“In the past, when someone wanted to cause great damage, he could not do it by himself. A group of people had to gather, make plans, and choose a leader. However, today events are occurring in the world that no one could ever have predicted. ...We are talking about people and national leaders who have ‘human form,’ 248 limbs and 365 sinews, and they speak as if with wisdom. Yet, even so, their actual leadership is uncivilized. ...And only through G-d’s kindness, where ‘the heart of kings and ministers is in the Hand of G-d,’ are matters conducted above nature!
True Peace Around the World
During the farbrengen of Parshas Bechukosai, 19th Iyar, 5741/1981, the Lubavitcher Rebbe spoke very strongly about the world situation, “which is deteriorating, G-d forbid:”
“In the past, when someone wanted to cause great damage, he could not do it by himself. A group of people had to gather, make plans, and choose a leader. However, today events are occurring in the world that no one could ever have predicted. …We are talking about people and national leaders who have ‘human form,’ 248 limbs and 365 sinews, and they speak as if with wisdom. Yet, even so, their actual leadership is uncivilized. …And only through G-d’s kindness, where ‘the heart of kings and ministers is in the Hand of G-d,’ are matters conducted above nature!
“With such people, it is sufficient for just one of them to push the ‘button’ to bring destruction and ruin to the entire world, G-d forbid. … One single madman who is sitting on a royal throne in Africa or any other country, or even an individual who does not occupy a throne, can creep into the place where the ‘button’ is located, and press this ‘button,’ thus destroying and demolishing not only his own home, but the entire world …And it is simply a miracle that is completely above nature that every single day, through G-d’s kindness, such a thing has not happened.
The question could be asked, ‘Why has G-d done this?’ And the answer is that there is a descent for the sake of an ascent, so that the Children of Israel will awaken and increase their endeavors in all matters of Torah and mitzvos. And as it is written, ‘If you follow in My statutes …I will provide your rains in their time.’ The service of the Jewish people, -‘If you follow in My statutes and observe My commandments,’ -… will bring peace to the Land.”
Further on, the Rebbe stated that to bring peace to the world, we need to bring peace among the Jews and work to increase brotherly love and Jewish unity. To unite all of the Jewish nation, we need a single mitzvah that every Jew should observe, and this will bring them together. This mitzvah needs to be of an eternal nature. In fact, the present condition of the world is such that at any moment the opposite of peace could be brought to the world, and we therefore need a mitzvah that can be fulfilled constantly, uniting the entire Jewish nation in an eternal bond, bringing peace to the world forever.
This is the mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah, which has eternal holiness, and when the entire Jewish nation takes part in writing it, everyone is united with a single sefer Torah. There is a great and special merit when children who have not yet reached bar and bas mitzvah age are involved, for with them they “have no sin,” and the Heavenly Court cannot find anything lacking within them. Within young children is revealed the innermost will of the Jew – the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos. This is especially the case when a sefer Torah is written within the walls of the Holy City of Jerusalem.
(Shabbos 119b)
For this reason, the Rebbe appealed to the community to work hard between Lag Baomer and Shavuos that year to sign up Jewish children for a special sefer Torah, and inspired the Chassidim with a heartfelt request to dedicate themselves to this cause with all of their energies. In the coming days, the Rebbe hurried the community on in various ways, such as through urgent telegrams that were sent to Israel to rush those who were involved in registering children for the sefer Torah. This created the feeling that this was a very urgent task, and every moment should be utilized for this important purpose.
At the farbrengen on Shabbos Parshas Nasso, 4th Sivan, the Rebbe instructed that the following day, erev Shavuos, the Chassidim should abandon their other activities and sign up children for the sefer Torah. The Rebbe even asked to receive reports on that very day of how many children had purchased letters in every country in the world.
On Sunday, 5th Sivan, in the late afternoon of erev Shavuos, the Rebbe received, as requested, up-to-date reports of the numbers of children who had registered for the sefer Torah from all of the countries. At the same time, shortly before Shavuos began, planes took off from Israel bound for Iraq, where they blew up the atomic reactors.
Today, it has become even more apparent that this activity involved many revealed miracles.
Every One Who Shall be Found Written in the Book”
At the beginning of the final chapter of Daniel, the verses deal with the era preceding the coming of Moshiach, as it states, “And at that time shall Mikhael stand up, the great chief angel who stands for the children of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation till that same time, and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who shall be found written in the book.”
The literal meaning of this passage (as explained by Rabbi Yeshayah Mitrani, author of Tosfos Rid) is that the words, “every one who shall be found written in the book” alludes to those who are written in G-d’s Book – the sefer Torah. Therefore, at a “time of trouble,” when the world is trembling, the prophet is promising us and is alluding to the way to success and protection for the Jewish people (in addition to the protection that the angel Mikhael is giving to the nation of Israel).
In other words, anyone who has a letter in a sefer Torah will be delivered from sorrow.
(From the sichos of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shabbos Parshas Mikeitz, 5742/1982)
