The Rebbe’s Note About Moshiach’s Identity

Welcome to our weekly program, the inside story of Chabad in America through the Mindel Archives.

Last week we had a very important program. I think people should listen to it if they didn't. This was an answer to so many people, Chabad and non-Chabad, whether Chabadniks should put a letter in the Igros Kodesh and get an answer, whether this is the shita of the Rebbe. That's the main thing: whether this is what the Rebbe would want us to do.

Today I want to tell you, I got calls and many emails thanking me for sharing this letter that I read last week from the Igros about putting in a letter. Because people were confused. "I read what the Rebbe feels, and I see what it means. Now I understand what it means." There is no joy greater than hataras hasfeikos. Somebody's in doubt, but here I took away some doubt. Why? Because I read an answer from the Rebbe. Again, you can put in the Igros Kodesh, no problem, but not to say that this is what the Rebbe wanted us to do.

Now, this week is Parshas Vayakhel. As I mentioned in the previous two weeks, that Parshas [Vayakhel] was the last farbrengen. The Rebbe farbrenged that Shabbos, and the Rebbe spoke about [unclear]. I mentioned last week [unclear], and they gave out the kuntres [?] about this kashrus [?]. And this, I think, is the last thing. So this is what we have to do now. The question is to learn [unclear], and it's not only money. Righteousness: do the right thing for the right reason, and [unclear] Moshiach.

So today I want to mention one more thing. This is also an answer to some people, Chabad and [non-Chabad], that asked. Again, I'll tell you, I have talmidim [?] from the yeshiva [unclear] I used to teach, and they asked me these things. They listen to this program and they want to know, and I think we should answer them. I didn't know whether I should speak about it or not, but I thought, you know, they're confused, so I want to say.

So they asked me: what about the people that say [unclear] after davening or other times? Is that the proper thing to do? Is that what the Rebbe wanted us to do? So here I want to share with you a ksav yad, an answer from the Rebbe. I'll show you the ksav yad also.

I thought of speaking about it today. I was at the farbrengen of [unclear] Shvat [?], a big farbrengen, many people, and I was sitting near two Chassidim. There were a lot of people there, a lot of people heard. There was a discussion between two Chabadnicks, two people. One Chassid said to the other Chassid: "Yesterday you were sitting next to me in shul." This happened a few weeks ago. "And we were saying [unclear] after davening, and I saw you didn't want to say. Is that true?" And he told him off. There was a [unclear] embarrassment: "How can you not say? Are you a Chassid of the Rebbe and you don't say?" That's what he told him. I overheard this.

So the other Chassid answered him: "I never thought who is Moshiach, and I don't know. I don't know who it is. Maybe the Rebbe, maybe another, I don't know." And he told him: "Who are you to decide who Moshiach is?" He says, "I'm busy with my work, I'm busy with learning, I'm busy with doing good things, and I never thought about [unclear]." I don't know whether I should say it. So there was a struggle, an argument over there.

So before I share with you the ksav yad from the Rebbe about singing or saying: many people, and I got emails, heard that they sing. Should we say this, or is this [unclear] thing to do? So I want to say first, before I tell you what the Rebbe answered, I want to say an introduction, and this should go on record, because, you know, people think one way, and we have to know what the Rebbe says. As I said, I told you last week [unclear], the people are confused.

Okay, now I want to say something. The Rebbe was the most humble person. The Frierdiker Rebbe said about the Rebbe, when he came to America in '41, he told Shimon Rabe [?] Jacobson: "Go meet my son-in-law. He's an anav, and [unclear] goes with the hat like this." And another thing, that he was humble: his bittul, you can see it in his hanhagah. He was like a soldier, that's all. Like he said, he's a [unclear] of the [unclear], he's nothing. [Unclear.] He didn't make a fuss of himself. His humility, his anivus. He was a very modest person. He was like an eved, that's all. He is nothing. We see this in the Rebbe's answers. The Rebbe said many times, ask [unclear]. I'll mention it to the Frierdiker Rebbe. He was nothing.

The Rebbe didn't wear a shtreimel. He wore a plain hat. [Unclear.] He was like a soldier. In the early years, the Rebbe [unclear] in his pocket. In the '40s, before he was ever in newspapers, he's like a poshuter mensch. He didn't make any fuss of himself.

