The Month of Elul

00:01 As we find ourselves in we'll mention some pnim from the Rebbe's sichas from the different tekufos hashanim. In a sicha of the Rebbe said as follows. I'll say it first in Yiddish, and then translate it in English. In English, Hasidim don't fear . Nevertheless, they fear what they need to fear, and with joy they do tshuva and to be in simcha. In a sicha of Shabbos in nineteen fifty-four, the Rebbe said that the request in is not through dibur, not verbally or biksav in writing, but it's through tkiyas, which means that the tkiyas is the expression of the request of Yidden to the Aibishter. In a sicha nineteen eighty-one, the Rebbe spoke about the ingyan of simcha before selichos. And as known, the sipur, the story of the previous Rebbe that Lubavitch Hasidim once farbrengen mitzoei Shabbos selichos. After that, during Shabbos, they heard a maamer chassidis from the Rebbe, and then they went to selichos be-simcha tov levov, with, uh, joy. And the Rebbe says that it seems to him, as far as he remembers, that the loshon that the previous Rebbe used, that the manner in which they went to go say selichos was as matz hagishokelt. Matz hagishokelt means that they were very joyous, like someone that farbrenged and said l'chaim. And the Rebbe says, "Be-etsem such an ingyan should not be mentioned in a farbrengen that is heard on a live hookup, because there can be some kind of an a, uh, uh, question, where do we find this in Shulchan

02:23 Aruch?" So the Rebbe says, "We find it befedish in Gemara." That the Gemara in Shabbes lamed amed beis thirty-b says that limud haTorah has to be in a way of sifsei seov neid fis meir, with a commitment, with a seriousness. Nevertheless, the Gemara tells us be-negi'ah to Rava, one of the great sages in the Talmud, that before he gave a shiur to his talmidim, amar milta dibdechusa ubat cha rabanan. First he said sort of a joke, the rabbin left, and after that they all became serious, and he relayed the shiur to them. This means that milta dibdechusa is the appropriate preparation for the study of Torah in a way, in a manner of sifsei seov neid fis meir. That the talmid sits seriousness and absorb with-- The talmid sits in a solemn manner and absorbs what he hears from his Rav. And a way of, and in the way of libe deeg bekirbe. And in a manner of libe deeg bekirbe. That he's not so joyous. He's sitting in a more serious and low-key status. And then he zecher shemegalen lehi razey Torah, that the secrets of Torah are revealed to him. The Rebbe refers to the famous saying that ei megalen lehi razey Torah ela lami shedeeg bekirbe, that the secrets of Torah are revealed only to one who is solemn and more on the serious side. Which means that even secrets of Torah that he himself cannot attain on his own, and they need to be revealed to him from above, so this

04:24 is accomplished through libe deeg bekirbe. So the Rebbe says, "Bemele, in the same sense, this is also be-negi'ah to anointing the Aibishter as a king on Rosh Hashanah." That although anointing a king means a seriousness, a solemn conduct, appointing a king over the nation and the fear of the king needs to be on the people of the nation. Nevertheless, we find that when it comes to anointing a king in a physical sense, in this physical world, the anointing of the king n-is done with joy and with a very true will and desire, and with the true mesirus nefesh commitment, which means devoting, committing the will of the person in this project of anointing the king, in the same sense needs to be when we anoint the Aibishter for a king over the universe during Rosh Hashanah every year. It was customary by the Rebbe that after concluding the selichos on the daily basis of yemei selichos, the Rebbe would, before leaving the shul, motion to sing the nigun Rachamana Litslan. The Rebbe would motion with his hand to begin singing the nigun. The nigun is which means that Hashem, who answers to the poor people, to the poor should answer us, and Hashem who answers to those that are broken-hearted should answer us. The nigun was taught by the Rebbe Simchas Torah morning, Tes Shin Chaf, late 1959. The Rebbe would customarily teach a new nigun after Hakafos through the night, and about five, six in the morning, the Rebbe would come in and teach

06:49 the nigun, and would also distribute mashke to all those who took upon themselves to increase in the study of Chassidus. And the Rebbe said about the nigun as follows. I'll say it first in Yiddish and then in English. The nigun at the outset needs to be sung low-key, slowly, and then with joy, because at the beginning it is tachananim, a plea, a request, matter of begging, and as it moves on, the demand and the bitachon become stronger. Bitachon means the person's feeling more secure and assured that everything will work out. And the Rebbe concluded when it is svirei liba, then surely it will be anena. When a person is broken-hearted, surely his request will be answered. It was a certain point at a farbrengen that someone in front of the Rebbe sang the nigun rachmana, but he sang it in a mode of chazonus. So the Rebbe said they don't match up together. Svirei liba means broken-hearted. Chazonus is a different mode and a different expression. They don't go together. The hemsech to the early installments we continue now with installment number two, and we'll discuss, im yirtzeh Hashem, the uniqueness of Gimmel the Selichos, the third day Selichos. The Rebbe in a farbrengen, Gimmel the Selichos, Tes Shin Chof Tes nineteen sixty-nine, said the following, "The inyan of Gimmel the Selichos was revealed by the previous Rebbe when he was already in the United States," which is in the 1940s. And as it was published in his Reshimah in Sefer Almai Moreh Tes Shin

