Farbrengen 19 Kislev 5747, Kfar Chabad

03:31 Speaker 1 Check, check, check, two.

04:24 Speaker 2 Wait, wait. I’m not singing; you can check it with this, okay?

04:36 Speaker 12 Wait, the second one, please. There’s someone here for [unclear].

15:25 Speaker 13 Honored local rabbi, shlita, city rabbis and judges, elder chassidim and mashpi’im, ministers, members of Knesset, mayors, IDF officers, public figures, Chabad chassidim and their friends from across the country, esteemed and holy gathering: From Kfar Chabad, the center and capital of Chabad chassidim in our Holy Land, we are delighted to welcome everyone who has come to celebrate with us at the great central farbrengen for the Festival of Liberation, 19 Kislev, with a heartfelt chassidic greeting: Welcome to the tent of chassidim and Chassidus. “This is the day Hashem has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” On this day, 188 years ago, the founder and originator of Chabad Chassidus, Rabbeinu Schneur Zalman, known as the Alter Rebbe, of blessed memory, was freed. This is the day of the Festival of Liberation, 19 Kislev, when the Chassidic movement prevailed over all its enemies and accusers. On this day, ladies and gentlemen, the Chabad Chassidic movement was assured that it would spread, overcome its enemies and prevail over all who sought to harm it. On this day, the great need for the appearance and revelation of the light of Chassidus, to save the life of our people and nation, was demonstrated. My brothers and friends, great and holy gathering, together with tens of thousands of Chabad chassidim and their supporters throughout the world, we gather for a central chassidic farbrengen here in Kfar Chabad. The Rebbe shlita has said of this very Kfar Chabad, in the name of his father-in-law, the holy Frierdiker Rebbe, of blessed memory, that the Frierdiker Rebbe arouses abundant mercy for the village’s residents and their families, for all who support the village, and for all who care about its growth and success, them and their families. Let us therefore open this festive farbrengen with the verses that the holy Alter Rebbe, whose liberation and yahrzeit we celebrate, recited when he received the news of his liberation. As is known, the Alter Rebbe would recite each day’s portion of Tehillim according to its division into the days of the week. On the third day, while reciting chapter 55, he reached the verse “He redeemed my soul in peace” and received the news of his liberation. I would like to invite the orchestra, conducted by Mr. Menachem Rosenblum, together with

19:01 Speaker 13 the Kfar Chabad chassidim’s choir, to open with the song “He Redeemed My Soul in Peace.”

19:11 Speaker 14 He redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me, for many were with me. He redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me, for many were with me. G-d will hear and answer them, He Who sits enthroned from of old, forever. G-d will hear and answer them, He Who sits enthroned from of old, forever. For they do not change. For they do not change. And they do not fear G-d. And they do not fear G-d. He stretched out his hands against those at peace with him. He violated, violated his covenant. His words were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. His words were softer than oil, yet they were, they were drawn swords. Cast, cast your burden upon Hashem, and He, and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous, the righteous falter. And You, and You, G-d. La la la. And You, G-d, G-d, will bring them down to the pit of destruction. Men of bloodshed and deceit will not, will not live out, will not live out half their days. Men of bloodshed and deceit will not, will not live out, will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You, trust, trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You. But I will trust in You.

25:55 Speaker 15 Before we continue, a request to our esteemed audience: please remain quiet and keep order. I am speaking especially to the students—the yeshiva and school students. I am also speaking to the students of Beis Rivkah. First, do not stand there leaning on the railing. It is dangerous. If there are adults there, teachers or counselors, I ask them to get all the girls down from the railing. It is dangerous. I ask everyone to maintain the quiet and order befitting this occasion. Thank you very much. Yasher koach to Menachem Rosenblum’s orchestra, the Chabad chassidim’s choir, and the soloist, Cantor Reb Menachem Fleischman. We will hear more of their finest niggunim later this evening and during the farbrengen. And at this chassidic farbrengen, esteemed audience, we will also hear and listen to the voices of our teachers, our luminaries, the source of our life, engraved in our hearts—from the Alter Rebbe through the entire succession of Chabad Rebbeim to our own generation. Ladies and gentlemen, our generation has merited a worthy and distinguished successor: the Rebbe shlita, who carries forward with strength and pride the succession of Chabad Rebbeim, those mighty shepherds, generation after generation. The Rebbe’s voice has its place within the walls of our hearts. Let us therefore open this festive farbrengen, as is the custom of chassidim, with the telegram and blessing of the holy Rebbe shlita—a blessing that opens the windows of every heart to let in the light of Chassidus. I would like to invite the chairman of the village committee, an energetic man of many accomplishments, Reb Menachem Lerer, to begin by reading the Rebbe shlita’s telegram and blessing. Rabbi Lerer, please; and would the audience please stand.

28:44 Speaker 16 To all the participants in the 19 Kislev farbrengen, shlita: L’chaim, l’chaim, and blessings. May it be Hashem’s will that for each and every one, “He redeemed my soul in peace,” and the rest of the verse, be fulfilled in its entirety; and may they succeed in making the vessels for this, as our Sages explain the verse: through engagement in the revealed Torah and Chassidus, in acts of kindness, and in prayer. And all this in a manner of “You shall spread forth,” and so on, beginning with each of the mitzvah campaigns. And from this day through the days of preparation for Chanukah and Chanukah itself—auspicious days—may this also hasten the fulfillment of the promise in the book of the sweet singer of Israel, Dovid Malka Meshicha, [unclear]: “Show us Your kindness, Hashem, and grant us Your salvation,” and “that glory may dwell in our land,” with the true and complete Geulah. With esteem and blessing, [signature]. L’chaim!

29:56 Speaker 15 After the Rebbe shlita’s blessing, any word of ours is, of course, an ordinary word. All we can say about the conclusion of the Rebbe’s blessing, which we have just heard from the chairman of the village committee, Rabbi Menachem Lerer, concerning the true and complete Geulah, is: Amen and amen. Chassidim seek ways to connect with the Rebbe. One way of connecting is to study his teachings. So we will now begin studying the Rebbe’s teachings by reviewing one of his maamarim of Chassidus. As is the custom of chassidim and according to tradition, before studying the Rebbe’s teachings we sing a special niggun called the Rostov Niggun. It has three parts; it stirs the soul and brings a person to introspection and yearning. I ask the orchestra to begin the niggun before the maamar, after which we will hear the maamar of Chassidus from the mashpia, Rabbi Dov Kesselman shlita. Orchestra, please—the niggun before the maamar.

