895) Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson OBM (1878-1944) - The Rebbe's Father: Part 1

00:00 The Chabad Chaf Menachem Lav, the Yemai Lula of the Rebbe's father. This year, it's seventy-five years since his hishtalkus. We'll discuss a sicha of the Rebbe, where the Rebbe tells the story of how his father approached Rab Chaim Brisker to receive semikhah from him. In the Fabregen Chaf Menachem Lav, Tov Shin Yud Aleph, nineteen fifty-one, the Rebbe says as follows, "When my father learned to receive semikhah for Rabbonis, he decided for some reason to travel and be tested by many gedolei Yisroel that were not from Hasidim circles, as the Goan Rab Chaim Brisker and the Goan Rab Eliyahu Chaim Mazal from Lodz, and more of the eylu mesheg gedolim in that time period. Since it was obvious from his levush, from his garments that he was a Hasid, and especially known that he is a descendant of the Alter Rebbe, Rab Chaim Brisker really gave him a difficult task. The lashon in the sicha is, er, hot im gut gemateret. He really exerted him, hoping that he'll be successful not to give him semikhah. He'll have an excuse not to give him semikhah when he will see that he's not gonna be according to the standard of what he should be. In conclusion, when Rab Chaim realized that he is not gonna be able to slip out of giving him semikhah, he concluded with the words, "Gevald, Rab Leivick, az a gute kop in vos hat ir es areingelegt." Wow, Rab Leivick, such a good head in what did you invest it in. Meaning of

02:18 these words was referring to the fact that the Rebbe's father invested his mind in the study of Hasidus and Kabbalah. And when the Rebbe mentioned this statement, the Rebbe smiled and repeated it again. Az a gute kop in vos hat ir es areingelegt. In order to receive semikhah, the candidate who was to receive semikhah needed to spend time in the environment of Rab Chaim Brisker, in the Cheider HaBezren, in the Bezen Shtiebel, when he would answer questions, and at times, Rab Chaim Brisker would ask the candidate who is working to get semikhah to express his opinion how the psak halakha should be in a certain instance. And so likewise, it was benegeah to the Rebbe's father. He was spending time in the Bezen Shtiebel, and amongst the shailas that were given to him to pasken was also a shaila that came to Rab Chaim Brisker in the middle of the Yom Tov of Chag HaSukkos. Either it was Yom Tov that fell on Shabbos, or it was Shabbos Chal Mei Sukkos. In any case, it was after Shabbos has already entered. And the question was benegeah to people in a yard that are using one sukkah, and they forgot to make an eiv havtzaros, an eiv to be able to carry. When Rab Chaim approached the Rebbe's father with a question, he immediately answered that the sukkah itself is considered an eiv. Rab Chaim Brisker liked this original idea, and he confirmed that the halakha is as the Rebbe's father said. The Rebbe takes out

04:45 a lesson in avodas Hashem benegeah to this story. The Rebbe explains the contents of an eiv is that all the people that are members in that courtyard from which we collect food, a certain amount of food, and this accomplishes that they are all participating in the seudah, in the meal, u'be'efim, and in a way that one should not be uncomfortable with another if, for example, the other person will eat from his food, because if he is uncomfortable, he's makpid, there's no eiv. Because the, the idea of eiv is, as the name represents, that they're all mixed together, they're all pleased with each other. It is a pleasant partnership. This expresses the inyan of Ahavas Yisroel and Achdus Yisroel. The hemshich to the earlier installment benegeah to the Rebbe's father, the Kaved Yemai Lula, Chaf Menachem Av. We're continuing now with installment number two. An additional story that the Rebbe relayed on various occasions, been a gear to his father. But firstly, just to add in reference to what was mentioned in the early installment, been a gear to the receiving of Smicha from Rabbi Chaim Briskker, we find a letter of the Rebbe Rashab that he wrote to the Rebbe's father on the 5th of Chanukah, the year Taf Reish Samech Zayin, that's late 1906. And in the letter he writes, When there is a need to receive Smicha from Brisk, there is a need to travel there. And surely Rab Chaim Briskker will be Mekarev you, because he, Rab Chaim Briskker, is a true

07:09 God-fearing person. And the Rebbe Rashab continues, Realistically, it is difficult for me to write to him about this matter, and I did not yet have the occasion, the opportunity to write to him. But he really does not need this. You don't need that I should write to Rab Chaim Briskker. If he gives Smicha, my hope is that he will give you, or he'll give you a letter of recommendation. The Aibishter should give you success in your trip to Brisk. You should be able to attain and have your request fulfilled, and the Aibishter should give that it should end up very soon in a good way. This is how the Rebbe Rashab refers to the Rebbe's father's trip to Brisk to receive Smicha. Now we go on to the second story that the Rebbe mentioned been a gear to his father, and the Rebbe mentioned it in doing two different farbrengens. One was Taf Shin Yud Dalet, and one was Taf Shin Tes Zayin, 1954 and 1956. The Rebbe says as follows, the first Rabbonis of his father was in the city Yekatarnoslav, which was one of the big cities in the region. In the city where he served as Rabbonis, he had many menagdim, many people that opposed him, since he would customarily chazak chiddis, bilech chiddis, and he also implemented in the city chumres and hidurim sheinim. To enhance the kiyam hamitzvas, he instituted chumres and hidurim sheinim. On another occasion, the Rebbe says that this Rabbonis, there was a big opposition, seemingly metzar

