Chai Elul

00:01 As we find ourselves besmichos to Chai Elul, Chai Elul is the yom hailedes of the Baal Shem Tov in the year Tov Nun Ches, 1698, and the yom hailedes of the Alter Rebbe 47 years later, Tov Kuf Hei, 1745, and Tov Kuf Hei also, as the Friediker Rebbe mentions in Hasicha, Eishes Kohos Karnei Heiteira, which later became the publishing house of Sifrei Rabbeinu Nesiyenu, Chassidus Chabad. B'negia Tachai Elul, the Rebbe says that most of the Sichas, the previous Rebbe would open his words with saying Gut Yom Tov. There's one time that the Friediker Rebbe opened with the bracha saying mazel tov to us and to Klal Yisrael. And the Rebbe continues l'cha'eira, the wish of Gut Yom Tov and the wish of mazel tov are two separate concepts. And even more yet, b'negia tahaveda, they are two opposites. The inyan of Gut Yom Tov shows that the Jewish nation have an input in the Yom Tov. As the Talmud tells us, Yisrael v'katsino lizmanim, which means that it is accomplished through aveda, because the Yom Tovim were all dependent in the calendar setting on when the bezdin, the Sanhedrin decided when it is Rish Hadesh and b'meila when it is Yom Tov. On the other hand, the wish of mazel tov is something that comes b'meila and not dependent on the aveda v'yid. As our Chazal tell us, lav bischusa tal yo milza, that it doesn't depend on schus, on merit, but it depends on mazel, which is something that comes from above and not

02:10 dependent on the aveda of a person. And the Rebbe continues and begins explaining that in Chai Elul there is an inyan of aveda, which is Gut Yom Tov, dependent on the aveda v'yid. And there is an inyan which is higher than aveda, an inyan of mazel tov. And therefore, in most of the places it says Gut Yom Tov, because it is negia tahaveda. And therefore, since this is on a constant basis, so therefore the expression is Gut Yom Tov, reminding us the input of the aveda v'yid. On the other hand, mazel tov is mentioned only once. If so, the Rebbe asks, why do we need to know about mazel tov in the first place, since it is not negia to the aveda? So the Rebbe says based on the vort of the Baal Shem Tov, that everything that we hear or see is a lesson in avedas Hashem. So although the inyan of mazel tov is something that comes from above as a gift on the part of the donor, also this concept and this revelation needs to be in a way of avedas matona, that we should see to it, to draw it down, to internalize it, that we should be able to understand it, and it should permeate us in our aveda. In Tov Shin Yud Chai Elul, the Rebbe mentions b'negia to the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, that the previous Rebbe said that the Baal Shem Tov paved the way for every yid, even the simplest amongst them, that

03:55 they should be able to serve Hashem. The Alter Rebbe showed how every yid, even a simple person, can serve Hashem. In another place, the expression is that the Baal Shem Tov placed a ladder that everyone can go up on it. And the Alter Rebbe showed how one can go up on the ladder. And the Rebbe continues, although the derech that the Baal Shem Tov talked or the ladder was not specified, it is understood from the vort of the Friediker Rebbe that the inyan of the Baal Shem Tov was love of Hashem, love of Torah, and love of a fellow Jew. Or, as it is mentioned sometimes in a different sequence, love of a fellow Jew, love of Torah, and love of Hashem. And they're all connected together as one. In Tov Shin Yud Gimel 1953, Chai Elul was on Shabbos Parsha Kisovei. The Rebbe mentions the vort of the Friediker Rebbe in the name of older Chassidim that Chai Elul means it is the day that brings chayas into Elul. And since the general aveda of Elul is avedas hachuva, this is a preparation for the Aseret Shemei Chuva. And since chuva is a general mitzvah which compensates for all the deficiencies b'negia to Torah and mitzvahs, b'meila, from this we understand that Chai Elul gives a chayas in the general inyan of Torah and in the general inyan of mitzvahs. The hemshech of the earlier installment b'negia to Chai Elul, we're continuing now with installment number two, discussing various quotes of the Rebbe b'negia