And we know the pictures. The Rebbe didn't want to take pictures the whole time. Even [unclear], later on he was maskim. Not because the Rebbe wanted a picture of himself, but because maybe that would be [unclear] for other people, that they would see the Rebbe walking or talking, and that would give them [unclear]. But the Rebbe himself, the biggest honor in the world... My zeide, who was the Rebbe's melamed, told me that when the Rebbe was a little child, 9, 10, 11, you could see he ran away from kavod. He ran away. He didn't want to make a fuss of himself. That's his nature.

So before I tell you the answer: does it make sense that [unclear] the Rebbe wants that we should say that the Rebbe is Moshiach?

So I remember there was, all of a sudden, [unclear] by the Rebbe's minyan. I think that when they took out the Torah they sang [unclear], and the Rebbe made with his hand. Is that because the Rebbe wanted it? The Rebbe made the tenuah because of the niggun, not because of the words. You know, as Rabbi Hodakov mentioned when they asked him: it's not the Rebbe to say "I am, there's nobody like me." It just doesn't make any sense to say. Because the Rebbe made with his hand, is that a sign that the Rebbe wants it? The Rebbe only made the tenuah because of the niggun. We know that this is an old niggun [unclear]. This is a niggun, so the Rebbe made with his hand. Anybody sings, [unclear], if it's a new niggun. I remember certain things [unclear], so you knew what the Rebbe wanted, with his hand or not. But a regular niggun, the Rebbe made the tenuah because of that. It doesn't make sense that the Rebbe should say about himself that "I am the [unclear]." It doesn't make any sense.

So, people have a hergesh. That's a personal hergesh, and whether we agree or not, I don't know.

Now I want to read to you the ksav yad of the Rebbe, what the Rebbe answered. This is the ksav yad of the Rebbe. So I'll read you what it says here. The Rebbe says like this; now I'll translate:

"There is no obligation whatsoever to search out the identity of Moshiach, but it is our obligation, a positive commandment, [unclear], to love each and every Jew. And also we are obligated to do away with any strife and so forth. And it's self-understood it should not be intentional machlokes."

This is what the Rebbe answered. Meaning, the Rebbe says, this is the Rebbe, there's no [obligation]. So besides, people have a hergesh and they say. So their personal hergesh, they can do what they want, no problem, but not to say that this is what the Rebbe wanted. Especially when I heard Chassidim want to embarrass somebody else. That surely you're not allowed to. And that's what the Rebbe mentioned over here, to stay away from machlokes. That surely you're not allowed to.

Now, here it reminds me of a maaseh which I want to mention, about embarrassing somebody. The Frierdiker Rebbe, in [unclear], in the '40s, ate upstairs in 770, you know, in his apartment. There were ten Yidden around. It was a Seder, Pesach. You know that Chabad is very makpid on not eating gebrokts, anything that's dipped into liquid. They don't eat it, they're very careful, but especially by the Rebbeim. So they served borscht, red beet soup.

There was a Yid there. He wasn't Chabad; I don't know how he got there, I don't know. He took a piece of matzah by the Seder and dipped it into the borscht. There were bochurim standing there. Can you imagine, the bochurim seeing this by the Rebbe? He didn't know that you're not allowed to, because [unclear]. But anyway, there was a little embarrassment, it was a whole commotion. So the Frierdiker Rebbe heard the commotion. He turned to the one who was sitting next to him, I think, and he said, "What's happening here?" He didn't know. So he found out. He told him what happened, that this Yid put matzah in borscht. So the Frierdiker Rebbe turned to the bochurim, because of the commotion that they made. The Frierdiker Rebbe said: "It's better to make the matzah red than the face red."

Whether we say or we don't say, I'm [telling] the story because of this. But to embarrass somebody because he doesn't agree with you, that's surely assur. That's surely not. And especially now that we brought a letter from the Rebbe. So we see that, I don't know if the Rebbe would be maskim to say it, I don't know. But to embarrass [unclear], that the Rebbe mentions, that's surely not good. So it's a hergesh [?]. So each one should do what they want.

So this is what I wanted [to say]. People asked; this was the confusion people had, and I hope I made things clear for the record.

B'ezras Hashem next week we will continue our Thursday night program. Thank you very much.