By COLlive reporter
The State of New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo and both houses of the New York State legislature, proclaimed “112 Days of Education” in honor of the Rebbe‘s 112th birthday.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, said that it was a personal honor and privilege for him to be the chairman of these celebrations in honor of the Rebbe in Albany.
In a special reception, Silver said with pride that he saw first hand the scope of the Rebbe’s activities in his travels overseas. “Where ever I traveled I saw the Rebbe’s emissaries in action,” said the Speaker.
Rabbi Shmuel Butman, Director Lubavitch Youth Organization, offered words of welcome and thanked the members of the New York State Legislature for their kind efforts. “The true quality of a friend is that you can always depend upon him,” he said about Silver.
Rabbi Butman noted that when the Rebbe speaks about education, he talks about the education of all children regardless of race, religion, color or creed.
“The Rebbe emphasized that the children should be taught that “The world is not a jungle” and that there is “An eye that sees and an ear that hears,” he said.
Rabbi Butman also stressed what the Rebbe said that we live in the last generation of exile and the first generation of redemption and we can bring the Redemption even closer through more deeds of goodness and kindness.
Rabbi Butman brought with him from Brooklyn Shmurah Matzoh which he distributed to the legislators. “The Rebbe wants that every Jew should have Shmurah Matzoh for Pesach,” he noted.
Rabbi Yisroel Rubin, Head Shliach in Albany, spoke about the scope of the Rebbe’s activities all over the world. “This is designed to help enforce the spiritual fiber of all people.”
SPECIAL PRAYER
In the opening prayers in the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate, Rabbi Butman stressed that in chapter 112 in Tehilim, Dovid Hamelech speaks about the greatness of “G-d fearing” individuals.
“King David states their reward, including that “Their children will be mighty in the land” and that they will merit “An upright and blessed generation” as well as “their righteousness will last forever.”
Rabbi Butman recalled with reverence that before he opened the United States Senate in Washington in the year 1991, the Rebbe told him “Take a Pushka with you and let everyone see what you are doing and let them know on what money should be spent for.”
In accordance to this directive, Rabbi Butman brought a Pushka with him to Albany. During his prayers he offered a dollar bill in the Pushka. He also asked the legislators if they wanted to join in putting a Dollar into the Pushka.
“This is not a fund-raising campaign, for if it were we would ask you for much more than one Dollar, this is part of the Rebbe’s campaign to do mere goodness and kindness,” Rabbi Butman said.
It was most interesting to see how members of both houses of the New York State Legislature lined up after the prayer to offer their own dollar in the Charity box as an act of goodness and kindness.
Go Rabbi Rubin!!!
What a Kidush Hashem!