יום נישואי הרבי

00:00 This is Igris. Uh, I'm recovering from something of a cold, so my voice isn't doing what it's supposed to. But this is Igris nonetheless, albeit with a stuffy nose. And we are looking at letters from exactly fifty years ago, almost exactly fifty years ago today. The one we're looking at is Eir Litess Vav Kislev. Now, Eir Litess Vav Kislev should be tonight. That is the night of Yud Dalet Kislev, not Erev Yud Dalet Kislev, but Medz Yud Dalet Kislev. And for us, it's a very special day. Yud Dalet Kislev is the day of the Rebbe's anniversary when the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin, uh, were married, and that is what gave us our Rebbe. The Rebbe describes it that way in many, uh, in many sichas, uh, describes his wedding anniversary, the moment of his chasuna, as being the day that connected us to him. So it's a special day for us, a day for farbrengens, a day for gifts. As a matter of fact, uh, historically, on major wedding anniversaries, we gave the Rebbe gifts. Uh, there's a whole Der Her article where it goes through every decade what we gave the Rebbe, uh, whether it was something physical or more often something ruchnius, promises achlatus, a day for good resolutions. It's a special day, Yud Dalet Kislev. What's really interesting is that we have a letter from the Rebbe on essentially Yud Dalet Kislev, that is Eir Litess Vav Kislev of Tav Shin Lamed Dalet, fifty years ago, and it's a, it's a michtav

01:08 klali. It's written to the entire Jewish people. "Kol bnei avnei Yisrael asher b'chol makom umakom," uh, all Jewish boys and girls and men and women in all places that they find themselves. "Hashem, Hashem im yichyu." The Rebbe, Shalóm Ubracha, and then writes a four-page letter that has nothing to do on the surface with his wedding anniversary. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with Yud Dalet Kislev. And as a matter of fact, it doesn't seem on the surface to have anything to do with Kislev, and that is a real mystery. I have a possible solution, but you should be aware of the mystery going in, is that this is a, uh, this is a michtav klali that as far as I can tell, and I looked around to the Yumanim to see if there was any sort of precipitating factor. I couldn't find it. Um, people must have been surprised when they got this letter. This is a letter in the middle of Kislev that is about Yaakov Halachledarchai. Now, as you probably know, Yaakov Halachledarchai is a phrase that we say right after Simchas Torah. It is a phrase of encouragement. It's a pasuk. The pasuk says that Yaakov went on his way. Uh, obviously, the, the, uh, uh, in this time of year, the only justification for talking about Yaakov Halachledarchai is 'cause it occurs in the Torah now. The-- In this week's parsha, we have Yaakov Halachledarchai. The Yaakov goes on his way, um, after, uh, after... It's in this week's

02:13 parsha, right, Cyrili? It's this week. Yeah. It's in Vayishlach. It's after the, uh, after the whole meeting with Esav, Yaakov Halachledarchai. So we have it in this week's parsha. But other than it being in the parsha, it is a strange place to have Yaakov Halachledarchai. And the Rebbe here is going to give us a four-page letter on implementing Yaakov Halachledarchai with no apparent connection to Kislev in the middle of Kislev to all of the Yidden everywhere. Uh, I'm setting it up that way because the Rebbe kind of gives us a hint as to why he's doing this in one of the Rebbe's own footnotes. Let's start reading. The Rebbe writes, "Shalom Ubracha. Hemshech lemichtav mitchilas mar Cheshvan." The Rebbe says, "I'm continuing the last public letter that I wrote to you, which was at the beginning of mar Cheshvan." "Sh'teich n'mius ad hal'eira klalis v'siyuma v'cheis meshal chedes Cheshvan." This was, uh, all about the heira that happens at the end of chedes Cheshvan. "V'suba u'masbia," which is the month of Tishrei, which is, uh, both satiated and a-- and capable of satiating. "V'nosach hayedua v'Yaakov Halachledarchai." "I wrote to you last," says the Rebbe, "in Cheshvan, and we talked about Yaakov Halachledarchai at the-- because Tishrei was just ending, and that's the month where we talk about Yaakov Halachledarchai." The Rebbe then says, "I'd like to continue the theme." "Ach sh'kemuvin kol eis u'milah sh'b'Torah hu eleh m'aloteichan v'eira." Every single letter of the Torah, every single word of the Torah has-- is its

