Taanis Sho'os: Part 4

00:01 The in continuation to the earlier installments in regards to taanis shos, we continue now with installment four, which is the conclusion of this series of, on taanis shos. Another taanis shos which was instituted, and the Rebbe spoke about it at the farbrengen, was Erev Rosh Chodesh 7 Tov Shin Mem Alef. That is right before Shavuos nineteen eighty-one. During the farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar, which is the Shabbos prior to Shavuos, the Rebbe then elaborated on this, mentioning that this is the occasion to mention again in regards to an inyan which relates to the zchus haRabim, the merit of the public, and the to what was mentioned in the earlier farbrengen and in the letter that the Rebbe released on the thirteenth of Iyar in regards to the situation in the world, which is not in a state of elevation, but on the contrary, that it's constantly deteriorating and therefore there is a need to increase in Ahavas Yisroel and to unite all Yidden together. The understood that there is also a need to exert more effort to be mezake, to merit the public. And when it get to a practical sense, the Rebbe says since the Rabbonim have announced a taanis shos, a partial fast day on Tuesday, Erev Rosh Chodesh 7, which also will consist of tefillah betzibur, and learning Torah betzibur, and giving tzedakah betzibur as it's understood, self-understood, the uniqueness in these three inyanim, which is davening in public with a minyan, and learning Torah betzibur, and also giving tzedakah in public.

02:14 So it is then assuring that everyone will join this and an, an extra measure that everyone will also publicize it wherever he can reach in order to be mezake the Rabim with this, in this matter. And even someone who has doubts if his words will have any influence, w-if it'll make any impression on someone else, he still nevertheless needs to try to have an impression on another person. And the Rebbe explains three points in it. One, that kol hamazake es harabim, that since he is meriting the public, so therefore it already accomplishes something although he is not sure if he will be successful to merit the public in a practical sense, but he is already doing something by speaking with someone else. Beis, the second point, Rebbe says in particular that this is a matter of life, safek nefoshos, be-because he... What he needs to impress another person is in regards to Torah and mitzvos, which are our life and the length of our days, and in particular a peula, a deed which its goal is to bring Mashiach. So since safek nefoshos l'chumrah, when it comes to life matters, we are very stringent with it, therefore a person needs to exert himself even if he's doubtful if he will be successful. And the third point the Rebbe says is that it's a davar barur, it's an established fact that eventually he will accomplish and impress the second person. Since he is speaking with the second person about Dvar Hashem, the words of Hashem, and

04:23 as it is mentioned, stated in the Haftarah of a fast day, "Dvar haya sheyetze mipiy leyoshev rekam ki im osas asher chafatzti vi'hitziach asher shlachitiv," that the words that come out from my mouth as Hashem gives it over through the navi, the prophet, will not turn back to me empty-handed, but will accomplish what I am desiring and will be successful in what it was sent for. So therefore it is a sure fact that safek saf, eventually he will accomplish on someone else. The question is if he will see his success immediately, if it will be immediate success or it'll be after a time, after a few days, which means in our case, the Rebbe says, will he be successful to accomplish it before Tuesday, which is the fast day, or it will be after the Tuesday? But that also depends on the merit of the person speaking and the merit of the person receiving, listening, the recipient. But in any case, it's a davar barur that he will be able to accomplish on a second person and therefore a person should put in more effort into this task, into this matter. The taanias, the fast day took place on Tuesday, as mentioned, Erev Rosh Chodesh 7. It was a half a day fast. It finished by one thirty PM, and the Rebbe then spoke a sicha for about a half hour. And this is how it was noted at the time in Tov Shin Mem Alef before Shavuot. Another taanis that came up at the

06:16 end of Av, so it was at the Farbrengen the twentieth of Av. During the Farbrengen in the, the fifth Sicha, the Rebbe said that he's joining the call of the Agudas HaRabbonim which announced, which proclaimed a taanis shochus, and the Rebbe explains that as an introduction to Chodesh Elul, and because of the situation in Eretz Yisrael, it is appropriate that everyone, including also bar mitzvah and bas mitzvah, if their health allows them, that all of them should fast a taanis shochus on Thursday, which has its own quality, and that is Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul. And the Rebbe continued that when bezras Shal Matoh, the bezras in this physical world announces something of this nature, this in itself nullifies the judgment in the higher heavens, and all the inyonim that are happening in this physical world are done in a revealed good and very soon. It was Chatzayim Menachem Av. This was a few days before Rosh Chodesh Elul. The Rebbe spoke the Sicha during the fast, divrei chushin b'meshech of forty minutes. Chassidim observed after that, that although that the fast instituted only for half a day, but the Rebbe himself continued fasting till the evening. He davened Ma'ariv at the earliest time, and then he went home, which was about eight thirty at that time in the year. Chof Ches Teves, on the twenty-eighth of Teves tinose, which is the beginning of nineteen ninety-one, it was then the situation in Eretz Yisrael. There was a announcement made from the Agudas HaRabbonim and publicized that

08:20 due to the situation in Eretz Yisrael, Erev Rosh Chodesh Shevat will be a taanis shochus, a day of prayer and partial taanis. And the Vaad Rabboni ha- Lubavitch HaKlali announced with the Rebbe's consent that he also is joining, and the male also Chassidim who follow the Rebbe's instructions. On Tuesday the twenty-ninth of Teves, Erev Rosh Chodesh Shevat, the shuls over the city, over the different streets in the city, uh, locations, fulfilled the Siddur Artfila as it was instituted by the Agudas HaRabbonim. In the Rebbe's minyan, they said the Avinu Malkeinu, which is said on a fast day, and at the conclusion of the davening, they also added the chapters of Tehillim, which were listed in the call of the Agudas HaRabbonim. And they also added chapter one-fifty, which the Rebbe said after the above-mentioned chapters in Tehillim. The Rebbe traveled to the day that day as it was customary on every Erev Rosh Chodesh. The words of the Rebbe, the encouragement of the Rebbe's words brought to the, uh, uh, to the point that all the activities and, and yesivotos, including also the day of prayer was-- were done with Bitachon Gamur, feeling assured, Bitachon in Hashem, that not one Yid will get hurt, Chas v'Shalom, and the guardian of Yidden, Shomer Yisrael, will protect the Yidden wherever they are, and particularly in Eretz Yisrael. We conclude with an interesting story which is told from Bochurim, from Beis Chabad in France. It was one of the Botei Chabad in France publicized in the newspaper a

10:42 notice about the taanis shochus in accordance with the Rebbe's directive. And, and on the bottom of the notice, there was a telephone number included from this Beis Chabad. After a few days, a person contacted this number. He identified himself, his name, and what his profession is. And according to his words, he is, um, in charge of a school, a very high-level academic school in astrology. And he said that what he was seeing earlier, the day which was designated for a fast day, for a taanis shochus, was originally considered a day which Chas v'Shalom, Heaven forbid, there was supposed to be something lo tiv hayilasiya for people in Eretz Yisrael, something negative. But he says to the great wonder, the morning of that day, all these signs disappeared. Ulidaiti, this, uh, person concludes, this, uh, astrologist, that this is connected with the rabbi who requested to fulfill the fast day.