Weekly Story: Highlights of Purim Farbrengens  

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

Being the Purim is this coming Thursday night and Friday; I decided to share some of the highlights of various Purim farbrengens by the Rebbe. Obviously to each chossid there probably are different farbrengens or incidents that each one considers a highlight, and I am not even noting all those that I consider a highlight, such as Purim 5718 (1958) and Purim 5731 (1971). But I thought that the readers might enjoy this tidbit of Lubavitch History. 

As always, your comments and feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed. 

Purim 5713 (1953), which was just a little more than two years after the Rebbe officially accepted the Nesius, is often mentioned by chassidim as one unforgettable farbrengen. Before I relate what happened at that Purim farbrengen, a little historical background is necessary. Purim that year was on the of March. Two months before that, in mid-January , Stalin instructed the media to write about the infamous doctors plot. Jewish doctors were accused of trying to harm Stalin and overthrow the government. As everyone would expect from the Communist Regime, the public trial would be a farce and a publicity stunt, as the conclusion was forgone already. 

But Stalin made sure that this decision was going to shock everyone.  Not only were the Jewish doctors and the Jews who held prestigious positions in the party going to be found guilty; but all Jews of Russia were going to be convicted for their support of this treacherous plot.  Officially the judges would then deliberate for some time, just to give over the ruling and punishment that the government had already decided upon before the onset of the trial. 

As noted, the ruling was already decided, as a few days before Purim, trains from all over the country were brought to major city to immediately implement the ruling that all Jews no matter who they are, would be exiled to Siberia. Once they would be in Siberia they will be left to their own and only a drop of food will be provided and obviously most Jews will perish almost immediately and then they’ll figure out what to do with the survivors. 

That Purim the farbrengen took place in the open space between 770 and 784 , (commonly called The Shilash) and it is the first farbrengen that the Rebbe said two maamorim. Before the Rebbe began the second Maamar, which was at the end of that farbrengen, he related the following story. 

After the Czar was overthrown in 1917 the newly- formed Russian government announced that in a few months there will be elections for the Duma (parliament) and people were allowed to vote for whomever they wanted to be their representative. The Rebbe Rashab encouraged all Jews to vote for proper candidates, and the chasidim understood that if this is what the Rebbe wants, it is an obligation for us to do so. 

There was a chossid who had no idea what the election was for, nevertheless he was going to vote for the candidate that the community said to vote for. Being that he was doing this to fulfill the Rebbe’s desire, he first went to the mikvah and then when he went to the voting place, he put on his gartel because he’s fulfilling a mission the Rebbe has gave him. 

When he heard some gentiles screaming hurah hurrah hurah, he did not understand that they were saying it in joyous anticipation of celebrating their candidates victory, rather he thought they were repeating the two Hebrew words, of Hoo Rah, which means he is bad, Evil and wicked. 

Since they shouted it out loud three times, he also said the two Hebrew words three times,  hoo rah hoo rah hoo rah. Somehow, while the Rebbe was saying these words three times, the chassidim at the farbrengen understood that the Rebbe wanted them to express this sentiment also. And they all began exclaiming in a loud voice, hoo rah, ho rah hoo rau. 

Everyone present understood something was afoot, and the Rebbe was doing something of tremendous importance for the Jewish people, but no one had any clue or inkling what had just transpired, or better said, what the Rebbe had just done someplace in the world.  

A few days later it was publicized that the official broadcaster of Russia announced, that chairman Stalin is not well and then three days later they “sadly” informed the Honorable comrades of Russia that Stalin is no longer alive. Some years later, after an individual who was in Stalin’s inner circle left Russia, revealed what actually happened. Stalin wrote a decree that all Jews are to be rounded up and exiled to Siberia where they should die. He handed it to Varushilev, the “Premier of the Soviet Union”

Normally his cabinet members rubber stamp whatever he said, because everyone knew that whoever does not go along with his decree will be executed. When he gave this decree to the Varushilev, upon reading it, he was beyond himself, and in front of Stalin he ripped it up into small pieces of paper, and then deliberately threw the pieces of paper at him. 

Stalin was so shocked, aghast, and frustrated as how this aide had the courage and audacity to disobey and even mock him by shredding his decree in front of him, that he had a heart attack and collapsed on the spot. He was carried to his room and there he laid unconscious for a few days until he died and that’s when the news reporter first informed Russia that he wasn’t well and subsequently that he had died. 

When people checked the time that he had his heart attack, they realized that it was the same time that the Rebbe concluded this story, and everybody present joined him loudly exclaiming hoo rah hoo rah hoo rah! 

There are a few points that are important to note: by the Rebbeiim, they often accomplish things through saying Torah, just as the Rebbe accomplished here by saying the story and then saying a maamar. 

Additionally, the Rebbe noted in the story that this incident happened after the Czar was deposed in 1917, and that happened shortly after the Rebbe Rashab said a maamar on Purim, that Hashem gave Moshe the power over Pharoh. 

I would also like to mention, this is not the only time that the Rebbe said a statement or a maamar and then the next morning the news announced that an enemy of the Jewish Nation was found no longer alive. 

Another memorable Purim Farbrengen occurred two years later, the Purim of 5715 (1955). In that farbrengen the Rebbe said in a Sicha that poverty is a test that many people have. They are so occupied trying to earn money to feed and support their family that they feel they don’t have time to daven and learn properly.

He then noted that however, for many people being rich \is a much more difficult test. After discussing this theme for some time, he said, those that are willing to stand firm against the negative effects that riches can have on them should raise their right hand to become wealthy.

