Rosh Chodesh Kislev (5738/1977)

00:00 We're gonna discuss today Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Rosh Chodesh Kislev in our generation is a major Yom Tov. It is a day of Geulah, marking, thanking Hashem for the Rebbe being able to come home after forty days being in his room after a heart attack, Shemini Atzeres. The Rebbe then went home the first time, and for the Rebbe, this was a very big simcha that he was back in his own home, in his own surroundings without being monitored, et cetera, et cetera. Just to give a little introduction or a, uh, overview from a few months earlier to understand what we're commemorating, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, which this year is the f-- second day of Rosh Chodesh. It was Alef Kislev, not Lamed Ches, so it's actually Monday. Um, it was at Chai Elo time, a few months before, actually a month before the heart attack. The Rebbe sang the nigun Tzamlechah Nafshi. And in the nigun, the Rebbe changed words. Instead of Lereis Uzcha Ucheveidcha, the Rebbe changed it to Lereis Nafshi Ucheveidi, which means that, uh, we came back Lereis Uzcha Ucheveidcha means your might, your strength, and your honor. Nafshi Ucheveidi is a whole different thing. It means my soul and my covet. Very personal. Chassidim had no idea what this meant. People were talking about it, but nobody dreamed that this could be a hint to what was coming up in a month, on Shemini Atzeres about a month later. A month and four days, to be exact. Erev Rosh Hashanah, the Rebbe accepted

02:17 pidyonos palim from Chassidim who gave the Rebbe hand in a pidyon, and the Rebbe asked that there should be a bag, a bag of dimes, and everybody should, um, take a dime or two for tzedakah, personal use, but the Rebbe mentioned them, which was a v-- an exception. It was the first time it ever happened. Then came the pidyon klali. The pidyon klali is that after everybody handed in their private personal pidyon, there would be a delegation of older Chassidim who would present the Rebbe with a general p-pidyon addressing Klal Yisroel, address-addressing Chassidim, addressing the Rebbe, the Rebbetzin, some different general broches. The Rebbe would respond right there and then. As soon as the Rebbe received the pidyon, he would immediately begin responding. This was a pidyon that was signed by hundreds of names of Chassidim. That's why it's called pidyon klali, general pidyon. In that brocha, the Rebbe added something that he didn't add in other broches of the years. In addition to responding immediately with the general brocha, the opening words that the Aibishter should fulfill the wishes of everybody who are listed here in this pidyon, the Rebbe adds, including broches that needed to be mentioned but were not mentioned, and the Aibishter knows about them, and b'meherah it will work out. This was a very direct hint to what was coming up three weeks later, the heart attack that the Rebbe had on Shemini Atzeres. Nobody made a anything out of that, uh, out, out of that then, but I, in

04:17 my nature, like to gribble, to research, and years later, I discovered pashut, not only the Rebbe said it, the Rebbe edited it. It's in the Kuntessichas, in the supplements of Kuntessichas, that the Rebbe wr-- uh, mamash included that line, and there's no other explanation why the Rebbe said it then that year, three weeks before the heart attack, besides the, the heart attack that came up. Yud Aleph Tishrei, there was a farbrengen. The farbrengen was the night before Erev Sukkot. The Rebbe would customarily from late, um, early 1970s, the Rebbe farbreng the night before Sukkot. He said a su-- delivered a Sukkot maamer, spoke sichas. That was the farbrengen for the first day Sukkot. So it was the night before Erev Sukkot. Yud Aleph Tishrei being the yoma hilulah of the Rebbe Maharash. Tov Shen Lamed Ches, the Rebbe farbrenged. Already in the beginning of the farbrengen, the Rebbe is speaking about a letter that the previous Rebbe wrote late 1927, and he writes that he's asking a personal request, that's the loshon, hakoseh protis, that Chassidim should increase in the simcha through Sukkot, Chal Hameitzos, Shemini Atzeres Simchas Torah, through Shabbos Breishis. A letter about increasing in simcha. And the Rebbe says it's a personal request, and then the Rebbe goes on from that to another inyan in the sicha The nigey to the health of the Friediker Rebbe. That the Friediker Rebbe lived on miracles the last sixteen, seventeen years of his life. And the Rebbe explains what does that mean, that the doctors

