Forty seven years ago, the Rebbe edited a Sicha. Now, it is being published for the very first time.
A new booklet is being published by Lahak Hanochos just in time for Gimmel Tammuz, with two exciting new discoveries from the Rebbe’s Torah:
1 – The Rebbe’s Sicha at the Neshei Chabad Convention in 5732 (1972), with the Rebbe’s newly discovered edits in Yiddish (the booklet contains the original Yiddish, as well as a Hebrew translation).
2 – The Rebbe’s Sicha to the graduating students of Ohel Moshe, from a recently discovered Hanacha of Reb Elya Yeichel Simpson, who attended the Yechidus as a chozer.
The booklet was published on Monday, 28 Sivan, and was distributed to the thousands of participants at the central Gimmel Tammuz farbrengen in Eretz Yisrael.
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During one Kinus Hashluchim, Rabbi Leibel Raskin, the Rebbe’s Shliach to Morocco, described Chassidim’s excitement when the Rebbe chose to be magiah a Sicha. The following is a synopsis of his words:
“Before Pesach 5718, three bochurim, Rabbi Nachman Sudak, Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky and myself, formed a vaad to strengthen the ‘Chazoras Dach,’ the Rebbe’s campaign to visit Shuls and speak words of Chassidus.
“In those days, there were no printed Sichos of the Rebbe. I began sending the Rebbe reports of who participated, and also a synopsis of what they said.
“For Shavuos, we arranged for the first time a Tahalucha all the way to Boro Park. In honor of the occasion, we mustered the courage to send the Rebbe a copy of the Sicha we had prepared to distribute (on the topic of baneinu areivim ba’adeinu) to be reviewed at the Shuls. To my surprise, Rabbi Hodakov found me on Erev Yom Tov and asked, ‘Did you give the Rebbe a Sicha?’ and he returned it with the Rebbe’s edits.
“I cannot describe the joy and dancing that Yom Tov. ‘The Rebbe was magiah a Sicha!’ We immediately worked on a final version and brought it back to the Rebbe. That Tahalucha took place during a terrible downpour, but nothing could dampen our spirits after receiving a mugah’diker Sicha.
“The next week, we sent in a Sicha for Parshas Naso. Rabbi Hodakov called me into his office angrily. ‘The Rebbe has 800 letters of Pikuach Nefesh on his desk. What do you think is more important?’
“‘Rabbi Hodakov,’ I responded, ‘You saw the list with the amount of Jews who heard the Sicha on Shavuos. Is this not a spiritual Pikuach Nefesh? Thousands of Jews will hear the Rebbe’s words…’
“Rabbi Hodakov was thoughtful, and said he would get back to me. I left his office, and he called the Rebbe’s room. Some ten minutes later, he called me back with a smile. ‘The Rebbe agreed to edit the Sichos, but he requested that you find Sichos that were previously edited and published’, such as in Bitaon Chabad or Kovetz Lubavitch.
“I asked what to call the Kovetz, and he said, ‘Tochen Inyonim B’dach.’
“The next week, I found a previously edited Sicha. However, for Parshas Shelach, I added a new Sicha as well, and the Rebbe edited it too. Seeing that, I presented an entirely new Sicha for Korach, and from then on, the Rebbe would edit a new Sicha each week. That is how Lekutei Sichos began…”
To download the new booklet: lahak.org/4424816
To download a print version: lahak.org/media/pdf/1094/eYlB10946300.pdf
Discussion
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