09:09 Hey, that both Chai Elul and Gimmel the Selichos were amongst the inyanim that were not revealed till the appropriate time came to reveal them. When it get to Gimmel Selichos in particular, the previous Rebbe writes in the above Reshimah that on the third day of Selichos, the Alter Rebbe would say a ma'amar Chassidus only for Bnei Hamayuchad L'mitah Rebbe. And when the Tzemach Tzedek grew up, the Alter Rebbe would say also for him. Likewise, it was the stated by the Tzemach Tzedek that he would say Chassidus a ma'amar on this day for the Rebbe Maharash. The Rebbe Maharash would say for the Rebbe Rashab, and the Rebbe Rashab would say for the previous Rebbe. And the previous Rebbe continues in this Reshimah and cites that everyone in his time gave over to the one that they said the ma'amar for, that it should be besod, it should be kept a secret. Likewise, the Rebbe Rashab told his son, the previous Rebbe, that it should be besod till the time comes when he will tell him to reveal it. In a sicha of Gimmel the Selichos Tes Shin Lamed Hey, the Rebbe spoke to N'shei of N'shei Chabad as it was customary by the Rebbe to address N'shei of N'shei Chabad in the Selichos days as a preparation for Rosh Hashanah. The Rebbe said the following, referring to Gimmel the Selichos, "For a long time, it wasn't known that the third day of Selichos is distinguished from amongst the other Selichos days till the previous Rebbe,

11:09 the Nasi of our generation, related about this, uh, wrote about this, and also instructed to publish it. From this, we understand that now the distinguished day of the third of Selichos has a connection, a shaychus to all, every individual." And the Rebbe continues, "In the beginning, the, uh, difference between the third day of Selichos and other days when it was just revealed, only very few knew about it." As the Rebbe mentioned in the earlier sicha when it get to the Alter Rebbe that he would say a ma'amar Chassidus in the third day of Selichos, and also then it wasn't for all. And also not for special selected talmidim. Even more yet, not even for all the children. Only for one and chosen child from amongst the children. As it's mentioned that it was basically for the children in each generation which will become the Memalamok and the successor. They were chosen to hear the maimer from Gimel de Selichas. The Rebbe begins elaborating about this fact. When we look at it, what took place over here is something that raises a question. Since the Rabbeim wanted that this day, the uniqueness of the day, should remain besot, should remain private, to the extent that they have instructed their children that they should not tell it to anybody, even to the close ones in the family, how is it that the previous Rebbe publicized it and he even asked to publish it? The Rebbe continues, in reality we find this in relationship to many in Yanim

13:48 of Teydah. It is simply understood that the neshamas of the later generations are not as great as the neshamas of the earlier generations. When the Beis Hamikdash existed, and even right after the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, there were generations of Talnoyim and then Amiroyim and then Ge'enim and then Rishonim. And the further the generations move on, the greatness of Yidni Yiddishkeit becomes smaller and smaller. On the other hand, we find that in a later generation, there are additional explanations and answers in Inyonim of Chachmas HaTeydah. So the cheder here, it's also not understood. Since the Inyon of Teydah is the most precious and sacred Inyon in the world, so it should have already been in its fullest measure by the earlier generations. And as the generations move on and the descent of the generations, the understanding Teydah should have been smaller, minimum in comparison to the earlier generations. So the Rebbe explains, it is known the mashal which is brought in Svarim from G'dei Yisrael, a parable that when you take a midget and you place him on the shoulders of a giant, this little person, this midget, seems to look as the giant looks. He's on top of the giant. And this is the explanation b'negeah to Limah da Teydah of these generations. On one hand, we need to know that if we wouldn't have been placed on the shoulders of the previous generations, the giant, we would not have been able to see as far. On the other hand, after we were

15:46 placed on the shoulders of this giant, it lies on us the responsibility to look and to see further yet than the giant himself sees. And if we don't do it, we do not fulfill the mission and the intention, the purpose of our creation. Therefore, the Inyon of Gimel Selichas remained a sod. The Friedrich Rebbe revealed it as it is a chosen special day in which the Alter Rebbe and his successors would say a special maimer, a new revelation in the Seder Sateirah on this day. And from this we understand that since the previous Rebbe revealed it here in the United States, it's understood that the instruction to reveal it came from a higher world during the time that the previous Rebbe was here in the United States. The hemshech to the earlier installments b'negeah to the Yemei Selichas and in particular Gimel de Selichas. We continue now discussing b'negeah to Gimel de Selichas. In a sicha of the 23rd of Elul Tov Shemem Ches 1988, when the Rebbe mentioned about the previous Rebbe that he publicized b'negeah to the Inyon of Gimel de Selichas, the Rebbe continued that although we don't find an obvious reason for it, why this day is singled out from all other Selichas days, nevertheless there is an outstanding tam, a tam beilot, a reason that stands out to the extent that we don't need to search and exert ourselves to find what is the Inyon of Gimel de Selichas. And the Rebbe makes an introduction that although a person needs

