בס“ד Elul 5780/2020 SPECIAL DAYS IN ELUL Volume 31, Issue 6 Menachem Av 30/August 20/Thursday First Day Rosh Chodesh Elul We begin to say "L’Dovid HaShem Ori" at Shacharis and Minchah. Plague of Lice in Mitzrayim. Moshe Rabeinu went up to Har Sinai to receive the second Luchos. (Shemos 33:11, Rashi) Wedding of R. Boruch, son of the Mitteler Rebbe and Rebbitzen Beila Reiza, daughter of R. Chayim Avraham, son of the Alter Rebbe, 5582 [1822]. Elul 1/August 21/Friday Second Day Rosh Chodesh Elul We begin to say three extra chapters of Tehillim, completing Sefer Tehillim by Yom Kippur, a custom received from the Baal R. Yisroel of Polotzk, reached Eretz Yisrael, Shem Tov. 5537 [1777]. We begin to blow the Shofar every day Elul 7/August 27/Thursday (except Shabbos) after Shacharis. Amram remarried Yocheved (Moshe "In Elul we blow ten blasts daily, except Rabeinu was born seven months later), on Shabbos, paralleling the ten powers of the 2367 [1394 BCE] (Sotah 12a) Nefesh; on Rosh HaShanah we blow one hundred to awaken the ten powers, and the Yartzeit of the Meraglim who spoke against ten powers that each of THEM Eretz Yisrael, 2448 [1313 BCE], (Sotah 35a, contain..." [Likutei Sichos Vol. II, p. 446] Beis Yosef to Tur Orach Chaim 580) In the days of the later Amoraim, beginning Agrippa I dedicated the new gate of the TZCHOK CHABAD OF HANCOCKof PARK Chodesh Kalah, month of study (". ..and a wall of Yerushalayim, [42], once a holiday. pillar of fire came down for them from (Megilas Taanis 6) heaven") [Tosafos, Brachos 17a]. First day (Rosh HaShanah) of year for Elul 9/August 29/Shabbos determining annual Ma’aser of animals Birthday (2015) and Yartzeit (2199) of (Rosh HaShanah 2a) Dan son of Yaakov Avinu (Midrash Tadshe). Chagai prophesied about the building of the Second Beis HaMikdash, (Chagai 1:1) 3408 The Ramban renewed Jewish settlement in [353 BCE]. Yerushalayim, and founded a Beis HaKneses, 5027 [1267]. The Beis HaKneses Elul 5/August 25/Tuesday was used for 700 years until 1948, and was Yartzeit of R. Yom Tov Lipman Heller, author reestablished in 1967. of Tosfos Yom Tov on Mishnayos, 5414 [1654]. Yartzeit of R. Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin, Chasidic leader and thinker, author of Pri The first group of Chassidim, led by R. Tzadik, 5660 [1900]. Chabad Chodesh Elul 5780 CONGREGATION LEVI YI Mendel of Vitebsk, R. Avraham of Kalisk, and Elul 10/Augusts 30/Sunday Elul 13/September 2/Wednesday Elul 15/September 4/Friday Noach sent out the raven. (Rashi, Yartzeit of R. Yaakov Yisroel of Yartzeit of R. Yaakov Kopel Chosid Bereishis, 8:5). Czerkass, son of R. Mordechai of of Kolomay, student of the Baal Czernobyl, son-in-law of the Shem Tov, and the Chazan in his Yartzeit of R. Pinchas Shapira of Mitteler Rebbe, 5636 [1876]. Beis Midrash, founder of Kosov- Korets, student of the Baal Shem Vizhnitz Chassidus, 5529 [1769]. Tov, author of Midrash Pinchas, Wedding of the previous 5550 [1790]. Lubavitcher Rebbe and Rebbitzen The Russian government decreed Nechamah Dinah, 5657 [1897]. the drafting of Jewish boys at the Wedding of Rebbitzen Chayah age of twelve to be sent to military Mushka, daughter of the Rebbe Yartzeit of R. Yosef Chayim of school until eighteen, and then to MaHaRaSh, with R. Moshe Baghdad, the "Ben Ish Chai", serve in the Czar's army for twenty HaKohen Hornstein, 5652 [1892]. Sephardic Posek and Kabbalist, -five years, 5587 [1827]. Some author of Ben Ish Chai, Od Yosef 100,000 Jewish boys became Elul 11/August 31/Monday Chai, Rav Pealim, Ben Yehoyada cantonists. (The Mitteler Rebbe R. Yosef Karo finished his Beis and Mekabtziel, (one of the first spoke about this decree the week Yosef on the Tur, 4302 [1542] in Sephardic Poskim to cite the Alter before his passing and said a Tzfas, having begun in Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch), 5669 Maamar, "To Understand The Adrianapole, Turkey in 4282 [1909]. Drafting of Soldiers From [1522]. Israel" (printed in Migdal Oz, p. Elul 14/September 3/Thursday 399). Yartzeit of R. Simchah Bunim of Pyrschyscha, Chasidic Rebbe and The Previous Rebbe moved from The Tzemach Tzedek organized a thinker, author of Kol Simchah, Riga, Latvia, to Warsaw, Poland, group to fight the conscription 5587 [1827]. 