The unique spiral of wondrous events that began in 5750, “The Year of Miracles,” stands out boldly in his memory of everyone who shares a connection with Lubavitch. Also uniquely distinctive is that the Rebbe Shlita informed of the chassidim of these upcoming events months before they transpired. It was in the farbrengen of Shabbos Mevarchim Sivan, that the Rebbe Shlita first spoke of the trend of events which would follow. And on subsequent occasions, he continued to mention this subject.

In this context, the period whose sichos are contained in this book can be seen as one of preparation in which the Rebbe Shlita both acclimated the chassidim and made ripe the spiritual climate of the time through his teachings. For we can see a progressive increase in the frequency of the sichos he delivered during this period. For example, the Rebbe spoke publicly on the sixth and seventh days of Pesach and on the first day of Shavuos, occasions when in the past he had almost never had delivered sichos. Similarly, from the days preceding Pesach onward, there was a noticeable increase in the sichos which the Rebbe delivered during the week.

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Firstly, it contains translations of the maamarim Matzah Zu and VeHechrim. The recitation of these maamarim was unique in nature.

It had been more than a half year since the Rebbe Shlita had recited a maamar in the form of a sichah, (מאמר כעין שיחה), and more than three and a half years since he had recited a maamar in the familiar maamar tone with the renown Rostov niggun sung beforehand.

It was a stunned crowd of chassidim who happily responded to the Rebbe’s unexpected directive on the night following the 13th of Nissan and began singing the Rostov niggun. And afterwards, the Rebbe recited the maamar, Matzah Zu.

In the midst of Mashiach’s Seudah on Acharon Shel Pesach, the Rebbe expounded concepts associated with the verse VeHechrim (Yeshayahu 11:14). Although his manner of speaking resembled that of a sichah, the contents of his talk resembled a maamar and the teachings were edited and published in that form. In the years that have followed, on only one occasion did the Rebbe Shlita recite a maamar in a manner that resembled the traditional maamar tone and even the recitation of a maamar in the form of a sichah has been exceedingly rare.

This volume also contains several sichos of interest, for example the Rebbe Shlita’s address to the members of the Machne Israel Development Fund, a talk edited by the Rebbe Shlita himself. Similarly, there are many explanations of the portions of the Mishneh Torah studied according to the daily cycle and in the later portion of the book, explanations of the teachings of Pirkei Avos.

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Reviewing the sichos of this book makes one feel ever so more powerfully the need to hear similar teachings in the future. May G‑d grant the Rebbe Shlita a complete and immediate recovery and may the divine blessings continue to increase until we are granted the ultimate blessing, the coming of the Redemption. May this take place in the immediate future.

Sichos In English

12th Day of Tammuz, 5752