03:19 own-- is, is an entire world, and it has all sorts of teachings in it. "Yesh lehes et biar al yedei diyk b'teichan shaloosh tevos hamuros kid'la'alan." The Rebbe says, "I would like to now explain each of these three words in depth." The Rebbe says first of all, "V'Yaakov." So first of all, it's not just Yisrael, it's not Avraham, it's not Yitzchak, it's Yaakov specifically. Who is the one who's Halachledarchai? Why do we have to know that it's Yaakov? "Yedua cheilik sh'ben Hashem es Yaakov v'Yisrael." There's a difference between the names Yaakov and Yisrael when describing the Jewish people. The first is bizman. "Hashem Yaakov nitan lei b'val, b'val dei. Hashem Yisrael l'ach ezman l'ach sh'nisgayah b'soris hamelachim v'anim v'im hanashim b'tochal." This is, uh, first of all, a ch- a change in time. Yaakov got that name when he was born, and he got the name Yisrael only after he'd accomplished something. "Beis. B'teichan Yaakov hu melashon eikev." Yaakov, the name Yaakov, refers to a heel. "Darga hachitachten ish b'gof." It's the lowest part of the body. "Seif hagof," it's the end of the body. "Ben yikev azahichelek ben adam l'adam." This last bit I haven't seen anywhere else. The heel is the place of a person where you can't tell the difference between them. People don't have different looking heels. They have different looking faces. "V'Yisrael melashon sar v'eiseis li reish." The word Yisrael is broken down. It's, uh, first of all, a lashon of sar, meaning some sort of kingship, and it also

04:27 has the letters in it, "Li reish." He'll be for me a head. "Eliyin sh'b'gof," the rosh referring to the top of the body. "V'yekar cheilik ben adam l'adam v'sh'lei museh. Hu partzepha haml'kel mada v'daas." If you talk about what really makes a person unique, it is first of all their face, second of all their voice, uh, their appearance, their knowledge, and these are all things that happen in the head. "Ashar kulam b'reish al adam." These are all head things. So the head is our most unique part of our bodies, the heels not so much. The name Yisrael has to do with our uniqueness. The name Eikev, Yaakov, Eikev has to do with our heel, which is the place at which we are all equal. "Na diyk d'Yaakov hai rov d'Yaakov halachledarchai hu kilcholi yodi." So why tell us that Yaakov is the one who's halachledarchai? Means that message is for every single Jew. "B'li havdal," regardless of, uh, with no, with no, uh, divisions. "Nitnat shlichus m'eved Yisbarach mitchila teka b'lei dasi." Every single Jew from the moment they're born, once again, the word Yaakov is the name that he got when he was born. Every single Jew from the moment they're born, regardless of their level, this is the level of Eikev where everybody's completely equal, has a shlichus from Hashem. Every single person, no matter what their quality is. "Ki sh'eidenu b'madregas Yaakov," they have that shlichus even when they're only at the level of Yaakov. "Mitchilas havedasa," at the beginning of their