09:51 concealments for other reasons, in yoniim, in physical matters, and there were many libels, many mesiras. One time an officer came to the Rebbe's father and he gave him over an order that was just received from the capital city, Peterburg, that within the next 24 hours he needs to leave the region. In order to verify by this officer the reason for this order, chachidim gave this officer a little mashke, and nichnas yayin yotze sod, wine comes in and secret goes out, and it was verified that there was a certain libel on the Rebbe's father that he is causing a sense of disorder in the city. And they elaborated, a Jewish rav, instead of being a role model for others, that others should learn from him, he's drunk and he's tearing clothing off from people. The captain of the police was surprised about the fact that many yidden of the city chose such a rav, and therefore he sent one of his officers to the house of the Rebbe's father to check, to investigate what was taking place there. When the officer came to the house of the Rebbe's father, he saw him sitting and learning, no mashke on the table, everything is in order. The officer was even more surprised. Vos far a maise is this? What's happening over here? And he told the Rebbe's father about this libel. The Rebbe's father answered, I don't know what this is all about. Er veis nit fun keyn maise. He doesn't know from anything. At the end, it

12:01 was verified there was some yissar to this story. Maise shehoya kahoya. It was Yutess Kislev when a farbrengen took place, and those present at the farbrengen, who attended the farbrengen Farbreng very well as in the loshen of the Rebbe, men azir gut farbracht. And the Rebbe's father chasid, a lot of chasidis, and everybody was in a very uplifted mood. And the farbrengen went into the late hours of the night. The seder, which took place by farbrengens of chasidim, that when the farbrengen went through many hours into the night and already almost the morning, before the morning, chasidim would take off the kapotes and would go out dancing without the kapote. And this was also customary at that Yut Askislev farbrengen. When chasidim took off the kapotes in order they should be able to dance as the conclusion of the farbrengen, there was one Yid, one chasid, who was not able to take off the kapote so easily. So the Rebbe's father helped him to take off the kapote. And when he explained to the officer this story, he understood what took place, and the gezeira was nullified. The hemshacha of the earlier installments been agir to the Rebbe's father. We're continuing now with installment number three, discussing the news of the hishtalkus of the Rebbe's father and how it reached the Rebbe in Taf Shin Daled, 1944. It is told by chasidim that the news been agir to the Rebbe's father's hishtalkus reached 770 by telegram, which originally was known only to a few of

14:04 the bachurim that were studying at that time in 770. They decided to wait for the Rebbe coming to 770 and to inform him. The Rebbe would usually every day arrive in 770 at a set time from his work, but this day he didn't come. They called the house. The Rebbe's son Chaim Mushke said that the Rebbe went out to work as usual. They called the place of work. They were informed from them that the Rebbe never arrived that day to work. So the bachurim then went to the Rebbe's room, and they realized that the key is from inside in the hole of the lock. They knocked on the door. The Rebbe opened the door, and they notified the Rebbe the sad news. The Rebbe tore Kriya and did all the additional halachas that are related to it. The Rebbe was asked why he didn't go to work today, and the Rebbe answered, "When I got up in the morning, I had a feeling that my father is no longer here, and therefore I remained in my room. I understood that the idea, the news will come sooner or later." U'mesaymim betayiv. The hemshacha of the earlier installments been agir to the Rebbe's father, Harav Levi Yitzchak. We're continuing now with installment number four, discussing the details what took place in the days that the Rebbe was notified about his father's passing. The news about his father's passing reached the Rebbe on the twenty-eighth of Menachem Av, and the Rebbe sat shiva till the fourth of

16:20 Elul. At that time, the previous Rebbe traveled on the seventeenth of Menachem Av to Morristown, and he stayed there for a month. Lefi haShmuah, the Rebbe would always visit the previous Rebbe, his father-in-law, almost on a daily basis. When the Rebbe received the news of his father's passing, he began sitting shiva. The previous Rebbe interested himself in knowing w-why his son-in-law, the eidem, is not showing up. The mekoravim, the people around the previous Rebbe refrained from disclosing the news until the end of the shiva. On the fourth of Elul, when the previous Rebbe found out about the passing of his mechutan, the Rebbe's father, he wrote a letter to the Rebbe. He opens his words with, "That I just-- I have just been notified about the terrible tragedy that happened with the passing of my relative, my mechutan. Kved avicha, your father, Harav HaChasid, Harav HaKohen, tiah nishmas isru leolam hazir ha chayim. And I'm participating in your great pain." And the previous Rebbe writes the nusach hamakom yenachem, which is the nusach of nichum aveilim, and he continues writing in the letter customs of avelus and minhogos of the Rebbe Rashab when he was in the days of avelus for his father, the Rebbe Mahrash. The day after Shiva was over, on the fifth of Elul, the Rebbe traveled to Maristown, where the previous Rebbe, uh, stayed for the month, and the previous Rebbe continued discussing with him various menogim of aveilus, and as mentioned earlier, also the anhogis of the Rebbe Rashab when

