In 5741, the Rebbe launched a mivtza to write a Children’s Sefer Torah to avert impending danger from modern warfare. After an Israeli mission in Iraq, it became clear what the Rebbe was referring to.
After announcing the Children’s Sefer Torah on 11 Nissan 5741 (1981), the Rebbe explained its importance at the Lag B’omer farbrengen:
“We now live in a world torn with confusion, confronted by unprecedented turmoil. A crazy person with access to a destructive button, can upset an entire country and even throw the entire world into a turmoil unmatched in the history of mankind.”
“The solution is achdus between Yidden,” the Rebbe said, “which can be accomplished though the children’s Sefer torah.”
“Every week,” relates Reb Shmuel Greisman, the director of the campaign, “I received a call from Rabbi Binyomin Klein, the Rebbe’s mazkir, asking how many new registrations had come in. When I gave the first report, the Rebbe wanted to know why we hadn’t accomplished more, “Dos iz mit dem gantz’n shturem?!” Is it being done with the full shturem?!
Two days before Shavuos, the Rebbe repeated at a farbrengen that there is a threat in the world that could bring chaos and destruction, and again pointed to the Children’s Sefer Torah as the means to avert the danger.
On Shavuos, what the Rebbe was talking about became clear. The Israelis bombed the nuclear reactor in Iraq, and succeeded in disabling Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein from being able to wage a nuclear war.
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