A Special Birthday Present for the Rebbe

“Rabbi Lazar, are you there?” Scores of bochurim from around the world – from Brazil to Baltimore and Brunoy – waited on the line with bated breath. “Rabbi Lazar?”

The bochurim, shluchim to yeshivas, were on a conference call to launch an project to prepare the talmidim of their respective yeshivos for the rapidly approaching Yud Alef Nissan – 110 years since the birth of the Rebbe. Rabbis Hershel Raskin, a mashpia in Montreal, and Berel Lazar, feted head shliach to – and Chief Rabbi of – Russia would be joining the call to speak about the initiative to learn a collection of 110 letters of the Rebbe; to inspire the Talmidei Hashluchim to inspire others.

While shluchim in yeshivos continually arrange extra-curricular mivtzas and programs to encourage the study of Gemora, Likuttei Sichos, and Chassidus, or to prepare for a yoma depagra, this Yud Alef Nissan, things were to be a little different: The point wasn’t so much as to prepare, but simply to do something in honor of the Rebbe’s birthday, a gift from the thousands of talmidim learning in yeshivos worldwide. “It’s not a mivtza,” declared Yossi Denburg, the designated compere for the call, “it’s a Matono Klolis – a present. It’s not for prizes, or for raffle tickets, but for it’s own sake.”

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While thousands of people around the world regularly study the sichos, maamorim, reshimos, and farbrengens of the Rebbe, there is however, another major dimension of the Rebbe’s Torah: the 30 – to date (!) – volumes of Igros Kodesh, the Rebbe’s letters. Like other parts of the Rebbe’s teachings, the letters in Igros address a breathtaking range of topics relating to the life and learning of every Jew, whether it be a chosid’s hiskashrus, detailed notes on newly published seforim, emunah in Moshiach, or business advice. The letters in Igros Kodesh are addressed to individuals, each with their own set of needs and questions, lending the letters a certain air of intimacy inevitably harder to find in any other sefer, due to the public nature of their delivery and publication. This project aims to expose the bochurim not only to the wealth of ideas found in the pages of Igros, but also to a more personal side of the Rebbe; to see how he responds and tackles the unique set of issues facing each and every person.

The idea for the ‘gift’ was conceived just two weeks ago, on Motzei Shabbos, 4 Adar, and is being overseen, by a group of bochurim currently learning in 770, consisting of Dovid Kotlarsky, Peretz Kazen, Yossi Denburg, Moshe Gurevitch, Yossi Bassman, and several others.

First the letters had to be chosen. The next day, Rabbi Yudi Browd selected 110 letters from all over Igros Kodesh. The idea was that the letters be accessible to every bochur in Mesivta, Zal, and beyond, so Rabbi Browd specifically chose geshmake, easier letters, while ensuring that they served as a sampling of the many types of letters in Igros Kodesh. The letters address a wide range of fascinating and relevant topics – in one letter, the Rebbe discusses the avodah of a bochur; another deals with emunah in the face of the Holocaust; yet another writes of the extraordinary importance and benefit of growing a beard.

Next, Eli Filer and Levi Mentz distributed copies of the letters amongst the bochurim of 770 to append translations of any of the more obscure words or abbreviations, as the language in Igros Kodesh can be somewhat obscure. While another team of bochurim, headed by Mendy Lachkar, swung into action typesetting the letters and translations, Rafi Steiner began to call the yeshivos, while Moshe Raichik and yet others began making the necessary arrangements for publication. That Wednesday, thanks to their tireless efforts and the generosity of a number of sponsors, a beautiful kovetz was complete, ready for shipping and learning in locations around the globe.

However, with Yud Alef Nissan less than a month away, and just about a fortnight until zman in yeshivos ends, there isn’t too much time left for the booklets to get to their yeshivos. The bochurim have found volunteers to help transport most of the kovtzim, but are still looking for people travelling to Brazil and Russia over the next few days to help provide a cost-saving solution to get the bochurim of these yeshivos learning the letters as soon as possible.

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“This just about concludes the conference call,” continued Denburg.

The participants had just heard a striking episode once related by Rabbi Sholom Mendel Simpson at a farbrengen in 770: At one stage, the Rebbe had wanted to discontinue the publication of his letters, after hearing that they weren’t being learnt. Upon hearing of a small group of bochurim in Morristown who learned the Igros regularly, he decided to continue.

Reb Hershel Raskin spoke about the primacy of Yud Alef Nissan on the Chosid’s calendar, and about how much the Rebbe invested of himself into his letters and into the publication of Igros Kodesh, noting that the Rebbe had expressly asked that the first volume of Igros be printed in time for Yud Alef Nissan(!). But Rabbi Lazar, still in the middle of a Siyum HaRambam in Moscow, had not yet come on the line.

“We’ll check one more time to see whether or not Rabbi Lazar is with us…”

The line crackled, for dramatic effect.

Suddenly, a chime sounded, signalling the participation of a new caller. Rabbi Lazar’s voice, from across the frigid waters of the Atlantic and through the windswept Ural mountains; over sleepy Bohemian hamlets and bustling European metropolises, came across loud and clear:

“(When it comes to the bochurim’s efforts,) there’s not much we can do…but be inspired,” Rabbi Lazar began. He went on to speak about how dear the letters of the Rebbe had always been to Lubavitcher chassidim. When Likkutei Sichos were printed in book form, the real treasure, he said, was the newly released letters appended to the back of each volume.

Rabbi Lazar concluded with a story illustrating the tremendous insight contained in the letters on innumerable topics and life issues. As a younger shliach, he had been looking for seforim to help him in his new role as a guide, counsellor, and mentor. He met with a well-known expert in the field of education and Jewish thought; although not especially close with Chabad, he was well versed in the relevant literature; who told him: “You know I’m not a Lubavitcher, but if you want a book to help you counsel people, there’s nothing better than the letters of the Rebbe. This is the best book around.”

If you’re travelling to either Brazil or Moscow over the next few days, and are able to take along some of the booklets (extra bag fees will be covered), please email yudalephnissan110@gmail.com

To join in, feel free to download a PDF of the kovetz using the link provided below.