Editing Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (section)

== His Passing ==
For over four years Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was in his exile in Chi'ili. After Passover 5704 (1944) Rabbi Levi Yitzchak arrived exhausted and weak from his place of exile in Chi'ili to the city of Alma-Ata, capital of Kazakhstan. There too he worked extensively to make Jewish life flourish and even served as rabbi in the local synagogue.

After a short time a malignant disease broke out in him (which had nested in him for many years), his condition deteriorated day by day until on Wednesday 20 Menachem Av 5704 his soul ascended heavenward. The funeral was held the next day, with the participation of a small crowd, due to fear of the authorities. On his grave, a tombstone was erected with an especially brief text, and over the years the tombstone was replaced in a special operation.

The Rebbe explained that the day of 20 Menachem Av is the day of wood offering to the altar by the family of "sons of Pachat Moab son of Judah", and to help the Jewish people atone for their sins, and that work was done with great joy like a holiday, despite the difficulty in finding kosher wood in this season. And this type of work suits the work of the hilula owner, who despite his tremendous greatness in the revealed Torah and inner Torah devoted himself to spreading Torah and maintaining Judaism even among simple people, and with joy.

Another aspect of this day is that it is forty days before Rosh Hashana, and serves as preparation for it - just as the first of Elul is forty days before Yom Kippur (which is also called Rosh Hashana in the book of Ezekiel), and in it begins the appropriate work.