The
Seifer Torah Of Moshiach
Interview by Shneur Zalman Berger
Moshiach’s
coming was always in the forefront in the world of Chabad. However, a few times
it became a burning issue. * One of those times was Yud Shvat 5730, which marked
twenty years of the Rebbe’s nesius. * This was also the day of the Hachnasas
Seifer Torah to Greet Moshiach. * Beis Moshiach interviewed three talmidim of
the kvutza of that year, who describe their thoughts and feelings on that
momentous occasion.
Participants:
Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Berger
Rabbi Chaim Meir Chazan
Rabbi Eliyahu Dahan
The
Seifer Torah Shel Moshiach was completed on Friday, after midday, Erev
Shabbos Yud Shvat, twenty years into the Rebbe’s leadership. Today,
thirty-one years later, many people still remember that momentous occasion. As
though they just saw it yesterday, they remember how the Rebbe removed the crown
from its box. People were certain that he would place it on his head, wave his
hand, and call out, "Yidden, the time for your Redemption has
arrived! Let us go to Yerushalayim..."
Rabbi
Berger: "It wasn’t a wish and it
wasn’t a feeling. It was absolute knowledge. We all knew that was the day that
Moshiach would be revealed."
The
writing of this seifer Torah began years before, at the height of World
War II, when Jewish blood ran like water and millions of Jews were killed al
kiddush Hashem. In Iyar of 5702 (1942), the Rebbe Rayatz instructed that a
Torah be written, with which the Jewish people would go out to greet Moshiach.
The writing began in secret, on special parchment made from kosher animals that
had been shechted. At first, the Rebbe Rayatz wanted to obtain parchment
from Eretz Yisroel, but the expense was prohibitive. So he agreed that it should
be made in the United States. This, however, was no simple matter, for all skins
were taken by the government for military use.
Rabbi
Eliyahu Nachum Sklar was appointed to obtain skins and have them prepared for
parchment. The sofer was the Chassid R’ Shmaryahu Factor. The Rebbe
Rayatz paid for the parchment and the sofer. Afterwards, the Rebbe
decided to allow everyone to participate in the mitzva, and he publicly
announced that all were urged to buy letters in the seifer Torah. He
appointed a committee for this purpose, which consisted of Rabbi Eliyahu Yachel
Simpson, Rabbi Dovid Shifrin, and Rabbi Shmuel Levitin. A similar committee was
formed in Eretz Yisroel, headed by Rabbi Shlomo Yehuda Leib Eliezerov.
At
that time, an announcement was made: "All the technical preparations for
the writing of the seifer Torah have been completed, thank G-d, and the
Rebbe shlita invites our fellow Anash and all Jews in Eretz
Yisroel to hurry and join in this great z’chus."
Less
than a year after the writing began, the Rebbe Rayatz announced that the writing
would soon be completed. But then, for reasons never discovered, nothing
happened. As time passed, it was almost completely forgotten.
Eight
years went by, and the Rebbe Rayatz was nistalek. Even after the Rebbe
MH"M became Rebbe, the topic hardly ever came up, except at the farbrengen
of Acharon shel Pesach 5711 and the farbrengen of Yud-Gimmel Tammuz 5715,
though the Rebbe did not say when the siyum would take place.
A
change took place in the month of Teives 5730. 770 buzzed with rumors of great
things to be expected on the upcoming Yud Shvat. Three talmidei ha’Tmimim
of the kvutza of that time described their sense of what went on:
Rabbi
Berger: There was a great hisorerus (inspiration)
at the time, since we knew that "twenty years later" was very special.
The bachurim were the ones who were primarily involved.
After
the passing of the Rebbe Rayatz, some people asked the Rebbe to explain a
statement the Rebbe Rayatz had said: "It will take place in my time,"
referring to the Geula. The Rebbe explained that one source says that
Shimshon judged the nation for twenty years and another source says he judged
for forty years. The Yerushalmi explains that the Plishtim feared him for twenty
years following Shimshon’s death. From this we understood that the revelation
of Moshiach would take place twenty years after the Rebbe Rayatz’s histalkus.
In
addition, a few months earlier, there had been a yechidus for one of the Tmimim
of the kvutza. He told us that from the Rebbe’s words, he gathered
that Moshiach would be revealed by Yud Shvat. This was another reason for the
tension and anticipation we all felt.
Rabbi
Dahan: The fact that the Rebbe would be
finished explaining all the osiyos (sections) of the maamer "Basi
L’Gani" that year, also made us think that this would be the siyum,
and gave us the feeling that something was going to happen.
