebration is connected with the birthdays of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, among whose principal activities was the sacred education of the chil—among whose principal activities was the sacred education of the children of our people, a holy people. I share in your joy on reaching bar mitzvah age. May it be Hashem’s will that you joyfully accept upon yourself the yoke of our Torah, the Torah of life, and its mitzvos, and fulfill them in action, which is the main thing—action. May the great merit of Torah and mitzvos protect and bring true peace to the land in its entirety and to our entire people, wherever they may be. The mitzvah of tefillin has a particular power, for as our Sages say, through its fulfillment, “All the peoples of the earth will see you.” May you go from strength to strength in our Torah and its mitzvos in their entirety, and very soon may the promise be fulfilled, “You alone are the G-d who works wonders,” for Your kindness toward me is great, with the true and complete Geulah through Moshiach Tzidkeinu. With blessings of mazel tov to you and your entire family, shlita, and blessings for a good inscription and sealing. The Rebbe shlita’s holy signature. That is all.

14:36 Speaker 19 Thank you very much. The orchestra, together with the entire congregation, please.

16:55 Speaker 20 We will hear a blessing from the local rabbi, Rabbi Ashkenazi, the rabbi of Kfar Chabad. Please.

17:28 Speaker 21 L’chaim, l’chaim.

17:30 Speaker 20 L’chaim and blessings.

17:31 Speaker 21 L’chaim to you, dear bar mitzvah boys. L’chaim to you, honored guests. L’chaim to all of us who have come to take part in your joy, our joy, the joy of all Kfar Chabad. L’chaim, l’chaim! We are happy to take part in this bar mitzvah celebration. And there is a special joy in this bar mitzvah celebration, which, as we saw on the large banner on the wall, is being held for the twentieth time. The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos, which says, “At thirteen, for mitzvos,” goes on to say, “At twenty, to pursue.” At thirteen, a person becomes obligated in mitzvos. Afterward, he continues studying Torah and continues his education. He continues to establish himself. When does he find his path? At twenty. That is why the Mishnah says, “At twenty, to pursue.” Many explanations have been given. Rashi explains: at twenty, to pursue mitzvos. Until now, he has studied. He has studied, been educated, and reflected. At twenty, the time has come to begin fulfilling and putting into practice what he has learned, in actual deed—and action is the main thing. For twenty years, we have accompanied you with joy at the bar mitzvah celebrations. We are happy to take part in the twentieth celebration, when the time has come to pursue mitzvos and gather the fruits in actual practice. The fruits of a Jew—the purpose of every Jew’s mission, the purpose of sending his soul into a physical body at birth—is that he reach thirteen and begin to fulfill the 613 mitzvos. In the weekly parsha it says, “You have declared Hashem today to be your G-d, and Hashem has declared you today to be His treasured people.” The commentators ask: What does “today” mean? Why the emphasis on “today”? Rashi explains, “Each and every day, they should be new in your eyes.” This verse has a special connection to the joy of a bar mitzvah. On this verse, the Gemara in Berachos says: “Hakadosh Boruch Hu said to the Jewish people: You have made Me unique in the world, as it says, ‘Hear, O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One.’ I, too, will make you unique in the world, as it says, ‘And who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth?’” The Gemara says, “The Jewish people

21:42 Speaker 21 put on tefillin, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu puts on tefillin.” In the tefillin of the Jewish people, what is the particular passage written there? “Hear, O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One.” But in the tefillin of Hakadosh Boruch Hu—what the Gemara calls “the tefillin of the Master of the world”—what is written in the tefillin of the Master of the world? “And who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth?” This is the meaning of the verse concerning this day, the day of bar mit—the day of bar mitzvah. “Today you have declared”: you have chosen the path on which Hakadosh Boruch Hu wants you to walk. In return, and as a reward, Hakadosh Boruch Hu has chosen you to be part of His tefillin, the crown upon His head, from which the soul of every Jew has its source. He has chosen you to be His treasured people and to place you above all the nations of the earth. I want to wish you, dear bar mitzvah boys, that from this day onward you grow and go from strength to strength. “Chayil,” strength, is an acronym for chossid, G-d-fearing person, and scholar. Go from strength to strength; grow in Torah and proper conduct, and may your families have true Jewish nachas from you. L’chaim, l’chaim! L’chaim and blessings, and may all who bless be blessed. Orchestra, please.

25:20 Speaker 22 “He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall.” The spirituality of words of Torah and the physical world of the Knesset must meet. It is our pleasure and honor to hear a blessing from Knesset member Rabbi Avraham Verdiger. Please.

