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The Bolsheviks were pounding on the door. The situation was bleak. The tables were laden with wine and whiskey which was also illegal. There was money in a bowl on the table, the donations of Chassidim for the needy; this was also illegal.

The Chassidim were under no delusions. Their hearts skipped a beat and they did not know how they would get out of this serious situation.

The Rebbe, however, was not moved. “Open up for them, because in the state that I am in now, I have no fear of them!”

By Menachem Ziegelbaum, Beis Moshiach Magazine

– PART I –

Shortly after Succos 5676, the Rebbe Rashab and his family had to emigrate to Rostov-on-Don because of the outbreak of World War I. In Rostov too, he continued to lead the Chassidim and many of them continued to go to Rostov to spend time in the Rebbe’s presence as they used to do.

These luminous days did not last long. A terrible civil war was raging in Russia between the Whites (those who supported the czar) and the Reds (the Bolshevik-communists who wanted to topple the monarch). Both sides scapegoated the Jews and vented their anger on them.

In the winter of 5680, the Reds advanced toward Rostov. Everyone knew that they were dangerous and the Rebbe’s household planned on leaving the city. Before they could pack up the house, the Reds had already entered Rostov and it was impossible to leave.

In those days, it seemed as if everything was turned upside down in the Rebbe’s court. Since they arrived in the city, they saw a great change in the Rebbe’s conduct. He spent time alone in his room and hardly received any Chassidim, deeply immersed in his own divine service.

If that wasn’t enough, on Rosh Chodesh Shevat 5680/1920, after Shacharis, the Rebbe said to relay to all the Chassidim in his name that he asked them not to come to him to daven, nor to hear Chassidus, and not for yechidus, since he had no wish for the Bolsheviks to know of his existence. The concern was great and the words of the Rebbe spread quickly to Anash all across the country, and the community felt bereft.

It was like a black cloud descended on the Rebbe’s court in Rostov. That bustling Chassidic court was quiet. A gloomy atmosphere prevailed. Hardly any Chassidim went to the Rebbe’s house. Only when something urgent came up did they come and even then it was done clandestinely.

This went on for the month of Shevat and half of Adar.

– PART II –

On Purim, the Chassidim decided that they could not allow the day to go by without marking it at all. They decided to go to the Rebbe’s house even for a short farbrengen. The Rebbe agreed but all knew it would not be like previous years. At most, the Rebbe would say a maamar or a short sicha and then everyone would go home.

The fear was not for naught. In those days, the Bolsheviks began to rule with an iron fist. They issued a series of severe rules in the attempt to prevent another uprising of the citizenry at all costs. The rules included a curfew of seven o’clock in the evening. Even during the day people refrained from going about unless it was urgent. Any gathering of people was absolutely forbidden and was considered a serious crime.

Not surprisingly, the few Chassidim who went to the Rebbe’s house for the Purim farbrengen, sat tensely. They washed their hands, ate a kezayis of hamotzi, knowing they would have to get home as quickly as possible.

The Rebbe came in, washed his hands, and then poured mashke and said l’chaim. Then and there, those present sensed a change in the Rebbe’s mood as though a different spirit had settled over him. The Rebbe began to encourage the Chassidim to intensify the simcha. He did not suffice with that and even took money out of his pocket and said to bring another bottle of mashke. Then he said to sing joyful niggunim as they had done on Purim every year.

“We were astonished,” wrote one of the Chassidim. “We were ready to leave the Rebbe’s house immediately after hearing Torah but when we saw the change in him, we began singing loudly and with great excitement until our voices pierced the walls and burst out into the street. We completely forgot where we were and the time.”

Much mashke was brought to the table. The Chassidim, seeing the elevated spirits of the Rebbe, were encouraged and felt good. The Rebbe made sure that each person said l’chaim as he himself began to sing loudly until his voice could be heard outside the house, despite the fact that his apartment was in a central location in the city.

The Rebbe’s family members were fearful. The Rebbetzin asked him, pleaded with him, that the Chassidim lower their voices and sing quietly lest they be heard outside and they would all be in trouble, but when the Chassidim saw the Rebbe encouraging the singing they did not dare do otherwise.

