Reb Levik’s Wedding Telegram to the Rebbe Explained in English

In honor of R’ Levi Yitzchok’s and Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson’s wedding anniversary this week, Chayenu shared the telegram he sent to the Rebbe on his wedding day, with English translation and explanations.

In honor of R’ Levi Yitzchok’s and Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson‘s wedding anniversary, Chayenu shared something unique in their weekly magazine.

In a normal week, Chayenu features a Kabbalistic teaching from Harav Levi Yitzchok, father of the Rebbe, with explanations and an English translation. This week, they shared a different type of teaching. While this is not a typical teaching with Talmudic/Kabbalistic interpretations, it is a sentimental letter – actually a telegram – which R’ Levi Yitzchok sent to his son, the future Rebbe, on the day of his wedding.

They also, for the first time, include the actual manuscript, so that readers can try to decipher his own handwriting in the original.

Some brief historical context:

Sadly, the Rebbe’s parents were not able to be physically present at his wedding due to several circumstances. Although the engagement of the Rebbe and his future wife, Chaya Mushka, had taken place years earlier, due to the Communists’ relentless harassment of the Previous Rebbe and the constant dangers involved, the wedding was not able to take place for quite some time.

In the interim, the Previous Rebbe was arrested, imprisoned, and ultimately miraculously set free and left the Soviet Union for Warsaw, Poland, where the wedding would eventually take place, amidst great celebration. The Russian government refused to give R’ Levi Yitzchok – who was also on their hit list (and was also eventually arrested, imprisoned and exiled) – permission to leave the country to attend his eldest son’s wedding. It was a heartbreaking situation, yet the Rebbe’s parents made the best of it, holding a simultaneous celebration at their home. 

R’ Levi Yitzchok wrote many letters to the Rebbe (and the Rebbetzin) over the course of that time period (and in subsequent years). Many of them are filled with deep Torah thoughts. They all begin and end with very affectionate and often emotional words, where one can witness their deepest soul connection and his fatherly love.

The “Igros Kodesh” were shared with the public by the Rebbe and are printed in the Likkutei Levi Yitzchok series. Recently, a special volume with decoding and commentary on these “Wedding Letters” was published in the series “Yalkut Levi Yitzchak Al HaTorah”.

In her diary, Rebbetzin Chana (R’ Levi Yitzchok’s wife) wrote: “The tablecloth was soaked from my husband’s tears as he wrote that telegram.”

Click here to download Reb Levik’s wedding telegram to the Rebbe, along with translation and explanations.