יוזמת הספריות

00:01 Speaker 1 And we're off. Okay, we are going back in time a little bit. We're still fifty years ago. We're still in Teshrin lamed gimmel, but we're going back 'cause we have some spare time, going back to some of the letters at the very beginning that we haven't covered yet, and this is maybe one of the most important letters in the entire volume. It was one of the most important letters sent that entire year as far as the Rebbe's legacy itself goes. Uh, if you look in Shalsheles Hayichas, well, Yayichas, Yayichas, Shalsheles Yayichas. If you look in the biography of the Rebbe that's printed at the beginning of Hayom Yom, at the beginning of Hayom Yom, if you're not aware of this already, if you open your Hayom Yom, you'll find at the beginning a brief biography of every Rebbe, and it's very instructive. Uh, you can really get the dates and the timelines, and actually if you're looking for, uh, for interesting names, you can get all the names from Beis HaRebbe. There are really interesting combinations there. There's a lot, there's a lot in that section in the beginning. When Hayom Yom first came out, obviously, the Rebbe wrote it on behalf of the Friediker Rebbe, so the Rebbe's name wasn't there. But in subsequent editions, they finally published a version that had the Rebbe's biography there. And there are real interesting highlights 'cause the Rebbe edited it too, so the Rebbe had a say in what people said about him. Uh, I remember one

01:07 Speaker 1 line that always sticks out for me, for me there is that, uh, in the years the Rebbe was learning when he was a young man, he wrote or at least approved the "" that he learned "" I believe was the "" there, that he learned it very seriously. Um, and the Rebbe was willing to write that about himself, that his early years were identified by, by intense learning of Torah. In any event, if you look there at the, uh, in the, in the Rebbe's biography where it breaks down every year what was the Rebbe's big thing, the year that we're up to right now in Igris, the year nineteen seventy-three, seventy-two, Teshrin lamed gimmel, which was exactly fifty years ago, is called the Year of the Library Initiative. The "" there is Teshrin lamed gimmel "" that it was that year that the Rebbe tried to inspire us to set up libraries of holy books all around the world. So that's what this year is all about, and given how, given how important that is in the biography, you'd think you'd see more of it in the Igris. Really, this is the, uh, this is the only letter I'm aware of in Igris that specifically addresses the libraries. We have to go back in time a little bit though to understand, uh, what this letter is talking about. So in the Sicha-- in the Sicha from Tov Tishrei of Teshrin lamed gimmel, this letter is written Zayin Tishrei the following day. So one day previously

02:15 Speaker 1 on Tov Tishrei, the Rebbe had a farbrengen. At the farbrengen, he'd made what seemed like a relatively minor point in the greater scheme of things, I think. He mentioned there's a Gemara in Masechet Kesubos that says, "" that the , the pasuk of "" there, that somebody's righteousness can stand forever. This applies to someone who writes books and then lends them out to other people. So this applies to someone who opens a library. The Rebbe then called for every Jewish community around the entire world to open a library, a lending library containing books for simple people and also books that speak to the highest levels of scholarship, both in Nigleh and in Chassidus. So a library that has a real range of different kinds of books for different kinds of people, but they should be Sifrei Kodesh, of course. And the Rebbe says in that Sicha that he would like it to be open every day, or at least once a week, or at least for an hour a week. He, he sort of starts making deals in the Sicha. But the Rebbe very clearly from the, from the context of the Sicha would like this to be a library that's open every day for many, many hours every day, and then he kind of dials it back. The Rebbe emphasizes in the Sicha that it should be publicized, that anybody can come to this library and, uh, learn there or borrow books from there. And he says that the goal is "" the point

03:19 Speaker 1 of it is that people should learn from these books and then come to action. And in that Sicha, the is looking for is a "" And there what he's looking for is an increase in Torah study, that they should study Torah more seriously and more intensely. The Rebbe then says that this initiative should begin specifically in Anash communities. His "" there, "" I'm looking for places that have Anash and people who listen to me in general to start this initiative. Hopefully, it'll spread other places too, but the Rebbe wants it to start with people who traditionally listen to what the Rebbe has to say. The Rebbe also mentions in the Sicha and in a few subsequent letters and Sichas on the topic that this can be included in an initiative that was going on that year for the Rebbe's seventieth birthday to open seventy-one new institutions or seventy-first birthday to open seventy-one new institutions. Uh, this can be included in that initiative. Okay, so the following day, some people get excited about it. If you look down at the bottom of this letter, I'm zoom-- I'm scrolling down so you can see on your screens. The bottom of this letter, uh, "" the central, central, uh, central Agud, uh, wrote to the Rebbe the following day, and they wrote the following. They wrote, "" Based on the Sicha that the Rebbe said yesterday at the farbrengen of Tov Tishrei, "" when it comes to establishing libraries, "" of three-o-five Kingston Avenue. So they said there's

