Radio Kol Mevaser - a national Chassidic program for women: interviews about the Rebbetzin; decisions of the Nshei Chabad leadership, including the holding of a women's gathering upon the conclusion of the shloshim; a summary of the Rebbe's words in the weeks following the passing, including the sicha about "Let us calculate the accounting of the world"

00:00 Speaker 1 Good evening, dear friends. It is hard to speak in these difficult days, days of heartbreak, grief and sorrow. Days when troubling thoughts penetrate heart and soul, and the bitter truth strikes us in the face. Yet it is our duty and a mitzvah to deliver a eulogy, out of respect for the deceased—the righteous Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, a woman of lofty spiritual stature, elevated above the ordinary, of blessed memory—and out of respect for the Rebbe shlita, may he be granted long and good years. The Rebbetzin’s merits are beyond measure. It is enough to say that for fifty-nine years she was the Rebbe shlita’s partner in life and the crown of his head. The Rebbetzin was a model of humility. Had she appeared in public, she could have held a position of prominence and been accorded royal honor. Instead, she chose to stand beside the Rebbe, care for his health, and share his worries and concerns. The princess kept her dignity within the home. It is known that years ago, the Rebbetzin used to buy provisions for her home at a particular store far from the neighborhood. In time, people discovered who she was and began to honor her. She immediately stopped going there and was never seen there again. She was open to hearing others, to listening attentively. She created such a warm atmosphere of openness and kindness around her. She cared about other people’s troubles and took great joy in their successes. She deeply valued chassidic feeling and vitality, and was delighted to hear about activities in the Rebbe shlita’s mitzvah campaigns, about spreading Yiddishkeit and the wellsprings of Chassidus. Her special regard for every person surely also stemmed from the extraordinary upbringing she received in her parents’ home. Once, when she was a child, she, her sister and a young neighbor were playing hide-and-seek in the house. They tied a scarf over one girl’s eyes, and she had to find the others.

02:16 Speaker 1 Their home had all kinds of hiding places, and the neighbor’s daughter, who did not know its rooms and corridors, found the game very difficult. Just then, their father, the great Frierdiker Rebbe, of blessed memory, passed through the room, and they asked him to join the game. The girls were delighted, of course. He set a condition: they could hide only in the open part of the room, not in its corners. He played with them for a little while, and when he left the game, the condition remained in force. In this gentle way, he guided the girls to show the greatest consideration for others and to practice Ahavas Yisroel. The Rebbe shlita practices what he teaches. This Tishrei, he explained Rashi’s words on the verse about Avraham Avinu, “And he pitched his tent.” The word is written “her tent”: first he pitched his wife’s tent, and only afterward his own. The Rebbe asked: How does Rashi know all this? It is not stated explicitly in the verse. Because it could not have been otherwise, he said. A man is obligated to honor his wife more than himself, so clearly Avraham first pitched Sarah’s tent and only then attended to his own. The Rebbe shlita, of course, not only teaches this but practices it. Throughout their years together, he devoted much attention to the Rebbetzin, of blessed memory. He shared the burden with her, told her what was new at 770 and among our fellow chassidim, and included her in communal and personal matters alike. Even so, she was very lonely, for apart from those precious moments he devoted to her, every hour of the Rebbe shlita’s day was filled with Torah study, devotion to the Creator and Ahavas Yisroel. The Rebbetzin bore her loneliness with dignity and self-sacrifice, and never interfered with her great husband shlita in his holy work. When he left home for 770, she would accompany him to the door. Then she would stand by the window and continue watching him walk away until he disappeared from sight. The Rebbetzin, who was the daughter of a Rebbe and the wife of a Rebbe, understood things in depth. She delved into chassidic concepts and analyzed them fully. She once said to the Rebbe shlita:

04:49 Speaker 1 “It is harder for you than it was for my father. My father had one chossid—you. And whom do you have?” She understood that being a chossid means complete self-effacement, iron discipline and the fullest kabbolas ol, just as the Rebbe shlita has to this day toward his teacher and father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe, of blessed memory. But whom does he have? Let us all take to heart the words “and the living shall take it to heart,” and strengthen ourselves in pure Ahavas Yisroel—unconditional love that will undo the baseless hatred that brought destruction, exile and death. Let us uproot jealousy, rivalry and discord from within ourselves and cultivate true unity. Let us be genuine chassidim and bring satisfaction to the Rebbe shlita. Let us purify our thoughts, speech and actions of every blemish and flaw. Let us bring Jews closer to serving the Creator, and do all this with kabbolas ol to the utmost of our strength. In this way, “let my soul be as dust to all” will nullify “and to dust you shall return” in the literal sense. In this way, with Hashem’s help, we will bring nearer the coming of the Redeemer and the fulfillment of the promise, “He will swallow up death forever.” “Those who dwell in the dust will awaken and sing”—and she among them. And please, Master of the Universe, may all this happen very soon, in our own days. Good evening, and may we all hear good news.

