Knowing Who We Are and Preparing for Gimmel Tammuz begins at Home..but does not end there
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
Leading up to this Gimmel Tammuz, the twentieth year since 5744- 1994, a recent flurry of new biographies of the Rebbe’s life has been published.
Although this is not the place to comment on any of the details written in the new books, in general these biographies fill a need for the world at large as the following quote from a book review demonstrates:
“The Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History: Read it and you will become a better person. From reading this book, one can better understand how Rabbi Schneerson had a positive impact on hundreds of thousands – and his life’s work continues to live on today through the organization, Chabad-Lubavitch he built which remains the largest Jewish organization in the world.”
The world needs to know about the Rebbe. The Rebbe is everyone’s Rebbe and they are better off in every way by reading about him. As Lubavitcher Chassidim, Anash, we have our way of preparing ourselves for Gimmel Tammuz. We look into the Sichos Maamarim and letters of the Rebbe and share with our families the stories that have been passed to us through our Rabbeim and Chassidim.
Recently a yunger man told me that he went through the system but he doesn’t know the history of the Rabbeim. He then said he understands those that read the books because they want to know more about the Rebbe. I thought to myself, how can that be? Obviously he hasn’t read the Memoirs of the Previous Rebbe, the Sefer HaToldos and Likutei Dibburim. Therefore he doesn’t know the history of the Rabbeim! When a bachur gets to yeshiva, we teach him the Torah, but there’s no system to teach who we are as Chassidim. It’s expected that that the father and mother taught all of that before he came to yeshiva.
When my father sent my brother Yossie and I to Montreal, it was a half a year after our Bar Mitzvah. There was a young man, Rabbi Pinchas Korf who would fabreng with our group every Thursday night. He didn’t bring mashka, he brought the sefer HaTomim and read us stories of Chassidim. A year or two later there was an older bachor would come to our room before we went to sleep and read us the long letter of the Previous Rebbe about Chassidim that was still in typed manuscript and had not yet come out in print. That’s how I got to know our history. It gave me a geshmak, great pleasure to hear these stories and it inspired me to go on to read the stories in Sefer HaToldos etc.
As Gimmel Tammuz approaches, we prepare by learning Sichos Maamarim, letters and stories. These days are a good time to speak with your family. You don’t need to sit all day in shul and fabreng, fabreng with your family also. Prepare in advance what you are going to say on Friday night and Shabbos day. Tell your family stories of Chassidim that will warm them up and inspire them. Then your children will know who they are from the Rabbeim. With that chayus and inspriration we have the energy to go out into the world and complete the mission that the Rebbe has given us to bring Moshiach. The better that we connect and live with the Rabbeim and Chassidim, the more fitting shluchim we are to represent the Rebbe’s message in the best way.
May we all merit to see the Rebbe again with our physical eyes with the revelation of Moshiach Now!