Rabbi
Chazan: It wasn’t something that we
debated. We were all 100% certain that after Yud Shvat would be the Geula.
No questions were asked, and nobody tried to find allusions in works of halacha,
Chassidus, or Kabbala.
Then
on Erev Rosh Chodesh Shvat, the Rebbe announced that he wanted to
complete the seifer Torah to Greet Moshiach. That was all we needed to
hear!
Rabbi
Berger: Nobody knew why the Rebbe
suddenly agreed to finish it. Rumor had it that a number of requests had come
from Eretz Yisroel to complete it, but the Rebbe had not agreed. But on Erev
Rosh Chodesh Shvat, which occurred on a Thursday that year, the Rebbe returned
from the Ohel and called some of the ziknei ha’Chassidim, among
them Rabbi Simpson, who was a member of the original committee, and the Rebbe
told them that the Rebbe Rayatz wanted the seifer Torah to be completed.
Rabbi
Chazan: Yes, that was a Thursday, and
the next day they began selling letters. Each letter cost a dollar (a lira in
Eretz Yisroel). There was great excitement and people rushed to buy letters.
Nobody knew when the siyum would take place, but people realized it would
be soon.
That
Shabbos, Gimmel Shvat, the Rebbe said some unusual things. The Rebbe asked why
the hisorerus came from Eretz Yisroel and not from here. The Rebbe quoted
the pasuk, "They turned their back to me and not their face,"
and explained that it is possible to stand near a great treasure, in the middle
of the day when the sun shines brightly, and with open eyes, and yet not see
anything because the person is looking off to the side.
"Where
is there a greater treasure than this, which all generations have been waiting
for: the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu?" the Rebbe continued. "The
treasure is out in the open, and it’s in the middle of the day. The sun is
shining and there’s light, yet people don’t see it because as they say here,
people are busy with other things!... There will be a siyum soon and you
can participate in the siyum of the writing. Even though each individual
cannot know which letter is his, and there are only a few lines left, everybody
can participate by having his name written down, and the angels will
arrange the distribution of the letters..."
At
the end of the sicha, the Rebbe told Rabbi Eliyahu Simpson to announce
the buying of letters in 770, which has a gematria of "(u)faratzta,"
and that people should sing a joyous niggun.
Letter-buying
took a week. The hisorerus was enormous. In Eretz Yisroel, a committee
was appointed which included Rabbi Itche Gansburg and Rabbi Shmuel Chefer.
Within a few days, over 10,000 people had bought letters in Eretz Yisroel. The
forms were sent to the Rebbe and people even received responses.
Did
everybody realize that Moshiach would be revealed?
Rabbi
Dahan: When the Rebbe announced the
completion of the seifer Torah, and remember, the Rebbe Rayatz had said
this seifer Torah was designated to greet Moshiach, everybody realized
what was going to take place – Geula. All indications pointed towards
one conclusion: Moshiach was coming!
Rabbi
Berger: I remember another sign we
discussed then. On Rosh HaShana of that year, the Rebbe said a sicha in
which he said that the letters in the verses recited before blowing the shofar
had a gematria of 5730. Many people found this amazing. As Yud Shvat
approached, they associated this sign with the upcoming event. With all the
allusions, we were convinced that Moshiach was coming.
Rabbi
Chazan: Many guests began showing up in
770 from around the world. It was financially difficult to come from Eretz
Yisroel at that time, yet hundreds came. The mashpia R’ Shlomo Chaim
Kesselman came. He had never come for Yud Shvat. The mashpiim R’ Nissan
Nemenov and R’ Ben-Tziyon Shemtov came, too. 770 was just as crowded as on
Simchas Torah – or maybe even more than that.
Rabbi
Berger: People said that the Rebbe had
been sent letters of coronation as Moshiach from Eretz Yisroel, but they didn’t
know if the Rebbe responded to them.
Rabbi
Chazan: It was only Thursday night that
the secretaries announced that the siyum would take place the next day,
Erev Yud Shvat, at 1:30 p.m., with the Rebbe attending. The excitement was
incredible. Chassidim danced all night. We all thought it was the last night of Galus.
The joy was tremendous. 770 was full of Anash who had come from around
the world. They didn’t talk a lot. The mashpiim didn’t say much
either. Everybody knew that the next afternoon, it would happen.
***
Di
Yiddishe Heim at that time
described the scenen as follows:
"Erev
Shabbos. The beis midrash of 770 was completely full. People finished
work early that day. Women finished preparing the Shabbos meals and came en
masse. Residents and guests took their places, and the crowd was enormous,
looking like the ocean with waves rising and falling. People still kept running
in, getting swallowed up in the giant mass of humanity.