06:22 Speaker 2 More about her character, from Mrs. Rachel Hendel.

06:27 Speaker 1 Chassidim are the Rebbe, and the Rebbe is the chassidim. So testified Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, of blessed memory, in her testimony from her home during the trial over the sefarim, not long ago. Those words and that testimony tipped the scales toward victory for the sefarim. Didan notzach. A victory for Chassidus. And as the Rebbetzin said, the Rebbe is the essence of the chassidim. When the Rebbe shlita sits shiva, all the chassidim sit with him and feel his pain, just as the Rebbe shlita feels our pain, the pain of every Jew. We hope to Hashem that we will soon merit to share in his joy. The pain is great, even though we do not overlook the fact that the Rebbetzin, of blessed memory, was no longer young when she passed away. Our pain that Hashem has taken her is great, because who knows whether, with more good deeds on our part, we might perhaps have prevented this now? Our chief concern is for our great Rebbe. May Hashem strengthen his health and grant him many long years leading us, in joy. Only when a limb hurts do we feel how important it was when it carried out its usual function. Now, in her absence, we can feel how important she was in our lives, especially because she was so important in the life of the leader of our generation. But chassidim do not give in to despair. And in the Tanya study for 22 Shvat, the day of her passing, the Alter Rebbe, of blessed memory, says in chapter 26 that one must not fall into sadness, whether over material matters or spiritual ones. For “just as one blesses Hashem for the good, so one blesses Him for the bad,” and everything must be accepted with joy. Sadness over one’s sins, in particular, should immediately turn to a feeling of bitterness; and after that bitterness comes practical action—to increase good deeds with greater energy and joy. Let us try to understand something of the character of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, of blessed memory, and, in keeping with her stature, establish fitting institutions in her name and bring only true satisfaction to the Rebbe shlita. Our Sages say, “The memory of the righteous is for a blessing.” When mentioning a righteous person, we should recall the righteousness of their deeds and their blessing. The righteous Rebbetzin, modest and noble of spirit, worked behind the scenes and directed acts of kindness. Her greatest kindness was caring with all her strength for the health of the leader of our generation. We must not

09:30 Speaker 1 overlook the fact that it was also thanks to her that we had the most recent great victory, the victory of the sefarim. It brought the crown’s precious jewels down to us even further—the most profound maamarim, now being revealed to our generation—and we need only bend down and pick them up. But her greatest quality was her modesty. It is astonishing: how can someone hide and flee from honor in the bustling center of the world? A Rebbe’s daughter and a Rebbe’s wife—who would not have wanted to meet and honor her? She could have been the most honored woman in the world, yet she fled from honor and commotion as far as she could. I had the privilege of meeting her personally fourteen years ago, before we went on shlichus from the Rebbe shlita to the holy city of Tzfas, may it be rebuilt and established. On Erev Yom Kippur, after my husband, our three children and I had received lekach from the Rebbe shlita, we called a relative who was a good friend of the Rebbetzin, of blessed memory. At our request, she agreed and told us to go to the Rebbetzin on her behalf. And so we did. I cannot forget the fear that came over us as we went up to the king’s palace, the Rebbe shlita’s home. Our teeth were chattering, and we were quite literally unable to knock on the door because of the fear that had seized us. When we finally overcame it, the Rebbetzin herself, of blessed memory, opened the door. She was so unassuming and modest that it was hard to believe this was how a Rebbetzin behaved. There was none of the distasteful ceremony of honor; everything was utterly simple. When we entered the large room, there was a plate of lekach on the large table with its black tablecloth. She asked us to sit, but we remained standing out of respect. The conversation lasted about twenty minutes. What was interesting was that when we told her who we were, she asked whether we were the Hendels related to Rabbi Hendel in Montreal. She also knew my family, the Habers, from before my marriage. In other words, behind the scenes, she knew all the chassidim. She asked the children’s names, and was moved and happy to hear that we had named them after her mother, Rebbetzin Nechama Dina, of blessed memory; the Rebbe shlita’s father, Reb Levik, of blessed memory; and the Tzemach Tzedek, Menachem Mendel, of blessed memory. We saw how pleased she was when we said that we were going on shlichus