05:30 avoda. You know, the, the p- the, uh, the common lashon of once somebody knows alef, they have to teach alef. This is the idea that even at the very beginning of their avoda, even if they're not a Yisrael yet, uh, they are still just a Yaakov. They have their shlichus. "U'meila shlicha zu ayodei avoda b'efen asher kameshach ha'eira." Uh, and they have to do the avoda, which is dot, dot, dot, halach, that they have to go, halach. "Vehan halicha amitis." This means a real movement. "Sh'bedrush halicha v'ekir, v'ekir hagomor makem hamadragas kenan makom notzeh." Going completely from the place where they are to the place where they should be. "Sh'lachein malachim nikraim emdim." The Rebbe says here that that's why angels are called things that stand still, because they serve Hashem with eman yira, and they always do the will of their creator. "Pesach mispiam b'shir v'neranşim." They open their mouths in song to God. "Ashai dei kol zeh eleh madraga d'darga. V'akiv she'adain yesh darga se'erech v'shayeches darga zeh keneves ein ze halicha amitis." He says here malachim do actually move 'cause when they sing, they go from level to level, but it's not considered a real movement because they don't really change from their original darga. Uh, so that's not really called halicha. Real halicha is when you change from your original darga. "Ach adam nikra m'halach," but a person is called a m'halach. "Ki tafkid aleich mezmechayel el chayil." Our job is to go from strength to strength. "Afi m'keim atza b'ruchniyus

06:33 tov." Who, even if I find myself in a good ruchniyus-tic position, "Lo edav ezat klal." I can't be satisfied with that at all. That's not enough. "Ele muchrach sheyeitz lei shineh makom b'ruchniyus." I have to change my position in ruchniyus, even from a good place to a better place. "Ad d'li shineh orech lematsa v'keid-- etta v'kedem." And that eloi, that, that, that elevation needs to be ein arech. It needs to be, um-- What's a good, uh, translation? Ein arech. It needs to be, um, it needs to be a quantum leap, there you go, for our physics people. It needs to be a jump in quantum. It has to be not just a, not just that I've gone higher, but I've changed entirely my way, my, my motive of it. And that finishes off with the . He has to go , to whose path? That is the way of the king. Not Yaakov Halach the dark is normally translated as Yaakov went on his way. Here it means on his way with a capital S. That is Yaakov Halach in the way of Hashem. That you have to go in the way of the king of the entire world. The, uh, the, the-- what a feel- what a, what a path is supposed to be, it's supposed to connect the palace with the furthest, uh, distant settlement. Connecting the two ends of the h- from the, from the palace to the, uh, to the far distant corner. The shlichas of every Jew is that their

07:46 neshamah goes down from a very high level to a very low level. In order to make a connection between the higher and lower worlds. One of the reasons that the neshamah comes into this world and comes from that world is in order to create a derech between the two worlds. Our neshamah's job is to connect the two worlds. From down to up. That is through davening. That is that I, I lift my soul up to God. and also from up to down, which is that's God's Torah and God's mitzvahs. So when I keep them, I'm dragging things from above and bringing them down low. Most of all that tzedakah. Specifically to an ani who wants all things. And need, and needs all things because they have nothing of their own. This is also our avodah in this world. It's not enough just to help our home and our city and our country. We also have to make a path. The path of the king that we mentioned earlier. Until this, uh, until this, um, inspiration reaches all corners of the world. I have to bring this hashpa'ah absolutely everywhere. So that's what it is. In summary, the Rebbe says Yaakov is everybody. Uh, even if they find themselves at an introductory level, and even if they find themselves at the level of the heel, uh, they have to halach, they have to go, and they have to have a, a jump that is ve'ein arech, a quantum leap to darkei, to the p- to, uh,

09:14 to the way of the king, which is the path that connects the to this world. The Rebbe gives a berachah that everybody should be able to fulfill this shlichus. With all of its commentaries. Simcha is able to burst through all boundaries. Until I'm able to spread Chassidus out to the furthest ends of the world. This last sentence is the closest connection we have to the time of year. Uh, the time of year, in Kislev, in general, is a time where the Rebbe talks a lot about spreading the wellsprings forward, so it should help us spread the wellsprings forward. As is the of the end of Cheshvan Kislev, which is the days of Hanukkah, in a way that increases in light. In order to light up the galus until we have fulfilled, until we see fulfilled God's glory fill all the land. The Rebbe's signature. So we have here a very general letter. I mean, by all means, nothing about the Rebbe's general, but it sure feels general. Reading through it, it's a lot of the Rebbe's go-to advice on how to fix the entire world and the Rebbe's sort of go-to encouragement about this. Uh, it's hard to figure out what this letter is doing, why this letter was sent as . When the Rebbe sends out a general letter to everybody on a certain date, usually it has something to do with a pressing matter at the time. It is hard to figure out what that pressing matter might have been. However, when it

