הִלּוּלָא שֶׁל כְּבוֹד קְדֻשַּׁת אַאַמוּ"ר. נִסְתַּלֵּק אוֹר לְיוֹם א' בּ' נִיסָן שְׁנַת תר"ף בְּראָסְטאָב. וְשָׁם מְנוּחָתוֹ כָּבוֹד.

מַאֲמָר הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר אֲמָרוֹ בָּרַבִּים, אַחֲרֵי הִסְתַּלְקוּת אָבִיו: בְּיוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי דְחַג הַסּוּכּוֹת תרמ"ג, וּמַתְחִיל כֶּתֶר יִתְּנוּ לְךָ כו'. מַאֲמָר — בָּרַבִּים — הָאַחֲרוֹן בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בְּעָלְמָא דֵין: בִּסְעוּדַּת פּוּרִים תר"ף, וּמַתְחִיל רֵאשִׁית גּוֹיִם עֲמָלֵק גוֹ' קֵץ שָׂם לַחֹשֶׁךְ.

The hillula (yahrzeit) of my revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab]. He passed away on Saturday night, 2 Nissan, 5680 (1920) in Rostov, and there he was brought to rest.1

His first public maamar after the passing of his father [the Rebbe Maharash] was delivered on the second day of Sukkos, 5643 (1882).2 It begins with the words, Keser yitnu lecha (“They will give You a crown”). The last maamar he delivered publicly while he was in this world3 was at the festive meal of Purim, 5680 (1920). It begins with the words, Reishis goyim Amalek…, Ketz sam lachoshech (“Amalek is the first of the nations…”; “[G‑d] has set an end to darkness”).

A Faithful Shepherd

Once, while speaking of the significance of Beis Nissan,4 the yahrzeit of the Rebbe Rashab, the Rebbe discussed two aspects of this date. The first relates to the Rebbe Rashab. In the words of the Alter Rebbe, “All the effort of man, in which his soul toiled throughout his lifetime..., is revealed and radiates downwards, in a manifest way, at the time of his passing.”5 The second relates to the Rebbe Rayatz, who on this day began his nesius, assuming the position and responsibilities of Rebbe.

“While both aspects of Beis Nissan are significant,” the Rebbe explained, “the Rebbe Rayatz is the head of our generation. Thus it is his assumption of the nesius that is of paramount importance to us.”