05:52 to Chai Elul as it is in avedas Hashem. But firstly, in Sichah A basic sicha that the Rebbe explains why is it that we find in the previous Rebbe sichas primarily information benegeah to certain dates that took place by the Rabbeim and the Friediker Rebbe chose to reveal it many years later as in the story of Chai Elul, that Chai Elul is the yom ha'ledes of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe. The Friediker Rebbe revealed it in 1943 and he heard it from his father in 1893. So the Rebbe explains in a sicha Shabbos Boloc Tov Shimem 1980 as follows. The Rebbe Rashab told the Friediker Rebbe, Gut Yom Tov on Chai Elul. So the Rebbe says, saying the words Gut Yom Tov, we could. The same thing in regard for making a farbrengen. But the reason that it needed to wait so many years till it should be publicized, the Rebbe says if we want that in this Gut Yom Tov that we said Chai Elul should really consist of the Gut Yom Tov that the Rebbe Rashab said to his son, the previous Rebbe, and in the same sense if we want that in the farbrengen that we make for Chai Elul, which means the activities, the discussions, the speaking during the farbrengen should consist of the pu'ulas, the activities and the sichas that the Rabbeim had when they would make a farbrengen Chai Elul, which these are activities and discussions that are connected with the birth of the Ba'al Shem

07:56 Tov and then the revelation of the Ba'al Shem Tov and then the birth of the Alter Rebbe, this takes time till all these inyanim are drawn down and then when Gut Yom Tov is said or a farbrengen for Chai Elul is made, then it is with its fullest contents in this physical revealed world. Now we'll discuss the various quotes that the Rebbe said on different occasions during the years benegeah to Chai Elul. In a sicha Tov Shechab Beis 1962, the Rebbe said that Chai Elul is before the new year. It is a directive, an encouragement to strengthen the avedah of the coming year and to fulfill the avedah with chayis and chamimus, with excitement and liveliness and warmth. On another occasion in Tov Shelamed Beis 1972, Chai Elul, the Rebbe said that it is customary in the last years to mention in every Chai Elul farbrengen a concept of chayis, Chai Elul is chayis, chayis in the avedah of Elul and an increase in teirah, avedah and gmilus chasadim, which are the three pillars on which the world stands. In Tov Shem Beis 1982, the Rebbe speaking about the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, the Rebbe states that a talmid of a rav, a student of a teacher whose function is as an illuminary, me'eres hagdeilim, Ba'al Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe are referred to great illuminaries. So the talmid, the student should exert himself to be a lamplighter and he should initiate with his own keyach to the extent that they

10:16 should see benegeah to the student that he's adopting the derech halimud, the teachings of his rav. In that same farbrengen, the Rebbe said that a talmid should do everything dependent on him in publicizing and spreading the light of chassidus in the whole world, ufsturem in the velt, to storm up the world and continue with the keyach of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, which is found in every person's neshama. Over the many years, the Rebbe mentioned that from Chai Elul to Rosh Hashanah, there are 12 days and these 12 days correspond to the 12 months of the year. Every day, a person evaluates what he accomplished in the past 12 months, in each month separately, what took place. For example, Chai Elul reviews Cheydesh Tishrei, the past Cheydesh Tishrei. Yutes Elul reviews Cheydesh Chesvan. Chof Elul reviews Kislev and so on. So they are basically days of evaluation, days of preparation for the new year. The hemshech to the earlier installments regarding Chai Elul, we're continuing with installment number three relating to the date of Chai Elul and additional significant dates which fall out in the very same day of the week as Chai Elul. The Rebbe taught us that when two various dates fall out on the same day in the week, they have something in common and teach us a lesson in avodas Hashem. In the Sichah Chof Ov Tov Shin Lamed Vav 1976, the Rebbe stated that Chay Elul falls out in the same day in the week as Chof

12:13 Menachem Ov, the twentieth of Ov and Yom Kippur. And the Rebbe explains that everything needs to be expressed indeed in Meiser. This is one of the events that took place from Chof Ov Enan when people contributed wood for the Beis Hamikdash for their fellow Jews. This is an expression of Avas Isro. And then followed by Chay Elul, which means bringing a chayis into Elul, energizing the aveida of Elul and bringing a chayis also in an additional yid. The ultimate goal of one's avedas Hashem is that his body and soul, as they are together, reach the highest shleimus. This is expressed in Yom Kippur when yidden are compared to malachim. Another aspect, b'negeah techai Elul, Rebbe elaborates b'negeah the three months between chai Elul and Yut Askislev. It was Etef Habregen, Shabbos VaYeshev Tov Shin Yut Ches, late 1957. The Rebbe referred to the Friediker Rebbe Sichah that from chai Elul to Yut Askislev is three months. Friediker Rebbe mentioned that these three months are months of preparation until Yut Askislev. By the Rabbeim in Aveda, it was focusing and elevating the Keches Chochma Bina Daas. A month for Chochma, a month for Bina that concluded on Chof Chesvem, a month for Daas that concludes on Yut Askislev. Chai Elul was the birth of the Baal Shem Tov in three levels. In his guf and in his neshama, his Rebbe began teaching him then all of Teydah, Seder Sateydah and Kolateyrekula, and in his spirit when he was revealed. On this very day, these events took

