The Rebbe’s Own Introduction, Approved by Him

Welcome to our weekly Mitzvah Shabbos program.

We are now before Lag B'Omer. So I want to read to you a message written by Rabbi Mindel — introductory remarks to the Lag B'Omer parade, which the Rebbe looked over.

Now, Rabbi Hecht — it says here, as the Rebbe told him — you know, every time, by a parade, the Rebbe — not every time, but most of the time — the Rebbe came out, and there was an introduction before the Rebbe came out, and Rabbi Hecht read the introduction. So this time, somehow, the Rebbe told Rabbi Hecht that he should speak to Rabbi Mindel. So Rabbi Mindel wrote this introductory, and this is what the Rebbe said.

Now, I feel that this message describes the Rebbe's leadership, and I think all shluchim and all anash should use these words that Rabbi Mindel wrote about the Rebbe before the parade, b'chol. So this message is — I mean, it's original, but for whatever reason — I don't know, maybe it's known, maybe not — there was no parade. There was a parade, but the Rebbe didn't come out then, and this was written — Rabbi Mindel writes, 1973, tav shin lamed gimmel — for the Rebbe. This was written a few days before the parade.

It so happened that the Rebbe did not come out then, for whatever reason. So I don't know if this was ever said or not said. But since the Rebbe asked to write this, and Rabbi Mindel wrote it, I think I'm going to read this inside, every word, the way he wrote it, as a preparation to Lag B'Omer. And this will — I mean — recreate a feeling that I was standing before Lag B'Omer and the Rebbe is coming out. I mean, this is my feeling when I read this. So I'm going to read this today exactly the way Rabbi Mindel wrote the introductory remarks to the Lag B'Omer parade. If the Rebbe would have come out then, this would have been read.

Okay.

"In every generation," he writes, "God, in His infinite love for His people Israel, sends down a great soul to be the spiritual leader of our Jewish people, to teach us the way of God, the way of the Torah and Mitzvos, and to guide us through the turbulent times.

These teachers and leaders are called Avos Ha'Umah, the fathers of our Jewish nation, because of their wisdom and because of their love for each and every Jew, wherever he is and however he is — like a father who loves all his children" — and he underlined the word "all."

"They are also called Einei Yisrael, the eyes of our people Israel, because of their extraordinary vision. Their vision is not ordinary vision; it is a divinely given vision which enables them to see not only in daylight but also in darkness.

When the world is shrouded in darkness and confusion, no darkness is deeper and more overwhelming for a Jew than the darkness that surrounds him when he lets the light of Torah be dimmed in his daily life. For the Torah is called Toras Ohr — it is the true light.

These God-sent leaders, with their perfect vision, are able to see everything in the true light of the Torah which was given to us by God at Mount Sinai through the first leader of our people, Moshe Rabbeinu.

The Torah tells us that every Jew — man, woman, and child — has something of the spirit of Moshe Rabbeinu, that is, some measure of the love of God and the fear of God which Moshe Rabbeinu had and which he shared with all his people. But this tiny spark may sometimes be asleep and needs to be awakened and set ablaze.

The leader of the generation has a great deal of the spirit of Moshe Rabbeinu — so much, in fact, that he is called the Moshe Rabbeinu of our generation. And like Moshe Rabbeinu in his generation, he has the power to touch the spark that is in every Jew and set it aflame. For even a great blaze starts with but a small spark.

You and I, and all our Jewish people scattered throughout the big, wide world, are most fortunate indeed in that we have such a great leader, who is like a father to us and our eyes — the Lubavitcher Rebbe Shlita — in whose august presence we are now privileged to stand.

Perhaps because these times are the most turbulent and dark, perhaps because the present generation is so confused and perplexed, perhaps because the whole world is groping in darkness, perhaps because we are just plain fortunate, perhaps because of all of this and more — God has sent us a greater leader than we might otherwise have had. One who personifies the Torah and Mitzvos on the highest level, whose wisdom and vision are of the highest order, whose dedication and love for every one of us knows no bounds.

Imagine a situation like this: many people are lost in a dark tunnel, with endless dark side tunnels leading to nowhere. There is only one exit from the dark tunnel. Fortunately, there is a man who can see through the darkness and knows the way out. The man says, 'Here is my hand. Let us form a chain, and I will lead you out of this darkness.' Would it not be foolish and reckless of anyone not to grasp the proffered hand and follow the leader?

We are fortunate to have such a leader. Let us grasp his hand and be led.

This is why we are here today, gathered to salute the Torah and to reaffirm our loyalty to our God-given faith, and above all, to translate this faith and this inspiration into practical deeds in the observance of the Torah and Mitzvos in our daily life.

But it would be selfish of us and inconsiderate if we were to go home satisfied merely with having given ourselves a wonderful uplift. Each one of us surely knows a friend, a neighbor, who needs a helping hand. Let us follow the lead of our great leader and do unto others what he is doing for us — to bring our brothers and sisters closer to our Father in Heaven. This is the least we can do, also in the way of showing our gratitude to our spiritual leader, the Lubavitcher Rebbe Shlita, for the tireless days and sleepless nights which he devotes on our behalf — yours and mine — and for our brothers and sisters in the remotest parts of the world.

And now we will have the great zechus, the unique privilege and good fortune, to hear a spiritual message from our teacher and spiritual leader, the Lubavitcher Rebbe Shlita. He will speak to us in Yiddish, although he addresses us in any of at least half a dozen languages, but in addition to the essential fact that Yiddish is closer to Yiddishkeit.

His message is being relayed by these microphones to our fellow Jews in many parts of the world. However, for the benefit of those in the audience who are more at home in English, the main points of the message will be conveyed also in English.

And so, dear friends, young and old, both those gathered here as well as those in faraway lands, including the Holy Land — especially in Meron, in the Upper Galilee, the holy resting place of our great sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose anniversary we celebrate today — all of us united by this salute of Yiddishkeit.

Let us give ear and open our hearts so that the words of the Rebbe Shlita, coming from his heart, will enter our hearts like the rain and dew from heaven that make things grow on earth. So may his words bring fruits from the seeds to all who grow on earth, to all Jews called Eretz Chefetz, God's desirable land, and help us produce real good fruits — the deeds of Torah and Mitzvos in actual practice in everyday life.

And that is kedushas Adonainu Moreinu v'Rabbeinu, the Lubavitcher Rebbe Shlita."

This is the letter — this is the introductory that my father-in-law wrote, and I guess he gave it to Rabbi — I don't know if this was ever said or written. I don't know, maybe it was. But this is — it says over here, tav shin lamed gimmel — and this is how I think he described the Rebbe before he came out to the parade.

And I think, if we have this in mind — what we read today — we should have in mind, and soon, b'mitzvah sham, soon the Rebbe should help that we'll see the Rebbe again together with Mashiach Tzidkeinu bimheira v'yomeinu, omen. And b'mitzvah sham, next week we'll continue our weekly program. Thank you.