Hachnosas Sefer Torah for the merit of captive and redeemed IDF soldiers

00:10 Speaker 1 I ask everyone to sit down. Shhh... “This is the day Hashem has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Ladies and gentlemen, we waited two whole years for this moment. We counted the days, the weeks, then another month and another year. And now, baruch Hashem, on 23 Adar, we marched and danced and leaped, as it says of King David when they brought the Ark of G-d to the City of David, and the joy was great. With us here are the honored guests for whom we wrote the Sefer Torah: the captured and freed soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who have come to celebrate with us. Among them are tank crewmen, pilots, and men from every branch of the IDF who risked their lives and, baruch Hashem, are alive and here with us. And the second group, my brothers and friends, is the Friends of Chabad. I am proud that you have come in such numbers to join us this evening for the dedication of the Sefer Torah. And ladies and gentlemen, last but certainly not least, the one whose celebration this is: Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Halevi Segal of Kfar Chabad, who contributed a very substantial sum toward completing the Sefer Torah. Today, the anniversary of his mother’s passing, a"h, the Sefer Torah was brought into the synagogue of the Chernobyl children. Rabbi Segal’s family is sharing in his joy, but not only his family. Rabbi Segal, I am sure that your mother, of blessed memory, is here with us and is taking pleasure in the great event we are celebrating tonight. And finally, our dear friends from Tzeirei Agudas Chabad, headed by its chairman, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, who is here with us, ladies and gentlemen—and the picture is complete. The evening is still ahead of us. We have here a special family that recently joined the Friends of Chabad. They help and support us, and whenever I turn to them with a request, I immediately find a hand extended to help. Since that family has a wedding tonight and must leave early, I ask only—shhh—if we could have a few minutes of quiet. With your permission, I would like to invite Shraga Kurtov. Please welcome him with applause; he deserves it. Where’s the orchestra? Play me a song. Thank you very much!

04:49 Speaker 1 And I ask Yochai to please come here—Yochai Peleg—and present Shraga Kurtov with the following certificate. Yochai, please meet him. Yochai Peleg, please. Yochai Peleg, a longtime member of the Friends of Chabad, is presenting Shraga Kurtov with the medal, with this precious certificate. And Shraga, we still have a journey ahead of us, and with Hashem’s help, together we will merit to do many, many more good things.

05:38 Speaker 2 Thank you very much to Rabbi Yechiel Mehalov[?]. I had the honor of meeting him not so long ago, just a few years back, and we’ve been together ever since. I wish you many, many more years of doing mitzvos like these, and we’re with you. Thank you.

05:54 Speaker 1 Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Shraga. Ladies and gentlemen, we came tonight to rejoice and dance with the Torah. The Sefer Torah is already resting in the Aron Kodesh, and I ask the yeshiva students, everyone here, and the orchestra for a happy, lively, uplifting song, please. I want to see one big circle here. Everyone is sitting—everyone, get up and dance with us. The first one in the circle will get something from me. The first one. The first one. Hey, hey, that’s it. I want to see all of you. Yerucham, Yerucham, come on.

07:02 Speaker 13 Moshe is true and his Torah is true, Moshe is true and his Torah is true, Moshe is true and his Torah is true, Moshe is true and his Torah is true.

07:16 Speaker 1 Hey!

07:28 Speaker 13 Moshe is true and his Torah is true, Moshe is true and his Torah is true, Moshe is true and his Torah is true, Moshe is true and his Torah is true. And you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, westward and eastward, northward and southward. And you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, westward and eastward, northward... And you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, westward and eastward, northward and southward. A-and you shall spread forth westward and eastward, a-and you shall spread forth northward and southward. A-and you shall spread forth westward and eastward, a-and you shall spread forth northward and southward. Aha!

08:36 Speaker 17 And you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth westward and eastward, northward and southward, westward and eastward, northward and southward, westward and eastward, northward and southward, westward and eastward, northward and southward.

08:53 Speaker 13 Hey! Hey, hey. And you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth westward and eastward, northward and southward. And you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth westward and eastward, northward and southward. A-and you shall spread forth westward and eastward, a-and you shall spread forth northward and southward. A-and you shall spread forth westward and eastward, a-and you shall spread forth northward and southward. Aha, aha. Hey!

10:06 Speaker 17 And you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth, and you shall spread forth westward and eastward, northward and southward, westward and eastward, northward and southward,

11:38 Speaker 18 Thank you very much. And you really deserve a round of applause. After all the dancing we did in the streets of Kfar Chabad, we still have energy left, so you truly deserve a round of applause.

11:58 Speaker 19 Ah, come here, come, come. Ten minutes.

