The Rebbe's conduct in and leading up to the month of Tishrei: Rabbi Michael Aharon Seligson

00:00 He would prepare the letter and then bring it in to the Rebbe. He generally went in to the Rebbe about twice a week, bringing in all the letters he had prepared for the Rebbe to review. The Rebbe would then go over them and make corrections. Sometimes, if the Rebbe added something, they would revise the letter and then revise it again. If it had been done on a computer, that would have been nothing. But as it was, every detail generally had to be exactly right. That was how the Rebbe’s letters to prominent people went out. A general letter would be brought in to the Rebbe once, and sometimes twice, so the Rebbe could go over it again and again, until the Rebbe agreed that it was ready to go out. Usually, when the Rebbe prepared a general letter, he would travel to the Ohel, or it would be around a time when he was going to the Ohel. When the Rebbe returned from the Ohel, he would sign the letter. Once he had returned and signed it, they would publicize it. Its first publication—the first opportunity—was when they posted it on the wall of the zal in 770. At that point it was public, and a new letter had formally gone out. The Rebbe would generally work on the footnotes, and afterward everything would be exact, even the order of the citations. Sometimes the Rebbe would place a citation from a Midrash before one from the Gemara, for example. In 770 there was a rosh yeshivah who was very beloved by the students, Rabbi Mendel [unclear], and he taught the letter the way one actually studies Gemara with Tosafos. He examined every word of the letter closely, including the placement of things in it. Whenever he had a question, he wrote to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe answered his questions—sometimes in writing, and sometimes in the middle of farbrengens.

02:22 I remember occasions when the Rebbe answered during a farbrengen, without addressing the person directly. The Rebbe generally did not mention anyone by name during farbrengens or refer to a private matter, but he would answer questions people had asked. They asked about matters discussed at farbrengens; they asked about the general letter. The Rebbe would address the precise point—why he had placed one citation before another. There were a number of such details. Sometimes, too, you could see that the Rebbe had added something to the end of a general letter at a later date. This, too, was in response to questions people had asked him about the general letter or its citations. That was generally how a general letter was handled. Today there is a two-volume set, Igros Melech, where Reb Tuvia Blau and Baruch Blau describe at length how the Rebbe prepared a general letter, what a general letter is, and how the Rebbe prepared one. There is a story about someone who wrote to the Rebbe with a question. They had some problem, and the Rebbe received the letter, but they received no reply. They wrote again and again received no reply. They got no answer, so they wrote a third time. As on the previous occasions, the Rebbe did not answer. It happened that an acquaintance of theirs from Eretz Yisroel—this took place in Eretz Yisroel—was traveling here, whether for Tishrei or at another time. They asked him to raise their letter when he went in for yechidus, since they had written three times and received no reply. When he went in for yechidus and told the Rebbe about this family, who were waiting, had problems, needed help, and had received no reply from the Rebbe, the Rebbe answered: “I have already answered three times—in the general letter for the days of

04:40 Selichos, in the general letter for the days of Chanukah, and in another general letter.” I think that one may have been for Pesach, around 11 Nissan. What does that mean? A general letter was not only general. Anyone who paid attention and reflected on it could also see an answer to their own problems and questions. So it was also a personal matter for each and every person. With the Rebbe, every matter—I don’t want to overemphasize this, but we saw it at every turn—was precise. Everything was done in an orderly way. Before the Rebbe published a general letter, he spoke about it at farbrengens. At which farbrengens did the Rebbe speak about the letter’s content? We did not formally know that it was a general letter, but we knew it was a different kind of sicha. It was unlike all the sichos up to that point. A sicha connected with a general letter had a distinctive, orderly structure, unlike the sichos at farbrengens in general. Its style was like that of the letter. So we understood there would be a general letter, though we only saw it after Shabbos. Usually the Rebbe would explain the letter’s content on Shabbos. Then, when it came out as a general letter, it was sent to every country, to all corners of the world. They immediately translated it into English; then Rabbi Tuvia Blau translated it into Hebrew, Lashon Hakodesh, and afterward it was translated into other languages. The Rebbe would generally include a verse from his own chapter of Tehillim in the general letter, as was his practice for Nissan and also for the letter of 18 Elul during the days of Selichos. The Rebbe would conclude the letter with a blessing.

07:02 That blessing, too, would include a verse from the chapter of Tehillim he was reciting that year. That was the usual form of a general letter. The first general letter went out on 18 Elul. There were other letters that went out in different periods, but they were not addressed to the public. They were called “general-personal letters.” A general-personal letter was usually sent to shluchim or communal activists. It was also called general-personal because sometimes the Rebbe added a few lines as a postscript to a letter addressed to a particular individual, but in substance it was a general-personal letter. There were also [unclear] letters, which were almost standard. For example, the letter of 5732, marking four hundred years since the passing of the Arizal, was a general-personal letter, and today it is included in Likkutei Sichos. As for 18 Elul, as I mentioned, there would generally be a farbrengen. The Rebbe began holding farbrengens during the week as well. In 5731, there was the first 18 Elul farbrengen on a weekday, apart from the one I mentioned on the night of [unclear] of the 22nd. The Rebbe had said on the preceding Shabbos that people should farbreng on 18 Elul—that chassidim throughout the world should hold farbrengens. One time there was a wedding, too, and suddenly, in the middle of the wedding, they heard there would be a farbrengen. The wedding was here at [unclear], and they waited until the groom arrived at [unclear]. Then [unclear], and they left. It was a short farbrengen—an hour, an hour and a half, two hours—and then they returned to the wedding celebration. The chuppah had already taken place, but the bochurim came back happy. Generally, though, people knew that there might be a farbrengen that day, so they did not schedule any wedding or other celebration for that night. There was once

09:36 A groom wrote to the Rebbe that he was planning to hold a vort, a wedding, on a certain night. The Rebbe said that, as mentioned above, there might be a farbrengen on one of those nights, so he should choose another night, another date. Speaking of planning wedding dates, someone once wrote to the Rebbe that he was planning to hold a vort—what today is called a l’chaim—on the 27th. The Rebbe said he would surely hold it after sunset. The 27th is a fast day, so he should hold it after sunset. I mentioned briefly that on 18 Elul, the Rebbe generally farbrenged on Shabbos. Once, when 18 Elul fell on Shabbos, in 5730, the Rebbe mentioned that since 18 Elul is also the yahrzeit of the Maharal, his merit would stand by those who needed it at that time. In those days, an Israeli plane with several Jews aboard had been seized. It was in the Jordanian desert, and they were held for several days. Among the captives were also Rabbi Shishi [unclear] and Shochan Berlin [unclear]. The Rebbe mentioned that since one of the captives had worked extensively with the writings of the Maharal of Prague, and since the Maharal’s yahrzeit is on 18 Elul, this would stand in his merit. Some time later, they were all released. But that was a time [unclear]. It is the only occasion I have seen when the Rebbe mentioned that 18 Elul is the Maharal’s yahrzeit. The Alter Rebbe, the Rebbe says, was a seventh-generation descendant of the Maharal. After 18 Elul there was another general letter. The general letter dated 18 Elul came out during the days of Selichos. Usually, the date of the Rebbe’s second general letter was during the days of Selichos, and it would again continue what the Rebbe had begun in the previous letter. Sometimes it concerned a Hakhel year, a Yom Tov—