06:19 had no way of understanding how the Friediker Rebbe existed, "im mishnah beguf". The Rebbe says we know what the doctor said then. Over the course of the farbrengen, the Rebbe was speaking about certain things that he usually speaks on Simchas Torah. So the Rebbe is like looking ahead and speaking about things that will be later, as we later figured out that the Rebbe did not farbreng then after the heart attack. So the Rebbe's already taking care of things, dealing with things, uh, uh, before the Yom Tov yet. We walked away from that farbrengen. It was shocking. I mean, I can't say the word shocking. It was puzzling. Chassidim, they still didn't know what was going on here. Why is the Rebbe talking about the Friediker Rebbe's health? Why is he talking about the sixteen, seventeen years that the Friediker Rebbe lived on miracles? Then because what, what is it nigey now which is twenty-eight years after yutzat, after the hiskusas of the previous Rebbe? Okay. There were questions. There were no answers. Everybody walked away from the farbrengen. Okay. Continue weiter. That Sukkos was a very joyous sukkah-- Sukkos by the Rebbe. The Rebbe asked for simcha. Every tefillah that the Rebbe walked in, the elom was singing a nigun. And the Rebbe turned around, put down the siddur, turned around, encouraged the singing, motioned with his hands. It was very, very Lubavitch. Bisla was throughout Sukkos. The first day Sukkos, Chol Hamoed Sukkos. Then came Shemini Atzeres. It's the night of Shemini Atzeres. The

08:11 Rebbetzin calls up. Uh, uh, first she asks people in the house, "What Sefer Torah will the Rebbe be getting tonight for Hakafos?" They said, "Small Sefer Torah. It's a light Sefer Torah." The Rebbetzin called up the secretariat, the maskiras. They should make quick Hakafos. The Rebbe's not feeling well. So make it quick. And, um, the Rebbe came for Yom Tov to shul. For Yom Tov. Ma'ariv was seven o'clock, whatever it was then. And then came Ararit, so nine o'clock. There was a break between. The Rebbe walked into Ararit as usual. The elom is singing a nigun, and the Rebbe's turning around with motioning with both hands, all energy putting into the singing. The Rebbe went to the first Hakafa after Ararit. And then the Rebbe watched how other people are going to the second, the third, the fourth. Around that time, while the Rebbe's clapping his hands, he became pale. And it was obvious that something is happening. The Rebbe immediately like slumped into his chair, sat down the chair, waved the, the... He would never sit by Hakafos. He sat down in the chair, and immediately they brought the Rebbe water. The Rebbe said he's not gonna drink outside of the Sukkah before Kiddush. They asked then, I'm telling you from personal experience. They announced everybody should leave the shul at once. The Rebbe should be able to have air circulating around him, um, in, in this condition. Most of the people left. There were some that stayed, but it was empty. Relatively air

10:11 opened up, and the Rebbe remained sitting on the chair. Personally, I personally was not inside. I followed the instructions to go out. And then later, I was outside. But there were some people that were inside, and these people later related to me what went on. My father was the personal doctor by the Rebbe for forty years. And mainly he immediately went over to the Rebbe. When he took the Rebbe's pulse, he saw that it's a heart attack, and he immediately told somebody he wanted aatzalah, they should bring oxygen. The Rebbe said he doesn't want any oxygen. But my father asked if the Rebbe wants to go up maybe to rest up a while. So the Rebbe said he wants to finish Hakafos and then he'll go return to his room. Hakafos was made very quick. The next few Hakafos, I think they were very quick. And the Rebbe went back to his room. At that point, the Rebbetzin was notified, and somebody came to pick up the Rebbetzin, take her to Seven Seventy, 'cause the Rebbe was waiting for her to be able to make Kiddush. As soon as the Rebbe heard the Rebbetzin's there, the Rebbe t- the Rebbe came out to the Sukkah, which is built every year in front of Seven Seventy, and the Rebbe then, um, um, make Kiddush. They wanted the Rebbe should make Kiddush on grape juice. The Rebbe says Kiddush is made on wine. The Rebbe made Kiddush, ate something, and a while later, the Rebbe went out