12:10 Speaker 18 Everything happens by Divine Providence, and since we have gathered today on the 23rd—on 23 Adar—this day, this date, has special significance. We read in the weekly parsha: “And it came to pass on the eighth day that Moshe called Aharon and his sons and the elders of Israel.” Our Sages say that the eighth day was the eighth day of the inauguration. On 23 Adar, Moshe Rabbeinu received the command from Hakadosh Boruch Hu to begin building the Mishkan. But let me tell you something interesting. Moshe Rabbeinu would put up the Mishkan, and in the evening he would take it down. The next day, he would put it up again and take it down again. For seven consecutive days, Moshe Rabbeinu put up the Mishkan and took it down. But on the eighth day, Moshe called Aharon and his sons and the elders of Israel, and said to Aharon, “The command passes to you. You, Aharon, will serve as Kohen Gadol, and you will perform the service.” I have the honor of inviting the Kohen Gadol among his brothers, the chairman of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in Israel, who has built up Chabad Chassidus and brought it to remarkable heights over the past twenty years: Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov. Please.

14:42 Speaker 20 Good evening! With the permission of Rabbi Melov[?], the Segal family, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Segal, Yossi Segal, and everyone present—honored guests. This is a moving occasion because it touches the most sensitive nerves of Jewish existence. Here we have an extraordinary joining together: the completion of a new Sefer Torah, its dedication to the synagogue of the Chernobyl children, and warm cooperation with the IDF Prisoners of War Association. That connection becomes even clearer when we notice that, throughout the generations, the Jewish people have used the very same expression for redeeming Jews and Sifrei Torah from foreign hands. In both cases, Jews used the expression “pidyon shevuyim”—redeeming captives. In the most difficult times for the Jewish people, such as the dark days of the Holocaust, Jews risked their lives not only to save Jews from the murderers, but also to redeem Sifrei Torah from their hands and return them to Jewish communities. This shows the place of the Sefer Torah in the life of the Jewish people. It is the book with which Jewish existence began, and by whose merit we continue to exist as a people. From the Torah comes a Jewish solidarity unlike any other. When we hear that Jews somewhere in the world—Jews we do not know and with whom we have never had any connection—are in distress and need help, we immediately step forward and do everything we can to help them. That is what happened about thirteen years ago, when the plight of Jewish children from the Chernobyl area was brought to our attention. The Rebbe immediately instructed us to come to their aid. With Hashem’s kindness, and thanks to the support and help of friends and well-wishers, we have merited to bring more than 2,300 children to Israel to date. Here they began new lives as Jews, healthy in body and spirit. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the thread. It is the thread that connects all these things: the deep inner bond between every member of the Jewish people, and between all of us and the Sefer Torah. I have the honor

18:23 Speaker 20 of thanking from the bottom of my heart all our honored guests who have come to rejoice with us in this great celebration. First and foremost, my warm and heartfelt thanks go to my dear friend Reb Yosef Yitzchak Segal and his family. In addition to his extraordinary dedication to the work of Tzeirei Chabad throughout the year, he took the initiative and contributed toward writing this Sefer Torah for the Chernobyl synagogue. Special thanks go to the second partner in writing the Sefer Torah, our esteemed friend Rabbi Yechiel Melov[?], who does such great things to bring the different parts of our people closer together, and to everyone who has taken part in this great celebration. I will conclude with a prayer that all Jewish captives return home safe and sound, together with all the Sifrei Torah and sacred articles still held in foreign hands, and that the prophecy be fulfilled: “And those redeemed by Hashem shall return and come to Zion with song, with everlasting joy upon their heads”—with the true and complete Geulah, very soon.

20:14 Speaker 21 Yasher koach, yasher koach to Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak... Yosef Yitzchak Hakohen Aharonov for his warm and moving words. We are sure his words have entered our hearts. Thank you very much, Shraga. May we meet only at happy occasions. And to the waiters: you can serve the first course. Orchestra, quiet songs, please.

22:45 Speaker 22 Master of the universe, Who reigned before any creature was created. When all was made by His will, then His name was called King. And after all has ceased to be, He alone will reign, awesome in majesty. He was, He is, and He will be in glory.

23:43 Speaker 23 Everyone! Master of the universe, Who reigned before any creature was created. When all was made by His will, then His name was called King. And after all has ceased to be, He alone will reign, awesome in majesty. He was, He is, and He will be in glory. Master of the universe, Who reigned before any creature was created. When all was made by His will, then His name was called King. And after all has ceased to be, He alone will reign, awesome in majesty. He was, and He is in glory. He was, and He is with me in love. He was, and He speaks to me with love. He was, and He speaks to me with love.