12:09 Speaker 1 The Rebbe shlita to the holy city of Tzfas, may it be rebuilt and established, and she felt part of the undertaking. That Erev Yom Kippur, we all had the privilege of receiving lekach from the Rebbe shlita and the Rebbetzin, may her soul rest in Eden and may her merit protect us. Then we had the privilege of seeing this righteous woman’s greatness up close, and today, fragments of her tremendous work are coming to light. The Rebbetzin, may her soul rest in Eden, edited the “Wonders of Nature” section in Talks and Tales for Youth; what distinguished its articles was the way they showed how everything in nature teaches us something about serving Hashem. And as is known, the righteous are called living even after their passing. As it says in Tanya, Igeres Hakodesh, chapter 27: “This is what is said in the holy Zohar: ‘A tzaddik who has departed is present in all worlds more than during his lifetime,’ for his work continues to grow, producing further growth from the ‘light sown for the righteous,’ and so on.” And, quite simply, her greatness can be seen even in the manner of her passing. The thirty-eight years of the Rebbe shlita’s leadership, may he live to 120, are also to her credit. In the morning he would go out to lead the Jewish people, and in the evening he would return. And as we know, even at night the Rebbe shlita does not sleep—perhaps for half an hour. When chassidim sent urgent questions at night about operations and the like, they would call the secretaries. A secretary would call the Rebbetzin, may her soul rest in Eden, and she would immediately pass the message to the Rebbe shlita. There was no problem waking him, since he was not asleep. There are also accounts from people whose letters were passed directly to the Rebbe shlita through the Rebbetzin, may her soul rest in Eden. Not once did she hold the leader of the generation back from his holy work on account of physical weakness or the like. Even on her last day, she spoke of her weakness only at nine in the evening, and, as is known, at midnight she went to the hospital on the Rebbe shlita’s instructions.

14:15 Speaker 1 And the last words she said to the Rebbe were, “Hit zich dayn gezunt”—that is, “Take care of your health.” One could say that these words sum up the purpose of her life’s work: safeguarding the health of the leader of our generation. Recently, it is true, we have heard the Rebbe shlita’s broadcasts instructing people not to wait for answers, but to seek guidance from mashpi’im, doctors, friends, and so on. But we hope to Hashem that this was meant only for the seven days of mourning, and that her passing will not affect the way the chassidim are guided. On the contrary, may we merit that the faithful shepherd watch over his flock directly, guide us on our way, and continue to lead us with a strong hand, materially and spiritually. We were moved to see in Psalm 21, which speaks about Moshiach the King, how closely the verses’ content fits the Rebbe shlita. Psalm 21: “For the conductor, a psalm of David. Hashem, in Your strength the king will rejoice, and in Your salvation he will exult greatly.” Here King David is speaking about Moshiach the King. “You have granted him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips, Selah. For You greet him with blessings of goodness; You place a crown of fine gold upon his head.” “A woman of valor is her husband’s crown.” The king, the Rebbe shlita, had that crown of fine gold upon his head for years—eighty-seven years. We hope that, as the verses continue, the next verse will be fulfilled: “He asked You for life; You granted it to him—length of days forever and ever.” May the Rebbe shlita reign for length of days, forever and ever, with the coming of our righteous Moshiach, speedily in our days, amen. Ahavas Yisroel, presented by Rabbi Yehoshua Segal.

16:19 Speaker 3 A talk for the days of shivah following the passing of the righteous Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, may her soul rest in Eden. After Minchah, the Rebbe shlita said: We are living in a time when Ahavas Yisroel is especially needed—the great principle of the Torah, “Love your fellow as yourself.” This is in order to undo the exile, which was caused by baseless hatred, and, along with it, to undo death, Heaven forbid, which is connected with baseless hatred and the exile. This is evident from the fact that by the time of the Geulah, we will merit the fulfillment of the promise, “He will swallow up death forever; Hashem will wipe away tears from every face.” In light of these words, it is natural that this program should study this mitzvah, in the spirit of the teaching, “Whoever studies the laws of a burnt offering is considered as though he had offered one.” The same may be said of whoever studies the teachings of Ahavas Yisroel. In the Tzemach Tzedek’s Derech Mitzvosecha, in the chapter dealing with the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel, the Rebbe writes, after quoting those who enumerate the mitzvos: “Not to hate one’s fellow, as it says, ‘Do not hate your brother in your heart.’ To love every Jew, as it says, ‘Love your fellow as yourself.’” The saying of Hillel the Elder to the prospective convert is well known. The man came to Hillel and asked, “Convert me on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.” Hillel told him, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. This is the entire Torah; the rest is its explanation.” The phrase means: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.” Do not do it to your fellow. “This is the entire Torah; the rest”—the other mitzvos and everything written in the Torah—“is its explanation.” It explains and elaborates on this great principle: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.” The Rebbe asks in the maamar: How can all the Torah’s mitzvos be related to the mitzvah of “Love your fellow as yourself”? Let us grant that the mitzvos between one person and another—that is, conduct between people in accordance with the Torah—are indeed included in and flow from the mitzvah of “Love your fellow as yourself.” But