12:03 from the Sukkah, returning to his room. When the Rebbe went back to his room, I remember we were standing there outside. The Rebbe motioned with his hand the yin of simcha. We were able to see Poshita, a shadow of the Rebbe because the spotlight left a shadow and the Rebbe went back to his room. During the night, there were many cardiologists that were called in, and most of them said the Rebbe has to go to the hospital. The Rebbe said he's not going. The Rebbetsin told the doctors, "You are not gonna accomplish anything by going against his will." There were some that wanted to put the Rebbe to sleep and take him to the hospital like that. The Rebbe said, "If you can take him like-- The Rebbetsin said, "If you can take him like that, you are gonna aggravate his health even more yet." So many of them left. By that time, Dr. Weiss in Chicago got a call, and he came in, in the morning with a morning flight from Chicago. And at that point already, the Rebbe's condition was starting to come out of it. The climax of the heart attack or actually, how to say, the second heart attack was 5:00 in the morning. And that is when Chassidim walked to the EL. Some didn't even know directions. They walked for hours. And, um, they went to the EL. Then another group left, and they found out in Yezhir El. Somehow they gave the message to Yezhir El, and they started

13:41 to say Tehillim there in the different places, Kehilat Yaakov, Chebren, other places, Poshet, all the way to Kehilarochol, started to say Tehillim. Every while, the Dr. Weiss would come down to the Chassidim to tell them the progress of the health, what was happening. He was very encouraging, very positive. And it was the first time in our life that we had to make a Mi Sheberach for the Rebbe. It was the first time in an obvious manner that people, Chassidim knew the Rebbe is not well, you know. They set up a, uh, monitor and a whole medical center in seven seventy, monitoring the Rebbe from a monitor in his room. And, um, that evening or the early night, the Rebbe asked... The Rebbe inquired if they're gonna be going to different shuls for talucha, second night is talucha, visiting shuls in other communities. They told the Rebbe, "Yeah." So the Rebbe says, "Give over it should be with a big sturim, with a big commotion." It's interesting. I'm just sharing what I was hearing and seeing then. We came into a shul in Flatbush. People had no idea what was going on. In Yezhir El they knew, but not in Flatbush. Manhattan, they knew because they called doctors there. Flatbush, they were clueless. At that point, we started to understand what the Rebbe was hinting to us in that last fabrengen the Rebbe gave Erev Sukkot, Yom Kippur. The Rebbe's talking about simcha, breaking through limitations. The Rebbe's talking that the Frieder Rebbe lived on miracles,

15:39 although the doctors held different. And everything-- The whole puzzle filled in. It was all complete, a whole complete picture. So how the Rebbe was preparing Chassidim. It was amazing poshet. Chassidim saw how the Rebbe focused on everything, the strategy of the Rebbe before Sukkot, Chassidim should be prepared. We came back from talucha. Usually, the Rebbe fabregens before Hakafot. The Rebbe's in his room. The elime felt- feels lost. There were all the Chassidim were standing and crying by Hakafot amongst each other. I remember that night, Chassidim were singing one nigun, one nigun throughout the night. The nigun originally began, "The Rebbe zal gezunt zayn", with the tune that they sing today, Yichi. It's taken from the Rebbe zal gezunt zayn. And then they sang, "The Rebbe is gezunt. The Rebbe is well." I remember the vibration of the walls from the whole shul dancing the same nigun. The doctors were concerned that this will disturb the Rebbe's rest because it's one building, the vibration. The Rebbe says it's a sweet music. That's what we heard later. The next day, next morning, there was davening. There was a special minyan outside the Rebbe's room. The Rebbe heard everything from his room. Shacharit, duchaning, which is by Shacharit, Zman Chasidei, and then they had the schuch. The oldest came in to go into the Rebbe to wish him gut Yom Tov. One of the Chassidim broke down and cried. The Rebbe said, the Rebbe said then, "Crying is against my will." Neged ritzoni. Chiyas is neged ritzoni. That