28:07 Speaker 3 For [unclear] and knows all, the G-d of [unclear], and so on. [Unclear] and knows all, the G-d of [unclear], and so on. [Unclear] and knows all, the G-d of [unclear], and so on. [Unclear] and knows all, the G-d of [unclear], and so on. [Unclear] and knows all, the G-d of [unclear], and so on. [Unclear]—

30:45 Speaker 4 For You are mine and know all, my G-d, exalted above all. For You are mine and know all, my G-d, exalted above all. For You are mine and know all, my G-d, exalted above all. For You are mine and know all, my G-d, exalted above all.

31:43 Speaker 5 Dear and holy audience, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau shlita, is on his way. Minister Uzi Landau will also arrive in a few minutes. In the meantime, we’ll show you a film about the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his work, and about Chabad chassidim in Eretz Yisroel and throughout the world. We ask everyone to sit down and turn off the lights, turn off the lights. We have two projectors, so everyone can sit and watch the film. If someone could turn off the lights.

33:33 Speaker 6 May you continue to do all the wonderful work you do.

33:36 Speaker 7 I’m not satisfied with only continuing. It must increase greatly.

33:41 Speaker 6 Well, we’ll be satisfied if you continue.

33:44 Speaker 7 I’m not satisfied. It’s not only about me. It’s not only about you. You, too, must continue to do everything, because every living thing must grow. The Rebbe makes clear, based on our Chassidic masters of previous generations, that one must first “raise up many students.” As it says several times in [unclear], if he has a hundred students, a thousand students, or four thousand students, that does not yet mean they are “many students.” Even if he has only twenty students, [unclear]. But if he could have brought another thousand students, then even a thousand is not “many,” because there could have been more. When he has brought students to the point that, throughout the whole area he can reach, [unclear], then he has carried out his shlichus. And that shlichus is [unclear]. Otherwise, he has not yet fulfilled “raise up many students.” He still has a shlichus to seek ways to reach those he has not yet reached, and to share Chassidus and acts of kindness with them—things that cannot be counted. [Unclear]. So he must still be dissatisfied. This demand applies to everyone in the world, including yourself and myself. And be satisfied that this is a great example.

36:21 Speaker 8 You taught us one thing: never to be satisfied. So we never will be. Just lead us to wealth and health.

36:26 Speaker 7 Yes. And don’t let that affect your health—not just your satisfaction.

36:33 Speaker 8 The human constitution is like an engine. If you overdo it, you can burn it out. But if you underdo it, it gets sluggish. So I try to work at the best efficiency, the way you told me many years ago.

36:44 Speaker 7 Yes. And may G-d Almighty bless you with more strength to do even more. A G-d-loving man brings dynamism to a business. He goes from strength to strength. We know this in business and in life generally, and especially when, with the same effort, one person can influence so many people. It is the same with a temple: through the effort a person makes, if his life is a temple, it should provide a light for all the people in the world. The same goes for all your activities around you. May G-d Almighty bless you to use all your energy in the right direction, for His glory. [Unclear]. It brings still more joy and still more love, more light to the days [unclear]. A good beginning, but I was thinking you would do twice as much. And it is like a prayer, with the approval of Divine Providence.

38:06 Speaker 8 I’m trying. I’m trying.

38:08 Speaker 7 Not only your best, but much more. [Unclear]. One must go from strength to strength; that is how it must be. Even in good and holy things, and in acts of kindness, a person should not be satisfied with what he has accomplished so far, however good it was. Even if it was complete, he must remain connected to the “powerhouse,” as they call it—to the Eibershter, the source of all strength—and carry out the shlichus the Eibershter has given him. He has made him a shliach to bring [unclear] to the whole world around him. So he should not become satisfied with what he has done and achieved. [Unclear]. And if you can add something else, I’ll be very happy. May G-d bless you to go from strength to strength, to do everything possible so that the business grows, the budget grows, and you keep growing. And you will become even better.

40:17 Speaker 9 I want to ask you something [unclear].

40:21 Speaker 7 What is it?

40:21 Speaker 9 This matter [unclear] Bereishis. And in Israel there are also [unclear] named Yitzchak. There are many difficulties, but [unclear]. There is also a great deal of advice.

40:34 Speaker 7 Yes, in all of this. But there is no need for three. We know about three from Berachos, and afterward from the Gemara and from Devarim. [Unclear]. It also says five things. So there is no need to [unclear] the three things—what was in Bereishis and what can be three. Perhaps you can also say what you mean. The [unclear]?

41:00 Speaker 9 The [unclear] as well, and the [unclear] as well.

41:03 Speaker 7 There is no need for [unclear] blessings, [unclear] words.

41:33 Speaker 9 Whoever has [unclear], I have [unclear]. [Unclear]. This also reaches the shluchim there, [unclear] there, and [unclear]. And this is easy for the shluchim, and [unclear] still more. And so on. [Unclear].

