Diary of the Month of Iyar 5741 (1981) - Part I

00:01 As we find ourselves on Erev Shuas, Tov Shin Pe Alef brings back memories to this very same day exactly forty years ago, Erev Shuas Tov Shin Mem Alef, 1981, when the Iraqi reactor was bombed by the Israeli Air Force. Already weeks and months earlier, the Rebbe related to Tzivas Hashem, the children, the army of Hashem, that they should increase in Torah and mitzvahs and tefillah. On Yud Alef Nissan, during the fabrengen, the Rebbe initiated a campaign that children should have a Sefer Torah klali, a general Sefer Torah should be written up for children of Am Yisrael, and everyone should have a letter in the Sefer Torah. And this continued from Pesach to Shuas, the Rebbe urged very much and inquired how many more children were registered and received a letter in the Sefer Torah. When one Sefer Torah was completed, another one followed, and this is what continues till this very day. Erev Shabbos Parshah Emir on the fourth of Iyar, family wrote to the Rebbe b'negir their child who was registered in Tzivas Hashem, and after a few weeks he got hurt somehow, somewhere, and they asked for a bracha for this child. And the Rebbe responded that his elevating to a higher level in Tzivas Hashem, this will also contribute to his health, that he should become healthy. Yud Gimel Iyar on the thirteenth of Iyar, on this day the Rebbe wrote a message in Hebrew to all the sons and daughters of the Jewish nation wherever they are. And the Rebbe described

02:19 in the letter that the spiritual and physical status of what's happening in the world and b'negir to Yidden in particular and b'negir to Yiddishkeit is unstable and it is degenerating, falling lower and lower, and that Hashem should have mercy with his racham of Harabbim. And then the Rebbe continues and suggests that they should make gatherings for Torah, tefillah, and tzedakah in public in these auspicious days, in the days when Torah is read. And towards the end of the letter, the Rebbe concludes, "Bevakosha nafshis, bechol loshon shel bakosha." The Rebbe says, "I am asking a very hearty and soulful request in every language of how a request could be expressed to unite the Jewish nation, and it should be a true unity based on Torah's emes and v'ahavta l'reiachakamecha, to love a fellow Jew as yourself." This letter made a very strong impression on people around the world. In the evening before the letter was published, the Rebbe advised that this letter should be read at the dinner of all the Torah with a slavos, with a liveliness, that it should also make a impression on the listeners. On Yud Aleph Elul, Pesach Sheini, Mincha time, the Rebbe signed his name on the letter and released it, and this is when it was printed and publicized. In one of the days after Pesach Sheini, someone wrote to the Rebbe that he came from Eretz Yisrael, he's already here two weeks, and he did not merit to have a fabrengen. So he writes to the Rebbe, should

04:43 he go back to Eretz Yisrael? So the Rebbe says, "Al pide, based on what you are requesting, stay till after this upcoming Sunday," which implied that there will be a fabrengen prior to the Sunday. Yud Aleph Elul, the day before Lag BaOmer, the Rebbe asked many times what is happening with the letter that he has sent to Klal Yisrael, as mentioned earlier. The Rebbe also advised that in the days between Lag BaOmer and Shuas, they should make sure that as many children that they can register should be included in the writing of this Sefer Torah. On Shabbos Parshah Bechukosai, a day after Lag BaOmer, the Rebbe fabrenged, and the contents of the sichas were b'negir to Lag BaOmer and the lessons, directives that we derive from this day. The Rebbe asked to sing a nigun before the delivery of the maimer, which began with the verse in Bechukosai Teilechu. Interesting to note that generally In these years, the Rebbe would deliver a ma'amar in the format of a sicha on an ordinary Shabbos. But this was something unique that the Rebbe said delivered a formal ma'amar. The Rebbe again continued speaking about the situation in the world, that it is in a dangerous situation. And one person could press a button and cause a destruction. The Rebbe continued speaking about writing the sefer Torah of children, as mentioned earlier. Towards the end of the farbrengen, the Rebbe spoke about mashke that just arrived from Moscow, from a farbrengen that took place there in the last

06:50 weeks. And the Rebbe continued that he will give this mashke to Rabbi Mentlik, and he will pour in more wine, and he will distribute it by Yachsid HaShefarbrengen. Towards the end of the farbrengen, the Rebbe said that when Mashiach will come, l'cheil ureish, the first thing that we will be doing is making a Chassidishe farbrengen. And in general, during this farbrengen, there were many unusual expressions from the Rebbe. On the twentieth of Iyar, the Rebbe spoke to Neseh of Nes Chabad, as usual before Shuas, and the contents of the sicha is Migdal Eir, a tower of light. The Rebbe derived a lesson of the Shir Chumash that is being studied that day in the Shir LeChitas on the words, בִּמְבַרְשִׂנַי בְּאֵל מֵד. And also the participation in the writing of the Sefer Torah also from children who are behind the iron curtain. And this will also hasten the redemption. On Chavvei Zir, after Mincha, the Rebbe spoke with Rav Nissan Emanov, distinguished mashpia in Yeshiva in Bronwa, France, and he said that in the Gemara it is mentioned, the Tractate of Tainesh, that there was a king, Yeravam ben Nevot, that caused obstacles that Yidden were not able to do pilgrimage to come to the Beis Hamikdash. And then came Heshea ben Eilah, and he nullified the decree. Nevertheless, Yidden still had no will to come to do Aliyah L'Regel, pilgrimage. And Heshea ben Eilah was punished for that, because the time of Yeravam ben Nevot, when there were obstacles, they couldn't make it. So

08:55 then it wasn't obvious that the Yidden did not want to go. But when they had the opportunity to go, and nevertheless they didn't go, so this was something that reflected in a negative light, and this was brought about by Heshea ben Eilah. That's why he was punished. And although he was a Melech Tzadik, although he was a king, a righteous king, nevertheless he was punished. So the Rebbe compared it that we find also in regards to the manuscripts, Chassidis writings of the Rabbeim, the Alter Rebbe, the Mittler Rebbe, Tzemach Tzedek, the Rebbe Maharash, and the Rebbe Rashab, and the previous Rebbe. Nevertheless, although it's being published in a very great measure, people are not learning it. So the Rebbe says, כְּנֶחְנוֹ חָפֵּן צְלִיבְדֶם מַשְׁנֵה לִבֵּר נוֹס I can receive a negative effect from this. Nevertheless, the Rebbe continues, I will continue even more yet, וְאֵי יֹדִים לִתּוּיָה My hand is still out to accomplish more in this field of publishing Chassidis.