The Previous Rebbe’s lifelong tireless efforts for Jewish youth are well-known. First in Eastern Europe, then in America, he succeeded in drawing the hearts of the younger generation back to their age-old Jewish heritage. More

The Previous Rebbe’s lifelong tireless efforts for Jewish youth are well-known. First in Eastern Europe, then in America, he succeeded in drawing the hearts of the younger generation back to their age-old Jewish heritage.

The Baal Shem Tov teaches: The verse says, “You shall be for Me a desirable land.” In G-d’s eyes, every individual Jew is a “desirable land,” for inside him or her lie precious stones and gems, wellsprings of living waters.

Our forefather Isaac dug wells. Digging a well doesn’t “create” water; the water was always there, but if you don’t make the effort to dig, it will remain hidden. Comes Isaac, and he is not intimidated that it is the “land of the Philistines.” He digs one time… A second time… A third time… until he successfully reveals a gushing spring.

So too, the Rebbe dug to reveal the living waters deep within every individual. One must only endure and spare no effort – to the point of actual self-sacrifice – to dig up the wellsprings within every Jew, until the living waters come gushing forth.

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The Rebbe distributes fruits at a Farbrengen on Tu B’Shevat, New Year for Trees.

“Take back all the ‘good fruit’ from the New Year of Trees, for all of Australia. May it ultimately be ‘A land of wheat and barley and grapes and figs and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey’ – with all the spiritual connotations.”

Rabbi Nachman Bernhard served the largest Jewish congregation in South Africa for over three decades. Before taking the job, he had actually planned to leave the rabbinate. That was when he had his first private audience with the Rebbe…(in the year 1964)

Rachel named her son ‘Joseph,’ as a prayer: “May G-d add to me a different son.” The Tzemach Tzedek explains: Rachel prayed that Joseph have the ability to transform someone “different” – someone far from G-dliness, into a “son” – someone righteous, like himself. More

Rachel named her son ‘Joseph,’ as a prayer: “May G-d add to me a different son.” The Tzemach Tzedek explains: Rachel prayed that Joseph have the ability to transform someone “different” – someone far from G-dliness, into a “son” – someone righteous, like himself.

My father-in-law, the Rebbe’s, life’s work, too, was to transform “different” into “son” – to help those raised in Torah and Mitzvos increase their level of observance, and to assist those who were never educated as Jews become openly aware of their connection to G-d.

Upon arriving on American shores, the Rebbe was warned: “America is different! Here one has little time for spiritual concerns…” His first effort, therefore, was to eliminate this notion – for G-d is One, and His Oneness extends throughout the entire earth.

The Rebbe ignored his own physical wellbeing, and even put his own spiritual wellbeing aside, all to help a fellow Jew transform from “different” to ”son.”

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Vintage footage of the Rebbe’s Farbrengen in honor of the 20th Yahrzeit of his father-in-law and predecessor, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch.

If someone is autistic, it doesn’t mean that they don’t relate to anyone. They might not relate well to people, but to G-d they relate as well as everyone else, and even more. Place a charity box in his room. This will benefit him, and he’ll remind his visitors that they must give charity.”

Professor Reuven Feuerstein, a world-renowned Israeli clinical and developmental cognitive psychologist, discusses some of the Rebbe’s influence on his life’s work.

According to the Arizal, donning Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin is a law, not a custom. The question of “custom” is only whether to don them after Rashi Tefillin or at the same time, but the Arizal holds that all Jewish men are obligated to don both pairs. More

According to the Arizal, donning Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin is a law, not a custom. The question of “custom” is only whether to don them after Rashi Tefillin or at the same time, but the Arizal holds that all Jewish men are obligated to don both pairs.

Additionally, the darkness of exile has become doubled and redoubled, and all agree that today’s “Hamans,” and their threats, are growing… The Sages explain that the verse, “The nations of the world shall see the Name of G-d is upon you, and they shall fear you,” refers to the donning of Tefillin. Therefore, when “G-d’s Name” is increased upon Jews – through Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin, the other nations’ fear of Jews will increase as well.