42:17 Speaker 10 Thank G-d, Jewish life has gone from strength to strength. We help a lot of people, including myself. We helped with therapy, with family therapy. We helped in all the Jewish schools. And Rabbi Wilson here did a wonderful job. Not only with the help, but

42:35 Speaker 11 We demand twice as much from him, and he demands twice as much from you. And G-d will no doubt give you twice as much in His blessings, especially success with your partner, Kashmir[?], with your partner in Jerusalem. And the same goes for Hashem.

43:01 Speaker 12 I’ve been on one of the building committees for the new Chabad House in Hartford with Rabbi Goldstein. It’s been beautiful, and he’s been responsible for a great deal of the—

43:08 Speaker 11 G-d will no doubt bless you, and you’ll have the satisfaction of having your own Chabad House back in Berlin, where you can tell the world. And may you do all these things in good health and in a good partnership.

43:38 Speaker 14 We are partners together.

43:39 Speaker 11 Yes, that is G-d’s money.

43:42 Speaker 15 You remember.

43:42 Speaker 14 Well put.

43:43 Speaker 15 Yeah. We came out here in about seventy-five with Grant Wilson and told him then, when he was president of another movement in our Jewish community.

43:52 Speaker 11 Yeah.

43:53 Speaker 15 Only a federation, because you know we were so huge in the A and C.

43:58 Speaker 11 I also remember telling you about the duty you have to carry out in the future. I very much hope, with G-d’s help, that you’ll bring in additional donors and, together with your partner, use your youth in the most effective way to spread Yiddishkeit as soon as possible, because Moshiach is coming soon.

44:25 Speaker 14 You know that we’re now providing a quarter of a million dollars a year to the Lubavitch school system from the UJA Federation campaign, which is very important. It’s a new, new development.

44:38 Speaker 11 Wonderful. And you expect me to be satisfied with a quarter of a million?

44:42 Speaker 14 I’m not satisfied either.

44:43 Speaker 11 We are not satisfied.

44:44 Speaker 14 If you were satisfied, I’d be worried.

44:47 Speaker 11 Exactly.

44:47 Speaker 14 You share my worry.

44:48 Speaker 11 Then you have no reason to be worried. At all. For many years I’m—excuse me.

44:59 Speaker 14 Many happy years. Nice to see you again.

45:00 Speaker 11 I’ll be very happy when you add to your activities in spreading Yiddishkeit.

45:06 Speaker 14 I can.

45:06 Speaker 11 When you [unclear] so many students, Torah scholars, sages, sages of Israel, with good news about spreading Yiddishkeit.

45:15 Speaker 14 Yes.

45:16 Speaker 11 Especially with the advent of Jewish education.

45:20 Speaker 14 You’re amazing to remember that it was 19 years ago. 19 years.

45:27 Speaker 11 Both of you have been a very big help in the community and for Chabad in England.

45:37 Speaker 14 Well, we try to do our best. That’s all we can do.

45:39 Speaker 11 I think that’s the case with you.

45:41 Speaker 14 Yeah.

45:42 Speaker 11 You help me.

45:43 Speaker 14 Yes, I’ll try to work.

45:48 Speaker 11 You said, “How can I appreciate what you do?” For every person, for every person, for every person, Hakadosh Boruch Hu [unclear]. Hakadosh Boruch Hu is good [unclear]. And you did—

46:30 Speaker 16 When you look at it, when a person is inside a house and the house is on fire, he cannot remain indifferent to it. He has to get up and wake from his sleep. It has to be personal.

00:02 Speaker 1 It is not just that he became involved; [unclear]. That is the lesson: we must understand that when a Jew comes along and wants to get involved, [unclear]. When we come to a person and free him from someone who wants to act like Amalek, wants to harm him and put him in danger, that is not something we should refrain from doing. It is a noble thing, even if it means getting involved in all his affairs. And this was taken into account: because we live in a democratic country, [unclear]. He does not come to this by the ordinary route; [unclear]. We look at what is at stake. And this is what the Rebbe [unclear], and this is what we came with.

02:27 Speaker 2 In a word, the Lubavitcher Rebbe is not content, and does not want to be content, with what each of us does. Each person needs to feel that what he did today was good for today, but tomorrow is a new day, and he has to start everything anew. There are good Jews, and there are Jews who do many acts of kindness. Since we are here, I have this opportunity to thank them and express my appreciation, because recognizing and expressing gratitude is, after all, a positive mitzvah from the Torah: to be grateful to someone who has done you a kindness. I would like to invite Danny Ran. Danny Ran is an enthusiastic supporter of the Friends of Chabad group, helping and assisting with everything holy. Danny, please. Where is everyone’s applause? Louder. Ah, that’s weak, weak—louder, because he deserves it. And next, a dear Jew, the owner of Photo Or, who published the beautiful booklet—I would call it the beautiful book—that we distributed two months ago at Gan Oranim, and printed the invitations. In short, as every one of us knows, all this costs a fortune. It’s Benny! He did all that work free of charge. Please, Benny. Wonderful. And ladies and gentlemen, get your hands ready—but louder this time. Without this dear Jew, we could not be sitting here today: Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak HaLevi Segal, who has promised to give a very substantial donation every year to the activities of the Friends of Chabad group. I would like to ask Eli Ravina—Eli Ravina, and—please, Eli. Ladies and gentlemen, Eli Ravina would like to say a few words. Afterward, I’ll tell you who Eli Ravina is.

