Over Yud Gimmel Iyar, many bochurim and Anash visited the resting place of the Rebbe’s brother, R’ Yisrael Aryeh Leib in Tzfas, marking his 74th yahrtzeit. They recited Tehillim, learned Mishnayos, and studied excerpts from the Rebbe’s sichos connected to the unique name and neshama of the baal ha’hilula.

A special tent was also set up on site, where many took part in farbrengens, with chassidim sharing divrei hisorerus and stories from the Rebbe.

The preciousness of visiting the resting place of the Rebbe’s brother is well known.

Harav Levi Bistritsky, Rov of Tzfas, once reported to the Rebbe about a large group of chassidim who came to daven at the kever of Reb Yisrael Aryeh Leib on his yahrtzeit. Upon hearing about it, the Rebbe responded: “Thank you, thank you. May it be the will of Hashem that all the prayers be accepted together with the prayers of all of Klal Yisroel, and that everything should be turned to good.”

Rabbi Yisrael Glitzenstein, shliach to Eilat, relates:

After 5 Menachem Av 5735 (1975), when the Rebbe requested that chassidim ascend to the tziyun of the Arizal in Tzfas, a report was being delivered over the phone to one of the mazkirim about the gathering. At that moment, the Rebbe was suddenly heard asking over the line: “Were they by the brother?”

Similarly, Professor Shimon Silman relates that when the Rebbe sent the first shluchim to Tzfas, the city was still sparsely populated and largely not observant. The Rebbe instructed them to go first to the municipality and present a detailed list of demands he had given them, stating that if these requests were fulfilled, they would remain in Tzfas and even bring additional residents.

The Rebbe then instructed them to proceed from there to the tziyun of the Arizal and repeat the list of demands there. From there, they were to go directly to the kever of the Rebbe’s brother, R’ Yisrael Aryeh Leib, and again repeat the same demands, with the same declaration that fulfillment would lead to establishing and expanding the presence in the city.

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