"Suddenly
everybody quieted down. The sea split and amazingly, a path was cleared within
the wall of people. Rabbi Eliyahu Simpson held the Seifer Torah of Moshiach, and
he was followed by the Rebbe, who held a closed box.
"The
Rebbe shlita sat in his place after the seifer Torah was placed on
the table near him. Thousands of hearts stormed silently, while glances from all
sides were fixed on one point, the penetrating eyes which beheld the entire
giant congregation with the caressing soul-look of a shepherd of Israel.
"The
Rebbe shlita began a sicha. Erev Shabbos after midday, the
Rebbe’s voice was suddenly borne aloft with a restrained sublimity, like a
boiling spring bursting forth, and he invited all Israel to participate in the siyum.
The leader of Israel’s words resounded like a Heavenly voice, which pierced
all walls and fences, ‘to all Bnei Yisroel wherever they are...those in
the Holy Land, those in the Diaspora, and certainly those in captivity in
distress’ ...and Jewish souls listened!
"The
Rebbe continued, ‘The time is not the usual, and therefore, the invitation is
through publicly saying chapter 20 of Tehillim.’ The Rebbe asked the eldest on
the seifer Torah committee to say the chapter, verse by verse, and that
everybody recite it after him. Rabbi Shmuel Levitin rose. He is an unusual,
elevated figure of the type of Chassidim, mashpiim, rabbanim, and chachomim
of generations past.
"The
Rebbe shlita got up. The crowd moved for a moment and then immediately
stood in expectant silence. R’ Shmuel’s voice, trembling with emotion, grew
stronger. Verse by verse, his voice grew louder, as did the responsive
recitation of the crowd.
"Tears
burst forth. Foreheads dripping with sweat were wiped, while eyes remained damp.
It felt like an inner earthquake or the rushing of a mighty stream within the
depths of the neshama.
"The
Rebbe shlita sat back down in his place, and all the niggunim of
the nesiei Chabad were sung. The human eye doesn’t see and the human
ear doesn’t hear what goes on in the world of souls, but somewhere deep down,
the Chassidic sense feels how the Fathers of Chassidus come in soul-contact with
us here.
"The
Rebbe rose again. The splendid figure of the Rebbe was surrounded by the elder
Chassidim, who bore expressions of dveikus. The seifer Torah was
open before them. In the silence one could hear the sound of the rolling of
parchment and the scratch of the feather quill, writing letter after letter. The
old sofer wrote slowly as the Rebbe fixed his gaze upon the holy letters.
Everybody, from old to young, great and small, held their breath with the
tension of yiras ha’kavod.
"Ata
Horeisa" was said, verse by verse, by distinguished members of Chabad
from around the world, representatives of various countries. Then the Torah was
rolled up and wrapped in the mantle, and the contents of the box the
Rebbe had brought in was revealed. It contained a golden kesser Torah (Torah
crown), with which the Rebbe crowned the atzei chayim. The Rebbe took the
Torah in his arms. A chuppa was spread over the Rebbe, and with the
accompaniment of various notables holding candles, the Rebbe slowly walked
towards the large aron kodesh.
Then
the Rebbe walked back to his place, said the SheHechiyanu blessing over a
new fruit and delivered the maamer "L’Havin Inyan K’sivas Seifer
Torah." Then the Rebbe said a brief sicha, emphasizing that
there remained only pachim k’tanim (small jars) before the Geula,
reminding us that the yahrtzeit wasn’t the proper time for a banquet,
but for divrei Torah and a hisorerus to arouse fear of Heaven.
The
Rebbe sang "Tzama Lecha Nafshi" himself, and then requested
"Anim Z’miros" to be sung, thus ending the siyum which
had taken nearly two hours.
Somebody
present noticed that before the sofer finished writing, he gave the quill
to the Rebbe so that the Rebbe could write the final word himself, but the Rebbe
handed him back the quill. This was the same sofer who had begun the
writing of the Torah in the time of the Rebbe Rayatz."
*
* *
You
were there at the siyum. What can you tell us about how you felt and
about special details that you noticed?
Rabbi
Dahan: I was sure that Moshiach would
be revealed momentarily, and I had no doubt who that would be. Because of our
tremendous excitement, I didn’t notice some details which were related
afterwards. I remember that there had been a tense silence. I cannot forget the
yearning and longing we felt: "Nu, when will it happen
already?"
