The Sefer Torah to Greet Moshiach Tzidkenu - Part VIII

00:01 The in continuation to the earlier installments regarding the writing of a Sefer Torah, which was the initiative of the previous Rebbe, a Sefer Torah with which to greet Moshiach Tikeinos. We now continue with installment number eight, where we will discuss the status of the Sefer Torah of Moshiach after this great event, which took place on the ninth of Shevat. Even after the Torah was completed, it stayed in the closet in Rav Shmuel Levitan's room, the oldest Hasidim at the time. Only on rare occasions would it be transferred to the regular Aron Kodesh to be used. A short time before a special Shabbos or Yom Tov, the safer Rabbi Isaiah Matlin would ask the Rebbe if they were going to use the Sefer Torah of Moshiach for that Shabbos or Yom Tov. If given the go-ahead from the Rebbe, he would roll the Torah to the appropriate spot and check that section to ensure that it had no mistakes. After being used, the Torah would be returned to its safe accommodations in Rav Shmuel's room. We'll now discuss various occasions when the Torah was read, acting upon the directives of the Rebbe. While studying the Rebbe's various responses to inquiries of the Sefer for the readings in Moshiach Sefer Torah, it was observed that for the month of Tishrei, the Rebbe advised that as of beginning Parshas Nitzavim, the Shabbos prior to Rosh Hashanah, and throughout the complete month of Tishrei, the reading of the Parshas should be in Moshiach Sefer Torah. Generally, for all the

02:07 Yom Tov readings, the Rebbe instructed that they should be read in this Torah. This included Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, and Shavuot. On Shavuot at times, it was to be read on both days, and sometimes only the second day. At times, also the Shabbos Mevorchim, the Shabbos that blessed the month of Shevat, which also includes Yuh Shevat, the hilula of the previous Rebbe. On an occasion, the Sefer asked the Rebbe about Parshas Yisrai, which includes the Aseres Hadibros, and the Rebbe answered in the affirmative that it should be read then. Likewise, when the four additional Parshas, which are read prior to or during the month of Adar, and the month of Adar, in addition to the weekly Torah portion as the Aliya of Maftir, and also the occasion of Mincha, the Rebbe advised that this-- it should be read in Moshiach Sefer Torah. Shabbos Chazen and Shabbos Nachamu, there was a halacha that it should be read in Shaharit, during Shaharit and Mincha. And on Tisha B'Av to take out Moshiach Sefer Torah without the crown. On one occasion, the Rebbe wrote, "Kider shtaket," like was done the previous year on that specific date. Yemei Depagra, Chasidi SheYomim Tovim. Likewise, the nineteenth of Kislev, marking the redemption of the Alter Rebbe in prison in Russia, and Yuh Shevat, the Yemei Hilula of the previous Rebbe, when they fell on Shabbos, the reading was also in Moshiach Sefer Torah. Also, Chof Kislev, which is the day following the nineteenth of Kislev, and it is related to the redemption

04:24 of the Alter Rebbe, marks the complete redemption. The Rebbe cited that if it fell on Shabbos, it should be read twice, Shaharit and Mincha. Yuh Shevat, the Yemei Hilula of the previous Rebbe, when it fell on Shabbos, and also when Yuh Shevat would be in middle of the week, the reading was in Moshiach Sefer Torah. The twelfth of Tamuz, which marks the redemption date of the previous Rebbe in Russia in nineteen twenty-seven, when this day fell on Shabbos, the Sefer Torah of Moshiach was used for the reading, for the Keriah after and Mincha. An additional observation that occasionally when Moshiach Sefer Torah was read on some of the Yomim Tovim, the Rebbe stated that it be read for the Keriah of the Yom Tov, not for the Mafteer, which was a different Parsha. And on some of these occasions, for example, Shabbos Hanukkah, the Rebbe would make note that Moshiach Sefer Torah should be used for Mafteer, which is the Keriah of the Nesi'im who contributed to the Mishkan, traditionally read on Shabbos Hanukkah Mafteer. So the Rebbe preferred that Moshiach Sefer Torah should be used for the Mafteer since it is an exceptional Uh, Torah reading in honor of Hanukkah. And on some of these occasions, if it was Shabbos, the Rebbe advised that Moshiach Sefer Torah should be read for Mincha in addition to Shaharis. There were some special dates when the Sefer figured it is a date to consider of using Moshiach Sefer Torah, and the Rebbe in his response did not

06:33 mark or confirm them in the affirmative. An explanation was once given why the Rebbe at times asked that only the Parshah should be read in Moshiach Sefer Torah, and not the Maftir Aliyah. And in addition, there should be an additional time that Moshiach Sefer Torah is being used by the reading during Mincha Shabbos. The reason that was given, as far as I understand, that this was from the Rebbe privately, that since if it is used for Maftir Aliyah, which is the Aliyah when the Rebbe would be called up, it would be used as a second Sefer Torah. Which means, for example, when it comes to a Yom Tov, and there's two different Torah portions that are read, one is the Krias Hatorah itself, and then there's the Aliyah for Maftir, which is read from a different Parshah. It would seem that if Moshiach Sefer Torah is being used for Maftir, it would be the second Sefer Torah, and it would be considered a second place, not with the dignity of Moshiach Sefer Torah, how it should be. Therefore, the Rebbe on many occasions ruled out the option of using Moshiach Sefer Torah for the Maftir Aliyah, besides when it was a special Maftir, as Hanukkah, etc., as mentioned earlier. And also then, the Rebbe would at times receive the Aliyah at Mincha in Moshiach's Sefer Torah. To conclude with an interesting response that the Rebbe gave, and it was very obvious that this is something beyond comprehension, it was for Shabbos Parshah Chukas Tov Shin

08:20 Lamed Alef, 1971. It was before Yud Beis Tammuz, the redemption date of the previous Rebbe, and the Sefer wrote into the Rebbe asking about reading the Sefer Torah of Moshiach that Shabbos, and the Rebbe wrote three words, "Lei Shamati Al Dvar Zeh." I did not hear anything about that. And this, as it's very obvious, when the Rebbe speaks about Lei Shamati, that I did not hear, I didn't receive any directive, very obviously understood by Chassidim that this means something from higher spiritual spheres. And with this installment, we conclude the series of installments on the Sefer Torah of Moshiach. And the Rebbe should help us that we should very soon greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu with this Sefer Torah.