Weekly Story: Hakriah V’Hakedusha
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
Being that I am in midst of researching and writing about the Frierdiker Rebbe’s life, I am posting something I worked on this past week. If anyone has additional pertinent details about this topic, please inform me. Thank you.
Some of the questions I have are, why did Hakriah V’Hakedusha abruptly stop being published?
How many copies of each issue were published?
Until when was the Shir HaGeulah sung?
Why does the sefer Hamaamorim Yiddish begin with the maamar that was published in Iyar of 5701 and skip the maamaorim that were published in the first eight issues of Hakriah v’hakedusha?[1]
Also if anyone has information about the sefer, Bible Unauthorized, can you share it with me. All I know is that there was time the Frierdiker Rebbe pushed it and encouraged people to give classes with it,[2] and then he said that it should not be used anymore.
Vol. 1, of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s biography, which covers the first 47 years of his life, until he left Russia, has so far 300 pages and vol. 2, which covers the 23 years he was in Riga, Poland and America has so far 250 pages. I expect each volume to be around 500 pages.
Hakriah V’Hakedusha
One of the first publications that the Frierdiker Rebbe began publishing when he was in America was the sixteen-page monthly magazine called Hakriah V’Hakedoosha – A Call To Holiness.[3]
The first issue came out for Tishrei 5701 (Sept. 1940), days after the Rebbe settled in 770, and the final issue was published before Tishrei 5706 (Sept 1945) a total of 61 issues.
The purpose of this newsletter was to inform and inspire American Jewry to do teshuva, and return to Hashem, and that they should not despair and feel hopeless, that there is nothing they can do to improve the situation.[4] In fact they should know that if they do teshuva, they will merit the coming of Moshiach. Additionally, it served as a way to inform Lubavitcher chassidim of what is happening in Lubavitch and about the history of Lubavitch,[5] as well as introducing them to Chassidus.[6]
In its 7th edition, a change in its format occurred with the four final pages generally[7] being in English.[8]
While most of it was written by others with the Frierdiker Rebbe’s encouragement,[9] he wrote a maamar in Yiddish for each publication,[10] and it always began on page 2.[11] He told Rabbi Jacobson that he chose maamorim that can be easily understood [even for someone that isn’t accustomed to Chassidus Chabad]. Or as our Rebbe expressed, “It was written that even women and children can understand it.” Perhaps this is the reason why stories and parables are included in many of them.
While there was a subscription price of three dollars a year, and there was a concerted effort to persuade individuals to sign up,[12] hundreds and possibly thousands of copies were mailed out at no charge. Every Rabbi in America, even those who weren’t orthodox, that Agudas Chassidei Chabad was able to obtain his mailing address, received it every month.[13]
This shows that the Rebbe’s intent with this magazine was to influence the mindset of American Jewry. While the numerous articles in each edition, covered a range of topics,[14] there was a common theme in many of them; “We must realize that the war and all of its horrors, is a message from Hashem that we Jews should come close to Him. They are the pangs that are preceding the coming of Moshiach.”
So while we pray that the Allies win, that is only a token or consolation prize, the outcome we should pray for is the complete redemption with the coming of Moshiach tzidkeinu.
L’Alter L’Teshuva, Lalter L’Geulah
Following this theme, the Rebbe then publicized his call and “slogan” of L’Alter L’Teshuva, L’alter L’Geulah – If we repent now, the redemption will also be now, informing the Jewish nation that Moshiach’s coming is imminent. He then published his four Kol Koreh’s – proclamations about the imminence of Moshiach’s coming. The first proclamation was published on erev rosh chodesh Sivan 5741 (1901).[15]
While it brought about an arousal in many, it also brought about a fierce opposition. So just two weeks later, on the 16th of Sivan, the Rebbe issued another Kol Koreh addressing some of their questions. The main point he addressed is the obligation to believe in the coming of Moshiach. In the third issue, which was published a month later, on the 13th of Tammuz, the Rebbe then explained why he is stating that Moshiach’s coming is imminent. Then in the fourth and final Kol Koreh, one a year later, during the final days of Elul 5702 he expounded on the concept that through teshuva, the pangs of chevlei Moshiach will be prevented or at least be alleviated and that the Jews should not give up hope during these very troubling times.
They are published in Igros Kodesh vol. 5, pp. 361 – 367, 376 -386, 408 – 416 and in vol. 6, pp. 430 – 442.
This call became the call of every Lubavitcher, and it was printed on the letterhead of Machne Yisroel’s stationary. Almost all of our Rebbe’s letters from then on concluded with these four words. It continued so until shortly after Pesach 5708.[16] In fact the students were encouraged to place stickers of L ’Alter L’Teshuva, L’alter L’Geulah on the seats of the trolleys, subway cars, bulletin boards in shuls and on trees.[17]
In the first issue of Hakriah V’hakedusha, the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote a poem about the Geulah.[18] Yisroel Dovid Rosenberg, one of the students that was in Shanghai,[19] made a song out of those words and when he arrived in America after the war concluded, he sang it in front of the Frierdiker Rebbe[20] and many Lubavitchers began singing it. They believed that Moshiach’s coming was imminent. Here is a link https://youtu.be/E33-Kjv8ZFQ
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com
[1] I was told by chassidim, if someone says he heard the reason, listen to it; but if someone says I think the reason is…, ignore it, as these are things that are above our understanding.
