We are in the Shalsheles HaYachas of Rabboseinu Nesieinu. Lesson number sixty-four in the life story of the Rebbe, part 24. Today we will tell about the year 5730, as it appears in the Shalsheles HaYachas.
The first sentence: "5730 - He announces that close to 10 Shevat they will complete the Sefer Torah "to greet the face of Moshiach Tzidkeinu", which was begun by his honorable holiness the Rebbe (Maharayatz), may his soul rest in Eden, and he arouses regarding participation in its final letters".
On 3 Shevat of that year, at the farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Va'eira, the Rebbe referred to the instruction of the Rebbe Rayatz to write a Sefer Torah whose purpose is to greet the face of Moshiach Tzidkeinu. The Rebbe Rayatz spoke about this on the night of Simchas Torah 5702, and said then the idea of writing a special Sefer Torah for this purpose - to greet the face of Moshiach.
The Rebbe Rayatz also wrote that at first this was a closely guarded secret with him and he wished to do it privately, but on Simchas Torah it occurred to him to share this great merit with all of Klal Yisrael, and therefore he announced it publicly at the Simchas Torah farbrengen of 5702. He continued and wrote that whoever wishes to participate in the writing of the letters - the ability and permission is in his hands. In practice the writing began on 2 Iyar 5703, on a uniquely special parchment, specifically from animals that were slaughtered and kosher.
The completion itself was delayed for many years, and in 5730, on Shabbos Parshas Va'eira, the Rebbe announced that the completion would be in the coming days, at the completion of twenty years since the passing of the Rebbe Rayatz - who passed away, as is known, on 10 Shevat 5710.
On Erev Shabbos Kodesh, 9 Shevat, after midday, the special ceremony of completing the Sefer Torah of Moshiach was held. The Rebbe said a short sichah; R' Shmuel Levitin said the verses of "Mizmor Lamnatzeiach"; they sang the niggunim of Rabboseinu Nesieinu; and the actual completion of writing the final letters was done. They said the verses of "Atah Hareisa", sang the niggun "Perazos Teishev Yerushalayim", and did the gelilah. The Rebbe placed on the Sefer Torah a special crown that he had brought with him to the farbrengen, and they brought the Sefer into the Aron Kodesh. The Rebbe recited Shehecheyanu and ate a new fruit, and afterward said a maamar of chassidus, the dibbur hamaschil "Lehavin Inyan Kesivas Sefer Torah", and another short sichah.
The next thing written in the Shalsheles HaYachas: "He begins (also openly) the battle against the terrible decree of "Mihu Yehudi"". This was at the Purim farbrengen of 5730, at which the Rebbe spoke for the first time and at length about the unfortunate law that was passed then in the Knesset, according to which any conversion - even a Reform conversion - would be considered such that they would register the non-Jew as a Jew. The Rebbe spoke about the bundle of troubles that this causes the Jewish people, and from then on a struggle of years began to amend the law, about which the Rebbe spoke on many occasions, very sharply and at length.
The next thing in the Shalsheles HaYachas: "He comes out with a call against holding demonstrations in favor of the emigration of Russian Jews, because of undesirable consequences". In that same year, on Shabbos Mevarchim Chodesh Iyar, the Rebbe referred to the demonstrations that were held in America against Russia with the aim of freeing Russian Jews, and said that these demonstrations are liable only to cause harm, and it would be better that they say a chapter of Tehillim - which would help more than the demonstration.
The Rebbe also referred to an additional point: in all these demonstrations they come out with placards of three words, "Send out My people", and they omit the following word - "and they will serve Me", meaning that they omit the main thing. The main thing is the service of Hashem, and they, as it were, severed the service of Hashem from the departure of the Jews from Russia.
Further on it is stated in the Shalsheles HaYachas: "He begins to print the works of his father, his honorable holiness the Rav, the gaon, the chassid, the mekubal, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, may his memory be a blessing". It is known that when the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, was exiled, the Rebbetzin - the Rebbe's mother, Rebbetzin Chana - came to be together with him in exile. There she made ink with her own hands from plants, and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak wrote wondrous chiddushei Torah in the margins of the pages of the seforim.
After the passing of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, the Rebbetzin entrusted these treasures to trustworthy people in Moscow, and afterward she left Russia. Later a special and complex operation was carried out, in which they succeeded in transferring the manuscripts by way of the Israeli embassy in Russia, and thus they reached the Rebbe. In that year, 5730, the Rebbe began to print the seforim.
The last thing written: "He begins to explain (every Shabbos Kodesh) the notes of his father, may his memory be a blessing, in Likkutei Levi Yitzchak on Tanya, and he continues with this in the year 5731". The sefer of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's explanations on Tanya, called "Likkutei Levi Yitzchak", was published on Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av of that year, 5730. And on 20 Menachem Av, which is the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe's father, on Shabbos Parshas Eikev, the Rebbe began to explain at the farbrengen his father's notes on Iggeres HaTeshuvah, and he continued with this until after the sichah of Shabbos Vayakhel-Pekudei in the year 5731.