14:32 place. He was born then, his Rebbe revealed himself to him, Achia Hashileini, and he was nisgala then, revealed then in the world. From this we understand that likewise by the Alter Rebbe, since the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe are one Chassidis. Chai Elul, as mentioned, it marks the beginning of the 12-day countdown before Rosh Hashanah when we reflect upon the 12, 13 months of the outgoing year. Every day reflecting on one month. Agav, in a different Sichah, the Rebbe said that regarding a leap year when there are 13 months, the two others are included in one day since they have the same name. Since the month of Tishri is a general month, a general drawdown for the entire year, physically and spiritually, and based on what was mentioned earlier, that from Chai Elul to Yut Askislev is one time period, it is understood that if one is lacking something in the three-month Aveda stretch, one can still correct, complete, and enhance. The third aspect b'negeah techai Elul is the time period between Chai Elul and the 24th of Teves. In a Sichah on the 18th of Elul Tov Shin Chof Beis 1962, the Rebbe explained that Chai Elul being the birthday of the Alter Rebbe and Chovdalet Teves, the day of the Istalkos of the Alter Rebbe. The Rebbe continues, "A birthday and Istalkos have a connection between each other, as stated in Kehelas chapter seven, verse one." Likewise, the Rebbe continues, "Chai Elul, the Yemeledes, and Chovdalet Teves, the Istalkos of the

16:39 Alter Rebbe, although the birth was in the year Tov Kuf Hey 1745, and the Istalkos was in the year Tov Kuf Ayin Gimel 1813, which are 68 years apart. Nevertheless, it is Hayomimo Eilu Niskarim Venasim. Every year when we reach these days between Chai Elul and Chovdalet Teves, they repeat themselves, and the Alter Rebbe's Puules are reactivated then on an annual basis." The Rebbe then gave directives how to prepare for Chovdalet Teves Tov Shin Chof Gimel. That is the beginning of 1963, which then marked the 150th year since the Istalkos of the Alter Rebbe. Behemshech to the earlier installment is b'negeah techai Elul. We continue now discussing additional facts and short stories b'negeah techai Elul. Begin with a short letter that the Rebbe wrote in Teves Tov Shin Dalet, late 1943 or early 1944. The letter was written seemingly to one who was not a Chassid Chabad at the time, and the Rebbe writes as follows. "From the time that it was publicized that the 18th day in the month of Elul is the birth date of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe- It was customary in many places, and in particular in Lubavitch shuls, to designate and make that day a farbrengen, telling stories of tzadikim, strengthening oneself in the ways of Hasidim bechalal, and the love of a fellow Jew in particular, and taking upon oneself resolutions in setting up times for the study of Torah, the revealed part of Torah and the concealed part of Torah. And the Rebbe continues,

18:45 with a special inspiration, this birthday is commemorated, celebrated in the house of the Rebbe, and the Rebbe speaks words of inspiration in Torah and Avodah, and at times also delivers a Hasidic discourse. This letter was published in Likutei Sichos 24, page 518. Now a story that happened Tuft Shin Yud 1950. The Rebbe was the chazan of the Minyan that davened in the previous Rebbe's office upstairs in 770 for 11 months after his talos. On Chai Elul, the birthday of the Ba'al Shem Tov, the Alter Rebbe, after Chazarat Hashatz, the Rebbe concluded doing the Chazarat Hashatz, the Rebbe turned and motioned with his hand asking if they should say Tachnun on this special day. Some said yes and others said no. The Rebbe turned to Rabbi Yosef Mendel Tanebaum, who was a chezer. He would review the Sichos of the previous Rebbe and he later became a menayel, the dean of the Lubavitch Yeshiva. Indicating he was asking his opinion. Rabbi Yosef Mendel Tanebaum then said, "It is printed in the Keitz Chai Elul," this is from 1943, "that Chai Elul is a Yom Tov." And Rabbi Yosef Tanebaum added, "On Yom Tov we do not say Tachnun." The Rebbe accepted the response, and the Rebbe said Kaddish, and they continued to Ashrei. We'll now discuss various farbrengens throughout the years on Chai Elul. In Tuft Shin Yud and Yud Aleph, 1950 and '51, the Rebbe farbrenged. When it came to Chai Elul, Tuft Shin Yud Beis 1952, Rab Shmuel Levitin, who was from the senior

