“Suddenly the Rebbe spoke about himself and his acceptance of the Chabad leadership, in 1951. And tears flowed down his face. “Who am I and what am I? I don’t know why you were connected to me or why I was connected to you, or why life is made difficult for me or for you.”
-Rabbi Eli Gross
Purim with the Rebbe. A lively time, a thunderous time of gathering, singing, and, as in the ancient story of Esther and Mordechai, a miracle and an act of hiding.
The Avner Institute presents two riveting diary excerpts of these special farbrengens, seen through the eyes of eager students, when the Rebbe’s toasts, blessings, and discourses, lasting till dawn, strengthened the link to Chabad forefathers and elicited powerful emotions. With special thanks to Rabbi Eli Gross, of blessed memory.
A Somewhat Personal Level
Rabbi Boruch Sholom Kahan, then a yeshiva student at 770, relates his recollections of that year’s famous Purim farbrengen:
Purim 5718/1958:
The farbrengen was held in a rented hall on Albany Avenue. The Rebbe apparently had planned to devote the entire farbrengen to a somewhat personal level.
From the start, the Rebbe spoke to us directly, straight to the point. He mentioned Rabbi Chonye Marazow, who would say that during a toast he can speak his mind, since no one would hold him responsible for his words. As it seemed, the Rebbe was probably referring to the manner in which he was addressing us at this farbrengen.
In the first sicha, talk, the Rebbe spoke about “Ad D’lo Yoda” – until we are no longer aware, the requirement to drink on Purim – and concluded with a wish for a mass l’chaim. During the second sicha, he spoke about prayer. He related the story of a Jew who, though ignorant of even the simplest words in the prayer books, managed to pray with deep concentration for hours. When asked what it was on which he dwelled, he answered that he had no great meditations. Rather, he kept in mind a vort, a word, he once heard from the Alter Rebbe on the verse “Shamor ve’zacor be’dibur echad,” – keep and remember in one word – for every word you say you must be sure to safeguard the echad, the unity, of G-d.
Singing Praises
Throughout the farbrengen, the Rebbe lauded the yeshiva of Tomchei Temimim. He turned to many people there, singling them out by name and demanding that they enroll their sons in that yeshiva. After he told one boy in particular to go there, whether or not his father agreed, we heard the child saying to his father, “Tell the Rebbe I’m going.”
I distinctly remember an open miracle from that farbrengen: one of the men present, whom we all knew as Sidney, asked the Rebbe for a blessing for a child. The Rebbe answered that he should begin to call himself by his Jewish name, Shalom, instead of Sidney – and the next year this man indeed had a child!
Throughout the farbrengen, the Rebbe drank immense amounts of mashke – full cups of Benedictine. During the discourses, he stopped intermittently, and we discerned that he was attempting to catch his breath. We then sang a niggun, a melody, as he waited, and afterwards he would continue.
Throughout the later hours, the Rebbe did not even look up while reciting the discourse, but held the microphone while bent over. We plainly saw that he had difficulty speaking, due to all the toasts. Nevertheless, he continued to recite the sichot, repeating words though not quite articulately. When, at the end of the farbrengen, close to daybreak, the Rebbe left the hall, all the chairs and tables were broken.
Breaking the Rule
This farbrengen took place on a Thursday night. On Shabbos, Rabbi Hodakov, the Rebbe’s major secretary, summoned Rabbis Yoel Kahan and Avrohom Shemtov, who customarily memorized the sichot during the farbrengens, with the message that the Rebbe wished to see them. When they entered the Rebbe’s room, the Rebbe told them that he remembered only the first two sichot and the ma’amer that followed, and asked them to relate the rest. The two rabbis, although uncomfortable, obeyed.
In the earlier years of the Rebbe’s leadership there was a rule, strictly enforced: no one was allowed to record the farbrengens. Yeshiva students who wished to record them had to hide their gadgets extremely well. During the Chol HaMoed Succoth, some even hid the recording devices within the succah branches. But here in the hall such a thing would have been extremely difficult.
