The Sefer Torah to Greet Moshiach Tzidkenu - Part VII

00:00 The and continuation to the earlier installments regarding the writing of a Sefer Torah, which was the initiative of the previous Rebbe, to write a Sefer Torah with which to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu. We now continue with installment number seven, in which we will discuss the climax of the event, the Siyum of the Sefer Torah. Friday, the day of ninth of Shevat finally arrived. Downstairs, seven seventy was packed wall to wall. In addition to the many Hasidim who had come from around the world, Yidden from all across the New York City area arrived to witness this historic moment. At exactly two thirty PM, Rebbe Eliyahu Simpson, who was from the Vaad, the board, when this project was initiated in nineteen forty-two, made his way downstairs and through the crowd, cradling the special Sefer Torah. Close behind him walked the Rebbe with a mysterious closed box in his holy hands as the bachurim sang Napoleon's March. The Sefer Torah was set on the table near the Rebbe's farbrengen place. The Rebbe began with a short sicha in which he explained that they were making the siyum after chatzos, uh, on Friday, which means in the afternoon, so that it could take place as close as possible to the actual completion of the twenty years from the previous Rebbe's hishtalsvus on Yud Shevat. The Rebbe compared this to Shimshon, who was credited with leading the Jewish people for forty years, although he was only a shayfet, a judge, for twenty years. Because his influence endured for twenty years after

01:57 his passing, he was still mortally feared by the Pelishtim. Additionally, Erev Shabbes is a most auspicious time to finish a Sefer Torah, written on instruction of a Nesi Hador, just as the first leader of the Jewish people, Moshe Rabbeinu, completed his Sefer Torah for the Jewish people on Erev Shabbes, as the Rebbe elaborated on that during a farbrengen on Shabbes Parshat Pekudei, Tov Shin Lammed, nineteen seventy. In a unique turn of events, the Rebbe invited all the Am Yisrael worldwide, from the diaspora, from Eretz Yisrael, and especially those in Russia, to join in the siyum. This invitation would be extended through the communal recitation of Kapitel Chof of Tehillim. "Normally," the Rebbe said, "one does not say this paytak after midday on Erev Shabbes, but now," he explained, "we stand in an, uh, in unusual times. With all signs pointing towards Moshiach's imminent arrival, unusual times warrant unusual practices." The Rebbe then suggested that the eldest member of the Sefer Torah committee, Rab Shmuel Devitin, say the kapitel. The Rebbe rose, and pointing along in the siddur as Rab Shmuel recited verse by verse out loud, with the entire crowd repeating after him. The Rebbe then instructed Rab Yeochon to begin the Alter Rebbe's nigun, followed by the nigunim of each of the Rebbeim and a Shira Es Amecha. Finally, the most anticipated moment had arrived, and the last few letters of the Sefer Torah were being completed by the elderly sofer, Rab Shmaryahu Fakter. The Rebbe stood up again, fixing a powerful gaze on

04:00 the Sefer Torah. He did not remove his eyes from its letters until the sefer was completed. Then the Rebbe asked Rab Eliyahu Simpson to distribute the honors of reciting the pesukim of Ato Chai So. Overwhelmed by the moment, Rebbe Eliyahu stuttered and seemed confused in distributing the verses, and the Rebbe repeatedly advised the names on the list. The first and last pesukim were given to the Rebbe to recite. Distinguished Hasidim representing communities around the world recited the others. We will mention here from a list that was handwritten by the Rebbe himself who should be honored with a pasuk of Ato Chai So. The Rashag, who is the Rebbe's older brother-in-law, and the Vaad from the Sefer Torah, Rabbi Simpson, and Harav Slonim from Yerushalayim, Harav Madansky from Kfar Chabad and Nachlas Har Chabad, Harav Serebranski from Australia, Harav Nemanov from France, Harav Kesselman from Eretz Yisrael, Harav Binyomin Gorodetsky, representing Africa, Yahadus in Africa, Harav Benji Shemtov, representing the Yidden in Russia, Harav Berel Baumgarten, representing South America, Harav Steinsaltz, representing the group of who are learning Torah, which is under the leadership of the leader of the group in Eretz Yisrael, Shazar, Harav Skolnik, and Harav Chadikov. Rabbi Chadikoff and the members of the Sefer Torah Committee, as mentioned, were also honored with psukim. They then sang which was a song composed with these words a year earlier at a Fabregen. After Hagbah and Glilah, and the Glilah was given to Harav Meir Gurkow, the Rebbe opened the box he had carried with him

06:39 into the shul. The crowd looked on in awe as the Rebbe removed a majestic crown from the box and placed it atop the Sefer Torah. As the Rebbe set the crown in its place, Hasidim sang the Accompanied by burning candles, the Rebbe carried the Sefer Torah to the Aron Kodesh under a chuppah. Returning to his place, the Rebbe recited the Shehecheyanu on a new fruit, and included with it the new Torah. As the Rebbe also wrote in a letter in 1950 that a few years earlier, there was a discussion by the previous Rebbe in regards to Shehecheyanu, and it was obvious to, to a great extent that it was referring to the Sefer Torah that was being written then in the early 1940s, which is the Sefer Torah to greet Mashiach. Hasidim sang the the preparation nigun, and listened inten-intently as the Rebbe delivered a Sefer Torah. This was a discourse that the Rebbe delivered then, and in the coming weeks, the Rebbe quite often referred back to what was discussed in this . The Rebbe drew a series of to this . The Rebbe concluded the gathering with a short sicha. "We have just completed something that had been lacking. Now it is only up to each of us to finish the last few things that need to be done in order to break through the galus and bring Mashiach. It is Erev Shabbos, the day before the previous Rebbe's Yom Im Ilula. Let it be clear that we do not intend to make

08:42 a dinner or banquet or anything of that sort. A Yom Im Ilula is a day for Torah and Yirat Shamayim, for inspirational wor-words that will have positive effect on all those that hear them." Then the Rebbe sang the Finally, after reciting a Birkat Hakothel, the Rebbe left the shul as everyone sang Ufaratsa. We will, Im Yirtze Hashem, continue in the next installment.