The Leap Year - Part VII

00:00 Behemshech in continuation to the earlier installments in regards to a leap year and the Rebbe's insights in Avodas Hashem. We continue now with installment number seven, discussing various sichas from the Rebbe, where the Rebbe connects a leap year with geulah, with the upcoming redemption. On one occasion, this was in regard to the Hayim Yem. The Hayim Yem is a Hasidic calendar which includes quotes for every day in the year, and it was for a leap year, Tov Shin Gimel, nineteen forty-three, which we're entering now the eightieth year since the Rebbe compiled this luach, and Hasidim study it every day. So it was in the year Tov Shin Mem Alef, early nineteen eighty-one. That was the end of the month of Teves. While I was doing research on the Hayim Yem, a question came up, and the question was, why is it that the first Adar in the luach, in the calendar, the Rebbe refers to it with the title Adar Alef, and for the second Adar, the Rebbe refers to the month as Adar Sheini? It would seem that either it should be Adar Alef and Adar Beis or Adar Rishon and Adar Sheini. I asked the question from the Rebbe, and the Rebbe responded as follows. I'll first read the Hebrew text and then try to translate it. To translate it in English, the Rebbe says, as usual in many places, that the first volume of a sefer is referred to Chelek Alef, and the second one is referred to Chelek Sheini, which with

02:47 this, the Rebbe explains why it doesn't contradict that the first Adar is referred to as Adar Alef, and the second one Adar Sheini. And the Rebbe continues, we can't ask that the first month should have been referred to as Adar Rishon, because there is another significance in writing Adar Alef. It reminds us the first day of the creation, where as that day it is referred to as Yom Echad. Although it's the first day, it's called Echad, and the following days are referred to Sheini, Shalishi, et cetera. So from this we see that the first number could be Echad, and the following ones could be Sheini, Shalishi. And it's Yom Echad to remind us that the Hamish there was one in the beginning of the creation, as Rashi explains, and the word Yom Echad is used and not the word Yom Rishon. And then the Rebbe continues, we can possibly also add that Adar Alef means Adar Echad, there is one Adar, and then they decided that they're gonna add another Adar, which this actually is what took place in the time of Sanhedrin when they would add an additional month of Adar. It wasn't like today that we have it in the beginning of the year or even years ahead prior to a leap year, that we already know what year will be a leap year which will contain two Adars. In the time when they did it with the Sanhedrin, they would actually make that decision towards the end of Adar, mamash right close

04:44 by ending Chodesh Adar, when for reasons that are specified in the Talmud and also in the Rambam, Hilchot Kidush Hachodesh, there was a need to add another Adar. So therefore, the Adar Alef implies Adar Echad, that originally it's one Adar, and then they decide to add another Adar, which this is the answer from the Rebbe as the Rebbe responded on the twenty-ninth of Teves of Tov Shin Mem Alef. It was a few weeks later, or actually about a month later, Shabbos Mishpatim, the Rebbe farbrenged, and during the farbrengen, which is the Shabbos that blesses the month of the first Adar, that year was a leap year, the Rebbe stated at the farbrengen that this has a connection to something that was asked, and the answer was LeChidudi in a, a more, uh, deeper way, a manner, since there was a pilpul in it, since there was a lot of elaboration on it, so therefore the Rebbe explains why he gave this sort of an answer, and it was published. And the Rebbe explains why he- answered in regards to Adar Rishon, Adar Aleph. The Rebbe says since we are involved in Mashiach now, this is when the nigun, we want Mashiach now, was being sung by Hasidim, especially by the children, . So the Rebbe said we can answer on a deeper level that since could be that Mashiach will come now in the first Adar, and therefore it'll be which means basically that I will replace-- I will again return your judges as it

06:46 was an original status, and your advisors as it was originally, which is basically the Sanhedrin. And the male then Mashiach with the Sanhedrin may decide to change the status of this year, that y- this year there is no need for an additional Adar because they will then decide the new month by seeing the meled, how the moon is again reborn every month, and therefore they will decide there'll be only one Adar. So the male, the Rebbe says this is what Adar Aleph is, Adar that it'll just be one Adar. In a on the fifteenth of, of Tav Shin Mem Vav, that's late nineteen eighty-six, when the Rebbe spoke about the leap year, which was that year. So the Rebbe says the contents of a leap year is that by adding the month of Adar, an additional month, we compensate, and complete, and adjust the difference between a lunar year and a solar year, which means that it becomes an, uh, both of them attached . And the Rebbe explains it as follows. The difference between the solar and the lunar, which means the difference between the sun and the moon, one of them is the greater luminary, and the moon is referred to the smaller luminary, reflects the difference between redemption and exile. Chama, the sun, is the greater luminary. It is constantly shining without any changes. The size does not, does not change every day in the year, and that signifies the revelation of Shemesh Havaya, Inyan of Godliness, how it is on a

08:58 constant basis, and that basically reflects the concept of redemption, that there is no, uh, uh, descent, there is no lack in the sun. On the other hand, when it comes to the moon, which is considered the smaller luminary, there are changes. There are no two days in the month which are equal in, in regards to the moon. Therefore, it shows on the Inyan of Galus exile. that the minimizing of the Levana, as it's mentioned that the Levana was told she felt that two kings cannot share the same crown, the sun and the moon, and therefore she was told minimize yourself. And that also brought this-- the-- about the sin of the tree, tree of knowledge, till the Inyan of Galus. So therefore the Rebbe says when we look at the sun and the moon, they basically signify redemption and exile. So therefore, when it comes to a leap year, and they're both connected together, they're both attached together, we are connecting exile with redemption, which means that it becomes obvious and felt that the whole idea of the exile is only for the Geulah that will come after, for the redemption that follows. And as the Midrash says, that the lion which refers to Nebuchadnezzar, and it came in the, in the lock and the constellation stars of Arye, uh, which is in the month of, of Tishrei, and he destroyed the be-- the Mizbeach, which is referred to Ariel. And what is all this for? In order that eventually Hashem, who's also referred to

10:58 Arye, will come the Mazal Arye, and he will build the Beis Hamikdash. Not only that, but the Shleimus, the completion of a lunar year will be equal to the Shehnah HaChamah as it says in the prophecy that the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun as it was before it was minimized and became smaller than the sun, and this will be in the upcoming redemption. To conclude with in a that the Rebbe spoke about the Inyan of a leap year, what does this contribute to a Yid? So the Rebbe said the following, "This year is a leap year intended to add extra days to compensate for the days lost in previous years. That concept has its parallel in the service of Am Yisrael to Hashem. The service during the leap year can make up for the unfulfilled potential of the previous years. This concept relates closely to the idea of Geulah. The reason for the Galus is explained in the Musaf prayer because of our sins we were exiled from our land. Our sins are the only reason for the Galus, and when they are nullified in the way of intensifying the service and Torah mitzvahs, then the Galus will end, and the Geulah commence. This lesson is particularly relevant in a leap year when the opportunity is provided to compensate for one's past behavior. Each year affords a specific number of hours, days, weeks in which we can work to bring the Geulah. A leap year with its additional

13:00 days provides more time to work to bring the redemption closer. The realization of that concept should imbue every Yid with increased desire and motivation for Torah service." And with this installment, we conclude the series on a leap year.