The Rebbe’s only child, later the Rebbe Rayatz, was fearful and did not know what to do. He knew that in the end it would bring harm to his father, but the Rebbe, seeing his beloved son’s concern, strengthened him repeatedly. One time, he even took him by his hands and said to him, “Yosef Yitzchok, don’t be afraid! I am not fazed by them! Peace will be upon us! I don’t mean in hiding but with our entire going out and expansion, with our entire essence. I will continue to go, whether in a manner of orderly progression or whether in a manner of ‘jumping over the wall,’ that’s what I hear and that’s what I feel. Peace will be unto us because kelipa in relation to kedusha has no existence, my wish is that the holiness be in a revealed state…”

When the Rebbe said this, his face was fiery. Whatever went on that night was a wonder to the Chassidim.

“We had been to the Rebbe many times on nights of simcha at a farbrengen but we had never seen anything like this. The divrei Torah that he said then were deep and hidden,” wrote that Chassid in his memoirs.

– PART III –

While they were tremendously joyful, the terrifying news suddenly came that the Bolsheviks were conducting a patrol of the streets of the city and checking whether citizens were obeying the curfew. All knew that the Bolsheviks would soon come to the Rebbe’s home.

Terror gripped them all, since it was a large gathering of Chassidim which was forbidden. Those present had no doubt how the Bolsheviks would react. The Rebbe though, did not allow the great simcha to stop.

“We saw that the matter was unusual and wondrous as he was never like this before and we saw open miracles from him that night.”

Rayatz’s face grew pale and he looked tense in concern for his father’s welfare.

Nevertheless, the Rebbe continued to sit and did not interrupt his dveikus and sharing his holy words. The people sitting there understood the ramifications of a gathering like this and they told the Rebbe about the Bolsheviks who would soon be arriving. The Rebbe continued to encourage his Chassidim not to stop singing and rejoicing as it was Purim.

Loud banging was heard at the door of the house. The Chassidim looked at the Rebbe as though asking him what to do now. With a slight nod the Rebbe instructed them to open the gate and then immediately turned his face back to the Chassidim as though nothing had happened.

The agents entered the house and stood at a distance observing with burning eyes. One of the Chassidim got up the courage to go over to them and say that the Rebbe was very busy and could not speak with them.

“When will he be available?”

“Much later,” said the Chassid. “The party will end in another two hours.”

Those present looked at him fearfully.

Surprisingly, the Bolsheviks did not react and simply left.

The relieved Chassidim continued to sing and rejoice. The Rebbe said more divrei Torah and sang joyous songs and niggunei dveikus.

A few hours passed and once again there was knocking at the door. The Chassidim who were caught up in the joy of the holiday did not hear the knocking. The knocking got louder until the noise could be heard quite well inside the house. All knew what that meant; the Bolsheviks were back and they intended on conducting a search.

The situation was bleak. The tables were laden with wine and whiskey which was also illegal. There was money in a bowl on the table, the donations of Chassidim for the needy; this was also illegal.

The Chassidim were under no delusions. Their hearts skipped a beat and they did not know how they would get out of this serious situation.

The Rebbe sensing the worry and fear said not to touch anything and not to remove anything from the table.

“Open up for them, because in the state that I am in now, I have no fear of them!”

The door was opened and there were the Bolsheviks, this time armed with weapons. They approached the table and stood at one end, facing the Rebbe, but the Rebbe paid them no mind and said confidently, “We will begin to say Chassidus and they will be nullified by themselves.”

He began the maamar based on the verse, “Reishis Goyim Amalek …” The maamar is about kelipos being the absence of existence, having no true reality. This talk lasted an hour and a half!

As he spoke, the Bolsheviks stood facing the Rebbe and didn’t take their eyes off of him.

When the Rebbe finished the maamar, the Bolsheviks left without saying a word about all the “crimes” happening in front of their eyes.

* * *

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Havlin wrote what happened that Purim in a letter that he sent to Rabbi Dovid Shifrin. He concluded thus:

“We saw then tangibly, an open miracle, literally not to be believed, and although we all quaked with fear, we trusted in Hashem and His loyal servant. We put our trust in Hashem and his loyal servant, and were mekasher ourselves strongly to the Rebbe and did not think anything. We just yearned not to miss a word that he said. We sat there like that until about four in the morning.

“That Purim meal was twelve hours long and was a sort of goodbye party. Two weeks later, the Rebbe’s holy soul ascended.

“That Purim seuda, with everything that we saw, will never budge from our memories forever.”

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