06:31 Speaker 4 Honored guests, today we live in a world of radiation—all kinds of radiation: electronic, magnetic, all sorts. But here today we have been privileged to see rays of radiance shining from the faces of Rabbi Segal and Rabbi [unclear]. Anyone who stood beside them saw how they shone, radiating serenity, joy and faith to us all at the dedication of the Sefer Torah. On behalf of all of you, I bless them both together and each one individually: yasher koach, and may you succeed in all you do. We are all with you.

07:35 Speaker 2 Ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell you something. I once came to visit Eli in Savyon. I entered his home. It was nine in the morning, and Eli was standing there wearing tefillin and davening. I came in and saw him in the living room. For half an hour, this dear Jew stood and davened without coming over to me at all. He didn’t bat an eyelid or even gesture for me to sit down—he was with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. The person who first drew Eli Ravina closer was Rabbi Moshe Slonim, zichrono livrachah. I want to tell you that the whole group, the Friends of Chabad, came into being through him when he established a Chassidus class in Eli Ravina’s home. Before Rabbi Slonim had to leave the country, he called me and said, “Listen, Yechiel, I have a group. Do me a favor: there are a few Jews there who are learning. Keep teaching them.” So I continued, and from that small handful blossomed a tremendous light: today, some two hundred families are members of the Friends of Chabad group! That is truly an enormous achievement. One of the members of the Friends of Chabad group is Meir Rabinowitz. Ladies and gentlemen, Meir Rabinowitz is modest. He does all the work—the photography, the filming, the pictures. He has been accompanying us for quite a few years, and it is all free of charge! He deserves recognition for that. Meir, raise your hand so they can see you. I know you’re a modest man, but you deserve it. And from one blessing to another, I would like to invite the rabbi of Kfar Chabad, Rabbi Mordechai Ashkenazi shlita. Please.

10:08 Speaker 5 Wel—welcome, honored and distinguished guests, to Kfar Chabad for the special joy of completing and dedicating a Sefer Torah. Our Sages say, “Everything depends on mazal, even a Sefer Torah in the Ark.” Many explanations have been given for this teaching of our Sages. But when we consider today’s dedication of a Sefer Torah—thank G-d, over the past year we have celebrated quite a few joyous Sefer Torah dedications here in Kfar Chabad—this Sefer Torah, and its completion, is unique, both because of those who took part in writing it and because of the place to which it has been brought. So this Sefer Torah has a special mazal. Our Sages say—and the Alter Rebbe, the founder of Chabad Chassidus, explains this in Tanya—that every Jew has a letter in the Sefer Torah. Accordingly, it is said that the Sefer Torah contains six hundred thousand letters. There is, admittedly, discussion about this: if we actually count the letters in the Sefer Torah, we find only half that number. But as is known, the Biblical text comprises not only letters but also vowel points and cantillation marks, and counting them together, the scribes arrived at six hundred thousand letters, with the vowel points and cantillation marks. What this means is that when the Jewish people left Egypt—and we are now approaching Pesach, within the thirty days before the festival—they numbered, as is known, six hundred thousand men on foot. Those six hundred thousand Jews who left Egypt represent the Jewish people. Thank G-d, we have been fruitful and multiplied, and today we are a much, much larger people—may we continue to grow. But there are six hundred thousand general souls, which then branch into many bodies and souls, and so on. Thus, in the Sefer Torah as a whole, every single Jew has a letter. And just as the Torah is called Toras Chaim, a guide for life, the Rebbe explains in his holy sichos that a Jew draws sustenance—both spiritual life and physical life—through

