Descendants Sing at 10:25 PM

By COLlive reporter
Pictures: Shimon Roumani

About 200 Tzetzoim descendants of the Alter Rebbe, the founder of Chabad, gathered on the evening following Shabbos, Parashas Shmos, 23rd Teves, the eve of 24th Teves – the Alter Rebbe’s Yahrtzeit-Hillula – at the annual melaveh malka of the Association of Descendants of the Alter Rebbe, author of Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch.

Rabbi Shmuel Butman, chairman of the Association of the Alter Rebbe’s Descendants and director of Lubavitch Youth Organization, told how this year, before 24th Teves, he travelled to visit the Alter Rebbe’s Ohel in Haditch.

The Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Leibel Groner, told him that, while there, he should invite the Alter Rebbe to this melaveh malka. “I responded to Rabbi Groner that I will do so in his name, which is what I did.”

Rabbi Butman emphasized that the date this year was special in falling on the same day of the week as it was in the year of the Alter Rebbe’s Histalkus – as his grandson, the Tzemach Tzedek, writes (as quoted in the Rebbe’s introduction to the Maaneh Loshon – prayers said at the Ohelim of our Rebbes) – that it was “on the evening following the holy Shabbos, Parashas Shmos, 23rd [Teves], the eve of 24th Teves, close to half way through the 11th hour.”

One year, he related, when the day of the week was the same as it was this year, he sent the invitation in to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe added in his handwriting the words, “כבשנת ההסתלקות” –“As in the year of the Histalkus.”

Rabbi Butman repeated the Rebbe’s special sicha concerning the melaveh malka of the Association of the Alter Rebbe’s Descendants: The middle blessing of Birchos Hatorah (which we say every morning before we can study Torah) states, “And may we and our descendants be…” The Rebbe mentioned that some siddur prayer texts add extra words – “And may we and our descendants, and our descendants’ descendants, be…” But the Alter Rebbe, in his text of the siddur, omits these extra words, because adding them would imply that the prayer request extends only to three generations. Instead his text reads, “And may we and our descendants be…,” because then the word for “descendants” applies to all descendants throughout future generations, without any limit.

The Rebbe then added that in that single Hebrew word צאצאנו for “our descendants,” the Alter Rebbe included his son and successor, the Mitteler Rebbe, together with every one of his future descendants.

GREAT, EXALTED PRIVILEGE

In a speech embracing the subject from many aspects and quoting from many Torah sources, the renowned psychologist, Rabbi Dr. Ben-Tzion Twerski, noted the special advantages of descending from great tzaddikim.

Rabbi Twersky himself is a descendant of the renowned gaon, Reb Mordechai Dov of Hornestaipol, grandson of Reb Yaakov Yisroel, of Cherkass, who was a son of Reb Mordechai, of Chernobil, and son-in-law of the Mitteler Rebbe.

The Hornestaipoler was also a direct descendant son-after-son of Reb Zushe of Annipoli, and son-in-law of the Reb Chayim of Tzantz, and a gaon in both the revealed and concealed Torah.

Rabbi Twerski emphasized the special exalted qualities and great privileges of such lineage, and how descendants need to utilize them with all their heart and soul for the sake of the Torah and its mitzvos, that these should be on the high level befitting those who have this privilege.

A STORY OF HIS FATHER

Rabbi Shlomo Besser, son of the well-known communal activist, the late Reb Yechezkel Besser – descendant of the chossid, Reb Berel Ludmir, who descended from Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel, daughter of the Mitteler Rebbe.

He told a most moving incident that happened with his father. The Rebbe once invited Reb Yechezkel Besser to a private audience with him. Very gently, the Rebbe said he was not telling him to do the following but just requesting him if it was possible for him to arrange it. It concerned two opposing groups in a certain organization who did not see eye to eye. The Rebbe’s request was that, if possible, he should bring peace between the two sides.

“My father was concerned that this could cause him problems from both sides, which is why the matter did not proceed”. Shortly before his father passed away, Rabbi Shlomo Besser continued, his father expressed agony about three things – this was one of them. “My father wept, saying he regretted it because, if he had tried to do something about the matter, he would surely have succeeded, since that is what the Rebbe wanted.”

RESTARTING THE SHULCHAN ARUCH

Rabbi Shlomo Segal, a Rov in Crown Heights and descendant of Reb Moshe, third son of the Alter Rebbe, made the official completion of the study of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch and then the start from the beginning.

He quoted from the Rebbe’s sicha about the final chapter of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, concerning Hilchos She’eila, S’chira Vachasima, explaining it with great aptitude. The sicha emphasizes the exalted virtues of the Jewish people. He explained how the rule that, when an act is committed unintentionally (dovor she’eino miskavein), one is free of blame, applies only to Torah prohibitions, whereas when performing an act of mitzvos, even when done without the full intention required for doing the mitzva, one has still fulfilled one’s obligation.

Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Beck, Rabbi of Kehilas Cherkass in Monsey, NY, and descendant of Reb Mordechai Dov of Hornestaipol, grandson of Reb Yaakov Yisroel of Cherkass, the Mitteler Rebbe’s son-in-law, spoke about the great and wonderful privilege of being descendants of the Alter Rebbe.

This should be a source of great joy, and it is through joy that we will go out of golus (exile) – as the verse states (Yishaiya 55:12), “For with joy you shall go out.” This what Pharoah feared when he told his people (Shmos 1:10), “Come, let us deal wisely with [the Bnei Yisroel] lest [the people] increase, and it shall be…” Our Sages tell us in general that the word v’hoyoh, “it shall be,” refers to joyous events. He was afraid that the Bnei Yisroel would be joyous, which would enable them to go out of their golus, which is why he wanted to prevent the v’hoyoh. The lesson for us is that we have no choice but to overcome all hindrances and impediments and to be b’simcha, which will bring us out of golus.

The Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner, recounted several stories about the Rebbe, and called on the assembled descendants to preserve the Rebbe’s special relationship to which they were privileged, for themselves and for all their descendants for all time, especially as we are now in such a unique period before the revelation of the great light of Moshiach.

Rabbi Groner emphasized the wonderful qualities to be found in the Alter Rebbe’s Tanya – qualities unparalleled – and we should value them to the fullest extent.

SPECIAL DISTRIBUTION

In honor of the event, special folders were prepared in advance, each of which included the pages of one chapter of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, which would be selected by each participant to study and complete by 24th Teves, 5778, next year. On each folder’s front cover appeared a computerized notice as to which chapter the booklet contained, and how many sub-paragraphs the chapter includes.

It was wonderful to see how this study program, part of the general Torah campaign, had such a deep effect on the participants, many of whom went home proudly with their “harvest” of several such folders. One of the Descendants noted that “What’s so special about this program is that every folder includes a particular chapter that has to be studied, which no one else of the participants has to study but you. This gives you the responsibility to complete it, because otherwise completion of study of the whole Shulchan Aruch will be missing a part, G-d forbid.”

Division of study of the Shulchan Aruch was later continued by the the Lubavitch Youth Organization through worldwide e-mail. We are happy to announce that by the eve of Sunday, 24th Teves, the distribution of all six sections of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch was completed, and a new distribution was started immediately.

SINGING THE 10 NIGGUNIM

As is customary at this annual gathering, the Descendants sang the Ten Niggunim (melodies) composed by the Alter Rebbe. They were beautifully sung by Rabbi Yosef Zirkind, in memory of his late father, Rabbi Yitzchok Zirkind, a regular participant in gatherings of the Descendants over the course of many years, who was a son-in-law of the late Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner, the Rebbe’s head shaliach in Australia. As he sang the melodies, the Descendants joined in to accompany him.

The musical accompaniment to the melodies was performed by Reb Elchonon Milecki, a great-grandson of the renowned chossid, Reb Elchonon Marozov (for whom he is named). As the Frierdiker Rebbe writes, his father, the Rebbe RaShaB, taught Reb Chonye Marozov the Alter Rebbe’s Ten Niggunim, which Reb Chonye often sang. Chony Milecki has also issued a special tape of the Ten Niggunim.

An awesome feeling was sensed as the chairman announced, at 10:20 p.m., that in 5723 (1963), the 150th year of the Alter Rebbe’s Histalkus, on the evening following Shabbos Parashas Shmos, 23rd Teves, the eve of 24th Teves, at 10:25 p.m., the Rebbe came out of his room to a farbrengen, at which he said a sicha, after which the Alter Rebbe’s great niggun was sung. The Rebbe said that this is Pidyon to the Alter Rebbe.

The chairman then announced “we are now sending a pidyon nefesh (request for prayer on our behalf) to the Alter Rebbe for blessing in everything needed in the areas of family, health and livelihood in abundance, with all the various implications of these terms, and in the central concern – the coming and revelation of Moshiach, may it be literally immediately.”

The Descendants started singing the Niggun of the Alter Rebbe at exactly 10:25 p.m.

“It’s utterly impossible to describe the unique atmosphere prevailing during those moments when we sang the Alter Rebbe’s niggun,” said one of the descendants, “It was unimaginably awesome and elevating. There was an intense sense felt by everyone that was absolutely indescribable.”

In conclusion, Rabbi Butman thanked his son, Rabbi Yossi Butman, for organizing the gathering and making all arrangements for the melaveh malka meal, wishing him, “May the Alter Rebbe’s merit help you in everything.”

The participants did not consider the end of the event to be a conclusion. They left with the feeling that the Alter Rebbe was the first of the great chain of our holy Rebbes, of whom the Rebbe was the seventh. The Alter Rebbe launched the great accomplishments of our holy Rebbes to prepare the world for the ultimate Geula, while our Rebbe, the seventh, let us know that our generation is the last of the golus and the first of the true and complete Geula, may it be imminently.