Lealtar L'Teshuva Lealtar L'Geula
Lealtar L'Teshuva Lealtar L'Geula is a phrase coined by the Rebbe Rayatz in the year 5701 (1941) which he instructed to publicize. Its literal translation is: "Immediately to repentance" (to do teshuva) and "immediately to redemption" - that through awakening to teshuva, the coming of Moshiach and the redemption will be hastened.
The Publication Campaign[edit | edit source]
The Rebbe Rayatz first wrote this phrase in the first public proclamation that he printed and issued on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5701 (1941) in which he aroused the Jewish people to do teshuva to hasten the redemption.
The Rebbe Rayatz published three more "calls to action" over the course of four months. They were published in the newspapers 'Morgen Journal,' 'Tog,' as well as in the monthly journal 'Hakriah V'Hakedusha' and others.
In many of the holy letters that the Rebbe Rayatz wrote after this date, this was the content of the letter, and he also concluded his letters with the phrase "Lealtar L'Teshuva Lealtar L'Geula."
As part of this initiative, the organization Machane Yisrael was founded with the purpose: "To publicize the truth that immediately to teshuva – immediately to complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach."
Many activities were undertaken to spread the call of "Lealtar L'Geula" such as producing advertisements like stickers, organizing lectures and events on the topic, and more.
Some recount that the Rebbe himself placed the "Lealtar L'Geula" stickers. The Rebbe showed special affection toward a young man named Meir Reich who placed these stickers and was arrested for it by the police. After he was released through great intervention and returned to 770, the Rebbe waited for him on the steps at the entrance to 770 and kissed him on both cheeks.
Chassidim were heavily involved in publicizing this directive and attached it to letters and the like. Even in a ketubah, where any addition involves halachic precision, there were those who added this call to it. The Rebbe himself became a symbol and example in this matter when all of his letters from the years 5702-5707 (1942-1947) were signed with this call.
The Purpose of the Publication[edit | edit source]
In a letter from Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5702 (1942), the Rebbe Rayatz clarified the purpose of publishing the proclamations:
The purpose of the proclamations is to inform: a. That the time is the eve of the complete redemption prophesied by the holy prophets. b. The redemption through our righteous Moshiach who is coming very soon. c. The troubles and suffering are the birth pangs of Moshiach. d. The complete redemption comes through teshuva, as they said, "Israel will only be redeemed through teshuva." e. The birth pangs of Moshiach are an instruction from Heaven regarding teshuva. f. The power of teshuva can ease the birth pangs of Moshiach. g. To know with certainty that all those who say and write that the time is merely like the usual times of war, they are deniers of Israel's redemption in general, and of redemption through our righteous Moshiach in particular, and they are agents of the evil inclination to lead Israel astray from Hashem and His Torah with assurances of false salvation and comfort after the war ends.
Fulfillment of the Declaration[edit | edit source]
Rabbi Nissan Telushkin, who had a private audience (yechidus) with the Rebbe Rayatz on Erev Rosh Hashanah 5703 (1942), asked the Rebbe what his intention was in "The Call and Holiness" regarding the Moshiach. The Rebbe answered him that "redemption will not come suddenly but will come like a 'sprouting' - 'the sprouting of David Your servant,' and I hope that next year will be the beginning of Moshiach's sprouting".
Many years later, the Rebbe continued to speak about how this end time is still valid, and even though the redemption has not yet arrived, this declaration remains in full force:
"Immediately to redemption" means - immediately and literally right away, and it's obvious that this was the intention of the leader of our generation when he declared at that time "immediately to teshuvah, immediately to redemption," but due to our many sins we were not worthy of it... Therefore, even after a whole year passed since the leader of our generation declared "immediately to teshuvah, immediately to redemption" and he had not yet come - he continued to declare and publicize that there needs to be "immediately to teshuvah, immediately to redemption," and he continued to declare after several years had passed, with emphasis - "immediately" literally!
And likewise in these days - we declare "immediately to teshuvah, immediately to redemption," "Moshiach now," immediately and literally right away! — Shabbos Parshas Pinchas 5745, Hisvaaduyos 5745 Volume 5, p. 2617
About our generation, the Rebbe testified that the Jewish people have already done teshuvah and therefore the work of exile has been completed.
See Also[edit | edit source]
- The Call and Holiness
- Publicizing Redemption and Moshiach
External Links[edit | edit source]
- The proclamation translated into Hebrew with additional articles - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 - published by Vaad Chayalei Beis Dovid
- Shneur Berger, They have scorned the footsteps of Your Moshiach - The story of the opposition to the Rebbe Rayatz's declaration, in Beis Moshiach Weekly 15 Sivan 5774 (12.06.2014)
- Immediately to Redemption - The call that stirred the Jewish world, published by Vaad Chayalei Beis Dovid