Hanachos Program 3rd Week Completed, Top 2 Chosen

The Vaad Hatmimim and JEM have announced the names of Bochurim that passed week 3 of Hanachos program.

The Hanachos program, now in its second year in 13 Mesivtas across America, has Bochurim prepare themselves for Gimmel Tammuz by watching videos of the Rebbe’s Farbrengens and writing a Hanacha on the Sicha. The goal is that at the end of the five-week program, bochurim are able to focus on watching a full Farbrengen of the Rebbe and understand what the Rebbe is saying.

This week, the program required bochurim to watch several videos 15 minutes long for level 1, and 25 minute long videos for level 2.

Hundreds of bochurim have taken this week’s test, see below for the list of bochurim who have passed the Hanachos test for week three.

Over 200 bochurim also submitted written Hanachos from 13 participating Mesivtas, with the top two Hanachos chosen by the Maniach for this week, Rabbi Avrohom Gerlitzky.

The top two Hanachos were written by Sholem Traurig from Mesivta Ateres Menachem Montreal and Yossele Borenstein from Mesivta Beis Dovid Shlomo in New Haven, both written in English.

The top Hanachos are on the 24-minute video of the Rebbe from Yud Beis Tammuz Farbrangen 5745, Sicha 2:

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Read the top two Hanachos below:

Hanacha by Sholem Traurig:

The theme of everything is connected to the time as we see in Torah and Halacha that when there are two things in Torah, and one is more relevant than the other than we do the more relevant one first.
Since it is like this by Torah, the same thing happens with the world, each person, with their own intentions, has to find what is relevant to them.

What we learn from something, should connect with what we are celebrating or what the theme is and the outcome is etc.

Each and every detail is Hashgacha pratis As we know the saying from the Baal shem Tov that everything that happens, regardless of what it is, is Hashgacha pratis.

We have to take a lesson from everything, it is a yid’s main purpose to find the Hashgacha Pratis, in other words, to learn from every experience in a general way and then learn the specific details and figure out the Horaah in Avodas Hashem.

From this Yom Hageulah, we learn that a Yid is born free. In order for a Yid to do his life’s mission to the fullest, to serve Hashem to the fullest, he has to be completely free and not enslaved to anything.

We know that from when the Yidden were taken out of slavery from Mitzrayim and Hashem said that he took us out to be his servants so that we can serve him properly because while we were enslaved to the Mitzrim it was very difficult to serve Hashem.

Obviously, we know that there is Dinah D’Malchusa Dina and a Yid is technically “enslaved” to the laws of the country that he lives in, but a Yid always has to know that he is only enslaved on a Chitzoniyusdike Level and never on a Pnimiusdiker level because on a Pnimiyusdiker level, a Yid is always free to serve Hashem.

Obviously there is a Bechira Chofshis for everyone to choose their path because it would mean nothing if there were no alternatives.
It says in Seforim that the only people who are Free are Hashem and the Yidden. The Alter Rebbe explains that a Yid is like Hashem (godlike) so that’s how he is the only free person besides for Hashem because he is like Hashem.
About Bechirah, it says that only by Yiras Shamayim, there is a choice as to whether to have Yiras Shamayim or not.
A Yid has to realize what really being free is on a real level, he is free even if he is a servant like it’s known that Yidden are to Hashem.

This day, today, the Chag Hageulah, explains that a man was imprisoned by a superpower which was also home to world Jewry which is the only reason they were able to be a superpower since the Yidden lived in their country, The Friederker Rebbe showed that by sitting in jail that he is not Nispael to them and he will keep strong in Torah and Mitzvos and continue spreading Torah.

This was how he showed that he was free even while he sat in Jail.

On Gimmel Taamuz, the day of his exile, which exile is the worst thing and it’s even considered paramount to death, the Friederker Rebbe, at the train station said something that was later publicized all over later on, that “only our bodies were exiled and not our Neshamos, and why were our bodies exiled, only because Hashem said so.”

These people that imprisoned the Friederker Rebbe were only like an ax in the hand of a woodchopper, they did not yield any power of their own, they were only able to do what Hashem allowed them to do.
So too, with regards to Avodah Zarah, it has no power of its own.

All this has no control over a Yid, a Yid is above this all.

As it was seen by the Friederker Rebbe, that he stayed strong and only 10 days after he was exiled on Gimmel Taamuz, he was released on Yud Gimmel Taamuz.

And this was not a quiet release, this release was done with a lot of noise and publicity and was published all over the world including inside the Soviet Union.

