אֵין אוֹמְרִים תַּחֲנוּן.

Tachanun is not recited.

יוֹם הוּלֶּדֶת אֶת כְּבוֹד קְדוּשַׁת אַדְמוּ"ר שְׁלִיטָ"א בִּשְׁנַת תּר"ם. יוֹם בּוֹ נִתְבַּשֵּׂר — בִּשְׁנַת תּרפ"ז — שֶׁהוּא חָפְשִׁי מִגָּלוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר הָגְלָה — אַחֲרֵי שֶׁהָיָה תָּפוּס בְּמַאֲסָר — עַל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בְּחִזוּק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַיַּהֲדוּת.

מִמִּכְתַּב כְּבוֹד קְדוּשַּׁת אַדְמוּ"ר שְׁלִיטָ"א: בִּשְׁנֵי יְמֵי הַגְּאוּלָה י"ב וי"ג תַּמּוּז הַבָּאִים עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה יִתְוַעֲדוּ אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵינוּ, לְטוֹבָה וְלִבְרָכָה בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת וּבְרוּחָנִיּוּת, כַּאֲשֶׁר הוּקְבַּע מֵאֵת אָבִינוּ הָרִאשׁוֹן הוֹד כְּבוֹד קְדוּשַּׁת אַאַזְמוּ"ר רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן, זֵכֶר צַדִּיק וְקָדוֹשׁ לִבְרָכָה לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, נִשְׁמָתוֹ בְּגִנְזֵי מְרוֹמִים, זְכוּתוֹ יָגֵן עָלֵינוּ. בְּהִתְוַעֲדוּת זוּ יְדַבְּרוּ אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵינוּ שֶׁיִחְיוּ אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בְּשֶׁבֶת אַחִים בְּחִזוּק קְבִיעוּת שִׁעוּרֵי הַלִּמוּד, וְהִנְנִי שׁוֹלֵחַ לָהֶם אֶת בִּרְכָתִי כִּי יִשָּׂא הַשֵּׁם פָּנָיו אֲלֵיהֶם בְּגַשְׁמִיוּת וְרוּחָנִיוּת.

[This date marks] the birthday of the Rebbe Rayatz in 5640 (1880). On this date, in 5687 (1927), he was informed of his impending release from the exile that followed his imprisonment, which came in the wake of his efforts to buttress the study and observance of the Torah.1

From a letter of the Rebbe [Rayatz]: On the two days of redemption — the twelfth and the thirteenth of Tammuz (May they arrive favorably!) — the members of the chassidic brotherhood2 should participate in a farbrengen, for their material and spiritual benefit, in the manner instituted by our first forefather, the Alter Rebbe. At this farbrengen they should encourage each other, fraternally, to fix times for [Torah] study sessions. And I send you my blessing that G‑d “turn His countenance to you”3 in both material and spiritual matters.

Delving Deeply

In the famous letter that the Rebbe Rayatz addressed to his chassidim in anticipation of the first anniversary of his release,4 he emphasized the collective nature of the celebration: “It was not myself alone that the Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed on Yud-Beis Tammuz, but also those who love the Torah and observe its commandments, and so too ‘all those who merely bear the name Jew’5 — for the heart of every man of Israel (irrespective of his particular level in the observance of the mitzvos) is perfectly bound with G‑d and His Torah.”

In Jewish law, the verb יכונה (yechuneh), translated here as “bear the name,” has specific legal implications.6 It is related to the noun kinui, which means an alternative name, such as a nickname, that is used by only a small number of people. In terms of the letter of the Rebbe Rayatz, it alludes to individuals who are so estranged from their Jewish identities that they do not even identify themselves as Jews, but are merely called so by others.7

Thus, the Rebbe Rayatz implied that his redemption had an impact not only on Lubavitcher chassidim, nor only on the wider circle of Torah scholars, nor only on the religiously observant populace in general. The ripples of Yud-Beis Tammuz spread out to influence the entire Jewish people. Furthermore, just as the significance of the event is boundless in scope, so it is boundless in time, generating newer and greater spiritual energy every year.8