25:55 Speaker 23 Honored rabbi of Kfar Chabad; honored rabbis; our honored guest, the rabbi of Milan, Rabbi Gerlitzky shlita; honored State Comptroller; officers of the IDF; my friend and colleague in the Knesset, Member of Knesset Professor Avner Chai Shaki; dear mothers, dear families, and dear bar mitzvah boys: How great is this gathering? How mighty, and how sacred. This is the twentieth joint bar mitzvah celebration for the sons of the holy and pure defenders of the Land and people of Israel—upright men who gave their lives for our land. Beloved and cherished in their lifetimes, they have not been parted from us even in their heroic deaths; their memory is engraved deep in our hearts forever. May Hashem avenge their blood. “I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed, and Hashem dwells in Zion.” My blessings to you, dear bar mitzvah boys, and to you, the courageous and remarkable mothers who raised them to love our people and our land. May the blessing in this week’s haftorah, for Parshas Ki Savo, be fulfilled in you: “The smallest shall become a thousand, and the youngest a mighty nation.” Mazel tov! Ladies and gentlemen, if the Chabad movement—whose name stands for chochmah, binah and daas—did not exist in our generation, if it had not been founded nearly two hundred years ago by the Alter Rebbe, may his merit protect us and all Israel, we would have had to establish it in this momentous era in which we live. We need it now for the unity of our people, to bring Jews closer to one another and to our ancient heritage and holy Torah, and for true Ahavas Yisroel. We need all these so deeply as the people of Israel take shape again in our ancient homeland. Especially in these troubled days, when we hear voices sowing division between the observant public and those who do not observe all the mitzvos, the Chabad movement, which is hosting us all here this evening under the leadership of the great Torah sage of our generation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe shlita, can be a bridge and a unifying force for all Israel, whose fate and future we share. The movement

30:28 Speaker 23 of Chabad in the Holy Land has set itself the goal of bringing joy to the sons of these heroes and to their mothers. With persistence and genuine Ahavas Yisroel, it spreads the wellsprings of our Torah outward. It can make an immense contribution to dialogue, understanding and peace among all parts of our people—those who observe the mitzvos and those who do not observe all the Torah’s mitzvos. That is its greatness. Ladies and gentlemen, the Midrash relates that when the Torah was given to Israel, all the nations gathered around Bilaam and asked, “What is all this commotion? Is a flood of water or a flood of fire coming upon the world?” Bilaam replied, “It is neither a flood nor a fire. A hidden treasure has come into the world”—meaning the Torah. When the nations saw the unity of the Jewish people at the Giving of the Torah, as it says, “They encamped as one man with one heart,” they wondered whether that unity came from fear of the flood or the fire. Bilaam told them, “This unity comes from receiving the Torah, as it says, ‘Hashem will give strength to His people; Hashem will bless His people with peace.’” Hakadosh Boruch Hu bestowed that strength upon His people and granted it to Israel’s heroes, the dear fathers of these bar mitzvah boys. They gave their lives with supreme courage and, through the kindness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, brought us victory. How fortunate you are, dear bar mitzvah boys, to be the sons of such courageous fighters of Israel. May Hashem avenge their blood. Dear mothers, dear boys, in this week’s parsha, Parshas Ki Savo—“When you come into the land”—it says: “Be attentive and hear, Israel: This day you have become a people to Hashem your G-d.” A Jewish boy who reaches the age of mitzvos becomes part of the people of Israel. The threefold cord of the Exodus from Egypt, the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and entering the Land of Israel will never be broken. My dear ones, please guard that unbreakable threefold cord. Mazel tov to the bar mitzvah boys, to the dear mothers, to the families, and to all the people of Israel. May you have a good and blessed year.

33:45 Speaker 24 Amen and amen. Orchestra.

36:28 Speaker 3 “And you shall put a space between one flock and the next”—and between one Member of Knesset and the next, a little space for a song. Then we will hear the blessing of our friend, Professor Avner Chai Shaki. And a brief word in honor of the Baal Shem Tov’s birthday. Our teacher the Baal Shem Tov explains a verse at the beginning of the parsha: “And you shall go to the place”—when you go somewhere, know that it is the place “that Hashem your G-d will choose.” Divine providence chose that you should go there. For what purpose? “To cause His name to dwell there”—to make a dwelling place for Hakadosh Boruch Hu there. Where is “there”? Only G-d knows. “There” may be the most hidden of places, yet a Jew has the power to cause His name to dwell there, to proclaim the name of Hakadosh Boruch Hu even there. And now, with the permission of the bar mitzvah boys, dear congregation, Professor Avner Chai Shaki’s blessing. Please.

