A brand new booklet, “HakhelNation: Unity, Connection, and a Mitzvah-filled World,” was recently published by the Moshiach Office at Merkos 302. Crafted to combat some of the unfamiliarity that surrounds the idea of Hakhel, this 20-page read quickly engages readers in the excitement and meaning of this unique mitzvah.
While cries of “It’s Hakhel this year” may punctuate the air all around, many are more than a drop confused as to the frenzy, and more importantly, what does it have to do with them? Yes, the Rebbe did talk about it numerous times, and it’s obviously an important thing for every chassid to be involved with, but the real question is, how?
What should a chassid practically do to get in the Hakhel spirit? Wasn’t Hakhel something that happened millennia ago in the Beis Hamikdash? Why is everyone talking about it now? Why should anyone really care about it?
Addressing these and other such questions, the HakhelNation Booklet takes readers on a fascinating journey through the history of this mitzvah all the way to the Rebbe’s unique innovation surrounding it. As it turns out, Hakhel is a particularly unique mitzvah in that it was always originally intended to achieve a particular goal: to increase Torah and mitzvah observance. Even when the king read the Torah to everyone in the Beis Hamikdash, the purpose of all the theatrics was to hammer home this point.
So, when we do the same today with the people we assemble, we’re literally carrying out the spirit of the mitzvah precisely as it was always intended!
What’s more, it is this mitzvah that uniquely conditions us for the future redemption. Then, we will collectively see Hashem and experience a Judaism that is visual, real, and deep in the gut. The exciting part is that the more people we assemble already now and experience Judaism together, the greater sense of this feeling we will experience.
“There’s plenty of great literature about Hakhel out there, and we encourage everyone to do their own research,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos Suite 302. “This booklet hopes to not only inform but empower everyone to take the lead in mivtzah Hakhel in their own sphere.”
The booklet is available for download here or can be viewed at HakhelNation.com. Contact our hotline to get the booklet for your community: 949-9-H-A-K-H-E-L (949-942-5435)