[2] He also instructed Rabbi Simpson to sell it.
[3] The official publisher was Agudas Chassidei Chabad.
[4] This last point can be seen from the letter the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote to the editor (almost two months before the first edition came out). See Igros Kodesh vol. 5, pp. 116 – 118.
[5] Many of the dates of the birth and yahrzeit and other details about the children of the Rebbeim, were publicized for the first time in Hakriah V’Hakedusha.
[6] I heard this from individuals who were young at that time, and their families would read the HaKriah V’Hakedusha.
[7] In that issue there was only one page in English and in some issues there were eight pages in Englishl
[8] It should be noted that already in its first edition, it was noted that if there is a demand they will have a section in English.
[9] At that time almost no one knew who the editor was, and it was something that many were curious about and wanted to know. A bochur in the yeshiva noticed that a Jew would come to the Rebbe once a month and spend a lengthy amount of time with him. And he thought perhaps this is the man
So he waited for the man to leave and followed him into the subway, hoping to find out where he lived and who he is. The individual sensed that he was being followed, so he changed cars and subways, however, the student followed him.
At one point after trying to elude the student and disappear from his sight, he gave up and approached the student and said, we can continue this game for many more hours; I will not go on my way until you stop following me.
Seeing that the man was serious, the student promised he will stop following him and the man got off by himself.
Years later when the letters of the Frierdiker Rebbe were printed, we found out that the man’s name was Aharon Hirsch (or as he called himself, Mr. Levitt). He also was the publisher of “The Yiddishe Licht.”
The first edition was published immediately after the Rebbe settled in his permanent residence, 770 Eastern Parkway and the last edition was after the Japanese surrendered on the 24th of Elul 5705, bringing an end to the war
[10] It is believed that he also was the one that wrote the cryptic words which were published under the title “Oisious Porchois” as well as the “Osious hafoochos (the letters that were written upside down). In general it is believed that those are prophecies that concealed the messages within.
[11] These maamaorim are not included in the sefer hamaamorim for the years of 5701 – 5705, but rather they were published in its own sefer, as Maamorei Yiddish. Subsequently, they were translated into English, by Rabbi Sholom Ber Wineberg and published by Sichos In English.
[12] Igros Kodesh vol. 5, p 150.
[13] Mentioned in Hakriah V’hakedusha.
[14] Some of the topics were an explanation on some of the tefillos, a translation into Yiddish of a chapter of the Tanya, a thought on the parsha or haftora, a word from the editor, etc.
[15] Even though the Rebbe published it in HaKriah V’Hakedusha, he first published it in a Yiddish daily (on the date mentioned above), in order to reach as many Jews as possible.
[16] Author’s note: I cannot say this with certainty; however, in one of the articles in Hakriah V’hakedusha, the author states openly, that we should not accept a homeland as a compensation for enduring the horrors of the war. As that is only a consolation prize, but not the prize we want and deserve.
On Shabbos parshas Pinchos 5745, the Rebbe addressed the question of how this slogan is still powerful and true.
[17] One student NAME was even arrested for this.
It is said that when the Rebbe got up from his seat on the train, there was a sticker on the seat.
החיינו א-ל עד מועד
יתגלה עוזר וסועד
אריאל יקום כלביא
גאולתך לנו להביא
שבותנו להשיב לארץ
תולדתו מבני פרץ
הוא מלך והוא משוח
בעל זרוע וגם איש רוח
והוא בא ועד קט יתעלה
נצחונו חיש יתגלה
חזקנו א-ל עד בואו
יום יחשוף גואל זרועו
שנזכה וכן נשיח
מחבלי המשיח
תקיפים ירדו דומה
אותנו השאיר לאומה
יחיינו מיומיים
בשלישי נמצא חיים
An unofficial translation of this song is:
Hashem, let us live until the time/
When the helper and supporter will be revealed.
Moshiach will rise like a lion/
To bring us Your redemption/
To return our captives to the land/
He originates from the sons of Peretz
He is a king and he is anointed/
A warrior and also a man of spirit/
He will come and soon will ascend/
His victory will quickly be revealed.
Hashem, strengthen us until his coming/
The day the redeemer will reveal his arm/
May we merit and discuss/
[The end of] the birth pangs of Moshiach
Strong men have fallen to a place of silence/
He has left us as a nation/
May we live through the two days [of exile]/
On the third day [the geulah], we will find life.
Additionally, if you look at the first word of each line, starting from the bottom up, it spells out that Moshich will come in the year of 5703 im yirtz Hashem.
[19] Many of the Lubavitcher students of Poland that were able to escape the Germans, went to Japan and then to Shanghai.
[20] I spoke with Rabbi Moshe Lazar sheyichye and he informed me that it was noticeable the Frierdiker Rebbe’s happiness, when this song was sung.
