Purim: Mivtza Purim

00:00 As we find ourselves in the week of Purim, we'll begin this series of Purim regarding the Miftzach Purim, and what took place before the activities of Miftzach Purim began. The beginning of the establishing and rooting of Miftzach Purim, which is known to all in the format it, it is accomplished in these years, it was actually stage by stage. Originally, the Rebbe would instruct as initiative an, an awakening, sort of that the Rebbe would mention a certain activity or a certain project, and with the time it became solidified, and it just repeats itself every year by Hasidim all over the world. The different activities, Miftzach film, which as we'll mention further, refers to the mitzvahs of Purim and how it is done on, in a, on a great measure. In a letter that the Rebbe wrote to the of Chabad, Lubavitch youth organization in in Tel Aviv, on the twenty-eighth of the first Adar, nineteen fifty-nine, the Rebbe wrote that surely they are preparing a detailed plan project to fulfill, utilize the upcoming days of Purim, Purim, and should be the will of Hashem that it should be successful. In a letter on the twenty-first of Adar, this is nineteen sixty-one, the Rebbe writes to a distinguished it's a wonder that he makes no mention of the farbrengen of Purim, that they made a farbrengen on Purim. My hope is strong that it was done with a great audience, with a great attendance, and that the impression of the farbrengen should also impact people on the

02:42 coming days and weeks and months that follow, as it is elaborated on by the Rabbeim, by our Rabbeim, the leaders of Chabad, what the aim of a farbrengen is. And the Rebbe concludes in abbreviation, which means it is easy to understand. In a letter of on the fourteenth of Adar, nineteen sixty-eight, the Rebbe included, uh, a, um, telegram to Yerushalayim in which the Rebbe writes to the Yeshivas Chabad, Yeshivas and , which is the women branch of Chabad, of Chabad in Yerushalayim. The Rebbe cites the days of Purim, and the Shabbos that follow should be joyous and blessed and active farbrengens. It seems like in those years the focus was more to fulfill the days of Purim, utilize them primarily in regards to making farbrengens. But in the following years, the meaning of Miftzach Purim was broadened. During the three farbrengens in nineteen seventy-three, the Rebbe in the Purim season related to Miftzach Purim twice before Purim, and a third one thanking everyone for the success of the Miftzach. The first time the Rebbe related in the farbrengen of Shabbos Parashat Vayakhel, which is-- was the Shabbos that blessed the second Adar. Rebbe stated then that already from now, in order that when Purim arrives, Yidden will be ready to fulfill the mitzvahs, so therefore, the beginning should already take place, the preparations already from the Shabbos that which blesses the month of Adar Sheni. The Rebbe then gave a bottle of mashke and said that all those that will become active in this Miftzach

05:12 should take from this mashke to say l'chaim, and they should distribute it amongst each other, and this will increase in the beracha and the hatslacha in these activities. And the Rebbe concluded that that these , these activities should be as and a great publicity, uh, this should be reflected in the number of those who are sending shalach manos, uh, those that are giving in quantity, in quality, in a very great measure. The Rebbe added that this should bring about that Hashem should also fulfill in a publicized manner the mitzvahs of shalach manos, matzos lavienim by bringing the redemption. In one of the years, the Rebbe mentions, and this was later included in the Kutisichres, volume 11, page 321, that for reasons the fulfillment of the two mitzvahs have a lacking, and therefore the Rebbe came out with a call that everyone, man and woman, who have already reached bar mitzvah and bas mitzvah, and also children who are already in the state of chinuch, and also those, if it's doubtful if they did reach chinuch or not, so it should be sveka lechumra, and they should fulfill the mitzvahs of mishleach manes and matanas lavienim, sending gifts to friends, basically food, and gifts to the poor. Over the years, we see how the Rebbe focused that the reach out should be to many different circles and different categories of people. It was in the early 1970s when Yidden started to immigrate from Russia to Eretz Yisrael, and the Rebbe made a mention of it, that

07:34 especially those that have just immigrated most recently, either this month or this year, to this and this city and to this and this country and in the whole world, so there is a need to make sure that they should be able to fulfill the mitzvahs to give them shlach manes. And the Rebbe went into particulars that they should find out their address, where they live, in order to make sure that it reaches to every one of them. Regarding N'shei Yisrael, the Jewish women, and their share in Miftzah Purim, the Rebbe mentioned in the Fabrengen, the first day in Sh'edesh Odertov Shenlamad Hei in 1975, and likewise in the following year, 1976, that Af Hein Hoyo Beisi Ha'nes, they were part of the miracle, and the Megillah is referred to the name Esther. Therefore, they should also take part in also giving others the opportunity to fulfill the mitzvahs of Purim, shlach manes, matanas lavienim, and basically in particular to other women who are not familiar with all these mitzvahs. In Tov Shenlamad Vo of 1976, the Rebbe placed a special stress in regards to those who are in prison. Yidden who are in prison, they also need to fulfill the mitzvahs, shlach manes, matanas lavienim, and although they are according to law, they don't allow prisoners to have money, nevertheless, there is an opportunity that the one that brings the shlach manes to the one in prison could hold a pushka, where we place tz'dakah, and he will give as a gift to the one

09:37 who is in prison a coins that he should be able to fulfill the mitzvah of matanas lavienim. Likewise, the Rebbe also referred to those who are in hospitals. The Rebbe explained that the great encouragement that a person receives when he's in the hospital, when somebody comes and visits him, and in particular when they give us an opportunity to fulfill the mitzvahs like every healthy Yid. So this is also included in the mitzvah of Avas Yisrael. Likewise, in Shabbos Parsha Vayikra, Zocher Tov Shenamalev 1981, the Rebbe also mentioned in regards to those who need extra help, those who are in nursing homes. Likewise, those who are in the army everywhere, Alachas Kama Vekama, those who are in the army in Eretz Yisrael, who are protecting with Mesiras Nefesh the boundaries of Eretz Yisrael in order that it should remain Shleimos Ha'aretz Kipshute. We will, mitzvah Hashem, continue in the next installment.