17:34 afternoon, Chassidim got together. The Rebbe would come in to fabregen. The Rebbe would give a six-hour fabregen. Chassidim washed, as usual. The Rebbe's place was set up. I think there was even challah set up. And there were a few mashpiyim who spoke, and we fabregened. Right after Havdalah, not by us, we were still in the middle of fabregen, Rabbi Groner comes and says, "I have a few messages to give over from the Rebbe." Number one, the Rebbe sent Havdalah that he made in his room, and we made it, mixed the wine, everyone will get from the wine. Number two- There was a technician that visited the Rebbe. He drew blood, and the Rebbe asked him, "How does the blood go into the tube?" Because when you hold the tube, you hold it upwards. How does liquid go up against its nature? So he told the Rebbe that... I mean, the Rebbe knew the answer, but the point the Rebbe, the, wanted to make is that it's a vacuum, and the vacuum draws the blood up. Draws the blood into the tube. So the Rebbe says, "Because it is a vacuum, it's empty, therefore, it draws into it." The Rebbe says the same thing is also when a person... The Rebbe said, I think the lesson, that there was someone that came to him and said, " I'm empty. I have no contents. What's the use?" The Rebbe said, "Faker, because you're empty, you're a vacuum to take in more than others that have contents." Because

19:12 an empty thing, «kli rikon machzik. kli malei einu machzik." A full cup doesn't, and a, a full vessel and a, a empty one does. So the Rebbe says, "Give this over to Hasidim." What the-- what was the, what was the point the Rebbe's making? That although the chair is standing empty, the Rebbe's chair, but it'll bring out more giluyim, more revelations to follow. This was the message the Rebbe gave Hasidim. Then comes the third message. The Rebbe gave him a message and said, "Don't tell it to them till after they make havdalah." Okay. Everybody was in a suspense. What's gonna be the message after havdalah? We benched with the ... We made havdalah. Suddenly comes the message, "The Rebbe is gonna speak from his room." There is a video of the Hasidim dancing when they heard this news. Usually, you say that you can't compare, compare hearing to seeing. Here, even with seeing, you can't compare to what people felt at that point. You see people dancing, uh, freilech. But the f- fig- the point that we felt then was like the roof opened up. People were ready to jump to the roof. The simcha was so great. It was, it was a, um... It was a... What's the expression? It was a bakke igel. It was a surprise, a total surprise. Hasidim did not expect it, that after forty-eight hours of a heart attack, which one, the doctor said, one in millions survives. One in millions. And the Rebbe is talking to Hasidim. They

21:13 gave the Rebbe five minutes to speak. The Rebbe spoke for twenty-two minutes. A maimar in the tune of a sicha and sichas. Twenty-two minutes. Very hartzik, uh, fabringen. Hartzik. The Rebbe edited it after. And then the eyal um, went home. A few days later, the Rebbe asked about his mail. "Where's the mail?" Rebbe got... He used to say the Re- the Rebbe got more mail than the president. It's like bags and bags of letters. You can see delivery every day. So they told the Rebbe, the doctors, "Let's wait up for another week or two." The Rebbe says, "If you're gonna wake-- wait a week and two, it's gonna be more pressure yet." So tzedakah, the Rebbe says, "I should be able to start now." So I don't know exactly what they did. If they just gave him a small package, it's, uh... They needed to make sure it doesn't overburden the Rebbe. Another inyan that was happening then was, because walking into seven seventy upstairs with the door closing every while, it vibrates into the Rebbe's room. So originally, they put a towel there, that it shouldn't make such a noise. And later, they put a barricade, that people should not walk in from that entrance. A little mistake took place over here. A picture of this inyan was placed in the Yiddish newspaper, which is actually the Lubavitcher newspaper, the Algemeiner Journal. The Rebbe happened to see this picture. The Rebbe said, "If they're not gonna remove the barricade, he's gonna walk out and

23:11 take the barricade away." Pasht kipsute. It was... The Rebbe did not want any limitations. Okay, fine. Therapy started for the Rebbe. The Rebbe fasted Bahab right after Tishrei, um, Monday, Thursday, Monday, which is in the fr- Cheshvan. The Rebbe wanted to go to the EY, Erev Rosh Chodesh, a week after Shemini Atzeret. And a few-- a week later, Dr. Weiss told the Rebbe that his wife is asking maybe if he can come back. He was there from Yom Tov. If he can go back home. The Rebbe says, "You should listen to your wife like I listened to my wife." Why did the Rebbe listen? The Rebbetsin talked him out of going to the EY a week after Shemini Atzeret. It would have been too much for him. The Rebbe did not go to the EY. The first time the Rebbe went to the EY after Yud Shebi Tet Tishrei was the fifth Licht of Hanukkah. That is Cheshvan, Kislev, two and a half months. It's the first time the Rebbe made a bracha coming to Beis HaChoim after thirty days. Weeks of therapy began. Seven seventy door upstairs was closed. The Rebbe would be walking with the doctor. They would monitor the pulse and, um, just to see how he gets back on his feet. There were also steps. I'm not sure if the Rebbe did walk a few steps up just to see the exertion. And at a certain point, the Rebb- the Rebbe wanted to excite a little the doctor. The Rebbe said,

