Purim (Part II): By The Rebbe - Part 1

00:00 The hemsach and continuation to the earlier installment in regards to Purim by the Rebbe, where we discussed Miftza Purim, we will now begin discussing the Seder Hayyim, the Rebbe schedule on the Purim day. This installment and the following installments are compiled from various booklets, material which was published over the years, amongst them Etchuda, a memento of a wedding from the Jacobs family, and the weekly Hiskashrus, which is released in Eretz Yisroel for many years and discussing topics of the week and the Parshah and additional material. In regards to the Rebbe's Seder, beginning from the days before Purim, during the farbrengens which took place on the Shabbos before Purim, Shabbos Zachor, the Rebbe always encouraged everyone to plan and prepare for their own Purim as well as helping other Yidden fulfill the mitzvos of Purim. The Rebbe praised all those who take part in the Miftza Purim very strongly. In the days before Purim, the Rebbe often held a Tzevas HaShem rally for the young children. During these gatherings, the Rebbe especially asked that the children sing the song, the Nigun of Utzu Eitzah, which is very much connected with Purim as related in the Midrash. The Rebbe also always sent out a telegram to all the Chassidim all over the world, blessing them with a happy Purim and requesting that they farbreng over Yom Tov and spread the light and joy of Purim. At times, the Rebbe also sent a Michdav Klali, which was rarely a message for Purim to all of Am Yisroel. On

02:23 Shabbos Parshah Zachor, Tov Shin Yud Ches, 1958, the Rebbe appeared in the zal, the shul upstairs at eight in the morning and invited all the Bochurim and Chassidim who had come on time to study Chassidus into his room to hear the maimer that the Rebbe was gonna deliver. Everyone immediately piled in, and the door was then locked for the duration of the maimer. On Taanis Esther, generally, the Rebbe said a sicha following Mincha, as was customary on all the fast days beginning from Tov Shin Lammed Ches, 1978, and by 1981, the Rebbe was already delivering a talk on every one of these four fast days after Mincha. During the sicha, the Rebbe always encouraged everyone to hasten up and utilize the remaining hours until Purim to finish all the necessary preparations, such as learning the laws pertaining to Purim and preparing all the requirements for Miftza Purim, and so on. In the later years, the Rebbe concluded the sicha by distributing dollars for tznukah. Going on now to the evening of Purim, the Rebbe always wore a silk kapote on Purim as he did on Shabbos and Yom Tov. After Ma'ariv, the Rebbe stood up to hear the Megillah, which means he remained standing after Shemoneh Esreh, and this is how he stood throughout the entire reading. One could notice that the Rebbe always said the bracha quietly along with the balkana. During the reading, the Rebbe banged lightly and briefly with his foot on the ground every time that Haman's name was mentioned, and

04:34 when it was mentioned together with a title, Haman HaRa or Haman Hagogi, he would bang for a longer amount of time. The Rebbe also pounded at the floor when the names of Haman's ten sons were mentioned as well. The Rebbe showed much satisfaction and often smiled broadly towards the children who would drown out Haman's name with much noise, and often reprimanded the adults who attempted to stop them. In the year Taf Reish Tzadik Ches, 1938, the previous Rebbe spent Purim in Paris, where the Rebbe read the Megillah for him. The Rebbe later related in a letter that the previous Rebbe showed a sign of approval when the Rebbe repeated the words Bifnehem and Lifnehem, and also La'areg v'La'areg, as it is customary in the Menugim. Throughout all the years, the Rebbe always davened Shachris with the minyan on Purim morning. Over the course of the day, the Rebbe ate a hamantash, which was poppy seeds, a mon hamantash, as it is customary in Minneg Israel. Mishloach Manos, the Rebbe was always sure to send Mishloach Manos to a Kohen, a Levi, and a Yisroel. The Kohen to whom the Rebbe sent was his secretary, Rabbi Leo Quint, who was a Rov in both Swarin, and he would work as a secretary for many years by the Rebbe. His signature appears on many of the Rebbe's letters. The Levi was Rab Shmuel Vitin, the distinguished older Hasid, and the Yisroel was Rabbi Chadikov, the Rebbe's personal secretary, chief secretary. After Rabbi Quint p- was Niftar, the

06:50 Rebbe sent in his stead to the Sofer, Rabbi Matlin, Rabbi Shaya Matlin, who was the Sofer who would look over the Sefer Torah before it was read on Shabbos, and would also occasionally check the Rebbe's Tefillin. Later on, the Rebbe sent to Rab Mordechai Rifkin, who was the Kohen in the last years. After Rab Shmuel Vitin passed away, the Rebbe began to send to Rab Shmuel Dovid Rajczik, who was a Shliach, Shliach, uh, head Shliach in California. When the Rebbe would hand the Mishloach Manos to be given over to the Kohen, Levi, Yisroel, the Rebbe would pick up each one and would say, "This is for the Kohen, this is for the Levi, this is for the Yisroel. It doesn't matter if they get mixed up, they're all equal." These were sent from the Rebbe's room with one of the Maskirim, one of the Rebbe's secretaries, usually 10 to 20 minutes after Shacharis. The Mishloach Manos generally contained a bottle of mashke and a hamantasch from Mon, and the Levi gives also some fruit, uh, apple and or- and orange that came with the Mishloach Manos, as part of the Mishloach Manos. Rabbi Klein, one of the Rebbe's Maskirim, then brought in the Mishloach Manos that others had sent to the Rebbe. In addition, many people brought Mishloach Manos to the Rebbe's home on President Street, where the Rebbetzin or the Bachadis, the assistants in the house, would receive them. The Rebbe would generally not eat from the Mishloach Manos sent to him. Some of

08:56 it was sent to the house, the Rebbe sent to the house. And much of the Mishloach Manos were sent to the mestest institutions in the Shchuna, all the Teder, the Yeshivah all the Teder, Yeshivah, Lubavitch Yeshivah, uh, which is called Tomchei Temimim, and the girls school, Beis Rivkah, and the girls school, Machaneh and Chanech L'Na'ar. In one instance, however, the Rebbe did eat Mishloach Manos which came from a bachur, from a young student. During one of the years, a young student thought to himself of a way to prepare appropriate Mishloach Manos for the Rebbe. He knew that the Rebbe usually did not eat the Mishloach Manos that was sent to him, so he came up with an idea. He inquired as to exactly which sort of milk and mezonos the Rebbe ate every morning. And on the morning of Purim, he had them delivered to the Rebbe. In fact, this bachur merited that the Rebbe ate the Mishloach Manos that he sent. We will continue in the next installment.