After
the Rebbe walked in with a box, the Torah and the box (we didn’t know what the
box contained) were on the table. We knew that the Rebbe Rayatz had said that
this Torah would be the one to greet Moshiach, and we knew the yiras ha’kavod
with which the Rebbe treated this Torah. It was clear that any minute now we
would be going to greet Moshiach.
Rabbi
Berger: When the Rebbe entered the zal
with the box, none of us knew what it contained. Until then, in Lubavitch it
was not customary to place crowns on the sifrei Torah, so we didn’t
consider that as a possibility. When the Rebbe opened the box and removed the
crown, we were certain – I, as well as many others who related this – that
the Rebbe would place the crown on his head and be revealed as Moshiach.
*
* *
In
Kfar Chabad magazine, issue #496, Rabbi Sholom Hecht testified as
follows:
"A
few days before Yud Shvat 5730, the secretary told me that the Rebbe shlita
asked to see a Torah crown. I dealt with silver and gold items, so I secretly
went to the Rebbe at a time when nobody would notice, and I brought a selection
of 6-7 beautiful crowns.
"The
Rebbe spent a long time examining each crown, displaying amazing expertise on
the subject, and then finally chose one of them, a crown made of silver and
gold. It was especially beautiful, and I think it came from Russia.
"The
Rebbe held the crown and moved it to hear the sound of the bells, to see if
there was any halachic problem with it on Shabbos. Since the bells did
not have regular clappers (which are rounded on the bottom), but had a simple
piece which did not make the real sound of a bell, the Rebbe chose it.
"The
crown was engraved with the image of a deer, and I asked the Rebbe about it and
the Rebbe said it was fine.
"I
took the opportunity to tell the Rebbe a whole ‘Torah’ about Moshiach, along
with acronyms and gematriyos I had thought of. The Rebbe listened and
then commented, ‘Even though he didn’t see it, his mazal saw it,’ a
quote from the Gemara. The Rebbe meant that there was something to what I had
said. During the maamer at the siyum, I had the privilege of the
Rebbe mentioning some of my ideas."
Afterwards,
people were told that the money to buy the crown was taken from the extra money
that had been donated for the Torah, and this was according to the Rebbe’s
orders.
The
siyum took place and your expectations were not realized. Were you
disappointed?
Rabbi
Dahan: In the sicha after the siyum,
the Rebbe said that small jars still remained, and I was a bit disappointed.
After everyone dispersed, we went to our rooms and lay down, in a sad silence.
We weren’t depressed, because we were certain that Moshiach had to be revealed
any minute anyway, but we were very disappointed. Our expectation was that
Moshiach would be revealed at the siyum.
Rabbi
Chazan: Some said that ben Dovid
(Moshiach) wouldn’t come on Erev Shabbos or Shabbos. Of course, before the siyum
they said Moshiach would be revealed and Moshiach would take care of this halachic
problem. But after the fact, we waited until Motzaei Shabbos. We knew
that the twenty years were not over yet since Yud Shvat was on Shabbos. We
waited for the Motzaei Shabbos farbrengen.
Rabbi
Berger: In the maamer at the siyum,
the Rebbe had said that now the inyan of Moshiach is only a matter of
time. We understood time to mean soon. I pinned my hopes on the Motzaei Shabbos
farbrengen, especially since that farbrengen would be broadcast live
to Eretz Yisroel for the first time.
Rabbi
Chazan: On Shabbos, Yud Shvat, the
Rebbe said the maamer "Basi L’Gani," with an
explanation of the last os (section) of the Rebbe Rayatz’s maamer,
thus concluding all the osos. In the maamer said at the Motzaei
Shabbos farbrengen, the Rebbe began from the first os again. This
solved the mystery of what the Rebbe would do after finishing all the osos.
What
happened on Motzaei Shabbos?
Rabbi
Chazan: We continued to wait
expectantly for Motzaei Shabbos, and when nothing happened, I was very
disappointed.
Rabbi
Berger: On Motzaei Shabbos, the
Rebbe said that the Rebbe Rayatz could have paid for and written the seifer
Torah himself, but he wanted to include everybody. Then the Rebbe said that
there’s still life for another twenty years, comparing the present situation
with what happened after Shimshon passed away. The Plishtim continued to fear
him even after his death, "and when speaking about a nasi Yisroel,
who is irreplaceable and obviously maalin ba’kodesh (ascending in
holiness), after 20 years he becomes even higher and greater."
I
despaired after hearing this, because I realized that the Rebbe was saying that
the time hadn’t come yet.