12:08 whether Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbos, the subject of a Shemitah year, or another topic. But generally, these were all lessons drawn from the broader themes of that year. So there would be another general letter, with another set of new source references, and the Rebbe would sign it. The Rebbe would also sign the general letter in English. If you pay attention, you can see this as far back as 5702, when the Rebbe published the English booklets, The Complete Story of Tishrei, The Complete Story of Pesach, and those for all the holidays. The Rebbe wrote a foreword to each booklet and signed his name on them. Later, the Rebbe wrote a short letter to children. In English, the Rebbe would always sign using only his second name, while in Loshon Kodesh he would sign using only his first name. The Rebbe once wrote—and I quoted this when I discussed Hayom Yom—about the gematria of his name. When certain calculations and gematrias came up, the Rebbe emphasized that his first name was holy. His first name was used in Loshon Kodesh; the Rebbe used his second name in other contexts. In English letters, the Rebbe signed with his second name. That is why you see it in the general letters, and in letters the Rebbe wrote to individuals as well. That was the practice with the general letters. Then the days of Selichos began. When it was Shabbos Selichos, sometimes there were more than a week’s worth of days of Selichos, and sometimes, as this year, only one week. The Rebbe would already speak about that year’s days of Selichos, and the special significance of having four days of Selichos, when atonement and forgiveness are certainly complete. That is the general theme of Selichos: forgiveness. Usually, for Selichos, the Rebbe would come in at half past twelve, dressed in Shabbos clothes. He would come in for Selichos, and when Selichos was over—

14:48 the Rebbe would leave to the tune of “Rachamana d’Anei.” That was the custom every year: they would sing that tune as the Rebbe left Selichos. I think they began when the Rebbe started coming down from the platform. During the days of Selichos, the Rebbe would generally attend Selichos on the first day and on the third day. If there were additional days, then on those days as well. That was the Rebbe’s practice: the first day of Selichos, which was always Sunday, and also the third day of Selichos, which was a particularly auspicious day for the Rebbeim. It is remarkable that after all these years, and after all the sichos that have been published, both from the Frierdiker Rebbe and from the Rebbe, we still do not know what the third day of Selichos is about. But we do know that for the Rebbe it was an auspicious, exceptionally special day. When I was a young bochur, the Rebbe once held a farbrengen, an unexpected farbrengen. In those years it was considered a surprise. A day or two before Rosh Hashanah, in the middle of the night, the Rebbe came in and held a farbrengen on the third day of Selichos. There was also a maamar; it was something special. The Rebbe also once spoke in a sicha to the women. Generally, the Rebbe would speak to Jewish women: they would enter the downstairs shul, go up to the women’s gallery, and the Rebbe would address them each year. Twice a year the Rebbe spoke to Jewish women. One occasion was in the evening, at their convention, and the other was during the days of Selichos. The Rebbe spoke about Rosh Hashanah, current matters, and matters concerning women. Incidentally, the new initiative that led to Mivtza Neshek began with the sicha during the days of Selichos in 5734. That was the first time the Rebbe spoke about young girls also lighting Shabbos and Yom Tov candles. The Rebbe then expanded on it in the following months, throughout the year 5735. So that was—

17:16 that was regarding the women. Now, there was once a third day of Selichos when the Rebbe also spoke to the women about the special quality of the day: all our Rebbeim had said a maamar of Chassidus in honor of this day, which was special to them—the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, and so on from generation to generation. But even after the Rebbe spoke for half an hour about the third day of Selichos, we still did not know what the third day of Selichos was about. It has truly remained a secret among our Rebbeim. In any case, it was an auspicious day for the Rebbe, and the general letter for the days of Selichos was published then, on the Monday or Tuesday of the days of Selichos. From 5730—sorry, from 5738 onward, in Elul 5738, the Rebbe began a new practice. Instead of receiving the personal pidyonos after Shacharis on Erev Rosh Hashanah, the Rebbe began receiving them in the middle of the days of Selichos. I remember it very well: it was on the third day of Selichos. The Rebbe chose that day to announce that he would begin receiving the pidyonos then, and asked everyone who was already there to submit their pidyon as soon as possible. That way, those who came later—the guests and so on—would have an opportunity to approach on Erev Rosh Hashanah or the day before, and, most importantly, the line would be shorter. There were other proposals at the time from the gabbaim and the soldiers. I do not know where these ideas came from, but the Rebbe responded to them at a farbrengen, responded sharply, and rejected them. This concerned the shofar blowing. Another proposal was that, given the Rebbe’s health after 5738, it needed to be safeguarded. They therefore suggested that everyone daven in their own shul so there would not be so much crowding in 770, the air would be fresh and clean, and everything would be in order. Apparently this reached the Rebbe, and in the middle of a farbrengen the Rebbe responded.

20:02 About that. And the Rebbe said then that everyone could come to 770. The Rebbe said [unclear]. But since there were people who sustained the neighborhood by davening in their own shuls, they could remain there. And if they wanted, they could come here for the shofar blowing. The Rebbe said this at a farbrengen before Rosh Hashanah. So the Rebbe did away with all the restrictions in this matter. And by the way, speaking of restrictions during Tishrei, we saw several times that the doctors and the secretaries wanted to limit certain things so they would not be too taxing for the Rebbe. In every case, the Rebbe rejected that completely, sometimes quite sharply. One time—it was Hoshana Rabbah, though we are now talking about the first days of Tishrei—the Rebbe was distributing lekach, and they stopped the line in the middle. The lekach was for the guests and afterward for the women, and they stopped the line in the middle. The Rebbe noticed and used this expression—I’ll say it in Yiddish and then translate it. The Yiddish wording was very distinctive: “When I have to be in exile and they want to hide things from me, is that considered a chossid? If he’s a chossid at all.” The Rebbe said this once to one of the secretaries on Sukkos, on Hoshana Rabbah 5739. But there were certain years, particularly the first years after 5738, when the Rebbe insisted most firmly on removing every trace of what had happened in 5738, wherever it appeared. That went against the restrictions people wanted to impose, and the Rebbe rejected them. And really, when you think about it, those who were there in 5739—and I, too, in my small way, merited to be there for hakafos—it was truly wonderful. Despite all the pushing, it was wonderful, unlike other years.