A new student, having just arrived from Eretz Yisroel, I was informed of this rule. Nevertheless, I wanted to record the farbrengen, so I searched through all the stores looking for a recorder that would be just the right size. Usually, this type would sell for about five hundred dollars – a fortune in those days – but I found one on sale for only one hundred.
Before this Purim farbrengen, I placed it above my belt and had the wire of the small microphone going up my sweater. I then found a space up front, near the Rebbe’s seat of honor. After each period of forty-five minutes, I left the hall to change the tape. Even after all my efforts, the tapes did not turn out that clear, but it was better than nothing. I successfully recorded the entire farbrengen, from start to finish, without getting caught!
When I heard that the Rebbe wanted a recap of the farbrengen, I could not keep quiet. I contacted my cousin, Rabbi Yoel Kahan, who I knew would not snitch, and invited him to my dorm room to hear the entire farbrengen on tape.
His Soul is in Me!
Rabbi Eli Gross, then a yeshiva student at 770, relates his recollections of that year’s famous Purim farbrengen:
Purim 5711/1951:
The Rebbe began the ma’amar, the discourse. Upon reciting the first words, he stopped and wept. Then he resumed from the beginning and continued until the ma’amar was done.
The farbrengen lasted for nearly seven and a half hours – 9:00 p.m. until 4:30 a.m. During this time the Rebbe exchanged many toasts, instructing the participants to say l’chaim – to life! – with great fervor and frequency. He brushed away the small cups being distributed for this occasion, instead ordering larger ones.
“With regard to tzedokah, charity,” he said, beaming, “there is an advantage in giving a small amount many times. But regarding mashke, liquor, there is no need to give little by little.”
Throughout the farbrengen he poured copious amounts. “We must all change for the better, each person at his own level. We must go out of our limitations!” He then asked the Chassidim to sing “Kol Bayaar,” mentioning that after the famous Purim farbrengen of 5687/1927, which led to the Previous Rebbe’s arrest, Rabbi Yaakov Zuravicher sat down on the floor and sang this melody.
In the Middle
Suddenly the Rebbe spoke about himself and his acceptance of the Chabad leadership, in 1951. And tears flowed down his face. “Who am I and what am I? I don’t know why you were connected to me or why I was connected to you, or why life is made difficult for me or for you.”
He then turned to one of the older Chassidim. “Regarding the time of the Second Temple, it is said that the older generation who remembered the First Temple were crying. You, elder Chassidim, who were by the Rebbe Rashab and by my father-in-law, it is a shame on your part that you are not crying. It is justifiable that you didn’t cry after the Rebbe Rashab’s passing, for then you had his only son to take his place. But now?”
Many of the elders approached the Rebbe, arguing, “Chassidim don’t want to hear such things!” Another cried, “You’re the Rebbe! It is one continuous chain from the Alter Rebbe,” referring to the first Lubavitcher Rebbe, Schneur Zalman of Liadi. He then approached the Rebbe for mashke, saying that he wanted to receive mashke “from the Alter Rebbe!”
The Rebbe smiled and handed him the bottle. He then spoke about Chassidim’s connection to him. “It seems that you have no other choice, and I have no other choice. But you should just know that I am only a middle-man.”
He continued, “After the passing of the Rebbe Rashab, my father-in-law once said that regarding his father he doesn’t say ‘nishmoso eiden,’ may his soul reside in Paradise, if it is easier and better to say ‘nishmoso bi,’ his soul is in me.”
The Rebbe exclaimed, “So too regarding my father-in-law. I don’t say ‘nishmoso eiden’ – rather ‘nishmoso bi!’”
Raising his cup, he announced, ‘I want to bless you all and myself, that the blessing that the Rebbe” – meaning his father-in-law – “gave during the last years of his life on this world, that this Purim should be our last in Exile. May it be fulfilled on this Purim!”
The Rebbe ended the farbrengen with these words: “And may the Rebbe Shlita lead us toward Moshiach!”
Rabbi Yisroel Jacobson, standing nearby, pointed to the Rebbe and said,
“Der Rebbe Shlita!”
