Editing Purim (section)

== In the Presence of Our Rebbes ==
The Purim holiday was one of the regular occasions when the Rebbe Rashab would hold farbrengens with the chassidim every year, and this tradition continued in the generations that followed.

Due to the nature of the farbrengen on Purim, there were many revelations during these times, and among the farbrengens held throughout the years, there were several farbrengens that were etched in the memory of chassidim as extraordinary events because of the special discourses delivered by our Rebbes or because of things that happened as a result of them.

Below is a partial list:

* '''Purim 5680 (1920)''' - The last Purim with the Rebbe Rashab, just two weeks before his histalkus. Under Bolshevik rule, the Rebbe Rashab held a lengthy farbrengen that lasted 12 consecutive hours. In the middle of the farbrengen, secret police soldiers entered with drawn weapons, but the Rebbe Rashab was unfazed and said, "We will say Chassidus and they will be nullified," and began delivering the maamar 'Reishis Goyim Amalek,' which was the last maamar he delivered before the chassidim.
* '''Purim 5681 (1921)''' - Even though the Frierdiker Rebbe was in mortal danger due to his medical condition, the Rebbe farbrenged for many hours. This farbrengen was the first Purim farbrengen of his nesius, and the Rebbe delivered a Chassidic maamar that lasted two and a half hours continuously.
* '''Purim 5687 (1927)''' - Despite explicit threats from the secret police, the Rebbe farbrenged for 15 hours and spoke sharply against the decrees on Jewish education in Russia. The Rebbe even declared that anyone who has a son and hands him over to study in Soviet or Yevsek schools would not live out the year. In the middle of the farbrengen, the Rebbe fainted from extreme emotion, and after two hours of rest, returned to continue the farbrengen.

==== With the Rebbe ====

* '''Purim 5713 (1953)''' - Unusually, the Rebbe delivered 2 maamarim during the farbrengen, and told a heavenly story about an event from the time of the Rebbe Rashab, and later it became known that Stalin had suddenly died at that same hour.
* '''Purim 5715 (1955)''' - During the farbrengen, the Rebbe asked those present to raise their right hand to accept upon themselves the test of wealth.
* '''Purim 5718 (1958)''' - The style of the farbrengen was different from usual and the Rebbe spoke many personal words to the chassidim, some even in the style of 'mussar'. The Rebbe also gave special blessings, and the farbrengen lasted more than 9 hours.
* '''Purim 5726 (1966)''' - The Rebbe distributed much 'l'chaim' to the chassidim during the farbrengen, and instructed that all bottles be emptied because it was a time of 'whoever extends a hand, we give to them' and gave blessings to all who asked. The distribution of 'l'chaim' continued even after the farbrengen ended until the Rebbe entered his home.
* '''Purim 5731 (1971)''' - President Shneur Zalman Shazar visited our holy courts and participated in the Megillah reading, and afterwards entered for a yechidus with the Rebbe that lasted more than 4 hours.
* '''Purim 5736 (1976)''' - The Rebbe publicly aroused with extraordinary attention regarding the takana of "putting on Rabbeinu Tam's tefillin."
* '''Purim 5741 (1981)''' - It fell on Friday and the Rebbe went after Mincha prayers to the 'small zal', asked that the doors and windows be closed and began to say a maamar on "'''The Jews had light'''".