22:54 That was when the Rebbe said, “They stood crowded together, yet bowed down with ample space.” Everyone could see; everyone could hear. It was something special. For the Rebbe, Parshas Nitzavim was the Shabbos before Rosh Hashanah. Usually, during the year, when the Rebbe delivered a maamar, it was a maamar in the style of a sicha. The Rebbe once said it in Yiddish: when it was a maamar in the style of a sicha, it was recorded. Today it appears as a maamar, and people don’t know the difference at all. When you look through the Sefer HaMaamarim volumes for ’31, ’35, ’33, ’33, the lamed, the chaf, and also the mem, you think these were maamarim delivered with a niggun and all the customary practices. But many of them—perhaps even most of them, and certainly a significant number—were maamarim in the style of sichos. What does that mean? The Rebbe spoke in the style of a sicha, but before the maamar he prepared his handkerchief and wrapped it around his hand, his right hand over the gevurot. That, too, was a distinctive practice of the Rebbe’s. The Rebbe’s holy face also became very serious. After the first three sichos of the Shabbos farbrengen, you could see a particular seriousness: the Rebbe was preparing for a maamar. Then you could see him arranging the handkerchief as well. Since the Rebbe did not ask them to sing the niggun before the maamar, and did not close his eyes during it, the householders and the others present remained seated. The only one who stood for the maamar was the Rashag. Whenever the Rashag sensed that it was a maamar, he stood in his place until the Rebbe finished. A maamar in the style of a sicha was generally shorter than a regular maamar. Sometimes it lasted fifteen or twenty minutes, but it was very concise, spoken in a brief style. Sometimes the Rebbe delivered a maamar in the style of a sicha as well,

25:59 and people reviewed it, transcribed it, recorded it, and it was included. Today it appears among the written transcripts as a maamar. But when you look at the diary, you see that it does not say the Rebbe instructed them to sing. That shows it was a maamar in the style of a sicha. That was generally the practice throughout the year. As Tishrei approached, the Rebbe followed a formal practice: starting with Shabbos Nitzavim, he would deliver maamarim. The Rebbe spoke with a niggun, and everyone knew that the Tishrei period had begun. This continued until Shabbos Bereishis, when that period ended. Whether these were connected series of maamarim is hard to say. In the earlier years, you do see such series from the Rebbe, but in later years you don’t see so many series or connections between the maamarim of Tishrei. One particular exception was Tishrei 5730. That year, the Rebbe delivered a series on tohu and tikkun. The Rebbe mentioned that there were also novel insights in the subjects discussed during the maamar, and there was a sequence of several maamarim that Tishrei. The reason was the large group of Jews who had arrived from Russia for Tishrei. They brought the Rebbe a bichel of Chassidus, a volume of maamarim from the year 5630. This was extremely important to the Rebbe upstairs, and he focused on the maamarim from Tishrei 5630. That was where the subject of tohu and tikkun came from. The Rebbe mentioned it at the Simchas Torah farbrengen that year as well: why he chose them, where the maamarim came from, and what their foundations were. So that was the Rebbe’s practice. When Tishrei arrived, the maamarim were formal—with a niggun and all the customary practices. What did those practices involve? Whether it was Shabbos or Yom Tov, as soon as they began singing the niggun for a maamar, the bochurim

28:21 would jump into the householders’ benches. Usually there were benches where the householders sat, while the bochurim stood off to either side, with the benches and tables in the middle. When there was a maamar, everyone stood, including the householders, so the bochurim jumped into the benches to get closer, closer so they could hear the Rebbe. It was quite a scene. The householders shouted, and the bochurim pretended not to notice. But I remember one time when, apparently, the chassidim were pushing too hard. One of the householders shouted louder, and the Rebbe immediately turned to see what was happening there. This was before the maamar, in the middle of the niggun. Usually, during the niggun, the Rebbe was already preparing himself for the maamar, and everyone was standing, ready to stand throughout it. As the maamar neared its end, the Rebbe had a particular way of speaking: when he began to conclude, his delivery shifted away from the maamar’s melody and became more like a sicha. People therefore knew the Rebbe was finishing, but sometimes that lasted another five minutes and sometimes only a minute. At times it went on longer; at other times it was just the start of the conclusion. But it could still be another five minutes in that style. That was the practice for a maamar. Afterward, the Rebbe took the handkerchief and put it in his pocket. [Unclear.] Usually he came with another three handkerchiefs. He would take one out of the right pocket of his kapote, and there was also one in his trouser pocket. For the maamar, there was one he took out of his trouser pocket, and there was a third as well. One was generally for perspiration. The Rebbe perspired a great deal, especially when the air conditioner wasn’t working—which was usually the case. There is a long sicha the Rebbe gave about

30:35 Some people think that since it didn’t work, even after three times, I’ll stop davening. The Rebbe said, “I have a plan to daven again and again, and I’m not giving up.” There were times when the Rebbe would perspire over this, [unclear]. Each time, the Rebbe wiped his face with a handkerchief. It was for that and for the tears. There was also a handkerchief the Rebbe would use. That was in connection with the month of Tishrei; we’ll move on to that. On Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim, the Rebbe said another maamar. Usually it was the major Nitzavim maamar, and afterward there were sichos. The farbrengen would generally begin with three sichos, then a maamar, then a sicha on Rashi, followed by comments on the Zohar and, when applicable, Pirkei Avos as well. During the Three Weeks, there would also be an explanation of a law in Hilchos Beis Habechirah. That was the Rebbe’s order. The books were there with the Rebbe. The Rebbe had the siddur, which he brought in with him. He also had a Chumash that he used. It was generally brought by Rabbi Sholom Yisroel Hodakov, the son of the Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Hodakov. He would bring the Chumash and put it on the table, and then the Rebbe would enter the farbrengen. There was also the Rambam. Usually, when the Rebbe spoke about Pirkei Avos, he would open the siddur to Pirkei Avos. There were times before the maamar—not often, but it happened—when the Rebbe would open the siddur to check something in the Monday and Thursday Torah reading before beginning the maamar. It was interesting to see. Usually, when the Rebbe began a maamar, you could sense it; you could also hear from the style that it wasn’t a

32:42 sicha. The Rebbe would begin with the verse on which the maamar was based, and everyone knew it was a maamar.

00:02 So by Parshas Nitzavim, the formal maamarim had already begun, with a niggun and everything. On Nitzavim 5731, there was something new, something special about that farbrengen. It was the first time, because a group of many Jews who had left Russia had arrived for the month of Tishrei 5732. One of them was Reb Uri Zaltzman, and there was also Reb Rafael Chudaitov, Chacham Rafael, and others who brought niggunim that Tishrei. So the Rebbe gave a special sicha in Russian at the Shabbos Nitzavim 5731 farbrengen. The sicha was a translation of what the Rebbe had said in Yiddish, and I think there is also a translation below—a summary of the translation of what the Rebbe said in Russian. It was for the immigrants who had just arrived here from Russia. The Rebbe took a great interest in the immigrants from Russia. A great interest. Some who came needed a livelihood. The Rebbe worked with them and took an interest in them. Others, may Hashem have mercy, needed medical care, help with medical matters. I remember once, when I was at home—I was a bochur in those years—my father told me, “If you want, you can hear the Rebbe on the telephone.” I said, “What? What’s happening?” My father told me that the Rebbe had asked him to investigate what could be done medically to help a certain sick person, and he needed to give the Rebbe a report. So my father called the secretariat, and the secretariat called the Rebbe as well. The Rebbe was on the line for several minutes, speaking with my father about medical matters, specific medical matters, and then the Rebbe thanked him and hung up. That was generally how it was. Usually, things were brought to the Rebbe’s attention. Usually it was at 770, and the Rebbe would sometimes come out near [unclear], and if there was