37:56 Speaker 4 Dear and honored congregation; the esteemed local rabbi, the rabbi of Kfar Chabad, our respected friend Rabbi Ashkenazi; the esteemed rabbi of Milan, who has come especially, I understand, for this wonderful occasion; dear rabbis and IDF rabbis; our friend the State Comptroller; my esteemed and dear colleague, Member of Knesset Avraham Verdiger; dear and courageous mothers; dear families; and last but certainly not least, dear bar mitzvah boys. This is a moving and impressive occasion, the kind we rarely experience in our lives. Fortunate is the people for whom this is so. Fortunate is the people who raised lions from its midst to fight for Israel’s independence, existence and continuity, and who raised wonderful, dear sons like you, celebrating your bar mitzvah today. How fortunate you are to be the sons of such magnificent fathers. They gave the most precious thing they had, the most precious thing a person can give on this earth—life itself—so that Israel may live, so that the people in Israel may live, and so that the Jewish people may continue to stand tall in its historic land, renewing itself day after day. Fortunate is the people that has a magnificent movement like Chabad at its heart, bringing the people in Israel and the Diaspora, day after day and hour after hour, the most heartening message we need today—today more than ever before. Day after day and hour after hour, Chabad brings the message of Jewish unity and Ahavas Yisroel. We need that love more than any other. We love the land, we love the people, and we try to love one another. But without genuine, enduring Ahavas Yisroel, every day and every hour, there is, G-d forbid, no prospect that this state’s wonderful beginning will continue and rise ever higher. Through its teachings and outlook, under the remarkable guidance of the Rebbe shlita, the great sage of our generation, Chabad brings something that, sadly, is not found in abundance anywhere else—in any movement, party or organization, whether in Israel or the Diaspora. I see it here: Love every Jew because he is a Jew. What a

41:21 Speaker 4 message! What tremendous moral strength and power lie in those words! We must love without calculations. Love is above all calculations. Love is “Love your fellow as yourself,” as Rabbi Akiva understood it—one of the greatest Tannaim and among the mightiest sages of Israel in every generation. Chabad, which has brought you together for the twentieth year to celebrate your entry into the obligation of mitzvos, deserves the appreciation and thanks of the entire people. Dear students, dear bar mitzvah boys, our people are torn, wounded and divided. They need a force that binds and unites, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu gave the Jewish people the Lubavitch movement, the Chabad movement, to be that cement, by virtue of its tremendous faith and its great Ahavas Yisroel. And look at this wonder, dear bar mitzvah boys: You are bar mitzvah because you have turned thirteen. Now consider: Thirteen is the numerical value of echad, “one.” Alef is one, ches is eight, and daled is four: thirteen. It is an age, then, that gives us oneness and unity. One G-d, one people, one land. And ahavah, “love,” also has a numerical value of thirteen. Alef is one, hei is five, beis is two, and hei is five: again, thirteen. Thirteen plus thirteen is the numerical value of Hashem’s Name, twenty-six. So it is no accident that this host has brought you together, and continues to bring you together. It is founded on unity; its banner is Ahavas Yisroel and unity. That is why it does this wonderful thing, for which all of us—the entire people, every party, the whole public—owe it our heartfelt thanks. The parsha says, “When you come into the land,” but it does not simply say “the land”; it says, “which Hashem your G-d is giving you.” Anyone who looks closely at the parsha will find that the land is like the Giving of the Torah. He gives the Torah, and He gives this land. And so when the Rebbe shlita writes in his letter, “to its borders,” it is because

45:21 Speaker 4 He is a firm believer in the integrity of the Jewish people, the integrity of the Torah, and the integrity of the Land of Israel. I turn to you, dear bar mitzvah boys: keep these three forms of integrity before your eyes—the integrity of the people, the integrity of the land, and the integrity of the Torah. They are one. As the holy Zohar says in Parshas Behaaloscha: “The Torah, Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and the Jewish people are one.” The Torah, the Land of Israel, Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and the Jewish people. This triad—the Torah, Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and Israel, both the people of Israel and the Land of Israel—is one unity. That is what is in tefillin, both the tefillin of the head and the tefillin of the arm: the one opposite the heart and the one opposite the mind. A Jew must be strong in his mind and strong in his heart. His heart must keep his mind from becoming dry, and his mind must make sure his heart does not become too sensitive. This wonderful blending of mind and heart, of intellect and feeling, has given our people both its distinctiveness and its greatness. And if Hakadosh Boruch Hu places in His tefillin, “Who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth?” it is because He is one G-d and we are one people; one unity meets another, one meets one—and that one is you. As I said, at age thirteen, I wish you to grow up faithful to the Torah of Israel, the people of Israel, and the Land of Israel. In this way you will fulfill the true last will of your dear fathers, who fell in Israel’s wars so that Israel might live. That is the most beautiful way to perpetuate the memory of these holy fathers: to follow their path, with the boundless love they had for the land and the people. This combination will make you loyal, devoted citizens of Israel. Then the people will be proud of you, and you will be proud of your people. Mazel tov to you. Mazel tov to your families, and mazel tov to the mothers who worked so hard to bring you to this wonderful day. May you live to 120. Mazel tov!

