0415 - The Rebbe Would Face East by 'V'hayu Limshisa'

00:01 In the year Tov Shin Lamed Ches, for a long time, the Rebbe would daven Friday night in the shul upstairs. The minyan went on downstairs. Most people davened downstairs, but the Rebbe had a minyan upstairs in the shul. They would only let in some people, very few people, not to be crowded. Usually, it was with a girl or a guest that came from out of town. But otherwise, most people davened downstairs. I lived in Miami already. I was in Miami then. I came for Shabbos Parshas Chayai Sarah, Shabbos in Vorchem Kislev. I came to the Rebbe. So since I was a guest, I was able to daven with the Rebbe's minyan upstairs Friday night. So I paid attention. First of all, I saw the Rebbe was very pale. You see the Rebbe wasn't feeling so good. But I paid attention, and when it came to Lecha Dodi, I noticed that the Rebbe made sure that from the piece, "Ve'hoyu lemshos shesoych," he would stand facing Mizrach. And it seemed the reason was because since by Bei V'Shalom, you turn around from Mizrach to Ma'arev, to the back of the shul. So in order that should be done, you have to first stand towards Mizrach, so you should be able to turn around to Mizrach to Ma'arev. So from Ve'hoyu lemshos shesoych, the Rebbe made sure to stand facing Mizrach. The Chaysta Zeid Rebbe davened at the end of the shul, where he would daven Mincha Friday or Shabbos when he davened upstairs. This was by

01:25 the door to the Cheder Sheini. There was a table there, and the Rebbe stood there, but the Rebbe's chair was by the table. So by the rest of Lecha Dodi, I don't remember exactly now whether the Rebbe sat by most of Lecha Dodi or he stood, but he wasn't facing Mizrach. He was facing the other wall, the clock, where the clock was. But I do remember clearly that when it came to Ve'hoyu lemshos, the Rebbe made sure... I don't know if he stood up and faced Mizrach or he was standing the other way and he turned. I don't remember, but for sure, the Rebbe made sure that by Ve'hoyu lemshos he should be facing Mizrach. So by Ve'hoyu lemshos shesoych, and Yomen Yisroel was facing Mizrach, and then by Bei V'Shalom, he turned around towards Ma'arev. So this showed, the way I understood, that in order to show that you're turning around towards Ma'arev by Bei V'Shalom, before that, for two pieces, you should stand facing Mizrach, and then you turn around. Because if you're not, you can't really tell that you're turning around towards Ma'arev. But this is what I saw. I saw clearly, and I don't remember if it was from sitting or from standing the other way, but I remember clearly that there was a point made by the Rebbe that from Ve'hoyu lemshos shesoych, he turned around facing Mizrach, which the pashtas is in order that by Bei V'Shalom it should be nikker, it should be clear that you're turning from

02:42 Mizrach to Ma'arev.