35:40 Speaker 17 Rabbi Kesselman, a maamar of Chassidus.

36:12 Speaker 18 In connection with the Alter Rebbe’s liberation, as the one who was liberated wrote in his well-known letter: “As I was reading in Tehillim the verse ‘He redeemed my soul in peace,’ before I began the next verse, I went out in peace from the G-d of peace.” Besides the plain meaning of the verse—that Dovid, King of Israel, thanks Hashem for being peacefully delivered from his enemies—there is another meaning: this verse applies to every Jew. As it is written, Dovid, the sweet singer of Israel, recited Tehillim for every Jew in every generation and at every time. Dovid said this verse, too, on behalf of every Jew: that Hakadosh Boruch Hu should redeem him in peace. And how does that redemption come about? Our Sages said in the Gemara, Berachos: “Whoever engages in Torah, performs acts of kindness, and prays with the congregation, I consider it as though he had redeemed Me and My children from among the nations of the world, as it says, ‘He redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me, for many were with me.’” “He redeemed in peace”: the redemption came through peace. Torah is called peace, as it is written, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” Acts of kindness—when one does a kindness for another, love and peace are created. And praying with the congregation corresponds to “for many were with me.” These are the three things on which the world stands. They are the very same things, because avodah refers to the service of the offerings, and prayer takes the place of the offerings. In particular, “for many were with me”—communal prayer corresponds to the daily offering. So the world stands on three things. The “small world,” the human being, stands apart from all the ways of the nations. To understand why every person needs to be redeemed, and from what: It is known that every Jew’s avodah is always in a state of battle—“redeemed in peace from battle.” A battle is a war fought close to the enemy. You are close to him; that is battle. It is known that the Alter Rebbe explains that the heart has two chambers. The left chamber is where the heart of the fool resides. On the left is the old and foolish king; that is

39:52 Speaker 18 The yetzer hara. On the right side is “the heart of the wise.” To his right is the G-dly soul, “a part of G-d above.” They stand close together, side by side, and they fight: “One nation shall be stronger than the other.” We need to strengthen the G-dly soul so that it wins the battle. Now, victory can come through a difficult battle, but we ask, “He has redeemed my soul in peace”—that the G-dly soul be redeemed from its hateful enemy, the yetzer hara, in peace. What is peace in the service of Hashem? Our Sages said that it is Torah, because Torah is light. When we learn a great deal of Torah with great diligence and dedication, light drives away darkness. And if even a little light drives away darkness, then certainly a great deal of Torah study drives away the darkness of the animal soul and the yetzer hara. More than that: it does not merely drive it away, but transforms it into good. As it says, “I created the yetzer hara; I created the Torah as its seasoning.” Seasoning makes a dish sweet. As it says, “With all your heart”—with both your inclinations. One transforms the yetzer hara into good. Every Jew can reach this through learning Torah, as it says, “Torah scholars increase peace in the world.” As it is written, “And all your children shall be taught by Hashem.” All Jews are Hashem’s children: “You are children to Hashem your G-d.” They are taught by Hashem; they learn Torah, they are Hashem’s students, “and great shall be the peace of your children.” They are redeemed through peace, not by way of battle, beyond limitations, because the Torah is “longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” By learning diligently and assiduously, without limitations, one is redeemed. There is another aspect of Torah: Torah itself is called peace. This is the inner dimension of Torah, the teachings of Chassidus. As the Zohar says, “Through this work of yours”—the Zohar—“they will emerge from exile” in peace. Then he says, acts of kindness, acts of kindness. This refers to all the mitzvos. “Study is great because it leads to action,” for Torah leads a person to observe the mitzvos, and to observe them in the most beautiful manner. And the third thing is

42:36 Speaker 18 praying with the congregation, because before learning Torah one must pray—pray with the congregation. This means gathering together all ten faculties of one’s soul and praying with every one of them. Then, “for the many were with me”: even the yetzer hara is transformed into good, as in the time of King David. There, “for the many” means that the men of Avshalom prayed for David’s welfare. So too, the yetzer hara is transformed into good through learning Torah and praying. As our Sages said, “Whoever engages in Torah brings peace to the heavenly company and the earthly company.” In the heavenly company, this is the peace made when the yetzer hara makes peace with the yetzer tov and is transformed into good. The lesson from all that has been said is that every Jew must learn Torah, and learn a great deal, with great diligence and devotion. This will lead him to observe the mitzvos, to observe them in the most beautiful manner, preceded by the service of prayer. Through this, we transform the world’s coarse materiality into physicality that shines—“for a mitzvah is a lamp.” “The world stands on three things.” It stands and continues to exist in the literal sense: for the world to endure, it must conduct itself according to the Creator’s will. Hakadosh Boruch Hu wants Israel to have the upper hand and all the nations to help Israel, as we read in the weekly parsha: “He fell on his neck and kissed him.” Esav kissed Yaakov and helped Yaakov, and so it will be soon. As the Mitteler Rebbe says, “He has redeemed my soul in peace.” When will there be true peace? When King Moshiach comes. Then “kings shall be your foster fathers, and their princesses your nursing mothers,” and there will be peace. Thank you and yasher koach to Rabbi Wolf Kesselman shlita for a maamar from the heart. It came from the depths of the heart, from the depths of the soul, and it is rich—befitting the Rebbe’s telegram and blessing, in his holy words. And all this in a manner of “Ufaratzta.” The orchestra and audience: Ufaratzta, ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai

46:12 Speaker 18 Ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai ai

51:43 Speaker 19 And once again, thank you and yasher koach to the orchestra and choir. And—my brothers and friends, my teachers and gentlemen, esteemed and holy audience. Ufaratzta: the beacon of Ufaratzta in our land is none other than Kfar Chabad, our host for this chassidic farbrengen. On your behalf, and on behalf of the rabbis and the presidium, I have the honor of inviting our host, the rabbi of Kfar Chabad, to open with words of blessing. The distinguished Rabbi Ashkenazi shlita, please.

