Tishrei by The Rebbe 5716 (late 1955) - Part VI: Sukos & Hashana Rabo

00:01 The in continuation to the earlier installments where we discussed the month of Tishrei of , late 1955, seventy years ago, and the events which took place by the Rebbe. We continue now with installment number six with the days of Succos. But first, a brief reference to the conclusion of the previous installment, where we mentioned that in the Succos Farbrengen, late 1955, the Rebbe requested that Chassidim of various countries should sing a nigun representing their country. And the Rebbe then concluded with a word of that in the upcoming redemption, when the captives of Tzion, Shive Tzion will return, and the nations will ask, in what merit? And the answer will be because Yidden were joyous. From a personal observation, I find it interesting to note this sicha took place exactly seventy years ago prior to the release of the hostages this year in the Succos days. We now continue with the Chol Hamei days of Succos . During this Farbrengen where we discussed the early installment, the Rebbe asked that all the Chassidim should sing melodies they remembered from Lubavitch, and they sang ancient nigunim, some of which had long been forgotten. In the course of his words, the Rebbe touched upon the matter of Geulah and concluded by saying, "We will make Eretz Yisrael here, and afterward we will go to Eretz Yisrael with Moshiach Tzidkeinu, Amen." Speedily in our days, Amen. Throughout the entire Farbrengen, the Rebbe was in a state of joy, and everyone said L'Chaim sang joyously nigunim and danced as is

02:10 customary at the Simchas Beis HaShoeva. The Farbrengen lasted until about two AM. The Rebbe recited Birkat Hamazon over a cup, and after Ma'ariv and Havdalah distributed wine to all those gathered, responding to each one with a smile and pleasant closeness. The distribution from the Rebbe's hand continued for over an hour. Several people asked for a bracha, and the Rebbe replied to each one with a smiling face. Now we go on to Chol Hamei Succos, Simchas Beis HaShoeva. As in recent years, in the evening, there was a large Farbrengen with the Rebbe for the talmidim, students of other yeshivas in New York who are not of Lubavitch. Hundreds of students came together with Rabbonim, Rosh Yeshivas, and Yidden from all circles and communities. A microphone was specially set up, and the Farbrengen was also recorded. The Farbrengen was organized by Merkos L'Inyani Chinuch. During the Farbrengen, the Rebbe elaborated at length on the concept of Simchas Beis HaShoeva and the libations of water and wine, . Among other things, the Rebbe instructed several people to say L'Chaim, and to one of them he added, "The haschalah is that together with the water libation, there must also be a wine libation," implying that the person should say L'Chaim. Between the Sichas, the Rebbe instructed to sing a nigun which means which will impress the elam, the audience, as well as the Sephardic melodies of Ein Nadir and the nigun Nimamin and and Avinu Malkeinu. After the sicha in which the Rebbe spoke about the students of the

04:19 yeshiva, that their place is , the Rebbe instructed the Seder HaVa'ad to take-- to request that those who are standing on the tables should go off the tables. The new insights spoken during the Farbrengen brought the public a very exciting feeling, and everyone took part in the singing and dancing. Toward the end of the Farbrengen, the Rebbe instructed to sing a joyous melody, and they sang and Ki B'simcha Titz'iu. Afterwards, the Rebbe instructed that it be announced not to forget to recite the after bracha, the bracha acharonah. Before leaving, the Rebbe gave a bracha that with Hashem's help, the joy of Simchas Beis HaShoeva should continue to the joy of Shemini Atzeret and Simchas Torah, and from there be drawn into the entire year, and that in this year be fulfilled the i-- the verse which is mentioned in Shemini-- in Tefillas Ha'amida of Yom Tov, , to do your will with a complete heart, and that it be a good year and a sweet year, b'gashmiyus and b'ruchnius. The Farbrengen continued until late past midnight. Go on now to the night of Rosh Chodesh Rabbi. After midnight, the Rebbe came out of his room to the shul, which was filled to capacity. The gartel around his waist and the large telem yael air with the commentaries of the Temach Tzedek in his hand, he entered directly to his regular place where he always davens on weekdays, which is exactly near the door of the entry to the shul. This is upstairs, the upstairs shul,

06:25 where the Rebbe would usually stand near the door. The recitation of telem continued till about 2.30 a.m. from where the Rebbe went to his sukkah and remained there until dawn. It was visibly apparent that throughout the seven days of Sukkos and Simchas Teirah, the Rebbe was awake literally day and night because his sukkah is located in the courtyard near the large chalash, which is the big yard, and every single night he would sit in the sukkah occupied with whatever he was occupied with until 6 a.m. When he would leave the sukkah and then a while later, 8 o'clock, he would return to the sukkah to recite the blessings on the minim, the lulav and its minim, and to grant the schust to whoever wished to make the berachah on them. And of course, every single morning, once daylight had arrived, hundreds of people stood in line waiting for the great privilege of making the berachah on the Rebbe's esrik. Most often, the Rebbe himself stood the entire time, and at times he would entrust one of his close associates to watch over the four minim and the order, but he would again return to personally supervise them. And this order seder went on till Tov Shincha Beis, late 1961, when Rabbi Harlik was appointed to stand with the Rebbe's lulav. The 21st of Tishrei, Friday, Heshaina Raba, at exactly 10 a.m., the Rebbe appeared for shacharis. The crowding in the shul was extremely intense, to the point that for lack of space, the Elam Minyan

08:10 had a daven also in the hallways, corridors, and even on the stairs. Yet no one said, sadly, hamokin, the place is too small for me, for it was enough to fill one's yearning for the Rebbe's, to be close with the Rebbe, merely to catch a glimpse of him now and again through the cracks and openings that existed in the corridor. Afterwards, the Rebbe stood in his room with the door open, and just as on Erev Yom Kippur, there was again a distribution of lechach, but only for those who had not had the schust to receive lechach, honey cake, before Yom Kippur, as well as for the new guests who had arrived since then. A long line of people stood waiting to receive from the Rebbe a piece of cake, accompanied by his berachah, this affected even those who did not stand in line. Those even watching, it made a very strong impression on him. We will, the midrashim, continue in the next installment.