Rosh Hashana 5712 (1951) - Part I

00:00 As we find ourselves in a new year, Taf Shin Peh Beis, five seven eighty-two, it is customary to discuss a yuman, a diary of the events that took place by the Rebbe in the early years. This yuman, this diary, is unique for two reasons. One, it is describing the events that took place late 1951, Taf Shin Yud Beis, exactly seventy years ago. In addition, it was recorded in writing by the Rebbe's chezer, Rabbi Elchan, who we discussed an overview of his life in a series of installments right after his petirah in the middle of the summer. Rabbi El wrote this yuman more in the format of letters to his parents who live in Eretz Yisrael, and he was in seven seventy, so he would write occasionally to his parents what took place by the Rebbe. Rabbi El, in the beginning of this תקופה, this era, discusses what took place Shabbos Parashat Nitzavim, which is the Shabbos prior to Rosh Hashanah. And he begins as follows. As is known, that although the Rebbe already accepted the nesios and began delivering discourses, formally the Rebbe already accepted the nesios in the earlier year Taf Shin Yud Alef, winter 1951. Nevertheless, the Rebbe would deliver discourses only by Shabbos Mivorchem Fabregen, which is a Shabbos that blesses the new month, and Yom Tovim. But to deliver chiddes separately, only a maimer without a fabregen, without additional sichas, the Rebbe would not do. It was Thursday Parashat Nitzavim, a group of chiddim went into the Rebbe's room and requested

02:30 in the name of all of Anash that the Rebbe should say Chiddes Rosh Hashanah. And generally, to say Chiddes Rosh Hashanah, the Rabbeim would deliver only a maimer. There wouldn't be any sichas, not a format of a fabregen. So the Rebbe answered that on Erev Rosh Hashanah, which was on Sunday that year, he will give them an answer. Shabbos Parashat Nitzavim, a day before Erev Rosh Hashanah, there was a fabregen. The Rebbe delivered a maimer, a discourse, Atem Nitzavim Hayom, which is the verse with which the Parashat Nitzavim begins. After the maimer, the Rebbe spoke a sicha relating to the fact that this is the month that the Eibishter himself blesses, Chedes Tishrei. Yidden don't bless that month like the other eleven months, or in a leap year, twelve months. This is an exception in the sense that the Eibishter himself blesses the month of Tishrei, as the Rebbe explains it in the Hayom Yom in the 25th of Elul, the name of the Bashem Tif. And the Rebbe continues that when Hashem blesses the month of Tishrei, this inspires and gives Yidden the energy and the keach that they should be able to sanctify and bless the following months throughout the year. The Rebbe then told Rab Shmuel Zalmanov, who was the menagem, he would begin the nigunim. Also, in the presence of the previous Rebbe at the fabregens, that he should sing the Rosh Hashanah dikkat nua, which is a certain nua that was traditionally passed on by the Rabbeim, and it is

04:24 from the ma'ariv of the first night Rosh Hashanah. That is when it was traditionally sung. As soon as Rab Shmuel Zalmanov began singing the nigun, the Rebbe started to cry very much, and he placed his head on the, on his hands on the table, and tears were mamash pouring out of the Rebbe's eyes. When Rab Shmuel Zalmanov saw this, he stopped in the middle, stopped singing the nigun, and the Rebbe motioned him with the finger he should continue singing, till the Rebbe lifted up his head from the table, and that's when he stopped singing, figuring that the Rebbe is gonna speak now. After the nigun, the Rebbe spoke a sicha, that the avoda of Rosh Hashanah, the service of Rosh Hashanah has to be with joy. The crying and the taking in account of what took place the past year, that takes place Elul, but Rosh Hashanah there needs to be an avoda besimcha, and the Rebbe elaborated on it in, in length, and the Rebbe said, it says, gilu beroda. This is in the chapter two of the Psalms of Tehillim, and rejoice with trembling. So the Rebbe ex- elaborated and explained that this means the beginning has to be gilu, the inyan of rejoice, but this gufa has to be concealed with trembling. But the beginning, out- the outstart is gilu, and the Rebbe says that we must say so, because if a person will start with trembling, he will then start ma- taking in account of all his thoughts, words, and deeds

06:20 of the past year, and as soon as he will remind himself in what situation he finds himself in, he will begin crying with the bitterness of his soul, like a, a poor person that doesn't even need to meditate. As soon as he thinks a moment about his situation, he begins crying. As the Mitel Rebbe writes in the Sefer Derech Chayim, when the Rebbe started to speak about this inyan, again the Rebbe started to cry, and his words were swallowed in the tears. Those that stood, stood from a distance were not able to hear, but only those that stood close to the Rebbe. After the sicha that was said with a lot of crying, the Rebbe asked to sing a joyous nigun, and the Rebbe sang along. Nevertheless, it was obvious on pnei kochei, on the Rebbe's face, an ongeltsaygen kayde seriousness. Im Yirtza Hashem, in the upcoming installment, we will discuss Erev Rosh Hashanah and Rosh Hashanah of Tov Shin Yud Beis.