52:22 Speaker 3 “The heads of the people gathered together, the tribes of Israel united.” Let us all begin together by saying l’chaim. L’chaim, l’chaim, l’chaim. To the life of the teachings of Chassidus and the ways of Chassidus. We have merited, and we rejoice once again, for the 188th time since the first day of liberation in the year 5559. On that day, the righteousness of our great Rebbe, the author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch, came to light. And as his name, Schneur, suggests, he illuminates the entire world through both the revealed dimension of Torah and the teachings of Chassidus. On that day his verdict came to light. Divine Providence had arranged for the judge himself to be of Jewish descent, and he ruled that the teachings of Chassidus are needed by the world—needed by the Jewish world and needed by the non-Jewish world. These teachings will come and prepare the world for the destiny we all anticipate and await: the coming of our righteous Redeemer, speedily in our days, amen. On this day, may we all merit to see the blessing each of us wishes for every day: to see “Didan notzach”—our side is victorious. May we see the teachings of Chassidus spreading ever farther, drawing Jews, families, cities, towns and settlements closer, whoever they may be and whatever their situation. May we see them walking, illuminated by the light of the teachings of Chassidus, and may we merit to see His Holiness the Rebbe shlita, leader of our generation, lead us toward our righteous Moshiach very soon.

54:55 Speaker 4 Thank you very much, and yasher koach. Baruch She’amar—whose initials, as he said, stand for Rabbi Mordechai Ashkenazi shlita. Thank you and blessings for those warm and beautiful words. And from one blessing to another, let us place Jerusalem above our highest joy. I have the honor of inviting our guest from Jerusalem, the distinguished and righteous Rabbi Yehuda Tzadka shlita, head of the great Porat Yosef Yeshiva, to offer words of blessing. Please.

56:19 Speaker 5 Honored President of the State, honored Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rishon LeZion, the distinguished Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu; honored leadership and representatives of Kfar Chabad, and dear guests. “This is the day Hashem has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This day was established for all generations as a day of liberation—not only the liberation of that great and righteous scholar, but the liberation of the Jewish people. On this day, the way was opened for his teachings, the teachings of Chassidus, to spread to every corner of the world throughout the generations. Gentlemen, this was not the first time righteous people were imprisoned, beginning with Yosef HaTzaddik, and including the great rabbi, the Baal Shem Tov, and other great scholars—and the rabbi from Brisk. The last great Sephardic scholar who was also imprisoned was the Ben Ish Chai. It is known that he was imprisoned in Baghdad for thirty days, and there in prison he composed the great work on Kabbalah, Oz Vehadar. Gentlemen, the question is: Why did this happen to the righteous of Israel? The great Ben Ish Chai wrote the reason in his book. This is what he writes: There was a chossid who was imprisoned for thirty days and did not know why. He was shown in a dream: “Know that there are four hundred students, children handsome in form and appearance.” As is known, the Ben Ish Chai himself, besides his greatness in Torah, was also handsome in form and appearance. They told him: “These souls were trapped in this place, and no one could redeem them. Only the Torah you learned there saved them, and these children are called your children.” Gentlemen, if we were to speak of the author of the Tanya, it would not be four hundred children. We could say four hundred thousand, and thousands upon thousands and countless myriads of Jews in every corner of the world, are called his children. For through the Torah he learned there, he revealed the light, revealed the sparks, brought the sparks out of the depths of suffering and brought them into the light. Gentlemen, I will conclude with one verse from

59:36 Speaker 5 The prophet. The prophet says: “For the mountains may depart and the hills may be shaken, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be shaken, says Hashem, Who has compassion on you.” Rabbi Ben Ish Chai, whom I mentioned, explains these verses. What do the mountains have to do with it? We are speaking about the approaching Geulah, but what does it mean that the mountains will depart? He explains why mountains were created in the world. It says: “For behold, He forms mountains and creates wind, and tells man what his speech is.” The mountains block storm winds, harmful winds that could destroy houses. And why were the winds created? He says that the winds were created—as the verse says, “He forms mountains and creates wind”—because of “He tells man what his speech is.” Idle conversations and empty words create harmful winds, and mountains are needed to block them. In the future, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea.” No one will waste time on nonsense and foolishness. Everyone will occupy themselves with Hashem’s Torah. There will be no harmful winds, so there will be no need for mountains: “For the mountains may depart and the hills may be shaken, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be shaken, says Hashem, Who has compassion on you.” May it be Hashem’s will that this come to pass in our days, and may we all merit to see our righteous Moshiach, who will illuminate the right path for us in the pure and holy education of the Jewish people, continuing from generation to generation until the final Geulah, speedily in our days, amen.

1:01:56 Speaker 6 Yasher koach, and many thanks. A warm round of applause for the great Rabbi Tzedakah shlita for his warm words. And from those warm, heartfelt words, to a warm song. Gentlemen, let us warm ourselves with song and praise to the One Who lives forever—all together.

1:12:16 Speaker 7 Yes, and that is what the Rebbe shlita says in his telegram: “And all this in a manner of ufaratzta.” Yasher koach, yasher koach, Mona; yasher koach to the choir; yasher koach to this holy and distinguished audience. Dear brothers, our Sages say that one who sees a sage recites the blessing, “Blessed is He Who has apportioned of His wisdom to flesh and blood.” The blessing, of course, is to the Giver of wisdom, “the Rock from Whose bounty we have eaten.” But sometimes we long to express our thanks and blessings to the man whom Divine Providence chose to elevate as Chief Rabbi and Rishon LeZion of Israel. I have the honor of inviting our guest and friend, the great and righteous Rishon LeZion and Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu shlita, to offer his blessing to our farbrengen. Please.

1:13:40 Speaker 8 Honorable President of Israel, descendants of holy people, [unclear], honorable rabbi of Kfar Chabad, our dear friend, the great Rabbi Ashkenazi, may Hashem protect him and grant him life; our honored teacher and rabbi, the crown of our heads, the great scholar, a tower of strength, Rabbi Yehuda Tzedakah, head of Porat Yosef Yeshiva; honored city rabbis, members of the Chief Rabbinate Council of Israel.

1:14:12 Speaker 7 We ask the audience to maintain complete silence out of respect for the occasion, the speakers, and the entire gathering of chassidim. We ask for complete silence.

