Ki Onu Amecha - part I

00:01 The hemsech to the early installments be-negea to nigunim and ncheach, which ncheach is an acronym for the words Nigunei Chassidim Chabad, which is also the title of the Lubavitch musical records. We continue now, and we'll, im yirtzeh Hashem, discuss the nigun Ki Anu Amecha that the Rebbe taught Simchas Torah, taf shin chaf daled, late 1963. It was about five ten AM after Hakafos earlier in the evening and Seudas Yom Tov, the Rebbe came in to the shul to teach the new nigun. In general, in the earlier years when the Rebbe would enter into the shul, the Rebbe would first teach the new nigun and then distribute mashke l'chaim for those that are taking upon themselves to increase in the study of Chassidus. In taf shin chaf daled, the Rebbe immediately, as soon as he came in, began distributing mashke. Many people assembled did not want to approach the Rebbe at that point because they were pushing already for quite a while before that to have a good place to be able to hear and see the Rebbe when the Rebbe will be teaching the new nigun. And they figured that if they are gonna come up to the Rebbe, they're gonna lose their place which they held onto in order not to miss anything while the Rebbe's teaching the nigun. The Rebbe then said before the distribution, "L'daveini, to my disappointment, it became something routine. Mitzvas hanashe melumada, that even children come over for mashke, although it does not relate to them at all." The

02:02 Rebbe continued, "Therefore, I am announcing and repeating it and mentioning it again that only those that have in the past fulfilled the increase in the study of Chassidus that they took upon themselves last year, they should come over for mashke." And the Rebbe concluded, "Because since I don't want to cause a Yid not to be able to fulfill his promise, and since not everybody is shayech, so they should not come over. This also includes children that it does not relate to them." In the middle of the distribution, the Rebbe pointed to those that already received that they should go back to their place. The Rebbe, before he began teaching the nigun, the Rebbe told a story that this nigun he heard from one of the older Chasidim who would hum this tune to himself while he was saying Ki Anu Amecha in the tefillah of Yom Kippur. And at the conclusion of the fast of Yom Kippur, he began dancing with a special liveliness, lebedikeit, while he was singing the nigun. And he repeated again and again the words of Ki Anu Amecha. After that, the Rebbe explained the contents of the nigun. And the Rebbe said that in the same sense that in the nigun of Ata VeChatanu, that there are two sections to the nigun. One, in a spiritual sense, reflects the aveida of tzaddikim. The whole nigun is sung once. And the second section, which means when the nigun is sung again, it is implying, reflecting the aveida of ba'al teshuva, repeating

04:18 every part of the nigun more than once. Likewise, be-negea to the nigun of Ki Anu Amecha. And the Rebbe continues, the nigun Ki Anu Amecha that was taught in the year taf shin yud zayin, late 1956, refers to a t'nua of victory, which is more appropriate for the aveida of tzaddikim. But in this nigun that the Rebbe is teaching now in taf shin chaf daled is an additional t'nua, a t'nua of achshanus, being very persisting, which is appropriate for the aveida of ba'al teshuva. And this is the nigun that the Rebbe taught now. And the Rebbe continues, therefore, this nigun does not have an end, as they say in the musical traditional language. And b'meila, it's repeated again and again. And that is basically the contents of the inyan of teshuva, that a person should never be satisfied with what he accomplished, but he should always strive to a greater depth and yet a greater depth. The Rebbe sang the nigun many times, and he continued distributing mashke. There was a lot of pushing, and there were also some wise guys that brought their children, young children, to receive mashke. About five thirty, the Rebbe said, "There's about fifteen minutes left, and after that I need to go daven." And then the Rebbe continued, "There's five minutes left. There's three minutes left. There's two minutes left." Two minutes are left. During these moments, the Rebbe said, since I see that the condition is not fulfilled, the condition of an increased chassidus, and also young children

06:28 are taking, which this actually proves that it's not about the increased chassidus. The melech, I do not know if this will take place next year, benegeah telemashke and the nigun. And therefore, the Rebbe continues, I will sing another nigun, and benegeah telemashke, we'll see further. The Rebbe then taught the nigun Hu Elikeinu, which we will discuss in an upcoming installment. But at this point, just to discuss the nigun Ki Anu Amecha, the Rebbe in a sicha of Yem Simchas Teira said that as mentioned earlier when we distributed the mashke that this is a nigun of Ba'al Echuva, therefore there is a persisting feeling, an akshonus, er akshen sech, orechen sech nidermit, vas mazat mal maila. He's not taking consideration what is told from above. He knows it can be any other way, and he knows and he goes with a stubbornness that it needs to be Anu Amecha v'ata Elikeinu. We are your nation, you are our God, we are your children, you are our father. And whatever took place till now, although it wasn't 100% in a right conduct, it's not negiah to him. Now he needs to be cherished and beloved by Hashem more yet than before the sin, as the Rambam writes. And bemela, it's not negiah to him what titles he will have now, how he will be pleased in the eyes of Hashem and beloved, but it is like someone that runs away from the opposite. Somebody runs away from evil and doesn't take any calculations in consideration. No details

08:32 are negiah to this person as long as he runs away from evil. He knows one thing, that it needs to be Anu Amecha v'ata Elikeinu. We are your nation and you are our God. It needs to be Yisrael u'malka bel chadei. Yidden and Hashem are together.