Purim (Part V): Purim 5716/1956

00:01 Behemsach, in continuation to the early installments in regards to Purim by the Rebbe. We continue now with installment number five, discussing an article which describes Purim Tov Sin Tezai in nineteen fifty-six by the Rebbe's farbrengen, and the impression that it left on people who participated. This article was written by a Hasid, Rabari Eltsimer, who was talented with many different qualities. He knew many languages. He, in a certain time period, was part of the Rebbe Secretariat in the nineteen fifties, since he was a literary in many languages, and he also prepared Svarim, prepared the Rebbe's first four volumes of Likute Sichas. He edited them and prepared them, and also wrote a translation of the Tanya in Yiddish. Rabari Eltsimer writes to one of his friends, Rabtuvia Bloy, he should live and be well, who lives in Yerushalayim, what took place by the farbrengen. He begins as follows. The driver of the bus which passed that Monday, and he was taking passengers on about five AM in the morning at the corner of Nostrand and Eastern Parkway, and he was picking up passengers who are usually workers who get up early to go to their job, surely did not plan to pick up passengers, unexpected ones, who also boarded the bus close to Eastern Parkway on Nostrand Avenue. Passengers whose-- to whom the atmosphere of the Yom Tov did not fit in to the morning of a working day. He was not able to register in his mind that these passengers who were unexpected at that time,

02:56 and within a short time almost filled up the whole bus, were all just a small part of many people who were present at that farbrengen that evening, a, an experience which will not be forgotten. These were Yidden who participated in the Rebbe's farbrengen, the COVID Purim, in honor of Purim, which took place on Meitzoy Purim, at the closing of the day. In a big hall that was rented specifically for this farbrengen. Purim is not a new Yom Tov. The specific joy of celebrating the joy of Purim, and in a special manner that it was an original blend of the climax of joy together with the climax of earnestness, not lacking even a hair of one of them, both of them in their intensity. Likewise, also Purim, as it is in the Nusach Chabad, is one which is not known. But those who live in the Daladamus of Lubavitch and are acquainted with her customs and the way of life and the spiritual and social atmosphere, the farbrengen of Purim this year was an unusual experience which will not be forgotten from their hearts. How was this farbrengen different? Rabbi Zimmer continues, "It's hard to point on a specific ingan and to designate that this is the cause for it. We can say that it is because of the many guests that came, or that the farbrengen went till daylight, or that they took a lot of mashke. All these factors are not chidusham, are not something new in Lubavitch. In Lubavitch, they're used to it

05:26 to have a big crowd, and because of this, they needed to rent a hall in the winter months. In the three farbrengens, major farbrengens which take place in the winter, Yud Tes Kislev, Yud Shvat, and Purim, they would rent a hall in order to accommodate the crowd that comes to the farbrengen. A pchina which is higher than time, which means going all the farbrengen of all night is also not a chidush. And mashke, and especially on Purim, is surely not a chidush." Especially when we're talking about Yidden who come from Russia. So Rab Tzimmah sums it up, it wasn't this or that, but the whole environment, the whole atmosphere that was hovering in this big, large hall. It was as if it has picked up, elevated this big crowd to a higher world. Immediately at the opening of the Fabrengen, the Rebbe stated that Purim is different than other Yomim Tovim because it is not in a usual pattern of chain of events in a natural manner. The Nes of Purim was not something that happened gradually, but it was in one moment, napichu, it was converted from a very low status in which the Yidden found themselves in into a very high climax. From a status of destruction to a status of salvation for Yidden. Likewise, the Simcha of Purim doesn't pick up in a gradual way, but immediately a person needs to enter the full, complete joy. But in that same Fabrengen of Purim, the joyous Fabrengen, the mind of a person does

07:48 not lack, even for a moment, the true essence of Purim. Timu v'kiblu, the acceptance of Torah, which was fulfilled in the time of the miracle of Purim. And the Rebbe, in his talks and in his discourse, focused on many different topics which were on the agenda. As he usually would mention only a mashal, a parable, but the mashal, the parable was so clear that there was no need to elaborate what the nimshal is, what's the lesson of that parable. The sichas continued one after the other, when in between the sichas, during the intermission, there was dancing and singing. The Rebbe continued with words of inspiration in strengthening the study of Torah and fulfillment of mitzvahs. And during that Fabrengen, the Rebbe told a story that once the students of the Baal Shem Tov were sitting, and a person went through, a person who was an al-Yid, and he had a situation that his horse and wagon fell into the ditch. And he asked one of the students if he can help him with his dilemma. But the student says in Russian, ne mozesh, I can't. So the coach driver said, mozesh do ne khochesh, you could, but you don't want. The talmidim, the students of the Baal Shem Tov, derived a special inspiration from this comment. And the Rebbe continues, every Yid is in a state of mozesh, he could, he is just lacking the will. And it was at the conclusion of the Fabrengen that the sun is already beginning to rise, and Chassidim

10:00 were singing the nig of the Alter Rebbe, the Dalet Berbes, which was customarily sung at the Rebbe's big Fabrengens throughout the year. One who listened to this intense nig was able to understand in a very accurate way what is mentioned in the Tikkunei Zayyar, that Yem HaKippurim is only like Purim. As the Rebbe explains, the unique quality of Purim in comparison to Yem HaKippurim. We'll, im yirtze Hashem, continue in the next installment.