We are in lesson forty-four in the chain of lineage, in the history of the Rebbe's life, in the fourth part. We have arrived at the year 5688 (1927). What is written in the chain of lineage is that in 5688, during the month of Tishrei, he stayed in Yekaterinoslav. Let us elaborate a bit more. In that year, the truth is that at the beginning of the month of Tishrei, that is during the Days of Awe, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Rebbe was in Leningrad with his future father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz. But in the second half of the month, that is during Sukkot and Simchat Torah, the Rebbe traveled to Yekaterinoslav.
Who was in Yekaterinoslav? His parents. The parents were in Yekaterinoslav, so the Rebbe traveled to them. This was toward his parting from his parents, because the Rebbe stood before his departure from Russia, and these were the last holidays that the Rebbe was with his parents. The Rebbetzin Chana, the Rebbe's mother, describes that on that Simchat Torah the Rebbe was fresh and cheerful in an extraordinary way. He gladdened all those present in the synagogue and at home, in a very very special manner. And this is written here briefly, that he was in Yekaterinoslav during that month of Tishrei.
The continuation is written thus: "On Isru Chag of Sukkot, he travels accompanied by his mother the Rebbetzin, may her soul rest in Eden, to Kursk, and from there to Leningrad." Let us elaborate a bit. As we said, on Simchat Torah the Rebbe was at his parents' home, in Yekaterinoslav. After Simchat Torah, on the 24th of Tishrei, the Rebbe took leave of his father, of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, and traveled with his mother, the Rebbetzin Chana, to Leningrad.
The Rebbe's mother recounted this train journey in her diary. On that occasion she relates that the train was crowded with very, very simple gentile laborers, and at that time the hatred of religion and of Jews was very, very strong. The time for shacharis prayer arrived, and she sees the Rebbe, her son, taking out the tefillin, standing up to pray, and according to her description a tremendous fear fell upon her, lest they strike him, lest there be a pogrom right then and there. And suddenly she saw a great wonder, which remained a wonder to her all her life. The passengers stood around the Rebbe like a protective wall, and until the Rebbe finished the prayer calmly they stood around him, and no one could approach the Rebbe. All her life this remained to her a wonder of wonders, how this thing happened, on that train journey.
It is known that the Rebbe Rayatz left Russia already then, on the 29th of Tishrei, together with his entire family, on the way to Latvia, to Riga. The Rebbe did not join together with the Rebbe Rayatz exactly at the same time, even though the Rebbe Rayatz saw to it that the Rebbe would have an exit permit from Russia. This was not so simple. The Rebbe Rayatz insisted, for he wanted his entire family to leave Russia.
It is told that he had to explain why he wanted the whole family to leave with him: his mother, his rebbetzin, his daughters, and his son-in-law. And when they saw the name of the Rebbe, who was not yet the son-in-law of the Rebbe Rayatz, they asked him: "How is he connected to you?" So he said: "He is designated to be the groom of my daughter." They said to him: "Find another groom outside of Russia." He said to them: "A groom like this I will not find anywhere in the world." So they gave the Rebbe permission to leave, but in practice the Rebbe did not leave together with the Rebbe Rayatz.
The Rebbe Rashab had already departed on Shabbos Bereishis, while the Rebbe was still in Russia, in the city of Kursk, as mentioned here. From there the Rebbe traveled together with his mother to Leningrad. The Rebbe left Russia on the 29th of Tishrei, erev Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan. The Rebbe's goal was to reach that same place where the Rebbe Rayatz was, Riga, in Latvia. And the Rebbe's mother related that very many chassidim came to escort and take leave of the Rebbe before he left Russia.
He continues here in the chain of lineage: "And on the Sunday of Parashat Bereishit he makes his way to Riga, where he serves as the personal secretary of his revered father-in-law." Now, the secretaries of the Rebbe Rayatz still remained in Russia. Who were the secretaries of the Rebbe Rayatz? There were several: Rabbi Chaim Lieberman, Rabbi Chanin Arozov, and for a certain period Rabbi Bentzion Shemtov, and Chadakov Feigin. They all remained in Russia. The Rebbe traveled to Riga, and he had not a single secretary with him. So the Rebbe took it upon himself to help and manage his father-in-law's correspondence and all the matters. There are letters that are written in the Rebbe's handwriting, with the signature of the Rebbe Rayatz. He was truly the secretary of the Rebbe Rayatz during that period.
The next thing recounted here: "In the month of Marcheshvan he takes part in a meeting of the committee for strengthening Torah and religion, which was founded by his father-in-law in Russia, and was transferred to Riga." What does this mean? There was a committee whose purpose was to help the Jews of Russia. The Rebbe was a partner with this committee while he was still in Russia. When he left Russia, this committee was established in Riga, headed by the Rebbe Rayatz, and there was a very important meeting in which not many took part, but people who were very, very important.
One of them, whom the Rebbe mentions in one of the talks as having participated in that gathering, was the well-known gaon of Rogatchov. He too took part in that gathering, and all that they discussed there was what could be done, and how it could be done, in order to help the Jews who remained in Russia. The Rebbe related, in one of the talks, that in practice they asked the gaon of Rogatchov to take an active and concrete part, and to this he did not agree, because he did not want it to take away from him the ability to study. But on a one-time basis he participated in the gathering.
The next matter mentioned here: "Before the festival of Pesach, he travels to Berlin." It is related that in the month of Nissan of that year, 5688, the Rebbe departed from Riga, and his route was to Berlin, Germany. The Rebbe was in Berlin during several of the following years, approximately four years. And here it is noted that in the middle of that year and until its end, he met with his father-in-law, the previous Rebbe, even though the Rebbe had already traveled to Berlin.
What is related here at the conclusion, in the last passage, that "during the summer months he travels several times to Bulduri to visit his father-in-law." It is told that the Rebbe Rayatz and his family traveled in the summer, in Tammuz, to a resort town called Bulduri, in a place called Jurmala, where the Rebbe Rayatz and his family were for several weeks, and the Rebbe traveled from Berlin to there, during the course of the summer, to be together with his father-in-law. His bride was also there, the daughter of the Rebbe Rayatz. This is the conclusion of the account of 5688.
Let us begin just the beginning of 5689, literally the first words, up until the preparations for the Rebbe's wedding, which as is known took place in 5689. We will read only the beginning. 5689: "In the month of Tishrei he travels to Riga." As we saw earlier, the Rebbe was often in Berlin, in Germany, but in Tishrei 5689 he traveled to Riga in order to be with the Rebbe Rayatz.
An interesting thing is told: on the night following Rosh Hashanah, the chassid Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Althaus approached the Rebbe Rayatz and said to him: "I want to wish you mazal tov." Mazal tov for what? You have gained another chassid today, a new chassid. He was referring to the Rebbe. He had seen with what special connection the Rebbe was during that Rosh Hashanah, saw the bittul of the Rebbe and was so moved, and said to the Rebbe Rayatz: "You have gained a new chassid." Let us stop here, and next time we will begin the preparations connected to the Rebbe's wedding. Thank you very much.