From the year 5648, the Rebbe Rashab, whose birthday is 20 Cheshvan, would spend much time travelling for health-related issues. This was very hard on his young and only son, the Frierdike Rebbe. During the time that the Rebbe Rashab was in Lubavitch, he made a point to really spend time and connect with his son on a very deep level
The Chassid R’ Tzvi Hirsh “Herschel” Rabinowitz of Chernowitz was a unique personality even within the Chassidic brotherhood. He was a clever, daring person with a heart of gold who put his life in danger in order to save more and more Jews. * He also cared for Reb Levi Yitzchok Schneersohn at the end of the latter’s life, with great devotion, and inherited his walking stick, which protected him from all the dangers that he faced. When it was lost, he said in anguish that his success was lost with it; a short while later he passed away. * A special Chassid, a loyal soldier in the Rebbe’s army to spread Judaism and the wellsprings. Presented for 20 Av, the day Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneersohn passed away
This Shabbos Parshas Eikev is 20 Av, the Yahrtzait of the rav and mekubal Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneersohn, the father of our Rebbe. In his honor we will discuss the HaYom Yom that the Rebbe prepared for 20 Av 5703, one year before the passing of his father.
Since the Alm-ghty is the very essence of goodness, and the nature of the good is to bestow benevolence upon others, G-d fulfills this person’s wish and shows him the exalted heights of the Rebbe – that the Rebbe transcends even the Seventh Heaven – and this person remains below [i.e., distant from the Rebbe]…
The passing of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok on Chaf Av emphasized a critical matter in his avoda throughout his life – mesirus nefesh for Klal Yisroel. * We need to learn a lesson for our lives, to act in this way too: forgoing our good for the good of someone else, devoting ourselves to the shlichus the Rebbe assigned to us, preparing the world to greet Moshiach.
Monday, 19 Shvat, 5700. R’ Levi Yitzchok Schneersohn, the Rebbe’s father, traveled by train under very difficult conditions. After many, exhausting hours, the train arrived in C’ili, a town far away in Kazakhstan.
When Sergei came out of the meeting he called over a few people and told them that they have to organize an “army” that he—Sergei—would lead personally, to bring about the appointment of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok as the Rav. * “Atzmus defies all description—negation of the finite and negation of the infinite.”
“We immediately went to the house and checked the mezuzos. The world uv’kumecha (when you get up) in the mezuza on my daughter’s room was faulty. Of course, we immediately changed mezuzos.” * Presented for 20 Av, the day that marks the passing of the Rebbe’s father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneersohn a”h.
By focusing on hiskashrus, the Rebbe’s promises are fulfilled. The Rebbe will fulfill the promises he made to each person, including the general promise that he made to the Jewish people at large, “Immediately to t’shuva brings to immediate redemption,” and he will lead us to Moshiach.
Rabbi Levi Garelik, who is named after the Rebbe’s father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneersohn, tells of his first yechidus with the Rebbe and how the Rebbe led him to connect the first “Levi,” the son of Yaakov, with the Rebbe’s father.
October 24, 2018