In a packed shul filled with thousands of Chassidim who came from across the globe, Maariv comes to a close and the Rebbe ascends the bima and approaches the shtender to address the crowd. Silence prevails across the room. The Rebbe begins in a loud voice, “Vayehi b’arbaim shana…” It’s forty years since the hilula-histalkus of the [Frierdiker] Rebbe…
In a packed shul filled with thousands of Chassidim who came from every corner of the globe, Maariv comes to a close and the Rebbe ascends the bima and approaches the shtender to address the crowd. Not just the local crowd, but a global audience is in attendance as well, as the Rebbe’s voice will be carried by hookup to hundreds of locations around the world. Silence prevails across the room. The Rebbe begins in a loud voice, “Vayehi b’arbaim shana…” It’s forty years since the hilula-histalkus of the [Frierdiker] Rebbe…
Fever-Pitch Preparations
Excitement was in the air as Yud Shevat drew nearer. Chassidim around the world busied themselves with preparations. On the first Shabbos of the month—Shabbos Parshas
Va’era, Rosh Chodesh Shevat, the Rebbe called on everyone to found new mosdos—institutions of Torah, Tefillah, and Tzedakah, in honor of the forty-year milestone. The Rebbe announced that anyone who would undertake to found a new mosad would receive a participation in the amount of forty from “Kuppas Rabbeinu”—thereby connecting all the new mosdos with the Rebbe, Nessi Doreinu.
During the week leading up to Yud Shevat, the Rebbe delivered several surprise sichos reminding everyone of the impending milestone. On 6 Shevat, the Rebbe was given a report that the bochurim planned to arrange shifts of 40 hours of consecutive study in honor of Yud Shevat, beginning on Motzei Shabbos, 8 Shevat, and continuing through the morning of Yud Shevat, learning the Rebbe’s Torah. The Rebbe gave an encouraging response in writing.
On the Friday before Yud Shevat, Crown Heights was packed with thousands of guests arriving from around the world to celebrate Yud Shevat with the Rebbe. On Friday night, when the chazzan reached the words “Arbaim shana” (40 years) in the first paragraph of Kabbalas Shabbos, he spontaneously began singing the joyous hakafos niggun of the Rebbe’s father, and the whole crowd joined in with the Rebbe’s encouragement.
On Sunday, Erev Yud Shevat, the Rebbe gave out dollars as usual, only that this week a much larger number of visitors were in attendance. As a result, the distribution ended much later than intended, and the Rebbe did not end up going to the Ohel as the initial plan had been. After davening Mincha with the crowd downstairs, the Rebbe came up to his room, where a delegation of Chassidim headed by Rabbi Yosef Gutnick of Melbourne and Rabbi Leibel Kaplan of Tzfas were waiting. They gave the Rebbe an album about Chabad’s latest activities in Eretz Yisroel, along with a collection of letters with well-wishes from members of the Israeli government. The Rebbe received the gift and gave them a bracha in return for about two minutes.
Vayehi B’Arbaim Shana
At 6:15pm, the Rebbe entered the big shul for Maariv of Yud Shevat. The Rebbe led the davening at the amud on the ground floor, and then ascended the steps to the bima where he usually davened and began to say a sicha with the words “Vayehi b’arbaim shana…”—it is now forty years since the hilula-histalkus of the [Frierdiker] Rebbe.
The theme of the sicha was based on the possuk that he had often been quoting over the past year: נָתַן יְהוָה לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת וְעֵינַיִם לִרְאוֹת וְאָזְנַיִם לִשְׁמֹעַ After 40 years in the desert, Moshe Rabbeinu tells the Jewish people that Hashem has finally given them a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear. The Rebbe connected it with the avoda of “Chabad”—working through one’s intellect to affect the emotions and actions.
Interestingly, the Rebbe mentioned the maamar from the Rebbe Rashab known as “V’yadaata—Moskva” (Moscow), pointing out the irony that a maamar containing the deepest concepts of Elokus could be associated with a non-Jewish city that oppressed its Jewish inhabitants for so many years. This demonstrates how the concealment of Elokus itself is also part of Elokus, and how all the hardships and difficulties for Yiddishkeit in Moscow would eventually come to an end. (This sicha was heard live in Moscow in real time!)
After the sicha, the Rebbe distributed dollars for about an hour. Later in the evening, a grand farbrengen took place at 770 until the wee hours of the morning, addressed by distinguished Chassidim and guests from around the world.
On the morning of Yud Shevat, the Rebbe once again davened at the amud. Shortly afterwards, the Rebbe walked out of 770 to leave for the mikvah, while a parade of 40 mitzvah tanks was making its way down Eastern Parkway to Manhattan. Instead of going straight into the car, the Rebbe walked towards the Parkway and stopped right at the curb of the service lane, gazing intently at the tanks with a look of pleasure on his holy face.
Once all the tanks were gone, the Rebbe walked back to the car and left for the mikvah, and then to the Ohel, where he stayed for some five hours. Upon returning from the Ohel, the Rebbe led Mincha, after which he returned to his regular davening place for Maariv. Then the Rebbe delivered a short sicha, saying that now that we have entered the period after 40 years, when we truly begin understanding the teachings of our Rebbe, it is an opportune time to study Chabad Chassidus—beginning with the Tanya. Therefore, the Rebbe said he would distribute a Tanya, the “Torah Shebiksav” of Chabad Chassidus, along with a dollar for tzedakah to each and every person present.
As the distribution began, the Rebbe pointed to the people who had already received a Tanya to move on and clear the space around him, saying that he could handle the situation on his own. A few times throughout the night, whenever there was too much pushing or unnecessary noise, the Rebbe turned to Rabbi Leibel Groner and asked him to verify what the tumult was about. At one point, the Rebbe told someone to get down from a table. Overall, however, the Rebbe was in very good spirits, smiling to many of the people passing by. There were two young children sitting near the Rebbe and playing with the Tanyas they had received, and the Rebbe told Rabbi Groner, “Why are they playing with seforim? Give them a toy instead!”
The distribution continued past midnight, during which the Rebbe handed out more than 10,000 Tanyas. Finally at 12:20 a.m. the Rebbe was ready to leave, and he asked Rabbi Groner to announce that whoever hadn’t yet received a Tanya should come by. Some latecomers indeed took advantage of the announcement and were able to receive Tanyas before the Rebbe went back upstairs.
As the Rebbe left the shul, he saw Dr. Ira Weiss in the crowd and, with a smile, showed the doctor his pulse. When the Rebbe went back into his room, Dr. Weiss came with him and spent some time there with the Rebbe.
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Kids Yud Shevat Resource Site
Derher for Kids has a dedicated Kids Yud Shevat Resource Site.
The highlight of the site is Derher for Kids’: “Yud Shevat 5711 & the Mission of Dor Hashvi’i”—a 45-minute full-production episode. This engaging episode immerses children in the Rebbe’s historic farbrengen accepting the Nesius and explores our generation’s unique mission to bring Moshiach.
Additionally, the resource site includes:
– A fun, interactive Kahoot game and word search based on the episode.
– Quiz/Discussion points in both Yiddish and English, with an answer sheet.
– A minute-by-minute guide to help structure the experience.
– Access to other Derher articles and resources.
Discussion
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