5726 / 1966 Life-Giving Drink
Purim wasn’t Purim without the Rebbe’s toasts, known for their powerful blessings and the highlight of many gatherings – and near-riots.
It was 8:30 p.m. The Rebbe asked the many people there to fulfill “Ad Delo Yada” – drinking with ultimate joy on Purim – literally. He gave some cake and liquor to Rabbi Zalman Duchman for this undertaking.
When someone approached him, asking for a toast, the Rebbe answered, “Only on condition that you learn the coming year the entire Likutei Torah and Torah Or coinciding with the weekly Torah portion.”
When the person hesitated, the Rebbe told him, “This is not a transaction, either yes or no.” When the man finally agreed, the Rebbe told him, “A full cup, for a full learning.”
It was two a.m. The Rebbe announced, “We are now heading towards the end of the farbrengen, and there must be ‘Ad Delo Yada.’ But so far, I don’t see anyone present who has reached this stage. Therefore, one person should take upon himself to fulfill on behalf of everyone else with his drinking.
The farbrengen was about to end, and the Rebbe opened his prayer book to recite the after-blessing. “There will most probably be a farbrengen tomorrow as well,” he announced. He handed the leftover cake and liquor, along with a huge cake he had received as mishloach manos, for the next day’s farbrengen. However he continued speaking for another half hour.
Suddenly, the Rebbe ordered that all the bottles in the room be emptied. “I don’t mean spilling out the contents, for that would be useless waste. We must not waste anything, especially during this shemitta year.”
The Rebbe poured liquor into many little glasses. Afterwards, he announced that all should be emptied. Immediately a great uproar was created, and everyone began seizing every bottle in sight, finishing all the remnants, leaving no trace.
Suddenly the Rebbe declared, “Whoever extends his hand will be given (kol haposhet yad nosnin lo), meaning that he would give l’chaim to anyone who desired. Hundreds dashed toward the Rebbe. The place was on wheels!
The Rebbe poured out liquor and happily wished each one “L’chaim v’levracha.” When the pushing worsened, he ordered everyone into line. But to no avail. The pushing and uproar only increased, the Chassidim going out of their minds due to the great revelations.
After 3:15 a.m., the farbrengen finally ended (though the dancing continued), the Rebbe met one of the students with a bottle of liquor in his hand. When the Rebbe took the bottle and began pouring l’chaim, again people streamed toward him.
“A little more of the pushing, and it’ll be downstairs,” the Rebbe commented.
To one student, he said, “You already received l’chaim.”
“But my cup has a hole in it, and the liquor spilled out,” the student explained.
The Rebbe answered, “So what good would it be to receive a second time, if the ‘cup’ has a hole in it?” (He used the English word cup, which in Yiddish means “head.”)
The Rebbe asked several times that order be maintained, but to no avail. He finally went home at 4:30 a.m. in the car of Rabbi Mordechai Rivkin. The car of Rabbi Krinsky, his usual driver, was in no condition to drive: its roof had caved in due to the pushing against and upon it in people’s attempts to get l’chaims.
About thirty students had gathered, waiting, outside the Rebbe’s house. At the sight of the Rebbe, they began to sing. While some tried to quiet them, the Rebbe encouraged them on, with his holy hands.
The next morning, when the Rebbe left his room for Torah reading, he was approached by one of the students, who had he had not yet received l’chaim.
“There is no place for this before prayer,” the Rebbe answered. “Come back after the Torah reading.” The young man did, and the Rebbe came out of his room with a bottle of liquor and poured for him.
Following the afternoon service, many who had not yet received l’chaim approached the Rebbe.
“Spread out your hand,” the Rebbe answered. “Purim has already passed, and we don’t recite anymore miracles.”
At night during yechidus, the Rebbe said to one individual, “Don’t hold it against me, that I didn’t give you l’chaim during the day. I was just afraid the shul would be destroyed!”
To one person who wrote that he had not received l’chaim, the Rebbe answered, “You should learn Torah with great diligence, as Torah learning overrides all.”
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