Shabbos Breishis 5713 (1952-3)

00:02 This is Behemsach in reference to the earlier installments where we discussed the Yeman, the diary of Tishrei Tav Shin Yud Gimel, late nineteen fifty-two, fifty-three, seventy years ago. In these installments, we discussed the events which took place by the Rebbe during Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first days of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah. We now continue with installment number eight, where we will elaborate on the events of Shabbos Breishes. Before we begin, I will just add clarity about an episode which was discussed in the previous installment. We discussed that there was a Hasid who was brokenhearted and cried about his situation. And after the Rebbe gave him from his challah, the Rebbe then turned to Rab Zalman Duchman and said to him, "You know the quote in Russian, , which means everything is forgiven." The Rebbe requested that Rab Zalman should announce it three times, and the melech this will bring relief to the Hasid. Now we continue with the Yeman of Shabbos Breishes. On Shabbos Breishes, after Kriyat HaTorah and the HaTorah reading, the Rebbe advised that the verse YehaAlalu, which is recited when returning the Sefer Torah back to the Aron Kodesh, the chazan should recite it with a nigun of Yom Tov. And they should place the Sefer Torah in the Aron Kodesh with simcha and dancing. After they return the Sefer Torah to the Aron Kodesh, the Rebbe instructed that they continue with the dancing, and in addition, to take out the same Sefer Torah and continue dancing with it.

02:02 After the davening, the Rebbe opened the farbrengen with a maimer beginning with the verse Breishes Boreh Elokim, which was later followed by a sicha, how one is to draw down the simcha, the joy of Simchat Torah for the entire year. At the conclusion of the sicha, the Rebbe requested that the assembled should sing a joyous nigun. The Rebbe then spoke about Veyankev Halach LeDarchei, which was a verse announced in Lubavitch, and the Rebbe continued this tradition. The announcement was made after Simchat Torah, when Yidden are all leaving the Rebbe's courtyard, where they spent Tishrei with the Rebbe, spent the Yom Tovim, and they all return back home to their individual avoda. Either it is the study of Torah, which they are doing all day, or businessman, everyone in his framework. And in regards to this, the Rebbe mentioned a story which included the mitah of the Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek and Rebbe Maharash. And the Rebbe added that the reason he mentioned the story is to mention the names of the Rebbeim, these three Rebbeim. That is why the story was mentioned. We can possibly refer to a reference where the Rebbe made note of it in various occasions that there is a special ingнь of mentioning, for example, the avos, our forefathers, our patriarchs and chevlin, as it says in the commentary, to remember and to bring out the merits of the avos. Likewise, in regards to chidim, the names of the Rebbeim. The Rebbe then spoke about the organization, the Meis Ad Atah,

04:19 which is an acronym of the words Igud Tamidi HaYeshivas, and as all organization names which the previous Rebbe founded contain a meaning not only in the name itself, but also in its abbreviation. Likewise, the word Atah, in addition to its abbreviation mentioned earlier, it also signifies a very basic concept. In Hebrew, the word Atah means you, and this is said and used to s- when we speak to someone who is in our presence. Likewise and surely, when it comes to Hashem, the Almighty, he is always everywhere, and this is the goal of this organization, to reveal getlechkeit, godliness in this physical world. After the sicha, the Rebbe asked to sing a nigun. The Rebbe then delivered an insight on the topic of the mabul, this week's Parshat Noach, and mikveh and parnassa concerns, livelihood worries. The sicha was edited by the Rebbe. It appears in Likutey Sichos. I'm gonna read from the section of the sicha where the Rebbe discusses the connection between these three concepts, mabul, mikveh, and parnassa. The Rebbe says in Torah air, in the Hasidic discourses of the Alter Rebbe, section Noach, there's a commentary to the effect that the flood was not only a punishment, but also an act of purification. The flood purified the world which prior to the mabul was defiled. That is why the flood lasted forty days, a number corresponding to the forty saw in a mikveh, which is a certain measurement how a mikveh is built, and is referred to as mei neich, neicha de'rucha,

06:31 gratification of the spirit. There is a further detailed exposition in Teda'ev which states that the same idea applies to worries and troubles in matter of obtaining livelihood, which are symbolically called mayim rabim, many waters. They rinse the undesirable elements of man and thus affect a state of neicha de'rucha. The relationship between worries about livelihood and the flood and mikveh can be seen as follows. The underlying inner purpose of mikveh is the concept of self-negation. As the Rambam writes, he should immerse himself in the waters of pure knowledge, as it is mentioned in the conclusion of Hilchas Mikvois. That is why a mikveh requires forty saw, an amount sufficient to cover the whole body of man. Also, the letters of the word tvilah immersion are identical to those of the word habitil. They are the same letters, tes, beis, yud, lamed, hei, and hei, beis, yud, tes, lamed. This means that the act of self-negation, of stepping out of one's ego, elevates man so that he may become a receptacle for holiness. This indeed is the intended purpose for anxieties about livelihood befalling man. Though they temporarily disturb and confuse, they cause man to be crushed within himself, thus stepping out of his ego and thereby render him a vessel for holiness. The ultimate intent thus is not, heaven forbid, to punish him, but to rinse and cleanse him of all impure matters. Now obviously this can be achieved very quickly, even instantaneously, as one perceives this inner meaning and intent, thus affecting within himself that

08:48 which the events seek to accomplish. One then achieves the purpose and the neicha, the pleasantness, is with him both materially and spiritually. During the fabrengen, towards the end of the fabrengen, the Rebbe said the following, Minchas Shabbos, that time in the day is an auspicious time above in the heavens and also down here. Therefore we then say, Vani sfi losi locho Hashem eis ratzon. I pray to Hashem in this auspicious hour. And as we find ourselves in this eis ratzon, Hashem should give us, in addition to what we are to receive, being awarded for what we accomplished through our avedah and initiative, we should also receive all the inyan in which we need it and can add more and complete. It is no difference if one did accomplish or didn't, this is all irrelevant when one finds himself in an auspicious time which is Shabbos Mincha. And all the blessings relating to children, health and livelihood should be drawn down to every individual lamato ma'asot rotachim. Likewise the blessings for the success in avedah Hashem, in the study of Teda and the fulfillment of mitzvahs, and primarily in spreading the wellsprings of chassidus forthward. The Rebbe concludes that the Rebbe, referring to his father-in-law, the previous Rebbe, should lead us to the complete redemption through Mashiach Tzedekenu very speedily in our days. With this installment number eight, we conclude Be'ezras Hashem V'yuman, the diary series of Tishrei Tovshin Yud Gimel.