לתקן עולם במלכות ש-ד-י A Light unto the NationsOUR DUTY OF TEACHING SHEVA MITZVOS B’NEI NOACH Celebration 40 In the Presence YUD SHEVAT 5750 of Royalty PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS WITH THE REBBETZIN $4.99 SHEVAT 5777 ISSUE 53 (130) DerherContents SHEVAT 5777 ISSUE 53 (130) Shabbos at the Tavern 04 DVAR MALCHUS Celebration 40 06 YUD SHEVAT 5750 The Rebbe’s Life 15 KSAV YAD KODESH A Light unto the Nations 16 SHEVA MITZVOS B’NEI NOACH Junk Mail 30 THE WORLD REVISITED Days of Meaning 34 SHEVAT To the Last Detail About the Cover: DARKEI HACHASSIDUS Illuminating the world: In this month's magazine we feature the story 36 of the Rebbe's call to spread the moral education and observance of sheva Mitzvos b’nei Noach, for the benefit of all people. In the Presence of Royalty PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS 40 WITH THE REBBETZIN DerherEditorial “The nature of a nosi is, as determined by the meaning Seeing and recognizing hashgacha pratis has always been of the word itself, to uplift and elevate the people of his an integral part of darkei haChassidus, but the Rebbe made it generation. As the Torah says about Moshe Rabbeinu, who all the more real and teaches us how to live day-by-day with .lit. count heads this perspective in mind]—”נשא את ראש בני ישראל“ ,was commanded of the Jewish people] uplift the heads of the Jewish people… In this issue, we explore this subject in various sources Meaning, in addition to a nosi filling all the needs of the and see how it is illuminated in the Rebbe’s Torah (see people of his generation, feeling distressed when they’re in “Darkei HaChassidus” and “The World Revisited” columns). pain and rejoicing when they are happy; he also works to • uplift them and bring them up to his level…” (Yud-Gimmel In addition to his affect on the Yidden in his generation, Tishrei 5744). a nosi is also responsible for the greater public. Being the This month we mark the date of Yud Shevat, the day that leader of the Jewish people, he is essentially a leader for the Rebbe’s nesius began. the entire world, for Torah tells us that all of creation is for -See sichas Yud) .”בשביל ישראל שנקראו ראשית“ ,In the Rebbe’s words quoted above, it is the nosi’s the Yidden objective to uplift and elevate his people. Over the years, Gimmel Tishrei 5739). the Rebbe has taught us to see things from a higher, more Highlighting this reality is the story of the Rebbe’s ruchniyusdike perspective. There is nothing “ordinary” in the campaign to spread the moral education and observance of world: everything serves a purpose, every point in time has sheva Mitzvos b’nei Noach for the benefit of all people. meaning, being in a given place has meaning, and the fact In fact, the Rebbe even referred to the effort in this regard that they have all come together is of course for a purpose. as “the chiddush of this generation.” I was—אני )לא( נבראתי )אלא( לשמש את קוני And the purpose is created only to serve Hashem. ב"ה Ten to Bring Moshiach 56 MOSHIACH U’GEULAH The Great Exchange 58 A CHASSIDISHER MAISE The Right Amount 61 A STORY 16 The Rebbetzin’s 64 fourth Yahrtzeit MOMENTS 67 Derher Letters 40 30 A Chassidisher Derher Magazine is a publication geared toward Bochurim, published and copyrighted by Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim Haolomi. All articles in this publication are original content by the staff of A Chassidisher Derher. Appropriately marking the celebration of Vaad Talmidei Advisory Committee Special Thanks to the Rebbe’s nesius, we present an overview of Hatmimim Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz Rabbi Yirmi Berkowitz the Rebbe’s innovative campaign of the sheva Rabbi Tzvi Altein Rabbi Dovid Olidort Rabbi Chaim Shaul Brook Director mitzvos. Design Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman Rabbi Yossi Kamman The Rebbe taught in the first maamar on Rabbi Mendy Weg Rabbi Mendel Gourarie Editor in Chief Printed by Rabbi Simon Jacobson Yud Shevat 5711 that the task of our generation Rabbi Mendel Jacobs The Print House Rabbi Shmuel Lubecki is to finally and completely bring the shechinah Editors Photo Credits down here, creating a dira betachtonim. In the Rabbi Eliezer Zalmanov Rabbi Michoel Seligson Jewish Educational Media Rabbi Moshe Zaklikovsky Rabbi Elkanah Shmotkin sichos of ensuing years the Rebbe explained B Ezagui Rabbi Levi Treitel that in order for the entire world to adequately Rabbi Pinny Lew be affected, we need to influence all inhabitants Kinus.com of the world to live moral and ethical lives, Reproduction of any portion of this Magazine is not permissible without express permission based on the sheva mitzvos, making the world from the copyright holders, unless for the use