 It is said that only three individuals raised their right hand. Then the Rebbe spoke quietly as if he’s talking to himself and noted that people write to me letters that there is no livelihood and it is difficult to live like this, and yet when I offer them an opportunity to become wealthy almost no one grabbed it. He then repeated this out loud and Rabbi Kazarnovsky announced,” Chassidim raise your right hand,” and almost everybody did then. But the Rebbe said the opportune moment has already passed. Those three individuals indeed became very wealthy. 

Another aspect that I am going to mention concerns the happiness that permeated every Purim farbrengen. It is written in Shulchan Aruch that there is an obligation for a person to become completely drunk on purim. The way it is expressed is, that the person should be so inebriated that he does not know the difference between blessed is Mordechai and cursed is Haman. 

During Purim farbrengens (until 5746-1986), the Rebbe would ask, is there anyone who’s willing to volunteer and to drink mashke until he reaches that stage. Generally speaking, there were two people who were willing to volunteer: Reb Meir Itkin and Reb Michoel Teitelbaum. However, some years the Rebbe mentioned people by name telling them that they should be the volunteer. 

However, Purim was not only a time that the Rebbe did tremendous miracles, but it was a time when the Rebbe revealed tremendous insights in Torah and guidance to chassidim or to the Jewish nation. 

In 5736 (1976), the Rebbe changed the custom of the Lubavitch. Until then, if someone was considering to begin putting on Rabbeinu Tam’s tefillin, the custom was to wait until he was 18 years old, and then the bochur would request permission from the Rebbe. At that farbrengen, the Rebbe stated that from now on, everyone should begin putting on Rabbeinu Tams, at their bar mitzvah, on condition if they would have it available for every day. 

Then there is the Purim of 5744 (1984) when the Rebbe gave a tremendous insight in a story of the Gemorah. The Gemorah notes, that Rabba invited Rav Zeira to join him for his festive program meal. During the meal, Rabba stood up and slaughtered Rav Zeira. He then asked Hashem to revive Rav Zeira and Rav Zeira came back to life. See Vol.31 of Likkutei Sichos.  

The following year, Rav Zaira invited Rabba once again to attend his festive Purim meal. However, this time Rabba demurred, he said not always does one merit to receive such great blessings as Revival from the dead. 

A Taste of Chassidus         ידו את משה ירים  ‍כאשר ’ והי    V’huyu k’asher yurim Moshe es yudoi 5730. 

The possuk informs us that when Moshe picked up his hands the Jewish people would become victorious against Amalek. 

Our sages explain that it wasn’t Moshe’s hands that made them victorious, but his hands were only a reminder to them to pray to Hashem and that is what caused them to be victorious. 

One may ask, why did the Jewish people need a reminder to turn and pray to Hashem, when this happened a very short time after Hashem split the sea for them and everybody saw G-dliness in the most revealed state possible. As our sages explain on the words of Zeh Keili, that even the simplest one amongst them was able to point out Hashem’s presence and see how He is the Creator. So why would they need a reminder and encouragement from Moshe to turn to Hashem? 

As is known, Chasidus explains that the soul has five parts (names), from lower to higher they are, nefesh, ruach, neshomah, chaya, and yechida. 

The body is able to contain the first three levels, however the other two, are beyond the capacity of the body to contain them. In Chassidic terminology, something that is able to be absorbed into something else, enters b’pnimiyous, while something that the body cannot absorb, surrounds the body from the outside, it is a makif. When these two aspects are applied in one’s service of Hashem, the first one refers to a person who is serving Hashem according to the rules of nature, meaning according to logic. While the second one refers to one who is serving Hashem on a level that is higher than nature, meaning above logic. 

There, it is explained that the neshoma aspect is referring to a person’s understanding of G-dliness BINA, the ruach aspect is referring to our emotions in the heart, while the nefesh aspect represents one’s work and action. In other words, when a person understands the greatness of G-dliness, that arouses a desire in the person to come closer to Hashem and the way one becomes close Hashem is by fulfilling His mitzvos. 

So one causes the other, it is a sequence, and that is what is meant according to logic.

While Chaya represents (wisdom) Chochma, which is a concept that is not yet defined (by the persons understanding) and the higher level of Yechida, represents the person’s (desire) ratzon, which is even higher than chochmah (and all intellectual aspects). So when the Jews were entering Eretz Yisroel, which was a settled land and everybody conducted themselves according to the system of nature, therefore the way to conquer it and the thirty-one kings who lived there and transform everything into holiness was by working and utilizing your natural strength or as expressed in this maamar, with the three levels of neshoma, ruach and nefesh. Therefore, there was no need in those wars for the Jewish people to come on to special assistance from Moshe. 

However, this war took place in the wilderness. The Wilderness is not settled, it’s not a natural habitat, and therefore natural capabilities are not able to change and transform something that is beyond natural situations. Therefore, in such a situation especially when the war was with Amalek who epitomizes the impure side of higher than logic, the Jewish people needed to fight it with its equal, with something which is above the natural way. Being that Moshe was that level, therefore he had to reveal it in the Jewish people.

To explain this in clearer terms, we have to understand what Amalek signifies and how Moshe was the antidote to that expression of rebellion. 

We say in Uhz Yusheer, “When the Nations heard of the tremendous miracles that Hashem did for the Jewish people they feared them. Yet Amalek conducted themselves in the opposite extreme. They decided to wage a war against the Jews. Meaning that they did not allow their understanding of Hashem, to inspire and affect their conduct and actions accordingly. So their conduct was above logic. This is why our sages describe Amalek as those who know their Master, and intentionally rebel against Him.

We find that this was also a unique quality of Moshe; of being above logic. Moshe declared we are Mah (nothing).

In essence, although he was the greatest person, he stated we are not an entity we are nothing. 

This expression of Mah, represents the level of Chochma, which can be split into two words Koach Mah. 

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.