patroler, Administrators
2,524
edits
The Rebbe Accepting The Nesius: Difference between revisions
→Formal Acceptance Event
(Created page with "The Rebbe's nesius began after the histalkus (passing) of his father-in-law, the Frierdiker (Previous) Rebbe, on Yud Shvat 5710. From that day, the Rebbe began leading, but for a full year, he refused to formally accept the position. As time went on and Chassidim increasingly beseeched the Rebbe to formally accept the nesius, he gradually softened his refusal, until one year later on Motzei Yud Shvat (the night of Yud Alef Shvat), at a farbrengen marking the Frierdiker R...") |
|||
| Line 75: | Line 75: | ||
= Formal Acceptance Event = | = Formal Acceptance Event = | ||
On Motzei Yud Shvat 5711, at 9:45 | On Motzei Yud Shvat 5711, at 9:45, the Rebbe entered the farbrengen marking the first yohrtzeit of the Frierdiker Rebbe. The Rebbe began with words about strengthening hiskashrus to the Frierdiker Rebbe. In the second sicha, the Rebbe hinted at accepting the nesius, speaking about the American custom when starting something new - to make a "declaration." Related to this, he gave a "declaration" about ahavas Hashem, ahavas haTorah, and ahavas Yisroel. | ||
At 10:40 | About an hour after the farbrengen began, Rav Avraham Sender Nemtzov, an elder Chossid, stood and announced: "The olam is thirsty for a maamar Chassidus from the Rebbe. The Rebbe should say a maamar Chassidus!" A maamar symbolizes formal recognition of accepting the nesius, since only a Rebbe says maamarim. | ||
At 10:40, the Rebbe began the maamar "Basi LeGani," based on the maamar the Frierdiker Rebbe had published for his yohrtzeit the year before. In this maamar, the Rebbe explained according to Midrash and Chassidus the task of the seventh generation (of Chabad Rebbes) to spread Yiddishkeit throughout the entire world, through which the Shechina would be drawn down to this world, making this the generation to bring the geulah. | |||
The maamar was said in three parts. During the two breaks, the Rebbe instructed to sing nigunim from our Rebbeim in order, starting with the Beinoni nigun cherished by the Frierdiker Rebbe. Right after the first part, Rav Nemtzov jumped on the table from great joy and announced: "Chassidim, repeat after me! We must make the bracha 'Shehecheyanu v'kiyimanu v'higiyanu lazman hazeh,' that Hashem helped us that we have a Rebbe!" He made the bracha with Shem uMalchus and the entire kehilla answered Amen. The Rebbe smiled broadly and asked him to get down from the table. | |||
In the sicha right after the maamar, the Rebbe spoke about the importance of each Chossid's personal avodah, saying: | |||
"Now listen Yidden! | |||
In general, in Chabad the demand was that each person should do their own avodah, and not rely on the Rebbes. | |||
This is the difference between Polish derech and Chabad derech - the Polish way is 'v'tzadik be'emunaso yichye,' don't read it as yichye but as yechaye, but we in Chabad must all work ourselves, with the 248 limbs and 365 gidim of the body, and with the 248 limbs and 365 gidim of the neshama. | |||
'Everything is in the hands of Heaven except fear of Heaven.' I'm not removing myself chas v'shalom from helping, to help as much as possible, but since everything is in Heaven's hands except yiras Shamayim, if there won't be personal avodah, what help will it be that they give 'writings,' sing nigunim and say l'chaim." | |||
In another sicha later in the farbrengen, the Rebbe said that the Frierdiker Rebbe related that when discussing accepting aspects of his father the Rebbe Rashab's nesius, he requested it should be with chesed and rachamim. | |||
The farbrengen ended at 12:25. The Rebbe left the beis medrash with the singing of "Ki B'simcha Teitzeiu." The entire kehilla and elder Chassidim danced with great joy to the nigun "Ki B'simcha" for a long time. | |||
When the Rebbe left the zal, Rav Kazarnovsky said "A dank Rebbe!" The Rebbe smiled and asked "Now you're satisfied?!" (Rav Kazarnovsky was among those working energetically for the Rebbe's acceptance) and went into his room. | |||
Afterwards in the zal there was tremendous simcha, as everyone danced and rejoiced that "we have a Rebbe." | |||
= The Day After Accepting Nesius = | |||
On Thursday Yud Alef Shvat, the Rebbe arrived at 770 wearing a sirtuk. After davening, the Rebbe asked Rav Yehuda Leib Groner to call secretaries Rav Chodakov and Rav Mindel to his room. The Rebbe said they needed new letterhead and asked for suggestions. They proposed replacing the Frierdiker Rebbe's name with the Rebbe's, but the Rebbe said this wasn't enough change. The Rebbe wanted 770's address to appear at the top, in Yiddish and English. The final text read: "Office of K'vod K'dushas Admur Menachem Mendel Shlita Schneerson." | |||
Shortly after, Rabbis Simpson, Jacobson, Levitin and Kazarnovsky were called to the Rebbe's room. The Rebbe asked them to arrange transfer of the Frierdiker Rebbe's library to his authority, explaining the nesius wasn't complete without this. Weeks later, Rav Simpson arranged a meeting to tell the Rebbe they'd gotten him a key to access the library. The Rebbe struck the table in disapproval saying, "This you call an achievement?! Until the library is under my authority, my leadership isn't complete!" | |||
= The Rebbe as Nosi of the Institutions = | |||
After formally accepting the nesius on Yud Shvat 5711, Chabad institutions sought the Rebbe's leadership. A special meeting was held in New York with senior Chassidim including Rabbis Jacobson, Ashkenazi, Gordon, Simpson, Kazarnovsky, Haskin, Zalmanoff and Mentlik. They decided all institutions should be under the Rebbe's nesius and created general regulations stating: "The Nosi is K'vod K'dushas Admur Shlita and documents should be printed with: Founded by K'vod K'dushas Admur Rabbi Shalom DovBer and his son K'vod K'dushas Admur Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch, under the nesius of K'vod K'dushas Admur of Lubavitch Rabbi Menachem Mendel Shlita Schneerson." | |||
= Establishing New Organizations = | |||
After accepting nesius, the Rebbe founded new organizations and mosdos in multiple countries: | |||
* Tzeirei Chabad in Eretz HaKodesh and New York | |||
* N'shei Chabad in Eretz HaKodesh and United States | |||
* Reshet Oholei Yosef Yitzchak network in Eretz HaKodesh, Morocco, and Australia | |||
* Shluchim - in early years many received directives directly from the Rebbe, who decided who would go where | |||
* New Yeshivos | |||
All these institutions operated under the Rebbe's nesius. | |||
= Leadership Style After Accepting Nesius = | |||
The Rebbe began saying maamarim - a practice reserved only for a Rebbe in Chabad. Unlike previous Chabad Rebbeim, the Rebbe didn't write his maamarim himself. From the first "Basi LeGani," he instructed Rav Yoel Kahan to transcribe and submit for editing. Chassidim would review and write down the maamarim themselves. The Rebbe only edited some of the maamarim and sichos, with the editing schedule changing several times over the years. | |||
In the early years after accepting nesius, the Rebbe maintained close personal connection with talmidei hayeshiva learning in the Rebbe's court, giving personal guidance, participating in their simchas, and more. This approach evolved as Chabad expanded, with the Rebbe's leadership taking on more of a malchus (kingship) character. | |||
Each year, a crown design is updated showing the current year of the Rebbe's nesius (counted from 5710 - when the Frierdiker Rebbe was nistalek). | |||