24:57 "Am I ready to climb Mount Everest?" Doctor got nervous. He said, "No, Rebbe, not yet. Not yet." Rebbe said, "I was just joking." Um, the Rebbe knew exactly where he was up to. Towards the end of Cheshvan, a very big, uh, Yeshua came for the ketuvim, the writings of the previous Rebbe and many other ketuvim that were in Poland. And they eme- they eventually were taken out of Poland and brought to the Rebbe's library. Containers of Sfarim and Ketuvim, manuscripts and artifacts. So the Rebbe, on the 28th of Cheshvan was the first time the Rebbe walked out in the street two days before Rosh Chodesh to check out the Sfarim, then the library next door. I remember we were in the street. We knew the Rebbe was coming out like 2:30 in the afternoon. The Rebbe went in there for about an hour, then he came back to his room. He was very pleased to see what came. Everything was prepared. As the Rebbe was getting ready to leave, I heard l'chatchilah the Rebbe was gonna leave a day before, but it was a rainy day, so they waited. The Rebbe went home Thursday evening, Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Bochurim, you can't keep any secrets from them. They were all there. There was a question which nigun to sing, if to sing the one nigun or a kaffos nigun. Uh, I don't remember even what they're saying, but I remember there were difference opinions. The Rebbe walked out. The Rebbetzin was watching from upstairs, the second

26:38 floor, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka. And she said, "I did not see a simcha beChasidim as I saw this evening since 1927," since her father was freed from prison, previous Rebbe. It's a meir diker vort. Very powerful. The Rebbe went home, and the Rebbetzin took over back home. Before the Rebbe, the Rebbe went home, the Rebbe told the doctors, "I don't want any visiting in the house. No doctor's visits in the house." The Rebbe says, "The name of my street is called President Street and not Patient Street." That's what the Rebbe told them. Doesn't want anybody in the house. Anything, 770. It could be that that's when they built the elevator for the Rebbe in the house. From then on, the Rebbe started to walk. Even when the Rebbe went with the car, halfway Rabbi Krinsky would stop. The Rebbe would walk out on Union in Brooklyn and walk home. On the way back, he would stop at 706, the corner of Brooklyn, Eastern Parkway, and he would walk, walk there to 770. It's a therapy. The Rebbe walked a lot. We did not have any Shabbos farbrengens besides very few exceptions for two years. Taf Shin Lamed Ches, Lamed Tes, the Rebbe farbrenged mitzoi Shabbos. Which was a gain in many ways, although the Rebbe was very unhappy about it. What was the gain? The people overseas could hear a farbrengen live. Another gain was that we have Rashas Yichas on an audio. Usually Rashas Yichas is Shabbos farbrengen. So this was something for the young

28:43 generation to hear Rashas Yichas from the Rebbe on a, on audio, a recording. That was the only time that it was shayeach. The Rebbe would begin many of the Shabbos farbrengens, mitzoi Shabbos farbrengens, better said, that for reasons and strange reasons, sheeinen kluyos, which means it's like, it's not that he planned it, we need to farbreng mitzoi Shabbos. There was one doctor who was the teacher of Dr. Weiss, and he saw the Rebbe was very insisting so that it should be the farbrengen he wants a Shabbos farbrengen. He asked the Rebbe, "Why is the Rebbe insisting on Shabbos? Here he has a mic. He doesn't have to... He can spare his energy." So the Rebbe said the following: "Shabbos is a holy day. When I come down to Chasidim, I elevate them, they elevate me, and together it's a successful week, and this all comes from Shabbos." Which means by the Rebbe, the Shabbos farbrengens was mamash what the Rebbe wanted. Eventually, when the Rebbe came back to the Shabbos farbrengens, there were people overseas asked the Rebbe to continue. Why is he changing? To continue with the, with the mitzoi Shabbos. The Rebbe says, "I'm not changing. I'm going back to the regular, uh, routine." The first time that the Rebbe farbrenged from his room after going home was Shabbos, mitzoi Shabbos VaYeitzei. So the Rebbe would say a ma'aman, the tune of a sicha, and also sichas, because there was no singing between. The Rebbe said it straight. Happens to be, I mean,

