Education Day comes to Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a special education declaration on Thursday, Yud Alef Nissan, in honor of the 121st birthday of the Rebbe.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a special education declaration on Thursday, Yud Alef Nissan, in honor of the 121st birthday of the Rebbe.
Netanyahu signed the declaration in the presence of an official Chabad delegation, led by Harav Yitzchak Yehuda Yaroslavsky – av beis din of the Beis Din Rabbonei Chabad in Eretz Yisroel, members of the Beis Din Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gluckowsky and Rabbi Avraham Michael Halperin, and Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov, chairman of Tzach, along with representatives of the empire of Chabad shluchim in Eretz Yisroel.
During the ceremony, Netanyahu shared his personal experiences from his visits to the Rebbe, saying that they accompany him until today.
With his declaration, Netanyahu joins the US presidents over the past decades who declared ‘Education and Sharing Day’ annually in honor of the Rebbe’s birthday. Last week, US President Joe Biden signed the declaration, which recognizes the Rebbe’s dedication to promoting education as a cornerstone of humanity.
“The Lubavitcher Rebbe, the spiritual and giant figure of the Jewish people in our generation in Israel and the diaspora, is also the most influential personality in our generation who transcends borders and envelops not only our people and our country but all humankind,” Netanyahu wrote in the declaration.
The Prime Minister added that the Rebbe was one of the most prolific and profound scholars and thinkers in the recent history of Judaism, who wrote and interpreted in all fields of Torah, Talmud, Halacha, philosophy, Kabbalah and Chassidus. In his numerous sichos, thousands of ma’amarim, and countless letters, he shed a unique and original light on all the topics related to the world of Judaism. Through his teachings, the Rebbe revealed the spiritual and philosophical depth of Judaism.
“In his teachings, the Rebbe teaches how every verse and story in our eternal Torah, which is the Torah of life and the Torah of truth, is relevant today as it was when it was given at Sinai, and we can find in it guidance, answers, and solutions to our existential questions,” wrote the Prime Minister.
“The Rabbi embodied a fascinating and unique figure in his own right. A unique combination of qualities, each of which is worthy of highlighting and appreciation. He was a great genius in Torah, a prolific writer who revealed new depths in Jewish thought. An extremely intelligent person who had knowledge in all modern sciences. A rare leadership ability that can extract from countless people their full potential. A visionary who knows how to assess correctly the processes of life and the world. A tremendous love for every Jew and every person, with the ability to devote himself to the little problems of the simple man. A personal charm, suavity, a most impressive appearance, and penetrating eyes,” added the Prime Minister.
“On this day, we will celebrate 121 years since the Rebbe’s birth, and 121 years of his great light shining upon the world,” the Prime Minister wrote. “On this day, we will all strive to strengthen his call for repairing the world, to personally participate in his great vision, to invest efforts in true education, and to deepen the moral foundations for the existence of society in Israel and the whole world.”
The Prime Minister also shared a personal experience with the Rebbe, stating, “I personally had the privilege of meeting the Rebbe, listening to his advice, and his heartfelt blessings have accompanied me throughout my private and public life over the years.”
The statement concluded quoted a passage from the Rebbe’s sefer “Hayom Yom,” where he emphasizes the importance of dedicating half an hour every day to thinking about the education of one’s children and doing everything in one’s power to guide them.
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