Yud-Alef Nissan: 120 Years

00:00 Good Yom Tov. The of Nisan, the of the Rebbe, and this year, the Rebbe reached 120 years. And as it is mentioned in Sfarim, that a is commemorated eternally year after year, even after the person is in a higher world. Nevertheless, he reaches a certain aspect of increase in age on the day of his . The previous Rebbe in Lesicha relates in the year 1939, that it was in 1902, shortly before Pesach, there were decrees on Yidden in Russia, and in a miraculous way, they were eliminated. The Rebbe Rashab then said what's mentioned, that this is what it refers to, that Yidden will go out with a great richness. This was exactly the time that the Rebbe was born, 120 years ago in the year 1902. We will discuss a sicha where the Rebbe speaks about 120 years of the Rebbe Rashab in which is the of the Rebbe Rashab, late 1980, as is translated here in-- by Sichas in English. As mentioned above, one must liberate oneself from one's personal exile, one of the greatest tests and difficulties of our time, as we can see. Tonight, the Rebbe says, is an ordinary Thursday night in New York, a metropolis of millions of people. A Yid has just come from work and is preparing for and thinking of tomorrow's work. It is extremely difficult to persuade him to simultaneously realize that since tonight is the birthday of a great person born 120 years ago in a small village overseas, it behooves him to be affected

02:31 by this here and now. He knows that the Rebbe Rashab was an illustrious man, a leader of Jewry, an all-encompassing soul, yet he does not see how this affects his everyday mundane deeds in the year in Brooklyn, New York. True, he comes for whatever reason, shame, honor, et cetera, to the farbrengen held in honor of the occasion, yet only his body is present, whereas his mind is who knows where. He thinks about yesterday's business deals, tomorrow's business deals, et cetera, et cetera. We demand of him something that to him is a self-contradiction. He is in Brooklyn on Thursday night, Parshas Chayay Sarah, . Simultaneously, in those minutes or hours in which he finds himself in a holy place where the previous Rebbe learned and prayed, blessed Yidden, received requests, and shared in Jewry's troubles and sorrows. At this time, he should succeed in persuading himself that, quote, unquote, "Torah is your whole and only profession." For now, he's a Hasid of the previous Rebbe, the successor to the Rebbe Rashab. And as a Hasid, it is incumbent upon him to endeavor to divest himself of his own present existence. True, he is indeed in Brooklyn in the year but his work should not be his blood, his life, his pleasure, and his enthusiasm. Therefore, during this farbrengen, he must divest himself of his existence. And during these hours, he ceases to be that person in Brooklyn in . He is nothing but a Hasid of the previous Rebbe. Another self-contradictory situation. It is now 120

04:34 years since the birth of the Rebbe Rashab, who was born in a small village in Russia. Yet because, quote, unquote, "These days should be remembered and kept," we demand that the concept of this birthday should not be considered by him to be something in the past, but a completely fresh and new event. And since, quote, unquote, "Deed is the essential thing," this should steer him towards the proper actions and thereby influence his speech, thought, and soul. Stated bluntly, we demand that every Yid do something which to himsel- seems self-contradictory. One must tear himself away from and divest himself of his surroundings and place himself in a situation of being together with the Rebbe Rashab. As the Rebbe Rashab said, "I am going to heaven, and my writings I leave for you." Through learning his Torah, one binds himself to and finds himself together with the Rebbe Rashab. For, quote, unquote, "I have given my soul in writing." The Rebbe Rashab placed his soul in his writings and has given it to everyone who chooses to accept it. When so doing, one should not set a time limit, but instead should forget both time and oneself. Even though 120 years have passed since the Rebbe Rashab's birthday, nevertheless, right now, during these few moments and hours, one should feel it is a completely new occurrence. Such a com-commemoration ensures that the concept is kept not only in thought but in deed as well. Then the world will be transformed, and the darkness covering the earth and

06:23 peoples will be abolished. This concept of learning the Rebbe Rashab's discourses and thus being together with him is not limited to the day of the Rebbe Rashab's birthday. Every day, or at least once a week, one should lock himself in a room, close one's eyes, and feel that right now he is at Har Sinai receiving the Torah. Although he is in Brooklyn, he is simultaneously at Mount Sinai. And when he reads the Torah, Hashem is reading opposite him. And when he learns the Torah, also is learning opposite him. One does this with such complete dedication that just as at the receiving of the Torah, he is in a state of awe and fear, trembling and sweating, he actually begins to perspire. Every Yid was given the Torah individually at Mount Sinai, and every day he receives the Torah anew.