We are at the thirty-fourth lesson in the Shalsheles HaYachas - the fourth part of the life story of the Rebbe Rayatz. In the previous part we began describing the year 5687, and we read that he founded the yeshivos in Bukhara, and from here we will continue on.
"On 15 Sivan he was imprisoned in the Spalerno prison". Regarding the entire episode of the imprisonment there exists an extremely detailed account, since the Rebbe Rayatz himself wrote a detailed diary of all the events of the imprisonment. The arrest began on Tuesday, 14 Sivan, the night leading into the 15th, at twelve thirty in the middle of the night, after the Rebbe had finished receiving chassidim for yechidus. Here it is written briefly that it was on 15 Sivan, and the prison was called "Spalerno".
"On 4 Tammuz he was sent to his place of exile, the city of Kostroma". Here it should be noted that seemingly it should say 3 Tammuz, which is the day on which he was sent. After the pressure that was applied to them - for they had sought to sentence him to the opposite of life, except that there was already pressure to release him - they wanted to send him on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, 30 Sivan, the first day of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, Thursday, on that very day, from the prison to exile for three years.
The Rebbe asked them when he would arrive in Kostroma, his place of exile, and they answered him that he would arrive on Shabbos. The Rebbe said to them: "On Shabbos I will not travel under any circumstances, unless you take me out of here by force". And indeed every additional moment there was a matter of danger to life, except that the Rebbe understood that they were planning the whole thing in order to cause him to travel on Shabbos, and therefore he insisted that on Shabbos he does not travel. In the end they gave in and sent him on Sunday, 3 Tammuz. In principle he was sent for three years.
But what happened afterwards? "On 12 Tammuz he was informed that he had been granted freedom". While he was in Kostroma the arrangement was that once a week he had to present himself at the offices of the GPU and show his presence, that he had not fled the city. On Tuesday, 12 Tammuz - which is also the birthday of the previous Rebbe - he presented himself at the GPU offices in Kostroma, together with the chassid Reb Eliyahu Chaim Althaus who accompanied him.
The official who sat there said to him: "I am glad to be the first to inform you that we have received an order to release you completely" - for all along the pressure and the efforts of intercession throughout the world had continued. At that moment, as described there, the chassid Reb Eliyahu Chaim Althaus was in shock and lost his composure, and the Rebbe had to calm him. However, since on that Tuesday a gentile holiday fell in the city of Kostroma, he could not receive the release certificate on that day, and he received it the next day, Wednesday, 13 Tammuz. This is what is written here further on, that "on 13 Tammuz he went free" - for the next day he actually received the release certificate in practice.
Later on, in the year 5705 it seems, the previous Rebbe spoke about the imprisonment and the liberation, and in that sichah he said about the nineteen days that he sat in prison: "About myself I did not think at all. I knew that I was not alone - I have a father, I have a grandfather, I have a great-grandfather" - that is, all of our Rebbeim, may their memory be blessed - "about myself I did not think at all and I did not worry at all". So the previous Rebbe testified about himself regarding the days he sat in prison, from 15 Sivan until 3 Tammuz.
Before he was taken to prison the Rebbe lived in Leningrad, and immediately when he went free he returned to his city. However, in the GPU offices in that city there was great bitterness that the matter had not succeeded for them, and that the worldwide pressure had brought about his release, and there was a great concern that they would immediately seek revenge and a pretext to return him to prison.
Out of this pressure it was understood that there was no way out, and that the Rebbe had to leave Leningrad. And then, as is written here, "and by order of the authorities he moved his residence to the settlement of Malachovka". Malachovka is a village about a half hour's travel from Moscow, and there he went to live, "near Moscow", so that there would be fewer eyes upon him.
On the other hand, it was clear that the Rebbe had to leave Russia as quickly as possible, since his staying there was always dangerous, because they saw him as a revolutionary fighting against the government. Therefore very great efforts of intercession were made, throughout the entire imprisonment, in Russia, in Latvia and in Riga, with government people and various connections; an extensive description of these matters can be seen in the accounts printed in the book of his life story.
At first a basic approval was given, that they were prepared for the Rebbe to leave Russia, but on condition that the entire family - his wife, the daughters and his mother - would remain in Russia as hostages, so that he would not stir up revolutions against the regime from outside Russia. The Rebbe did not agree to this, and in the end the pressure was effective and they agreed to release them all.
Afterwards there was a whole story surrounding his wish to take out of Russia also all of his furniture and his books - this too was an entire process according to law, that there is someone who has to authorize the removal of the books. In the end the pressure was effective, and as is written here, "on Isru Chag of Sukkos he travels out of Russia".
Beforehand, on the festival of Sukkos and on Simchas Torah of that year, 5688, the official parting from the chassidim took place at a Simchas Torah farbrengen. They sat in a large hall, and several hundred chassidim joined in it, and the Rebbe spoke before them words of strengthening and encouragement and said to them: "All in all I am moving from place to place, but we are not parting - we will yet see each other again".
And in practice, on Isru Chag he left with the entire family: his mother the Rebbetzin, the daughters, six more chassidim, and four train cars full of his furniture and his books - all of these they let him take out. The Rebbe also joined him and left with him, and at first they pressed that he should not leave, and he said to them: "This is my son-in-law" - for the Rebbe was already at that time engaged to his daughter. They said to him: "A groom? Find yourself another groom outside the country". He answered them: "Such a groom I will not find anywhere". That was the pressure, and in the end they agreed to everything.
Let us look at another line: he travels from Russia "and settles in Riga - Latvia". He arrived in Riga in Latvia, and "founds a yeshivah there". It is told that when the Rebbe arrived in Riga the chassidim there once asked him: "How do you feel now, after all that you went through in the past half year - all the events, the pressure and the danger to life?". The Rebbe answered them: "If someone were to offer to sell me for a billion one moment of suffering in the future - I would not buy it; but if someone were to offer to buy from me for a billion one moment of the suffering that I had - I would not sell".