1:14:25 Speaker 8 This week we will read, “And Yaakov dwelt in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.” One of the interpretations Rashi brings from the Midrash is this: “And it is further expounded: ‘And Yaakov dwelt’—Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility, and the trouble of Yosef sprang upon him. The righteous seek to dwell in tranquility. Hakadosh Boruch Hu says: Is what is prepared for the righteous in the World to Come not enough for them, that they seek to dwell in tranquility in this world as well?” The deeds of the fathers are a sign for their children: we do not sit in tranquility. When Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility, then it says... What—should the righteous not seek to dwell in tranquility? Why not? Why not? This world was given to the righteous too. After all, in the Mincha prayer we ask for complete rest, quiet and security. True tranquility, true joy, are found in a pure Jewish home. So what is wrong with letting me dwell in tranquility? Yet the trouble of Yosef sprang upon him. My teachers and friends, it is good to dwell in tranquility and enjoy this world. To dwell in tranquility and forget the World to Come—that is forbidden. Yaakov our forefather receives a blessing from Yitzchak, but it does not make him rejoice. “May G-d give you of the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth”—that is not enough for him. When does Yaakov our forefather rejoice in a blessing? When he is told, “May He give you the blessing of Avraham, to you and your descendants with you.” Yaakov says: I am not starting a new path. I want Avraham and Yitzchak to have come before me, and I will pass this on to my children after me. When Yitzchak told him, “May He give you the blessing of Avraham”—that you will continue the path of Avraham our forefather, the path of kindness, of teaching others—that was the blessing Yaakov our forefather received. And when Yaakov our forefather says, “And You said, ‘I will surely do good to you,’” was that not what was said? Rashi explains: “‘Do good’—in your merit; ‘I will do good’—in the merit of your forefathers.” A bond between fathers and children, a bond with the generations that came before us. We take pride in our past. My teachers and friends, Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility. This is the path of Chabad Chassidus. They seek to dwell in tranquility, but there springs upon them

1:17:22 Speaker 8 the trouble of Yosef. They remember what Hakadosh Boruch Hu commanded Yaakov our forefather: we do not sit in tranquility. Why should the Rebbe shlita be concerned with who is a Jew? Why should it matter to him? Why should it matter to the Rebbe shlita if a Jew at the far end of the world does not put on tefillin? Why send a shliach there? Why should the Rebbe shlita be concerned with reaching across the whole world, sending shluchim and establishing one Chabad House after another? What is all this for? To teach us that we do not sit in tranquility. The trouble of Yosef springs upon us: we must add more Torah and more fear of Heaven. My teachers and friends, I met the Rebbe shlita close to a year ago, in Adar, on 22 Adar, for the second time, and I truly saw what our Sages said: “As Torah scholars grow older, their understanding increases.” I saw him as a ladder standing on the earth with its top reaching heaven: master of all the secrets of Torah, master of all its treasures—in pshat, remez, drush and sod; thoroughly versed in the Talmud and Aggadah, in the teachings of the Zohar, the secrets of Torah, and the teachings of the Arizal. He moves through them and speaks of them as though he had just studied them. An extraordinary genius, and, as I have mentioned several times, like an angel of Hashem Tzevaos. You see him, his humility, his holiness, the light of his face—and he is not content with that. He wants more and more, to keep adding. The Rebbe shlita says: It is not about me. I go to the gravesite; I continue the path, and it does not end with me. I pass it on to the next generation. It does not end. “To your descendants after you”—the blessing of Avraham, carrying the heritage of the past into the future. When Yitzchak is about to bless Yaakov and has his doubts, Yitzchak says in puzzlement, “The voice is the voice of Yaakov, but the hands are the hands of Eisav.” Our Sages said: If the voice is the voice of Yaakov, the hands are not the hands of Eisav. My teachers and friends, to our great sorrow, there is the voice of Yaakov and there are the hands of Eisav. Thank G-d, we have yeshivos, we have Talmud Torah schools, we have

1:19:50 Speaker 8 religious schools; we have a holy, pure Jewish education that continues to grow. So, in practice, we could dwell in tranquility and rejoice in what we have. But how can we sit quietly when there are children who abuse their teacher—children of the Jewish people? How can we sit quietly when there are children who take a knife and stab a friend? How can we sit quietly when there are children who do not know what Shema Yisroel is? How can we sit quietly when there are hands that are not pure and holy? Can that be called education? Is that what we aspired to? Is that a teacher? Is that an educator? Is that an inspector? They do not know how to educate our children to keep their hands from wrongdoing? To go out and get drunk? A young person getting drunk? Where has such a thing been heard of among the Jewish people? My teachers and friends, we are to blame. We are content with the voice of Yaakov, content with the voice of Torah in our own circles. That is not the way. We must take those holy hands of the Jewish people and turn them into hands like rods of gold. It is our duty—and I say it is Chabad’s duty; this is its guiding light, and it guides everyone along this path. Not to be content, not to dwell in tranquility, but to add more holiness, add more Torah, add more fear of Heaven. To reach those young people and not leave a single Jewish child who does not know holiness, who does not know Torah. My teachers and friends, if you see light at the far end of the world, in a place of darkness, know that Chabad is there. The honored rosh yeshiva shlita already mentioned the Ben Ish Chai. When we were young and studying it, he would always write, “And so it is written in the Shulchan Aruch of Rabbeinu Zalman.” As children, we did not know what the Shulchan Aruch of Rabbeinu Zalman was. We saw that the great Ben Ish Chai was constantly connected with the author of the Tanya. And whoever actually reads and studies the Shulchan Aruch of Rabbeinu Zalman sees his greatness, the breadth of his knowledge, his mastery, his understanding,

1:22:21 Speaker 8 and his guidance, which we see. I want to bless the entire Jewish people: may it be Hashem’s will that “the earth be filled with knowledge as the waters cover the sea,” and may we all merit to see the face of our righteous Moshiach speedily in our days, amen.

