This coming Tuesday, the 3rd of Tammuz, the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Day of Exaltation, is a day of ascension, when we can all rise and grow stronger, increasing our connection to the Rebbe, by walking in his ways, studying his Torah and carrying out his instructions, and thereby also receiving his abundant blessings.
As the years pass, the recognition grows that the Rebbe is a miraculous, rare and unique phenomenon, even on a generational scale.
In many ways, he shaped the face of Judaism in our generation. His path, which was initially the preserve of a few, over the years became the preserve of the entire Jewish people. His teachings today quench the spiritual thirst of the multitudes of the House of Israel, from all walks of life and denominations.
Turning and carrying
As we prepare for the great and holy day, we must consider not only what we can receive from the Rebbe, but also our commitment to him. For decades, the Rebbe gave his life for the people of Israel. He did not let his eyes sleep. He did not allow himself to take even one day off.
Even when he suffered a heart attack and the doctors ordered him to rest, he demanded that the letters that arrived at his office be brought to him, saying that he could not help but respond to the Jews about their plight.
Even today, tens of thousands of Jews turn to the Rebbe, every day, and ask for their wishes. The holy site is thronged with people at all hours of the day and night, and those who cannot get there in person send a letter so that it can be read there. One wants a blessing, his friend asks for the mercy of God, a third yearns for a sign that will dispel doubts and dispel mists, a fourth hopes to draw strength that will give him strength in studying Torah and fulfilling the mitzvot.
And everyone leaves with a sense of relief and sees salvation.
And now, as we approach the 3rd of Tammuz, we need to ask ourselves what the Rebbe is asking of us; what we can do to fulfill his expectations of each and every one of us.
We will receive the answer when we think about the things in which the Rebbe 'lived.' Two main things will soon stand out – love of Israel and the desire to hasten redemption.
Love for Israel and redemption
Love for Israel is the central axis of all his work. Out of love for another Jew, he could not sleep as long as that Jew lacked something, either physically or spiritually. On her knees, he educated his students and followers to give their lives and go with their families to the ends of the earth, provided that the Jews living there would not be abandoned, God forbid.
Countless times the Rebbe expressed that whoever wants to please him should increase his love for Israel and stay away from controversy.
The expectation of redemption was at the center of the Rebbe's work, and he determined that this was the destiny of our generation, the last generation to be exiled and the first generation to soon truly enjoy redemption. In recent years, he has repeatedly declared that redemption is already here, and that it is only a matter of time before it is realized.
The Rebbe called on the public to cultivate the expectation of redemption, to ask for it, to learn about it, and to add to the Torah and mitzvot in preparation for it.
These are the things in which we must make good decisions, and we will deserve to receive the most abundant blessing given on this holy day, until the blessing of true and complete redemption.
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