Since we are now on the 9th Kislev after mid-day we are already connected to 10th Kislev. The connection is a two-fold one. Each day is the eve of the next day [especially the eve of Shabbos after mid-day] and also that today [Shabbos] we begin to read the portion in Torah of the following week.
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| Citadel of King David |
The Redemption [freedom from Russian imprisonment] of the Mitteler Rebbe [second Lubavitcher Rebbe] is in many ways comparable to that of his father the Alter Rebbe [Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad dynasty].
Similar life incidents of our patriarch Yaakov took place in the life of his son Yosef. In a same vein, similar incidents of the Alter Rebbe took place in the life of his son the Mitteler Rebbe. Regarding the Redemption of the Alter Rebbe, he himself writes that at the moment he uttered the words of Psalms ‘He [G-d] redeemed my soul’ he was told of his impending freedom [which took place on 19th day of Kislev]; the same was true of the Mitteler Rebbe. When he uttered the very same words of Psalms ‘He redeemed my soul’, was he released from prison [on 10th day of Kislev]. It is self understood that 10th day in Kislev is similar to 19th Kislev.
The Alter Rebbe writes that the charity which he gave for the Land of Israel was the Mitzvah which stood by him. That is, by virtue of the charity which he sent to the Jewish People then living in Eretz Israel [did the healing [freedom] precede his torment [imprisonment].
Many years before his imprisonment he had distributed this charity, which ultimately brought about his Redemption. Similarly, the Mitteler Rebbe [the second Rebbe of Lubavitch] also was occupied several years earlier with giving charity to Eretz Israel and its merit stood him in good stead. There were those who informed against him to the Russian government. Although the accusations were lies, nevertheless there had to be an element of truth in their words since lies alone can have no standing. He was accused of sending great sums of money to the Turks for their war effort against Russia. In fact, he was sending money, but not to the amounts attributed to him, and certainly not for that purpose, but rather for charity to Eretz Israel.
The merit of this Tzedaka stood him in good stead in that he was ultimately redeemed. The writings and service of G-d of the Alter Rebbe [the father] were points of Chassidic wisdom whilst Chassidic writings and the service of the Mitteler Rebbe were an expansion of those points of his father’s wisdom. This being the case, it appears that his life was no more than a continuation of his father’s – as in our example of the charity they both gave to the Holy Land. However, there actually was an innovation in the Mitteler Rebbe’s life previously non-existent in the life of the Alter Rebbe – his father.
We are referring to the actual acquisition made by the Mitteler Rebbe of an estate in Hebron! Such a purchase was made neither by the Baal Shem Tov, nor by the Maggid [of Mezritch], and also not by the Alter Rebbe, but was an absolute innovation of the Mitteler Rebbe; as he wrote in his letter that he has purchased an estate in Hebron. [This was consequent to his delving into the mystical Torah insights pertaining to Hebron, whereupon he actually purchased a piece of real estate there].
Public gathering Parshas Vayeitze 1969