One cannot point to the actions of the pre-20th century Halachic authorities to excuse oneself from doing so, because they were living in entirely different times: Jews weren’t reading newspapers; they weren’t immersing themselves in secular studies – which, the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya, “desensitize the mind to G-dliness” unless one utilizes them in the service of G-d. Today’s times demand an increase in the spiritual refinement of the intellect, which is the entire purpose of the Tefillin – “to subjugate the mind and heart to G-d.”

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The Rebbe in Talis and Tefillin, during Morning Prayers.

A human is like an engine – if you overdo it you can burn it out, but if you underuse it, it gets sluggish. Never be satisfied just with past accomplishments – but don’t let the fact that you are not satisfied affect your health.

Rabbi Leibel Schapiro is Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva Gedolah of Miami. He recalls some of the Rebbe’s special instructions to him when he first started to don Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin (in 1965).

The nations of the world are watching and waiting: “When will Jews begin to say what they’re really thinking about the Land of Israel?” When a Jew starts talking diplomatic jargon, begging the nations to take more and more land, thinking that in this way he’ll find favor in their eyes – the non-Jew doesn’t believe him, because he’s not talking like a Jew. More

The nations of the world are watching and waiting: “When will Jews begin to say what they’re really thinking about the Land of Israel?” When a Jew starts talking diplomatic jargon, begging the nations to take more and more land, thinking that in this way he’ll find favor in their eyes – the non-Jew doesn’t believe him, because he’s not talking like a Jew.

The facts are: No peace was achieved by the handing away of vital security resources in the Camp David Accords. The only thing achieved is more pressure on Israel, because no one wants to make peace with someone who is weak. If Israel wants to be respected on the international stage, then it must have actual, not merely theoretical, strength.

May it be that Jews will reconnect with the soul of Torah, and fulfill G-d’s commandments in action. Then we will witness, even while still in exile, the fulfillment of the verse: “When you follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them... I will set peace upon the Land.”

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The translated lyrics of this chassidic melody are: “Hark! My beloved is knocking: Open for me, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one.” (Song of Songs 5:2)

Rabbi Simcha Ashlag visits the Rebbe: “It is impossible for there to be any ‘bad’ in the Land of Israel. May there be revealed and obvious good, with peace of body and mind to study Torah’s revealed and inner dimensions.”

Israeli Major-General Yehoshua Sagi served as director of AMAN, Israel’s Military Intelligence, from 1979 to 1983. His first audience with the Rebbe took place in the early 1980s.

Code of Jewish Law, Laws of Shabbos, Chapter 329: If non-Jews besiege a Jewish border town—whether in the Holy Land or in the Diaspora—stating that they come only to pilfer straw, Jews are obligated to arm themselves for war, even on Shabbos, because such an intrusion opens up the entire Jewish land to attack. More

Code of Jewish Law, Laws of Shabbos, Chapter 329: If non-Jews besiege a Jewish border town—whether in the Holy Land or in the Diaspora—stating that they come only to pilfer straw, Jews are obligated to arm themselves for war, even on Shabbos, because such an intrusion opens up the entire Jewish land to attack.

True peace will be achieved only when Jews stand steadfast. Then, “your fear and dread will be upon them.” We do not compromise—not because we rely on our own power, but because we rely upon the strength of the Code of Jewish Law.

This “fear” will ultimately engender respect, for “all the nations of the earth will see that G‑d’s name is upon you, and they will fear you”—they will revere the Jewish people and allow them to peacefully fulfill their mission to make a dwelling place for G‑d in this world.

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In 1987, the Rebbe spoke about the need for Jews to demand of G-d that it is high time for Moshiach to arrive. The next day, a group of rabbis, led by Rabbi Yehuda Kalman Marlow of the Crown Heights Beis Din, present a halachic ruling on the matter.

Various discussions surrounding the personality of Rabbi Chaim Elazar Shapira of Munkatch, author of the Halachic work, “Minchas Elazar.”