Zos Chanuka 5738 by the Rebbe

00:01 The hemsek to the earlier installments when it get to Hanukkah by the Rebbe. So we're continuing, Be'ezras Hashem, with the eighth installment and discussing Zeis Hanukkah taf shin lamed tes. We heard then that the Rebbe told someone that he's considering to complete the Inyanim of Shemini Atzeres, Simchas Torah, that the Rebbe would usually do by the Farbrengen. But that year, due to the Rebbe's health, it didn't work out, and the Rebbe said he's looking for an appropriate time for that. It was Monday, on Zeis Hanukkah at twelve PM. Rabbi Yankel Hecht is called into the Rebbe's room. The Rebbe tells him with a smile, "Ich suche a baal middes and a baal sod un ich hab dir gefunen." I am looking for an energetic person and a person that can keep something confidential, and I have found you. The Rebbe says it with a smile. I want a farbrengen after Mincha, the Rebbe continued, and to wash before that on meizt. And after the farbrengen to distribute Kesher Brocha and also to distribute bottles of maske for the schluchim, as it was customary by the Rebbe when it came to Kesher Brocha. Uh, Yom Tov dike farbrengens. And the Rebbe continues, "I di-I don't want it to be publicized in order that it should not disturb those that are, uh, working at their jobs," as the Gemara says that when it comes to Monday and Thursday, the Torah reading of those two days are shorter in comparison to the Shabbos because this is a time

01:51 that people are working. It's yemei hamayse. Rabbi Yankel Hecht asked, "Could I tell the maskiros, the secretaries?" The Rebbe said no. Could I tell the WLCC communication room that they should know on time to notify all over the world that there's a farbrengen? The Rebbe said, "Bechlav, it's not negia to be mefarsem to publicize it since afterwards people will be able to listen to the recording." So he continued and asked, "Could I tell the talmidim, the bachurim here in Yeshiva?" So the Rebbe said to tell the bachurim here in Yeshiva is, is a publicity as one would inform also Australia on the other end of the world. So Rabbi Yankel continued, "Could I tell my son who is in Morristown?" The Rebbe says, "You should do as you will do with the other meistes, institutions that you have. Which means you should tell them that if they wanna be here, if they, they wanna be here, they can be here." And the Rebbe says, "You could tell your brothers." And then the Rebbe continued that the previous Rebbe said that there are three levels in a baal sod, in someone keeping something confidential. One, who after a very light convincing, the person reveals the secret. Then there's a higher level that they know he has a secret, he has something confidential, but he does not tell. The third level is that they don't even see on him in any way that he has something, uh, confidential. And the Rebbe says, "Surely you will choose the

03:31 appropriate way." And the Rebbe told him, "You should bring in all the Inyanim for the farbrengen, the challah, what he will get for the farbrengen in a way that it should not be obvious to anyone." The Rebbe wanted to give him money for the expenses, and he told the Rebbe that he has. Three fifteen before Mincha, the Rebbe informed that there will be a farbrengen with washing after Mincha. After Mincha, the Rebbe came into the shul and the Rebbe said that the hemsek to what he mentioned on Motzaei Shabbos in the earlier farbrengen, he wants everybody to wash for a seudah. "Vetov yealeim brocha," th-those that will wash should be blessed. And the Rebbe said that he will also wash in order there should be Kesher Brocha that then he will have the cost, that he will be able to distribute the wine from the bentching cost. And that'll be for those, uh, that didn't wash, and also for those that will come to take Kesher Brocha. The Rebbe then washed. The Rebbe made hametzi and he ate a shir of challah. And then the Rebbe said, "Die vos hem zich gevashen un die vos lechen hem zich dein vashen zon nemen fun di challah." Those that washed for this, for the seudah and those that are planning to wash should take from this challah. When the whole group went up together, the Rebbe says, "Lav davka ve'bas eachas." It doesn't all have to be in the same time. And the Rebbe gave a whole

05:00 challah and also half of the second challah. During the farbrengen the Rebbe said sichas, and the Rebbe also said a ma'aman. And before bentching, the Rebbe dipped the challah in salt as he did by every seudah, and then he prepared himself for bentching. When he said the Birkat Hamazon, the mazun, he did not say pesukei dezimra. He began immediately mit nevarech. Also the tune of the nigun that the Rebbe always said when he finishes a brocha in Birkat Hamazon, he didn't say it in the way that he would s-say it in all the Birkat Hamazons up till now, but with a slight change. The farbrengen continued to about five twenty. The Rebbe then distributed Kesher Brocha, and by Kesher Brocha Rabbi Hecht went over to the Rebbe and told the Rebbe that he's fulfilled exactly what the Rebbe told him to do. So the Rebbe told him it should be kiflayim vetshiya. It should be a double of blessings. After Kesher Brocha the Rebbe said that from Hanukkah we receive for the whole year im neiir mitzah vetirah er- In the union of the Kem Mitzvahs and Teyrah, and the Rebbe began singing Kivesimcha. At 5.45, the Rebbe done Mairev. Walking out from Mairev, the Rebbe began singing Al Mishecha. And then the Rebbe remained in his room for about an hour. And after that, the Rebbe went home, which was about 7.20. In Mitzvah Shema, the next installment, we'll discuss what took place in the next Yechidas and then the Yechidas after that. The

