We are in the middle of the chain of lineage, in the thirty-eighth lesson, in the eighth section of the biography of the Rebbe Rayatz. We have arrived at the year 5664. It is written thus in the chain of lineage: "5664, founding of the Niach society." "Niach" is an acronym, as appears in the parentheses, "Nigunei Chassidei Chabad" (Melodies of Chabad Chassidim). To gather and publish the melodies of Chabad. This was in the month of Tammuz of 5664, on the 11th of Tammuz to be more precise.
The Rebbe Rayatz wrote to a chassid named Rabbi Shmuel Zalmanov, who was a wonderful musician with a very, very special musical talent. In the letter he writes to him thus: "I appoint you to establish an association of Chabad chassidic niggunim, Nichoach." The goal is to gather the old Chabad niggunim, to cleanse them of errors, to seek the assistance of the elder students of the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva of the Rebbe of Lubavitch, and afterward to write down the melodies in musical notation through an expert, and to establish a committee of reviewers, and ultimately to bring this to print in an orderly fashion.
The members of the committee worked diligently, and they reached one hundred seventy-five niggunim, over which they labored very hard to write the musical notation and so forth. Over the years the Rebbe also greatly encouraged this, and records were released, and later through other media, which is called "Mak'helas Nichoach," the choir of the niggunim of Chabad chassidim. As mentioned, the one who founded this was the Rebbe Rayatz in 5704.
The following detail regarding that same year: the beginning of the publication of "Kovetz Lubavitch." What is the meaning of this line? As we already related earlier, in 5695 a periodical was published in Poland, which took more time between one issue and the next. It was called "HaTamim," and we have already spoken about this. As a sort of continuation of HaTamim, a Chabad periodical was published in Yiddish, in contrast to HaTamim which was in Lashon HaKodesh. It was called "Kovetz Lubavitch," and it was published between the years 5704 and 5706. In those years a total of eleven issues came out. Then it stopped, and it was renewed once again in 5715, and another four issues were published, until 5717.
What was the purpose of this publication? To describe the events taking place in Beis Chayeinu at the Rebbe's, to bring the Rebbe's timely directives and publicize them, to report what was happening in the Rebbe's institutions, and to bring news of what was happening among the chassidim. This was the purpose of this publication, which the Rebbe Rayatz founded in 5704.
The next thing that appears here regarding that year: "founder of the 'Bikur Cholim' society." What is the 'Bikur Cholim' society? In 5704, during the month of Av, the Rebbe Rayatz proposed to open an institution that would be called "Bikur Cholim." What is the purpose of the institution? First of all, to visit the sick among the chassidim, people who are in a state of illness—one must visit and encourage them. Separately, to take a group of local-language speakers, English speakers, who would visit the wounded soldiers and encourage them, bring them reading material, and gladden them. And the Rebbe asked to receive a work plan, a budget, whatever is needed, and that they think of a fitting name for the institution. Over time, branches were established in additional cities in the United States. With this we have concluded 5704.
Now let us read what is written in [the year] 5705, what the Rebbe Rayatz founded. First, regarding 5705 it is written: "Founding a Bureau of Aid for Refugees and their Settlement, with a department in Paris." The Rebbe Rayatz established a bureau after the end of the World War. The purpose of the bureau was to help the survivors of the war, those who survived the Holocaust and were in Europe and in all the places, to help them, to send them money and aid. At the head of the bureau stood Rabbi Shmuel Zalmanov. In France, in Paris, there was a central branch of this bureau, and for years they continued this bureau in Paris, and in chassidic circles it was called "the Lishke," and it had a role for many more years.
The next detail in the year 5705: founder of the "Adino" society. What is the "Adino" society? One of King David's mighty warriors who appears in Tanach was called Adino HaEtzni. The Gemara in tractate Moed Katan says that this name "Adino HaEtzni" comes to describe the uniqueness of the person. In what way did this express itself? The Gemara writes as follows: when he was engaged in Torah, he was "Adino." What is "Adino"? He would soften himself like a worm—this is the language of the Gemara. Rashi explains that he would bend himself, his hands and feet, to the ground, and sit and learn like a worm. So when he learned he was "Adino." When he went out to war, he was "HaEtzni," hardening himself like a tree, and he succeeded in felling hundreds of men at once. This is the character of the person.
The Rebbe Rayatz established, as he says here, an organization to be called the "Adino" organization. What is the "Adino" organization? There is a letter that the Rebbe Rayatz writes in 5705, on the 15th of Tevet. He addresses the outstanding avreichim who are engaged in Torah, those who toil in Torah, and tells them: "I want to establish the Adino organization." What is the purpose of the Adino organization? That from time to time there should be a gathering of the talmidei chachamim, all the avreichim and the students of the yeshivos, they would speak divrei Torah among themselves, they would hold farbrengens among themselves at seudos mitzvah, and they would print in booklets the chidushei Torah under the auspices of the Adino administration. The one who was chosen to be the chairman of the Adino administration was called Rabbi Mordechai Mentlik, who later became the rosh yeshivah. Interesting, the Adino organization, that is what they called it.
Another matter, of Shela"h. What is Shela"h? What is the acronym? It appears in parentheses: Shiurei Limud HaDat B'Batei Sefer Ha'Amamiyim (Religious Study Classes in Public Schools). What is this organization? There was an organization called Shela"h, and over the years it underwent changes in its name and in the content of its work. But in general, what was the goal? In the United States, in the American constitution until 5700, there was a law that it was forbidden to teach religion in the state schools. In the year 5700, a new law was enacted that changed the situation. Not that it introduced religious studies within the schools, but it granted freedom, the possibility of a weekly hour every Wednesday, so that all the children whose parents want them to learn religion could take them out of school, and they would have religious study classes. There was a period when the Christians took great advantage of this.
And here the Rebbe Rayatz founded the Shala organization, the organization for religious study classes, which would take yeshiva students and organize them to be in the public, state-run elementary schools, and to teach religion to the Jewish children. Rabbi Yaakov Yehuda Acht, who stood at the head of the organization for many years, carried out many activities to instill Judaism in children who are not from religious homes, but they are Jewish, and their parents want them to have a little taste of Judaism. This was the religious study classes.
The last item here, in this year, in 5705, is "an arrangement of work to improve the spiritual condition of the Jewish farmers and settlers in America." There were in America many simple Jews, called farmers, who engaged in agricultural work or simple labor, but their spiritual condition was very difficult. People did not know anything about Judaism. So the Rebbe Rayatz established a plan of work for how it would be possible to reach all those Jews who were located in the distant towns, very very simple Jews, to instill in them the foundations of Judaism, and to connect them to Torah and mitzvot to the extent relevant to these Jews. This was the description here of the years we read about today, 5704 and 5705, founded by the Rebbe Rayatz.