Educating Children for the 20th of Marcheshvan - Rabbi Yosef Avraham Pizam shlita

00:02 Speaker 1 You’re listening to the “Lema’an Yishme’u” podcast from Machon Halacha Chabad.

00:09 Speaker 2 The Rebbe Rashab, founder of the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva, was born to his father, the Rebbe Maharash, and his mother, Rebbetzin Rivkah, on Monday of Parshas Chayei Sarah, the twentieth of the month of Marcheshvan, at nine in the morning, in Lubavitch. Twenty, twenty—kaf, the Hebrew letter for twenty, is the first letter of keser, “crown,” whose numerical value is 620. This already points to the greatness of his soul and the importance of the Rebbe Rashab’s role as the Moshiach of his generation, and as the one who opened the way for his chassidim to act as soldiers of the House of David—the Temimim, soldiers of the House of David. He was born on the twentieth in the year 5621. The twentieth—the day of keser—in the year 5621, as the Tzemach Tzedek expressed regarding the greatness of his soul reflected in this. Rebbetzin Rivkah related the following about his birth: “On 10 Kislev 5621, I saw in a dream my mother, Rebbetzin Sheina, and my grandfather, the Mitteler Rebbe, with smiling, happy faces. My mother said to me, ‘Rivkah, you and your husband should write a Torah scroll.’” Rivkah is the Rebbe Rashab’s mother. “‘And my grandfather, the Mitteler Rebbe, said, “You will have a good son, and don’t forget my name.”’” He’s already giving a hint about the name Dovber. “‘My mother added, “Rivkah, do you hear what I’m telling you?” And I awoke.’” This is a story we must tell children. Here you see how the earlier Rebbeim always prepare the next Rebbe. Listen to the story. “‘All day I was preoccupied with the dream,’” Rebbetzin Rivkah relates, “‘but I didn’t speak to my husband, the Rebbe Maharash, or tell him about it. Two or three days later, my mother-in-law, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, the wife of the Tzemach Tzedek, became ill, and I helped care for her. The next day her condition improved. After davening... after davening, my father-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek, came into my mother-in-law’s room to visit her, and she told him that she had dreamed a dream that night. My father-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek, said to her, “The Gemara says that a dream is good for a sick person. As for dreams, there are two opinions: one believes in dreams, and the other does not

03:11 Speaker 2 believe in them.” And then my father-in-law turned to me,’” Rebbetzin Rivkah relates, “‘and said, “But a good dream should certainly be acted upon.” After my father-in-law left, I thought about what he had said—that a good dream should be acted upon. I thought about the dream I had seen on 10 Kislev, the festival of the Mitteler Rebbe’s liberation, and decided to tell my husband about the dream. But I was busy in those days and didn’t get a chance to tell him. Then, on the night of 19 Kislev’”—again a festival of liberation, this time of the Alter Rebbe—“‘I dreamed again. This time my mother, my grandfather the Mitteler Rebbe, and another elderly man came to me. My mother said, “Rivkah, you and your husband should write a Torah scroll.” My grandfather said, “And you will have a good son.” The elderly man said, “Amen, so may Hashem say.” My mother rejoiced, my grandfather blessed her, and the elderly man blessed me.

04:15 Speaker 2 “‘My grandfather, the Mitteler Rebbe, and my mother said amen. I too said amen aloud and woke up. My husband, the Rebbe Maharash, had already woken up but was still in the room. He asked me, “What was that? I heard you say amen.” I [unclear] and told him I had had a dream and would come to his room in an hour to tell him about it. I told my husband, the Rebbe Maharash, about the dream of 10 Kislev, the festival of liberation, and the dream I had had the previous night, 19 Kislev, the festival of liberation. My husband said to me, “It is a good dream. Why didn’t you tell me? Dreams like these are matters of the utmost importance.” My husband wanted the Torah scroll written on parchment made from the hides of animals that had been properly slaughtered and were kosher. Such parchment was not easy to find, and several weeks passed before they obtained it. My father-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek, instructed my husband that the writing of the scroll should begin in Cheshvan, with only his brothers present, and that it should begin in my father-in-law’s room. My husband urged the scribe to work quickly on the scroll. During the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, word spread that the Torah scroll would be completed the day after Yom Kippur. Many of the guests who had come for Yom Kippur stayed for the completion. But early on the morning after Yom Kippur, my father-in-law called my husband and told him, “Today you should make a large seudah. I will come too and say Chassidus, but you must not complete the Torah scroll today.” He gave no reason. On Monday, 3 Cheshvan, my father-in-law called my husband and told him, “This evening, summon the scribe to my room, and bring your brothers too.” So the completion took place in Cheshvan, right? The final lines were written in Cheshvan, right? “I,” Rebbetzin Rivkah relates, “sewed the mantle for the Torah scroll and brought it into my father-in-law’s room. He said to me, ‘Mazel tov. May Hashem fulfill the blessings given by my father-in-law, the Mitteler Rebbe, and my grandfather, the Alter Rebbe.’” The elderly man she hadn’t recognized—he revealed to her that it was the Alter Rebbe, author of the

06:41 Speaker 2 Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch, and founder of Chabad Chassidus. “On Monday, the twentieth day of Cheshvan, I gave birth to my son, in good fortune and for a long life.” And from here, to the directives that our Rebbe, the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach, gives us for 20 Cheshvan. We’ve said that the Rebbe gives us directives for everything. The Rebbe says that on a day like 20 Cheshvan, each and every person should make good resolutions to increase the spreading of the wellsprings outward. And with whom do we begin spreading the wellsprings outward? First of all, with ourselves. The Rebbe says: Spread the wellsprings outward within yourself first, and afterward, as a continuation of that, spread Torah and mitzvos—and, above all, Yiddishkeit in general—imbued with the inner dimension of Torah as explained in Chabad Chassidus. This extends to spreading the light of holiness throughout the whole world, including the Seven Noahide Laws. And in the year [unclear] 5759, the Rebbe proposed something that has been done every year since: On this day, 20 Cheshvan—and preferably on the days before and after it as well, each place according to its circumstances—everyone in every city that already has a Tomchei Temimim yeshiva, including its many branches in our Holy Land, may it be built and established, should make an effort. What should they do? This certainly applies to children as well: go into the yeshiva building, a Tomchei Temimim yeshiva, and do good things there in all three areas—Torah study, avodah, meaning davening, and acts of kindness. Give a donation there, daven or say a chapter of Tehillim, including especially the chapter corresponding to the Rebbe Rashab’s age, and study the Rebbe Rashab’s teachings. In a city without such a yeshiva, do this in a building that serves a similar purpose, such as a Chabad House—a place of Torah, davening, and acts of kindness. And of course, in keeping with the command, “Love your fellow as yourself,” make an effort to encourage other Jews to do the same. Don’t keep it a secret. Give other Jews the opportunity to take part in this practice. And

09:11 Speaker 2 these activities should be done together with others. In particular, as the Rebbe Rashab, whose birthday it is, writes in Kuntres Heichaltzu, an agreement made by two or more people has much greater strength than an agreement a person makes alone. That’s why the emphasis is on doing it together, and it’s also a kind of lesson for children. It is worthwhile and appropriate that, among the teachings of the Rebbe Rashab studied on his birthday, people also study Kuntres Heichaltzu, which discusses Ahavas Yisroel and Jewish unity. Through this, Ahavas Yisroel and Jewish unity will increase. What hastens the Geulah more than that? Ahavas Yisroel will bring the Redeemer to the Land of Israel.