The Sefer Torah to Greet Moshiach Tzidkenu - Part V

00:01 The hemsach in continuation to the earlier installments regarding the writing of the Sefer Tzedek, which was an initiative of the previous Rebbe, to write a Sefer Tzedek with which to greet Mashiach, we now continue with installment number five. So referring back briefly to the fabrengen of Shabbos Parshes Vo'era in regards to the Sefer Tzedek, this is in Tov Shin Lamid, 1970, at the conclusion of the fabrengen, the Rebbe requested that the time and the place where one could buy letters of the Sefer Tzedek should be announced, that everyone should know the details. And they should also announce that this will take place in 770, which is the numerical value of the word paratsah. And the announcer should begin singing a joyous nigun. Now we continue to the events that were happening after the Shabbos Parshes Vo'era. Immediately after Shabbos, Hasidim around the world leaped into action. As soon as the news reached Eretz Yisrael, hundreds of bochurim and anash, students and young men, went from one end of the country to the other, enlisting tens of thousands of their Jewish brethren in this remarkable project. Newspaper advertisements brought the information to many cities, resulting in nearly 100,000 participants from Eretz Yisrael alone. A Yid from Kobe, Japan, saw the ads and bought letters for his entire family. The steitler from Bnei Brak was also asked to be included. Among the Hasidim, the atmosphere was electric. Every Hasid had complete confidence and absolute certainty that with the completion of the Sefer Tzedek, Golus would end instantly

02:17 and the long-awaited geulah would finally arrive. Everyone prepared in his own way for the much-anticipated future that was now so near. As Yitzchvat approached, the excitement peaked as hundreds of Hasidim from all corners of the globe began to stream to 770 to take part in this historic moment. More than a hundred Hasidim arrived from Eretz Yisrael alone, bringing with them lists of the names of participants in the writing of the Sefer Tzedek. Hasidim flew in from France, England, Holland, South Africa, South America, and many other locations. At that time, the Sefer Tzedek was held in Rab Shmuel Witten's room. He's one of the older Hasidim, actually the senior Hasid at the time. And throughout the entire week, Rabbi Zurken the sofer was seen entering the room, often not leaving until late at night. When the Rebbe returned from the Eyal, the previous Rebbe's resting place, on Thursday, the night of the 9th of Shvat, which is leading into Erev Yitzchvat on Friday, he called the members of the committee into his room. When Rabbi Leo Simpson emerged from the meeting, he announced in the Rebbe's name that the siyim would take place the next day at 2.30 p.m. The Vaad LeChagigas Ha'Esrim, which is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Rebbe's leadership, and which had overseen the project's promotion in Eretz Yisrael, were summoned to bring their lengthy list of participants to the Rebbe's room. They had so many bags that they began to place them on the floor, but the Rebbe instructed that they

04:18 be spread out, not piled, on the table. Before they left, the Rebbe benched them to utilize their time in New York wisely, and that the new period after the 20th yard site should be with an entirely new light with all the broches. All that night, a constant flow of Hasidim arrived in 770. As buses full of Hasidim and their families pulled up from all across the United States and Canada, the building became more and more crowded, upstairs and downstairs, even outside. Inside 770, the night shone like day, as Hasidim sat together in Fabregen all through the night in an unprecedented atmosphere of delight and anticipation of the rare events about to transpire. We will, im yirtze Hashem, continue in the next installment, where we will discuss the keser, the crown, that the Rebbe chose for this sefer Teydah.