Lesson in the Shalsheles HaYachas - lesson sixty one; and in the Rebbe's history - lesson twenty one. We are at the year 5725.
"5725 - Encourages holding chassidic farbrengens on each of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah" At the Rosh Hashanah farbrengen of 5725 the Rebbe spoke about the fact that the week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur contains exactly all the days of the week, and it is written in seforim that during these days one can rectify all the corresponding days of the entire year - meaning, on the Sunday of that week one rectifies all the Sundays of the year, and so on. The Rebbe said that among chassidim everything is done with joy, and even the soul accounting and the rectification must be done with joy, and for that purpose one should hold a farbrengen, which is a time of favor. Therefore the Rebbe suggested that on each of the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur farbrengens should be held, in order to accomplish this matter with joy. His own participation in these farbrengens the Rebbe already gave at the conclusion of the Rosh Hashanah farbrengen.
"Begins to explain (every Shabbos Kodesh) the commentary of Rashi (on the Torah) according to "peshuto shel mikra" and the "yeina shel Torah" contained in Rashi's commentary. And from then on he continues with this at every Shabbos Kodesh farbrengen" This began on Shabbos parashas Noach of the year 5725, when at the farbrengens the Rebbe explained verses from the parashah together with Rashi's commentary. (In later years, around Purim there were explanations of Rashi's commentary on the Megillah, and around the Nine Days - explanations of Rashi's commentary on Megillas Eichah).
The Rebbe revealed a very special approach in the study of Rashi on the Torah: Rashi is the plain meaning of the verse, and in addition it also contains, as it is phrased here, "yeina shel Torah" - the secret dimension; but first and foremost Rashi is peshat. Over the years an enormous number of explanations were said, and out of them the Rebbe drew principles for how to learn Rashi. From this a concentrated book was also published called "Klalei Rashi", edited by Rabbi Tuvia Blau, and the Rebbe wrote very great praise about it regarding the wisdom of its composition - that it gathered all the principles the Rebbe built in Rashi's commentary, principles that fit all of Rashi's commentaries throughout the entire Torah.
In the first period the Rebbe would explain one Rashi commentary at each farbrengen; afterwards, during the year 5726, he moved to two Rashi commentaries - the first and the last in each parashah. And as we will see shortly, the Rebbe farbrenged every Shabbos, and consequently every Shabbos there was an explanation of one of the Rashi commentaries of that parashah.
"Suggests that every Shabbos people should learn and complete the study of the maamarim of Likkutei Torah on the parashah belonging to that Shabbos" That year, on Shabbos parashas Vayakhel, the sefer Likkutei Torah was reissued from the press, and in that connection the Rebbe spoke that it is a correct and proper thing that each person should learn every week all the maamarim of the weekly parashah, and not in a manner of "borrowing and repaying" - accumulating debts one week and completing them in another week, for afterwards the yetzer hara will work on him and he will not manage to complete it. And the maamarim of Shir HaShirim the Rebbe said to spread out over the course of the year, so as to finish them too by the end of each year.
"Farbrengs on all the Shabbosim of that year" Generally the Rebbe would not farbreng every Shabbos; the regularity in farbrengens was always on a special Shabbos or on Shabbosim on which special dates fell. And how did this begin? There was a chassid named Rabbi Yosef Weinberg, whose practice was to deliver a Tanya lesson on the radio every Motzaei Shabbos. That year, in 5726, during the intermediate days of Sukkos - a few days after the passing of the Rebbe's mother, Rebbetzin Chana - Rabbi Weinberg wrote a letter to the Rebbe.
In the first paragraph he reported that in the most recent radio broadcast he had reviewed, in addition to the Tanya lesson, also points from the Rebbe's farbrengen, and he announced that the broadcast was for the elevation of the soul of Rebbetzin Chana. To this the Rebbe replied to him: "Many thanks for the matter and for the notification about it - for at every time everyone awaits something of nachas ruach, and especially at a time such as this". The Rebbe thanked him for the good news.
In the second paragraph Rabbi Weinberg wrote that he proposes to hold from now on a radio broadcast every Motzaei Shabbos, since Rebbetzin Chana was a very great admirer of this program, and within its framework he would learn sichos of the Rebbe from the seforim that had been printed and from other sichos. The Rebbe replied to him: "And this strengthens my thought of a farbrengen - bli neder - on Shabbos Kodesh, at least briefly, in the near future". That is, the Rebbe already had a thought of holding a farbrengen every Shabbos for the elevation of his mother's soul, and when the chassid wrote him his suggestion - this strengthened his thought. And indeed the Rebbe began to farbreng every Shabbos, and in that same year he broke through with the great discovery of the principles in the study of Rashi - and all of this is connected to the elevation of the soul of the Rebbe's mother.
With this we have completed the year 5725, and we will see a few lines about the year 5726.
As was discussed earlier, the Rebbe's mother, Rebbetzin Chana, passed away in the year 5725, and in the year 5726, as it is written, "5726 - Founds "Keren Chana" named after his mother Rebbetzin Marat Chana, may she rest in peace". What is the meaning and content of this fund? Its purpose is to assist girls and to give them loans on comfortable terms, so that they will be able to continue their sacred studies without disturbance. All the years, close to 6 Tishrei - the day of the hilula of Rebbetzin Chana - the Rebbe was especially particular to strengthen this fund.
"In connection with the fact that this year is the "hundredth" year since the passing of the Admur the Tzemach Tzedek - announces a charity campaign in the number "one hundred". Instructs to print the chassidus discourses of the Admur the Tzemach Tzedek (and from then on 42 volumes were printed in the series of the seforim "Ohr HaTorah")" The Admur the Tzemach Tzedek passed away in the year 5626, and thus the year 5726 is the hundredth year since his passing. The Rebbe spoke about this already in the month of Elul 5725: since we are in the hundredth year since the hilula of the Tzemach Tzedek, he suggested that everyone should give one hundred coins as participation in printing the seforim of the Tzemach Tzedek - each one according to his ability; whether one hundred cents, or one hundred dollars, or one hundred thousand dollars, each one according to the measure of his ability. Afterwards the Rebbe repeated this and strengthened the matter again in that same month of Elul, and for this purpose a fund was established that was called "Keren HaMeah".
It is interesting that in the year 5726, a few days before 11 Nissan, something very special occurred. The Rebbe sent a letter - signed by "Keren HaMeah", and it appears in the Rebbe's Igros Kodesh - at the beginning of the month of Nissan, to all the Chabad organizations in the world. The Rebbe wrote that he wishes to launch a special campaign for the twenty four hours of 11 Nissan 5726: all the heads of the institutions would be his shluchim, and would take bills of one unit - in each country according to its currency, dollar, shekel and the like - and this would be as an emissary of the Rebbe. All those connected to the institution, all its donors and all the chassidim, would come during that day of 11 Nissan and purchase a bill.
And for how much would they purchase the bill? In the Rebbe's words: ordinary chassidim - a minimum of double; that is, if it is a bill of one lira, a minimum of two lirot, and of course whoever gives more is praiseworthy; and bochurim - a maximum of double, that they should not give more than double. All the money that would be collected from the purchase of the bills would go toward the purpose of printing the chassidus seforim of the Admur the Tzemach Tzedek. At the 11 Nissan farbrengen the Rebbe quoted the letter and reviewed the matter. It was a special thing, and the Rebbe said that it applies to that one day alone and not beyond it.