1:22:45 Speaker 9 Yes, ladies and gentlemen, in the words of our Sages, a blessing has several meanings and interpretations. It contains praise and thanksgiving, as well as a blessing recited over something we enjoy. The heartfelt words of our distinguished friend, the righteous Torah scholar Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, the Rishon LeZion and Chief Rabbi of Israel, deserve every one of those responses: praise, thanksgiving, and a blessing over something we have enjoyed. We are also pleased to welcome a friend of Kfar Chabad, the chairman of the Jewish Agency’s Settlement Department, known and beloved to us all, Mr. Mattityahu Drobless. Please, a few words of greeting to the audience.

1:23:49 Speaker 10 Honorable President of the State, honorable Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rishon LeZion, members of the Knesset, honored rabbis, distinguished presidium, public figures, holy congregation. I am moved, on an evening like this, to meet face to face with this holy Jewish community. It is thanks to Jews like these that the Jewish people live and will continue to live. In the Knesset, there is a debate from time to time about who is a Jew. I invite all the members of the Knesset to come here and see, to be impressed by these Jews. That is the answer to the question of who is a Jew. And the Jewish people will continue to live. I bring one hope. In these days, many of our brothers—in Arab countries, in Iran, in Ethiopia, in the Soviet Union, and in other countries beyond the Iron Curtain—cannot live as Jews. May it be that next year we will see all those brothers of ours in Eretz Yisroel, and celebrate the Festival of Redemption, the festival of this farbrengen, together with those Jews who live beyond the Iron Curtain. From here, from this holy gathering, we send forth a blessing, and I believe this blessing will be fulfilled: that next year we will live in a rebuilt Jerusalem, and every Jew who wishes to will dwell securely in Eretz Yisroel. And to you, my friends from Kfar Chabad, who have already shown through your good deeds what you do day after day: you have guided hundreds of young people here in this village and instilled Yiddishkeit in them, and you bring Yiddishkeit to every corner and every place. You knew how to establish a magnificent village, Kfar Chabad. I call on you, and through you I ask that you turn to the Rebbe: continue your work of settlement, continue settling every part of Eretz Yisroel. May Kfar Chabad villages arise not only here, but in the Negev, in the Galilee, in Judea and Samaria, in Gaza, in the Golan, and everywhere in Eretz Yisroel. May you be blessed.

1:27:23 Speaker 11 Yes, and to you, Mattityahu Drobless, we will say something as well. Dear Mattityahu, as Chanukah approaches, may you, in the days of Mattityahu, merit to be a faithful emissary in the mission of maintaining the integrity of the land, the integrity of the people, and the integrity of the Torah. And after words like these, we can go... go forth toward victory with a joyful song, all of us together. The orchestra, please.

02:38 Speaker 1 Ladies and gentlemen, in this atmosphere of joy, of chassidic friendship and brothers sitting together in unity, it is our pleasure and honor, on behalf of the rabbis and all this holy gathering, to invite our esteemed President, Mr. Chaim Herzog, to offer your heartfelt greetings to those celebrating and taking part in the farbrengen. Mr. President, please.

03:12 Speaker 2 Thank you, everyone. The bus to Jerusalem leaves at ten forty-five.

03:47 Speaker 1 Hearing these good words, I am reminded of the words of the joyous hymn: “A people who rejoice in their Creator and do the will of their Maker.” And we read in Tanya that joy is the love of closeness to Hashem more than all the life of this world. Incidentally, at the last stop on my journey through Oceania and Southeast Asia, in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on my way to India, I had a most unusual surprise. Before I left there, I met Israel’s representative in Colombo. He gave me a gift. The gift was, believe it or not, a copy of Tanya printed in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The book before me has a special place in my heart. I wanted to offer heartfelt greetings to this entire holy gathering, the residents of Kfar Chabad and all the other distinguished guests here. In times of confusion and distress, when an atmosphere of worry and anxiety sometimes prevails among the public, it is good for us to come here and be inspired by the special spirit of Chabad people—a spirit of faith, renewal, optimism and enthusiasm. I ask you, dear Chabad people, to be pioneers in the effort to bring hearts closer together in Israel, to ease the tension and polarization between different groups, camps and opinions among the Jewish people. At this time, you must be agents of connection, softening the divisions between one person and another, and one camp and another. Dialogue, tolerance and brotherhood must spread throughout our people. All of us must rise above—rise above every difference of opinion, bring those who are distant closer, and turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. We must leave behind every quarrel and dispute, and heal the wounds of this people with the light of Ahavas Yisroel and love for our fellow human beings. We must gather the twelve sons of the tribes of Israel and heal the rupture and destruction. As the prophet Zechariah tells us in the haftarah of the coming Shabbos, Shabbos Chanukah: “Not by might and not by power, but by My spirit, says Hashem.” Thank you for your words of support for the honored President, who took the trouble to come and honor us at our celebration, which is also his celebration. And on behalf of all

07:12 Speaker 1 the chassidim, the residents of Kfar Chabad and this holy gathering, we wish you, Mr. President, long life and many good years in the presidency, to the joy of all the Jewish people. May you, together with everyone, merit the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu speedily in our days, amen. The audience is asked to honor the President by standing and saying

08:58 Speaker 3 Now that the President has left, we are continuing the farbrengen and adding to this chassidic farbrengen. With your permission, with the permission of the presidium and the Rebbes, and with the permission of this holy and distinguished gathering, I am honored to invite [unclear], the rabbi of [unclear] and head of [unclear], the eminent Rabbi Tzvika Sherika [?], to offer his greetings to the farbrengen and the President.