19:01 Speaker 3 the mitzvos between a person and Hashem are meant to bring the person who performs them into closeness and connection with the One who commands, Hakadosh Boruch Hu. What do these mitzvos have to do with “Love your fellow as yourself”? The question becomes even more striking in light of the verse in Job 35: “If you are righteous, what do you give Him?” In other words, even through just and upright conduct toward your fellows, what do you give Him—Hakadosh Boruch Hu, who is infinite, without limit or end, and in whose eyes a person’s actions toward another do not count? The Rebbe also asks about what the Alter Rebbe established in his siddur, in these words: “It is proper to say before prayer: I hereby accept upon myself the positive mitzvah of ‘Love your fellow as yourself.’” The Rebbe asks: Prayer is about a person’s connection and attachment to Hakadosh Boruch Hu in love. What does love of one’s fellow have to do with love of Hashem? [unclear] To answer this question, the Rebbe quotes the Arizal’s words in Taamei Hamitzvos, Parshas Bereishis, as recorded by a disciple of the Arizal: “For all of Israel are, in their inner meaning, one body—the soul of Adam Harishon—as is known to us. Every Jew is an individual limb, and this is the basis of mutual responsibility: a person bears responsibility for his fellow if he sins. Therefore my master, of blessed memory, was accustomed to recite the individual confessions, and so on, for all of Israel are one body and one soul.” This means that Adam Harishon’s soul was a collective soul, containing within it all the souls of Israel. When Hakadosh Boruch Hu created man and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,” this was the collective soul of all Jewish souls, through to the coming of Moshiach. Some are lofty souls that were like the head of Adam Harishon’s soul; some were like its arms; and some were lower. Nevertheless, all are, in his words, one body, though made up of many limbs. This is why he is called Adam, from the expression “I will resemble the One Above,” because this collective soul was drawn from Above, from the level of the Supernal Man—

21:36 Speaker 3 Hakadosh Boruch Hu as He is revealed in the world of Atzilus, which encompasses the sefiros; they, too, are interincluded and united as one. On this basis, the Arizal’s disciple explains why his teacher would recite the individual confessions in the Al Chet prayer, even though it is clear that the holy Arizal never committed those sins. But since there are people among the Jewish people who sin, Heaven forbid, each such sin also damages the tzaddik’s soul, because they are all united as one. All Jews are responsible for one another. And the Arizal felt the pain of the soul of the Jew who had sinned. The reverse is also true: a sick limb of the body can be healed by bloodletting or an injection in another limb. This is because of “the mingling of the blood,” in the Rebbe’s words, and because of the shared life-force that spreads from the brain to all the limbs. The brain therefore feels the pain of every limb; to it, pain in the hand and pain in the foot are alike. Indeed, sometimes it will feel the pain of an injury to a fingernail more than that of an injury to the hand, or the like. All this is because of the one shared inner life-force drawn from the brain, despite its division among different limbs. So it is with the souls of Israel: inwardly, they are one soul, drawn from Hashem’s wisdom, which is united with Him. It is only the bodies that are separate, causing the soul to divide into many sparks. Ahavas Yisroel means removing the outer covering of the body that separates one Jew from another, and revealing the inner soul, which is one in all souls and united with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. It follows that, since the purpose of all the mitzvos is for a person to connect with Hashem, Ahavas Yisroel is itself the mitzvah that brings about this connection and unity. And from the positive we can infer the negative: if, Heaven forbid, a person hates his fellow and separates his fellow’s soul from his own, he damages his own soul and, Heaven forbid, cannot unite with Hashem, for Hakadosh Boruch Hu does not dwell in a place that is damaged.