10:35 says up here, "Erle Tes Vev Kislev," the Rebbe has a footnote on erle Tes Vev Kislev. This is one of the Rebbe's footnotes in his own , and he says, "Check Likutey Levi Yitzchak page reish yud zayin if you wanna know why I wrote this today on Tes Vev Kislev." Which means we have to go into Likutey Levi Yitzchak, uh, reish yud zayin. Now, in that section is Reb Levi's letters. And here we have a letter from Reb Levi, and it is so characteristically Reb Levi. It is one of the most Reb Levi letters I've ever seen of any letter from Reb Levi. And that is that the Reb Levi is writing to the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin in honor of their second anniversary, which he wrote to them on Tes Vev Kislev because that would be the day of the fulfillment. That's the day of filling, you know. Just like on your, uh, on your birthday, you're not really, uh, fully that age until the end of that day. He would not celebrate Yud Dalet Kislev. Reb Levi would write to them on Tes Vev Kislev, which is how Reb Levi saw Yud Dalet Kislev, which is, of course, in also, so it makes a lot of sense. The Rebbe's to a letter from the-- from his father that was written to the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin together. It's written, Uh, he writes in, in, in beautiful words. He writes, "To my, to my beloved, my dear, my, uh, my cherished son and my

11:42 daughter-in-law," um, and, uh, what's it? Something like that. Something like that. Yeah, something like that. He writes beautiful-- He writes a beautiful introduction to them, and then he writes to them on this day, on the s- second wedding anniversary, a long letter. And in this letter, he keeps on trying. This is why I say it's the most Reb Levi letter ever. He keeps on trying to talk about them and their wedding anniversary, but then suddenly going off into Kabbalah for four pages and then coming back and saying, "I'm just really, really happy you're here," and then going off into Kabbalah again. And it's, uh, it's, it's, it's, it's a fun read. It really is. And it's also somewhat clear, which is, uh, surprising to me because usually I get lost in a lot of his Kabbalah. It's a fairly clear letter too, uh, for somebody who's uninitiated. So I'll read some of it to you. I got some excerpts here, and I think maybe by looking at this letter, we might figure out why the Rebbe was intent on sending this sort of message on Tes Vev Kislev fifty years ago. And even if we don't find out why, we will get to read a wedding-related letter on Yud Dalet Kislev, which makes sense to me. Okay, so the Rebbe writes, "To my beloved, my dear, my cherished son and daughter-in-law," The upcoming week will be Tes Vev Kislev. The letter was actually written on Ches Kislev. You know, mail takes time. So coming up

12:50 will be Tes Vev Kislev, and on that day When Tes Vev Kislev arrives, this will be the completion of two years, two complete years since the two of you entered into the covenant of marriage into one union, so you could build an eternal edifice, Shna-shna-shnaim yamim. Yeah. When a person has the two, whatever, the two years of Nisui Ish V'isha, Hu Nignad Em Eid, the second-year anniversary is an enormous Indian. It's a very big deal, the second-year anniversary. Amarumash Az Tiah Gudas Mah Gudas Netzach, because once you reach the two-year anniversary, this is a symbol that your m- that your marriage w- that the, that the union will last. Hu Ki Klal Im Nisui Ish V'isha Hu Nina Tikkun, because in general, the c- the marriage between a husband and a wife is something that has to do with Tikkun as opposed to Tayu, the world where there's, uh, s- big Keilim and small Eretz, the world that we live in. Um, Hepach Mateyu, which is the opposite of Tayu, a world of chaos. Sh'layayesh Am Nisui Ish V'isha, in the world of Tayu, which is the world of chaos, there is no marriage. How do I know there's no marriage in the world of Tayu? Ki Amalek L'tayu L'Niskun Ish L'Sehem. When we list the kings of Tayu, their wives are never listed. So there's Malkin Kadmaim L'tayu. Um, there's a list of all the kings of Tayu, and those kings who are the, uh, the offspring of Asav, I believe. The, uh, the

