Farbrengen 19 Kislev 5748, Kfar Chabad

00:05 Speaker 1 Shechem. The road between Hebron and Shechem—that is the road we travel. And there Rashi cites the words of our Sages, of blessed memory: “Is Hebron in a valley? Surely Hebron is in the hills!” But today we know that Hebron is also in a valley. Anyone who visits Hebron knows that it is not only in the hills. So what is the question? Wherever there is a hill, there is also a valley. Rather, our Sages mean to ask why the Torah needs to specify the exact place from which our father Yaakov sent Yosef. Why does it say, “He sent him from the valley of Hebron”? It could have said, “He sent him from Hebron,” or simply, “He sent him.” The answer is that this is not only about geographical depth. It is about a mission with historical depth, with the depth of Divine providence. All the events in the history of the Jewish people have a depth and height far beyond what the superficial human eye can see. This was to fulfill the Divine promise to our father Avraham: “Your descendants will be strangers in a land not their own, and they will enslave and afflict them for four hundred years; afterward they will leave with great wealth.” What is taking place here is the formation of the Jewish people, the Exodus from Egypt on the way to the giving of the Torah and entry into the Land. That is the depth of these events involving Yosef and his brothers and the descent to Egypt. And ever since, this has been our concern: the formation of the Jewish people, the redemption of the Jewish people, a Divine revelation, the revelation of Torah among the Jewish people. I want to add one more point. The Midrash says here, concerning the verse “Yehudah went down from his brothers”—after all, this account of Yehudah and Tamar interrupts everything that had begun to unfold with Yosef’s descent to Egypt. The Midrash says: “Yaakov is occupied with his sackcloth and fasting; Reuven is occupied with his sackcloth and fasting; Yosef is occupied with his sackcloth and fasting; Yehudah is occupied with taking a wife; and Hakadosh Boruch Hu is occupied with creating the light of Moshiach.” It cites the verse in Yeshayahu, “Before she went into labor, she gave birth.” Before the first enslaver was born in Egypt, the final redeemer was born

02:57 Speaker 1 because from this union of Yehudah and Tamar, from this event, Peretz was born, and Moshiach is destined to descend from him. We, too, in our generation, in these years, in these very days, go through suffering and difficulties. There are weaknesses and there is confusion. Some are in sackcloth and fasting, and others are in sackcloth and fasting; some are full of despair, and others are full of confusion. But a believing Jew knows that amid all this turmoil, Hakadosh Boruch Hu is occupied with creating the light of Moshiach, regardless of what appears to the eye. The light of Moshiach is growing stronger, beginning to shine, uplifting and sanctifying. Just look at the former Prisoners of Zion sitting here, and at all that happened there in the depths of Russia’s darkness, and at everything happening throughout the world. Anyone with eyes in his head must also acknowledge that a large part of what is happening in the far corners of the earth is being accomplished by this community, this community of chassidim guided by the Rebbe shlita—may he live long and in good health. And so Hakadosh Boruch Hu is occupied with creating the light of Moshiach through Peretz, who was born to Tamar, through Peretz and through ufaratzta, “you shall spread forth.” The first ufaratzta came through Peretz, who was born to Yehudah and Tamar. We should therefore bless this community, which today celebrates one hundred and eighty—one hundred and eighty-nine years since the Geulah of the first Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch Harav. May they continue, and may we continue, to celebrate the redemptions of every generation, until the complete Geulah comes with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days. Amen.

05:28 Speaker 2 Amen, may we merit it. Amen, so may it be. We’ll now sing “Yehi Ratzon,” and afterward the Alter Rebbe’s Nigun Arba Bavos.

05:43 Speaker 1 Zalman. May the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt. Nu, Zalman. Nu, Zalman.

08:17 Speaker 3 May it, may it be Your will. May it, may it be Your will. May it be Your will, Hashem our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah. May the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah. May the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah. May the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah. May the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah. May my Father’s House be rebu—

10:46 Speaker 4 With the Alter Rebbe’s Nigun Arba Bavos.

11:28 Speaker 3 Ymm mm, ymm mm mm, ay ay ah mm. Ymm mm, ymm mm, ymm mm, ymm mm, ymm mm, ymm mm.

20:15 Speaker 5 H— ho. Hey lay lay, trrr, hey lay lay, trrr, hey la la, trrr-ay la la la la la la. Hey lay la, trrr, hey lay la, trrr, hey lay lay lay, hey lay hooo. Hey lay la, trrr, h— h— h— ho, h— hey la ho. Hey lay la, trrr, hey lay la la, hey la, ho lay, hey la la, hey, oh oh oh oh. Hey, hey, hey, ho, h— h— ho. Hey, hey, ho, h— h— h— ho. Hey, hey, ho. Hey, hey lay la hey, lay la la ho. Hey lay la la, hey lay la la, hey lay la hey. Hey, hey lay la, lay la, lay lay, hey lay la, hey, hey, h— ho, hey, h— h— hey, hey, lay la, hey, hey lay la, hey, h— h— ho, hey, hey la la, lay la, lay la. Oy!

22:05 Speaker 6 The Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen has ended, but it is not complete. May it be Hashem’s will that we all merit to hold the next farbrengen together with Moshiach Tzidkeinu. I want to thank everyone who came to take part in the Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen; to thank the Rishon LeZion police, who arranged everything so well; to thank the Border Police, who secured the entire village and the entire farbrengen; and those above who watched over the whole farbrengen. May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year in the study of Chassidus and in following its ways. Someone has lost a set of keys; they can be found here at the counter.