02:28 some medical matter, the Rebbe would ask my father to come in to see him. I remember one time my father came out of 770 late. We were all already waiting outside for the Rebbe to come out—it was after Shabbos—and suddenly the Rebbe came out, and then I met my father. I asked, “What happened?” He said, “The Rebbe just spoke with me. He told me that he had received a letter from someone who was sick.” It had come by airmail, from overseas. The Rebbe asked my father to investigate what new developments there were in that field of medicine. So my father looked into it and then submitted all the new findings to the Rebbe. That was what the Rebbe had asked for: to know what new developments there were in that area. That was generally how it was. So that year, 5731, the Rebbe’s approach was something special. Many immigrants also brought many niggunim, and the Rebbe welcomed them—and many of the children too. The Rebbe often suggested that they say l’chaim. It wasn’t only then, in that special year. Even in Nissan, when many of them were here, staying here—perhaps they were thinking of settling here—the Rebbe often asked them to say [unclear] and say l’chaim. There was a special closeness. And afterward, regarding the summer camps, the Rebbe took an interest in every detail. That was how things were on Parshas Nitzavim, as we drew closer to Rosh Hashanah. By Rosh Hashanah, the Rebbe... On the night before Erev Rosh Hashanah, the Rebbe would also come in for a farbrengen. It was generally regarded as a kind of welcome for the guests. That was the practice that night. Sometimes the Rebbe asked whether a particular plane had arrived yet, whether people were on their way, and whether they had already come from the airport. You felt it was a kind of welcome. And sometimes you can see this too—it was at the farbrengen

04:48 in 5733—that the Rebbe spoke about welcoming guests and hachnasas orchim. The Rebbe said that food has an advantage in the physical sense: you need to make sure guests have something to eat and drink, and only afterward speak words of Torah. Then the Rebbe said, “But words of Torah have an advantage over that.” In any case, the Rebbe speaks there about welcoming guests. On the night before Erev Rosh Hashanah there was a farbrengen, and at that farbrengen the Rebbe delivered a maamar on Rosh Hashanah, a Rosh Hashanah maamar. Sometimes it was the beginning of the maamar, and sometimes it concerned Rosh Hashanah when Yom Tov fell on Shabbos. An example is 5733, when Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbos. This was before Rosh Hashanah; the Rebbe had already spoken about that maamar before Erev Rosh Hashanah. The Rebbe would generally mention and emphasize the Tzemach Tzedek many times during the farbrengen, because it was the Tzemach Tzedek’s birthday. It was something the Rebbe made a special point of mentioning, in the maamar, in the sichos, and so on. The farbrengen ended, and then on Erev Rosh Hashanah the Rebbe came in for Selichos, early Selichos. I think it was at a quarter to seven—no, six-thirty. The Rebbe came in for Selichos. After Selichos the Rebbe went to the mikveh, and afterward the Rebbe came in for Shacharis. Generally, the Rebbe davened Shacharis. Mind you, the Rebbe davened Shacharis with the congregation on weekdays only a few times: Erev Rosh Hashanah, Erev Yom Kippur, and Purim. Apart from Yud Shvat, 8 and 2 Tishrei, and then 8 Shvat. But until 5748, there really were only a few days when the Rebbe came in wearing tallis and tefillin and davened with the congregation: Erev Rosh Hashanah, Erev Yom Kippur, and Purim. So Erev Rosh Hashanah was one of those special days. What happened during the rest of the year?

07:06 On the other days? On the other days, the Rebbe would come in to the bochurim’s minyan at ten o’clock for the Torah reading. The Rebbe came in for the reading on Mondays and Thursdays and on Rosh Chodesh, came in only for the Torah reading and stayed until after [unclear]. He said Tehillim, but that was really only on Mondays and Thursdays. For Mincha and Maariv, though, the Rebbe came in for every davening with the bochurim’s minyan. Sometimes the Rebbe was delayed and came late because, people said, he was busy on the telephone, or occupied with other matters, with communal activists. The Rebbe asked them not to wait for him. He would then daven by himself in his room while the minyan davened. The Rebbe did not want to hold up the yeshivah schedule, not even for a moment. The Rebbe always warned them not to wait for him. This happened many times. And the Rebbe would come in for Maariv. There is another point to mention when speaking about Maariv: the Rebbe deliberately did not join the householders’ Maariv minyan, because in the winter, in Cheshvan, Maariv was at five-thirty, while the scheduled learning continued until a quarter to seven, before seven. So the Rebbe did not want to disrupt the schedule at all. He did not join that minyan, but the secretariat arranged a minyan for him to daven Maariv. Think about what was happening here. The secretariat had to find people so the Rebbe would have a minyan for Maariv. With the bochurim there were plenty, thank G-d, but for the householders’ minyan they had to look downstairs for householders willing to come in and daven Maariv with the Rebbe. It was really a bare minyan, and afterward the Rebbe went home, and that was it. Generally, after Maariv the Rebbe did not return that night. Speaking of the yeshivah schedule, there was one time—I’m reminded of it—it was at Kiddush Levanah, one Kislev. I remember it like

09:31 That evening, I came from home. I lived on the corner of Brooklyn and Eastern Parkway, in the big building, and I arrived a few minutes after eight. Suddenly I saw the Rebbe saying Kiddush Levanah with someone else from the secretariat. I think Rabbi Nissen Mindel was there too. And where were the bochurim? The bochurim were in the zal. They had no idea what was happening. The door was closed, and they knew nothing—whether the Rebbe was outside or inside. [unclear] They knew nothing. That was how things worked in those years. When the Rebbe came back from the Ohel and we were sitting in the zal, in the middle of that hall, we did not know he had returned until the secretary opened the door and announced that there would be Minchah. Until then, we had no idea the Rebbe had even arrived. No one dared stand outside when the Rebbe was there; they were genuinely afraid. Once, a bochur went out at quarter to eleven. He was outside, even though seder nigleh had begun. He saw Reb Binyamin Klein sitting in the car, waiting at the light on Eastern Parkway, and waved to him. Binyamin did not wave back. Then the bochur looked more closely and saw the Rebbe sitting in the back seat of the car. The Rebbe was arriving at 770 from the mikveh. The bochur—who is a grandfather by now—thought about the scolding he might get from the Rebbe for being outside a quarter of an hour after seder nigleh had started. It would be as though his head were torn off. There is no real expression for it in Hebrew, but in Yiddish that is the expression: his head would simply be torn off if he were caught in the street during seder. Once, while in the car, the Rebbe asked the secretary, “Who is that bochur

