Farbrengen 19 Kislev 5745, Kfar Chabad - Media Coverage - 2

00:00 Speaker 1 In Kislev.

02:34 Speaker 2 Please sit down. The fact that this evening, at this very hour, chassidim are holding farbrengens throughout the diaspora—a camp so large, growing and doing so much—makes it fitting for us to come and say to you: Yasher koach. Yasher koach for the enormous, devoted work you do everywhere. But I would like to say a few words that you surely know very well. We are in a very, very difficult situation. Pray for us and for Israel everywhere. Pray for Israel and Jerusalem, for its strength, its continued existence, its wholeness, the unity of the people and its borders. Pray and stand guard with your physical strength, with your physical eyes, with your spiritual eyes and, above all, in your hearts. For you are a camp distinguished by its heart, by what you see with physical and spiritual eyes. Pray and act for Israel, for Jerusalem, for the integrity of its borders and for its economic and spiritual strength. May blessing come upon you.

04:10 Speaker 3 Thank you. One who blesses others is himself blessed. We are approaching the greetings, and now we ask Minister Moshe Katsav, the Minister of Welfare, to speak. Please.

04:37 Speaker 4 Honored rabbis, my fellow ministers, members of the Knesset, members of the presidium, Chabad chassidim, dear guests. I was taught that three foundations characterize and distinguish the Chabad chassidic movement: joy and enthusiasm, self-sacrifice, and fellowship and unity. It seems to me that at this hour, the Jewish people need these three foundations more than ever, precisely when we all understand the gravity of the situation and are doing everything we can to emerge from it successfully. Self-sacrifice has become a hallmark of your activities in the diaspora and here in Israel. We, too, need a great deal of self-sacrifice to succeed in our difficult tasks. Fellowship and unity—and I will take the liberty of adding solidarity. Together, these are among our most important assets in these days, and that is why everyone is lending a hand. I hope you will succeed in spreading to the entire Jewish people the joy and enthusiasm whose power and intensity we saw just a few minutes ago. They can help create a somewhat more pleasant atmosphere and make it easier for all of us to get through this transitional period—and it is a transitional period. May we all emerge from this difficult interim period stronger, with Hashem’s help.

07:47 Speaker 5 This celebration will get underway, this celebration will get underway, this celebration will get underway. This celebration will get underway. This celebration will... Chairman of the village committee and one of the activists of Tzeirei Chabad. Good evening to you. Happy holiday.

08:05 Speaker 6 Good evening and happy holiday.

08:06 Speaker 5 Sorry to interrupt you in the middle of the celebration, but we want to know: Has a telegram arrived from the Rebbe for the farbrengen?

08:12 Speaker 6 A special telegram has arrived from the Rebbe for the farbrengen.

08:16 Speaker 5 What is the message?

08:17 Speaker 6 The message lies in the very fact that this celebration and farbrengen are taking place 186 years after the day of the Geulah in 5559, and continue to this very day. This teaches us about the tremendous strength within the Chabad movement and Chassidus. The special message in the telegram that arrived for this year’s celebration can be summed up in one sentence: “And all this in a manner of ufaratzta—spreading forth—beginning with the campaigns, each and every one of them.” The Rebbe, as the leader of the generation who guides and charts the path for his chassidim and for the entire Jewish people, points to a number of things he directs us to do. He asks that we involve as much of the Jewish people as possible, whether a person believes and knows he believes or does not know he believes. In this way, the imagined barriers fall away, and we all emerge strengthened and encouraged, able to go forward with joy like the joy here this evening. Everyone is invited, as in the past, to come and take part in Kfar Chabad’s celebrations in the future as well. As the saying goes: More than the calf wishes to nurse, the cow wishes to give milk.

09:38 Speaker 5 Menachem Lerer, thank you very much. We thank you for all your help and cooperation, and for the hospitality we have enjoyed here. Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, it looks as though the celebration here will go on into the small hours of the night. How does the saying go? We don’t want to sleep; we’re staying. We’ll see you again on the next program. From wherever we are, [unclear], good evening to you all. May you have light and joy on the Festival of Lights. Goodbye.