of brief quotations in reviews and similar venues. Submit your questions and comments: into a more refined, civilized place. Call: (970) 680 3370 | Email: [email protected] With that, we will finally complete the To subscribe, order a copy, or access back issues visit us at www.Derher.org נא לשמור על קדושת הגליון. ,mission of our generation and bring the geulah as the Rebbe concludes the maamar: A Chassidisher Derher is honored to feature unique and historic photos from Jewish Educational Media’s Living Archive photo collection. The Living Archive is a project to ונזכה זעהן זיך מיט'ן רבי'ן ָדא למטה אין ַא גוף ולמטה preserve, and provide access to the video, audio, and photographic recordings of the מעשרה טפחים, והוא יגאלנו. The Editors Rebbe. These photos are copyright by JEM and are available at TheLivingArchive.org י״ט טבת ה׳תשע״ז Shabbos at the Tavern The Frierdiker Rebbe related a story about himself. The Rebbe dinner time. Although utterly ill-timed draws an important lesson for us all. for the Frierdiker Rebbe to meet with the Pobedonostsev on leil Shabbos, seeing how difficult it was to obtain The Prime Minister of Czarist would be to influence a prominent the appointment in the first place there Russia, the ruthless anti-Semite Peter person who gained the Prime seemed to be no other alternative. Stolypin, was on the loose once again, Minister’s respect and admiration and Pobedonostsev lived in the formulating a malicious decree against had a great deal of influence upon outskirts of Petersburg, quite a the Jews. Everyone knew that Stolypin him, namely his political mentor, distance away from the city. As a rule, never ceased to innovate new methods Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev. Jews were prohibited from living in to antagonize his Jewish subjects. The Although Pobedonostsev was quite far Petersburg or its suburbs. Jews who Rebbe Rashab received word from from being a lover of Jews, to say the played significant communal roles his “agents” in Petersburg that a new least, nevertheless as a devout religious such as distinguished businessmen disastrous law was about to be issued, person himself, he held religious and prestigious doctors were granted and they convened to devise a plan to leaders in great esteem, and Jewish special permission to reside in the thwart Peter’s most recent scheme. leaders were of no exception. city itself, and these Jews of course The Jewish activists in Petersburg It was therefore decided that the would assist their brethren in evading did all they possibly could to sway Frierdiker Rebbe should meet with the authorities when necessary. Had Stolypin and his advisors, but try as Pobedonostsev, in the hope that his Pobedonostsev lived in the city proper, they might, he remained adamant and reverence for religious personalities the Frierdiker Rebbe could have unwavering in his intent to issue the would persuade him to put in a good counted on the Jews living nearby for malicious decree. When the activists word for the Jews with Stolypin, who a place to stay. raised their hands in despair, the was very much influenced by his But the mentor lived in the Rebbe Rashab instructed his son, mentor. outskirts of the city, and there were no the Frierdiker Rebbe, to take on the With much difficulty they finally Jews living there. They wouldn’t even assignment. persuaded Konstantin Pobedonostsev allow a Jew to rent a room in a hotel, Between the Frierdiker Rebbe and to agree to meet with the Frierdiker if a hotel had even existed there at all. the activists it was determined that Rebbe, but he would only agree to The only choice left was to spend the the only possible avenue for success meet with him on Friday night after entire Shabbos in the tavern nearby, SHEVAT 5777 4 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER לעבן מיט'ן רבי'ן לב לדעת עינים לראות וא לכם זנים ן ה' לש נת מוע 40 Celebration 40 YUD SHEVAT 5750 JEM, 236221 via LEVI FREIDIN SHEVAT 5777 6 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER נדפס ע״י ולזכות שלוחי הרבי ומשפחותיהם שיחיו טולוז, צרפת ud Shevat, one of the most important dates Yon our calendar, marks the day that the Rebbe became our Rebbe. Though every year Yud Shevat was a very special day in the Rebbe’s court—with a large farbrengen and the Rebbe leading the tefillos in connection with the yom hilula of the Frierdiker Rebbe—some years stand out in particular, especially the years that completed a decade (e.g. Yud Shevat Hagodol–5730). The year 5750 was the 40th anniversary of Yud Shevat 5710, and starting a year in advance the Rebbe spoke about it.1 Chassidim from across the globe prepared themselves for the illustrious day and many traveled to spend the day of Yud Shevat with the Rebbe.