12:03 ? What is he doing outside now? Where is he supposed to be now?” It was a bochur walking around on Kingston. Once, when the Rebbe left 770, there were bochurim there—not as many as in the later period. But as soon as the Rebbe sensed that the door had not closed completely and someone was standing there, he immediately turned back toward the door, and it was closed at once. The Rebbe would walk home, and we will get to what happened later with the Ohel. The bochurim began learning outside and then began singing. This was around 5750. They started singing, and once, when the Rebbe came out of his room, he said that if they continued, he would not come out again. I do not know whether this was for Kiddush Levanah or some other occasion. But the Rebbe said he would not come out until they stopped singing. The secretary found an opportunity to convey that at the time. In any event, let us return to Rosh Hashanah. The Rebbe would come in for Shacharis. The time for Shacharis was not fixed: sometimes the Rebbe might come in at a quarter to nine, sometimes at a quarter past eight, sometimes at a quarter past nine. The Rebbe came in when he was ready. So those waiting were mainly the bochurim and some of the young married men. But many of the young married men, because these were busy days before Yom Tov and they did not know exactly when the Rebbe would come out, davened and ate in the meantime. After Shacharis, the Rebbe went up onto the platform and performed Hataras Nedarim. Usually the Rebbe held a sheet with the text of Hataras Nedarim, to make it easier for him. In the later years, because of the Rebbe’s eyesight, they made a photocopy so that he would not have to read Hataras Nedarim from the siddur. Here you can see remarkable precision. It was not

15:45 a technical matter; it was something special. When two books need to be closed, there is a consideration with each of them. He had just finished using one of them. So after finishing the brachos in the siddur, the siddur needed to be closed. To leave the siddur open while closing the Chumash raises a question of disrespect to the siddur. On the other hand, the Chumash has a particular sanctity greater than the siddur’s. So the Rebbe took a middle course: he kept a finger in the siddur and closed it, and then, after closing the Chumash and so on, removed his finger from the siddur. I noticed this back in 5740. On the following Shabbos everyone paid attention to it and saw that it happened again, and then again every Shabbos. In any event, let us return to Rosh Hashanah. After the Rebbe recited Hataras Nedarim, he said “Yasher koach” to the rabbis and then gave a brief brachah. But later, and especially in 5754, it was an actual sicha after Hataras Nedarim. That was something entirely new that year. Afterward, the Rebbe received the pidyonos from those who had not managed to hand them in earlier. He received all the pidyonos. Usually the line for pidyonos moved faster than any other line—for lekach, for a brachah, or for dollars. It went quickly. A line might stretch to Brooklyn Avenue; usually the lines reached Brooklyn and Eastern Parkway, especially the line for lekach, the Tishrei lines. But the line for pidyonos moved very, very quickly. The Rebbe simply accepted each one and wished the person well, whether the person said [unclear] or mentioned some particular matter. When his holy hand was full of pidyonos, the Rebbe put them to one side and continued. There was no pause; that was how

18:03 it went. On a very few occasions, the Rebbe stopped to speak for a minute or more with distinguished rabbis from nearby neighborhoods, but that was truly the exception. In any case, this was a serious time for the Rebbe, and everyone knew it was a very special day for him. Afterward, a general pidyon was presented to the Rebbe. A number of the young married men and householders signed it; it was not for bochurim. The elder members of Anash presented it to the Rebbe. Usually the wording of the general pidyon asked for a brachah for the Rebbe, for all the Jewish people, and for chassidim in general. That was the brachah written in the general pidyon nefesh, and each person signed his name. That was the practice every year, so many signed sheets were presented to the Rebbe. There were periods when the Rebbe would read the general pidyon upon receiving it. In the later years, the Rebbe said there was no need to go over its wording, but that Hakadosh Boruch Hu should fulfill the wishes of each and every person for good and for blessing. That was the general brachah. The Rebbe edited it, and before the holiday, before Rosh Hashanah, it was ready in its edited form. Today those brachos are in Likkutei Sichos. Once, when bochurim were standing there, the Rebbe said that the general pidyon was not for bochurim; it was for householders, for married men. When you look closely at the general pidyon, you can see that the Rebbe alludes to many things in it. I once noticed something in the general pidyon of 5738. I checked the other pidyonos and did not find that wording. In 5738 the Rebbe said that everything written here, everything mentioned in the pidyon, and all the wishes of their hearts should be fulfilled in full, for good. And the Rebbe added something else. The Rebbe said, “And likewise, matters that should have been added”

20:30 And they did not add anything; only Hakadosh Boruch Hu knows what they were. If you pay attention and think about it, you will see that this was the general practice after the general pidyon of 5738. The Rebbe would then travel to the Ohel. On the trip to the Ohel, the Rebbe’s car was filled with elderly chassidim from Anash who traveled with him. This was the one time each year that the elders of Anash traveled with the Rebbe to the Ohel, on Erev Rosh Hashanah. The Rebbe returned late. Once, in 5748, there was a sicha after Mincha. The Rebbe spoke about tzedakah: hanging a tzedakah box on the kitchen wall. There were still a few moments, a few minutes, left until Rosh Hashanah, and it could be done with a piece of cardboard and—. That was also very interesting, because when the Rebbe returned from the Ohel, it was already late. The Rebbe asked—this can also be heard on the [unclear]—when Yom Tov began. [Unclear] answered with the time Yom Tov began. Then the Rebbe asked, “And what time is it?” and he answered. They understood that the Rebbe wanted to fit something else in before the year ended. It was a short sicha. Incidentally, the usual order was that the Rebbe returned from the Ohel, then there was Mincha, and afterward the Rebbe came in for Maariv. Generally, when the Rebbe came in for Maariv, he came with a Tehillim. The Rebbe would sit and say Tehillim quietly to himself. Everyone said Tehillim to themselves. He pulled out the shelf of the shtender and sat saying Tehillim. In those minutes, those who watched—accounts say—he would say something like twenty-nine or thirty chapters of Tehillim. Then the Rebbe stood, moving his hands at his sides, and they knew to sing “Avinu Malkeinu.” If it was Shabbos, the Rebbe gave no indication at all until after Shabbos, and after Shabbos they sensed

22:47 that the Rebbe wanted to make it up and add more, so the Rebbe motioned for them to continue singing “Avinu Malkeinu” a little longer. After that, the Rebbe began Maariv. Generally, the Rebbe’s Shemoneh Esrei at Maariv was relatively lengthy. Then the Rebbe left after Maariv. Usually, when the Rebbe left on Shabbos or Yom Tov, he wished each person a good Shabbos or Yom Tov. Here, too, as he left the shul, the Rebbe turned to the right and left. In 5734, there was something unusual. This was before the war that began on Yom Kippur, and suddenly, after davening on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, the Rebbe called out “Gut Yom Tov” three times. Today we all know about it and understand, but at the time it was an astonishing novelty to us. That announcement was like the one at a Yom Tov meal. Usually, at the end of a meal, the Rebbe would call out “Gut Yom Tov” three times. The Rebbe left, and people began to dance. At first, no one understood what was happening. People shouted, “It’s Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment!” But there was an expression of joy from the Rebbe, and soon they began to dance. The Rebbe then went home. In the morning, the Rebbe would come into shul at ten o’clock, with the shofars and other books. The Rebbe had his machzor, along with the prayer books he used throughout the year, the Arizal’s siddur, [unclear], which the Rebbe had with him for the shofar blowing, and a Haggadah shel Pesach, [unclear]. The Rebbe came in carrying all of them. His hands were truly full. The shofars were wrapped, as were the books. After the Rebbe came in, the secretaries followed. Each secretary carried bundles of pidyonos, wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. There were many, many pidyonos there, and each one

