The Sefer Torah to Greet Moshiach Tzidkenu - Part IV

00:00 The Hemshach in continuation to the earlier installments regarding the writing of the Sefer Teda, which was the initiative of the previous Rebbe, Sefer Teda, with which to greet Mashiach. We now continue with installment number four, discussing additional sichas of the Rebbe in regards to this Sefer Teda. It was during the Farbrengen Acharei Shel Pesach, the last day of Pesach, Tov Shin Yud Alef, nineteen fifty-one, that the Rebbe again made reference to the Sefer Teda. The Rebbe said the following, "When my father-in-law, the Rebbe," referring to the previous Rebbe, "wrote the Sefer Teda LeKabbalas Pnei HaMashiach to greet Mashiach, he originally stated that he was considering to write the Sefer Teda for himself. And then he decided to be mezake, to give the merit for Klal Yisroel, for the whole Jewish nation, with the writing of the Sefer Teda." And the Rebbe continues that, that the pre-previous Rebbe wanted and he was mezake Klal Yisroel, and this included all various groups in Klal Yisroel, those that wanted and willingly participated in writing the Sefer Teda, and those which will be willing in a later time and participate, and even those that will not really have an open will to participate in this project. But since this is their true will, as the Rambam writes in Sefer Perik VeEz of Hilchos Gerushin, that every Yid wants to fulfill the ratzon of Hashem. And the writing of a Sefer Teda is not just that it should be laying there, placed in the corner, but it should be studied

02:18 and it should be fulfilled. To learn and to teach, to spread Teda in a public format. And since it is so, therefore, all the people who participated in the writing of the Sefer Teda should also involve themselves in spreading Teda to the masses. In a Farbrengen Yud Gimmel Tammuz, commemorating the liberation date of the previous Rebbe, when he was freed from prison, Yud Beit Yud Gimmel Tammuz Taf Reish Pe Zayin, nineteen twenty-seven, the Rebbe in the year Taf Shin Tav Vav, nineteen fifty-five, again made reference to this Sefer Teda and the project of the previous Rebbe. And the Rebbe said as follows, "That be-etsem, in essence, the previous Rebbe was able to fund all the expenses for the parchment, for the ink, for the writing, but he wanted all Yidden should be part of it." Which means not only that he wanted to have the merit, but even more yet, he wasn't satisfied that he is gonna exempt everybody and include everybody by being the Nasi, the Nasi Hador, as we find that there are certain mitzvahs when they're done by a ish klali. Al derech like we find b'nege'a to inyanim of mitzvot sham, uh, uh, uh, shet nuim b'melech. But the previous Rebbe wanted that everyone should participate in a physical sense. And the reason for that is because the mitzvah is more enhanced when it is done by the person himself instead of just by his emissary. And therefore, the previous Rebbe wanted that everyone should be part of it because this

04:27 is the hidur of the mitzvah. And therefore, he wanted that the hidur, doing it in an enhanced manner, this should be a merit for everyone, that everyone should participate and obtain a letter in the Sefer Teda LeKabbalas Pnei Mashiach. As the years moved on, we reached Taf Shin Lamed, which is nineteen seventy. We will now discuss what took place in the year Taf Shin Lamed. In Taf Shin Lamed, nineteen seventy, with approaching Yud Shevat marking twenty years of the Rebbe's leadership, Chassidim from all over the world prepared themselves for the momentous day. A special committee, Vaad Hagigas Ho'esrim, Committee for the 20th Year, uh, Commemorations, was formed in Eretz Yisrael. This Vaad fielded many suggestions and proposals for projects to mark this anniversary and broaden the reach of the Rebbe's activities and achieve the ultimate goal, the arrival of Mashiach. A Lubavitcher woman from Karachabad in Eretz Yisrael, name was Mrs. Helman, a daughter of Rabbi Yehuda Shmotkin, and being that there was a tragic situation that took place then that her sister, Mrs. Evantroy, passed away then in those weeks She was actually expecting her child, so Mrs. Hellman suggested that the time had arrived to complete the Sefer Torah to greet Mashiach, which was started men- more than twenty-five years earlier. This proposal was greeted with great excitement by all Chassidim. What better occasion could there be than the twenty years anniversary of the Rebbe's nisius? And a letter was dispatched to the Rebbe. To everyone's dismay, the response was negative. On Wednesday

06:41 night, Erev Rosh Chodesh Shvat, the Rebbe returned from the aisle with a surprise. The Rebbe announced that all obstacles have been removed, and the time has come to complete the Sefer Torah. Imagine the outbreak of joy at this extraordinary news. At last, the Sefer Torah to greet Mashiach would finally be finished. That Shabbos, the Rebbe announced exciting news publicly. It was Shabbos Parshas Vaera during the farbrengen that the siyum for Mashiach Sefer Torah would soon take place. During the sicha, the Rebbe expressed surprise and disappointment that no one had made this suggestion. The idea and request to complete the Sefer Torah came from Eretz Yisrael, when it should have come from right here in New York, from seven seventy, the gematria of Paratsa, where the Sefer Torah is kept. It remains a mystery for me, the Rebbe says, as do many other questions I have, why this is so. One can be standing bef- before a precious, before a precious treasure in broad daylight, before a precious treasure in broad daylight and with open eyes, yet he does not see a thing. What greater and more precious treasure is there, anticipated and hoped by all previous generations, than the coming of Mashiach? Yet people turn their faces this way or that. Everyone is busy with their own affairs. Just as when the Sefer was started, the Rebbe announced that anyone who wanted to participate in the writing of the Sefer Torah may do so by donating one dollar. Although the participants would no longer be

08:37 able to purchase specific letters in the Sefer Torah, for only a few lines remained unfinished, they would nevertheless be able to contribute. And the Rebbe added, "And the malachim will divide the letters amongst them all." The Rebbe then said that the members of the committee appointed by the previous Rebbe to supervise the writing of the Sefer Torah would oversee the completion of the project now. And then the Rebbe concluded that the entire Am Yisrael know about this endeavor so that they may all be granted the opportunity to participate in it. And may we indeed merit to bring the Sefer Torah to greet Mashiach. We will, im yirtzeh Hashem, continue in the next installment.