48:08 Speaker 5 Amen and amen. At thirteen—and Chabad at fourteen—may you attain chochmah, binah, and daas, and, as we said, live to 120. A little story with a big request. The Alter Rebbe’s friends were sitting together at a gathering, a farbrengen of chassidim, and one of them was not feeling very well. He asked his friends, “Please bless me.” They said, “Are we Rebbes? Are we a Rebbe, that we should bless you? We’re just ordinary friends.” He pleaded, but they refused. They began to sing. When the song ended, he asked again, and again they turned him down. The third time, the Alter Rebbe stood up. We call him the Alter Rebbe, but at that time he was the youngest of the group, younger than everyone else in that holy fellowship. He said to them, “Dear friends, have you forgotten what our Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezritch, told us? A Jew’s blessing—the blessing of brothers and friends, given with love and friendship—can accomplish more than the angel Michael. Our friend is asking you, ‘Please bless me.’ Let’s give him a blessing.” They remembered their Rebbe’s teaching, and the chassidim blessed him. I’m holding a small note. A soldier in the navy was wounded, and through Divine Providence, his family asked: “There’s a bar mitzvah in Kfar Chabad. People will be gathering for a celebration; there will be many Jews there, many Jews. Please ask them to bless Alon ben Miriam.” His first name is Alon, and his mother’s name is Miriam. What does he ask? That all of us together wish him a complete recovery, that Hakadosh Boruch Hu grant healing to all 248 of his limbs and 365 of his sinews, among all the sick of Israel—healing of the soul and healing of the body, speedily and soon. And let us say amen for the recovery of Alon ben Miriam. Orchestra, please.

54:18 Speaker 6 Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay. Nushi, Nushi, band; Nushi, Nushi, band; Nushi, Nushi, band; Nushi, Nushi, band. Hey! Lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, lai, hey. Hey! Hey! Hey! In the weekly parsha, Rashi quotes the Sifrei: “You shall come to the kohen who will be in those days, and you shall say to him”—but it does not say what you are to say. Later it says, “I declare today.” Rashi explains “you shall say to him” in three words: “That you are not ungrateful.” For someone bringing bikkurim, the Torah did not set a required amount. These are things that have no fixed measure: peah and bikkurim. Bring as much as you wish, but do so with the feeling that you are not ungrateful. Later in the verses, when a Jew thanks Hashem, he says, “The Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us and imposed hard labor upon us.” There is work, and sometimes it is hard. So, through Divine Providence, here in our Holy Land they chose to have work together with welfare. And now, our friend Moshe Katsav, Minister of Labor and Welfare—your remarks, please.

57:45 Speaker 7 Honored rabbis, my fellow members of the Knesset, members of the dais, families of the heroes, young lion cubs, dear audience and guests: The Jewish people need internal unity today. Disputes, social tensions, verbal abuse—all of these drive wedges or erect barriers within Israeli society and within the Jewish people as well. Chabad’s approach, so splendidly expressed in its twenty years of organizing bar mitzvah celebrations for the sons of fallen war heroes, is further proof of the need to follow Chabad’s example in its tireless pursuit of internal unity and bringing hearts closer together. It is hard to believe, but as the year 5748 approaches, forty years after the founding of the state, most of the Jewish people still prefer to live in the Diaspora rather than build their homes in the Holy Land. The great majority of Jews who manage to get out from behind the Iron Curtain prefer to exchange one exile for another rather than move to Israel. Assimilation among the Jewish people is in full swing. Entire Jewish communities are disappearing through intermarriage and assimilation. In some communities, the rate of assimilation reaches fifty percent or more. Over the next ten to fifteen years, the Jewish people will shrink by some two million Jews because of this phenomenon of assimilation. Part of what the Jewish people preserved through self-sacrifice for two thousand years is being squandered within twenty. And that is not all. The weakening of ties to religion, and of ties to the Land of Israel and the State of Israel, is becoming a severe blow to the Jewish people. Perhaps this is the place to say to the religious leadership, too—to the Torah and rabbinic establishment—that bringing hearts closer, fostering internal unity, and strengthening the bond with the Jewish faith and the Jewish people depend to a great extent on the ability of leadership in general, and religious leadership in particular, to lead, guide, and bring about the internal unity that is so vital to us. Perhaps this is where the root of the problem lies: assimilation, weakening religious ties, and internal disputes within Israeli society and the Jewish people as a whole. I am certainly not placing the