13:30 Speaker 5 the letter he has in the Sefer Torah. This is especially so when this Sefer Torah was written by captives of the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces. In our present state, all of us are described in Tanach as captives. We long for the day when Hashem will return His people from captivity. The Jewish people in exile are described as being in captivity. They are considered captives, and what we await is not becoming free people, not going from slavery to freedom—we already did that when we left Egypt—but going from captivity to the true and complete Geulah. So, in the merit of these dear Jews, who risked their lives for the Land of Israel, went into exile and captivity, and emerged to freedom, this is a great and special joy. Through this Sefer Torah, they symbolize that redemption and that return. But there is more. Thank G-d, there are many Sifrei Torah in the shuls of Kfar Chabad, in every single shul. What is special about this Sefer Torah? It has been given to the place and institution for the children of Chernobyl—children who, for seventy or eighty years, had been uprooted from their roots and their source. Yet all that terrible exile in which they lived, the great darkness and every attempt to undermine their roots, did not succeed. Their souls remained connected and bound to their source. So the moment it became possible to emerge from that terrible darkness, they awakened to Judaism, without parents or grandparents, and so on. What gave them light? What connected them to Judaism? The Jewish soul. Of this it is said, “The Jewish people, the Torah and Hakadosh Boruch Hu are all one.” A Jew’s connection to Hakadosh Boruch Hu is through the Torah—Oraisa is the Aramaic word for Torah. Even if he does not study, even if he has not had the opportunity to learn, the letter he has in the Sefer Torah gives him strength and reinforces him so that he will not be assimilated among the nations, G-d forbid.

16:38 Speaker 5 And peace, and to awaken the Jewish spirit, soul, and faith within him. This is the meaning of the teaching that there are six hundred thousand letters: every single Jew has a letter in this Sefer Torah. That makes the merit of those who donated this Sefer Torah especially great, because it is being placed in an institution for children who risked their lives to reach Israel and grow up here. And thank G-d, some of those children have already raised families and built faithful Jewish homes. In addition, the day on which we celebrate this joyous occasion is the yahrzeit of Mrs. Chana Segal, a"h. She was an exceptional woman here in Kfar Chabad who devoted herself to spreading Torah in Israel and bringing Jews closer. She opened her home to bring Jews and families closer to Torah, Chassidus, and good deeds. So this is being done for the elevation of the soul of this righteous woman: on this day, we honor and complete this Sefer Torah and bring it into an institution devoted entirely to bringing Jews and children closer to our Father in Heaven. May it be Hashem’s will that, through the deed we are doing today, we merit to see—that we have merited to see the captives return home with joy and gladness of heart. May we see Hashem restore His people’s fortunes, and may we merit the true and complete Geulah in this month of redemption, the month of Nissan—redemption for each of us and for all the Jewish people. L’chaim, l’chaim!

19:05 Speaker 6 Yasher koach, and many thanks to the chief rabbi of Kfar Chabad, Rabbi Mordechai Ashkenazi shlita, for his warm words. And while we are expressing thanks, we have a special group here with us—I would call them the cream of the crop, the elite of Rishon LeZion: the Rishonim Rotary Club of Rishon LeZion. Raise your hands so we can see you. To the Rotary Club of Rishon LeZion, I want to welcome you and say that I am proud to be a member of Rishonim Rotary. Thank you for presenting me with the Rotary gold pin. Thank you very much. While the waiters serve the main course, orchestra, let’s get ourselves moving and dance together. We hope the chief rabbi will have arrived by then. Please, orchestra.

20:23 Speaker 5 Chabad, dear guests. This moving occasion at which we find ourselves today is one for which we could say, “Who has granted us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.” My dear friends, several years ago we began writing the first Sefer Torah in honor of the Rebbe of Lubavitch, of blessed memory. Since then, we have continued that tradition until we reached five Sifrei Torah, corresponding to the Five Books of the Torah. This tremendous and beautiful undertaking was possible only thanks to the determination, faith, and dedication to the goal of the Friends of Chabad group, and especially the entire Malov family: Rabbi Yechiel Malov, his wife Sima, and all the children who joined in this important mission. On this festive occasion, as we have completed the fifth Sefer Torah, I want to recognize and thank each of those friends who lent a hand and gave generously to accomplish this mission. From this podium, the Friends of Chabad group owes special thanks to the Peleg family, to Gila and Yochai. Ladies and gentlemen, they deserve it. For all five Sifrei Torah, they hosted the event with heartfelt warmth, beyond anything we could have expected. My dear friends, I want to thank you and bless you: may the days of freedom approaching us bring freedom to the Jewish people and peace to us all. Thank you, and goodbye.

22:34 Speaker 7 Yes, that’s Gefen; he’s gathering them. One, two, one—singing. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. Our Father still lives, our Father still lives, our Father, our Father, our Father still lives. Our Father still lives, our Father still lives, our Father, our Father, our Father still lives. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. Our Father still lives, our Father still lives, our Father, our Father, our Father still lives, our Father still lives, our Father still lives, our Father, our Father, our Father still lives. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. The Jewish people, the Jewish people, the Jewish people live. Bring great joy to the beloved companions, as You brought joy to Your creation in the Garden of Eden of old. Bring great joy to the beloved companions, as You brought joy to Your creation in the Garden of Eden of old. Bring great joy to the beloved companions, as You brought joy to Your creation in the Garden of Eden of old. Bring great joy to the beloved companions, as You brought joy to Your creation in the Garden of Eden of old.

