Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson (1902-1988)

00:00 The Kesher Techalvei Shvat, the yard site, Hilula of the Rebetzen. We will discuss a few short sikhas which were delivered in the week and also days before the histalkus of the Rebetzen, and an anecdote which took place on Erev Rosh Hashanah Taf Shin Mem Ches. The first event took place on Erev Rosh Hashanah Taf Shin Mem Ches, late nineteen eighty-seven. But first, we will refer back to Erev Rosh Hashanah Taf Shin Yud, late nineteen forty-nine, some thirty-eight years earlier. A Hassid then benched the previous Rebbe with good wishes for the new year. The previous Rebbe responded that this is a time that focus needs to be on the public, not on the individual. As we know that Taf Shin Yud was the previous Rebbe's last year be'alma dein in this world. Later during the year on Yud Shvat, the previous Rebbe was Nistalik. Erev Rosh Hashanah Taf Shin Mem Ches, Rabbi Klopman, a safer in Crown Heights, and some of his children had a close relationship with the Rebetzen. On this day, Erev Rosh Hashanah, they benched the Rebetzen with best wishes for the new year. The Rebetzen responded with this exact same response as mentioned earlier that the previous Rebbe said, "This is a time that focus needs to be on the public, not on an individual." During the year, when one of the Klopman daughters bid farewell to the Rebetzen, the Rebetzen gave her a hug, which was unusual. After Chovei Shvat, the family understood the Rebetzen's comment on Erev Rosh Hashanah, and

01:57 the girl understood that the hug was her last visit to the Rebetzen. A second ding in, it was after the twenty-second of Shvat when Hasidim realized the impression of the Rebetzen. The Rebbe no longer farbreng the middle of the week, be it Yud Tes Kislev or Yud Shvat or Yud Beis Tammuz. The farbrengens remained only on Shabbos and Yom Tov. And later on, also a sikha on certain occasions during the week. The Shabbos farbrengens changed in style and also were becoming shorter. It was Pesach Taf Shin Mem Ches, nineteen eighty-eight, Rabbi Yolles from Philadelphia would customarily visit the Rebbe on Chalamei Sukos and Chalamei Pesach. On the eighteenth of Nisan, Chalamei Pesach, Rabbi Yolles asked the Rebbe to continue with the regular schedule as he did prior to Chovei Shvat. The Rebbe responded that people who came to console him forgot that this is an entire sugya, an entire, uh, discussion in the Talmud, in Mesechta Sanhedrin about the loss of Ishtie HaRashayna, the first wife. One of the things which the Gemara mentions that is lost is the lack of advice. When we look back in the sikha of the fifteenth of Shvat, the last weekday farbrengen that we had by the Rebbe to date, the Rebbe states, as it was translated by Sikhas in English, "With this power, the previous Rebbe's life teaching Chasidus and guiding his followers, we may also find in his teachings answers and advice in all areas of divine service as they are illuminated in Chasidus. This rule will

03:55 apply to questions in divine service in Chasidic custom, there being no reason to ask since the answers may all be found. Likewise, in matters of healing and health, since the Teyte directs the doctor to heal and the individual to be healthy, as explained in the laws of the Rambam and Shulchan Aruch of the Beis Yosef as well as in the Alter Rebbe Shulchan Aruch, therefore, there is no need to ask questions. Similarly, questions of business or parnasah may be answered by seeking advice of knowledgeable friends. In all these areas, there should be no reason to seek directives or answers, for in the teachings of the previous Rebbe, one may find all the answers." Which basically the Rebbe is speaking here about finding all the advice already in the sikhas from the previous years or seeking the advice of experts. A third nekuda, during the Yechidus on the evening of the twenty-first of Shvat, there were several groups who merited to enter into Yechidus by the Rebbe, a group of chasanim and kalos, a group of bar mitzvahs, and the general bulk group of Hasidim who were here as guests. In the last sikha to the general Yechidus for all orchim, the guests, the Rebbe concluded with the words, "Be'er k'nei melech chaim." And the word chaim is bolded in the printed sikha, which seemed to be loud. Rebbe seemed to conclude the sikha on a loud note. This was the last closing word the Rebbe said in public to the large group of Hasidim guests

