#771) 770 Eastern Parkway - Part II

00:00 The continuation to the earlier installments in regards to seven seventy. We continue now with installment number two, discussing some aspects in regards to the purchase of seven seventy and what took place in the weeks before the previous Rebbe moved into seven seventy. Although the neighborhood was an expensive neighborhood, and likewise the house, seven seventy, was an expensive building, nevertheless the requested price was relatively low. The reason for that is because the owner, who was a doctor, who built the house in nineteen thirty-three for the purpose of it being his future home and a clinic, was arrested because of unlawful activities taking place in the clinic. And therefore, the house was put up for sale, very special low price of thirty thousand dollars. From the thirty thousand dollars, ten thousand dollars was requested to be paid as a down payment . It was on Friday, the twelfth of in nineteen forty that the building was purchased. A significant amount of the price was sponsored by the children of Rab-- of Rabbi Moshe Eliyahu Kramer, who was the Yeshiv Rosh, the executive of Agudas Yisroel Chabad in the United States, and in those days he was considered and amongst the top sponsors of Lubavitch. It was in the month of , the middle of the month, the previous Rebbe came to check the new hou-home. The previous Rebbe advised how to set up the shul for davening. He requested to see the basement, which is actually the chatzar. It was then the yard that later was built

02:29 as the big shul on the level of the basement, on the lower level. The previous Rebbe instructed to post mezuzahs, and those doors that they were doubtful on which side of the door they should post the mezuzah, the previous Rebbe advised what they should do. In the continuation, they davened Mincha-Maariv, and after davening, the previous Rebbe sat down in the room which later became the Rebbe's room, our Rebbe's room, the Yechidas room on the ground floor. And while saying l'chaim, the previous Rebbe gave a berachah that the Aibishter should help, that this should be a permanent residence, benefesh, in the soul of one for Torah and Avodah, which means it should be systemized in everyone's soul that this should be a place of studying Torah and davening. And it should be also considered a temporary residence because be'karev soon we will be in Eretz Yisrael with Moshiach. The pre-previous Rebbe then continued and spoke about the verse, "Eikev hashesham Avraham becheili," that Avraham followed, adhered to the will of Hashem. Chassidus explains, "Eikev" also means the heel, that also the heel, the lowest level of the person, is permeated with godliness. "Eikev tishmon", the piates of the Helen, that also the neshamas from the later generations, which are lower than the neshamas of the earlier generations, also they should sense and feel godliness. After the purchase, there were some shinuyim, changes that were made in the building, and it was being prepared for the previous Rebbe and his family to move into his new residence.

04:50 On Sunday, , the nineteenth of Elul, the previous Rebbe and his family moved into their new residence. When the previous Rebbe came in, he immediately went into the shul, which was set up on the first floor, and he said, "Yehi ratzon", it should be the will of Hashem that the prayers that will be said in this shul should be with a pnimius, with an inwardness, with the true inward delight that stems from Avodah. Two days later, on Tuesday, , the twenty-first of Elul, there was the formal celebration of Chanukah , dedication of the new home. This took place on the second floor in the previous Rebbe's apartment. Everyone who participated in the purchase of the house felt that this is something very unique. Beyond just setting up a technical residence for the previous Rebbe, Chassidim knew that purchasing this house for , for the previous Rebbe, they are planting the garden of Chassidus on the ground of the United States. The previous Rebbe then farbrenged and spoke sichas, and also delivered a maimar, a discourse which began with the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos, that on three things, on three pillars, the world stands. In the next installment, we will continue and discuss the sicha that the Rebbe spoke in , nineteen fifty, in regard to the previous Rebbe moving into his new home.