30:36 everything is exact. The ma'aman the Rebbe said then was the longest ma'aman he ever said, one hour and thirteen minutes. It has 22 chapters. The Rebbe edited the ma'aman. It's called Veshavti Beshalom Taf Shin Lamed Ches. Very historic ma'aman. Now it comes towards Yud Tes Kislev. What's gonna be? Is the Rebbe gonna farbreng from the room? Is he gonna come down to farbreng with Chasidim? Nobody had any idea. The rebbetzin said he did not decide yet. But eventually, as it was getting closer to, to Tishrei Kessleh, the rebbe announced that he is gonna come down to Farbrengen. Rebbe came down to Farbrengen. It was a very big simcha, sitting Farbrengen the whole night. After this-- after the Farbrengen of that historic Yutay Kessleh, the Tov Shimla Methes. This is a meise of forty-seven years ago. And later, the rebbe continued Farbrengen Motzei Shabbos. Still Motzei Shabbos from, uh, that year and on and off, back and forth, sometimes Shabbos, sometimes Motzei Shabbos, and this is how it went on over a time period, at least a year and a half, if not more. But I would say till-- It didn't regulate till Tov Shemem, which is two years later. The rebbe did not want any mention announced B'negeha to this inyan that took place. Which means, for example, if a person got up, announced, a Gabai, that they shouldn't bother the rebbe with the lines of Kehillah Brocha because it'll be a strain, the rebbe immediately reacted. Everybody knew this is the wrong announcement to

32:35 make. The, the rebbe immediately announced that whoever feels depressed should sit down and learn. The rebbe says that everybody should feel free to go to receive Kehillah Brocha. Sh-after a short time, the line stopped. The rebbe said then, I think it was that occasion, the rebbe says, "Whoever didn't go can go now and will get doubles." Some people started to go. They didn't win either in that sense, because the rebbe said, "You're from the Tipshim that didn't wanna go earlier, enough." So either way, it was a no-win. Bochurim never went. We did not go for months. We would get wine later from the rebbe's wine and would mix it in, and everybody would get from the Kehillah Brocha. Zeis Chanukah, let's speak already about the complete story. Zeis Chanukah in the morning, the rebbe calls in Rab Yannick Hucht. And the rebbe says, "I want to make a Farbrengen. Nobody should know before. I wanna wash. I wanna distribute Kehillah Brocha with maska, and it should be after Mincha." He asked the rebbe, "Could I tell anybody?" The rebbe said, "No." "Should I tell-- Could I tell the secretariat?" The rebbe said, "No." "Could I tell my brothers?" "You can tell them to be here, but don't tell them why." "Could I tell my sons?" The rebbe said, "Telling Bochurim is like telling Australia." Okay. Went into the bakery. He got all the challah. Maska, three thirty, he has everything in the car. Suddenly, the rebbe announces a Farbrengen. The secretaries had no idea what

34:27 was going on. It's like beyond them. Here they are around the rebbe the whole time, and here all of a sudden... Rab Yannick Hucht takes out the challah, takes out the maska cases, and brings it into the shul. The rebbe comes in, the rebbe washes, about three thirty. The rebbe figured that the Elom doesn't have challah, so the rebbe took from his challah and gave. And the rebbe Farbrengened, a Maimer, Sichas. About five o'clock, the, uh, the, the Farbrengen was over. Rab Yannick went over to the rebbe and told the rebbe, "Asisi kehillah shetzivasani." I did everything you told me. I fulfilled everything. The rebbe told him it should be double measure. A few days later, the rebbe calls him in. The rebbe wants to know how did he keep it a secret. He tells the rebbe that, uh, you know, but this one said, but that... But he did tell the rebbe that one person he called and informed him on his own because he knew the rebbe wanted him to be there. And that was the one who poured in the wine. He saw this back then, he would prepare for the Farbrengen, Rabbi Yannick. So he was told he came from the jewelry. He would be in the jewelry center. He would work there. And he came, and he took the, uh, um... He came to the Farbrengen. The rebbe asked him, how did he get so much challah in the middle of the week? He told the rebbe that he went