05:52 before the histalkus of the Rebetzen. The hemsech to the earlier installment, Bene Geyah to the Rebetzen, we're continuing now with installment number two. Referring to various stories, short stories that the Rebbe either spoke with individual people or expressions from the Rebbe to the Rebbetzin. When the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin lived on New York Avenue and President Street before they moved into their house on President Street, when the Rebbe went from his house to seven seventy, he would walk through President Street. The Rebbetzin would escort him from the window of their apartment on New York Avenue. In the middle of the block, the Rebbe turned around, looked at the Rebbetzin who was escorting him from the window, and the Rebbe motioned with his hands as saying goodbye. Another occasion when the Rebbe once came into his house after a day's work, it was Yud Dalet Kislev, the anniversary date of the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin. The Rebbe walked over to the Rebbetzin and said, "Mazel tov, our wedding day." Mazel tov, today is our wedding day. There was another occasion when the Rebbetzin did not feel well, and she was resting in bed. The Rebbe was unaware of it. There was a, uh, farbrengen then into the late hours of the, uh, night. And when the Rebbe came home, he was notified about her condition. He immediately ran up the staircase to her room, and he sat with her till the morning. Now we're gonna hear two stories of N she Chabad sending a bouquet of

07:59 flowers to the Rebbetzin. It was many years ago that N she Chabad sent to the Rebbetzin LeCoven her birthday a bouquet of flowers, and they also attached an envelope that contained names of people that needed broches. And the intention was that the Rebbetzin will give over the reshimah, the list of names to the Rebbe. The bouquet of flowers was given over to the Rebbetzin, and the envelope was given over to the Rebbe. The Rebbe looked at the envelope and saw that it was addressed to the Rebbetzin. The Rebbe asked, "Why are they bringing me an envelope that is addressed to the Rebbetzin?" The mashgiach, the, uh, person helping in the house answered that this is a list of people that need broches. The Rebbe responded, "Nu, they." Nu, she can also bless them. On another occasion, a , a group of women from France brought a bouquet of flowers for the Rebbetzin with an envelope of names that needed broches, and they brought it to the Rebbetzin. The mashgiach took the pigen and gave it over to the Rebbe. The Rebbe said he should give it to the Rebbetzin. A smile appeared on the face of this person helping in the house. The Rebbe became serious, and the Rebbe said, "Why are you laughing? She is a daughter of the that his broches were fulfilled. She is a granddaughter of that his broches were fulfilled. She's a great-granddaughter of a that his broches were fulfilled, and you're laughing?" During the shiva, when people came to

10:03 be Melachim Avod, but one of the people that approached the Rebbe told the Rebbe that he heard many unique qualities about the Rebbetzin. The Rebbe said, "This is underestimated. Only Hashem knows all her qualities." On another occasion during the shiva, there was one of the Rebbes from other circles that came to be Melachim Avod the Rebbe, and he asked how old the Rebbetzin was. The Rebbe answered that in general, we do not count years. But since he asked, her birth date is on the twenty-fifth of Adar, which on this day she is supposed to become eighty-seven. In conclusion, there was a family that knew the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin from France. Their name is Gorlin. Rabborch Gorlin had a very special relationship with the Rebbe, and his mother had a relationship with the Rebbetzin, and he was also very helpful when the Rebbe registered in Sorbonne. This was already discussed in detail in the audios number one seventy-four through one seventy-seven. The son-in-law, Mr. Lassner , related the following. After they visited the Rebbetzin a few months earlier, and it was, uh, the occasion that the Rebbe was distributing dollars, so they stood online to receive a dollar from the Rebbe. Mr. Lassner relates that he felt a strong will to tell the Rebbe that we visited the Rebbetzin two months earlier, and if the Rebbe will allow me, I wanna say something to the Rebbe. And he said to the Rebbe as follows, "Behind every great man stands a great woman." When the Rebbe

12:13 heard it, the Rebbe smiled, very wide smile, as this person, uh, told me that it was from ear to ear.