06:38 story I heard from Rab Yankel Hecht's nephew, Rab Shia Hecht, son of Rab Peretz Hecht. And he heard it from his uncle right there and then, Mamish on that day. And everything was recorded in writing then. And then exactly how it was taking place. It was Gimel Teves. The Rebbe called in Rab Yankel Hecht to his room. And the Rebbe asked him, how did he manage to keep it confidential? The preparations for the Fabregen and the plan of the Fabregen. And he told the Rebbe that he brought everything in his car and he kept it in his car until the Fabregen. So the Rebbe asked him, how did Yunik know about it? How did Rabero Yunik know about it? Rabero Yunik is the one that is Meshores the Rebbe by Fabregen and Bechal in Beis Orach. So Rab Yankel Hecht answered that since Rabero Yunik always serves the Rebbe on various occasions. So Bemeila Rab Yankel said he figured that the Rebbe wanted that after he in particular should be there and not another person. So therefore Rab Yankel called him up at work and Rabero Yunik came in time for the Fabregen. The Rebbe hearing this nodded with his head as a consent for this consideration. And then Rab Yankel said that his brother Rab Avram continuing in regards to the Fabregen, the plan before the Fabregen. So when Rab Avram Hecht came to 770 and Rab Avram Hecht is a very busy person, many activities. And he came in the middle of the

08:47 day, middle of the week. Mosquitoes asked him, what did you come for? What's happening? So he told them I came to catch a place. And that's how the mosquitoes understood that something is in the works. The Rebbe then continued and told Rab Yankel that the reason that he did not ask him all these details during Keshav Bracha right after the Fabregen because there was a big crowd and the Rebbe did not want to keep them waiting online. And then the Rebbe concluded that he wants to pay him in order it shouldn't be ever the labor leish malva. That one that loans, that borrows should not be considered since he's in general a servant, considered a servant to the one that gave him the money. So Bemeila the Rebbe gave him immediately then $20. And a few days later, which we're going to discuss in Mitzvah Shema the next installment, the Rebbe began asking him many details of how he got everything and how much it really cost as we'll discuss it in Mitzvah Shema in the next installment. B'negia to Zais Chanukah. The hem shech to the earlier installments B'negia Chanukah by the Rebbe. So we're concluding today Mitzvah Shema. The sipur of Zais Chanukah Tovshin Lamet Ches late 1977. It was Vov Teves on a Friday, same calendar setting like this year. It was 12 o'clock noontime. Rab Yankel Hecht was once again called to the Rebbe's room. The Rebbe began asking him how much were the expenses for the Fabregen. Rab Yankel was

10:41 the one that laid out the money. And the Rebbe continued, if you're going to be unwilling to accept money to be reimbursed for this, since this Fabregen was Alderech Luchas Shnias, like the second tablet of Luchas which were given quietly, not in the presence of Klal Yisrael, the melee could very well happen that this could take place again, a Fabregen as such. And I will then notify another person. I will choose another person that should prepare the Fabregen. And the Rebbe continued, you didn't hear the story that my shver, my father-in-law, the Friedrich Rebbe said. And the Rebbe continues, he told me the story and I didn't understand why he's telling me the story. There was a Hasid named Rab Shmuel Gurari who was a Hasid of the Rebbe Rashab and he was a gvir, a rich person. He was once mitzoyidish ishona. The Rebbe Rashab called him in and he told him, I want you to travel on a certain ingyan, a shlichos that I have for you. Rab Shmuel initially tried to Turn it down that he is not the right person for it, not the appropriate person. Finally, he asked the Rebbe Rashab, where to? Rebbe Rashab answered Petach, Petersburg. And the Rebbe Rashab gave him 30 ruble. Rav Smul then told the Rebbe Rashab, I quite often give money to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe does not have to give me anything. I can use my own money. So the Rebbe Rashab answered, when a person takes personal money for a

12:49 project, then there are personal interests that interfere. But when one receives money from a public fund, so then personal interests will not interfere. Then the Rebbe continued asking Rav Yankel, where did you find so much challah? How did you find so much challah in middle of the week? Rav Yankel said he went into the bakery and he said they should empty out the bakery. Then the Rebbe asked him, where did you receive, get so many boxes of mashke? So he told the Rebbe that there was a person that gave it, the COVID, the Rebbe, for free, many boxes. The Rebbe says, where does one get mashke for free? So Rav Yankel says, answered that there was a person. This person actually, after the Rebbe's health condition, Shmini Atzeres, this person's wife was very sick and she was ready to give her years for the Rebbe. The Rebbe's face changed colors and became serious. And the Rebbe said, The Eibishter has enough years for both of us. Actually, in these, a few days ago, the end of the story was that this lady lived for a very long life in the zchus of this bracha. At the summation of the yechidus, Rav Yankel told the Rebbe that the total of the challah was $65. So the Rebbe said, $20 I already gave you on Tuesday. And I will add another $25. The Rebbe took $20 from one fund and $5 from another fund. And he gave it to Rav Yankel. And the Rebbe added that the

14:54 rest of the expense will be Rav Yankel's participation that he gave from his own money. And then the Rebbe smiled and said, no, this was a bargain. Rav Yankel did not want to receive the money. He says he's only receiving it bekabbalah seal because he is, the Rebbe's insisting that he should receive it. So the Rebbe says, A person has to have a will to take. It shouldn't be forced. And the conclusion of the yechidus, the Rebbe told him, A joyous Shabbos.