24:23 Speaker 3 Later in the maamar, the Rebbe gives a wonderful explanation of Hillel’s words to the convert: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.” Hillel chose to present the mitzvah in negative terms—what one must not do—rather than positive terms—what one should do—in order to explain a fundamental point about Ahavas Yisroel. A person does not see fault in himself. He knows his own bad deeds and shortcomings, even things his heart has never disclosed to his mouth. He knows his failings better than his friends do, for people see only what is visible, while he himself knows what is in his heart and what takes place in dark, hidden places. Nevertheless, because of his self-love and self-centeredness, love covers all his transgressions. He does not feel compelled to dwell on them and hate himself for his failings and sins. But when someone peers into his private life, sees his sins and transgressions, and exposes him in that state to his friends, he becomes very upset and angry that his friend knows and sees his failings and is affected by them. This is so even though he admits the facts are true. What he hates is the exposure of those facts, and that his friend does not treat his misdeeds with the same forbearance he shows himself and his own transgressions. About this Hillel said: “What is hateful to you”—the exposure of your sins and transgressions to the eyes of others—“do not do to your fellow.” Do not pry into and search for your fellow’s sins in order to see him at his worst. And if you do see him in the act of sinning, you must love him so much that love covers all his transgressions, and no feeling of rejection toward him arises in your heart, G-d forbid. Then Hakadosh Boruch Hu will treat us by the same measure. Although “He Who fashioned the eye—shall He not see? He Who chastises nations—shall He not rebuke?”

26:58 Speaker 3 Hakadosh Boruch Hu sees and knows our lowly spiritual state, and everything is revealed and known before Him. Yet “He has not seen iniquity in Yaakov, nor has He seen wrongdoing in Yisroel.” Through all the souls of Yisroel joining together in love and unity, Hakadosh Boruch Hu also unites with us, and we become one. Hashem unites with the Jewish people, and they become one. Then the Supernal Man sees no fault in Himself, as it is written, “He sees iniquity but does not consider it”: He takes only the good of the Jewish people into account. Through this we will be freed from exile and everything that comes with it, including death, may Hashem spare us, and “those who dwell in the dust will awaken and sing”—the Rebbetzin among them, together with all the righteous people of the world.

00:00 Speaker 1 On behalf of the national organization of N’shei Chabad, I was asked to announce the following. During the shiva for the passing of the righteous Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, a"h, the organization’s executive committee convened and decided on the following activities in her memory. A. A large national gathering for the thirtieth day, on Wednesday, 20 Adar 5748, at the Ohel Shem auditorium in Tel Aviv. B. Publication of a book on the history of the rebbetzins of the Chabad dynasty, by Chedva Segal of Afula and Rabbi Eliyahu Friedman of Tzfas. C. Establishment of a national gemach for N’shei Chabad. D. Opening a children’s library in the pediatric wards of certain hospitals in Israel. E. Dedicating all the conferences and activities of the Organization of Chabad Women and Girls in the Holy Land this year to her memory, including the winter conference, which will take place, G-d willing, on Shabbos Zachor in Nahariya. We are planning further activities that will be finalized during the thirty days. These decisions were conveyed to the Rebbe shlita during the shiva. Thank you.

01:35 Speaker 2 25 Adar 5661, the birthday of the righteous Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, a"h. A letter from the Rebbe Rashab concerning the birth of the Rebbetzin, a"h. Boruch Hashem, Sunday, 26 Adar 5661. My dear son, may you live; my modest and esteemed daughter-in-law, may you live; my dear grandchildren, may you live. Thank G-d that all are alive and well. To my heart’s delight, we received a telegram today about my daughter-in-law’s giving birth, mazal tov, and I hereby wish you mazal tov on the daughter born to you, mazal tov. Mazal tov! May Hashem, blessed be He, grant you the merit of raising her to Torah, to Torah, to the chuppah and to good deeds, with ease and peace of mind. May she enjoy long, good and pleasant years. May she be a woman who truly and wholeheartedly fears Hashem, as our holy forebears, may the righteous and holy be remembered for the life of the World to Come, wished; and may we all merit to rejoice together at her wedding. Mazal tov! May we always receive much nachas and pleasure from you and your descendants, every day, spiritually and materially. With joy in my heart, I thank Hashem for all the good He has bestowed upon us, and for His great kindness in keeping us alive, sustaining us and bringing us to this time. May He likewise bring us many happy and good occasions, and may we all be healthy and well. May we thank and praise Hashem our G-d at all times with joy and gladness of heart. Please let us know in detail how the birth went and how strong she is now. Please, please let us know everything in detail, [unclear]. We sent you a telegram wishing you mazal tov. Surely you received it. Regarding the naming, mazal tov, I wrote in the telegram that if a name had not yet been given, you should name her Chaya Mushka, for in my opinion that is the right name. Surely you will also let me know about the naming, mazal tov. Please let me know in detail about the health of my daughter-in-law, may she live, and her newborn daughter, may she live. May you receive life, peace and blessing from the Master of Peace. One who loves you dearly, your father, father-in-law and [unclear]. I always ask after you with all my heart and soul, every day. A second letter, from Motzaei Shabbos, 4 Nissan 5661. My dear son, may you live; my modest and esteemed daughter-in-law,

