The Rashag - Reb Shemaryahu Gurary: Difference between revisions

Upon arriving in America with the Frierdiker Rebbe, he settled on the third floor of 770. Following the Frierdiker Rebbe's directive, he would farbreng and say Chassidus every Shabbos at seudah shlishis in 770.

After the Frierdiker Rebbe's histalkus and his brother-in-law's assumption of the nesius, the Rashag developed an extraordinarily deep hiskashrus to the Rebbe. He would sit beside the Rebbe at farbrengens, and during hakafos on Simchas Torah, the Rebbe would dance with him during the first and seventh hakafos.

A particularly moving moment occurred at the Acharon Shel Pesach farbrengen of 5713, when the Rashag, slightly After l'chaim, declared to the Rebbe: "It is clear to me that you will lead us toward Moshiach! My brother-in-law is the sole inheritor of the Baal Shem Tov. I give over to you all my kochos as the elder son-in-law. I said this at the Ohel, and I say this now in public. With only one condition - that you support me as our father-in-law did." He also sought mechila from the Rebbe regarding certain events following the Frierdiker Rebbe's histalkus.

For many years, the Rashag was unique among the elder Chassidim in that he would stand whenever the Rebbe delivered a maamar k'ein sicha. His profound connection to the Rebbe is further illuminated in a letter he wrote to Reb Shneur Zalman Gurvitz of Montreal in Chof Cheshvan 5738, where he expressed with certainty that all the neshamos in Gan Eden derive great pleasure from seeing how Tomchei Tmimim has expanded in America, with tmimim standing packed in every corner of the beis medrash, entirely focused on absorbing every word from "my brother-in-law, the Rebbe shlita."

Perhaps the most remarkable demonstration of his hiskashrus came during the seforim saga of 5745, when his only son, Sholom Ber, removed seforim from the Lubavitch library. The Rashag strongly opposed this action, leading his wife and son to leave his home. His extraordinary mesirus nefesh and hiskashrus to the Rebbe became evident to all, as he chose to remain alone in his home, maintaining his complete bitul and dedication to the Rebbe despite these painful personal circumstances.

== his passing ==

The Rashag was niftar on Shabbos morning, 6 Adar I 5749. The Rebbe participated in the levaya to Montefiore Cemetery, where he was buried near the Ohel of his father-in-law. Throughout the shiva, the Rebbe davened in the Rashag's apartment on the third floor of 770. The Rebbe also instructed that a special Tanya be printed for his aliyas neshama during the shiva and participated in the matzeiva setting on Yud Daled Adar I.

In the farbrengen that Shabbos, the Rebbe addressed his passing when speaking about those who received powers from the Rebbe (Rayatz) to manage Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim.  

At the first yahrtzeit farbrengen which fell on Shabbos, the Rebbe spoke at length about his brother-in-law R' Gurary and explained the lesson learned from his name, "Shmaryahu," and its connection to redemption. He also explained his father's name, "Menachem Mendel," which is the name of Moshiach Tzidkeinu. The Rebbe instructed the Yeshiva administration to arrange a farbrengen for the Tmimim for the yahrtzeit.

Following the Rebbe's instruction, the administration arranged a farbrengen every year on the yahrtzeit. The Rebbe gave mashke for the farbrengen and referenced it.