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Sefer Torah Shel Moshiach

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Sefer Torah Shel Moshiach להביא לימות המשיח Sefer Torah shel Moshiach לזכות דוד בן שיינא וזוגתו מרת פערל גאלדא בת לאה, ומשפחתם לוי, שניאור זלמן, מינא עטל, מאיר, וגבריאל נח שיקויים בהם ברכת כ"ק אדמו"ר להצלחה רבה ומופלגה במילוי שליחותם בשמפיין, איל. SHEVAT 5776 12 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER פרסום ראשון! NEVER BEFORE SEEN DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS camps across Europe, although the Simchas Torah in Lubavitch is extent of the unbelievable destruction renowned for its lebedikeit and the was not apparent yet. It was during amazing energy the Rabbeim poured this dark time that the Frierdiker into the Chassidim. It is also a time Rebbe worked to uplift the spirits when the Rabbeim would often talk of the Yidden and to inspire them more openly to the Chassidim about to return to Hashem with complete projects or ideas that were very dear teshuva. These are the birth pangs of to them. Moshiach, he would say, and now an On the night of Simchas Torah opportune time to bring him and the 5702, during the farbrengen before complete geulah. hakafos, the Frierdiker Rebbe spoke With those few words the project to the Chassidim of writing a special to write a ‘Welcoming of Moshiach Sefer Torah with which to greet Sefer Torah’ began. At first the Moshiach. Frierdiker Rebbe was going to sponsor “With the help of Hashem and in the writing himself, as a private merit of my holy ancestors, I merited and personal secret, but then he to have the thought to become, bli reconsidered.2 “During the Simchas neder, a messenger of Torah meal, while speaking about the klal Yisrael to write a special Torah—‘The Welcoming of Moshiach Sefer Torah’—with which to (go out and) welcome Moshiach speedily in our d ay s .” 1 This was at the height of the Holocaust. As was later discovered, millions of Yidden LIBRARY OF AGUDAS CHASSIDEI CHABAD were suffering in A LETTER FROM RABBI SHLOMO YEHUDA LEIB ELIEZROV, A CHABAD ACTIVIST concentration IN CHEVRON, TO RABBI SHLOMO YOSEF ZEVIN, NOTIFYING HIM ABOUT JEM/THE LIVING ARCHIVE MOSHIACH’S SEFER TORAH. SHEVAT 5776 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 13 importance of ahavas Yisrael, I had It soon became clear that it would ONE CAN BE second thoughts as to whether I was be very expensive to purchase the correct in my decision to hide the parchments in Eretz Yisroel and STANDING BEFORE truth and withhold the public from send them to America, so the search A PRECIOUS participating in this great and holy for kosher, shechted, klaf moved to TREASURE, IN opportunity. I have therefore chosen to America. proclaim openly that, with Hashem’s BROAD DAYLIGHT help, I do plan on writing a sefer COMMENCEMENT AND WITH OPEN Torah exclusively to greet Moshiach CEREMONY EYES, YET HE DOES speedily.” For this and other reasons, the Years later, on Yud Shevat 5711, commencement of the Torah did not NOT SEE A THING! the Rebbe compared this to Moshe take place on the 20th of Cheshvan the Baal Shem Tov, which saved his building the Mishkan with the as was originally planned, but was town from a devastating plague4. Now donations brought by all the Yidden, instead postponed to Beis Iyar of that too, continued the Frierdiker Rebbe, even though he could have done the year. The actual writing of the sefer the Jewish nation is in dire need of entire construction alone. began in a private event, without immediate salvation; “May Hashem The original plan was to start any fanfare, in the Frierdiker Rebbe’s help that writing this sefer Torah will writing the Torah in a large public room; only the sofer Reb Shmaryahu indeed bring it about!” event, with much fanfare, on the 20th Faktor, and the mazkir Reb Eliyahu Later that day, the Frierdiker Rebbe of Cheshvan, the Rebbe Rashab’s Simpson, were present. The sofer drew selected three elder Chassidim—Reb birthday. This was announced in the outline of the letters of the first Shmuel Levitin, Reb Eliyahu Simpson the official Lubavitcher periodical, word and the Frierdiker Rebbe filled and Reb Dovid Shifrin—to form a Hakriah Vehakedushah, along with an them in, setting this unique endeavor committee to supervise the project. invitation to all who wished to take in motion. The writing was in the They were charged with obtaining part in the project to send funds, Alter Rebbe’s ksav. the proper klaf and supervising the and to include their names for the Following the completion of the writing, and instructed to publicly purchase of a letter. first letters, Chassidim gathered for campaign that everyone should The Frierdiker Rebbe wanted to a special meal and l’chaim in the purchase a letter in this historic sefer procure klaf from Eretz Yisroel that zal (at the time it was known as the Torah. was shlil (the hide of a calf still in its ‘downstairs shul,’ being downstairs mother’s womb) from an animal that from the Frierdiker Rebbe’s was kosher and properly shechted3. apartment). Mincha followed in the The parchment was to be prepared Frierdiker