04:45 Speaker 1 been some discussion about opening a library in the basement of three-o-five Kingston Avenue. "" There's a lot of room there. It would work. "" We're asking the Rebbe if it's a good idea to build that first library there to start this program. "" And if so, "" If you'd like us to do that, we'd like your bracha. That should be "" Um, it says there later on the footnote that throughout the year, this is kind of giving away the ending, but they open-- they did-- they ultimately did open up this library, eventually changed its name to Sifriyat Levi Yitzchak, which I think some of us are familiar with, uh, based on-- um, and in memory of the Rebbe's father, and they have mentioned in his Kashtros in other places where you can read more about this library. So looking at the Rebbe's answer. They asked the Rebbe the following day, "Rebbe, you told us in the Sicha to open a library. We have some space in the basement. Let's do it. Uh, can we have your bracha? Are you interested?" And the Rebbe writes back, "" The reason why, the true reason I want you to establish these libraries, I'm reading the letter right here on the screen- Somebody might come there and they'll request a book. And then you'll be able to carry on a conversation with them, a light conversation about Yiddishkayt in general. So by making these books public, it's not just supposed to increase Torah learning, but it's also a way

05:53 Speaker 1 of drawing in people so we can talk to them about Yiddishkayt. It's a outreach mechanism. I'd like this place to also be established as a place that's clean and it's pretty, and you should be able to carry on light conversations there, pleasant conversations there. If it's possible to use that space you're looking for, this basement, and make it like that so that it can carry... And I think the-- I don't know exactly for sure, but I assume the Rebbe is concerned about the word basement. It says if if you're telling me this basement won't be a, a, a, a, you know, a disgusting basement, it'll be a nice place to carry on a pleasant conversation, and it can fulfill my goal of bringing in people who aren't necessarily brought in other ways, then then it is self-understood that it would be good to do this. So the Rebbe says, as long as you're telling me this place is going to work for my purposes, and let me remind you my purposes are that somebody who's not necessarily comfortable in a normal Yiddish setting might come in and feel comfortable there, then I'm fine with you making it in the basement. But, you know, don't, don't make it somewhere gross. That's the way that I-- that's the way that I read this letter. So based on this letter, the Levi Yitzchok Library was opened in Crown Heights. The Rebbe continues to discuss this initiative throughout the year. Many sichas he'll mention it in passing. There's one

07:04 Speaker 1 sicha that stands out in Balak of Tammuz lamed gimmel. He says, regarding establishing these libraries, once again, his goal is that anybody will, will be able to come in and look at a holy book, to read it, they can in a relaxed way read the book. He wants nice, relaxing places, not a, not a dingy basement. Nothing should be getting in the way to distract them. It shouldn't be in the middle of a, of a crowded area. It should be a quiet place where they won't be distracted, where people can sit and not just borrow, but also sit and read. so it's a reading room, not just a library. this is a change from what he'd said in the previous sicha and in the previous letter. The Rebbe says that the goal is not just limud, not just better limud or limud more shkheler or limud with more intensity. The Rebbe says, "I'm also hoping it'll cause a ma'ase bepalel, that people will act based on what they're reading." Uh, the Rebbe then went on to offer considerable discounts to anybody who wanted to open these libraries. We have this in the background supplement that I sent into the WhatsApp group. It seems that the general wa- rule was that the Rebbe would pay for twenty percent of the cost of opening the new library and would offer a fifty percent discount on all Kehos books. This is the deal that he gave to Chabad, Kiryat Gat, Tel Aviv, Afula, Tzfat. And he also said