25:11 held two bundles as they walked behind the Rebbe. The Rebbe went to his place for davening, and the bundles were placed beside him. When it came time for the Torah reading, the Rebbe went up to the bimah. Then, after the haftorah—the first day’s haftorah, the prayer of Chana, during which the Rebbe would generally cry a great deal; it was something extraordinary—the Rebbe prepared for the shofar blowing. Usually, the first thing was to arrange all the pidyonos. These were all the pidyonos people had sent in. I do not know whether the Rebbe brought them all out together each day—whether there were certain bundles on the first day and others on the second—but in any case, the Rebbe arranged the bundles on the bimah. At times the Rebbe would move a bundle to one side so that everything was in order. Then, with his tallis, the Rebbe covered the entire bimah and all the pidyonos on it. And there was something special: the Rebbe stood beneath the tallis. In those years, particularly in 5733, I would say it was for about twenty minutes, twenty-five, perhaps even more—half an hour. That was how it was. Perhaps some people saw the Rebbe standing there. Some claimed they heard the Rebbe making a sound, the melody of Rosh Hashanah, but most people heard nothing at all. There was only pushing, very intense pushing, to get close for the shofar blowing and [unclear]. And with all that pushing, the air conditioning did not work either, and the shul was not so large. I should also explain the size of the shul. The shul you see today is already its third incarnation. In the original shul, the building extended only as far as the line of [unclear]. When you enter the shul from Eastern Parkway, on the left is the library of the Rebbe’s sichos.

27:37 That wall was the eastern wall. That was the whole shul. The two buildings at 784 and 788 had residents living in them—fifty residents between the two buildings. They were privately owned and were not part of 770. The library, too, belonged to a dentist, I think. 770 was really quite small. Downstairs, the eastern wall was where the shelves of holy books are now; that wall was the eastern wall. You may ask what the month of Tishrei looked like in a shul that size. There were not so many guests then either, but even so, it was crowded and people pushed. That was the arrangement until 5728. In 5728 they broke through the wall. The Rebbe spoke then about [unclear]. They broke through the wall, if I remember correctly, just two days before Rosh Hashanah, so the work was left unfinished. There was still a wall, but there were people who went through the opening. Since the Rebbe stood facing east, some bochurim stood behind the wall and watched everything the Rebbe did and how he davened. When they got to the beams, I remember the Rebbe motioned for them to leave, because they might fall onto the stones. That was how things were until they improved it. In 5734 there was a second stage in the expansion of 770. By then they had acquired the first building, 784, and expanded its porch so that it became part of the shul. Eventually they extended it all the way to Kingston Avenue.

00:02 Speaker 1 At any rate, there was pushing around the shofar blowing, and everyone waited. All eyes were watching: When would the Rebbe begin “Lamnatzeiach”? Some people fainted. It went on for a full half hour. There was nothing to say, no one to talk to. We just waited, without hearing the shofar. The Rebbe wept a great deal beneath his tallis before the blowing. Later there were various rumors. People thought—and it seems plausible in light of what had happened earlier—that this was also connected with the decree over “Who is a Jew?” There was also [unclear], another matter that posed a danger. The Rebbe spoke about it throughout the end of that summer. So what the Rebbe said then had a bearing on— Usually, in any given year, one could not hear the shofar blowing so well. The Rebbe then began to lift his tallis, raising it but leaving himself half covered; only his fingers and part of his holy face could be seen. The Rebbe began “Lamnatzeiach.” As soon as he began, he covered his face again with the tallis and continued saying “Lamnatzeiach” on his own. Afterward, he said it again together with the congregation. When the Rebbe finished “Lamnatzeiach,” he raised the tallis again, only halfway, and said the verses one by one. The Rebbe then said “Min hameitzar.” After that came the shofar blowing. The Rebbe’s forehead was, of course, red—and then white. Incidentally, the Rebbe had an established order, according to Kabbalah, for arranging and choosing the shofars. The Rebbe attended to that himself, sometimes before the verses and sometimes after the verses, before the blessing. Then the Rebbe tucked the tallis around his right ear. For hundreds of people, this was an entire experience, because every movement—everything they could see of the Rebbe—mattered to them.

02:29 Speaker 1 During the shofar blowing, many people said they were there but could not see the Rebbe from where they stood. The Rebbe began the blessings, with the distinctive melody we know today, and then he blew the shofar. For many years the Rebbe generally used a small shofar. I heard that over time it developed a crack; each time it was repaired, it cracked more, until the Rebbe stopped using it. The Rebbe had other shofars. After the shofar blowing, the Rebbe said the verses. Then, in the middle of Ashrei, the Rebbe put on the new scarf for the Shehecheyanu blessing. It happened in a split second: the Rebbe lifted the tallis off his head, put on the scarf, and covered his head with the tallis again. If you did not know to watch for it, you would have had no idea it had happened. It was done so smoothly. This was the scarf for the Shehecheyanu blessing over the shofar on the second day. Generally, for Shehecheyanu on the second night, one needs a new garment. After that, the Rebbe indicated to Rabbi Tennenbaum, who blew the shofar during Musaf—both the silent Amidah and the chazzan’s repetition—that he should choose whichever shofar he wanted. He generally knew from year to year which one worked best for him, so he chose one. Then the Rebbe came down from the bimah behind the chazzan and returned to his place. As the Rebbe returned, there was more pushing. The older men had been glad that the pushing was over, but they did not realize there was more to come. They held on to whatever they could and shouted; they could hardly speak. “Nu, nu!” But the bochurim did not listen, and it happened all over again. When the Rebbe reached his shtender, he turned to look over the entire congregation, and then turned, as he would during “Bo’i Veshalom”—

04:53 Speaker 1 —and returned to his place. The Rebbe once mentioned that this was an ancient custom: the people should see the face of their elder. So the Rebbe was particular to do this each time he reached his place. He arranged his sefarim and then turned around. On the first day, the Rebbe would generally say “Yasher koach” to the kohanim in the final minutes after davening. There was one occasion, though, when the Rebbe said “Yasher koach” to them earlier. After Minchah came Tashlich. Usually Tashlich was at the Botanical Garden, a city garden about twenty or twenty-five minutes from here. The Rebbe walked quickly, with Rabbi Chodakov beside him, really moving fast. People sang niggunim. Once the Rebbe asked them to sing a particular song; I think it was from the Shpoler Zeide. That was how the procession went. When the Rebbe reached Washington Avenue—back then, Jews lived throughout the whole neighborhood, all the way to Atlantic Avenue and Bergen Street and in every direction. Thousands of Jews lived there. The [unclear] in Crown Heights was there with his chassidim, and there were others as well. At one point there were forty shuls here. So everyone went to the Botanical Garden for Tashlich. When the Rebbe arrived, it was like a royal procession. The police met the Rebbe and showed him particular respect. It truly had the feel of a royal procession. The Rebbe walked along Washington Avenue toward the Botanical Garden and entered the grounds. I think they held everyone back a little so the place would not be overwhelmed. Once the Rebbe had reached the other side and was about to leave, they allowed everyone else in. This was Tashlich in 5727, 5728. The Rebbe went every year. Later we heard that the walk was difficult for the Rebbe, so they looked for another place. Then they began—

