We are in the forty-sixth lesson in the chain of lineage, the biography of the Rebbe, in the sixth part. We stopped near the conclusion of the year 5689, having reached the passage beginning with the words "In the month of Shevat." What is described here? "In the month of Shevat he returns with the Rebbetzin to Berlin." We read and told that the Rebbe's wedding took place in the month of Kislev, the 14th of Kislev, and about eight weeks after the wedding, on Monday the 10th of Shevat, the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin left Riga and traveled to Berlin, where they were to live for most of the next three years.
Let us continue further. This time, in the month of Shevat, he returns with the Rebbetzin to Berlin, where he stays until the winter of 5693. We have here from 5689 until the winter of 5693. In the summer of 5689, it is known that the Rebbe Rayatz traveled to visit the Land of Israel, and afterward traveled to the United States. The journey of the Rebbe Rayatz began in Berlin; he first went to visit the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin in Berlin, and from there continued to the Land of Israel, and afterward was almost a full year in the United States and returned back to Poland.
The final passage here: "several times over the course of these years," during the years that the Rebbe was with the Rebbetzin in Berlin, "they would travel to meet his honored holiness my teacher and master the Rebbe, his father-in-law, in Riga." During the years that the Rebbe was in Berlin, he would travel from time to time to Riga in order to meet the Rebbe Rayatz.
Another journey is described here: "And likewise, at the wedding of his daughter," the wedding of the youngest daughter of the previous Rebbe, Rebbetzin Sheina. Her husband was the chassidic Rabbi, Rabbi Menachem Mendel HaKohen Ornstein, may God avenge his blood, and they were married on the 10th of Sivan 5692 in Poland, in the city of Lyadovenrov. As is written here, may God avenge his blood, they were murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust. The daughter of the previous Rebbe along with her husband, and they had no children, were also murdered in the Holocaust. But here it is described that the Rebbe of course traveled to participate in the wedding of his sister-in-law in Poland. This is a fourth journey.
The next matter recorded here in the chain of tradition brings us to 5692 (תרצ"ב). Regarding 5690 and 5691 there is no account here. In 5692 it is related that he traveled on a mission for his father-in-law, the Rebbe. The Rebbe traveled on a mission for the previous Rebbe, to visit the great Torah luminary Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, who was the rav of Vilna and among the greatest Torah scholars in Lithuania in those years. The Rebbe Rayatz sent with the Rebbe a letter to Rabbi Chaim Ozer for him to sign, that he should join in a certain public proclamation.
There is an interesting story, that when the Rebbe came to Reb Chaim Ozer on a mission from his father-in-law, he waited to be brought into Reb Chaim Ozer's room, and in the meantime, while he was waiting, those who were there found out that the young man waiting was the son-in-law of the Rebbe of Lubavitch. This was in a yeshiva, and some of the students gathered and began to speak with the Rebbe about matters of Torah study. The Rebbe sat silently and did not respond and did not relate to anything. And then reactions began among the people there, "Chassidim don't know how to learn," this is the son-in-law of the Rebbe of Lubavitch, but they don't know how to learn, because he didn't respond to anything.
Meanwhile, time passed and the opportunity arose for the Rebbe to be able to enter to Reb Chaim Ozer. The Rebbe entered to him and delivered the mission he had in the name of the previous Rebbe. After he finished, he went out. When he came out, the Rebbe turned to those who were there and said, "Whoever has a question can now present it; now we can talk." And of course they began to ask, and little by little more gathered, and everyone was very astonished by the erudition and depth they heard from the Rebbe.
Meanwhile, word reached inside to Rabbi Chaim Ozer that this young man was a tremendous scholar. Rabbi Chaim Ozer came out and asked the Rebbe, "Why didn't you speak up earlier and instead caused them to speak lashon hara about chassidim? You caused them to say that chassidim don't know how to learn. We asked you earlier and you didn't answer—why only now are you participating and answering them?" So the Rebbe answered Rabbi Chaim Ozer that "before I delivered the mission of the Rebbe, I didn't want to occupy myself with anything. I was focused on the mission," and he didn't even want to answer anyone anything. After he completed the mission, he was ready to answer. That is what the Rebbe answered Rabbi Chaim Ozer.
The next thing that appears here, he met with the Rav HaGaon Rav Baruch Ber Leibowitz. This was in that same year, 5692, on the 13th of Tammuz. HaGaon Rav Baruch Ber Leibowitz was the rosh yeshiva of Kamenitz, and the author of the sefarim Birkas Shmuel. He came to visit the Rebbe Rayatz. The Rebbe Rayatz was then in a resort town called Druskenik, and at that time he was resting, and they told him that Rav Baruch Ber had arrived to visit. The Rebbe Rayatz said that until he would be ready to come out, in the meantime the Rebbe should speak with him.
The Rebbe spoke with him, and the chassid Rabbi Shmuel Zalmanov was present there, who related that at this meeting citations from the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi flew through the air. There was a halachic and Torah discussion between them that was very, very deep, and he was greatly impressed by the Rebbe. This was Rabbi Baruch Ber Leibowitz.
The next thing we have here is about 5693. What is told about 5693? He met with the righteous Rabbi Chaim Elazar of Munkatch, author of the Minchas Elazar. The Rebbe Rayatz was at a healing spa, and the Rebbe accompanied the Rebbe Rayatz, and there he met with the Rebbe of Munkatch, the gaon Rabbi Chaim Elazar Shapira, well-known and famous, author of the Minchas Elazar. Before the Holocaust he had thousands of chassidim, a very very famous man. The Rebbe was in contact with him over the years in much correspondence on halachic matters, and many times he debated with him in his sichos, in the Likkutei Sichos, in many places. So the Rebbe met with him, and there were discussions and halachic conversations between them.
Whom else did the Rebbe meet with? With the great gaon Rabbi Shimon Shkop, who was the rosh yeshiva of Grodno and the author of the sefer Shaar HaYosher. He too came to visit the Rebbe Rayatz, and Rabbi Shmuel Zalmanov relates about this meeting, that the Rebbe met with Rabbi Shimon Shkop, also in halachic and Torah discussions.
The final section here, concerning this year of 5693, at the end of the winter, he was forced to uproot his residence to Paris. The Rebbe left Berlin, left Germany, and moved to Paris. What happened? During that period the Nazi party rose to power in Germany, and many persecutions against Jews began. So the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin left Berlin and moved to settle in France, in Paris, where they lived for close to eight years, in the wake of the rise of the Nazi party.
I will note that during this period the Rebbe served as the private secretary of his father-in-law, of blessed sainted memory. During those years the Rebbe would write letters on behalf of his father-in-law regarding matters he requested. He served as his secretary, even though he was not physically beside him, since he was in France, in Paris, but he carried out for him many actions and matters as a secretary.