10:01 Speaker 4 We can unite and work together, doing something for our community in a holy way. But that is not all. When Michal saw him dancing, he got up, rolled up his sleeves and said: “I will make myself even more humble than this.” That is not all. For the sake of the holy role, for the mission Hakadosh Boruch Hu chose me for, I am prepared to make myself even more humble than this—not only while dancing and rejoicing, but while fulfilling the duties of the kingdom of Israel. Ladies and gentlemen, Chabad people, Chabad rabbis: when I see you on the benches and on the tables, dancing, leaping and rejoicing, I know that is not all. I know you as the people who stand on city streets and offer a Jew the chance to put on tefillin. I see you as the people who go from house to house to light a menorah in a Jewish home, to nurture a Chabad House and bring those who are distant closer. Sometimes that takes heartfelt devotion and a willingness to make yourselves even more humble. But through the power of joy, dedication and sacrifice, may we all merit to fulfill our holy purpose and bring the kingdom of the House of David closer in our days, amen. Ladies and gentlemen. “And G-d spoke to Israel in visions of the night.” “And G-d blessed Yaakov again when he came from Paddan Aram, and He blessed him.” After all, we read in the weekly parsha: “Your name shall no longer be called Yaakov, but Israel shall be your name.” Yet we still see the name Yaakov. And he is called Yaakov. “Yaakov, Yaakov, do not be afraid to go down to Egypt. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up.” Yaakov, Yaakov. Yaakov is the name of the humblest among Israel, of the righteous man, of your father. Avraham Avinu had Yishmael, who was rejected. Yitzchak Avinu had Esav. But with Yaakov Avinu, even the humblest Jew, G-d forbid, has not had his name erased from the House of Yaakov and the House of Israel. That is why it says “Yaakov, Yaakov,” as an expression of affection and love, reaching out to every outcast, everyone who stumbles, every

14:46 Speaker 4 water drawer, everyone who has lost his way, and [unclear]. This is the special blessing of Yaakov Avinu that the other Patriarchs did not merit. The Chabad movement, the Lubavitch movement, is a holy movement. It is among the holiest movements in Israel, calling to every Jew, however distant he may be: “Yaakov, Yaakov.” It is an expression of affection. Never, G-d forbid, to reject; never, G-d forbid, to erase. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt.” Even if you have descended, even if you find yourself within a foreign Egypt, “I will go down with you to Egypt.” I go down with every Jew, “and I will also surely bring you up.” It has the merit of elevating Jewish souls, the souls of hundreds of thousands of men and thousands of women and children [unclear]. These are people who offer Ahavas Yisroel in the face of weariness and pressure, extending protection to all who pass by. As the maamar says, we must revive and redeem the Jewish soul from its inner exile, from the yetzer hara and from every danger. Then, with Hashem’s help, together with the redemption of the Jewish person and the Jewish soul, we will merit the complete Geulah of Israel speedily in our days, amen. Yasher koach, yasher koach. To the honored Rishon LeTzion, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, [unclear], our teacher and [unclear] of Jerusalem. [Unclear]. I again ask the entire audience to remain seated so that we can continue the ceremony. Yasher koach to the honored Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yosef [?] shlita, a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, rabbi of [unclear] and head of [unclear]. Yasher koach and blessings; thank you, thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honor for us to host at this special farbrengen a great friend of Chabad, who recently merited a private yechidus with the Rebbe shlita—something rare at this time. He is at the forefront of putting the mitzvah of shemitah into practice [unclear]. He is our friend, the eminent Rabbi [unclear], head of the study hall for halachah in agricultural settlement and [unclear]. We invite him to share his words of wisdom and greetings

19:12 Speaker 4 from the Rebbe shlita. Please.

19:44 Speaker 5 It is a great privilege to address you. An even greater privilege is that we merited to be in the presence of the Rebbe, the leader of our generation, the Rebbe shlita. I myself know that during a short stay in Long Island, New York, we merited a private yechidus. In the end, it lasted a full hour, and we heard words of the living G-d there. I do not know what made me worthy of it. The merit of my ancestors, the merit of my ancestors, and perhaps the merit of shemitah, of the shemitah year we are now in, and [unclear]. But I would like to take this opportunity to share one thing I heard from the Rebbe shlita during that conversation. I told him about developments in three areas. Now, thank G-d, we have merited to have entire farms observing shemitah, and awareness of shemitah has spread among a broad public. Many Jews are observing shemitah properly and joyfully. I heard words of guidance in the Chabad Chassidus approach—not so much guidance about turning away from evil, but about doing good. And the guidance about doing good was this: a person must be happy with his lot.

21:51 Speaker 6 Excuse me, I apologize. I ask the entire audience to respect the sanctity of this joyous occasion and the dignity of this place, and to listen quietly. And anyone who must speak, please do so softly and with consideration.

22:09 Speaker 5 There are things in which a person is obligated to be content with his lot: earthly things, material things, the land given as a heritage below. In these too, a person must be content with his lot. But in heavenly things, spiritual things, matters of Torah, a person must not be content with his lot. Rather, “the heavens are the heavens of Hashem”; he must strive for more and more and more. Ladies and gentlemen, when I returned to the Land of Israel and saw that some were, G-d forbid, challenging the matter, that some were going about, G-d forbid, weakening the observance of shemittah, only then did I properly understand the words I had heard. I heard words meant to encourage our part of the community of faithful Jews to strengthen our observance of this great mitzvah. Not to be content with our lot, but to strive for more and more. Not to give way to those who try to wash their hands of the holiness and greatness of this mitzvah, but to do the opposite: to summon strength, to persevere, and to act for the sanctity of this mitzvah. That is how I understood the mission I received during the conversation I was privileged to have. May we all merit, with Hashem’s help, to observe shemittah according to halachah. Rabbi Eliyahu of Greiditz, in a letter printed in [unclear], writes: “The sin of neglecting shemittah is plain from the words of our Sages. The sin of neglecting shemittah is plain, and the way to merit the Geulah is for those who work the land to restore the observance of shemittah to its place.” Rabbi Eliyahu of Greiditz writes very grave things there. “The kelipah—the kelipah knows,” he writes, “that through shemittah the complete Geulah will come, and therefore it did not want to let shemittah take root. It even prevented true tzaddikim from allowing shemittah to take root.” We are commanded to draw the Geulah ever closer; we are commanded to observe this great mitzvah ever more fully. For the sins associated with its neglect we were exiled, and through its observance we will merit the complete Geulah. And we look forward to seeing, soon, when we now observe shemittah [unclear], the fulfillment of that promise

24:59 Speaker 5 of which the Rambam speaks in Hilchos Melachim: When our righteous Moshiach comes, the Beis Hamikdash will be built, the laws will return to their proper place, and he will remove from us the sorrow and anguish of judgments not in accordance with the Torah. The Beis Hamikdash will be built, offerings will be brought, and shemittah and yovel will be observed in accordance with all their commandments stated in the Torah. And in those days we will be redeemed, [unclear].

25:35 Speaker 7 Yasher koach, yasher koach, and many thanks to the distinguished Rabbi.