17:53 to be cautious in explaining new pirushim, new remazim, new explanations, because not everybody is authorized to do it, musmach lazer It is known the words from the Rebbe Rashab in a gear to the inyan of learning Pirushim, explaining new insights in the Tanya, that although a person has to be cautious, but when this is something that will contribute to Avodas Hashem, a person could offer his Pirushim, his analyzation, his insights. Likewise, in B'negeah to every inyan, that if it is something that contributes in Avodas Hashem, the love of Hashem or fear of Hashem or both, a person is permitted to say Peshatim and Remazim Chadashim. B'negeah, in Yonenu, the Rebbe says, the number three is a very special, dignified number. By Matan Teydah, we find that it's connected with the number three. As the Talmud tells us in the tractate of Shabbos, That by Matan Teydah, everything was in the number three. The Teydah that is divided in three, Teydah Neviim Ksuvim, the nation that is divided in three, Kehanim, Neviim, Yisraelim, and the month, the third month from Nisan, which is Sivan. And this is the ma'alah, the Rebbe says, of Shlishi, the Shlichas, the equality of three. And the Rebbe adds additional explanations that we can also connect it, B'negeah, to the third day in the week. The third day of Shlichas is always on the third day of the week. The third day of the week is known as Ruchpah Be'kitev, that kitev, that it is good, is mentioned twice during the

20:09 creation on the third day of the week and the third day of the creation. The ma'alah, this is an additional quality, B'negeah, to Gimel the Shlichas, which has in itself also the Tuesday, which is a double goodness. In addition, the inyan of Shlichas in general is connected with the three different sets of 40 days that Moshe Rabbeinu was Behar Sinai, when the Eibishter told him that he is forgiven, Salachti Kidvarecha. So there were three different sets of the 40 days. There was the first 40 days, then there were the middle 40 days, and then finally the last 40 days from Rosh Chedesh Elul till Yom Kippur, when the Eibishter said Salachti Kidvarecha. Also in Shlichas itself, there are three expressions, Mechilah, Shlichah, and Kaparah. In a Sichah, the Rebbe Chavdalet Elul Tovshin Nun Aleph, Tinnoseh 1991, the Rebbe connects the number three with the inyan of Teshuva. As known that the Avdah of Tzaddikim has two Kavim, Sur Mira and Rasei Tev, refraining from doing evil and doing good. But after that comes even a higher Avdah, and that is Bakish Sholom B'ratvehu, which refers to the inyan of Teshuva, and it is connected with Pnim Yisraela. And the Rebbe continues that since this is a time, the third day of Shlichas, during which over the generations the Rabbeim said Divrei Elokim Chayim, Chassidus, they delivered a discourse, B'meilah Haribe'ir Pnei Melech Chayim, with the light of the face of the King, who is Pnei Melech Chayim Hashem. Hashem draws down to every Yid a

22:20 good life, Chayim Tev and Chulu, with all the details as they are mentioned in the Tefillas of the King Godol B'Yom HaKippurim. In the Fabringen of Chai Elot Tovshin Lamet Ches 1978, the Rebbe said as follows. There's the Seder that the previous Rebbe has instituted B'negeah to Erev Rishishana, that those who wish to hand in the Tzetlach, which means the Pideinis, the Panim, in which their name and their mother's name is written very briefly, and just a few additional words. And this was also the Seder that it would take place Erev Rishishana after Shlichas and after Davening. So in order to make it easier, and in order that it should be B'Shleimos, since the inyan of Erev Rishishana already begins from Etzoy Menucha, from the first day Shlichas, and surely from the third day Shlichas, as known that the previous Rebbe has distinguished this day with a special Anhoge, and there was also a Mai Mechzides. Therefore, after the third day Shlichas, and the fourth day in the morning after Shlichas and Davening, those who wish can hand in the Pideinis B'mesech of an hour or an hour and a half, as the Lashon D'zeah, and this will be taking place every day till Erev Rishishana. And B'negeah to Erev Rishishana itself, this will be reserved for those that will come Erev Shabbos, or Etzoy Shabbos, or Erev Rishishana. And those that are living here as locals should exert themselves, should be Meshtagul, and B'meilah they will also be able to accomplish it, to hand

24:23 in their Tzetlach Pideinis on Wednesday or Thursday or Friday, which these three days are considered Maileh Shabbata, preparation, introduction to the Shabbos before Rishishana, during which it is Atem Nitzovim Hayim Kucham L'fnei Hashem Elokeicha, it is the Shabbos before Rishishana which we read the Parsha Atem Nitzovim, that the whole Jewish nation is standing together for Hashem, and then there is the fulfillment of the Bris, the covenant with Hashem. We'll conclude with wishing all our listeners a Kziva V'chzima Teva, L'shana Teva Um'sukah, B'gashmius, B'ruchnius, and Geulah Hoamitis V'hashlema.