26:22 Speaker 8 And grant us, grant us an inclination, a good inclination, so that we may serve You in truth, in awe, and in love. And grant us, grant us an inclination, a good inclination, so that we may serve You in truth, in awe, and in love. And grant us, grant us an inclination, a good inclination, so that we may serve You in truth, in awe, and in love. And grant us, grant us an inclination, a good inclination, so that we may serve You in truth, in awe, and in love. And grant us, grant us an inclination, a good inclination, to serve You in truth, in awe, and in love. And grant us, grant us an inclination, a good inclination, to serve You in truth, in awe, and in love. And grant us, grant us an inclination, a good inclination, to serve You in truth, in awe, and in love. And grant us, grant us an inclination, a good inclination, to serve You in truth, in awe, and in love. I b-b-believe with complete faith in the coming of Moshiach, I believe. I b-believe with complete faith in the coming of Moshiach, I believe. We want Moshiach, we want Moshiach now. We want Moshiach, we want Moshiach now. We want Moshiach, we want Moshiach now. We want Moshiach, Moshiach now.

29:55 Speaker 8 We want Moshiach, we want Moshiach now. We want Moshiach, we want Moshiach now. We want Moshiach, we want Moshiach now. We want Moshiach, Moshiach now.

30:09 Speaker 9 Many thanks to Piamenta, the Piamenta Orchestra. A blessing on behalf of the distinguished Segal family will be given by a friend of the family, a Chabad shliach in Herzliya and a former Air Force pilot—and if I’m not mistaken, he was also once a Maccabi Netanya player—Rabbi Yisrael Halperin! Please.

31:03 Speaker 10 Long live our master, our teacher, and our Rebbe, King Moshiach, forever and ever. The Rebbe, King Moshiach, says that when a new Sefer Torah is written, we are not speaking of merely one more Sefer Torah. A Sefer Torah is the source of life for all creation and the source of the Jewish people’s connection to the Creator. Therefore, when the words “In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth” are written in a new Sefer Torah, at that moment a channel of Divine influence opens from Above, and a new light pours forth and is drawn down upon the world, revealing new Divine secrets in heaven and on earth. And when we merit to complete the Sefer Torah with its final words, “before the eyes of all Israel,” that light, that G-dliness, and that holy revelation are revealed in their fullness before the eyes of all the Jewish people. This is indeed the greatest redemption of captives, for the Creator has concealed sparks of His own—sparks of holiness—within the world. Through our work as the Jewish people in accordance with the Sefer Torah, we redeem those sparks from among the kelipos, the concealment and obscurity, and return them to the Creator, to their rightful place. I remember, as a young Chabad chossid in the army, that in the unit where I served, after all the screening and security investigations, they tried to make sure we knew as little classified information as possible. That way, if, G-d forbid, we ever fell into captivity, they would not be able to get it out of us, and we would suffer less. Because what you do not know, you cannot reveal. Those were our instructions over many years, both during regular military service and through the decades of reserve duty I served and continue to serve to this day. I remember something in this connection. It was before the first withdrawal from Sinai, in ’79. We were called up on an emergency order to map the area they were about to give back—or hand over, more accurately. It was Chanukah. I was in a reconnaissance jeep with a full team, mapping strategic terrain, commanding positions, and routes of access. Then, on one of those overcast Chanukah days, we received a radio call. We were on the sand ridge in the Bardawil marshes, when an intelligence officer

34:37 Speaker 10 My commander wanted to land in a Saifan helicopter and check that the work was indeed being done properly, so that if we had to return there, we could do it with the absolute minimum of casualties. We reached the designated coordinates at the appointed time, and down came the Saifan. Out stepped the officer, a brigadier general, and the pilot. We spread the map across the hood of the jeep. He asked questions, began a debriefing, and we showed him. Anyone who knows how to navigate through dunes knows that it is not one of the easier navigation tasks. When the military debriefing was over, I turned to him and said, “Commander, until now you’ve been the senior commander here. Now let’s hand command over to an even higher authority.” He said to me, “Who’s that?” I said, “Hakadosh Boruch Hu.” He said, “What do you want?” I had a spiritual first-aid kit in the jeep. I took it out and said, “First of all, you and the pilot should say l’chaim.” He said, “I want the pilot to get me home safely. He’s not saying l’chaim. He can drink jet fuel if he wants.” And he said l’chaim. I gave him Chanukah gelt from the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. He said, “I don’t need that; I already have some.” Tefillin to put on—he held out his arm and put on tefillin. “I have a story for you, but in the army they call this a silent demonstration. First we’ll put them on, then I’ll tell you.” He put on the tefillin and said to me: “Early this morning I left my office at the Kirya. There were Chabadniks from Kfar Chabad there, like you, but without uniforms—they were wearing Chabadnik uniforms. They came up and said to me: ‘Listen, here’s some Chanukah gelt for you. Put on tefillin. The Rebbe asked.’ I said, ‘Hold on. If the Rebbe asked, why doesn’t he come to Israel? Let him come here and ask, and I’ll put them on.’ Then one of the Chabadniks said, ‘A person’s emissary is like the person himself. If we’re here as the Rebbe’s shluchim, then

