Shmini Atzeres 5713 (1952-53)

00:00 The Hemshach, in reference to the earlier installments in regards to the Yuman, the diary from Tav Shen Yud Gimel seventy years ago, what took place by the Rebbe on Chei Des Tishrei, as we already elaborated, when we get to Rosh Hashanah, when we get to Yom Kippur, when we get to the early first days of Sukkot, we now approach Eishaneh Rabbe, Shemini Atzeres, and Simchas Torah. Installment number six. The night of Eishaneh Rabbe, which means the evening before the day, the Rebbe came in as customary every year to say Tehillim together with the Elam, twelve o'clock AM till two AM. This was waiting for Chatzeis, and then the midnight hour was twelve o'clock, not one o'clock. Going on now to the evening of Shemini Atzeres. Before Hakafas, the Bacharim, as in the previous year, visited shuls, the different areas of the city, and in particular, that over the last year, the Rebbe urged very much, quite often, that Talmidai HaYeshivas and Yungleit should chazer chassidus in the shuls, and that early evening Anash, who were the Baalabatim who did not go to the shuls, farbrenged on their own. Around eight PM, the Rebbe came out for Hakafas. The psukim of Atah Arei Sah were sold for the benefit of funding the Yeshivas Temchei Temimim. The Rebbe was honored with saying the first and last pasuk of Atah Arei Sah, and the second pasuk, the Rebbe's older brother-in-law, Rav Shmaryahu Gurari, was honored with reciting that pasuk. During the first Hakafa, the Rebbe danced with the

02:11 Rashag, Rav Shmaryahu Gurari, and Rav Shmuel Evitin, who was one of the oldest Chassidim at the time, dignified Chassidim, and it was by a hand holding on the shoulder of the second person. That's how they danced together, each one holding his hand on the shoulder of the second person. The seventh Hakafa again repeated the same scenario. The Rebbe danced with the Rashag and Rav Shmuel Evitin, and the Hakafas concluded about ten PM. Shemini Atzeres that year was on a Shabbos. This is the next morning after the first set of Hakafas. After Shacharis, the Rebbe instructed that they should sing a nigun and dance a little. The next evening, Meitzoi Shabbos, which goes into Simchas Torah. After Ma'ariv, about eight PM, the Rebbe came out to farbrengen, and in response to the question, which people may have been wondering, why is the Rebbe postponing the farbrengen for such a late hour? So the Rebbe answered that it is because the Bacharim who went to visit different shuls to be mesamayach, to bring joy for the Yidden in the various communities during Hakafas. So therefore, the Rebbe began the farbrengen later than usual, which means not right after Ma'ariv, in order that the Bacharim will also be able to partake in the farbrengen. During this farbrengen, the Rashag also participated. Over the sichas in the farbrengen, the Rebbe spoke in great length about the joy of Simchas Torah, that it is a general joy for the whole year, and it is not limited and structured according to

04:23 logic. Between the sichas, they sang freileche nigunim, and the Rebbe was very much me'eidah with the singing, and he also got up to dance on his place. Towards the end of the farbrengen, around ten PM, the Rebbe said, "We need to go now to Hakafas, and since we find ourselves in a time which is an auspicious time, a eis roatzim, bisimichas Hakafas, and in echsidish of farbrengen before Hakafas, and as it is known, the vort of the previous Rebbe, in the name of the Alter Rebbe, the unique quality of echsidish of farbrengen, which can accomplish more than malach machol could accomplish." So the Rebbe continued, "Therefore, I am benching everyone, those who are here and those who are not here, that it should be a gebenchter yor l'chol echad v'echas in everything that they need, b'gashmiyus u'b'ruchniyus, physically and spiritually." And after that began the process of selling and reciting the psukim of Atah Arei Sah, which continued till about eleven PM. Many psukim were bought by individuals, and some were bought in partnership from many of Anash. Most of the psukim were given to the Rebbe, the honor of the Rebbe that the Rebbe should recite them. The Rashag bought the second pasuk, and he likewise was mechabed the Rebbe to say the pasuk. When it came to the pasuk Vayehi B'nei Seiyah, the Rebbe advised that the Talmidi HaYeshiva should say it. Also last year, when it was the second set of hakofes after the Rebbe's minyan concluded, the Rebbe also advised then

06:17 that this pasuk is shayech and the bochrim should be honored with it. During the hakofes, there was a lot of pushing. It was a big crowd. The place was a small place. The first hakofe and the seventh hakofe, the Rebbe danced a mesh of zman with the lashag as it took place the earlier evening. The hakofes went till about 2 a.m. After hakofes, the Rebbe said now they should set up again hakofes for the talmidi hayeshivas who did not receive their own hakofe to the extent that every talmud from whatever yeshiva he is from, he should receive a personal hakofe. After the sudar, which the Rebbe ate upstairs in Firikebbe's apartment, around 3 a.m., the Rebbe came out from his room, went into the shul, and when he saw the Elam is still dancing, the Rebbe joined the dancing. And after that, the Rebbe advised they should again begin saying the psukim of Atareisa and honor every bocher to say a pasuk. First, they should honor the older bocherim and then the younger ones. Before they recited the pasuk, the Rebbe stated that since the bocherim are the primary carriers of the orn, therefore they should announce the pasuk, they are the ones who sit and learn Torah, and they should announce it three times, and it should be b'kel rom, loudly. This all took place between 4 and 5 a.m. When they concluded distributing the psukim, the Rebbe returned to his room, and some of the Elam remained dancing. Around 6 a.m., while they're

08:13 still dancing, the Rebbe again walked out of his room, and the Rebbe said with a smile, it seems like we already could do krishma, the krishma of the morning. And the Rebbe turned to an individual, and he said to him that he should tell the Elam they should go to sleep for a certain time, because in a few hours, we are continuing to dance. And the Rebbe wished gut yom tov, and he went home. In the next installment, we will continue with Simchas Torah.