Living Torah Archives

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.

An address on the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch: Today we commemorate the passing of the leader of our generation. How, then, can we call this “a day of merit”? Everything that occurs in G-d’s world contains an element of good, it only depends on the individual to contemplate deeply enough to find it.

One of the Talmudic signs that Moshiach is soon to arrive is: "Nations will contend with one another." The lack of peace and harmony in the world in recent times, is more than enough to provide this sign. Now it is time for man - and G-d - to turn all attention toward making this world a fully civilized place.

Two essential lessons from the Exodus for every Jew: Pharaoh, the mightiest king in the world, ruthlessly oppressed the Jewish People. Yet his behavior completely reversed, and, instead of afflicting the Jews, “Pharaoh sent the people away...”. Then the Torah relates: “G-d did not lead the Jews through the Land of the Philistines… lest they see war, reconsider, and return to Egypt.” G-d does not command us to follow a path in which we cannot succeed. “G-d prepares the steps of man” – when G-d leads a person to a certain place, and, through the teachings of the Torah, gives him a mission to accomplish, this, itself, proves that he has all the capabilities he needs to succeed.

“And they will know that You, Whose name is the Lord, are alone, most High over all the earth.” (Psalms 83:19) Chassidim sing a Nigun composed for the Rebbe’s 82nd birthday.

The Yahrzeit of a Rebbe is a day of blessing. A Tzaddik never abandons his flock, and even after his passing, beseeches G-d, Who bestows blessings for everything we need.

The words Didan Notzach (We will be victorious!) had been added to this older tune to express the hope that the Rebbe and Chassidim would win the court case to keep the books of the Previous Rebbe in the hands of the Lubavitch Movement. A month prior, on 5 Teves, Lubavitch won the case.