Weeky Dvar Torah: The 12 Pesukim – A Prescription for Happy and Healthy Living – Part #4
The Miraculous Revelation!
We have now journeyed through all 12 Pesukim, exploring their meaning as the Rebbe explained when he introduced them — why he chose these verses, why they form the heart of Jewish Chinuch, and why every child must learn them by heart. We also saw how the Rebbe introduced the Pesukim in two stages, on two different occasions, forming two distinct groups.
This was part of a revolutionary Mivtza Chinuch. The Rebbe sought to uplift the entire education of our children, and these Pesukim became central to that mission. From the youngest age — even before a toddler can form full sentences — we teach them these verses. A little child watches his older siblings chanting them, swinging their arms with enthusiasm in family gatherings or public events, and he imitates them long before he can pronounce the words properly. This became the living heartbeat of Jewish Chinuch.
As the Rebbe often did when launching a new campaign, he edited the Sichos related to it so the public could study the ideas accurately and deeply. The very act of editing a Sicha signaled how personal, how urgent, and how essential this Mivtza was to the Rebbe.
And here, something astonishing occurred.
After introducing the second half of the 12 Pesukim on Lag BaOmer, completing the set of twelve, the Rebbe chose to edit only the Sicha that discussed the last six Pesukim. Strangely, the first six were mentioned only briefly — not elaborated upon, not explained anew.
Even more astounding: after the Rebbe edited this Sicha — something he rarely had time to do — the edited Sicha disappeared. It was not printed. The Rebbe did not ask for the final copy, as he normally would within hours. It simply vanished.
For anyone familiar with the Rebbe’s exacting system, this is mind-boggling. Every moment was precious; edited Sichos were rare treasures. And here, after the Rebbe invested that time — silence.
Until, suddenly, 38 years later, in 5774 — it resurfaced.
I firmly believe this was not an accident. Not a fluke. The disappearance in 5736 and the reappearance in 5774 were deliberately orchestrated by the Rebbe. The content of this Sicha was needed specifically then, and its miraculous discovery underscored that truth.
To appreciate why, we must revisit the painful conversations taking place among ‘some’ Chassidim at that time.
People were confused. Frightened. Drifting. Nearly twenty years after the Rebbe’s physical presence, some were voicing thoughts that had once seemed unthinkable:
“The world is crazy. Everything feels out of control.”
“Without the Rebbe’s physical guidance, I don’t know how to function.”
“Why get up in the morning? What’s the point of facing all this darkness?”
“I’m scared of life itself.”
“I have no value. I contribute nothing. I’m a failure.”
“I hate myself.”
“Maybe it’s better to just collapse… quit… disappear.”
Thoughts of despair.
Thoughts of worthlessness.
Thoughts of emotional and spiritual paralysis.
Thoughts no one ever imagined would surface in a Chossid’s heart — yet they were real to some.
And into that psychological storm, the Rebbe’s “lost” Sicha emerged — not as abstract theology, but as a precise, compassionate, step-by-step response to wounded souls.
Now watch how the Rebbe addresses each of these inner struggles through the second group of Pesukim — the ones he edited, the ones he “hid,” and the ones he revealed at exactly the right moment.
And though these Pesukim are taught to young children, the Rebbe explicitly includes adults as beneficiaries — because adults, too, can be frightened, confused, and broken.
1. “Bereishis Bara Elokim…”
The Rebbe begins by addressing the person paralyzed by fear:
“The world is chaotic. Nothing makes sense. Everything is collapsing. I have no guidance. I’m terrified.”
The Rebbe responds:
This world is not chaos.
It is G-d’s world — created intentionally and lovingly.
He is good, and all that He does is good.
He created you with purpose, placed you here with intention, and gave you a mission that can only be fulfilled on the “earth,” in this physical world — Torah and Mitzvos. And He promises blessings from “heaven” when you fulfill that mission.
Do not be intimidated.
Do not retreat from life.
You are not drowning in a wild sea — you are standing in G-d’s world.
Stand up. The world is your place.
2. “V’shinantam levanecha…”
Once the fear begins to lift, the Rebbe turns to confusion.
A person says:
“Fine. G-d created the world. But what do I do? I’m lost.”
The Rebbe answers:
Go learn Torah.
Fill your days and nights with it — at home, on the road, when you lie down and when you rise.
Give your children Torah education that envelops their entire day.
Torah clears confusion.
Torah restores direction.
Torah reveals mission.
3. “Yagati U’Matzasi…”
Then comes the darkest voice — the one filled with toxic self-talk:
“I tried and failed.”
“I’m not capable.”
“I’m broken.”
“I’m a loser.”
The Rebbe responds with firmness and love:
Your failures were not because the task was beyond you.
They were because you never fully applied yourself.
No one is asking you to climb Mount Everest.
G-d chose you because you are capable.
When you truly invest your whole being, you will not only succeed — you will find far more than you imagined.
Here, the Rebbe is not merely encouraging — he is dismantling the psychological lie of worthlessness at its root.
4. “V’ahavta L’Reiacha Kamocha…”
The Rebbe now says: Don’t keep this to yourself. Lovingly, you must share this wonderful information with others.
But first, he addresses a painful truth. People drowning in despair often say:
“I hate myself.”
So the Rebbe teaches something radical:
You must love yourself — before you can love others.
Self-love begins the moment you realize:
You matter.
You have a mission.
You are necessary.
G-d believes in you.
Only then can you extend that love outward — bringing others into this circle of meaning and hope. Together, you build community. Together, you build the world.
5. “V’Zeh Kol HaAdam…”
Yet another voice cries out:
“Fine. I have purpose. But in a world of billions, does anyone even notice me?”
The Rebbe answers with breathtaking clarity:
You are the center of creation.
The entire universe — all higher and lower worlds — exists so that you can make a dwelling place for G-d in this world. G-d is depending on you. Without you, it won’t happen. And He provided you with all the necessary tools that you may need to build His home.
You are not a number.
You are indispensable.
6. “Yismach Yisrael B’Osav…”
Finally, the Rebbe addresses Depression, Misery, and the Desperate Search for Even One Moment of Happiness
People were saying:
“I’m miserable.”
“I’m depressed.”
“Life feels heavy and hopeless.”
“Give me just one moment of happiness — I’ll pay anything.”
People go on to chase fleeting relief — therapy sessions, vacations, distractions — just to escape their pain for a moment.
The Rebbe offers something deeper:
When you internalize this Posuk, you can live every moment with joy.
Because G-d is joyful in you. G-d rejoices when you fulfill your mission — and then you can rejoice in His joy. This is not escapism. It is lasting, renewable inner happiness. This is how you will live a life of absolute happiness.
The Rebbe responded from Above. He prepared this Sicha 38 years earlier, hid it deliberately, and revealed it exactly when it was needed. Like Moshe searching for the lost sheep, the Rebbe showed that not a single Yid — not even one wrestling with the darkest thoughts — is ever overlooked.
This Sicha came down like a letter from heaven — an answer to our collective cry:
“Rebbe, we need your leadership and guidance.”
Since then, I carry this Sicha in my pocket — a constant reminder that the Rebbe is here, now, watching, guiding, comforting, and leading.
Thank you, Rebbe.
You gave us a prescription for a joyous life.
May we merit the Geulah, when we will once again see the Rebbe and hear new teachings of Torah from him with our own ears, speedily in our days. Amen.
Have a Shabbos filled with the deepest joy,
Gut Shabbos,
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
