Purim Stories (Part 1)

00:00 In reference to the earlier installments about Purim by the Rebbe, we continue now, mitzvah Hashem, with short Purim stories which took place by the Rebbe on various Purim occasions. Firstly, to add a few details to what was mentioned earlier about Purim Taf Shin Mem Alef, 1981, 40 years ago, when Purim was on a Friday. We mentioned that it was after Mincha that the Rebbe delivered a maimer, and the Rebbe said l'chaim, and the Rebbe asked that Elan, everyone should say l'chaim. To add the following details that were not mentioned earlier, the Rebbe then davened Mincha at 3.15 pm. After the maimer, when they offered the Rebbe to bring his becher, his silver cup, with which to say l'chaim, the Rebbe said that he will use a plastic cup. Rabbi Harlech told me that the Rebbe said he doesn't want to be different than everyone else. Now I'll be near to the Purims over the years. In general, during all the years, the shlach manes that the Rebbe would receive from people, after Purim the Rebbe would send it out to be distributed. This was sent to Chassidim who were present in shul, to Chabad yeshivas and girls' schools. We will now share a story which took place approximately 90 years ago, in 1930 or 1931 in Berlin. The actual story was told by Rabbi Chaim Cement, alav haShalom, from Boston, who was a shliach there for many years. And he heard this story firsthand from Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik. Rabbi Cement was interviewed by Gem and

02:24 he related the following story. Rabbi Soloveitchik told him a particularly fascinating incident which occurred on Purim. After partaking in the Sudas Purim, the holiday feast, the Rebbe walked out to see that a lot of students were milling about. So he got up in the chair and started to speak about the meaning of Purim. Undoubtedly, he was trying to reach the Jewish students, of whom there were many, by explaining the story of Purim and the mitzvahs of the day and the lesson of the Megillah. But Berlin was not the place to do this. Berlin was a place that had many laws, one of which forbade preaching in public without a permit. As the Rebbe was standing on a chair and talking, the police arrived and they asked if anybody has a permit. And everybody pointed to the Rebbe. The Rebbe himself did not have a permit and they arrested the Rebbe. Since Rabbi Soloveitchik was known as the Rebbe's colleague, he was summoned to the police station to vouch for him. He obliged, explaining to the police that the Rebbe was just celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim and meant no harm. The police accepted his explanation and let the Rebbe go. As they left the police station, Rabbi Soloveitchik told the Rebbe, who was then the son-in-law of the previous Rebbe and not yet the Rebbe himself, you know, one day you are going to be a Rebbe. Your ancestor, the Alter Rebbe and founder of Chabad movement, was in prison. And your father-in-law was

04:32 in prison. And now you were in prison. It is a sign. The Rebbe walked together with Rabbi Soloveitchik to his house. It was in the middle of the night. And as a hakores hatev, as an appreciation, the Rebbe stayed in his house till the morning. And through the night, they were conversing in matters of learning. The follow-up of the story that took place many years later, I heard from Rabbi Lipa Brennan, who heard it firsthand from Rabbi Pinter, who personally witnessed the event and was also part of the follow-up, which was about 25 years later. Rabbi Pinter once participated in a Purim fabrangan in 770 by the Rebbe in the early years of the Rebbe's nasiyos, the early 1950s. He had no idea that the Rebbe is the person who he saw on that evening, Purim evening in Berlin. He comes into the fabrangan. He recognizes the Rebbe from 1931 from Berlin. He approached the Rebbe and told the Rebbe that he remembers Purim 1930, 1931. The Rebbe immediately told him, it should remain between us. Otherwise, they may make another Yom Tov in Lubavitch, implying that Hasidim will add an additional Yom Tov to celebrate.