Weekly Story: Basi L’Gani – Yud Shevat
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
Being that this Shabbos is Yud Shevat, I decided to begin by giving some historical background to the maamar Basi L’Gani. Then we will discuss a thought of chapter 11, Based on the Rebbe’s maamar of 5721 (1961) and 5741 (1981) and conclude through a story with a thought on Shivim shanah (70 years of the Rebbe’s nesius).
When the Frierdiker Rebbe arrived in America, he said a maamar Chassidus almost every week on Tuesday evenings.[1] However, after the petira of his mother Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah, on Shabbos parshas Bo,) the 13th of Shevat 5702 (1942), he rarely said a maamar, (besides every Shavuos and a few other times). Rather, he wrote them and they were published.[2] The last maamar that he actually said was on Yud Beis Tammuz 5705 (1945).
From then on, he instructed otzer HaChassidim (Kehot) to publish a maamar in conjunction with yomim tovim. The maamorim that were published to be learned in the years 5706 -5710, (1946-1950), were maamorim that he had said earlier on in his nesius. Either he took one from his manuscripts or instructed our Rebbe to obtain from elder chassidim their copy of a maamar they have[3] and prepared them for publication.
In addition to checking the maamar for accuracy, the Frierdiker Rebbe made three major changes even on the maamorim that were being published from his own manuscript.
- He divided each maamar into chapters.
- He added a short summary after each chapter
- He added a new divrei hamaschil (opening words) and closing words to most of these maamorim. In essence he was using a concept in Chassidus and applying it to a new thought.
The Maamar Basi L’Gani which he gave out to be learned on Yud Shevat 5710 (1950), is the opening maamar of a hemshech of four maamorim. The first maamar of Basi L’Gani was to be learned on Yud Shevat, the yahrzeit of his paternal grandmother, Rebbetzin Rivkah. The second maamar of this hemshech, HaYosheves BaGanim, was to be learned on Yud Gimmel Shevat, the yahrzeit of his mother, Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah. The third maamar was to be learned for Purim and the fourth and final maamar of this hemshech was to be learned on Beis Nissan, the yarzheit of his father, the Rebbe Rashab.
Originally, when he said them the first time, they were two maamorim. The first one was said on Parshas Bo 5683 (1923). That maamar began with the words Vayehi b’etzem hayom hazah and on the following Shabbos, parshas beshalach he said the second one, starting with the words Vayomer Hashem el Moshe, mah titzak eh’lie.
In 5710, in both of these maamorim, the Frierdiker Rebbe deleted the first paragraph and began the maamar with what was the second one then.
Furthermore, on the first maamar which he divided into two maamorim, and published before Yud Shevat, he made a summary on them, and they were printed in one kuntres (booklet). However, the second maamar, besides for dividing it into two and removing the first paragraph, he did not have time to write a summary of each paragraph, and each one was printed as its own kuntres.[4]
The following year, when the Rebbe officially accepted the Nesius, he said a maamar explaining the concepts mentioned in the first chapter. This was the beginning of a novel concept, showing us some of the depth of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s maamar, by primarily expounding on the concept of that one chapter. Each year after that the Rebbe would quickly summarize the chapters of the previous year(s) and then begin to expound on the corresponding chapter for that year, concluding the cycle on yud shevat hagadol in 5730 (1970).[5]
The following year, in 5731 (1971), people were thinking what will happen now, but the Rebbe began the cycle anew. Some years he said two (or even three)[6] maamorim explaining the chapter, so on each chapter of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s maamar, there are two or three maamorim of the Rebbe.
This year, is chapter eleven, which discusses the name of Tzi’vukois, and its relationship to the word Tzuvah, describing a soldiers’ obedience. Many people have pointed out that the Rebbe explained this chapter in 5721 and 5741 (1961 and 1981), and isn’t it interesting that in 5741 (1981) is the year the Rebbe established Tzivos (the army of) Hashem.
