Shvuos 5712 (1952)

00:00 The COVID Chag HaShuas. This year marks seventy years since the Rebbe delivered the first Ma'amar in middle of the first night of Shuas in the year Taf Shin Yud Beis, nineteen fifty-two. This marked the beginning of an era of twenty consecutive years, during which and when the Rebbe would deliver a special Shuas Ma'amar, a discourse, at three AM, shortly before the daybreak of the first day of Shuas. We will discuss how it all began based on the Yuman diary of Rab Yeil Kahn, the Rebbe's cheder, and additional facts from Rab Moshe Groner, alav ha-shalom. On Shabbos Parshah Bamidbar, Shabbos before Shuas, there was a farbrengen. As usual, Shabbos Mevorchim blessing the new month. At the farbrengen, right after the Ma'amar, the Rebbe asked the Elom Hasidim to say l'chaim and to sing the nigun of Gimel Bavis, which is a nigun named after the Baal Shem Tov, the Mezritcher Maggid, and the Alter Rebbe. Rab Yeil writes in regards to the Shabbos Bamidbar that the Rebbe delivered then a Ma'amar, a discourse, which began with the quote of the sixth chapter of Ovos, Chamisho Kinyonim, which is being studied on the Shabbos before Shuas. That is when we conclude the study of Pirkei Avos. On Erev Shuas, the Rebbe elaborated on the siyum of Masechta Seita, which is studied during the Sefirah days, and it is concluded on Erev Shuas. On Shuas, Rab Yeil continues, the Rebbe again delivered a Ma'amar on the same quote as before, which is from the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos,

02:01 from the Braisa, which is generally unusual, uh, to Ma'amaring, consecutive Ma'amaring to, to begin with the same, uh, quote as in this case, the Mishnah Pirkei Avos, the Pelek Shishi from Pirkei Avos, explaining additional Hasidic concepts. Rab Yeil, when he writes this to his parents, he says, "But when was this Ma'amar said?" Makes a short introduction. On the first night of Shuas, after the Sudde, everyone came to shul to recite Tikkun. As the previous Rebbe mentioned many times about the unique quality of reciting the letters of Teita, particularly on this evening. Therefore, everyone said Tikkun. They didn't study Chassidus, they only say Tikkun. After they concluded Tikkun, they left to immerse in the mikveh as customary. Regrettably, Rab Yeil adds, "I also went." Suddenly, the Rebbe came to seven seventy. The Rebbe asked, "Where is the Elom?" In shul, there were only about fifteen people present. They responded that the Elom went to the mikveh, and the Rebbe continued, "Yeil," referring to Rab Yeil Kahn, "He also went." And they responded in the affirmative. The Rebbe then just said, "Ah." The Rebbe took off his coat. Rab Moshe Groner, who was present at the time, shared with me the following, that the Rebbe also asked for Rabbi Mendlik, who was a cheder, reviewing the talks, Ma'amaring siches of the previous Rebbe. Rab Moshe took the coat from the Rebbe and held it till the end of the Ma'amar. The Rebbe then sat down by the table near the dorim wall, the southern wall, which is

03:59 on the upstairs shul between the zal upstairs and the cheder sheini, second room, the wall which is between the two rooms, and he began preparing for the Ma'amar. They began singing a long nigun in order to win time to send a message to the bachurim and the nash who have left. The nigun took about ten minutes. Rab Yeil continues, "We ran like wild to seven seventy, and when I arrived, I see the Rebbe delivering the Ma'amar for about thirty people." Rab Moshe Groner recalls, "After the Rebbe concluded the Ma'amar, the Rebbe looked at me and took his coat. I wanted to assist the Rebbe, helping him put on the coat, but he smiled and hinted, implied there was no need for this, and he then went home." Rab Yeil notes that he reviewed the Ma'amar several times for those who were not present at the Ma'amar. A Hasid went into the Rebbe's room on the first day of Shuas, was asked by the Rebbe, "What happened with the Ma'amar of the early morning? Did someone review it?" The Rebbe was informed that yes, indeed, it was reviewed. The Rebbe asked, "Who reviewed the Ma'amar?" And the answer was Rab Yeil. The Rebbe asked, "Yeil was not here." The person answered that Rab Yeil came immediately. The Rebbe asked, "When did they re- review the Ma'amar?" The answer was immediately after the Ma'amar. The Rebbe continued, "It was already well into the day when they sat down to review it. When did they sleep?" And the

05:39 Rebbe began laughing. The Rebbe then continued, "Nu, and the Elom who was not present already heard chazora, heard the review." The Rebbe was told that they did it again after Shacharis and again before Kabbalah Shabbos. And the Rebbe was very pleased and concluded, "Good news is not shared with me. The Ma'amar was reviewed three times, and of such news I am not told." On the second day of Shuas in the evening, during the Shuas farbrengen, the Rebbe spoke great length about Shuas and its lessons and how it is different than other Yomim Tovim, and additional topics about the meaning of the word Shuas and the unique importance of chinuch since Matan Torah is based on the children. The Rebbe mentioned that since Teita was given the merit of the children being our guarantors, as, as our sages mention it, therefore, all children under five year- years old should say l'chaim. Rab Eli Gross, alav ha-shalom, notes in his diary that this occasion, this farbrengen, was the first time that he observed that before the Rebbe began saying the Ma'amar, the Rebbe cried very much, and his entire guf ha'kodesh was shaking. In conclusion, we should all merit very speedily in our days to again hear from the Rebbe as he delivers Ma'amaring and siches in the ultimate geulah.