Nine
Years Since Chaf-Ches Nissan 5751
THE
GATHERING IN 770
The
International Campaign to Bring Moshiach, directed by Rabbi Shmuel
Butman, organizes a yearly event as a reminder of the Rebbe’s message
of Chaf-Ches Nissan 5751. Signs saying “Tut altz vos ir kent”
(Do all that you can)! were hung up in the shuls and streets of
Crown Heights, calling upon everyone to come Tuesday night, the night of
Chaf-Ches Nissan.
Hundreds
of Anash and Tmimim came to encourage one another and to suggest
ideas for projects and personal commitments. Rabbi Butman began the
program by emphasizing the need to put even more effort into bringing
the Redemption. “This directive is the daily fare of every Lubavitcher
Chassid in his hiskashrus to the Rebbe,” he said.
Rabbi
Shalom Dovber Gutnick of Australia spoke about the necessity of
publicizing the besuras ha’Geula without fearing those who
scoff. He was followed by Rabbi Leibel Groner, who repeated what the
Rebbe had told him after the sicha nine years ago. The Rebbe said
there was no need to break one’s head to figure out what he meant, for
it was simply to increase in learning, both in quality and in quantity,
in tefilla, in tzedaka, and in mivtzaim.
Tamim
Yehoshafat Oliver reminded everyone about the importance of the Sheva
Mitzvos Bnei Noach campaign. He quoted from the
Rebbe’s sichos, showing how important this is and how it is
directly linked with bringing the Redemption.
The
program ended with the suggestion that everyone learn a concept about
Redemption with his family at least once a week at the Shabbos table.
This was followed by a farbrengen with Rabbi Pinchas Korf.
THE
MAIN GATHERING IN ERETZ YISROEL
Nearly
a thousand people came from all over the country for the gathering
marking Chaf-Ches Nissan 5751 in Beis Menachem in Kfar Chabad. Mashpia
Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Ginsberg began the program by saying that everyone
wants to know what to do to strengthen his connection to the Rebbe and
to bring Moshiach. Rabbi Ginsberg focused on the “straight path” the
Rebbe taught us: learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula,
particularly the weekly Dvar Malchus. Learning leads to
action, publicizing the fact that “Behold, Moshiach is coming.”
Rabbi
Pinchas Leibush Hertzel spoke about how the Rebbe made Moshiach a topic
of conversation everywhere in the world. Rabbi Zalman Notick, mashpia
in Toras Emes in Yerushalayim, spoke of his impressions the night
the sicha was said. After the sicha, groups of people
began to farbreng and he, as a Tamim, circulated among the farbrengens.
He was surprised at the discrepancy he found. At one farbrengen,
the people reacted to the Rebbe’s sicha with bitachon and
simcha that a new era was beginning in the revelation of
Moshiach, while at a nearby farbrengen, people were brokenhearted
over the Rebbe’s harsh words.
“The
Rebbe said he was crazy about Moshiach, and we Chassidim must take the
Rebbe’s lead. If we open our eyes, we will see how the world is ready
for redemption and is ready to accept the besuras ha’Geula. We
have the job of bringing this message to the world.”
Rabbi
M.M. Gluckowsky spoke about why the Rebbe wanted to shake up the
Chassidim. He made a comparison to the reply of the Rebbe Rashab to a
man who had approached the Rebbe for a bracha and advice. He was
told that the Rebbe couldn’t help him. But it was not said for a
negative reason. Only after the Chassid left, brokenhearted, did he
become a “vessel” for the brachos. “Likewise, with us. The
Rebbe shook us up in order to make us vessels to prepare the world for
Moshiach.”
“One
way of doing this is by connecting as many Jews as possible to the
Rebbe, especially through the Igros Kodesh, where we see
so many miracles.”
Tankist
Rabbi Elozor Kenig of Natzeret Ilit spoke about the simcha we
must feel, which results from realizing how the Rebbe has thousands of akshanim
(stubborn Chassidim) who are devoted to inyanei Moshiach and Geula.
S.
DENIS, PARIS
Over
150 people gathered at the Chabad House in S. Denis, near Paris, to mark
Chaf-Ches Nissan. The program was organized by Beis Moshiach of Paris,
and began with the study of the sicha of 5751, led by Rabbi
Reuven Matusof, who analyzed the sicha in depth. Following this,
Rabbi Mendel Belinov, director of the Chabad House, said the Rebbe’s
new perek, ending with the heartfelt proclamation of “Yechi”
three times.
Other
speakers included Rabbi Yoel Eidelman, shaliach and maggid
shiur at the yeshiva in Brunoy, and Rabbi Eliyahu Dahan, shaliach
and chief rabbi of the city of Lille. The evening included a raffle for
a ticket to travel to the Rebbe, won by Rabbi Eliyahu Braun; a showing
of different video clips of the Rebbe, including the sicha of
Chaf-Ches Nissan; and a late-night farbrengen.
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