Rebbe’s mother’s room, as specifically for the sake of a sefer Torah this was during the year following her and be at least six tefachim wide. To passing, during which he regularly this end, he sent a telegram to Reb davened there. Shlomo Yehudah Leib Eliazarov of After davening, the Frierdiker Yerushalayim, making him his agent Rebbe said a sicha. He recounted the to find and deliver these klafim. story of the miraculous sefer Torah of LIBRARY OF AGUDAS CHASSIDEI CHABAD REGISTRATION FORM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MOSHIACH SEFER TORAH, DATED 5702. LEDGER RECORDING THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE MOSHIACH SEFER TORAH FROM ISRAEL. SHEVAT 5776 14 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER The Frierdiker Rebbe personally had simply not given any instructions paid for all the actual costs of the regarding a siyum. And so the Sefer sefer Torah and the sofer’s salary. All Torah remained waiting, unfinished contributions received towards the for over twenty years. writing went to Merkos L’inyonei • Chinuch and Machne Israel. As soon as this momentous project REBIRTH OF A TREASURE was launched, the Rebbe (as chairman In 5730, with the approaching Yud of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and Shevat marking twenty years of the Machne Israel) immediately began Rebbe’s leadership, Chassidim from all promoting the new campaign on a over the world prepared themselves very large scale, enlisting many Jews— for the momentous day. A special including community leaders—to sign committee, Vaad L’chagigos Ha’esrim on as participants in the writing. (“Committee for the Twentieth [year] Commemorations”), was formed in The Torah was written in 770, in A PUBLIC NOTICE DATED “MOTZEI SHABBOS Reb Shmuel Levitin’s room at the end Eretz Yisrael. This vaad fielded many PARSHAS VA’EIRA 5730” FROM THE VAAD OF THE of the hallway (now used as the yichud suggestions and proposals for projects SEFER TORAH, NOTIFYING ANASH OF THE LAST CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE BEFORE THE SIYUM. room for weddings). Bochurim who to mark this anniversary and broaden learned in the yeshiva in those years the reach of the Rebbe’s activities, and Yisrael, when it should have come recall that every Thursday night they achieve the ultimate goal—the arrival from right here in New York, from helped review columns of the sefer of Moshiach. 770—b’gematriya “poratzta”—where Torah, checking for accuracy. A Lubavitcher woman from Kfar the sefer Torah is kept! It remains By the end of the next year, Sivan Chabad suggested that the time had a mystery to me (as do many other of 5703, everything until Parshas arrived to complete the Sefer Torah questions I have) why this is so. One can Haazinu was written. For reasons to Greet Moshiach, which was started be standing before a precious treasure, unknown to us it was not completed more than twenty-five years earlier. in broad daylight and with open eyes, at that time. Five years later in 5708, This proposal was greeted with great yet he does not see a thing! What the Rebbe wrote to Reb Bentzion excitement by all Chassidim—what greater and more precious treasure is Shemtov that the Torah would likely better occasion could there be than the there—anticipated and hoped for by all be completed in the near future. But twenty year anniversary of the Rebbe’s previous generations—than the coming again, nothing actually happened. nesius?—and a letter was dispatched to of Moshiach? Yet people turn their faces During this period, Reb Eliyahu the Rebbe. To everyone’s dismay, the this way or that; everyone is busy with Simpson composed a detailed program response was negative. their own affairs. for a siyum sefer Torah ceremony, On Wednesday night, Erev Rosh Just as when the sefer was started, scheduled for the 20th of Cheshvan Chodesh Shevat, the Rebbe returned the Rebbe announced that anyone who 5708. According to this plan, they from the Ohel with a surprise. The wanted to participate in the writing of would bring the sefer Torah to the Rebbe announced that “all obstacles the sefer Torah may do so by donating Frierdiker Rebbe’s room and request have been removed” and the time one dollar. Although the participants permission to proceed with writing has come to complete the sefer Torah. would no longer be able to purchase the final pesukim. From there they Imagine the outbreak of joy at this specific letters in the sefer—for only planned to continue to the Rebbe’s extraordinary news. At last the Sefer a few lines remained unfinished— room downstairs, where the writing Torah to greet Moshiach would finally they would nevertheless be able to would take place, and then return to be finished! That Shabbos the Rebbe contribute, “and the malachim will the Frierdiker Rebbe to fill in the last announced the exciting news publicly, divide the letters among them all!” three words—“L’einei kol Yisrael”—to saying that the siyum for Moshiach’s The Rebbe then said that the be followed by a great and joyous sefer Torah would soon take place.
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