1:02:33 Speaker 7 blame on them. On the contrary, the blame lies with those who encourage secularism and push to deepen the divide. But the task of bringing hearts closer and strengthening the bond with the Jewish faith and heritage rests on the shoulders of the leadership, especially the religious leadership. It seems to me that Chabad’s approach—its openness, its willingness to welcome more and more people, its efforts to bring hearts closer—is one of the ways to achieve a goal so vital and necessary for the Jewish people. I wish the families of the heroes and the bar mitzvah boys much joy and satisfaction. May all your hopes and aspirations, and those of your families, be fulfilled as part of the fulfillment of the Jewish people’s aspirations. A good and blessed year. “Vehayah” signifies joy; “vayehi,” in the past tense, signifies sorrow. “And it shall be on that day that a great shofar will be sounded, and those lost in the land of Ashur and those banished to the land of Egypt will come and bow to Hashem on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.” We have brothers, as we heard from Minister Katsav, who are lost in the land of Ashur—Ashur spelled with an alef. They are sinking deeper and deeper into a pit of butter and wealth, and perhaps just the tops of their heads are still above the surface, so that we can grab hold of them and pull them out of the pit of butter and wealth—with an alef. And those banished to the land of Egypt—Mitzrayim, from the word for straits. The sages of hidden wisdom said, without getting into politics: Mitzrayim is written with an open mem and a closed mem. At the beginning, “Please, come in, come in”; at the end, a closed mem—no exits. And in the middle are yud, tzadi, reish. Yud, tzadi, reish spell yetzer, the inclination; that adds up to three hundred. The open mem and the closed mem are eighty, making three hundred and eighty. It is no coincidence that it is samech-ches, samech-ches, samech-ches, reish. And there it is closed, closed, closed in with wickedness. May it be Hashem’s will that our brothers and sisters—we heard this morning and yesterday of openings through which Jews are leaving Egypt—may our brothers and sisters from Egypt and Ashur come up very soon, “with everlasting joy upon their heads.” Meanwhile, Mona Rosenblum and the orchestra will prepare the instruments for us to sing with the whole audience and with prayer: “From Egypt You redeemed us; from the house of bondage You delivered us.” Hey, “From Egypt You redeemed us; from the house of bondage”

1:06:40 Speaker 7 You redeemed us. From Egypt, from Egypt. Together. From Egypt You redeemed us; from the house of bondage You ransomed us. Oy, from Egypt You redeemed us; from the house of bondage You ransomed us. From Egypt. Hey, from Egypt You redeemed us; from the house of bondage. With honor and joy, let us welcome the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Shamir. Please.

1:10:27 Speaker 8 As I said, we welcome the Prime Minister of Israel, and there’s a hint written on the central wall. This celebration reaches upward both spiritually and materially, and the Dubek company has contributed greatly to it. I’d like to ask a representative of Dubek to offer his greetings. And in the haftarah—until now we’ve heard about the weekly parsha in the Torah. Every prophet is a prophet; he doesn’t need our help. But the haftarah begins: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Hashem has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the nations; but upon you Hashem shall rise, and His glory shall be seen upon you. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by the brightness of your rising.” I wish I could read the entire haftarah. And gentlemen, I have heard the Rebbe shlita use a certain expression several times. If today there is a kingdom that stands opposite what I alluded to with “three hundred and eighty,” then there is also a kingdom of kindness—that is the Rebbe’s expression, “a kingdom of kindness”—whose entire government strives to do kindness for all its people. A representative of that kingdom of kindness, the government of the United States, is here with us. The deputy ambassador will bring greetings from the embassy, from the government of kindness, the government of the United States. Please. Mister—but that’s in English; in Hebrew, Mr. Yos Marius [?]. Please, the embassy’s representative, the deputy ambassador.

1:13:10 Speaker 9 Thank you very much. Mr. Prime Minister, distinguished members of the Knesset, distinguished rabbis and bar mitzvah boys. I’m honored and pleased to be here tonight to bring you a special greeting from the people of the United States for this very special occasion. This tradition, of course, started twenty years ago in rather sad circumstances, but it’s only befitting as a tribute to the men of Israel who made the supreme sacrifice to guarantee the right to maintain the Jewish state. I’m proud to say that the United States, working together with Israel, has also made a contribution in some small ways to maintaining that right to have a Jewish state. But I would also like to say that this tradition also underlines a very important aspect of the Lubavitcher movement: the dedication to humanity, to education, and to the idea of service. So again, I congratulate you. I wish you all the best and want for you only good luck. Mazel tov. Thank you very much.

1:15:10 Speaker 10 And whoever blesses others is blessed. Aharon’le, translate that for him into English.

1:16:15 Speaker 11 “When will the Master come?” “When your wellsprings spread outward.” Ay, hop, hop, hop, ay. Ay ya ya. Ay ya ya. Ay ya ya. Ay. Ay ya ya. Ay ya ya. Ay ya ya. Ay. Ay ya ya. Ay ya ya. Ay ya ya. Ay. He will re—ah, “When will the Master come?” Ay. Ay ya ya. Ay ya ya. Ay. Ay ya ya. Ay ya ya. Ay. Hakadosh Boruch Hu helped me with a rich haftarah, and the prophet concludes, “And your people are all righteous.” Even those who seem to you like dim embers—“and your people are all righteous. They shall inherit the land forever, the shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, in which to take pride.” And the prophet concludes, “The smallest shall become a thousand, a thousand, and the youngest a mighty nation. I, Hashem, will hasten it in its time.” And the little one represents the little ones who are becoming grown-ups today. A representative of the bar mitzvah boys—with a big round of applause, gentlemen. At least for the boy, a round of applause. For whom? For Reuven Filman. Please.

