BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS AND GIFTS FROM THE REBBE

At nearly every 11 Nissan farbrengen, the Rebbe would begin with “and I will bless those who bless you,” with the Rebbe blessing all those who blessed him. The Rebbe, who received spiritual gifts from his Chassidim in honor of his birthday, also gave gifts. On nearly every 11 Nissan in later years, the Rebbe gave out something, whether a pair of t’fillin to someone who committed to using them, a new kuntres that was published, something new in hafatza or a Tanya. The following collection of diary entries covers some of those events.

A Russian artist gives a painting to the Rebbe and says l’chaim at the 11 Nissan farbrengen of 5737 | Giving out Tanyas on 11 Nissan5732 – 70 YEARS

THE REBBE GIVES T’FILLIN AND MONEY TO YESHIVOS

Someone who had a private audience with the Rebbe before 11 Nissan, said to the Rebbe that 11 Nissan times 70 years [11 times 70] is numerically equivalent to 770. The Rebbe responded: It depends on you.

On Wednesday or Thursday the Rebbe announced that on Sunday at 8:30 there would be a farbrengen [until then, the Rebbe did not farbreng on 11 Nissan aside from 5722 and 5731, and from that point on the Rebbe farbrenged each year until 5748] but they should not announce it on the radio and in the newspapers.

The Rebbe went to the Ohel on Thursday and when he returned they davened Maariv downstairs in the zal.

The Gerrer Rebbe sent someone to bless the Rebbe. He remained in the Rebbe’s office for fifteen minutes. When the Rebbe left 770, he strongly encouraged the singing. In 770 there were already many guests who came in honor of the Rebbe’s 70th birthday.

Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Tzav, Shabbos HaGadol, 10 Nissan. At the farbrengen there were very special things said regarding 11 Nissan. For example, the Rebbe said, “Since tomorrow is my day (in another version, ‘Regarding tomorrow, Sunday, which is an important day for him’), I am giving kosher t’fillin to those who commit to putting on t’fillin. In order for it not to be ‘bread of shame,’ they should give one shekel or in the U.S. one dollar and also, all the yeshivos that need money should let it be known.”

Regarding t’fillin the Rebbe also said: They should take the address and try to get t’fillin to them within two days.

They sang the two niggunim composed for chapter 71 [of T’hillim, the Rebbe’s new chapter]. Chazan Teleshevsky composed a niggun and wrote about it to the Rebbe who responded with “t’shuos chein.”

On Motzaei Shabbos there were two general yechiduyos, one for guests from England. They gave the Rebbe a Tanya that had just been printed in England.

The Rebbe gave each of the delegation a Tanya that was printed in Eretz Yisroel, to R’ Zalman Jaffe the Rebbe gave a Tanya for his son, and to R’ Yosef Lieberman the Rebbe gave a Tanya for his father and he told them to learn in it and not leave it on the shelf.

The second yechidus was for ziknei Anash. The mara d’asra, R’ Zalman Shimon Dworkin, was not present and the Rebbe said to call for him and when they all left, he remained in the room a while longer.

Sunday – 11 Nissan. The Rebbe went to the Ohel. When the Rebbe was about to return from the Ohel they danced for a long time on the sidewalk. The Rebbe arrived from the Ohel at 8:30 and apparently this was the biggest crowd ever in 770 up to that time.

When the Rebbe entered for the farbrengen, they continued to sing and only when he sat down did they stop singing. The Rebbe began with “poschin b’bracha” and gave a long blessing and then drank from the wine. He poured wine from his cup for R’ Shmuel Levitin.

The Rebbe then said that over the course of the year, seventy-one new mosdos should be opened and they shouldn’t be put off by this. As far as money, he said he would give a tenth.

The farbrengen ended at around 2:20 in the morning.

5737

DOZENS OF PRESENTS FOR THE REBBE

Hundreds of guests came in honor of 11 Nissan. Groups came from England, France, Montreal, Eretz Yisroel and other outlying cities.

The night of 11 Nissan they farbrenged in 770 until dawn. There was special excitement among the shluchim who hadn’t seen one another, and hadn’t farbrenged together for decades, who got to see one another on this day.

Wednesday, 11 Nissan.  Throughout the day, about forty tanks went out with about twenty Tankistin on each tank. That day, they sold many mezuzos and t’fillin at a discount. At the Israeli division of Tzach they sent letters and material about the special day to all their acquaintances, and said that whoever committed to one of the ten campaigns and wrote about it to the Rebbe would receive a gift. Those who committed to putting on t’fillin or putting up mezuzos got a 40% discount. The campaign was a big success and hundreds of people committed to one or more of the ten mivtzaim.

After Mincha, ziknei Anash went to the Gan Eden HaTachton and blessed the Rebbe and the Rebbe blessed them in return.

The Rebbe did not go to the Ohel. Maariv was at 7:00 as usual.

The Rebbe came in at 9:00 for the farbrengen. The dais was full of people from the state and municipal governments. When the Rebbe walked in, he greeted the mayor of New York, Mayor A. Beame, and spoke to him for a few minutes.

When the Rebbe sat down, he looked all around at the rabbanim and distinguished Anash and smiled at them. The zal was full from wall to wall and all the shluchim from the outlying cities came for the farbrengen with their main supporters.

After the first sicha, Rabbi Pinchas Hirschprung, the Av Beis Din of Montreal, went over to the Rebbe as well as Rabbi Pinchas Teitz, a leading rabbi in New Jersey, to whom the Rebbe said a few times to say l’chaim. Then Rabbi Efraim Yolles went over. He is the head rabbi in Philadelphia.

Then the Rebbe called for the secretary, R’ Leibel Groner, and spoke to him. Then R’ Groner went over to the mayor and spoke to him.

After the second sicha, the mayor went over to the Rebbe and gave him a gift. The Rebbe spoke to him for a few minutes and smiled at him. Then Harrison Goldin, the NY comptroller, went over. Then: Mr. Abrams – borough president of the Bronx; Mr. Howard Golden – borough president of Brooklyn; Mr. Scharf – a representative of the governor of Pennsylvania; and Mr. Tzvi Levin – representative of the Israeli consulate in NY.

Likewise, Mr. Joseph Chechnover (head of the economic delegation of the Israeli embassy in the US) brought blessings from the Defense Minister, Shimon Peres and from the Israeli ambassador in Washington, Simcha Dinitz.

After the third sicha, all the rest of those offering personal blessings and shluchim went over: Shlomo Maidanchek – director of the Vaad of Kfar Chabad, gave the Rebbe letters of blessing from the President, Efraim Katzir, the Prime Minister, Yitzchak Rabin, and from all the ministers and Knesset members. The gabbai, R’ Yehoshua Pinson, gave the Rebbe a medallion from Yerushalayim that was given by the mayor of Yerushalayim, Teddy Kollek.

Letters of blessing were given to the Rebbe from the governors and mayors of many states and cities, and these were brought by the shluchim. Likewise, some shluchim gave the Rebbe golden keys to their cities.

So too, they gave the Rebbe s’farim and kovtzim: R’ Nachman Sudak gave the Rebbe two volumes of the Tanya with a translation into English, by Soncino Press. R’ Sholom Dovber Hecht and members of the Sephardic community in Queens gave the Rebbe ancient s’farim and manuscripts. R’ Avrohom Parshan of Toronto gave the Rebbe three volumes of maamarim and sichos of the Rebbe published by the Levi Yitzchok Library of Tzach, and also gave the newly published Biurei Rashi. When R’ Leibel Raskin, the shliach in Morocco, gave the Rebbe a T’hillim Oholei Yosef Yitzchok that was published in Morocco, the Rebbe told him to also give the Tanya that was published there. A few minutes later he came back and gave the Tanya published in Morocco.

Booklets of pilpulim were given to the Rebbe by representatives of Lubavitcher yeshivos. Then R’ Mordechai Mentlick (rosh yeshiva of Tomchei T’mimim in NY) went over and gave the Rebbe the kovetz from 770 and Chovevei Torah. It should be mentioned that publishing anthologies of pilpulim for 11 Nissan is a direct instruction from the Rebbe that was given during these years.

Shmuel Melamed went over to the Rebbe and gave him copies of U’faratzta that were published by Tzach and the editor, Meir Rivkin, also went over.

Many went over to the Rebbe and gave envelopes. The secretaries put them all into bags and brought them up to the Rebbe’s room.

After everyone had given their gifts, two Russian artists went over and gave the Rebbe a picture of himself in a very large frame. They picked it up and showed it to everyone. The Rebbe smiled and motioned that they should put it down. The Rebbe told them to say l’chaim (see picture).

Then the photographer Yitzchok Berez gave the Rebbe a big picture he took and developed of the Rebbe and he lifted it up to show everyone. The Rebbe smiled at him and told him to say l’chaim.

R’ Simcha Elberg went over to the Rebbe and spoke for a few minutes. Then other people went over and said l’chaim.

5741

BEGINNING THE 80TH YEAR

The 11 Nissan farbrengen took place the night of 11 Nissan and was attended by many guests including rabbis, senators, and public figures. The farbrengen was also broadcast on cable TV.

The Rebbe walked in at 9:30. After a short sicha of “poschin b’bracha,” the Rebbe thanked all those who blessed him, especially the President of the United States who wrote his wishes from his sickbed. The Rebbe went on to discuss the conclusions one should derive from the assassination attempt [a short while before, President Reagan had been targeted by someone who shot six bullets at the car he traveled in. The bullet missed his heart and he was recovering in the hospital]. The Rebbe explained that the reason for the crime was not poverty, since the assailant came from a well-to-do home. The reason was first, “his father never reprimanded him,” and second, he was raised without the belief that there is “an eye that sees and an ear that hears and all your deeds are written in a book.” From here we learn that these things should be corrected, for they are the reasons for the disease; first, to emphasize education of children (and not just the acquisition of information) and second, to instill belief in the Creator of the world.

The Rebbe devoted the next two sichos to speaking at length about the United States, its role in influencing the world, and how it was not making use of solar energy which was said in connection with the Birkas HaChama which was recently recited.

After the maamer, the Rebbe spoke about mivtza matza. At the end of the sicha he said that since the idea of “ascending in holiness” had been mentioned, therefore, after saying l’chaim loudly and joyously, a new topic would be spoken about. The Rebbe smiled broadly and said, “Not a new g’zeira (decree), G-d forbid, but a suggestion and a request.”

They sang the Simchas Torah niggun vigorously and joyously and then all waited eagerly for the new suggestion. The Rebbe said we are always trying to unite Jewish children among themselves and with the Torah, and therefore the new mivtza is, “writing a special Torah for Jewish children that will be written with their money in Yerushalayim the holy city!”

The Rebbe explained all the details of the campaign and added that even those boys and girls who reached the age of mitzvos on 11 Nissan could also participate.

At the end of the farbrengen the Rebbe said to sing the Niggun Hachana, the Alter Rebbe’s niggun, Nye Zhuritse Chloptzi. Then the Rebbe began to sing Tzama Lecha Nafshi, verse by verse. Then he began to sing U’faratzta and clapped enthusiastically.

The Rebbe reminded people to say a bracha acharona and then said all children could take part in the writing of the Torah regardless as to whether they were registered in Tzivos Hashem. At the end, he began to sing Ki B’Simcha Seitzei’u and accompanied by the singing of this niggun he left the room. The farbrengen ended at 1:30.

5742 – 80 YEARS

THE REBBE GIVES OUT TANYAS FOR HOURS

The Rebbe came down at 7:10 and they sang and danced Harneenu L’Elokim and the Rebbe motioned to sing louder. After Maariv, someone from Nachalat Har Chabad recited the SheHechiyanu blessing and the Rebbe responded. After Havdala the Rebbe waited until the one who made Havdala drank most of the cup and then they began to sing Harneenu again and the Rebbe motioned to sing louder. Then they continued to dance in 770 and after reviewing the Shabbos farbrengen they sat and farbrenged until dawn.

Sunday – 11 Nissan

The Rebbe arrived from home at 10:10 and saluted the women on one side and the children on the other side. The people sang Harneenu and the Rebbe motioned to sing louder. In Gan Eden HaTachton were Dr. Weiss and his two daughters holding pushkas and the Rebbe spoke to them for a few minutes.

The Rebbe went down for Mincha at 3:15. The shul was ready for the farbrengen and the Rebbe stood at his place on the platform where the Torah is read (like at children’s rallies). After the davening, the Rebbe began singing “We Want…” Then the ziknei Anash entered and gave a collective pidyon nefesh and blessed the Rebbe, and the Rebbe’s response was later given out in edited form.

The Rebbe came out for Maariv at 7:00 and on his way spoke with R’ Berel Levy. The Rebbe commented regarding the pictures that he sent: Why doesn’t it say on each picture what it is about?

From the afternoon and on people had begun reserving places and by about six it was already hard to find a good spot for the farbrengen, and before the Rebbe arrived it was already hard to enter 770. They planned on setting up a tent outside of 770 and those who could not get in would be there and watch the Rebbe on a large video screen. In the morning they had already put in pegs and ropes but because of the wind and cold (snow) they dismantled it. So the farbrengen was very crowded.

Rabbanim, distinguished people and public figures attended the farbrengen, including the mayor of New York, R’ Yolles, R’ Elberg and others.

Between the sichos, about 10-20 people went over to shake the Rebbe’s hand and bless him and say l’chaim. The Rebbe motioned that they should say it to the crowd and they did. The Rebbe spoke to some of them.

During some of the songs they sang, the Rebbe nodded his head a little, mainly toward Dr. Weiss. One time, the Rebbe showed him on his own hand checking for a pulse. Dr. Weiss stood and clapped the entire time. Rashag stood and said l’chaim to the Rebbe. In the middle of the farbrengen Rashag was blocked and the Rebbe stared and they immediately moved aside.

R’ Elberg went over to speak to the Rebbe, as usual, but not for long.

Then the Rebbe said, “In addition to what was said, each person will be given a Tanya which has a list of all the Tanyas that were printed and it will be given so that people will learn in them and they should become worn out, and soon more Tanyas will need to be printed because these will tear from so much use. And this will be in order to express gratitude to those who came here, even if they came for other reasons but ultimately, it’s for the honor of … Therefore, I will give whoever wants a Tanya and a dollar for tz’daka and after the men receive it, the women will too, because they are also obligated in knowing about G-dliness.”

The farbrengen ended at 3:00 and the Rebbe reminded people to say a bracha acharona. Then he said a borei pri ha’gofen on a cup of wine. The Rebbe said, “It should be orderly, passing from one side to the other, and no pushing. Everyone would get a Tanya and a dollar and it made no difference whether earlier or later, and there shouldn’t be confusion, which is the opposite of ‘not in haste will they go out.’ It does not matter if it takes several minutes and I will wait even more until the last Jew present comes to take one.”

The Rebbe added that the women should come down after the men finished so as not to create confusion, and he explained why women also need to learn Chassidus. Then he said again not to push because it will just create chaos and if it becomes chaotic it would take longer.

Then the Rebbe told the secretary, R’ Leibel Groner, “Can the people pass?” “Yes.” “Can they pass? Even from the other side? Without danger? Without danger!! Then the distribution can begin, so that there will not be any disorder.” The Rebbe then stood and gave out a Tanya to each man and woman. He took it with his right hand, transferred it to his left hand, and then gave it. He said in the sicha that they should accept it graciously just like it was given graciously and you could really see a certain look on the Rebbe’s face… The Rebbe smiled at some people.

The Rebbe gave out some Tanyas and then stopped and said that if they pushed he would stop [giving them out], and it would be better if they calmed down. Despite this, there still wasn’t absolute order. The Rebbe sat down and said that as long as they did not stop pushing, Tanyas would not be given out. When there was absolute order and nobody pushed, he stood up again and continued the distribution.

For little children, the Rebbe held the Tanya up so they could take it. There was a little boy toward whom the Rebbe moved the Tanya and the child kissed it and the Rebbe smiled. When Dr. Weiss approached, he shook the Rebbe’s hand and spoke to him with a smile. There were others to whom the Rebbe gave his hand.

When the “coach” approached, the Rebbe motioned with his hand to sing louder. The Rebbe said a few words to him and he began to clap as was his wont. He then turned to the crowd and used his hands to urge the crowd on. The Rebbe continued encouraging the singing with his hand and then gave him a Tanya.

The Rebbe motioned to sing louder for the songs Ki Elokim Yoshia Tziyon and Mee Lee BaShamayim, but did not react to the other songs. To someone who started talking to the Rebbe about several things, the Rebbe told him to learn Tanya.

The Rebbe sat down at 3:45 and continued to give out Tanyas until 4:55. After all the men on line finished receiving their Tanyas, the Rebbe got up and with a smile instructed that everyone leave.

The Rebbe began singing Ki B’Simcha Seitzei’u and he motioned to sing louder.

After nearly everyone left, he began giving out Tanyas to women as he stood. In the middle, R’ Leibel Groner announced that all the men should leave and then they all went out.

After giving out to women for half an hour, he sat down. The Rebbe gave out to women until 6:10 and said “a kosher and freilichen Pesach” to all.

They asked him what to do with the rest of the Tanyas, about 3000, and he said he would answer after he returned from the Ohel. Upon his return he said to sell them cheaply but they should change the date (they changed the date and wrote 13 Nissan).

At 6:20 the Rebbe came out for the reading of the Torah (and was still wearing his silk sirtuk) and then Dr. Weiss went to see the Rebbe. When the Rebbe left for home at 7:25 they sang and the Rebbe motioned to sing louder. Needless to say, when the Rebbe arrived at 770 a few hours later, you could not tell that he had just finished a farbrengen and distribution that took all night.

5744

GIVING OUT A TANYA AGAIN

After Maariv, a group of ziknei Anash waited for the Rebbe in Gan Eden HaTachton and when the Rebbe entered, R’ Moshe Pinchas Katz began reciting a lengthy blessing and ended with the hope that we merit the coming of Moshiach now. The Rebbe responded with a blessing that was edited for publication a few days later.

A huge crowd came for the farbrengen which filled the beis midrash by early evening. Rabbanim from different sectors attended as did many public figures. Like the other big farbrengens, this one too was broadcast on radio and television. For about an hour before the farbrengen the communications room played two new niggunim for the verse, V’Yaid’u Ki Ata, on the loudspeaker.

At 9:30 the Rebbe walked in accompanied by the singing of the new songs.

After the first sicha, a person who sat on the dais walked over and gave a note to the Rebbe. The Rebbe put it in his siddur and spoke to him for about a minute while holding his hand. Then R’ Yolles who sat near the Rebbe gave him a note and the Rebbe read it and put it in his siddur and spoke to him for a few minutes. R’ Simcha Elberg also went over to the Rebbe between sichos and spoke to him for about fifteen minutes.

At the end of the farbrengen, the Rebbe mentioned the importance of printing Tanyas wherever a Jew is to be found, and announced the printing of the thousandth edition at the end of which was printed all the shaar blatt of editions of the Tanya. The Rebbe said that everyone should be patient and wait for this edition to be printed along with a dollar bill for tz’daka.

The Rebbe asked that they be orderly, no pushing, and that there was enough for all. The Rebbe also said that to make up for the distribution the previous time taking so long, since there was only one person giving them out, this time the Tanyas and dollars would be given out by shluchim, men from the kollel, and since there were about fifty men in the kollel, the distribution would be fifty times as fast. The Rebbe said it would also be worthwhile for the older yeshiva students to help with passing the Tanyas and bringing boxes of s’farim. The Rebbe suggested that the kollel men stand in the northern part of the beis midrash, near the exit and the rest of the people should remain seated and go over one by one to receive a Tanya and a dollar, and then they could leave and free their spot to those who still did not receive one.

The Rebbe said to sing the Hachana Niggun, the Alter Rebbe’s niggun (Dalet Bavos), Nye Zhuritse and Yehi Ratzon. He reminded people about saying a bracha acharona and then noted that the distribution of Tanyas was meant for men, women, and children.

After reciting a bracha acharona, he said, “I will remain here until the men from the kollel stand in their places and they are given the boxes of Tanyas and as mentioned, the crowd is asked to be so good as to remain seated and to get up one by one and then they will finish earlier and in an orderly way.”

The members of the kollel went up to the farbrengen dais and were given bundles of dollar bills. In the meantime a small tumult erupted as they did not know where the boxes would be coming from. The Rebbe asked (over the microphone), “What’s happening there?” And he called again, “Perhaps someone will bring some information about what is going on?”

In the meantime, the members of the secretariat, R’ Binyamin Klein and R’ Leibel Groner, motioned that all bachurim should get down from the benches next to the exits. R’ Groner walked over to one of the exits to see if the s’farim had arrived while R’ Binyamin motioned and called from the platform. The Rebbe said to him, “Why are you standing here and shouting?” Then he turned to the elders who were sitting there and asked, “Where is my second general?” R’ Groner returned and announced that the boxes had arrived. The Rebbe got up and said, “Then I can go and receive a Tanya,” and he walked toward the exit where Yosef Yitzchok Levertov was giving out Tanyas. When he saw the Rebbe standing near him, he gave the Rebbe a Tanya from the box and a dollar. The Rebbe saw they were two bills and took both of them. The Rebbe waited until R’ Chadakov, R’ Klein, and R’ Groner received Tanyas and then he left the zal.

The distribution continued outside the zal near all the exits and the older bachurim rushed to bring boxes from a big truck that was parked nearby (on Union St. near the kollel).

Dr. Weiss went in to see the Rebbe and left after over an hour. On the sidewalk and boulevard near 770 people danced and sang V’yed’u Ki Ata. Even after the Rebbe left for home, the dancing continued with the sifrei Tanya. When the Rebbe passed by on the service lane, he saw a woman holding her daughter but the daughter was not holding a Tanya. The Rebbe lifted his Tanya and motioned, from the car, as though to ask, “Where is your Tanya?”

5749

THE REBBE GIVES OUT THE KUNTRES “AHAVAS YISROEL”

Shortly after finishing Shacharis, the Rebbe began giving out dollars, shlichus mitzva money, as he did every Sunday. This time it took especially long, maybe because many guests had arrived and maybe because of the Chassidishe hergesh that many felt, a feeling that said that today, on the Rebbe’s birthday and before the advent of Pesach, one cannot forgo the opportunity to receive a dollar for tz’daka from the Rebbe and the blessing of “bracha v’hatzlacha” or “a kosher’n, freilichen Pesach.” Either way, the distribution which began at eleven did not end before three in the afternoon, and since nobody tarried near the Rebbe for more than a moment, one could only estimate how many thousands of people had passed by during those four hours.

The Rebbe spent the rest of the day, until evening, at the Ohel. Upon returning to 770 which was full, the crowd in full holiday spirit sang the song composed for 11 Nissan from verses in chapter 88 of T’hillim.

The moment the Rebbe reached his place, the singing stopped and they davened Mincha and Maariv. Some expected a sicha in honor of the special day and a microphone stood ready, but to their surprise, the Rebbe began handing out the kuntres “Ahavas Yisroel” to everyone.

This was apparently a complete surprise to the people in charge of publishing the kuntres, for after a while the copies ran out. Still, the crowd continued to pass by the Rebbe who gave three dollars to each person as shlichus mitzva for tz’daka.