29:46 Speaker 8 Many thanks to the orchestra. Greetings of friendship to that family. Ladies and gentlemen, through a friend, a brother and companion to us all and to Chabad, Member of Knesset Rabbi Avraham Verdiger. Please.

30:27 Speaker 9 Honored local rabbi, honored rabbis, fellow members of Knesset, head of the Jewish Agency’s settlement council, dear Chabad chassidim, pioneers of Kfar Chabad: I ask you to keep quiet. I ask the students upstairs—and I appeal to the teachers and all the adults upstairs—to supervise the girls so they do not disturb us. I do not want to have to repeat this request. [Unclear], the rabbi of Netanya, the distinguished Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, ladies and gentlemen. This week we read Parshas Vayeishev. The Rebbe explains: To which days does Shabbos belong? To the days of the week before it, for “one who toiled on the eve of Shabbos will eat on Shabbos.” It also belongs to the days of the week that follow it: “From Shabbos, all the days are blessed.” Shabbos connects and unites the preceding weekdays with those that follow. It is also known that in certain years Parshas Vayeishev falls on the Shabbos between the day of Geulah, 19 Kislev, and Chanukah. Since, as is known, the weekly parshas are connected with the times when they are read, it follows that this lesson from Parshas Vayeishev relates both to the day of Geulah, 19 Kislev, and to Chanukah. This is the meaning of “And behold, we were binding sheaves in the field.” “Binding sheaves,” as the Targum renders it, means tying bundles together: gathering the sparks scattered outside from each and every person and bringing them back in teshuvah. This is the point shared by 19 Kislev and Chanukah. After the Geulah of 19 Kislev, the work of “spreading your wellsprings outward” began: reaching those on the outside with the wellsprings. Thus the lesson of binding sheaves in the field applies with even greater force and vigor after the Geulah of 19 Kislev. And the lesson of the Chanukah lights—the reason for the mitzvah to place them outside the entrance to one’s home—is that their purpose is to illuminate and refine even the darkness outside, and [unclear]. My dear brothers and sisters, this evening we all share in the celebration of

34:21 Speaker 9 this wonderful village, 19 Kislev in Kfar Chabad. This village was founded by the revered Frierdiker Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, z"l. In all its activities and all its flourishing, Kfar Chabad is the pioneer going before the camp. Kfar Chabad was the first to sow the seeds of bringing hearts together in the Holy Land, drawing Jews near and far closer to their roots and awakening the hearts of the Jewish masses. At the instruction of the revered Rebbe shlita, Chabad chassidim took upon themselves concern and responsibility for all matters affecting the Jewish people, without favoritism or political affiliation. With self-sacrifice, the Chabad community makes a major and important contribution toward clearing the difficult atmosphere that, regrettably, prevails between the observant public and the nonobservant public. It does so by bringing the light of Torah and mitzvos to the soul of every Jew. Ladies and gentlemen, in our time, as the struggle against all kinds of Hellenizers—those who attack faith in Hashem, our holy Torah, and halachah, by whose merit we have survived until today—grows stronger, the Chabad movement makes its contribution. The people of Kfar Chabad in particular lead the way in instilling genuine Ahavas Yisroel and spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus. From there, [unclear] reaches the masses of the Jewish people from every circle. For now, [unclear] the Geulah and the joy. Torah Jewry is struggling hard, with self-sacrifice, to give the State of Israel a Jewish character. And all of us together, through genuine Ahavas Yisroel and bringing hearts together, must continue, with Hashem’s help, to struggle for the sanctity of the Land of Israel. You, the people of Kfar Chabad and the Chabad chassidim, and we, all of Israel together, will continue with Hashem’s help, and we will succeed. May the blessing of the revered Rebbe accompany you and all of us, so that we may be saved and redeemed in the true and complete Geulah in our days. Amen and amen. Thank you, and special thanks to my dear guest, Rabbi Avraham [unclear] shlita, for his moving, heartfelt words. And now, ladies and gentlemen, to continue the series of greetings, I have the honor of inviting our friend and a friend of

38:05 Speaker 9 Beis Chayeinu, Member of Knesset Professor Avner Chai Shaki. Please. I ask again: Professor Shaki has come even from his sickbed to honor us. The least we can do is show respect for ourselves and for him by keeping completely quiet. Once again, I ask the students upstairs to keep completely quiet. I appeal to the teachers and counselors here with us to maintain the silence. Rabbis. Please, dear Professor. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being at the Rebbe’s court in Brooklyn on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Kislev, which, as you know, has become a second festival. It was a special delight to see the holy Rebbe’s shluchim from across the entire continent gathering at the Rebbe’s court to announce a remarkable gift to him: one hundred and twenty Chabad Houses. What an extraordinary movement this is, whose gift to its spiritual leader is more Chabad Houses, more houses of faith, more houses of light, more houses of Ahavas Yisroel. If there is a movement in Israel today whose banner is Ahavas Yisroel, this is that movement. That is your pride and the pride of us all. My friends, it is no coincidence that both Rosh Chodesh Kislev and 19 Kislev, the Festival of Geulah, come a few days before the Festival of Lights. For both the festival of the shluchim and the Festival of Geulah aim to bring light and drive away darkness. And to our sorrow, there has been much darkness lately. Those who denounce us have multiplied, as have the mockers and those who, regrettably, do not wish to respect the Torah of Israel and the faith of our forefathers. Only the tremendous spiritual leadership of the Rebbe shlita can bring this entire great nation under the shelter of that light and drive away that darkness. I want to tell you that this year I had the privilege, on two occasions, to accompany the Rebbe shlita as he left Minchah, for a few minutes each time. I could see in the light of his face and in his great joy that his interest in the State of Israel remains strong. He sees in it great hope and [unclear], and he encourages us all to continue the struggle. And I think