18:39 he was in aveilus for his father, the Rebbe Maharash. At that time, an article was published about the Rebbe's father, an overview of his activities, and so on. The article was written by the previous Rebbe, but upon his request, it was published anonymously. Friedrich Rebbe wrote the article as a third person. In the coming years, the Rebbe was, was concerned about a fact of the date of the hisdtalkus of his father. It was in Taf Shin Hey, that's early nineteen forty-five. The Rebbe mentions in a letter that he is waiting for a response. Maybe he can verify the exact date of the passing of his father. Because up till now, he was not successful in verifying the date. The Rebbe discloses that the telegram was sent on the twelfth of August, which is the twenty-third of Menachem Av. And this also appears in the article of the previous Rebbe, that initially it was figured that the hisdtalkus took place on the twenty-third of Menachem Av. And the Rebbe concludes, "Thank you very much for setting up a seder of learning and davening the kovet, the yahrtzeit, which was, uh, earlier, months earlier, and also for the tefillah for the health and peace of my mother for long and good years." In Taf Shin Zayin, that is late 1906, the Rebbe writes to someone that I have just been notified that your relatives that, uh, reside near you lived in the city where my father lived in the last years of his life. And since I

21:13 was not successful to receive details about this time period when the Rebbe's father was in the last few years of his life, the details of his illness, his tzavah, his passing, his kvurah, and the yom ha'yartzeit, I would greatly appreciate if they can write to me about this matter, and this would be considered a mitzvah for them. In Taf Shin Tes Zayin, Tishrei time, which is late 1955, Rab Yankiv Yosef Raskin was greeted by the Rebbe in Yechidas. The Rebbe began speaking with him about his father. And the Rebbe asked him that since Rab Yankiv Yosef was one of the main people near the Rebbe's father in Alma Ata, so over the years, the Rebbe said that he wanted to verify very precise when exactly was the hour of the hisdtalkus of his father. It is difficult for him to speak with his mother about it, referring to the Rebbe's Sahana, for understandable reasons. The Rebbe did not want to agonize his mother in any way. He did not wanna bring up the, uh, events of the hisdtalkus to verify when it was, and so on. The Rebbe continues, wants to verify if this was chof ov, before sunset, since Rab Yankiv Yosef Raskin was standing near his bed. Rab Yankiv Yosef answered, "Definitely is before sunset." And to prove it, he mentioned to the Rebbe many simanim. One, that in the, in the house in Alma Ata, there was no electric. They used a lamp and kerosene, нефть kerosene. And this they lit a

23:30 half hour after the hisdtalkus. And as long as there was daylight, they did not light that lamp. Besides that, Rab Yankiv Yosef tells the Rebbe, "I remember very vividly that there was light outside. It was still daylight outside." Behemeshech to the earlier installments, beeneguer, to the Rebbe's father, we're continuing now with installment number five, discussing a sicha of the Rebbe where the Rebbe explains tzadikim, Nesi'ei Yisroel, Gedolei Yisroel, who passed away, who were nistalik before their time. The Rebbe speaks in a sicha chof Menachem Av Taf Shin Ged Beis nineteen fifty-two, and cites the maimer chazal, "Zachu achishena, lei zachu be'ita." Zachu, when the neshamah merits, zachu is also from the word zichuch, refinement, so then the neshamah leaves the body before her time. Achishena, it takes place in a quick way, and the reason for that is that in order that at the time of the hisdtalkus, the neshamah should still be before her complete aved in kedushah, and b'meilek, klipa, the negative elements cannot draw any energy from kedushah. There can't be an achiza l'lo maza. If but it was that the neshamah is not at its fullest refinement, so then the neshamah leaves in the regular time, after it completes her in Kedusha, and this allows an opportunity that the negative elements could draw energy sustenance from Kedusha. So the Rebbe continues that this of his before the time, a manner of we find by many It is known the of the Alter Rebbe that as a result of an error that

26:04 was made in during the course of the trip running from Napoleon, when they arrived at a certain intersection and they weren't sure which direction to take, and a family member decided on his own, although usually they would consult the Alter Rebbe. And as a result of this mistake, the Alter Rebbe was before his time. The son of the Rebbe Maharsher, Rav Avraham Sender, was an exceptional child, very much so that Tzemach Tzedek played with him quite often. He was at the age of eight years old. Before his he said that the Alter Rebbe is coming to be with him. As the Tzemach Tzedek explained after the that the neshamah of Rav Avraham Sender was the neshamah of the Alter Rebbe, and he lived the number of years that the Alter Rebbe needed to live as a full life. It was eight years, which means the Alter Rebbe was eight years before his time. And the Rebbe concludes that likewise we find also by many that were before their time. It was in a manner of that because of the great refinement of their neshamah, their was in a way of in order not to allow to have any from Kedusha.