Chanuka - The Rebbe's Directive

00:00 The to the Chanukah to share a, uh, an experience that we had in late 1970. We learned in Newark then, Newark, New Jersey. This was the Seder that after completing the Seder in the Lubavitch Yeshiva. So then we were in Newark for two years. It was around Chanukah time that Rabbi Herschen, , received a, uh, from the Rebbe to make a Chanukah rally with the, the children in the surrounding areas of the Yeshiva. got to work, and we were in touch with many children, and the prospects were that there were about seven hundred kids that will take part in this Chanukah rally. The rally would be taking place in a certain auditorium, and they were gonna be picked up by buses that morning. That morning, , there was a big snowstorm. Uh, blizzard, literally. Deep snow, winds, and parents were confused. They didn't know who to reach because there was no set up phone number at least that they, they were not-- Some of them were not aware of it. And , they didn't know if this program is still on or not. In addition to that, in the weeks preparing for the rally, there were also detailed from the Rebbe, and one of the was that they should also light the Menorah. a fraction of kids made it to the, uh, rally due to the weather as mentioned. And when they came to light the Menorah, the, uh, management said, "This is a fire hazard, and we can't allow it." The Rebbe said, that

02:21 Baruch Hashem, they were successful in lighting the Menorah and everything worked out. even the number of kids that came that were about a hundred kids that came, in addition to that, the lighting the Menorah, everything was from the Rebbe. And that is when it was understood why the Rebbe is add-added the word to light the Menorah. It wasn't enough just gathering but lighting because basically this was to push through, um, as we saw, it became very obvious that they did not want to allow it because it is a fire hazard. However, in the end, Baruch Hashem, everything worked out. Chanukah