In the maamar of 5721 (1961) and 5741 (1981), one of the points the Rebbe expounds on is the fact that a king could fight a battle for two reasons. One is to acquire something, for example he wants to expand his kingdom and conquers another country, and the other reason is to protect his kingdom.
The difference between them is for the first war, he makes a calculation is it worth it and just how much should he spend on it. However, when he is fighting to save his kingdom, he would use everything in his disposal and would open up and use everything in the treasure houses.
In order to accomplish victory, the king would even put his life in danger.
The Rebbe explains that in our avodah, this means, that we must overcome every obstacle, including our perceived limitations.
One of the fundamental aspects of the Rebbe’s nesius is the empowerment of the shiluchim.
We all know of the question of what is the definition of a shliach. Is he an independent person that does something on behalf of the one who sent him, or is he an extension of that person?
In my research for the Frierdiker Rebbe’s biography, I heard the following:
Rabbi Yosef Menachem Mendel Tenenbaum, was one of the nine students that were allowed to leave Shanghai China in 5701 (1941) and immigrate to Canada.
A few years later, in 5704 (1944) he received a visa that allowed him to come to America and was invited to be one of the ten people by the seder of the Frierdiker Rebbe. The relationship between the Frierdiker Rebbe and the students who managed to escape Poland and the atrocities of WWII was phenomenal. The Rebbe looked after them as his children, and they considered the Rebbe their father.
So now after being separated from the Rebbe for almost five years, he was able to see the Rebbe and although bochurim in general were not allowed upstairs, he was invited to partake at the Rebbe’s seder.
After Pesach, the Rebbe told him, he should go to Pennsylvania to open up a day school. Without saying a word, his facial expression showed his feelings. I am finally able to be with the Rebbe and I am being sent away.
The Rebbe noticed this and said, Yosef, you are a limb of mine. A limb obeys!
Fellow chassidim we are not people that are somewhat connected to Lubavitch and the Rebbe, and therefore from time to time, we take off from our busy schedule to do what the Rebbe wants. We are not even employees of Lubavitch that our job is to fulfill the Rebbe’s instructions. We have the ability to become the Rebbe’s limbs, by forgoing our own desires and focusing on fulfilling the Rebbe’s desire.
Find another Jew and bring him/her closer to Yiddishkeit. Find another Jew who is observant and bring him/her closer to the ways of Chassidus.
This way we will fulfill the mandate the Rebbe gave us seventy years ago of preparing the world for the coming of Moshiach, may it be speedily in our days.
This weeks post is lzechus the complete and immediate refuah for my sister Chaya Rivkah bas Cheyena together with all those who are in need of a brocha
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] Author’s note: When the Frierdiker Rebbe visited America ten years earlier, he wrote a letter to chassidim stating that they should set aside one evening a week to learn Chassidus. He then suggested that it be Tuesday evening
[2] Those maamorim are printed in the series Sfer HaMaaamorim for each year. This is in addition to the maamorim he wrote for the monthly journal Hakriah V’Hakedusha, during the war years, those maamorim are published separately in Sefer HaMaamorim Yiddish, and were translated into English by Sichos In English.
[3] The reason he had to obtain it from chassidim is that when he left Russia and then escaped Poland, he wasn’t able to take everything with him.
[4] In Sefer Hamaamorim 5710 they are printed as kuntres numbers, 74, 75 and 76. Then throughout the year, the Rebbe being that he was placed in charge of Kehot and giving out maamorim would choose a maamar, noting that this was the strong desire of his father in law the Rebbe that chassidim learn a mammar in honor of the yom tov etc. However, as noted above (See “Igud Talmidei HaTmimim Poland”), that the Frierdiker Rebbe gave him the Igros kodesh to review before publishing them in HaTomim.
[5] It is called Yud Shevat Hagadol, because that year the Rebbe completed the Sefer Torah to greet Moshiach.
[6] This happened when Yud Shevat was on a Shabbos, the Rebbe said a maamar on Friday night, Shabbos day and motzei Shabbos.