04:23 Speaker 2 may you live; my dear grandchildren, may you live. Thank G-d that all are alive and well. We received your letters from Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh, Monday and Tuesday, to our great satisfaction and heartfelt joy. I hereby wish you mazal tov on the naming of our granddaughter, your daughter, may she live, whose name in Israel is Chaya Mushka, may she live. May Hashem, blessed be He, grant her long, good and pleasant years, spiritually and materially. May she be an upstanding woman who truly fears Hashem, and may we all receive much nachas and pleasure from her, spiritually and materially. May we all merit to rejoice together at her wedding, mazal tov. I thank Hashem with all my heart for all the good He has bestowed upon us, that the birth went easily and properly. Thank G-d for His great kindness to us. May He never leave or forsake us, and may Hashem, blessed be He, help us in every detail. May Hashem, blessed be He, soon send me a complete recovery, together with all of Israel. We were greatly pleased to receive the telegram about the health of your wife and my daughter-in-law, may she live, and the health of our granddaughter, your daughter Chaya Mushka, may she live. May Hashem, blessed be He, grant them lasting health and strength, always.

06:04 Speaker 3 Selections from the sichos delivered during the shiva, particularly on this past Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh, Parshas Terumah, presented by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Ginzburg.

06:18 Speaker 4 Good evening. We’ll review some points from what the Rebbe shlita said in connection with the passing of the Rebbetzin, a"h. On the first day after the funeral, the Rebbe gave a short sicha after Mincha. Its message was that we should make an effort to offer condolences. Although it was only the first day, and in some places people offer condolences only from the third day, we should make a special effort in Ahavas Yisroel in our times. We should therefore make the effort to comfort mourners, which is also a form of Ahavas Yisroel, and “the living shall take it to heart.” That sicha was, in effect, intended to encourage everyone to offer condolences. Then, on Shabbos, throughout most of the farbrengen, although the Rebbe did not speak explicitly about the Rebbetzin, most of the sichos dealt with death, passing, departure and descent: how it is not really a descent, but its purpose and intent are an ascent. Therefore, we must continue to increase and rise in holiness, in a way of rejoicing and bringing joy, adding to our own joy and that of the people around us. The Rebbe also devoted a special sicha to the proposal to establish institutions in the Rebbetzin’s name—Torah institutions, schools, libraries, gemach funds and the like. He emphasized that this must be done in a way that honors the Rebbetzin and, G-d forbid, not the opposite, so that there should be no duplication, encroachment on another institution’s work, or the like. Therefore, the local rabbi in each place should give his approval, specifically in writing, that this institution needs to be established and that he agrees it should indeed be established. It should be done promptly: if possible, within the first three days; at least during the shiva; or, at the latest, by the end of the thirty days. By then, the institutions and all the other things people want and need to establish should already be in place. Again, there must be written approval from the local rabbi. Then, the day after the shiva ended, there was another sicha when the Rebbe returned from the Ohel. The Rebbe thanked and blessed everyone who had offered condolences, good wishes and blessings. The Rebbe spoke at length about the need to thank them, and said that Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself gives their blessing

09:13 Speaker 4 and gives it abundantly and in the greatest possible way, far beyond what a human being can give. So Hakadosh Boruch Hu has already given everyone the blessings; it has already been said, everything has already been granted. There is therefore no need to say it separately, for beyond what the Rebbe gives, Hakadosh Boruch Hu gives from His full, open, holy and generous hand, even from His very Essence and Being, blessed be He. In that sicha, the Rebbe also referred to—or approved—the name given to the funds. The gemach fund was called Keren Chomesh, after the Rebbetzin’s name: the initials of Chaya Mushka Schneerson. He emphasized that her surname particularly highlights her connection to the Alter Rebbe, Shneur: Schneerson means the children, the descendants, of the Alter Rebbe. He also emphasized her special connection to the previous Rebbe, her father. There is a special bond between a father and his daughter, as our Sages say, “When the man contributes first, a female is born”; the man, the father, has a special connection to the daughter. So the Rebbetzin had a special connection to her father, the previous Rebbe. This Motzaei Shabbos, Motzaei Shabbos Parshas Terumah, there was a very special sicha after Maariv. At the beginning of the sicha, the Rebbe again spoke about blessing and wishing well to all those who had offered blessings and good wishes, about responding to them, and about how Hakadosh Boruch Hu gives everyone all the blessings. Especially since this is a Hakhel year, which emphasizes that everyone is one entity. The year 5748—tismach, “rejoice.”