07:16 Speaker 1 —digging and found a well. They also used it for mayim shelanu. It was at— Then they prepared the well for Tashlich behind the library, right behind the library. Later they moved it, changed it, and built around it. People thought it was only for the Rebbe, but afterward the Rebbe allowed everyone to use it, and it became a public place. Everyone uses it, including other shuls. The first time I heard about it, I heard that—Rabbi Harlig. I knew the Rebbe did not take chassidim along to Tashlich, but the Rebbe had a booklet. It was published in English by Merkos and called Tashlich, A Complete Story of Tishrei—a yellow booklet—and the Rebbe used it. A few years ago I came across a photograph that someone had taken of the Rebbe in 5738, on the second day of Yom Tov. Before that, there was a set order. We will come to the first day and to the night of— On the second night, the Rebbe said Kaddish for [unclear]. During the prayers, the previous Rebbe’s [unclear] also went down to the amud, and the Rebbe said all the Kaddishes of the prayers. On the second day, when the Rebbe was to receive an aliyah, he did not wait to be called up. As soon as they finished the Torah reading, the Rebbe approached the bimah to say Kaddish. Then, while the Rebbe was standing there, they called him up and gave him his aliyah. That was the order on the second day. Later that day, before sunset, the Rebbe came in for a farbrengen. The Rebbe’s farbrengen on the second day of Rosh Hashanah was short—truly one of the shortest farbrengens. If it was during the week, there was kos shel brachah. The Rebbe would come in for the farbrengen and give, give

09:40 Speaker 1 There was also a meal. What was the meal? Challah and wine. Then, at a certain point, there were the niggunim of the Rebbeim. That meant the Rebbe mentioned all the Rebbeim, the Baal Shem Tov, and so on, and gave a sicha. In the early years, you see that the sicha took up half a page. Later, the Rebbe began speaking at greater length. When the farbrengen ended, the Rebbe gave a blessing, davened Maariv, made Havdalah, and then distributed kos shel bracha. At the first kos shel bracha after Rosh Hashanah, the crowd was small, because the guests had not yet managed to arrive. Many, many of the guests arrived for Sukkos. If the Rosh Hashanah farbrengen was on a Friday, the Rebbe farbrenged on Friday, but the farbrengen did not continue past sunset. The Rebbe generally was not so fond of the practice of covering the table and making Kiddush in order to continue the meal. So the Rebbe did not drink or taste anything more after sunset. They ate for only fifteen minutes, and the farbrengen continued for as long as it could. Afterward, the Rebbe went up to his room. The Rebbe distributed kos shel bracha the next day, on Shabbos Shuvah, after the farbrengen. [unclear], and the Rebbe began a new practice of holding a follow-up to the Rosh Hashanah farbrengen. So on Shabbos Shuvah he held a Shabbos Shuvah farbrengen, and then another farbrengen before sunset. It was a new development: after thirty years, the Rebbe began regularly holding an additional farbrengen to make up for Rosh Hashanah. By the way, I remember that on Shabbos Shuvah the gabbai made an announcement—and a mistake as well. Forgive me; he is no longer with us. He announced that, since they had to look after the Rebbe’s health, not everyone should come to the Rebbe to receive

11:57 Speaker 1 kos shel bracha. It was a foolish thing to do. This happened right in front of the Rebbe, and everyone already knew what would come of it. The Rebbe responded immediately, announcing that everyone should go and everyone should receive. And if there were any “Mordechai types” who had their own ideas, they should sit there boldly, because Mordechai’s nature is to be stubborn. That was the response to the gabbai’s announcement. So, right there in the middle, the line stopped. The Rebbe noticed that the line had stopped. The Rebbe then said that those who came now would receive two—they would receive double. Someone approached at that point; I think it was Rabbi Dovid Yaffe. The Rebbe had also said during the farbrengen that those who did not approach were fools. When he approached, the Rebbe said, “Du bist oich fun di tipshim”—“You are also one of the fools.” So he, too, had been among the fools who had not approached. That was the order of the Rosh Hashanah farbrengen and of the davening. On Tzom Gedaliah, the Rebbe gave a special sicha. The whole practice of divrei kibushin—words of spiritual awakening—began with the Rebbe in 5738. The first time was on 10 Teves, and for fourteen years we merited a special sicha on each fast day, apart from Tishah B’Av, when it happened only in 5740. That was the order on Tzom Gedaliah. After that came the rest of Tishrei. We are now actually at the point of having entered Tishrei. I will tell you just the part I saw as the son of the Rebbe’s doctor on 6 Tishrei 5725. It was five-thirty in the morning. My father received a phone call from Rebbetzin Chana’s home. She had an apartment of her own, and there was also an attendant there with her constantly—literally twenty-four hours a day. They called to say that the Rebbetzin had fallen and needed care, and apparently

14:36 Speaker 1 it was some kind of illness. Something had happened. My father understood. I remember it as though it were today. That morning my father went out, grabbed his medical bag—we were living in Schenectady then—and rushed to President Street and Kingston Avenue. It was a stroke. Afterward, the Rebbetzin began to feel better. They sent a messenger to the Rebbe’s home, but apparently the messenger did not wait long enough for someone to open the door. When the Rebbetzin came to the door, she saw that the young man had already left. She understood that something had happened to Rebbetzin Chana, so she called and sent a messenger. I do not remember exactly what happened there. The Rebbe generally visited his mother every day, and every Shabbos before davening. The Rebbe was there again and then went to daven. At the beginning of davening, before Borchu, the Rebbe looked over and added something. I think the Rebbe was looking for Rabbi Chadakov and asked him to have Reb Berel Junik, who also served in the Rebbe’s home, keep watch and report what was happening there. News reached the Rebbe back and forth in this way; sometimes my father brought the updates, and sometimes it was Reb Berel Junik. In the middle of the farbrengen, my father approached the Rebbe and announced, “Chana bas...” He waited to see whether anyone knew the name of the Rebbe’s mother’s mother. Nobody knew. Even the neighbors did not know. The Rebbe quietly said that it was Rochel. My father then announced, “Chana bas Rochel, for a complete recovery,” and everyone answered Amen. The Rebbe then continued the farbrengen. The Rebbe cried throughout the farbrengen. Toward its end, he received word from Reb Berel Junik that his mother, the Rebbetzin, wanted to see him, indicating that the Rebbe should come

