"Cheder" three hundred fifty six in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Thursday, 20 Cheshvan 5704.
Lessons: Chumash, Chayei Sarah, Chamishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 20th of the month, from chapter 97 through chapter 103 inclusive.
Tanya, on this day we continue Epistle 29. The daily lesson begins on page 298 with the words "v'hinei ratzon", and concludes on page 150 with the word "ha'adam".
In this teaching the Rebbe refers to the birthday of the Rebbe Rashab, which falls on this day, and relates an event that occurred on the last birthday of the Rebbe Rashab in this world. First the opening phrase: "The birthday of the Rebbe Maharashab, may his soul rest in Eden" - the Rebbe notes that this day is the birthday of the Rebbe Rashab, may his soul rest in Eden.
Already in reading this line one can notice something interesting. Usually Hayom Yom is phrased in the first person, in the words of the Rebbe Rayatz, and when he mentions his father the Rebbe Rashab it is written "my father, my teacher and Rebbe" - and indeed in this very teaching, three or four lines further on, that is how it will be written. But here it does not say "the birthday of my father, my teacher and Rebbe", but rather "the birthday of the Rebbe Maharashab, may his soul rest in Eden". What is the reason for this? Let us add one more word and then we will try to suggest an explanation.
When was the Rebbe Rashab born? "The year Ksara" - that is, the year 5621. The Rebbe calls it "Ksara", from the Aramaic word for "kesser" (crown), and he notes that this is "as the Tzemach Tzedek expressed it". And if we examine the wording of the Tzemach Tzedek, we will also understand the question we asked earlier.
When one examines the source describing what took place at the bris of the Rebbe Rashab, at the time they gave him his name, on that day, at the bris, when they gave him his name, the Tzemach Tzedek spoke and already called him "Rashab", and explained that the letters of "Rashab" spell "basar" (flesh) and "shever" (breaking), for one must break the flesh of the body. And the Tzemach Tzedek added that he was born on 20 Cheshvan 5621 - that there are two letters "kaf" in this: the day is the 20th and the year has a kaf (5621) - alluding to "kisra ila'ah" (the supernal crown). These are the words of the Tzemach Tzedek, and apparently because at the bris the Tzemach Tzedek referred to the Rebbe Rashab by this title "Rashab", therefore the Rebbe, in the Hayom Yom of this day, specifically uses this title.
"He was named after the Mitteler Rebbe and half the name of the father of the Tzemach Tzedek" - "Shalom" is after the father of the Tzemach Tzedek - half of his name - who was called Reb Shalom Shachna; this is the name the Tzemach Tzedek said to give the grandson. And the second name, "Dovber", is the name of the Mitteler Rebbe. This is the full name of the Rebbe Rashab.
Now the next part. The Rebbe says: "Every year on his birthday my father, my teacher and Rebbe would say dach" - every year on his birthday the Rebbe Rashab would say Chassidus, "but it was in private". There is a description that the Rebbe Rayatz gives, how every year, on the night of his father's birthday, he would enter his father's yechidus room dressed in Shabbos clothes after Maariv, lock the door, and the Rebbe Rashab would say a maamar of Chassidus to him for more than an hour. Afterwards they would sit and learn together until eleven at night. The next morning he would repeat the maamar before him, and his father the Rebbe Rashab would tell him many stories; and all of this on condition that no one should know of it, a matter between him and his son alone. And here the matter is written in a single word: "but it was in private".
"Except when it occurred on Shabbos Kodesh" - when the birthday fell on Shabbos, there was another interesting order: the Rebbe Rashab would say the maamar publicly after the candle lighting on Friday evening, before the chassidim. After Maariv, when he would return to his room, his son - the Rebbe Rayatz - would come in after him, and the Rebbe Rashab would say to him personally an explanation of the maamar that he had said earlier in public. The next day, Shabbos morning at five, the Rebbe Rayatz would again come in to his father and repeat before him the explanation that had been said to him at night; and at eight in the morning he would repeat the maamar that had been said publicly on Friday evening; and on Motzaei Shabbos the Rebbe Rashab would tell him various stories. This was a special order on the birthday, and the only difference was that the maamar was said the first time publicly when the birthday fell on Shabbos.
Now the Rebbe relates about "on the last birthday in this world". The Rebbe Rashab passed away on 2 Nissan 5680, and 20 Cheshvan - his last birthday in this world - fell on a Thursday, and therefore he did not say a maamar publicly, but rather in private, as we described earlier.
Which maamar did the Rebbe Rashab say then? The opening words of the maamar were "he said the maamar 'Nasata li'reiecha nes l'hisnoses mipnei koshet selah'". Why did he say the maamar specifically on this verse? Because at that time the Rebbe Rashab was entering his sixtieth year and began to say chapter 60 of Tehillim, and this verse is found in chapter 60; therefore he said a maamar on a verse from his new chapter.
And what happened? "When he finished he said to me" - when the Rebbe Rashab finished saying the maamar in the room, personally to the Rebbe Rayatz, he added a sentence and said to him: "On a birthday one must say Chassidus" - just as the father indeed conducted himself, saying a maamar every year on his birthday. And then he blessed his son, the Rebbe Rayatz: "May Hashem grant you the gift that you say Chassidus on your birthday".
When does the birthday of the Rebbe Rayatz fall? On 12 Tammuz. The Rebbe Rayatz accepted the leadership after the passing of his father, in 5680. But throughout all the years - 5681, 5682, 5683, 5684, 5685, 5686 - the Rebbe Rayatz did not say a maamar of Chassidus on his birthday. The Rebbe Rashab added to the blessing "may Hashem grant you the gift that you say Chassidus on your birthday", and added: "but that it be with kindness and with mercy".
And what happened in practice? "And the matter took seven years". The first time the Rebbe Rayatz said a maamar of Chassidus on his birthday was in 5687 - the year of his redemption. In that year he underwent a harsh imprisonment, truly the opposite of life, and his redemption was on 12 Tammuz, and then, with kindness and with mercy, he came out of the imprisonment. That was the first time he said a maamar of Chassidus on his birthday, and with that the blessing his father gave him on 20 Cheshvan, on his last birthday in this world, was fulfilled.
The Rebbe brings this in letters as well, and relates that when he agreed to accept the leadership upon himself - apparently there was a conversation about this with his father in 5680 before the passing - he asked his father that the matter be with kindness and with mercy. That is to say, the father said this to him on 20 Cheshvan, and it was also the consent and the request of the Rebbe Rayatz that his leadership be conducted with kindness and with mercy. This is the point mentioned here.