14:05 kings that are listed in that list, they never have any wives. And generally speaking, in the Torah, we list people and their wives. There are no wives in Tayu. Hepach Mateyu Sh'layayesh Am Nisui Ish V'isha. In Tayu, there's no such thing. Okay, V'tikkun Hu Nin Nisuin. But Tikkun is all about marriage, which calls them, L'ei L'so Bara L'shevis Yitarah. As it says in the Pasuk, God did not create the world for chaos, for Tayu. He created it to dwell in and to settle, which is L'shevis Yitarah, which is what people do through Nisuin, through marriage. They settle the world. And since marriage, settling the world, is the opposite of Tayu, Rebbe Levi comes to the conclusion that Tikkun is an Indian of Nisuin in the first place, that Tikkun and marriage are closely connected. And then he goes on to say, L'shevis Davka. That's Davka L'shevis because not just L'shevis, it's also Shabbos. And Shabbos, for all of you who know, the Lecha Dedi Meimer say that Yichud Zun, Shu-Sh-Sh-which is Shem Zo with, uh, with Bas, which is Malchus. And then he goes on to say, "Actually, there's a Lamed in Shevis, so we also need to do the Lamed," dot, dot, dot. And he goes on for a page like this, uh, being Medayik in every single part of the Lashon of L'shevis Yitarah. But in any event, he wishes a Mazel Tov and says, "Two years is special." Now, here he goes on. Uh, I-I-- uh, every time I put a couple

15:04 dots here, it's to signify that we skipped a, we skipped a lot of material. He then says here that what's really important is the, is the fact that it's Tes Vav of Kislev, 'cause Tes Vav of Kislev, Tes Vav is of course Yud Hei. We don't write Yud Hei. We don't like to write Yud Hei. By the way, if you look in old books, not even books that old, books already from the-- In the Rishonim, you see they wrote, they wrote the dates as Yud Hei Kislev, not as Tes Vav. I don't know when we switched this over, but it's relatively recent. You-you have Rishonim certainly who write it as Yud Hei, I think even Acharonim. So, uh, the switch, it's not clear to me when the switch happened. But in any event, Tes Vav Kislev, the fifteenth of Kislev, is also Yud Hei Kislev. That's the day of Yud Hei, which is of course God's name. She'eizeh Yesh Kiyum Nitzchi L'chol Davar. He says, "Whenever you see Yud Hei, whenever you see fifteen of anything, since that is Shem Yud Hei, which is God's name, you see a Kiyum Nitzchi L'chol Davar." That's what makes things last. Everything that happens in fifteenths will last forever. And then he gives a lot of really cool examples that I have never seen before. Kamesha, obviously, Mishvatimim Tes Vav. Here's one example. Take the Shvatim, twelve Shvatim, and the three of us, you get Tes Vav. Therefore, the Jewish people will last forever. Also, the Mishkan is

16:03 made from fifteen things if you add in the Shemen and the Besamen. And when you add those all up, you end up getting an eternal Mishkan. Ha'olam Nivra B'yud Hei, the world is created with Yud Hei. As it says, uh, Sululerech Bavis Begashmei. We have this in a lot of places, that the world is made with Yud Hei. Vechehen Beanis T'Chanukah. He says the miracle of Hanukkah, if you, uh, Cheshem Minusech M'Matisyahu Tes Vav Devarim. He says that if you count out the thing that we say on Hanukkah, which is that extra paragraph, "Mei Matisyahu B'neichenim Ka'engadol." He says if you count out the, I guess, uh, verbs in B'mei Matisyahu, you also have fifteen of them. Ravta, Danta, Nekamta, Mesart, Giborim. If you add up all of the verbs and the verb phrases, he says you also get fifteen. Haret Tes Vav. I just jumped down to that Haret Tes Vav. U'Birchas Kehanim Yesh Tes Vav Tevin. In Birchas Kehanim, there are fifteen words, apparently. I never counted, but there you go. V'Kedema, and in many similar cases. Says fifteen is something that makes a Kiyum forever. Vechehen, Yemei Nikah Dehavlad, Heim Meshech Beis Hanin. And also, the amount of time that a child is supposed to nurse is for two years. SheMeshech HaBeis Hanin Dam Necha, Aveinas HaChalav. For those two years, the blood of the mother turns into milk, and that is a Remez of Tikkun-- of, uh, of Tayu turning into Tikkun, essentially, because Tayu is, is correlated with dam, and