Rabbi
Dahan: After the farbrengen that
Motzaei Shabbos, there was a farbrengen of mashpiim who had come
from afar. They encouraged Anash to believe even more strongly in the
revelation of Moshiach. One of them said it was apparently a keitz of
sorts, which unfortunately didn’t materialize.
Rabbi
Berger: I remember another farbrengen
with an argument between two mashpiim, R’ Shlomo Chaim Kesselman and R’
Ben-Tziyon Shemtov. R’ Shlomo Chaim said that compared to what they had
in Lubavitch, there was a yeridas ha’doros (a descent of the
generations), while R’ Ben-Tziyon maintained that dor l’dor y’shabach
maasecha and there was an aliyas ha’doros (an ascent of the
generations).
R’
Shlomo Chaim also remarked that Shlomo HaMelech did not have a Rebbe. If he had
had a Rebbe, he would have written the parables of love in Shir HaShirim
about a Rebbe and Chassid...
*
* *
At the
conclusion of this dialogue, the three rabbis emphasized that the expectation of
Moshiach’s revelation in 5730 was based primarily on the natural feelings of a
Chassid. This is in contrast to the situation today. We heard the Rebbe tell us,
"Humble ones, the time for your redemption has arrived," and we were
told to publicize the prophecy of "Behold, Moshiach comes." We are
certain that long before Yud Shvat, we will merit to walk with the Rebbe
MH"M, along with the seifer Torah of Moshiach, to our holy land.
CHANGES
Until
this farbrengen, the Rebbe had never granted permission for a photographer to
come to 770 to photograph a farbrengen. All the pictures we have from earlier
farbrengens were taken unobtrusively. The farbrengen of Erev Yud Shvat 5730 was
the first time that an official photographer was granted permission by the Rebbe
to come. It was the Israeli Yitzchok Berez who took 120 pictures, which were
later sold to the public. Rumor had it that the Rebbe said, with a smile,
"I thought he would take two or three pictures, not 120."
During
the farbrengen the Rebbe told the photographer many times to say l’chaim.
This
farbrengen featured another innovation, as well: it was broadcast live to Kfar
Chabad. It was early in the morning Israeli time, yet hundreds of Chassidim came
to hear the farbrengen.
Rabbi
Dahan: Because of these changes, we had the feeling that the Rebbe wanted to
bring about some change in the world.
Rabbi
Berger: I heard that they suggested that there be a satellite broadcast, but the
Rebbe responded negatively to this suggestion.
N’SHEI
CHABAD IN ERETZ YISROEL
The
hisorerus for completing the seifer Torah to Greet Moshiach also came about
through the "righteous women of the generation," the N’shei U’Bnos
Yisroel and N’shei Chabad of Eretz Yisroel.
The
following is an excerpt from the sicha Parshas VaEira 5730 (unedited): "
...there was a suggestion from Eretz Yisroel to complete the writing of the
seifer Torah to Greet Moshiach. At first glance the suggestion should have come
from here, where the Torah is, in the four cubits of 770. This is especially so
because those who expound gematriyos say that 770 is the numerical equivalent of
‘(u)faratzta,’ yet the suggestion came from Eretz Yisroel. This is a
question like every other question..."
This
is the idea that the Rebbe was referring to when he said, "They turned
their back to me, and not their face." It is explained in Chassidus that it’s
possible for a person to stand next to a great treasure, in the middle of the
day with the sun shining full force. He can stand there with his eyes open, and
yet, not see the treasure, because he is looking off to the side.
Where
has there ever been a greater treasure, what all the generations have yearned
and waited for – to bring Moshiach Tzidkeinu? The treasure is revealed at high
noon with the sun shining at full force, and they don’t notice it, because
they are looking off to the side. They are busy with other matters [albeit lofty
matters and matters of holiness, but they are still not looking] and therefore
they don’t see...
THE
POWER OF THE KING
Rabbi Dahan: In Adar, the Rebbe said that Moshe Rabbeinu finished the seifer Torah
immediately before his passing on Erev Shabbos. The Rebbe said this in
connection with the seifer Torah of Moshiach, which had engendered opposition
from Bnei Brak. The Rebbe said, "What a pity on those who don’t recognize
the greatness in participating in the seifer Torah, which the Nasi HaDor began
to write and writes! Since the Nasi is also from the root "me’asin," which means
to force, the Nasi has the power to include even those who say explicitly that
they don’t want..." The Rebbe also explained that a king can grant
property to someone against his will. the seifer torah of
Moshiach.
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