36:44 Speaker 10 the Rebbe is here. So the Rebbe is asking you.’ I said, ‘Oh, I can point a finger too. All right, I’m about to fly somewhere remote, a truly forgotten place, and if the Lubavitcher Rebbe asks me to put on tefillin there too, I promise you I’ll do it.’ As soon as the helicopter came down and I stepped out, I thought he might be waiting for me. And just now, when you pulled out the l’chaim and the coins of Chanukah gelt from the Rebbe and told me, ‘Listen, I’m a shliach of the Rebbe; the Rebbe asks you to put on tefillin,’ the Rebbe won. If he was waiting for me here too, I would put on the tefillin.” So that is how the Rebbe’s shluchim work, wherever they are. I know that dear fellow Jews are sitting here with us right now. When a Jew is held captive, he needs a faith that seems impossible. The demands on his inner strength—to hold fast to his identity and face the unknown, to overcome fear and anxiety—someone who has not been there cannot understand them. Without Jewish faith that defies reason, that is beyond logic, those dear Jews would not be sitting here today. And that is the faith required of every one of us today: to leave the captivity of exile, as Rabbi Ashkenazi shlita said. It takes a faith cast in iron, faith in the impossible, above and beyond all logic, understanding and reason. This is what the Segal family’s home taught us. They brought many captives and many sparks back to their Father in Heaven. I, too, had the privilege of being a regular guest in the home of Shabtai, may he live a good, long life, and Chana, a”h. I was like a son. And so today we are sharing with everyone what we learned from that home: the faith of a Jew that gives him the courage and resourcefulness to leave his captivity, and the faith that the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, is about to be revealed immediately. And from this celebration of the book, may we all see him redeem us, beyond intellect and beyond reason, but with a burning faith in the true and complete Geulah,

39:15 Speaker 10 as in the weekly parsha, when on the eighth day Moshe erected the Mishkan for good and the Divine Presence rested within it. Yasher koach to everyone involved in this work, Rabbi [unclear], my friend Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Segal. Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach L’olam Va’ed. Yasher koach to my friend and colleague, Rabbi Yisroel Alperin. Since we are nearing the end, unfortunately we received a phone call earlier saying that the Chief Rabbi was unable to come and offer his blessing. I want to express my thanks. I worked with the Erim Balayla organization for nearly two years, and I want to thank them for their cooperation. With Hashem’s help, we will stay in touch with you, our wounded brothers, and do many more wonderful things together. As we approach the end, we’d like a joyous song from the band and some proper dancing from the audience—the way Chabadniks know how to dance, but together with you. Let it truly be a dance, as we said earlier, from one Geulah to the next. And may we merit, this very year on Pesach, to eat of the festive offerings and the Pesach offerings in the rebuilt Beis Hamikdash, speedily in our days. Amen and amen. Please, the Piamenta Brothers.

41:23 Speaker 11 Rejoice and be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Rejoice and be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Rejoice and be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Rejoice and be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Rejoice and be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Rejoice and be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Hoppa! Hoppa! And be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Rejoice and be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Rejoice and be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Rejoice and be glad on Simchas Torah, come one and all, come to the Torah. Our master, our master, [unclear], come, come, come to him. [unclear], [unclear], [unclear], our fellow Jews. [unclear], [unclear], [unclear], our fellow Jews. Ah. Our brothers, our brothers, [unclear], ah. Come with him to us, ah. [unclear], oh, oh, oh, oh, come with him to us. [unclear], [unclear], [unclear], our fellow Jews. [unclear], [unclear], [unclear], our fellow Jews. [unclear], [unclear], [unclear], our fellow Jews. [unclear], [unclear], [unclear], our fellow Jews.

45:49 Speaker 3 Wonderful! Thank you very much. We have a surprise here tonight: sheva brachos for the son of the chairman of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad. Everyone is asked to come closer to the groom. We’ll say Birchas Hamazon, followed by sheva brachos. Let us take this opportunity to bless the young couple: may they build a truly Jewish, chassidic home, and may their parents on both sides have much, much nachas from them. Amen and amen.