Rabbi Jacobson’s Next Project

By Rabbi YY Jacobson

Exactly 50 years ago, Motzoei Shabbos Shemos, 23 Teves, 5723 (1962), the Rebbe suddenly walked into the downstairs shul of “770” for a farbrengen. The time of his entry was unusual: 10:25 PM. All fabrengens began at 8:30 PM, or in later years, at 9:30 PM. But 10:25 PM has never happened before.

Some though understood immediately: It was the exact moment when, 150 years earlier, the Alter Rebbe returned his soul to his maker.

On Motzoei Shabbos Parshas Shemos, 24 Teves 5573 (1812), in a little hick-town in Ukraine, Piena, at 10:25 PM, the Alter Rebbe—the man who changed the landscape of Jewish thought forever—breathed his last breath.

That was the very moment, 150 years later, the Rebbe walked into the fabrengen. His was unbelievably serious. Even when you hear today the recording of that farbrengen, you can sense the intensity of the moment and the unique manner in which the Rebbe spoke that night. Even his voice was not the regular familiar voice of the Rebbe. (I was not born yet at the time, but I heard the above from Rabbi Yoel Kahn and Rabbi Leibel Schapiro).

The Rebbe began by stating these incredible words: On the yartzeit of a tzaddik, he arouses compassion for all of the Chassidim, their wives and children. But when Chassidim gather on that day to study his Torah and have a “farbrentgen,” then he arouses even more compassion on them. This is the way that we present a “Pedyin Nefesh” to the Alter Rebbe on this day –by gathering together and learning his Torah.

The entire audience understood the message. Right now, a Pedyon Nefesh was being presented to the Alter Rebbe.

Without pause, the Rebbe immediately instructed that the song “Avinu Malkanu,” composed by the Alter Rebbe, be sung. It was song with tremendous emotion. Right after that, the Rebbe instructed to sing the Alter Rebbe’s four-stanza niggun without any preparation. This song too was sung with incredible feeling.

Following the niggun, the Rebbe, in a voice literally of another world, began the maamar—one of those brief, fiery maamarim that the Alter Rebbe used to say before he began saying the long, elaborate maamarim. The Rebbe began the maamar on the words of the Talmud, “One does not give over the secrets of the Torah only to a person whose heart is sick.”

The Rebbe then spoke a few short talks. In one of them, he explained the last discourse written by the Alter Rebbe moments before his passing. It begins with the words “The soul which is lowly in the truest sense of the word.”

50 Years Later

50 years have passed since 1962. This coming Motzoei Shabbos Parshas Shemos will be the 200th yartzeit of the Alter Rebbe, founder of Chabad-Lubavitch chassidism and author of the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch, in the same exact “kevius” like the actual year of his passing.

This year too, we will give a “pan” to the Alter Rebbe and to the Rebbe, by coming together, wherever we are, to learn the Torah of the Alter Rebbe and to strengthen and inspire each other in a “farbrengen.”

To commemorate this historic day globally, TheYeshiva.net and the Klurman Mesivta of Miami Beach will host a 14-hour webcast throughout the night and day of 24 Teves, dedicated completely to the teachings of the Alter Rebbe.

COLlive.com will broadcast the entire webcast, which will begin Motzoei Shabbos at 8:30 PM EST and resume Sunday morning 8:30 AM EST. Part of the program will be broadcast live from the Miami Beach Mesivta designated for high school students.

Eight renowned teachers will be presenting the classes, the include myself, Rabbi Reuven Wolf of Los Angeles, Rabbi Yossi Paltiel and Rabbi Levi Garelik of Crown Heights, Rabbi Leibel Schapiro and Rabbi Eley Smith of Miami, Rabbi Levi Wineberg of Johannesburg and Rabbi Benzion Krasnyanski of Manhattan.

The classes will be addressed to all levels, including a special program for children and high school students. Stay tuned for the full schedule.