17:10 Tikkun is correlated with chalav. So when you turn blood into milk, you're turning Tayu into Tikkun. VeAvala Ki Sheineka Chalav Meshech Beis Hanin Mizchaz Hu Mizkadush Nasah Gam Hu Uvechinus Tikkun Kidiboi. This also fixes the child Kidiboi in a, in a literal sense. VeAz Enetzad Ech L'chalav Imai. After two years, he doesn't need the milk of his mother anymore. Ki Mas KeLahar BeMeichein D'gadlus. At that point, he has Meichein D'gadlus. He doesn't need to, uh, he doesn't need to be subservient to something else's Meichein. He can create Meichein on his own. V'api Amor Yuvan Maad Eisek V'reshe Shazaz Shichta Mechabarch Beis Hanin L'vinei, L'vinei Shantam. Beis Hanin Davka. This is also, it's a Rashi on Chumash, that Aveinoi Shantam is the Gematria of the amount of years we were supposed to live in Eretz Yisroel before the first exile. Hashem made it happen two years earlier so that we wouldn't be destroyed completely, because two years solidifies things. So what's he saying in this entire paragraph? First of all, it's been two years since you got married, and two years signifies solidification. We see this by a child, that a child is, uh, is, is ready to stand on their own two feet and think on their own after two years of nursing. We see by, uh, by Hashem destroying, Rachman Alizlan, Eretz Yisroel, uh, uh, during the first Korban, that, um, that this could-- that he did it two years early, because had he waited the extra two years, it would have been a

18:14 permanent destruction. So two years is special. Your second-year anniversary is special because it means there's a Kiyum Nitzchi. And the fact that your anniversary falls on Tes Vav, and notice that Rebbe Levi is very excited about it falling on Tes Vav and not on Yud Dalet, no matter what we say at Fabrangens. It's a Tes Vav day 'cause that's Yemei Milu Yemei She-- that's the day of the fulfilling of the, of the anniversary. Says Tes Vav corresponds to Yud Hei, which is the Kiyum of all things. So we have here a theme of things lasting permanently, specifically on the fifteenth of Kislev, a day of Kiyum. Then he adds in, and this is probably the paragraph we need the most. Vechehen Acharei Sheb Tes Vav L'chedish Hashlishi Kislev, Shnas Tav Rishadik Alef, Abaleinu L'tov Yimlu Shna Saim Yamim L'chanus, L'chanuschem L'mazltov. This will be, uh, when, when, when we have fifteenth of Kislev of that year, that will be two years since you've been married. SheYizbeh Kol HaMalas V'moras D'maila. You'll get all the advantages we talked about above, about a Kiyum Nitzchi. Shilbe Tes Vav, which is Vechinus Yud Hei. Vech-which is Tes Vav, which is also Yud Hei. V'chedish Hashlishi Ad Meizal Tikkun. You'll also get it because you're in the Chedish Hashlishi, which refers to Tikkun. Now, are we in the Chedish Hashlishi in Kislev? Not really. V'chedish Hashlishi is the way the Torah refers to Sivan. But he's going to say here we're in the Chedish Hashlishi from Tishrei, which is

