1. The Previous Rebbe, in a letter concerning the ending of writing a Sefer Torah writes: “A few days before the Siyum HaTorah — the completion and bringing of the Torah to the synagogue — announcements are made in all the synagogues of the city that on the appointed day there will be, G-d willing, the completion of the [writing of the) Torah, and the bringing in of the Torah to the synagogue.”

The simple meaning of the words “of the city” is just that — the city in which the “Siyum HaTorah” is being made. Nowadays, however, a wider meaning can be given to this, due to advanced modern technology. Present means of communication allow not only the inhabitants of the particularity, but people in all parts of the world to be aware of the Siyum HaTorah.

Every new thing revealed[34] in the world is first and foremost for the purpose of the good and holy matters that eventuate from it.[35] For example, the Midrash states that “the world was not deserving of using gold; and why was it created? For the sake of [its use in] the Bais HaMikdash” gold’s first and foremost purpose is for its use in the Bais HaMikdash; once it was created for that purpose, man has had free choice to use it as he wills.

Hence, the revelation of a means of communication with which one can be connected with any other place is first of all for the purpose of communication in good matters — Torah and Mitzvos.[36] Thus, in our case, when a Jew turns on his instrument, he hears that Jews have gathered together, written a Sefer Torah, and that in a few days they will celebrate its completion.

The dissemination of the news of the Siyum HaTorah effects unity between all Jews, connected with the unity of Torah. Every Jew, no matter how remote from his heritage,[37] is called “Yisrael.” In Hebrew, the letters of the world “Yisrael” form the acrostic, “There are six hundred thousand letters in the Torah,” since every Jew has a letter in the Torah. There are of course more than 600,000 Jews, and thus there are more Jews than letters in the Torah. But, as explained in Tanya (Ch. 37), the 600,000 figure refers to the all-encompassing souls, the roots, and “each root subdivides into 600,000 sparks, each spark being one soul.” Hence all Jews are included in the 600,000, thus assuring every single Jew a letter in the Torah. And just as the Torah is one indivisible unit (which contains 600,000 letters), so too all Jews, who correspond to the letters of the Torah, are one indivisible unit (which contains 600,000 components).

This concept is renewed each time a new Sefer Torah is written. For a new Sefer Torah is not merely one more addition to the total of Sifrei Torah extant, but rather each new Sefer Torah is exactly as the first Sefer Torah written by Moshe Rabbeinu. Hence, the concept of the 600,000 letters in the Torah, corresponding to all Jews, exists in a newly written Torah precisely as in the Sefer Torah given at Sinai.

Even more: G-d has instructed His people that one must “ascend in holy matters.” G-d too, so to speak, fulfills that which He commands His children,[38] and thus fulfills the directive to “ascend in holy matters.” Therefore, when we complete a new Sefer Torah, a new light is elicited that never before existed.[39] And this is the superiority of the Sefer Torah (that will be completed in two days time) over all previous Sifrei Torah, including that written by Moshe Rabbeinu.

When a Jew hears (by whatever means of communication) of the completion of a new Sefer Torah, the letter in the Torah that belongs to each particular Jew is awakened within him and effects a unity between all Jews, since, as explained above, Jews are one indivisible unit comprised of 600,000 components. A Sefer Torah consists of 600,000 letters; yet a Sefer Torah is only complete when each of these components is not a separate entity for itself; for if even one letter is not complete and in its proper place, the entire Sefer Torah is affected. Thus the true fulfillment of a Sefer Torah is in its indivisibility and unity. The same is true of Jews: because they are included in the Torah (each Jew having one letter), they are one indivisible unity, regardless of the fact that they are 600,000 in number.

2. That the writing of a new Sefer Torah exactly mirrors the first Torah, and therefore renews the unity of Jews in Torah, is accomplished even when one individual writes it. How much more is this so, then, when it is instigated by many people, especially when the original idea was propounded by women. And thus it was at the giving of the Torah: first “Thus shall you say to the house of Yaakov these are the women;” and only afterwards “and tell it to the children of Yisrael — these are the men.”

