Thousands Celebrate the 19th of Kislev, Chag HaGeulah, in Russia’s Capital

This year, Moscow’s huge MTS event hall was the venue for the grand celebration held in honor of the 19th of Kislev. On this day, we mark the famous release from prison of the Alter Rebbe, the author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch, the founder of Chabad Chassidus, a disciple of the great Maggid of Mezeritch, whose Yom Hilula is also on this great and holy day.

On Tuesday afternoon, in the great city of Moscow, crowds of Jews from all over the city and its suburbs gathered together in spectacular unity. Community rabbis, yeshiva heads and elders, directors of dozens of Chabad houses, and the entire rainbow of Jews were there, all of them confident in the words of the holy Baal HaTanya, who promised great yeshuos to those who rejoice in his joy – the joy of redemption.

As the guests entered the hall, they were surprised by the size of the crowds and the orderly organization, which resulted in a great Kiddush Hashem, the likes of which  Moscow had never seen before. The meticulously planned program during the next few hours thrilled all the guests. Beginning with the appearance of the Chief Rabbis, Shlita, emceed by the community chairman, Rabbi Baruch Gorin, and community director, Rabbi Mordechai Weisberg, and ending with blessings of Sheva Brachos for a bride and groom, graduates of the educational institutions who got married the day before.

The first speaker was the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar, Shlita, who based his words on what the Alter Rebbe said, “Whoever rejoices in my joy, I will bring out of the straits (limitations and distress) into a broad place (a state of openness and abundance) ” – what is lacking most today is joy, and Chassidism gives us the opportunity to truly rejoice in our Avodat Hashem, but as the Rambam says at the end of Hilchos Lulav: This is difficult work, and it is only possible through Torah study.

Just as at the time of the revelation of Chassidus, there were difficulties in the world, so there are also difficult challenges today, and through serving  Hashem with joy and yiras shamayim, we can fulfill the commandments out of love.

He continued by calling on every Jew to take advantage of the existing Torah institutions in the city and appealed to the administrators to increase the number of benches in the study halls, to increase Torah classes, because this is the only way.

After screening footage of the Holy Lubavitcher Rebbe, video clips showcased the activities of the Shluchim with the Sephardic communities in the FSU countries over several generations. The videos were accompanied by Mizrahi singer Rabbi Moshe Locke who sang nigunim that had been sung during the Rebbe’s farbrengens in 770.

Then it was finally time for the guest of honor, who had come especially to grace and honor this great event, the Rishon LeZion and Sefardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Yosef Shlita, to address the crowd.

He began his remarks by emphasizing the importance of celebrating this great holiday, which is a source of light and life until our generation. “This is not a holiday for just one sector, but it belongs to the entire Jewish people,” he called out emotionally, noting the greatness of the revealed and hidden Torah of the  Baal HaTanya. “Today we see how Chassidut brings more and more Jews closer together. The Lubavitcher Rebbe founded a huge enterprise, the Shluchim enterprise. Rabbi Ovadia’s father had said that many Chabad customs were introduced to the Jews of Sefardic descent”.

He added: “I came here to express my appreciation on behalf of all the Jews of Israel and the Diaspora, to the Chief Rabbi of Russia, the Gaon Rabbi Lazar, for his untiring work for all the Jews of Russia and even beyond. There are many Yeshivas and flourishing Torah institutions here, and all thanks to one man, the Gaon, the Chassid, the Chief Rabbi, who came here a number of decades ago when it was still under the Iron Curtain. He suffered severely in the early days, to the point of hunger, and today we see Judaism flourishing here. I came here especially to honor the work of Rabbi Lazar, and I bless him and all those who are gathered here today; the esteemed rabbis, the great activists and supporters of the Torah, may they continue to rise ever higher fulfilling the Rebbe’s aspirations.

A chill ran through the thousands of participants when Maxim Harkin was invited to the stage. Rabbi Lazar took a glass of wine in his hand and pronounced the bracha of Bris Mila, bestowing a Jewish name to the survivor from Gaza who was in Hamas captivity for 738 days. This very morning he was honored to enter the covenant of Avraham Avinu, with the Chief Rabbi Shlita serving as sandak. Later, he wrapped tefillin on him and now he received the name Zalman-Zelig, after his maternal grandfather and in honor of the Chag HaGeulah. 

Philanthropist Rabbi Yehuda Davidov presented him with a pair of mehudar tefillin and Zalman Zelig Harkin went up to the stage to thank Hashem for the miracles that had happened to him. It was there – in the tunnels of the Hamas murderers – that this Jewish man discovered his faith and trust in Hashem, and this is what sustained him to overcome two difficult and bitter years.

Prominent in their presence were the President of the Union of Jewish Communities in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Rabbi Levi Leviev, and the President of the STMEGI Foundation, Mr. German Zakharyev – who were honored to sit alongside the Chief Rabbis.

The community chairman, Rabbi Baruch Gorin, invited the president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia, Rabbi Alexander Boroda, to come up and receive a rare gift in appreciation for his support of this great event: an original “Telegram” with the blessings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in honor of the holiday of redemption on the 19th of Kislev, inside a luxurious frame.

Rabbi Boroda noted that everything that happens in the world is a continuation of miracles and wonders in these times, as in the olden days, and it is necessary, along with thanksgiving, to ask for continued success and blessings and to increase

Jewish activities throughout the country.

At Birkas Hamazon, Rabbi Yitzchak Kogan of the Bolshaya Bronnaya Shul was honored with Zimun. Sheva Brachos for the bride and groom were recited by Roshei Yeshivos and Rosh Kolel.

In annual tradition, a raffle was held among all participants, on a dollar from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. This year, it was a dollar that the Rebbe had given exactly forty years today. The winner was HaTamim Hillel Tzadik, son of reb Ariel Tzadik O.B.M. one of the Kedoshei Meron. Hillel serves as a shliach in “Cheder Menachem”, alongside  thirty additional bochrim shluchim in Moscow’s educational institutions.

The guests, thrilled by Hillel’s win, broke out in joyful dancing, to the uplifting singing of the Hasidic musician Rabbi Yaakov Daskal, accompanied by the Malchus Choir, the orchestration of Mendy Brandwein and the child prodigy Ari Kraus, who swept the crowds off the ground with their beautiful Chassidic music.

The event, which is organized annually by the Gabaim of the central “Marina Roshcha” shul,  was professionally produced with expertise and dedication by Rabbi Mordechai Rabinowitz of Tip Productions.

Photography: Levi Nazarov