The Annual KInusei Torah: Part I

00:00 As we find ourselves in the days following Chag HaShavuot, we begin a new topic, which is Kinuset Torah in Lubavitch. Many of the conclusions on Gemara or Rambam, which the Rebbe elaborated on, as well as other sichas on the topics of halacha, custom, perspective, and emunah, were delivered by the Rebbe as part of participating in the Kinuset Torah, which took place on Isru Chag of the Yom Tov. In an article which was published in Kerem Chabad for Tishrei Chesvan Tov Shin Chaf Ches, that's late 1967, Kinus Torah is described as follows. Twice a year, there would be a gathering with the participation of Rabboni Chabad and Rosh Yeshivas Chabad, discussing inyanim of Torah, inyanim of halacha. These Kinuset Torah, as they are referred to, would take place Isru Chag Simchas Torah and Isru Chag Chag HaShavuot. Also this year, this is Tov Shin Chaf Ches, on Sunday the 25th of Tishrei, a Kinus Torah took place, during which many topics in Shas were clarified and elaborated on. Likewise, many questions in halacha were solved through the tens of Rabbonim and Rosh Yeshivas who arrived here in 770 to spend the Yom Tov with the Rebbe. In the framework of the Kinus, Rabbi Yael Kahn, the chief chezer of the Rebbe, would review the contents of a halachic sicha that the Rebbe delivered during a farbrengen of Shabbos Breishis as his participation in the Kinus. At the farbrengen, the Rebbe would dedicate a sicha, elaborating either on the Talmud or inyanim of halacha, and this would

02:24 be the Rebbe's participation in the Kinus, which would then be delivered by his chezer, Rabbi Yael Kahn, alav ha-shalom. Amongst the Rabbonim who delivered pilpulim, halachic pilpulim, was Rabbi Yisroel Yitzchak Pekarsky, Rabbi Mordechai Mendlik, who were Rosh Yeshivas of Temchei Temimim in 770. And the Kinus is operated through Rabbi Mordechai Mendlik, the Rosh Yeshiva in Temchei Temimim, the central yeshiva in 770. He would be the one, Rabbi Mendlik, who would put himself into it completely, time, energy, in order that everything should work out. He would invite the Rabbonim who would speak, and he would monitor every detail of the Kinus. It all began in 770, on the second day Shavuot, during the farbrengen Tov Shin Yud Ches, 1958. During the farbrengen, the Rebbe delivered a long sicha in explaining the argument of the Malachim that they wanted that Torah should be given to them. And the Rebbe concluded that since tomorrow there will be a Kinus, that people will get together to speak in yanim of Torah, so b'meila, this will be my participation in the Kinus. And the Rebbe continued that this can be accepted as an inyan and nigla, this can be accepted as an inyan and chassidus. And surely in the Kinus, both aspects of Torah should be stressed, which is since Torah is Torah temimah, a complete Torah, so although there are inyanim of Torah which will be discussed, which are the revealed part of Torah, but they also should be permeated with the highest pnimis from pnimis of Torah. That

04:42 the limud haTorah should be in a sense and state of nullification, and that is what chassidus contributes to limud haTorah. And the Rebbe called everyone to participate in this Kinus, since Torah was given in the midbar, in the desert, and desert is open for all, to show that everyone has access to Torah. And surely everyone will participate, those who were invited and also those that were not invited. And it should be fulfilled the verse, making Torah greater and stronger. In a preface to a booklet, Kevetz Kinus Torah in Lubavitch, which was published in Tov Shin Chav Zayin, the Kinus Torah is described as follows. On the Yom Tovim, many guests would come from various countries, and also from various cities in the United States, amongst them Rosh Mesivta and Rosh Yeshivas and Rabbonim. And in relationship to this, it is with the consent and the bracha of the Rebbe that from year to year, beginning from Tov Shin Yud Ches, a Kinus Torah takes place twice a year, Isru Chag, Shavuot and Which is which is the day after Simchat Torah, in which we conclude the whole complete Torah, and the Kinus takes place in the Rebbe Shul. As mentioned, the purpose, the goal of the Kinus is to pull him and Torah, during which many Rabbanim and Rosh Yeshivas, et cetera, elaborate and bring out in, in Yomim of Torah. Why these two times in the year? The Rebbe once explained in a Sicha Shavuot taf shin chaf zay in 1967. The Kinos Torah

06:52 is customarily made after Shavuot and Simchat Torah according to the two explanations in the words of our Chazal, our sages, that it is which is the second Luchos, and which is the Inyan of Matan Torah. The Rebbe explained at the Farbrengen of Shavuot, mentioned there that the purpose of the Kinus is that this should increase and contribute a chayus, a liveliness in the study of Torah and for the whole year. And then we'll have the combination of neshamah and guf, soul and body. When both of them are united together, that's when there is something complete. And the Rebbe explained on another occasion that when Yidden get together and everyone elaborates on the Inyan of Torah, so there is also what our sages tell us, that everyone has his share in Torah which he is merited to elaborate on and to clarify and to reveal. A Kinus Torah is also in the format of Dibuk Chaverim, everybody sitting together, and Pilpula Talmidim which basically consists of the way Torah is attained as the chapter six in Pirkei Avot tells us, the different ways how a person could attain Torah. Also the Inyan of that when a person says something in the name of the one who said it originally brings a redemption for the world. So the Rebbe concludes with a Bracha that that this should be a Kinus of Tzadikim, which is a pleasure for them and a pleasure for the world, that this should contribute and increase in the understanding of Nigleh of the

09:11 Torah, Pnimiyus HaTorah by all participants in this Kinus and by all listeners. And that this should also be a pleasure, a benefit for the world, that the light of Torah and the candle of Mitzvah, Ner Mitzvah v'Torah Eir should illuminate the whole environment, the close one and the farther one, till it should encompass the whole world, that it should be permeated with Torah, Mitzvahs, and Yiddishkeit as it says, We will, Im Yirtzeh Hashem, continue in the next installment.