The unity of Jews accomplished by the Torah is underscored by the fact that the completion of this Sefer Torah takes place in a Hakhel year, the purpose of which is “Gather the people together, men, women, and children.” The writing of a Sefer Torah accomplishes the same purpose: to gather and unite all Jews as one congregation in one Sefer Torah. For as soon as a Jewish baby is born, he is joined in the idea of writing a Sefer Torah, thus once more stressing the indivisible unity of Torah and consequently Jews.

This is so especially since the Siyum in the Hakhel year falls out on Yud-Tes Kislev, the day of liberation of the Alter Rebbe.[40] Not only the Alter Rebbe, but all Jews for all generations were then redeemed “in peace,”[41] that redemption being renewed every year, with each year receiving something new that never before existed. And it is then brought down below to such a degree that, as the Alter Rebbe himself writes, “all the ends of the earth saw” and “all the princes and peoples in all the countries of the king” saw that “G-d worked great wonders on the earth.” And the fact that the Siyum HaTorah falls out on Yud-Tes Kislev ensures that all the above matters concerning the Sefer Torah are strengthened.

Besides the conjunction of these three things — the completion and bringing of the Sefer Torah into the synagogue, Yud-Tes Kislev, and the Hakhel year — the event will be taking place in the Holy Land, “the land ... which the eyes of the L-rd your G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.” And the continual watchfulness of G-d of all parts of the land in a physical sense is connected with the watchfulness in a spiritual sense.

Just as a Sefer Torah is only complete when it has all its letters, and before finishing the writing of it, we ensure that it is complete and whole; so too, we must vigilantly ensure that the Holy Land is complete from boundary to boundary — that no part of it be given to others. For if even one part is missing, then the entire land is lacking and deficient (comparable to a Sefer Torah, as explained above). And just as during the giving of the Torah, every single Jew had to be present, and if not, no one would have received the Torah G-d forbid; so too the land must be complete in all ways.

This is a three-fold fullness. First comes the “fullness of the Torah,” that fullness being when study is translated into action — “Great is study for it brings one to action.” This then leads to “fullness of the people” — all Jews, men, women and children. And leads to “fullness of the Land” — that no part of the Holy Land belonging to Jews be given away.

Indeed, true peace comes about only when we hold on to the land with all our strength — which is the preparation to G-d giving to us those parts which in the meantime are in the hands of non-Jews. This will be very shortly, for since “all the appointed times for the Mashiach’s coming have passed,” all that is now needed is one moment of Teshuvah (repentance) and “immediately they (Jews) are redeemed.”[42]

Our present stronghold on the land ensures that “You shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid” since “terror and dread fall upon them; by the great [strength] of Your arm let them be still as a stone.” None shall bother a Jew, and instead “kings shall be your foster fathers and their queens your nursing mothers.” For while in the last days of exile, non-Jews fulfill their purpose of: “They shall bring all your brethren out of all the nations for an offering to the L-rd ...” to the Holy Land, to Yerushalayim, to the third Bais HaMikdash. May G-d speedily put an end to the darkness of the exile, and bring us speedily to our land, to the Bais HaMikdash built by our righteous Mashiach.

3. We wish to participate in the Siyum HaTorah, not only by directing our thoughts to be with them [see footnote (G)], but in a physical manner. Therefore we shall now give a “crown” to the Sefer Torah. And since “One may act for a person in his absence to his advantage,” everybody has a share in the money paid[43] for the crown. We shall make the Gabbai (manager) of the synagogue in Eretz Yisrael, who is present here, an envoy to take the crown back to Eretz Yisrael, and also to distribute Tzedakah there in the name of all present.

Just as the soul of a Jew is compared to an (entire) Sefer Torah, may the completion of the Sefer Torah be the preparation to that time when “all the souls in that treasure store called “Guf” are finished” the coming of Mashiach. This is accomplished through Jewish women fulfilling the Mitzvos of the Torah, the first one being “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the land and subdue it.” And from this campaign we go to all the other Mitzvah campaigns — Ahavas Yisrael, Chinuch (education), Torah, Tefillin, