Living for the Moment
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
This week Chabad Chassidim all over the world celebrated Rosh Chodesh Kislev, the day marking the Rebbe’s recovery from the massive heart attack he had on Shmini Atzeres 1977 during hakafos. His doctor Dr Weiss said that this heart attack was a “number 10”, and that no one believed that it was possible for the Rebbe to come back as he did. On Rosh Chodesh Kislev the Rebbe returned home after spending six weeks recovering in his office turned hospital room in 770.
It is challenging at times when we go over the story with those who were not there or have never seen the Rebbe. They say that they do not feel a connection, and that we are telling them stories from the past that are not relevant to them today. They may show up at the fabrengen for a half an hour out of respect, but they will tell you that while you were there and therefore you have feelings for these things they were not and therefore do not share those feelings. They are where they are and more interested in the present moment. Therefore why should we be bugging them about things that they will never achieve?
We have a few yomim tovim in Kislev. Chanukah is celebrated because of things that happened in the time of the Beis HaMikdash 2200 years ago. Why do we celebrate? Were you there? Was your father or even your grandfather there? Also Yud Tes Kislev; why do we celebrate? Were you there? Was your father or even your grandfather there either?
Every day of our lives, as we live them, one day at a time, we live far more that what seems on the surface to be the present moment. This is because the present moment has within it the past and the future as well. The future is built upon how we live in the present. If there is no present, if we are not infusing the present moment with the vitality and simcha of the candle of the mitzvos and the light of the Torah, then we have no future. Today cannot be the way it should be without a connection to the past. In the first maamar of the Rebbe, Baasi L’Gani, the Rebbe said that we are the seventh generation of the first generation of the Alter Rebbe. Moshe Rabbenu; in the merit of being the seventh generation from Avraham Avinu (Echod haya Avraham), we merited to receive the Torah. The Torah could not be given in the seventh generation, without the past, without Avraham Avinu. Without the Alter Rebbe, in the past, we would not have arrived to the seventh generation; one is built upon the other.
The events that led up to the Alter Rebbe’s redemption on Yud Tes Kislev were caused by a decree that happened because so many secrets of the Torah were being revealed. On Yud Tes Kislev the Alter Rebbe won the case and he continued to reveal Toras HaChassidus in a much greater way than before. We are here today because of the Alter Rebbe. We are not just commemorating the past we are celebrating our present situation in the here and now!
This is also true about Chanukah. We are here today due to the heroism of a few Chashmonaim. If not for them we would have assimilated into Greek culture and become Hellenists. Today, the way we are, our merit to be Jewish and have the quality of life we do is because of the Chashmonaim and their mesirus nefesh.
During the six weeks that the Rebbe was in his room, our future hung in the balance. We did not know if the Rebbe was going to continue. As mentioned before, Dr Weiss said that the Rebbe’s survival and return to health were miraculous and beyond all odds. On Rosh Chodesh Kislev the Rebbe emerged victorious, and continued his leadership in an even greater way than before.
Tzivos Hashem began after Rosh Chodesh Kislev.
The Sefer Torah uniting Klal Yisroel began after Rosh Chodesh Kislev.
The mivtzah of learning Rambam began after Rosh Chodesh Kislev.
The vast expansion Chabad Houses began after Rosh Chodesh Kislev.
A large percentange of our Yeshivos and Schools began after Rosh Chodesh Kislev.
The expansion of Shluchim all over the Globe is incomparable from before to after Rosh Chodesh Kislev. The very fact that we have communities with Chabad Houses all over the world with schools Yeshivos and services, and we have where to daven and to send our children to learn are all reasons for why we should celebrate Rosh Chodesh Kislev today.
Why have we continued to grow so much since Gimmel Tammuz? It’s because we know that the Rebbe is NOT A LEGACY, the Rebbe is ALIVE for us today!
To be able to feel alive and connected, we need to learn Chassidus every day. We need to nourish our minds and souls, not just by remembering our Bar Mitzvah Maamar that we learned so long ago. Is our entire Yiddishkeit relegated to what we learned once upon a time in Cheder? G-d forbid! We need to learn every day Chassidus to give us new life and fresh vitality so that when a Yom Tov comes up we are in the mood and not dried out. We will have a feeling and an understanding of what the Yom Tov really means. Then we will greet the Yom Tov with the anticipation of the experience, what can be accomplished and can be taken away from the Yom Tov. Our future and our children’s future depend on this.
When the Rebbe was sick in bed he continued to speak Chassidus from his room. He continued to worry about Eretz Yisroel. He wanted people to continue writing in and gave brochos for shidduchim etc. He remained strong and engaged about settling Eretz Yisroel. Later the Rebbe foresaw what is happening today in Eretz Yisroel and did all that was possible. The Rebbe said that if Israel continues with this peace process then no one in Eretz Yisroel would be safe. He mentioned the names of cities that no one believed would be attacked. He continued to beg and to warn. We all witnessed and saw the emes of Moshe Emes v’Toraso emes in all the Rebbe’s words and campaigns.
When we reflect on all of this we realize that we need to be connected in a way that is beyond time and space to emes, to Moshe emes v’Toraso emes. Inspired by the day of Rosh Chodesh Kislev let us take on new and fresh resolutions, today, to increase in learning Chassidus and doing all of the minhagim and the mivtzoim of the Rebbe, today.
We should all daven and add in tzekadaka and mitzvos for the safety of the Jewish people all over the world, especially for our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel who are under siege. We pray that Hashem should protect all of them.
filled with many special days. We have Rosh Chodesh Kislev the day the Rebbe left 770 after the heart attack; Tes and Yud Kislev, the birthday, yahrzeit and day of liberation of the Mittler Rebbe; Yud Daled Kislev the Anniversary of the Rebbe and Rebbitzin; Yud Tes Kislev the Rosh Hashana of Toras HaChassidus and day of liberation the Alter Rebbe; and Chanukah. During the month of Kislev we connect with Chassidus and the inner light of the Torah.