1:19:32 Speaker 12 Take the note, take the note.

1:19:49 Speaker 14 Honored rabbis, honored Prime Minister, ministers, members of Knesset and IDF generals, dear mothers and distinguished guests. On behalf of my fellow bar mitzvah boys, I will begin with the traditional blessing: “Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this time”—the day of our bar mitzvah celebration, for which we have waited thirteen full years. We have merited to reach this day thanks to the devoted care and nurturing of our dear parents and teachers. First, on my own behalf and on behalf of my friends, I express our deep thanks to the Rebbe shlita of Lubavitch, whose blessing for this great day we have just heard. A bar mitzvah celebration is not only a festive personal and family occasion; it marks a profoundly important turning point in our lives. On this day, the carefree years of childhood come to an end, and adulthood opens before us, with its rights and responsibilities. From now on, we are granted the rights of grown men among our people. We may complete a minyan for prayer, be called up to the Torah, and enjoy many other such rights. But at the same time, we take on the mitzvos and duties incumbent upon every Jew: toward G-d, toward our fellow man, toward our parents and family, and toward every Jew. On behalf of all my fellow bar mitzvah boys, I declare at this festive gathering that we take upon ourselves to faithfully fulfill the mitzvah of tefillin, of which it says in Parshas Eikev, “You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes,” and concerning which our Sages, of blessed memory, applied the verse, “All the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of Hashem is called upon you, and they shall fear you.” It says in Midrash Tehillim: Rabbi Elazar says, the Jewish people said before Hakadosh Boruch Hu, “Master of the universe, we want to study Torah day and night, but we have no time.” Hakadosh Boruch Hu told them, “Fulfill the mitzvah of tefillin, and I will consider it as though you study Torah day and night.” Yes, we take upon ourselves to fulfill all the mitzvos and duties incumbent upon a Jew, both as a member of the Jewish people and

1:22:17 Speaker 14 as a citizen of the state. After all the hardships our people have endured, we have merited, with Hashem’s help, to live independently in the Land of Israel, which the Creator of the world gave to the Jewish people in perpetuity, as we read in the first verse of this week’s parsha, Parshas Ki Savo: “When you come to the land that Hashem your G-d is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it.” We have a duty to be united, not to forget the Kohanim and the Levi’im, or anyone who has no inheritance. And the verse says, “You shall rejoice in all the good that Hashem your G-d has given you—you, the Levi and the stranger in your midst.” From here, I call on the leaders of the people and on the entire Jewish people to unite again for the good of the Jewish people, in keeping with the verse, “Love your fellow as yourself.” Only in this way will we honor the memory of my father, may Hashem avenge his blood. On this day, we are keenly aware of the heavy burden placed upon our mothers’ shoulders: the challenge of raising and educating us and standing by us with love and endless patience. We hope we will be able to repay them with appreciation and with deeds. Thank you to our mothers, who brought us to this day. We wish them much nachas from all of us, and may Hashem bestow His kindness upon them abundantly. To the grandmothers and grandfathers who care for us and help us, we wish years of health and long life. To all the relatives, the rabbis, the members of the Israeli government, the IDF generals and all the distinguished guests who have come to celebrate our bar mitzvah with us: heartfelt thanks. This is also an opportunity to personally thank all the families who welcomed us into their homes with such warmth; the counselors who opened our eyes to the treasures of Judaism and Chassidus and spared no effort to make our stay here pleasant; and the leadership of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad and the entire village, who took part in welcoming us. Yasher koach. May Hashem bless and strengthen your work.

1:24:23 Speaker 15 Well said! Our Sages told us—what does it mean when I bless you? We bless the boy who blesses us, and whoever blesses others is blessed. What is this matter of blessings and blessing? A few meters from here—perhaps a kilometer away—there is an enormous reservoir. It stores water when there is no demand, and afterward distributes it to the orchards in the area. That is what a reservoir does: it gathers abundance and then distributes it. The Kinneret is our enormous reservoir, storing water for us. And when one Jew blesses another, he gives him a vessel with which to receive blessing, to receive abundance. If you’ll permit me, and if the orchestra will help me, we’ll bless the boys and this entire holy gathering with the prophet’s blessing: “I will pour out blessing for you beyond measure.” Our Sages said: What does “beyond measure” mean? Until your lips grow weary from saying, “Enough.”

