Lesson forty one in the Shalsheles HaYachas. Today we begin with the life story of the Rebbe - the seventh, and all sevenths are beloved. In the heading his name appears: "Hod Kevod Kedushas Admu"r Marana veRabbana"; and the Rebbe's name, as is known, is after the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek.
"Born 11 Nissan 5662 in the city of Nikolayev in Ukraine". His father, the Rav and mekubal, the gaon Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, married the Rebbetzin Chana, the Rebbe's mother, on 11 Sivan 5660, and about two years after the wedding the eldest son - the Rebbe - was born, following the blessing of the Rebbe Rashab, who blessed him that with Hashem's help he would rise ever higher. On Friday, 11 Nissan, the Rebbe was born.
The Rebbetzin Chana once told one of the chassidim, R' Berel Yunik, that from the day her eldest son was born her husband Rabbi Levi Yitzchak instructed her that every time the child woke up she should wash his hands before nursing him. And she emphasized that with the other children there was no such instruction, only with the eldest son; and she assumed that this was the instruction of the Rebbe Rashab, for it is known that at the time of the Rebbe's birth a number of telegrams were sent containing instructions on how to conduct oneself with the infant.
Whoever wishes to know the details of the Rebbe's life story would do well to study the books that have been written on the subject. On the first twenty seven years a book of over six hundred pages has been published, "Shanim Rishonos", which includes documents, photographs and very detailed documentation. We will follow the details in the Shalsheles HaYachas, which even underwent the Rebbe's editing.
The next detail: when the Rebbe was seven years old, in the year "5669 - he moved his residence together with his family to the city of Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk)". In the winter of 5669 the Rebbe and his family, the parents and the children, left Nikolayev and moved to Yekaterinoslav.
And what was the reason for the move? The rav of Yekaterinoslav, Rabbi Dov Zev Kuznikov, passed away, and the Rebbe Rashab very much wanted Rabbi Levi Yitzchak to fill his place. He sent letters to the community, and even encouraged Rabbi Levi Yitzchak himself, and therefore he moved his residence to serve as the rav of Yekaterinoslav.
The Rebbe once spoke about the city of Yekaterinoslav in which he grew up, and expressed that it was considered the capital city of all of Ukraine, and primarily the foremost city in everything relating to matters of Yiddishkeit.
As is related, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak asked the shochet of the city, the chassid Rabbi Shneur Zalman Vilenkin, to serve as a melamed for his sons - for the Rebbe and his two brothers. For about four and a half years the Rebbe and his brothers studied with Rabbi Shneur Zalman Vilenkin, and many times the Rebbe spoke about him at farbrengens and said: he taught me Chumash, Rashi and Gemara, and he even expressed - "he set me on my feet". Rav Vilenkin was a lofty Jew. These were the Rebbe's studies in those years, as a child, from the age of seven and for four and a half years.
The next passage details: "A few weeks - a number of years - at the end of the summer months - he stayed with his grandmother, the Rebbetzin Mrs. Rachel, may Hashem avenge her blood . . and she cared for him etc.". The Rebbetzin Rachel was the daughter of the rav of Dobrinka, Rabbi Yitzchak Kushnitz, and she was the Rebbe's grandmother. For a number of years the Rebbe would travel to stay with her - in Nikolayev, where they remained living.
The Rebbetzin Rachel was murdered by the Nazis, may their name be blotted out, on 24 Tishrei 5702, together with many of the Jews of Nikolayev, and on this day the Rebbe would always say Kaddish, for this is the day on which his grandmother, the Rebbetzin Rachel, was murdered.
In parentheses the Rebbe adds about her husband, the Rebbe's grandfather, Rabbi Meir Shlomo Yanovsky, of blessed memory: " (he lived with the Rav HaGaon etc. etc. R' Meir Shlomo z"l Yanovsky, of the "yoshvim" in Lubavitch by the Rebbe Maharash".
And who are the "yoshvim"? A term for chassidim who came after their marriage to sit in Lubavitch, and studied nigleh and chassidus there, and their place was there all day. Rabbi Meir Shlomo remained there until the passing of the Rebbe Maharash, as the Rebbe notes here.
After the passing of the Rebbe Maharash, Rabbi Meir Shlomo served as av beis din in Nikolayev. In Nikolayev, Rav Avraham David Lavut served in the rabbinate, who was the grandfather of Rabbi Meir Shlomo, and after his passing a will remained that his grandson, Rabbi Meir Shlomo, be appointed as av beis din and as rav of Nikolayev. And as appears here, that he was "and afterwards av beis din in Nikolayev, filling the place of his grandfather the Raavad, Rav Avraham David Lavut".
Rav Avraham David Lavut (Lavut) was an immense talmid chacham, and also had a tremendous sense for music. The niggun "Rachamana" that we sing, which the Rebbe taught on Simchas Torah 5708, is one of the niggunim of Rav Avraham David Lavut.
Here the Rebbe brings out the greatness of his great grandfather, Rav Avraham David Lavut, and the books he authored: "author of the sefer Kav Naki and the sefer Beis Aharon veHosafos. And more)". We will review the seforim he authored, and with this we will conclude today.
"Kav Naki": a sefer on the laws of gittin. Rav Lavut served as rav in the city and dealt with this area, and he authored a sefer on the laws of gittin and called it "Kav Naki". In the introduction he explains the reason for the name: "Kav Naki" equals in gematria two hundred sixty two, and by that same count his name equals - Avraham David; and in this way he bound his name to the name of the sefer.
"Beis Aharon veHosafos": the sefer "Beis Aharon" was published in the year 5450, many years earlier, and it is a very interesting sefer and among the greatest of seforim, containing five sections with tremendous expertise in all of Torah.
And of what is the sefer composed? There is a section called "Beis Aharon", which is also printed in many Chumashim, and alongside it "Toldos Aharon". And what is "Toldos Aharon"? References for all the verses in Tanach that are explained in the Gemara - this is one section of the work. Afterwards come several more sections, including references to the Midrashim, to the Zohar, to the Yerushalmi, to the Yalkut Shimoni etc.
Rav Lavut took this sefer and republished it under the name "Beis Aharon veHosafos". First he adjusted all the references to the newly printed seforim, since the pages had changed, and he updated them all; and afterwards he added further sections to it. For example, he added a sefer called "Mitzvos Hashem" - a list of all the verses of the Torah that contain a mitzvah of the six hundred thirteen mitzvos, from which we can know for each verse to which mitzvah it belongs; and likewise references to seforim of chassidus etc. He edited the sefer and added a great deal to it beyond the original.
These are the two seforim that the Rebbe notes here - "Kav Naki" and "Beis Aharon veHosafos" - and he writes "and more" without specifying; but he has many additional works:
"Shaar HaKollel" - a very famous sefer on the siddur of the Alter Rebbe, which explains all the points in the siddur.
"Nesiv HaChaim" - a halachic sefer.
The siddur "Torah Or" - which he republished, edited and arranged.
Piskei Pri Megadim, notes on the Shulchan Aruch - and many other seforim that Rav Lavut authored.
Rav Avraham David Lavut was the Rebbe's great grandfather, and the Rebbe mentions him here in parentheses - that with his grandson, Rabbi Meir Shlomo, the Rebbe stayed for a few weeks at the end of the summer months, when he was a child, from the age of seven until about his bar mitzvah, more or less during those years.