טו אלול - the 15th of Elul

00:01 As we find ourself in Tes Vav Elul, the fifteenth of Elul, this brings back to memory the day of the founding of the Yeshivat Tomchei Tmimim, the first yeshiva which was founded by the Rebbe Rashab on Sunday, Tes Vav Elul, Taf Reish Nun Zayin. The Rebbe writes that B'neguel Hape'il, the previous Rebbe, was the one that suggested to his father to establish a yeshiva. After many conversations that took place between them, the Rebbe Rashab went to the Eyal, and the Rebbe elaborates that the Eyal meant the Eyal in Lubavitch, which is the Eyal of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Rebbe Mahrash. And when the Rebbe Rashab returned from there, he told his son, the previous Rebbe, that he is accepting this suggestion. The Rebbe, on another occasion, explains what is the connection to the wedding. This was in the middle of the Sheva Brachos of the previous Rebbe that the yeshiva was founded, and the previous Rebbe was appointed as Menahil Pe'il, the active Menahil. So the Rebbe says, V'yesh lemor, one of the reasons of the timing that it was during the Sheva Brachos of the previous Rebbe, because the ultimate purpose of marriage is pru urvu umi'lu es ha'aretz v'kivshuha. Multiply and fill the entire earth and conquer it, which literally means having children, sons and daughters. In the same sense, like there are fruit that grow through planting the ground, in the same sense as the descent of the neshamah in the guf, and this accomplishes and bears fruit. So this is

02:09 accomplished, the Rebbe says, through a yeshiva. The talmidim, the students, are referred to the children. And when a person teaches a child Torah, it is considered like he gave birth to him b'shleimus and b'gashmius. On another occasion, the Rebbe says that the shleimus inyan of Torah is that it goes through three generations, and then it is forever. As the pasuk is, v'yamushim m'picho, m'pizara'cha, m'pizerah zaracha, then it is me'at ovadeilam forever. So the Rebbe says this is also the reason that the found- founding of the Yeshivat Tomchei Tmimim was related to the wedding of the previous Rebbe, because this accomplished there should be an establishment of an additional generation to follow. In the Sicha, the Rebbe asks that the yeshiva was founded in Chodesh Elul, and Chodesh Elul is basically connected with avodas hatefillah, with the inyan of tefillah. So lechara, there should have been a founding of a shul, not a yeshiva, in the month of Elul. And in this shul, there should also be a time set up for learning. So the Rebbe says, but on the contrary, we see the opposite, that davka the yeshiva which is connected with the inyan of Torah was founded davka in Chodesh Elul. And the Rebbe explains because the inyan of yeshiva is lashon yishuv, settling down. The inyan of Torah has to come down in a settled way. A person needs to understand it, and it becomes permanent. And that is basically the point that it was founded davka in Chodesh Elul, that davka in

04:03 Chodesh Elul, which is a time of tefillah, a yeshiva was founded which its concept is limud haTorah, because the inyan of tefillah needs to be connected with Torah. The hamshacha to the earlier installment, B'neguel, the founding of Tomchei Tmimim on the fifteenth of Elul. We continue now with installment number two, discussing when the yeshiva received its name and how old was the Rebbe Rashab during the founding of yesh- the Yeshivat Tomchei Tmimim and a unique reshimah of the Rebbe from Taf Shin Beis nineteen forty-two explaining the function of Tomchei Tmimim. The Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim received its name on Simchas Torah, Taf Reish Nun Tes, late eighteen ninety-eight. The Rebbe explains that the chidush, the uniqueness of the Yeshivat Tomchei Tmimim is that the study of Chassidus should be in a set time every day. And there should also be a kviyus b'neguel the etzem halimut. A kviyus in a seder mesuder in the contents of the topic. And the Rebbe continues that we can explain the connection that it has to Shemini Atzeres, and in particular Simchas Torah, when the yeshiva received its name. The difference between the first day's Yom Tov of Chag HaSukkot and the last days, that although mitzvah sukkah has a special chashivus- But basically, the sukkah is not a permanent dwelling place. On the other hand, when it comes to Shemini Atzeret Simchas Teida, particularly in Simchas Teida, when a person returns back into his house, which is a permanent residence. In the same sense, this is the inyan of

06:25 the Yeshiva Temchit Mimim that it accomplished, that Limadah Chiddis should be a kvius bizman, fixed in time, permanent on a daily basis. In another sicha, the Rebbe explains the age of the Rebbe Rashab when he founded the Yeshiva Temchit Mimim. The Rebbe relates it to the pasuk, That Avraham Avinu was old, so the Talmud says, He was sitting and learning in Yeshiva. So the Rebbe says, here we see the connection to the Rebbe Rashab. He is the one that founded the Yeshiva Temchit Mimim. And the Rebbe explains that the age of the Rebbe Rashab then was 36. 36 signifies in a spiritual sense the six middas, the six character traits, as each one consists of six. And the melech, six times six is 36. That shows a shleimus in the avedah of a person. A shleimus ad inyan of chachma, zoken ze shekon ha'chachma. Now we go on to the reshimah that the Rebbe wrote and he gave the function of Temchit Mimim. The Rebbe writes as follows. In the earlier days, in the earlier generations, Yidden were all connected with Torah mitzvahs and it was reflected in the house, in the street. Everything was permeated with Yiddisha Mayim, with Torah mitzvahs. But it's already a decades of years that the atmosphere became corrupted and it started to penetrate into the house. And as a result of that, there was a need to found a yeshiva that should give nourishment for the heart. Not only for the mind, but also for the heart. There are

08:54 yeshivas, the Rebbe continues, that their teachings are to capture the hearts through musar, through bringing out the lowliness of a person. Also in his animal soul, where is he coming from? And basically, it brings humility to the person. Then came Temchit Mimim and brought a new approach to show the person and prove to him the unique quality that he could reach and elevate to, to the extent that he can say, That he can say and ask, when will my deeds reach the deeds of my forefathers? And this could also be applicable by a businessman, a simple person. And even when he finds himself in an environment where the air, the atmosphere is corrupted in a spiritual sense, he needs to know that he is a messenger of Hashem. And wherever he is, this is where the mission needs to be fulfilled. And he should not say that the place where he finds himself in is causing him to sin. Because since he's there, so we must say that he has special keches to overcome all the obstacles. And then the Rebbe continues, loving a fellow Jew, his function also needs to be to involve himself for the benefit of his friend. And this is what the students of Temchit Mimim are doing with joy. They went through all the negative experiences they have passed over the years. And they don't satisfy themselves with that themselves only. But they are neris lehoir. They are candles to illuminate the whole environment.