The fifty-sixth lesson in "Shalsheles HaYachas", and the sixteenth lesson on the Rebbe's life. We have reached the year 5715.
"5715 - Issues a call against the study of secular subjects in yeshivos until a certain age" - during the year 5715 the Rebbe spoke about this in a number of sichos. The first time was on Simchas Torah 5715, in a very sharp sicha; in the sefer "Toras Menachem" it is recorded there that not all the expressions said on the subject are remembered. Among other things the Rebbe said that it is entirely absurd to take young children, before the age of nine and before the age of twelve, and fill their heads with secular studies; one is literally robbing them of their lives and their years with studies that they have no desire for at all.
In the second half of the year, on 12 Tammuz, the Rebbe again spoke about this very sharply, and said that those who study secular subjects are like cripples. Among other things he mentioned that one sees tangibly that the vast majority of those who study various disciplines ultimately do not earn their livelihood from what they studied - livelihood comes about in a roundabout way, and the Holy One, blessed be He, brings it through other paths; whereas those who did not study also have a good livelihood. The Rebbe rejected the matter completely.
"Announces the prohibition of traveling on Israeli ships on Shabbos" - this is a very well known struggle that the Rebbe waged. At first it was conducted quietly and without much publicity, and in 5715 it was still not publicized, even though behind the scenes the Rebbe had already spoken about it a great deal. The public campaign began a year later, in 5716. The Rebbe turned to rabbanim and public figures that they should do everything in their power to stop the Shabbos sailings of the "Zim" company - a Jewish company - which are literal chillul Shabbos, and in many letters he wrote that the matter must be prevented.
"Founds "Tzeirei Agudas Chabad" in the United States and Canada" - this took place on 2 Iyar 5715, the birthday of the Rebbe Maharash, and on it the Tzeirei Agudas Chabad organization in the United States was established. It is interesting that the Rebbe once said in yechidus to a chassid, Rabbi Shmuel Gurary, and the matter became widely known: every person has the mitzvah and the matter about which it is said "zahir tfei" - the thing he lives with more, and it is his main matter; and each of our Rebbeim had his own "zahir tfei". And the Rebbe said: "My zahir tfei is Tzeirei Agudas Chabad".
"Founds a trade school in Kfar Chabad" - the Rebbe wanted that even students who have no place within the regular framework of a standard yeshiva should nevertheless be within a chassidic framework. For this purpose the trade school in Kfar Chabad was established: whoever is not capable of studying theoretical subjects all day would have vocational studies and the like, but would remain within the framework. This institution stood in this format for more than forty years, and out of it grew many chassidic Jews and men of action.
"5716 - Taught the niggun "Darkecha Elokeinu" - in 5716 a practice began that continued for nine years, in which the Rebbe taught a new niggun every Simchas Torah. That year it was after the hakafos on the night of Simchas Torah, at the time when the Rebbe distributed special mashke to everyone who took upon himself to add a daily shiur in nigleh and in chassidus. In the middle of the distribution the Rebbe stopped and said: about Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah it is written that they are like Rosh Hashanah; and now, on the night of Simchas Torah toward morning, it is like the night of Selichos, and like the middle of Selichos, and in Selichos we say "Darkecha Elokeinu leha'arich apecha". The Rebbe said that we should sing this niggun and it will do no harm - even though it mentions "leha'arich apecha", on Simchas Torah nothing is harmful.
The Rebbe sang the niggun many times, until the crowd learned it. He further explained that in the second part of the niggun we say "amidateinu dalim vereikim", and he said that "dalim vereikim" is nothing but a virtue, since it is known that "an empty vessel holds". This is the first niggun in the series of niggunim that the Rebbe would teach on Simchas Torah.
"Founds Yeshivas "Oholei Torah"" - following the sicha the Rebbe spoke in 5715 against the study of secular subjects, as mentioned above, in the month of Teves Yeshivas Oholei Torah was established by the chassid Rabbi Teichelbaum - an institution with holy studies only. Secular studies never entered it; rather it remained holy in a completely hermetic manner, as was the Rebbe's wish.
"Founds a summer camp and instructs that it be called by the name "Gan Yisroel" and travels (on Monday, 16 Tammuz) to visit it - before it begins - and holds a farbrengen there" - a summer camp is a place where children, during their vacation from studies, would have a framework of Torah and mitzvos during the summer days. Afterward the Rebbe explained that the name "Gan Yisroel" is after the Baal Shem Tov, who likewise occupied himself with the education of Jewish children, and therefore the camp was called by this name.
Among the organizers of its establishment were young bochurim, temimim; one of them was Reb Moshe Lazar, and with him another one, and afterward the Rebbe established an entire vaad for the camp. At the beginning of the establishment he came in to yechidus with the Rebbe, and the Rebbe gave him a check for the sum of three thousand dollars - an enormous sum in those years - as a participation in the beginning of the camp's work. And when he returned to 770, after he had organized the place before the camp's opening, he met with the Rebbe's secretary, who told him that the Rebbe wants to know how long the trip from 770 to the camp takes. He answered him: two to two and a half hours. Some time later the secretary told him that the Rebbe wishes to travel to the camp and farbreng there.
The Rebbe once expressed that he does not leave New York at all, but as far as he is concerned the camp is like a continuation of 770, and it is not considered that he is leaving the place. And as mentioned here, on 7 Tammuz the Rebbe traveled to visit the camp before its opening, and held a farbrengen there. The Rebbe helped the camp a great deal, and over the years he visited it two more times, as we will see in the coming years.
"In connection with the tragedy in the Holy Land, sends a group of students to encourage the spirits of those in the Holy Land" - on Rosh Chodesh Iyar 5716 terrorists entered Kfar Chabad and carried out a massacre in the trade school that had been established a year earlier; five students were murdered along with their instructor. This was a great heartbreak for the residents of Kfar Chabad and for the chassidim in the Land in general. In connection with this tragedy the Rebbe sent a group of students to encourage the spirits of those in the Holy Land - twelve students, who stayed in the Land a little less than a month, from Iyar until Rosh Chodesh Elul, and their entire purpose was to travel around the whole Holy Land and to encourage, arouse and strengthen the Jews in the Land after the great heartbreak.
"And founds the "Yad HaChamisha" institute in Kfar Chabad" - in that same trade school a large printing house was established, and its name was "Yad HaChamisha" - after the five students who were murdered by the terrorists in that incident.
"Founds the "Beis Rivkah" organization in the country of Australia. Founds the "Beis Rivkah" organization in the city of Montreal, Canada" - "Beis Rivkah" is an educational institution for girls, named after the Rebbetzin Rivkah, the wife of the Rebbe Maharash, and it exists in the Land as well. In that year it was established in these two places - in Australia and in Montreal.
Thus, in the first years of the Rebbe's leadership, the institutions that afterward became renowned and celebrated were established, and they continue to this very day to educate hundreds and thousands of students.