The Rebbe's Purim Discourses

00:00 In the earlier installments, we discussed the four oc-occasions of Purim being on Friday and what took place by the Rebbe. This was in the years Tav Shin Yud Dalet, Tav Shin Lamed Dalet, Tav Shin Lamed Zayin, and Tav Shin Mem Alef. In nineteen fifty-four, nineteen seventy-four, nineteen seventy-seven, and nineteen eighty-one respectively. We will now discuss the opening verse, the divrei ha-maschal of the ma'amarim, the discourses which the Rebbe chose to deliver for Purim in the above mentioned years. On three of the four occasions, the ma'amar was delivered after a nigun was sung upon the Rebbe's request. This was traditional before a formal ma'amar was delivered during every Yom Tov ech Chassidishe Yomim Tovim. What is the meaning of an opening verse in a Chassidic discourse? The Rebbe taught us interesting insights about this concept. We will read from a few selected paragraphs of sichas, originally in Hebrew, being translated here into English. In a sicha Tav Shin Chaf Alef, late 1960, the Rebbe said as follows, "The beginning of the ma'amarim, the discourses, although mostly they don't have an impact on the contents of the ma'amarim, nevertheless, they relate to and are connected with the time when the ma'amar was delivered. And as we see benegeah to the ma'amarim of Rosh Hashanah, that when the calendar setting is as such that Rosh Hashanah is on Shabbos, the Rabbeim would begin their discourse with a verse from our sages in the Talmud about the topic of Yom Tov Rosh Hashanah which falls out on Shabbos. If

02:25 Rosh Hashanah was in the weekdays, then the beginning of the ma'amar would be either with a verse or with a quote from our sages that relate to blowing the shofar, sounding the shofar b'pel. And likewise, benegeah to discourses throughout the Yomim Tovim of the year. The previous Rebbe once said that when they asked the Mitteler Rebbe, why is there a need to begin the ma'amarim with a verse or a quote from our sages? The main thing is the contents of what is discussed in the ma'amar. So they could have easily begin the ma'amar with lahavnin yen pleini, to understand a certain inyan. Why is there a need to quote from a verse or a quote from our sages? And the Mitteler Rebbe answered that the beginning of the ma'amar is as a passport. And the Rebbe says this is what the Friediker Rebbe told him, and he never heard an explanation. And the Rebbe continues and explains, "A passport is a certificate that testifies about the identity, the entity of the person who has this certificate. And in our case, Torah itself is higher than time and space. Therefore, our sages tell us that when one occupies himself in the study of Torah, even in inyanim of korbonos, sacrifices, even if it's taking place at night or not in Eretz Yisrael, it is considered like he brought a sacrifice. And from this we understand that the inyan of Torah is higher than time and space. So in order to connect the ma'amar with time and

04:31 space, therefore there is a beginning of the ma'amar that relates to the time when the ma'amar is being de-delivered. And this beginning testifies and connects the contents of the ma'amar with time and space." In a farbrengen, Tav Shin Mem Beis, Parshat Ki Tisa, actually this week's parsha, the Rebbe explains that definitely there is a need to say that there is a connection between the contents of the ma'amar and the verse. The Rebbe was referring to a ma'amar on the Megillas Esther, that there is a connection between the contents of the ma'amar and the verse which was chosen to begin this ma'amar, which is a passuk in the Megillah. Which means that this inyan relates to the general concept of Purim, since it is by divine providence and not coincidental, and surely when we're speaking about a inyan in Torah. In Tav Shin Chaf Dalet nineteen sixty-four, Yut Zvat, the Rebbe said benegeah to the inyan of a passport that it's not just an external label But actually, since we're speaking about the Inyan of Torah, so every Inyan in Torah, whatever it should be, it is a part of Torah, and beneleh it has the same sacred standard as every part in Torah. And now we'll discuss benegeah to the four maimorim on the four various occasions when the Rebbe delivered them. In 1954, Purim was on a Friday. The Rebbe's fabregen took place on the next day, Shabbos Shushan Purim, in the late afternoon. The Rebbe then delivered the maimer after a brief introduction

06:47 about the customs of the day and the general timing for a maimer, a discourse delivered on Purim. The maimer began with a verse of the Mishnah, the Talmud, in the beginning of the tractate of Megillah, where the Mishnah states, The Megillah is read on the 11th, the 12th, the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th of Adar. Precisely mentioning the 15th of Adar, which was on that very Shabbos Shushan Purim in 1954. 20 years later, in Tafshin Lamedaled, 1974, when Purim once again was on a Friday, something different took place. The Rebbe opened his discourse with the verse of the Shabbos Parsha, Parsha Kisisa, the beginning of the Parsha. And immediately after brief remarks on the verse and questions, the Rebbe began elaborating in great length on the verse Ish Yehudi, which is a key verse in the Megillah. After a lengthy elaboration on the verse Ish Yehudi, and based on this elaboration, the Rebbe answered the questions he asked at the opening of the maimer. He also connected the beginning of the maimer with Purim. Three years later, in Tafshin Lamed Zayin, 1977, Purim fell out again on Friday. At the beginning of the fabregen, the Rebbe asked for the nigun which is traditionally sung before the maimer. And the contents of this maimer was identical to the topic delivered in 1954. As mentioned earlier from the tractate of Megillah, the Megillah is read on the 11th, the 12th, the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th of Adar. In addition, towards the conclusion of the

09:01 maimer, the Rebbe spoke about the timetables of the Megillah readings and the mitzvahs of Purim. In Tafshin Mem Alef, 1981, the Rebbe opened his maimer with the verse La-Yehudim hoys o'era ve'simcha ve'sas ve'ikar, and continued with the next verse, Va'ir Shushan sohalah ve'samecha. The entire maimer is focused on Shushan Habirah, as it is reflected in the higher spiritual spheres and how it should be expressed in one's service to the Creator. Simply put, the Rebbe's maimer shed light on the events of the day of Shushan Purim, when Purim was celebrated in Shushan. From all this we learn how precisely the Rebbe chose an opening verse for a maimer.