Follow ChabadInfo & Never Miss an Update!

Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our WhatsApp status and broadcast Follow us on Tiktok Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on Google News Subscribe on YouTube

By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon, Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati

L’Chaim Chassidim! This Shabbas is Shabbas Hagadol, as it is (the Shabbas right before Pesach and) the Shabbas directly connected to 11 Nissan – the birthday of the Rebbe. Just as on the Shabbas before our own birthday, we are supposed to have an Aliyah L’Torah, certainly before 11 Nissan – the birthday of the Nasi Hador – we need an “Aliyah – elevation” of our Avodas Hashem.

Our holy Chachamim tell us that it takes forty years to fully comprehend the lessons and teachings of one’s Rebbe. With this foundation, I would like to go back and discuss an event that took place forty years ago, which the Rebbe addressed openly by a Farbrengen.

Some background: One of the Rebbe’s strong campaigns was to strengthen the community of Crown Heights. When many jewish people started leaving the neighborhood, the Rebbe pushed that Chassidim should stay. There were many shuls in the neighborhood that were abandoned and the Rebbe pushed that his Chassidim – who would love to daven in 770 with the Rebbe – should continue the minyanim in those shuls.

One of those shuls was “Beis Ahavas Moshe” which was known as the “Maple street shul”. In 5746, the community of Crown Heights “ended” on Lefferts Ave, which is a few blocks closer to Eastern Parkway than Maple street. This shul, now finding itself on the outskirts of Crown Heights would have closed if not for the fact that certain chassidim continued to daven there. Every once in a while, they would make a Meleva Malka as a fundraiser for the upkeep of the shul. They would advertise the event as an opportunity to strengthen the community. The organizers would give in and receive a bottle of mashke from the Rebbe at the Farbrengen before the Melava Malka.

In 5746 the Melava Malka was on Motzei Shabbas parshas Terumah, which was on 6 Adar Rishon. In the advertisement of the event, which evidently the organizers sent a copy to the Rebbe, they wrote the date and time of the event (which was the night of 7 Adar) and the fact that by supporting the shul, the supporter would be helping the community.

By the Farbrengen (Hisvadus 5746 Chelek 2 page 590) the Rebbe spoke of the “wonder” that we do not find that Chassidei Chabad do anything special to add in Simcha on 7 Adar.

[It should be pointed out that the following is written in Sefer Hainhagim about the Rabbeim: “On the seventh of Adar (the anniversary both of the birth and of the passing of Moshe Rabbeinu) and at the preceding Minchah, the Rebbeim of Chabad never said Tachanun. This was the case after they had assumed the leadership, never beforehand.” There is what to write about this, and iYH a different time.]

The Rebbe then adds that as a result of the lack of additional joy on this day, we have come to forget the power of the day and he brings an example from the invitation for the Melava Malka of the Ahavas Moshe Shul. In that invitation they did not write that the specialty of 7 Adar was the fact that it was the birthday of Moshe Rabbeinu. The Rebbe said that he is surprised that a shul named “Ahavas Moshe” would forget about the birthday of Moshe Rabbeinu!

That is the story that took place forty years ago. When I was learning that Farbrengen a month ago, I had a feeling that there is a special message for us today – forty years later – regarding the birthday of the Rebbe (11 Nissan), but I did not have clarity as to what it could possibly be telling us.

In light of the current events, which is without question part of the process of the Geula Sheleima, I would like to suggest the following: In a “regular year” – without a war going on – it is still very difficult to put a full emphasis on 11 Nissan. Most families are preparing for Pesach, or travelling for Pesach, and there is always so much that needs to still get done before Yom Tov. This is obviously multiplied this year when there are so many families that are literally trying to prepare for pesach “without a day or a night”. The kids are home from school and many are spending hours each night in a shelter. In such circumstances it could become easy to “forget about the birthday of Moshe Rabbeinu”.

Forty years ago, the Rebbe prepared us for this moment by teaching us the right perspective we all need to have, and live by, in regards to this special day. We must make sure that we never forget the importance of the birthday of our Moshe Rabeinu!

Good Yom Tov!

יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם הָרִים סָבִיב לָהּ וַיהֹוָה סָבִיב לְעַמּוֹ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם

Please feel free to share your thoughts on the above with me by sending me a personal email: [email protected]

99