Hakhel and the Children’s Sefer Torah

The last two commandments in the Torah are Hakhel and the need to write a Sefer Torah, indicating a connection between the two. For this reason, with regard to the upcoming year of Hakhel, the Children’s Sefer Torah Committee has decided to launch a registration campaign to increase the number of letters purchased in the Sefer Torah.

180,121 letters still remain to be sold before the fifth Sefer Torah is completed. Since the completion of the first Sefer Torah in 5741, around 40,000 children buy letters each year, which is close to 3,500 children per month.

There are enough children out there who have not yet purchased a letter in their Sefer Torah. And if we want, we can finish the fifth Sefer Torah while it is still a year of Hakhel.

For this special campaign, the committee is publishing a magazine for children in Hebrew and English that gives the story of the Children’s Sefer Torah campaign. It will also describe what a Sefer Torah is and how it is written.

A commemorative album (in Hebrew) is also being prepared to include:

All of the Rebbe’s sichos and directives relating to the Sefer Torah Campaign; a history of the campaign, including reports and pictures of all the siyumim.

The album will provide Anash with a history and overview of the campaign and its significance and hopefully inspire and encourage Anash and other Rabbis and community leaders to support and publicize the campaign amongst their followers.

In addition to the rebuilt website in English, www.kidstorah.org, which is already running in conjunction with chabad.org, the Hebrew website is currently being updated and will run through the Hebrew department of chabad.org.

Make sure your children, at home, at school or in your community, purchase a letter in their own special Sefer Torah.

From the Rebbe’s Sicha from Bamidbar 5741:

No Child Should be Left Without a Letter in the Sefer Torah

“Every single individual should try to register children in the Sefer Torah, and in this way no Jewish child will be left without a letter in the Sefer Torah! This needs to be done as soon as possible – not like one who thinks that he should first go out for a walk, because the walk adds to his physical health […] and afterwards he needs to read the newspaper, and after all that – when he has some free time, he’ll sign up children in the Sefer Torah!

Every positive action in registering children, even if only one more child is registered, is of great significance; to the extent that even the intellect of the animal soul understands the greatness of the elevation that occurs above and below when another child is added to a Sefer Torah.

“בקשה גדולה ונפשית, בכל לשון של בקשה”

An Earnest Heartfelt Request,
in Every Possible Form of Request

“And since every action within this brings the coming of Moshiach closer, it is even more understandable how necessary the effort is in all of the above – since it is within his ability to make the Redemption come about even one moment earlier.