19:20 a different count. The reason why Sivan is the third month is 'cause Sivan comes after Nisan, and Nisan is how the Torah counts month one. But you also can count the first month of the year as being Tishrei. If you count the first month of the year as being Tishrei, then Kislev is the third month. V'diyi Es Em Alal Sivan, there's an advantage to Kislev over Sivan. If you're gonna pick a third month, choose Kislev, he says. It's more special than Sivan. Why? Ki Hushlishi L'Tishrei. Because Kislev is three from Tishrei. «חג ויום ניסן», and Tishrei is higher than Nisan. «שמעטון תורה בחדש השלישי של סיוון.» We got the Torah on the third month, which is Sivan. We got the Torah in Sivan. «מסירת נפש על קיום תורה ומצוות היה בכיסלו,» but we didn't have Mesirat Nefesh for the Torah until Kislev. So Kislev is the time of Mesirat Nefesh on Torah and Mitzvahs, which makes it more powerful than getting the Torah in the first place. So of all months to pick, he wants, uh, he says Tes Tov is the best day and Kislev is the best month. Why is Tes Tov the best day? Because it's something that lasts forever. And why is, why is Kislev the best month? Because it's three months from Tishrei, and three months from Tishrei signifies the time of Mesirat Nefesh for Torah, not just receiving the Torah. He goes on to say, «כי וונם רצו לשכחם תורת השכל והן מחוקי רצונך.» The Yavanim in the Hanukkah

20:26 story, they wanted to make us forget Torah and to, and to, uh, violate the rules of Hashem. «והנס דחנוכה שהיה על ידי הכהנים משבט לוי בן שלישי.» And the nes of Hanukkah, who did it, was the Kohanim. They're from Shevet Levi. That's the third tribe. That's-- Excuse me. That's the third tribe born. «שגבר לו עליהם בול Nigleh דתורה.» And this is the celebration of Nigleh דתורה, that we were able to be Mesir Nefesh for Nigleh דתורה. And then there was another nes in Kislev. «הנס על ניסתא דתורה.» The nes over the Nista of the Torah, which is on Yud Tes, and Chaf Tes, and Yud. Anybody know Chaf Tes offhand, by the way? I looked it up. I, I forgot. Anybody remember what, what special day was Chaf Tes Kislev? It's okay. I had to look it up. Don't feel bad. Chaf Tes Kislev was the day the Alter Rebbe was freed from prison the second time. So, uh, when you-- If you ask Reb Leivick what are the three most important days in Kislev for Nista d'Torah, he says they're Yud Tes, Chaf Tes, and Yud on Kislev. All right. «כי הרבה ניסים היו בחדש הזה.» There are a lot of miracles that happened in this month. «שמשמע קוללו ב-פה ג.’» If you add up all the miracle, all the special days in Kislev, you get Peh Gimel. How does he do that? Chaf He is Hanukkah. Yud Tes is Kislev. Yud Tes, Yud Tes, Kislev. Chaf Tes, the second, uh, when he was

21:29 re-- when the Alter Rebbe was freed the second time, and Yud for the Mitler Rebbe. «והמאקר ראשון לקולם הוא בחנוכה.» And the makar for all of them is Hanukkah, which he specifically says we should spell without a Vav, and then goes on for three sentences to tell us why it shouldn't be spelled with a Vav. The Alter Rebbe doesn't spell it with a Vav. From now on, no spelling Hanukkah with a Vav. In any event, we have those days, and they all equal Peh Gimel. When you add them to Peh Gimel, you get «מבטלים ה-פה ג’ מכלאס.» You can get rid of the eighty-three machlas that are mentioned in Mara. «היינו שהיה היפך ממרור המרירות, אלא נמי מוס מסיקוס.» You can switch bitterness to, uh, to, to, uh, to sweetness through the Peh Gimel, uh, through the Peh Gimel, uh, through the Bitul of the Peh Gimel machlas, which are the Peh Gimel days that we celebrate in Kislev. Anyway, after that entire discussion about what's going on on Tes Tov Kislev specifically, and why Tes Tov Kislev is a time of Bitul and Mesirat Nefesh for Torah and a special day specifically for Nista d'Torah, uh, I think we have some sort of an explanation, maybe, especially since this is a note that we see at the bottom of our letter. Our letter says the Rebbe put out this Michdav Klali on Tes Tov Kislev, and we're trying to figure out why that would be a special day in the first place. Certainly, we're

