Hakhel - Part 3: 5713 (1952-53)

00:01 This is Behemshach in continuation to installment number two on the topic of Hakhel, where we discussed the Rebbe's letter in the year Taf Shin Yud days, late 1952, preparing for the Hakhel of Taf Shin Yud Gimel, which was a year of Hakhel, and it was the year 1953. The Rebbe turned to the Rabbonim and mentors, et cetera, to inspire all with the fulfillment of Torah and its mitzvahs as we are commanded in the mitzvah of Hakhel. We now continue with installment number three, where we will discuss a letter of the Rebbe written to the national Kinus of N'shei of Ma'ayanei Chabad in Eretz Yisrael. The letter is dated the first day of Chol Hamoed Sukkot Taf Shin Yud Gimel, and it is included in the Rebbe's series of Igres Kodesh, Volume seven, page three. The letter was written by the Maskir, in which he quotes a bracha, a blessing for the success of this conference. It begins, "Bracha v'Shalom, blessing and peace. In response to the invitation which was sent to the Rebbe for the Kinus which will take place tomorrow on Tuesday, the Rebbe sent the following telegram. "Beki Nusim B'mei Me'et," in their gathering in the time of Yom Tov, "V'Hakhel," a year of Hakhel, which is L'yiras Hashem, to inspire one with fear of Hashem, surely they will inspire people that all these activities come down in a very substantial, practical sense. And since Sukkot is the Inyan of Tzilu D'meim Nusa, it is the shadow, the Inyan of Amuna, which hovers

02:14 over us, so it's basically to draw down in an inward manner. In all the four different groups that are found in Am Yisrael, as the Midrash says, one is compared to a Esrog, another group is compared to a Lulav, another one to Aravah, another one to Hadassim, which is basically all the different levels, standards in Am Yisrael. One who fulfills Torah and mitzvahs, one fulfills none, and then there's one that fulfills either one, either Torah or mitzvahs. And the Rebbe continues, as Torah Tzarchidus ex-- de-demands from us, and as we have the orders from Nisiainu Zechuso Yogen Aleinu. And the Rebbe concludes, "B'birchas Hatzlacha," a bracha for success and a happy Yom Tov, a joyous Yom Tov. And it-- the letter of the Maskir secretary co-concludes that surely he have-- he has received it in time, and it was read in an appropriate way with all the elaboration needed, and without doubt, they will notify us in detail about the results of the Kinus and shoo-- the choosing of the managers, the Hanhalah, v'kulo, v'kulo. Now we go on, on Chol Hamoed Sukkot, the Rebbe announced a special surprise farbrengen which he will be giving on Chol Hamoed Sukkot Taf Shin Yud Gimel, that same Chol Hamoed Sukkot, late 1952. At the farbrengen, the Rebbe opened his words as follows. In addition to the concept of Simchas Beis HaShoeiva, which the Rebbe would speak every year, he would farbreng, which takes place Chag HaSukkot every year. So on this year we have something additional since

04:18 it's the conclusion of the sabbatical year, so there's the Inyan of Hakhel, as we are commanded that at the end of the sabbatical year, Yidden would gather and the king would speak for them. And the Chag HaSukkot itself, the Rebbe says the Hakhel was not on Yom Tov itself, but it was at the end of Yom Tov, the beginning of the Chol Hamoed days. And the Rebbe elaborates, it is either because they couldn't do it on Yom Tov or that originally the obligation is that it should be Chol Hamoed. And here the Rebbe also, uh, adds that it's not definite if the Hakhel has to be in the daytime, or it could also be Mecho Yom Tov, as soon as Yom Tov finishes in the evening, because Hakhel was not a Inyan of a service in the Beis Hamikdash, but only reading the Parashat HaTorah. And the melech, it is not something that has to be in the daytime like all the services in the Beis Hamikdash. And according to many opinions, even if a person did not fulfill it the first day of Chol Hamoed, they can still compensate in the following days of Chol Hamoed. And the Rebbe begins explaining that the Inyan of Hakhel is different than all other mitzvahs. All other mitzvahs, we need a-- are an obligation for everyone who is already a mature person, a male by thirteen years old, female by twelve years old. And also when it comes to Chinuch, educating the child earlier, prior to Bar

05:56 Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, although the Chinuch is dependent on the father- But it relates also to the child who has some kind of a mind. He has an understanding. A child who's already five or six years old, and the male, he's able to accept and internalize the chinuch that he's receiving. By Hakel, we find an exception, that it's Hakel Asa'om, Ohanosim, Vanosim, Vatav, gathering the men, the women, and the children. Children, very young children of a very, very young age, not because of chinuch, because if it's chinuch, there would be a certain framework that it needs to be children who reach chinuch. But as the Gemara tells us, why are very young children brought for Hakel? And the Gemara answers, to give reward to those who bring them, as the Gemara says in Chagigah. And the male, there's no limitation that it has to be a child who we're already starting to educate, to train him for bar mitzvah or bas mitzvah. It has a separate inyan, which is a reward for those who bring them. It does not relate to the chinuch of the child. And therefore, many acharinim hold that when it gets to the taf, to the very young children of Hakel, there's no limitation of years. As long as a child is born and he's already after 30 days old, he can be brought to Hakel and is included in the commandment of Hakel as a taf. And bringing them to the Beis Hamikdash, that they should be present during the reading

07:42 of the portions of Torah. Because since the children are coming to give reward for those who brought them, so l'chayeit would have been sufficient to bring them to the Har Habayis, to the Temple Mount. And it wouldn't be so significant to bring them davka where they're going to be reading the Torah. Nevertheless, the obligation of Hakel is that also the children, very of young age, need to be present during the reading of the Parashas of Torah, of the Torah, as it says, and the basic inyan of Hakel is to inspire Am Yisrael with fear of Hashem. And that is accomplished when the king reads the Parashas HaTorah in the ears of everyone who's present, men, women, and very young children. And therefore, the Rebbe says, with this we also understand that although the obligation is that it has to be done by one who can gather the nation, a king or the Beis Din, nevertheless, it is a tzivui, a commandment that is on every person individually to come to this event. We will, mitzvah, continue in the next installment.