A Taste of the Rebbe’s Farbrengens – Parshas Bamidbar
The Rebbe held 34 farbrengens on Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar. The sichos from these farbrengens span around 900 pages in the Yiddish Hanochos (transcripts) in Sichos Kodesh, and around 100 pages in the English Hanochos published by Sichos in English.
Each farbrengen is a priceless treasure. It was the highlight of the week for those fortunate to be present when the Rebbe farbrenged. Nowadays, these farbrengens are preserved in thousands of pages, waiting to be relived by every chossid.
To get a taste of these farbrengens (Some selected highlights appear below), visit berel.me/taste/bamidbar to explore this week’s “Taste”. You can download and print it for Shabbos, with curated suggestions for which farbrengen to learn, along with a QR code to access each one.
To receive the “Taste” each week, subscribe for free at berel.me/taste/subscribe
May we merit to once again experience a farbrengen with the Rebbe—now!
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Selected excerpts from this edition of the “Taste”
Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar 5742
The above applies to Shabbos Mevorchim Sivan every year. In addition, there are lessons to be learned from the particular day of the month on which Shabbos Mevorchim Sivan falls this year — the 29th of Iyar, Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan. The Baal Shem Tov said that everything a Jew encounters can serve as a lesson in his service to G‑d, and thus the particular date on which Shabbos Mevorchim falls every year is also instructive.
This teaching of the Baal Shem Tov is relevant to every Jew, be he great or small in Torah. A great person may think that since his service is already perfect, a particular event can have no meaning for his service to G‑d. But, says the Baal Shem Tov, since G‑d has shown a particular happening to a person, we must conclude that it is G‑d’s will to learn an additional lesson from it. And if a great person does not conduct himself in consonance with this teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, the deficiency incurred is more pronounced than if an ordinary person does not do so — precisely because he is a great person and must act accordingly.
Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar 5745
If a Jew looks around himself he realizes that he is trapped in a wilderness. For besides being the smallest of the nations he is in the darkest galus (diaspora), surrounded by countless restrictions and concealments. He cannot earn enough to live (materially and spiritually) by planting and cultivating (normal business activities). The desert is not a fertile place. He is not near a lake where he can fish for food. There is no rhyme, reason or pleasure to his life!
What is there to do? At this point the directive comes: “Live in the desert!” Live a Torah life despite the difficulties, and let Torah permeate all aspects of your life.
Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar 5750
May the “running to the performance of a mitzvah,” the efforts to gather Jews in shul for Torah study, lead to the time when we run to greet Mashiach. Indeed, there will be no need to run, for Mashiach will come directly here to the Previous Rebbe’s shul and house of study. Then, “a great congregation will return here,” the Jewish people, together with all the elements of the world which they elevated, will come back to Eretz Yisrael, to Jerusalem, and to the Beis HaMikdash.