11:09 Speaker 5 Blessing, Hakadosh Boruch Hu—to such an extent.

12:20 Speaker 4 Then the Rebbe spoke about the new way of conduct needed now. In the previous sicha too, the Rebbe said that a new period was beginning. On a simple level, that referred to the shiva, after it had ended. Nevertheless, the Rebbe said several times that this was a new period and a new way of conduct.

12:39 Speaker 6 The Rebbe related in a sicha that the Frierdiker Rebbe had told him about a chossid of the Tzemach Tzedek who came to him, and he said to him, “Come, let us make a reckoning of the world.” In other words, one must conduct oneself in an orderly way, with due consideration and a plan. The Rebbe said he found it puzzling: Why had he been told this? Why had the Frierdiker Rebbe told him, especially when it did not reflect well on that chossid? But the Rebbe said that from this he saw that it truly pertained to him, for he had merited—as he put it—long life and good years, and afterward, because of this and through him, the wellsprings and Judaism were spread to every place, including an influence on non-Jews. In other words, the influence reached the whole world and every area of life. If so, it is clear that the lesson of this story is truly a lesson for the Rebbe, concerning how the Rebbe should conduct things. Therefore, the Rebbe says and informs everyone that the instructions he is about to give will resolve every doubt and every question, both doubts arising from kelipah and doubts arising from holiness. This is the clear answer, founded on the Torah of truth and the Torah of life. First, in addition to the instructions the Rebbe had already given earlier, on 15 Shvat and even before that, and in yechidus—that everyone should bring questions to the rabbi he has chosen in accordance with “Make for yourself a rav”; questions about livelihood and the like to knowledgeable friends; and medical questions to expert doctors, and if any doubt remains, turn to his rabbi—the Rebbe now announced in the sicha that for any question or doubt, on any matter whatsoever, one should turn to a beis din of three chassidishe Lubavitcher rabbis: chassidishe rabbis, rabbis of Anash, Chabad rabbis.

15:20 Speaker 7 One must understand that [unclear]. There are matters that cannot be stated before three chassidishe rabbis. One can speak with the greatest among them, or with one of them, rather than speaking before three people. [unclear] One speaks with the greatest among them or with one of them, appointing him as a representative to bring it before the beis din, to consult the other two. Then [unclear] conveys the answer to the person.

16:33 Speaker 8 The Rebbe said that in the past, questions concerning Chassidus were put to a mashpia. But since there are chassidishe rabbis, Lubavitcher rabbis, they can issue rulings on matters of Chassidus too. On the contrary, with them, the revealed dimension of Torah and Chassidus go together. This is what was distinctive about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and particularly about Chabad teachings: they unite the revealed and inner dimensions of Torah, and thereby also unite the intellect of the G-dly soul with the animal soul and the physical body. Therefore, for every question, one should turn to a beis din of three chassidishe rabbis. Since there are matters that, for reasons of modesty and the like, cannot be said before all three together, one should tell one of the three rabbis—the greatest among them or someone else, whoever one chooses. That rabbi will consult all three and then convey the clear answer they have all decided upon, whether he is the greatest among them or whichever one was chosen. In places where a beis din of three rabbis of Anash already exists, the Rebbe now informs them that they are hereby entrusted with the mission, the responsibility, and the power to rule and decide on all these matters. In places where such a beis din does not yet exist, the rabbi should add two others to join him, as was done in the Great Sanhedrin, when people from the locality were added. They can also bring in others: the rabbi can bring rabbis from other places to join him, and together they will rule on all the questions, in every matter requiring an answer. All the more so in a large country, where they can certainly establish a beis din of three rabbis who will rule and give a clear answer to every question and doubt. And although the term used is “ruling,” this is not a matter of judgment; it is a matter of merit and of hiskashrus. This is precisely how one connects. It was clear that one connects to the Rebbe specifically by conducting oneself in this way, and then the connection is complete, to the point that each person—Yisroel, the Torah, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu—are all