5693 (1933). He stayed there for law: they helped communities two years. In the Summer of 1935 negotiate for lower quotas, paid Wedding of the Rebbe RaShaB and he moved to the suburb of Otwosk. ransoms to free them, sent people the Rebbitzen Sterna Sarah, 5635 (Letters of the Friediker Rebbe Vol. to comfort the children at assembly [1875]. The wedding took place in 13, pg. 282). points and encouraged them to be the city of Ursht, where the Kallah loyal to Judaism. (Some in this lived. The Rebbe Maharash did not Yartzeit of Rebbetzin Chaya group were imprisoned). The travel to the wedding, during that Mushka Hornstein, youngest Tzemach Tzedek himself met with week he said 32 ma’amarim. daughter of the Rebbe Maharash, the cantonists, spoke with them When the Rebbe RaShab came who was killed in Treblinka, 5702 and said two Maamarim for them. back his father told him he has a (1942) (Sefer Ma’amorim 5711, wedding present for him, and that pg. 106, letter of the Rebbe). The The Rebbe RaShaB founded was the 32 ma’amarim. Rebbe would recite Kaddish. Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim, 5657 [1897] during the Seudah of the Elul 12/September 1/Tuesday Yartzeit of R. Boruch Mordechai wedding, Sheva Brochos for the Birthday of the Ramban, R. Moshe Ettinge of Bobroisk, great Chassid Friediker Rebbe. The Rebbe Rashab b. Nachman, 4954 [1194], of the Alter Rebbe, Mitteler Rebbe, said, “For years I was worried, and Gerona, Spain. and Tzemach Tzedek, 5612 full of pain from the spiritual level, [1852]. He had been a student of and the dryness of Chassidum. My The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe the Gaon of Vilna and was the son- heart was bleeding, every time I visited America, for the first time, in-law of R. Shmuel, the Av Beis visited the Ohel of my fathers, our 5689 [1929]. He visited several Din of Vilna. He settled in holy Rebbes, I poured out my bitter cities to strengthen Yiddishkeit, Yerushalayim a year before his heart for the standard of and was received by President passing. (He is buried next to the Chassidim, and Chassidus. Hoover at the White House. He Or HaChayim HaKadosh; the Summer 5656 (1896) I was in the stayed for almost a complete year, Mitteler Rebbe had written of his holy Ohelim of the Holy Ba’al until the 21st of Tammuz 5690, desire to move to Eretz Yisrael, "… Shem Tov, the Magid of Mezritch, 1930. (See Letters of the Previous and if he desires to be lit in the the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe, Vol. 2, which speaks about light of life..") [Beis Rebbe] Rebbe, and coming back to the work that the Rebbe did in Lubavitch to the Ohel of my grand America.) -father the Tzemach Tzedek and VOLUME 31, ISSUE 6 Page 2 my father the Rebbe Maharash. revealed as a Tzadik. On this day being a tradition from my revered With their blessing I started to plan in 5504 [1744] the Baal Shem Tov father [the Rebbe RaShaB] one a Yeshiva which will raise told R. Boruch, the Alter Rebbe's thing is certain, on this day the Chassidishe bochurim, with good father, he would have a son in a Baal Shem Tov speaks his words of middos, who will give over their year. Torah for his disciples and for their lives to the way of Chassidus with disciples and for all those whose Mesiras Nefesh. I am sure with the Birthday of our Holy Master and souls are bound to them." [Sefer Brochos from all those mentioned Teacher, R. Shneur Zalman b. HaMaamar-im, 5708. p. 292]. above, the Yeshiva will be Baruch, the Alter Rebbe, founder of "The greeting used by the Rebbe successful, and the light of Torah Chasidus Chabad, 5505 [1745]. RaShaB and the previous Rebbe on and Avoda will shine on Jews Chai Elul was 'Gut Yom Tov.' [Sichah, generally and by Chassidim Upsherenish of the Alter Rebbe by Chai Elul, 5703] specifically. (Sefer Hasichos 5701, the Baal Shem Tov, 5508 [1748]. 1941, pg. 106) In another sicha "...Chai Elul is the day that The Mitteler Rebbe settled in (Sefer Hasichos 5686, 1925, brings Chayus [life] into Elul" Lubavitch, 5573 [1813]. It became Simchas Torah) the Friediker "From Chai Elul until Chai the center of Chabad Chassidus Rebbe says, “My father when he Kislev, said the Rebbe MaHaRaSh, until Cheshvan 17, 5676 [1915] had to make the Yeshiva told me, is for us [the Rebbeim] the three when the Rebbe RaShaB left for ...Ten years I was thinking about months of preparation for the Rostov-on-Don. making the Yeshiva, and I visited Avodah of the Rosh HaShanah of the Ohelim of my father and grand Chassidus, the holy day of Yud-Tes Beginning of studies in the Yeshi- -father many times regarding it. Kislev." [Sichah, Chai Elul, 5705]. vah. “...From Chai Elul are twelve The first official day of learning in The name Tomchei Temimim was days until Rosh HaShanah. The Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim 5657 given by the Rebbe Rashab, two preparation must be an [1897]. The Rebbe Rashab said, “I years later during Hakofos, 5659, introspection about the twelve am kindling the Ner Tamid of the 1896. months of the year, a day for every Illuminators, what the Ba’al Shem month." [Sefer HaSichos 5703, p.