It says that a Yid always remains free, even when Hashem said that the Yidden are his servants, a Yid is still free because a Yid is only around and living because of the Chayus Hashem puts in the person because he is in Hashem’s contract.

There are two versions of the following statement: 1. A servant is like his King 2. A servant is the king himself. (this shows that being Hashem’s servant is being free)

Even when a Yid is devoid of any Yiddishkeit in his life and did not grow up in a Torah observing home, this is only considered like he is in captivity, it is not reality as its said that no Jew will be left behind, Hashem will not let a single one of his children be left behind even if he is in captivity because prison does not apply to Hashem and therefore not to a Yid.

But a Yid needs to reunite with his source, he cannot remain a captive his entire life and something needs to awaken him to that.

This is the point of this gathering, that a Yid was jailed and then released with a whole Shturem and lots of fanfare and we have to know that this was not an exception to the rule, as evidenced by this Chag Hageulah that not just the Friederker Rebbe was redeemed, every single Yid was redeemed on this day, regardless of their “affiliation” with Yiddishkeit, even those that are only Yidden by title as the Friederker Rebbe said at the time of the liberation.

At that point, it was unknown as to what would happen next but then we saw that first, the Friederker Rebbe was granted permission to leave and then his family and every single one of his possessions and this was huge knowing that even now, to leave that country is a very difficult thing, all the more so with a whole family and all possessions.

Then he was assigned an agent who made sure that none of his stuff were inspected and any documents that needed to be signed could be signed right away and that all sailed smoothly as he left the country with no delays.

All of this was an open miracle.

This was no exception, as some try to say that miracles only occurred years ago and do not happen now so Hashem shows here that no, it does happen today.

The Tanya says that these miracles happen through Tzaddikim as seen here.

We see from here that when a person is determined, he can never be stopped, no power regardless of how strong, can overcome the determination of a Yid who is connected to Hashem.

When you serve Hashem not only in good times but also in rough times (Nisyonos) Hashem lifts you over the Nisayon as seen from the word Nisayon as it proves that you still serve Hashem even when its not fun.
Someone who was not raised in a house that kept Torah and Mitzvos can claim that all this is too hard for him and he never grew up with this and he can’t just go and change himself like that.
But the truth is that he was already connected to Hashem from before he was born from when he was taught the whole Torah by a Malach and this was all part of Hashem’s master plan.

All of his non Frum upbringing has no power over him as even a young child knows that it does not make a difference that he does not know the Torah now and is in a different state than when he was in his mother’s womb.

This is an answer to all those who say, how can you not be true to yourself and be a hypocrite and serve Hashem when you don’t understand why you are doing it and are not being honest with yourself.
The answer is that you don’t have to change yourself, all you are doing is returning to your original state, you are not creating a new version of yourself. It was only a temporary state where you did not keep Torah in Mitzvos, now you are going back like fish to water, you are going back to your life source which is Torah.

Take advantage of the opportunity and you will understand why you are doing it at a later point, just like the Yidden at Har Sinai, Naase V’nishma, first we will do and then we will hear.
This is the lesson of today, that when a Yid meets another Yid or he sits down and has a serious Cheshbon Hanefesh with himself, he should look to improve and not fear that he is being a Baal Gaava and showing off by getting closer to Hashem because this is where you are originally from, you knew all this Torah already, you just have to return to this path.
And if you will postpone it by saying that I first need to understand and then I will return, you are wasting precious time that could be used in getting closer to Hashem until you understand why you are doing it.

If you will ask any Yid, regardless of his “affiliation” to Yiddishkeit, how did your great grandparents look, they will describe a man who had a long flowing beard, and a woman who covered her hair according to Halacha.

No matter what level of Yiddishkeit he is on, he will always remember the tradition of his grandparents and how they were.

It is only a recent thing that all this shifted and there are unfortunately some who do not have beards and some who do not cover their hair properly.

Even if it takes time to come back, there’s no question to their tradition, even if the Yetzer Hara tries to talk them out of it they will stand strong because this is the tradition that their grandparents gave up their lives for.

This is one of the lessons from the Yom Hageulah even before the whole Galus happened.

Hanacha by Yossele Borenstein:

The theme of every event is connected to the time it occurs. As Halacha rules that if two issues arise one relevant to time and the second a general issue, answer the one connected to time.
In this world each one with his own intentions must find a relevant lesson with the present time, the lessons of tonight’s Gathering and every detail is B’Hashgacha Pratis as the Bal Shem Tov explains let everything in this world and everything one sees is B’Hashgacha Pratis and has a lesson how to serve Hashem.