35:56 into the bakery, and he emptied out the bakery. So the rebbe asked him, "And where did you get maska?" So he said this is someone gave maska Bechinam. Bechinam gave maska to, for the rebbe. The rebbe says, "Where did you get maska Bechinam?" You get maska for free. So he told the rebbe there's a story that this person's wife was very close with the rebbe, with, with fel-- was very close to Lubavitch and supported her husband. And she wasn't well. She didn't have any will to continue living. She said she's ready to give her years for the rebbe. The rebbe heard it, his face changed colors. And the rebbe said, "The Eibishter has enough years for both of us." When I heard a few years ago, I didn't realize it, she lived another forty years still. This is a meise from the rebbe. The rebbe's trying to figure out how much it cost. The rebbe wanted to participate in the cost. He doesn't wanna tell the rebbe. So the rebbe tells him that when a person uses money of a tzibur, a public, so his personal interest don't get involved. But if a person is using his own money, sometimes his personal interest can get involved. And that's why the Rebbe Rashab, when he gave money to Rav Shmuel Gurari, who was a rich person, he says, "I have my own money." The Rebbe Rashab said, "We were talking about something public. So if you're gonna use your money, you're gonna get your personal interest

37:35 involved." Rabbi Elmamish, the Rebbe saw he's not budging. So the Rebbe says to him, "It can happen again, and I'll go through someone else." So that already was... So the Rebbe asked him how much it was. So he told the Rebbe the challah was sixty dollars. And the maskir was Bechinom. So yes, so the Rebbe told him, "I will pay forty and you will pay twenty. You wanna have a partner," the Rebbe told him. "So sixty, I'm paying forty, you pay twenty." Okay. Then the Rebbe says, "Nu, a bargain. Forty there, forty dollars a fabringen." And that's how the story finished. Chassidim refer to it as Sudar Seidor, thanking the Eibishter because the Rebbe gave out Kehilah Brocha then to make up for the Simchas Torah fabringen, as we mentioned earlier, that the Rebbe did not fabring that day. Another thing that happened after the first time the Rebbe went to the AO was when the Rebbe came back, it was Chanukah. And the Rebbe motioned by the end of the, the Nigun Al Neider Salalu, the Rebbe motioned to, to dance. The Rebbe pointed to groups of chevra. I remember we were standing like everybody should join into the dance. And as far as we understood, this was the first time in two and a half months that the Rebbe went to the AO. So it was a special simcha by the Rebbe. In addition, that Chanukah, the Rebbe announced at one of the evenings that he's gonna give out Chanukah gelt. And the

39:21 Rebbe said it's gonna be by the entrance going out to the street. So that was basically the entrance of the shul downstairs, the men's shul, right near the driveway. The Rebbe would be standing there, and the alum just walked out. Now, there are a few people from the maskirus, the secretariat, that they were standing there, and they stopped. They filled the stop of the line. The Rebbe says, "Go further," because the Rebbe didn't wanna stop the line. And the Rebbe says, "I don't need any police around me." Um, one of the doctors asked the Rebbe what's happening. The Rebbe says, "Today it's lemaylem aderech hateva. It's higher than nature." After the men went, the Rebbe said, announced for the bacherim that now the women are going. And the women started to come in from the other side of the shul. The Rebbe gave to them, and that's how it finished. So that's basically the story of Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Today's generation, they have no idea what that day means for us. But basically, giving you an idea now what it meant, that the Rebbe's life was poshet hanging in the air. So when we say Rosh Chodesh Kislev, it is a nes of poshet hatsolas nefoshos mamash. It was the Rebbe went out of Esakanas Nefoshos, was able to come back home and continue with his work that the Rebbe did the next fourteen years. And if you look at the cheshbon, the firika, what did the firika Rebbe say? The, the firika Rebbe's time,

40:45 he lived sixteen, seventeen years. Chassidim point out to the fact these are the sixteen, seventeen years to Gemara Talmus. From Lamid Chodesh to then. Sixteen, seventeen years. Bechol yom, this is the yom tov of Rosh Chodesh Kislev. The f- it's actually the first day Kislev, not Sunday. That year it wasn't two days Rosh Chodesh. And that became a yom tov for Chassidim. The Rebbe take that, took that into consideration. The Chassidim are fabringen. They fabring, they celebrate every year all over the world.