After Decades in Captivity, Tzemach Tzedek’s Sefer Returns to Rebbe’s Library

In an especially moving moment during the Kinus Hashluchim, a sefer of the Rebbeim that had been held in captivity for decades was brought to the Rebbe’s room and returned home to the Rebbe’s library.

The sefer, the first volume of the original Even HaEzer, containing the responsa of the Tzemach Tzedek, has close to 250 pages. Most of the text is in the handwriting of a copyist, but the Tzemach Tzedek personally reviewed the sefer, adding close to 100 handwritten hagahos throughout, primarily in the margins.

In addition, approximately ten pages are entirely in the Tzemach Tzedek’s own handwriting. The second volume is already in the Rebbe’s library.

The Tzemach Tzedek appears to have reviewed virtually every page of the sefer. In the opening pages, he marked down various edits to be incorporated into the sefer, indicating the pages where the changes should be made. Several blank pages at the beginning also appear to have been intentionally left empty for him to record these edits and notes.

The sefer was procured and redeemed through the dedicated efforts of Rabbi Moshe Orenstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Tomchei Temimim in Netanya, who invested considerable effort and resources in securing its return.

When the sefer arrived at the yeshiva, it was welcomed with joyous dancing led by Lubavitcher singer Simcha Friedman, as the bochurim celebrated the return home of another sefer belonging to the Rebbeim. An impromptu farbrengen followed, continuing until the early morning hours.

Amid the Kinus Hashluchim, Rabbi Orenstein, accompanied by several of his partners in the effort, including popular Chassidishe maggid shiur Rabbi Leibish Lish, arrived at 770. They were joined by Rabbi Shlomo Cunin and several of his children, who have devoted many years to the efforts to retrieve and redeem the seforim and kisvei yad of the Rebbeim held in Russian captivity.

The delegation brought the sefer into the Rebbe’s room in an emotional moment, singing Dalad Bavos, followed by the joyous niggun and march of the shluchim, the Rosh Chodesh Kislev niggun, and other songs.

A spontaneous and inspiring farbrengen then took place in the Rebbe’s library with Rabbi Cunin, who expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Rabbi Orenstein and all those who took part in the effort, particularly R’ Yisroel Nosson ben Miriam.

Rabbi Orenstein showed the sefer to those present, pointing out the places where the Tzemach Tzedek had added his handwritten hagahos.

Rabbi Cunin also repeated the Rebbe’s sharp and emphatic words, which he had heard on several occasions, regarding the importance of returning the seforim from captivity without losing even a moment.

The gathering was accompanied by spontaneous dancing once again, as the crowd rejoiced in the return of yet another sefer to its rightful home, while eagerly awaiting the return of the remaining seforim of the Rebbeim’s library, the ultimate pidyon shevuyim, and the coming of the final Geulah.

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The rejoicing in the Netanya yeshiva