1:25:43 Speaker 16 Beyond measure, beyond measure, beyond measure, beyond measure, measure, measure, measure, measure. “I will pour out blessing for you beyond measure.” Beyond measure, beyond measure, beyond measure, measure, measure, measure.

1:26:01 Speaker 15 Together, clap, clap your hands.

1:26:03 Speaker 16 Until your lips grow weary from saying, “Enough.”

1:26:08 Speaker 15 Hop, together, everyone together.

1:26:10 Speaker 16 Until your lips grow weary from saying

1:28:39 Speaker 17 Beyond measure. And how does the saying go? Among the Jewish people as a whole, there is also a Rabbi Yisroel. That is an individual person. And here there is a little girl named Miri Avraham. I don’t know whether her name is Miri or her family name is Avraham, but her mother’s name is Yonah.

00:01 Speaker 1 Boruch Hashem, eve of 15 Elul, Parshas Ki Savo, 5747, the Shemitah year, a Shabbos for Hashem, Brooklyn, New York. To each and every one of the bar mitzvah boys, with recognition of all the participants and the gathering together in Kfar Chabad [unclear] shlita. Greetings and blessings. In the week when we read in our Torah, the Torah of truth, “When you come to the land that Hashem your G-d is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and settle in it”—the inheritance of the entire land within its borders, an eternal inheritance. The celebration is close to the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, among whose principal activities was the sacred education of the children of our people, a holy people. I share in your joy on reaching bar mitzvah age. May it be Hashem’s will that you joyfully accept upon yourself the yoke of our Torah, the Torah of life, and its mitzvos, and fulfill them in practice, which is the main thing. What is that? And the great merit of Torah and mitzvos will protect and bring true peace to the whole Land and to our entire people, wherever they may be. The mitzvah of tefillin has a special power: our Sages, of blessed memory, taught that through its observance, “all the peoples of the earth will see ... and fear you.” May you go from strength to strength in our Torah and its mitzvos in their entirety, and may the promise soon be fulfilled: “You alone perform wonders, O G-d, for Your kindness to me is great,” with the true and complete Geulah through our righteous Moshiach. With blessings of mazal tov to you and your entire family, shlita, and blessings for a good inscription and sealing. The Rebbe’s holy signature, shlita.

02:18 Speaker 2 I want to wish you, dear bar mitzvah boys, that from this day forward you grow and go from strength to strength. The Hebrew word for strength, chayil, is an acronym for chossid, G-d-fearing person, and scholar. Go from strength to strength; grow in Torah and good conduct, and may your families have true Jewish nachas from you. L’chaim, l’chaim! And now we will have the pleasure and honor of hearing a blessing from Knesset member Rabbi Avraham Verdiger. Please.

02:56 Speaker 3 How great this gathering is, how mighty it is, and how holy it is. This twentieth joint bar mitzvah celebration is for the sons of the holy and pure, upright and innocent defenders of the Land of Israel and the Jewish people, who risked their lives for our land. Beloved and cherished in their lives, even in their heroic deaths we have not been parted from them, and their memory is engraved deep in our hearts forever. May Hashem avenge their blood. “I will avenge their blood, which I have not yet avenged,” and Hashem dwells in Zion. My blessings to you, dear boys, the bar mitzvah celebrants, and to the heroic and distinguished mothers who raised you to love our people and our land. May the blessing in this week’s haftorah, for Parshas Ki Savo, be fulfilled in you: “The smallest shall become a thousand, and the youngest a mighty nation.” Mazal tov. Ladies and gentlemen, if the Chabad movement—whose name stands for Chochmah, Binah, and Daas, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge—did not exist in our generation, if it had not been founded almost two hundred years ago by the Alter Rebbe, may his merit protect us and all Israel, we would be obliged to establish it in this momentous period in which we live. It is vital today for the unity of our people, for bringing Jews closer to one another, for drawing closer to our ancient heritage, our holy Torah, and for true Ahavas Yisroel. We need these so much in this period as the Jewish people rebuild their life in their ancient homeland. Especially in these troubled days, when we hear voices calling for division between the mitzvah-observant public and those who do not observe all the mitzvos, it is precisely now that the Chabad movement, which is hosting us all here tonight under the leadership of one of the great Torah sages of our generation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe shlita, can serve as a bridge and a unifying force for the entire Jewish people, whose fate and future we all share.

06:16 Speaker 3 The Chabad movement in the Holy Land, which has made it its mission to bring joy to the sons of these heroes and their mothers, and which systematically spreads the wellsprings of our Torah outward with true Ahavas Yisroel, is capable of making a major contribution to dialogue, understanding, and peace among all parts of our people—those who observe the mitzvos and those who do not observe all the Torah’s mitzvos. That is its greatness.