42:00 Speaker 9 Its culmination this evening is to call upon all of the Jewish people, all the members of the Knesset, all the government ministers and the prime minister to join together, with one voice, to drive away the anti-religious darkness and establish conversion according to halachah. Gentlemen, no, it is not in heaven. This is a people of light. Despite the shadows, this people wants the rule of halachah. This people loves the Torah. It seems to me that if another hundred members of the Knesset came here and saw you dancing with that incomparable chassidic fervor, perhaps they would understand not only who is a Jew, but what a Jew is. That is what they have been missing. Gentlemen, the Rebbe shlita’s influence extends beyond our people. I had the great privilege of being in London with Rabbi Glick, one of the Rebbe’s shluchim. He showed me a letter he had received from the King of Spain. The Rebbe shlita had written to the King of Spain—I read the original letter, bearing the Rebbe’s signature. He told him: “Your Majesty, there are seven Noahide commandments, and we must promote understanding of them so that this world will have more light, peace will prevail, and wars will cease.” See the final chapter of the Rambam’s Laws of Kings and Their Wars, where he describes Moshiach’s role—first and foremost, an end to wars between kingdoms. The Rebbe shlita told the King of Spain: “It would be fitting for you and others like you to undertake to observe the seven Noahide commandments.” The Spanish king invited Rabbi Glick and his wife, and they visited the royal court and shook hands with him. He wrote to the Rebbe shlita: “I thank you for the idea, and I accept upon myself the seven Noahide commandments.” What a wondrous thing! I saw this marvel with my own eyes. Gentlemen, tonight is not only Chabad’s celebration. Chabad has become a treasure for the entire nation, for all of Israel, for the whole world, for all Jewry. And this evening, Chabad

45:08 Speaker 9 reaches out to everyone. To all who have eyes and ears: draw near to the light, push away the darkness, and let us return to the days of Chanukah, which are fast approaching. May it be Hashem’s will that the light shining forth tonight from every Chabad House in the world, from this Chabad House, which the Rebbe shlita holds in special esteem, and from the Chabad chassidim in this land who labor day and night in the service of Chabad Chassidus—may this light break through the darkness, bring awareness, draw hearts closer, bring peace among nations, increase love, and bring the complete Geulah. Amen.

46:09 Speaker 10 Thank you, and blessings to Professor Avner Chai Shaki. You were on fire here—on fire, Avner Shaki!—for your warm and incisive words. [unclear] And my teachers and colleagues, with your permission, to the abundance of blessings that…

08:15 Speaker 1 Come to your part. Wake up. Try to reach that level of fire, to be that kind of presenter. Not ready? No, no, there’s something about the negative. But how many pieces do you have to read to the content creators? Strange. That’s not really it. But you don’t have enough push. You’re not the kind of person who can’t hide it. What can you hide? We’re talking about fire here, like in a bank. Fish Goldberg[?] was with Boaz Yitzchak[?]. Let’s begin. In the conversation about what you’re going to do. Among these contracts there are [unclear]. So what are you so [unclear] about? Go make an effort. Come on, start making an effort. Let me learn the tax method. Let’s see. Come on. Let’s see the photo. Let’s see. How does it go? Come on, [unclear]. It’ll eat you up. You can’t put your hand into the fire. The fire that you... I’ll say this quickly. What you’re saying doesn’t fit with thousands of [unclear] films. It’ll inflate the air. He can’t wash his face. He wouldn’t be sitting [unclear] films. He’ll awaken to the mysteries of the movement of remembrance. What does that mean, friends? What is it that drives nature? What does Chassidus [unclear] about the heart? [unclear]. What did this [unclear] call [unclear]?

10:33 Speaker 2 You have to take it.

10:37 Speaker 1 You didn’t give it. You gave the end and the beginning. Put your hands on your head. That’s another [unclear] on the ground [unclear]. The painful realization applies to everyone who reaches out. He’ll always retain the knowledge [unclear]. It was never really [unclear]. And [unclear] fell. He was like a pitchfork in the heart of the fire. He is an empty figure of disgrace. [unclear] those of you walking there.

11:20 Speaker 2 You won’t merit it.

11:26 Speaker 1 And there he calls out to Zion. And Shomron [unclear]. He went on, forgetting what he had been and what he would be. He left [unclear]. He took it apart [unclear]. He brought it down [unclear]. He lived angrily in Shomron, like a stone [unclear]. He turns his face [unclear]. He is agitated and [unclear] to bring close. And he fled completely, less than what he had been. He brought down [unclear] and his fate contracted. He was startled [unclear]. And he was terribly sad. He smelled like [unclear]. And he needlessly risked a quarrel with a whole heart.

12:14 Speaker 2 It seems he has arrived.

14:22 Speaker 3 Part of the row. You know, every single person says, “I only came in to see the performance by Mr. Natan Peretz[?],” or “the friends’ [unclear],” or “to see each and every person.” Who looks after those apartments, the fighting, and all that [unclear]? If he knew only those floors, he doesn’t know them. I don’t need to say [unclear], because there’s no [unclear]. Even if he came back from Australia or New Zealand, he’ll be here. He didn’t tell the story. Or if he didn’t tell it, I’ll tell it. If someone from [unclear] had heard that Duvdani[?], what came up [unclear], and everyone [unclear] Duvdani’s[?] Sefer Torah, without thinking about what he had called it before. He opens up strength, and there’s also something that radiates from the content of the screen. This is the story of Mottel[?], an Italian soldier. He no longer eats and [unclear]. He can hold on to his resourcefulness for as long as he can, so that he remains with the Jew in his heart. When he goes to learn Torah—or to learn—he’ll return to the Torah. He does not examine [unclear] the mitzvos. With every merit, he prays that Hashem not bring him into [unclear], where there will be people who looked at him more, and [unclear]. He is planted in Hashem’s Torah. And this is for Barkai[?], to turn this great [unclear] into something great for everyone [unclear], to tell every root of earthly life to go forward, and we are all remembered together on the great path. We have much to be thankful for, and thank you very, very much. Thank you very much. Yisroel was quite great and asked before him, but it wasn’t easy. Yisroel is very great. [unclear], but a great [unclear] of Eretz Yisroel [unclear]. Yisroel was the discussion about [unclear]. Yisroel is Yisroel, even if he is also great or merely looks different.

17:12 Speaker 3 He is a source of joy and greatness, but [unclear] heaven, and [unclear] every great angel [unclear]. We suggested Yisroel here, and I don’t know how great. And it’s great, and it makes use of [unclear]. And that’s everything; all of it is great. He was a chair for me. Seven, with the help of [unclear], but as befits all the great friends. He was a gathering [unclear] in honor of [unclear], and then he has “great” written on the great table. He is very great there, [unclear].