Tonight’s event is commemorating the Rebbe Rayazt’s Liberation from prison we can learn a lesson that a Jew is Born to Be Free in order to carry out his mission. especially after we left Mitzraim no Jew can become a slave even though we are in Exile and even according to Torah we are under the limitations and rules of the country but at the same time the Torah says this is all external but the core and inner Essence of a Jew- that’s rules his life- is free.

Choice to choose between good and bad is the proof that we belong to the understanding Nation and we aren’t fulfilling God’s will because of lack of choice rather full choice and with free will- the only two things let’s have free choice is a Jew and God like the Alter Rebbe explains because we are compared to above- so much so the Torah says that everything is in the hand of God except for fearing God, so when a Jew chooses to do a Mitzvah feeling and acting like a free man then he fulfills God’s will. (since we are God’s children or at least God’s servants and a child of a king is a king and according to some opinions even a Slave of a king is a king= real freedom!)

Today’s events illustrate this point the Rebbe was imprisoned by superpower but sitting in prison he wasn’t intimidated and remained like a free man as he declared in the talks of the Third of Tammuz the very day he was sent to Exile (that according to some opinions is considered death) knowing where he was going and knowing that it wasn’t by his choice, he proclaimed “only our bodies are sent into exile but never our souls, why is our bodies exiled? because God wants and they are just an ax in the hand of a chopper they can’t choose to destroy us.”

So to us is Exile the Exile has no control over our performance of Torah and Mitzvos because God did not put us here to violate his will!

The Rebbe ended up in Exile instead of three years for 10 days and on the 3rd of Tammuz he was free publicly seen around the world even in Russia!

We can learn a lesson it could be Yitzro Onso, but the essence of a Jew is free and since we left Egypt we became got servants and it can’t be according to Torah that a Jew is subjugated do anything else even in Exile this doesn’t contradict this that we are free because we are Kings. A Jew might think “I was born between non-Jews” or “I never heard of Judaism”. The Torah says that he is only a captive temporarily but it’s not his true identity/essence. “Lo Yidach M’Menu Nidach” Hashem won’t leave his only child in prison, because just like it doesn’t apply to Hashem so too a Jew and it’s his nature but he must reveal it and there must be something to awaken him, it’s from this time tonight that reminds him who he really is.

These are a few points of tonight’s events, there was a Jew who freed from exile publicly every Jew must know don’t make a mistake and think he was a special individual he was a leader etc. the Rebbe said himself that it’s not only me who was redeemed rather every single Jew even those who shouldn’t be called Jews, were freed on that day, and it’s a continuous Deliverance as we saw that on the 13th of Tammuz no one knew what the outcome would be now we know that the Rebbe was then able to leave the country which now we see is a very difficult thing especially that he left with his children and his writings and his books and all his belongings with an official from a government to make sure they leave without delay it’s an open miracle!

There are those who think that there were only miracles in the times of the Beis Hamikdash as the Mishna numerates 10 miracles, but not these days. They should know that once in awhile Hashem reveals his Glory through Tzadikim as the Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya, this has happened in our generation starting with the 13th of Tammuz and anytime a Jew decides that he won’t be deterred by any opposition to Judaism not because he is stubborn rather because that is the reality anything that opposes Judaism has no power over the Jew because he is connected to Hashem and when he has a challenge or an obstacle it’s from Hashem as a test to uplift him and to be elevated.

When a person is born in a secular environment in truth before he came into this world he was committed to Torah and you learnt the whole Torah in his mother’s womb and it was Hashem’s plan that he should be born among the nations of the world, but it has no power over the soul because it was together with the body in the mother’s womb and every young child knows that whatever happens after does not affect what was before.

From this we learn a response to those who argue “how can you demand to act differently in the way he feels” in English hypocrite or “how can I follow Judaism when I have no connection to it” on the contrary you don’t have to change into something new rather return to the source, Torah, that you learnt in your mother’s womb but first you must do and then learn because if you wait until you understand everything so much time will be wasted. another lesson can be learned that when dealing with another or with yourself you might feel “who am I to take on this new level?”

Torah tells you that you learnt this already before you don’t have to change do anything new rather return to your essence and learn Torah, but you shouldn’t wait until you understand everything because time will be wasted this that you’re evil inclination tells you how dare you start doing when you don’t understand? The real question is if you will leave your comfort zone like your great-grandparents. How do you know they might ask? I know because my grandfather had a long beard and my grandmother covered her hair and when on M’siras Nefesh, this is your heritage!

These are a few lessons that can be learned from The Liberation of the harsh punishment of Exile.