19:03 Speaker 8 one. And it is specifically by conducting oneself this way that all confusion and doubts will disappear, and everything will be fitting and clear. Again, there should be no room to ask the Rebbe again, because all these matters have been entrusted to the aforementioned beis din. The Rebbe added: Whoever reflects—or at least, let people now reflect—on the conduct of our Rebbeim will see, even with physical eyes, that specifically when people conduct themselves this way over a number of years, it adds, and will add, to the Rebbeim’s long life and good years, in the literal sense. It is obvious and needs no emphasis that all matters are passed on to the person who should receive them, when they should be passed on. Thus Moshe Rabbeinu entrusted the war against Amalek to Yehoshua, and afterward transmitted the Torah to Yehoshua and, through him, to the Men of the Great Assembly, and so on. All this happened specifically while Moshe was alive and living in this world. Yet even during his lifetime, matters were conducted through Yehoshua, and over time Yehoshua received more and more. The same applies here: everything should be conducted through those who receive from the Rebbe—the rabbis, the beis din. And specifically when people conduct themselves this way, with reasoned understanding and due consideration, it will add to life. As it says in Koheles, where is there no reckoning? In Sheol, the place that is the opposite of life. Where there is life, there is reckoning. When people act with due consideration and reasoned understanding, they merit life and blessing, even a hundredfold. In this way all doubts will be resolved, to the point that there will be no reason to ask in the first place. So, indeed, people should not ask. The Torah, after all, takes care to protect the money of the Jewish people. It is a pity to spend money sending questions here, because all the answers have been entrusted to the beis din. The Rebbe repeated this many times—plainly more than five times, without exaggeration—and stressed again and again not to ask, but to direct every question and doubt to the local beis din. And this is precisely the path to hiskashrus and to long life

21:39 Speaker 8 and good years, and through this, “Awaken and sing, you who dwell in the dust.” As the departed Rebbetzin said—as the Rebbetzin said, on the basis of her words even the non-Jews ruled in court that the father, her father, the Frierdiker Rebbe, and the books belong to the chassidim. In other words, the Rebbe belongs to the chassidim. All this is an answer for every chossid and for anyone with any connection to chassidim and Chassidus. Everything said is an answer to that person, and by taking it to heart, he will truly live. Taking it to heart will add to life and to long life and good years. It will eliminate every doubt, including the doubt about when Moshiach will come—that too will immediately be eliminated, for Moshiach is coming immediately, and we will see Moshiach’s arrival with our physical eyes. For there is no joy like the resolution of doubts. As it says in the writings of the Arizal, the initial letters of “And David blessed Hashem” spell “certainty,” and of Hakadosh Boruch Hu it is said, “Certainty is His name; so is His praise,” for the essence of Hakadosh Boruch Hu is certain, without doubts. So let all doubts finally come to an end. The Rebbe had also emphasized earlier that everything is already ready above and below. All the buttons have already been polished; it only needs to be revealed below. That which is higher even than the level of “higher and higher without end” will be revealed from His very essence and drawn down to “lower and lower without limit.” To hasten this still further, the Rebbe mentioned that this is the month of Adar, and that we had just read Parshas Shekalim. The Rebbe then distributed money to be given to tzedakah as a mitzvah mission, as is customary, and mentioned the mitzvah of Hakhel—assembling the men, women, and children. He also mentioned the weekly parsha and the parsha read at Shabbos Minchah: “And you shall command the Children of Israel.” This relates to the very essence of Moshe Rabbeinu—not to Moshe’s name, but to his very essence. Finally, the Rebbe wished everyone a joyous Motzaei Shabbos and constant joy. And that Moshe

24:00 Speaker 8 Rabbeinu extends his hand, bringing about what he sets out to accomplish and giving of his bread and all that is his—his most essential concerns—to every individual. This is expressed even in wealth in the literal sense, long life and good years, and one hundred and twenty years and more. And as soon as people decide to give the money entrusted to them for tzedakah, it will immediately bring the reward: the Geulah through Moshiach Tzidkeinu, in the literal sense. Hakadosh Boruch Hu will not delay it even for the blink of an eye.

24:42 Speaker 9 The Rebbetzin said that Moshiach is in this world and only needs to reveal himself. She did not elaborate. In this connection, she told the Chassidic story of the holy Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, whose soul is in Gan Eden. Once, after he had moved to the Holy Land and settled in Tiberias, he was in Jerusalem when someone went up to the Mount of Olives and blew a shofar. Word spread that Moshiach had come, and the news reached Rabbi Menachem Mendel. The holy rabbi opened the window of his room, sniffed the air, and declared, “No, Moshiach has not come.” Why, the Rebbetzin, whose soul is in Gan Eden, continued, did he have to open the window? Couldn’t he have smelled in his own room whether Moshiach had come? The answer is that in his room, the scent of Moshiach was always present, because Moshiach was there.