06:55 Speaker 4 And a brief word in honor of the Baal Shem Tov’s birthday. Our teacher the Baal Shem Tov says, in explaining the opening verse, “You shall go to the place”: When you go somewhere, know that it is a place “that Hashem your G-d will choose.” Divine Providence chose for you to go there. For what purpose? “To cause His name to dwell there”—to make a dwelling place for Hakadosh Boruch Hu there. Where is “there”? Only G-d knows. It is the most hidden of hidden places, and a Jew has the power to cause His name to dwell there, to proclaim the name of Hakadosh Boruch Hu even there. And now, with the permission of the bar mitzvah boys and this holy gathering, a blessing from Professor Avner Chai Shaki. Please.

08:01 Speaker 3 Chabad, which has brought you together for the twentieth year to celebrate your acceptance of the yoke of mitzvos, deserves the appreciation and thanks of the entire people. The people—dear students, dear bar mitzvah boys—our people are torn, wounded, divided, and in need of a force that brings them together and unites them. Hakadosh Boruch Hu has given the Jewish people the Lubavitch movement, the Chabad movement, to serve as a bond, through its tremendous faith and its great Ahavas Yisroel. And look at this wonder, dear bar mitzvah boys: you are bar mitzvah because you have turned thirteen. Consider this: thirteen is the numerical value of echad, “one.” Alef is one, ches is eight, and daled is four—and there you have thirteen. In other words, this is the age that brings oneness, unity. One G-d, one people, one land.

09:20 Speaker 5 And our friend, Minister of Labor and Welfare Moshe Katsav—your blessing, please.

09:29 Speaker 6 It seems to me that Chabad’s approach—its openness, its willingness to welcome more and more people, and its efforts to bring Jews closer to one another—is part of, or one of the paths toward, achieving a goal so vital and necessary for the Jewish people. I wish the families of the heroes and the bar mitzvah boys much joy and fulfillment, and the realization of all your aspirations and wishes, and those of your families, as part of the realization of the Jewish people’s hopes. A good and blessed year.

10:26 Speaker 7 Mazal tov, mazal tov, and may it be a good sign for us. Oh, may it be for us, for us and for all Israel. May it be for us. Hey, may it be for us, for us. Mazal tov, a good sign, a good sign, mazal tov, a good sign, a good sign, mazal tov, mazal tov. Hey, may it be for us. Hey, a good sign, mazal tov, mazal tov. Hey, a good sign, mazal tov, mazal tov. Hey, a good sign, mazal tov, mazal tov. Hey, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, hey. Hey, the one celebrating among Israel. Hey, hey, in the world. The one celebrating among Israel. May it be for us, for us and for all Israel. May it be for us, for us and for all Israel. Clap, clap your hands. May it be for us, for us.

12:53 Speaker 8 Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov, please.

12:56 Speaker 7 L’chaim, l’chaim.

12:57 Speaker 8 L’chaim.

13:02 Speaker 7 Honored Torah scholars and teachers, Prime Minister, distinguished guests, and last but certainly not least, dear boys, the bar mitzvah celebrants. I am happy to bring the blessings of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad to this moving occasion. We see this celebration as an expression of Jewish unity, of mutual responsibility between one Jew and another, and of the gratitude and appreciation we all feel toward the families whose loved ones gave their lives defending the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. At this gathering, I pray that this wonderful spirit of joy, love, and Jewish unity will dwell among us not only at celebrations, but also in ordinary, everyday life. I wish to thank Prime Minister Mr. Yitzchak Shamir, who has graciously honored this celebration with his presence year after year. My heartfelt thanks also go to the many guests and to everyone who has helped and continues to help make this joyous occasion a success. This year is a Shemitah year, a year of rest for Hashem, a year in which we rise above mundane matters and try to study more, observe more mitzvos, do more good deeds, and draw ever closer to our Father in Heaven. My blessing to the boys and their families is that the values and meaning of this year accompany them always, throughout their lives. A good year, and may we and all the Jewish people be inscribed and sealed for good. And now we will hear a blessing from the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Yitzchak Shamir, for the bar mitzvah boys and this holy gathering. Prime Minister, please.

15:38 Speaker 9 These boys should know that today they are not only beginning to bear the yoke of mitzvos and the responsibility that comes with belonging to the great Jewish people; they are also entitled to rights. They are entitled to feel the loving, caring hand of the entire Jewish people. I want to bless the devoted Chabad people that they continue to spread Ahavas Yisroel throughout the Land and the world, wherever a Jewish heart beats. And I want to bless the boys that they succeed and grow into good, loyal sons of their people, bringing honor and nachas to their families and to all Israel. As the new year approaches, I wish you a year of joy, a year of peace, a year of security, a year of prosperity, a year of immigration to the Land, a year of settlement, a year of happiness and blessing. All the best to the entire Jewish people.

17:15 Speaker 10 Amen and amen.