17:02 Speaker 1 there. The Rebbe quickly went into his room, took his handkerchief, and hurried from the building to President Street and Kingston Avenue. There they decided that her condition had worsened and managed to take her to the hospital. They called an ambulance, and the Rebbe got in as well, along with his wife. [unclear] The Rebbe asked that she be there too, and they went to the hospital on Nostrand Avenue, which was then called [unclear]. Its name has since changed. The Rebbe was there, and they asked him to go into another room. Then they informed him. My father told the Rebbe that it was already over. The Rebbe asked whether they could try this medicine or that approach. They had tried everything, but it was already over. The Rebbe stood by the window and said Tehillim, Tehillim. Then the bochurim from Tomchei Temimim arrived. The bochurim came and began pushing forward. The Rebbe spoke and then asked several questions. The Rebbe asked whether anyone had a blanket, because he had not eaten that day. He asked whether he could still eat, and it was a quarter to seven, around sunset. It was around Minchah time, [unclear]. Afterward, the Rebbe went home. That evening, the Rebbe instructed that his father’s books, Tehillim, and other belongings be taken from his mother’s home and brought to his own home. In any case, afterward came the shivah visits. After the shivah, the Rebbe approached my father and asked how much the bill for that Shabbos would be. My father said he did not want any money. The Rebbe insisted that even the Sanhedrin received payment for their work. My father replied, “One may refuse a lesser person, but one does not refuse a great person.” So the Rebbe paid him. That was it. This matter was also

19:26 Speaker 1 Yes, on Erev Pesach 5738, the Rebbe also gave each of the doctors who had been on the council an envelope with payment. The Rebbe said that material payment could not come close to the spiritual payment, but a doctor must be paid. In any case, that was the practice. Afterward, each year, the Rebbe would go to Rebbetzin Chana’s grave. That year, 5725, the Rebbe went every Shabbos, and the Rebbe began [unclear]. We’re coming to Yom Kippur—at any rate, we’ll cover it briefly and get to Yom Kippur. On Erev Yom Kippur, the Rebbe distributed lekach. The Rebbe distributed lekach on the days before Erev Yom Kippur as well. On Erev Yom Kippur itself, when the Rebbe distributed lekach, he gave it to each person individually. Once the Rebbe told someone that one has to ask for it. The man said that he was asking. Once someone held out a napkin or cloth for the Rebbe to put the lekach into, rather than placing it in his hand. The Rebbe said, “One takes it, after all, without garments.” One must take it without a covering, and only afterward put it into one. The Rebbe’s practice on Erev Yom Kippur was to come in; kapparos, again, was at seven o’clock. After kapparos, the Rebbe came in, and then there was Shacharis with the congregation. Afterward came the distribution of lekach to those who had not received it earlier, and then the Rebbe went in for Mincha. When the Rebbe entered for Mincha, he carried a bag full of coins. The Rebbe carefully went through all the tzedakah boxes, not missing a single one. Sometimes the bag ran out, so the Rebbe took money from his pocket and made up the difference. Once, as the Rebbe came in, the boys were standing around him in a line by the stairs. The Rebbe said, “What are the boys doing here? They should be learning.” That was at Mincha on Erev Yom Kippur. The Rebbe said they should be learning. The Rebbe

21:57 Speaker 1 went in for Mincha. Sometimes the Rebbe davened Mincha with the congregation, and sometimes he did not. In any case, after Mincha there was a general blessing. For the general blessing, the Rebbe would usually stand on a table. A platform was set up for him: throughout the year the Rebbe stood at floor level, so they arranged a table with steps, and the Rebbe climbed onto it. The Rebbe would look around and give a blessing lasting just a few minutes. That was the blessing in [unclear]. Later it grew longer, and the Rebbe began to speak at greater length. It could last an hour. That was the practice for the general blessing. Afterward there was another line for lekach. Those who had not received any earlier would stand in line, but this was already taking the Rebbe’s time, because he needed to go home for the meal. Still, the Rebbe stood and distributed lekach. After the Rebbe returned from home, he put on his kittel and tallis and entered the zal. The zal was packed with boys—hundreds of them, without exaggeration. The courtyard was full too. They moved the benches between the zal and the second room and prepared a platform for the Rebbe. The Rebbe came in wearing his tallis and kittel and stood by a lectern. He covered his face during the blessing. Often the Rebbe cried as he blessed the boys. Usually the Rebbe would mention that the earlier blessing had been for all of the Jewish people, and that the Temimim were included in it too; this was an additional blessing for the Temimim. As soon as the Rebbe finished, the question was generally when they would write down the blessing. Usually someone sat and typed what the Rebbe said, and they managed to post it on the wall, right then, before sunset. So anyone who wanted to know the blessing could already read it on the wall.

24:10 Speaker 1 Afterward they brought the blessing to the Rebbe, together with [unclear], and it was also included in the holy writings. Then the Rebbe left immediately. He went into his room for just a few minutes and then went straight to the shul. In shul, the Rebbe was honored with holding a Sefer Torah for Kol Nidrei; the Rashag and others were honored as well. After Maariv, the Rebbe stayed to finish Tehillim, and then went up to his room. Once the Rebbe asked, “Where are the candles?”—the yahrzeit candles. They showed him that they were upstairs in the second room, where everything had been prepared. The Rebbe was even more private on Yom Kippur; he did not say anything during the day. In some respects, the Rebbe emerged as though from another world. Afterward he went home, and during certain periods he also spent time in the library. Then came Yom Kippur itself. I remember that there was none of the pushing, because the Rebbe did not receive Maftir at Shacharis, only at Mincha—Maftir Yonah. By the way, I also wanted to comment on another point. Regarding the shofar blowing in the Rebbe’s presence: the Rebbe himself blew the shofar. The only preparations were what the Rebbe did under his tallis. But when did people begin singing niggunim? That started later. [Unclear.] Some thought that niggunim had also been sung in the Rebbe’s presence, but that was not the case. It was something that came later; in the Rebbe’s presence there was no [unclear], and the Rebbe himself would come to blow. I once heard about two fools who were pushing their way forward without knowing why. Then one asked the other, “Who is blowing the shofar?” That was how things were in those years. In any case, at Maftir Yonah during Mincha—usually Musaf ended, Musaf...

26:24 Speaker 1 Musaf ended at three-thirty—quarter to ten, and then quarter to four. The Rebbe came in an hour later with his hat, yarmulke and tallis. He turned his hat upside down and placed it on the shelf of the lectern, and Mincha began. There was pushing at Maftir. Over the years, the Rebbe cried during Maftir Yonah. Afterward came the niggunim. Usually they would hurry the chazzan along, urging him to finish quickly. In any case, people were pressing so hard that they were practically pushing him with the edge of a tallis and with a book, and he was actually calling out in the middle, “Nu, nu.” But the chazzan could also see what was happening, and he did not like drawing out the niggunim. Once he went very quickly, and the Rebbe took his watch and showed the secretary that it was still early and they should draw things out. The practice during Napoleon’s March was that the Rebbe would climb onto his chair. After they began the niggun, the Rebbe stood for a little while by the lectern. Then he stood on the chair and motioned for the singing to grow louder. During the Yom Kippur War, the Rebbe covered his face and cried a great deal. Afterward, his face was visibly red from crying. Then the Rebbe jumped down from the chair. That was during Napoleon’s March. They also arranged some steps to make it easier for the Rebbe. Afterward the Rebbe put on his hat, and after Maariv he announced [unclear]. The Rebbe went out, then made Kiddush and left. That was the order of Yom Kippur in the Rebbe’s presence.

28:24 Speaker 2 What are the signs? Anyone who wants to listen to a shiur—I have three radio cars with small and large levels.