22:33 trying to figure out why that would be a special day for him talking about Yankev HaLuz Ardai. I have a provisional idea, and the provisional idea is that he's telling us to look back at Reb Leivick's letter. It looks like this is a very important day for solidifying ideas. If you wanna solidify a message, it's solidified best on Tes Tov Kislev, especially if it's a message about Mesirat Nefesh for Torah and Mitzvahs, which means reaching outside of yourself to help another Yid get closer to Torah and Mitzvahs. So you could almost say from Reb Leivick's letter that the yearly anniversary for Mesirat Nefesh, for keeping Torah and Mitzvahs in a permanent way that will last forever, is on Tes Tov Kislev, which might explain why the Rebbe was inspired to write that letter on that day. Also, note that according to Reb Leivick, that's the Rebbe's wedding anniversary. So it's possible the Rebbe just felt that on his wedding anniversary, at least the way that he saw his wedding anniversary, 'cause it's early Tes Tov Kislev, that that would be the day to send out a letter of empowerment to the Jewish people. I wanted to just show you this last paragraph because it's beautiful. In this last paragraph, he wishes a mazel tov to them again. «וכן מזל טוב לכם בהבאיה רפאה.» I wanna wish you another mazel tov, my beloved ones. «מיעתי והדלים.» Forever to you. «קשורם בגור דלנצח.» May you forever be united and have a, uh, and have a permanent, uh,

23:35 binding. «ויין יין הד הד.» You should have a, uh, house, a, a, a, uh, an eternal house in Israel. «תיא חיים ארוכים מתוקים והנעימים.» You should have a long life, and it should be sweet, and it should be pleasant. «ומהרי אמינו.» Speedily in our days. «יקום גם בכם מה שכזב ולד שנסיים.» He gives them a bracha for children, uh, which he has in almost all of his letters. It should be fulfilled for you quickly, the idea that after two years they will have children. «פרע מלוש שנסיים.» Here we have two full years fulfilled, so it's time for children. «ונזכה לקבל מכם רב נכס.» We should merit to receive from you incredible nakas and eineg and joy. «לראות מכם דור ישר מיברך.» To see raise up from you an upstanding and blessed generation, which is a bracha that the Reb Leivick absolutely got. «ישר מיברך שולם טקס וכבוד.» This means Hamtakas Hakavod Shlom Ru'h Yasharim. And then once again, as I tell you off to the races with the Reb Leivick, he said the word Yasharim, and now we have a long parenthesis of Kabbalah about Yasharim. «בנים ובני בנים ישכיבו תורה ומצוות.» Children and grandchildren who keep Torah and Mitzvahs. «וישרץ יחד בחיי משלום וכל טוב בנפש ובבשר בגשמיות וברוחניות.» He wishes them together a life, uh, um, life and peace and all good in their Nefesh and also in their flesh, in Gashmius and in Ruchnius. «בכל טוב סלה.» All good eternally. «כחפץ אביך וכס-- וכס-- וכסנך.» As is the desire of your father

24:43 and your father-in-law. «אוהב אתכם.» Who loves both of you, um, beeee-- Is that a Gimel? Belev-- Belev Guf, I think. Maybe that's a non. Belev and Nefesh, probably. Belev and Nefesh. Who loves you very much with heart and soul. «חפץ בטובתכם.» And desires your good. «מברך אתכם.» And blesses you. «ממעמקי התעלומות ליבו.» From the very depths of his heart. «בכל טוב.» With all good. Levi with the R-Reb Leivick's signature. Uh, so a beautiful letter on the anniversary of-- on the Rebbe's anniversary, which I think is a, a standalone special for today, but maybe also an explanation of what's going on in today's regular letter in Igrot Kodesh. Thank you all very much.