20:58 Ziknei Hasidim, approached the Rebbe and asked the Rebbe if he's planning to farbreng. The Rebbe said he wasn't planning to farbreng. Rab Shmuel then told the Rebbe that there are bachurim here from Williamsburg, from Boro Park, from other neighborhoods, and they came to see what Chai Elul looks like in Lubavitch. So the Rebbe said he will go in in a short time to farbreng. From the moment that the Rebbe came in till the moment that the Rebbe left was exactly two hours. The Rebbe farbrenged, and the Sichos are published. A few months later, Kislev, to be exact, three months later, the Rebbe met Rab Shmuel Levitin in the hallway, and the Rebbe told him, "I did not yet compensate for the two hours of Chai Elul," referring to the two hours of the farbrengen, and as a result, the lack of work that was needed then. This is what the Rebbe told Rab Shmuel Levitin. As Hasidim interpreted that this demonstrated the mesirat nefesh of the Rebbe for spreading the wellsprings of Hasidus everywhere. That when the Rebbe heard that there are bachurim that wanna hear something about Chai Elul, the Rebbe put everything aside and came out to farbreng. From then, from Tuft Shin Yud Beis 1952 till Tuft Shin Chaf Beis, the Rebbe farbrenged on Chai Elul only when it was Shabbos. In Tuft Shin Yud Zayin 1957, as it was on Shabbos, the Rebbe then delivered a short ma'amar of the Alter Rebbe. Tuft Shin Chaf Beis 1962, it was just a

22:52 few months before approaching the 150 years since the hishtalus of the Alter Rebbe. The Rebbe then farbrenged, and the Rebbe gave directives to Hasidim how to prepare for Chavdalot Teves Tuft Shin Chaf Gimel, which was four months later. The Rebbe then also delivered a short ma'amar of the Alter Rebbe on the pasuk Be'chochma Yivneh Beis. Tuft Shin Lamed Aleph, the Shabbos before Chai Elul, the Rebbe at a farbrengen advised that there should be farbrengens taking place on Chai Elul. And this is one of the first farbrengens that took place in the middle of the week by the Rebbe after coming back from the Ohel. And that began a new era of short notices that upon the Rebbe's arrival from the Ohel, after Mincha, the Rebbe would notify there will be a farbrengen. Four days later was Chai Elul on a Wednesday, and there was a wedding. Nobody expected a farbrengen then. After the farbrengen, which was about two hours, the Rebbe sent through Rabbi Menachem Klein a piece of Mezeines to the chassan. Chassan was Rabbi Avrohom Andrusier, zal zei gezunt, and his wedding was on that evening. From then on, chassanim or others that made simchas would write into the Rebbe first if it is a night available for a simcha. The Rebbe from then began farbrenging quite often on Chai Elul into the mems, into the 80s. And Tuft Shin Mem He was actually the last farbrengen that we had with the Rebbe in the middle of the week. This is 1985. The

25:00 Rebbe did not say a ma'amar that farbrengen. Just a short overview of the ma'amarim that the Rebbe would deliver on Chai Elul. If it was on Shabbos, it would usually bea maimer beginning with a verse of the Parsha. Either Ve'chaya Kisovei or Es Hashem Hamarta or Hashkifa or the Alfeida of Kisovei Kumiedi. If it was in Parsha Nitzovim, it would be Atam Nitzovim. There was also a maimer that began with the Pasuk of Dovid Hashem Eidi and Mashcheni and Alilu Deidi, which we find in Tov Shin Lamed Beis, 1972, and in Tov Shin Lamed Elad, 1974. With this broadcast, we beEzras Hashem reached the number 600. A Guten Erev Shabbos.