08:16 Speaker 1 this is written, that it should be generally publicized. those opening the libraries twenty percent they'll get a twenty percent participation. they'll get a fifty percent discount on Sifrei Kehos. Uh, earlier today, just for the fun of it, I called the Levi Yitzchok Library in Crown Heights to see if I could get some information on whether other ones were open besides it, if they have data on, on how many of these exist. And they didn't pick up the phone because they're not open on Mondays at all, and they're open from one to six PM every other day of the week with the exception of Friday, which is, uh, a little unfortunate because one of the main things the Rebbe says in the sicha at the beginning is that if he can have it his way, he would like these libraries to be open as often as possible. I guess that's as often as possible. Um, the, uh-- as far as I can tell, this is not something that caught on in a major way. I mean, obviously people have libraries in their Chabad houses, but the specific library initiative that there should be these really comfortable places that are set up where people can sit and read, and it's not in the middle of something else, and there's books of all kinds, and that you're-- through this, you're creating a shlichus really, where people will pop in and you'll be able to discuss Yiddishkayt with them and they'll lend in return. I, I don't think this

09:24 Speaker 1 has really taken-- I don't think this has really caught on in a big way. Um, the Rebbe says it should start in Anash communities. Maybe we should make one. Um, in any event, uh, or maybe people listening who are in different communities should make them. This seems like something we're supposed to do, and it's something that we're so, so supposed to do that it became one of the defining factors according to the biography about himself that the Rebbe edited. Uh, the defining factor of this year was the Rebbe pushing this program, and, uh, I'm not sure how successful it really was. What I do have, though, is from collecting from the letters and sichas about it, I did write down a couple major points about what this library should be, and we'll review those, and then I'll open the floor for people to tell me I'm wrong, these libraries are everywhere, or for people to tell me I'm right and we should build one or other things regarding libraries. Here are the major points that come out in the sichas and letters. Point number one, there should be a real variety of books. The Rebbe wants not just a b-- not just a library that has all of the great Sifrei Niglas, Sifrei Chasidus. He also wants books for very simple people. He wants it to be that any Jew from any walk of life can walk in and be fascinated. So it also shouldn't just be a children's library, or it shouldn't just be

10:22 Speaker 1 a library of English books. It should have children's books. It should have English books. It should have levels, all different levels. And it should also be a library that has, you know, all of the Sifrei Kas. It should also have, you know, all of the Maamar of the Rebbe Rashab should be there too, right alongside an Artscroll Shabbos. This is not something you see very often. It says also it should be open as often as possible. At the very least, it should be open once a week and at the very least for an hour. But the Rebbe really wants this open like round the clock. The Rebbe says in the sicha he would like these open all the time as much as possible. He really wants it publicized. These should not be libraries that only people in the inn know about. These should be very widely publicized libraries where all Jews from all walks of life know that this is a great place to find free books that they can lend and a conversation and a quiet place to read. The Rebbe says it needs to be a clean place, it needs to be prime for discussion, it needs to be relaxing, not distracting. It needs to be pleasant. It can't be, it can't be a-- this place cannot be a fabregen. It needs to be a, it needs to be a nice, clean, professional-looking setting and a place where someone might wanna sit and read or have a discussion, uh, and not in the

11:16 Speaker 1 middle of a balagan. It should result in ma'ase bepalel increases in both Torah learning and in the actions of mitzvahs. And the Rebbe says it should begin in Anash communities. This is the hadracha that we have. This is something that means a lot to the Rebbe, enough that he, uh, enough that he dedicated a year of sichas to it more or less. And, uh, it's reflected in our letter today that the Rebbe says, if you're interested in opening such a location, his hadracha is, as long as it, as it can fulfill what I'm looking for. If it fulfills everything that I'm asking for, muvan, then it should be self-understood. That I-- that it would be good for you to do it. That's, uh, that's it for me today. Please comment.

11:54 Speaker 2 The only library I ever saw in this, uh, situation was the Levi Yitzchok Library, which when we were, uh, kids was actually a destination. We would stop there, we would borrow books from there and, uh, stuff like that back in the old days. But, um, I don't know whatever happened with it today. I don't know if today it's still a vibrant, uh, thing of it at all, but it definitely did not become a staple in Anash communities as far as I know. Maybe today we need a video library or like a screen somewhere because who reads?

12:27 Speaker 1 The problem is that one of the things he wants in this is for us to be able to meet people through it. It'd be hard to do it that way, you know?

12:33 Speaker 2 And have discussions.

12:34 Speaker 1 Yeah.

12:34 Speaker 3 There are other places that open libraries. I think in the Five Towns, they opened up a library there. But there's also-- I've-- You see the, the guys doing the tour of Crown Heights, they always take the, the old people there. They-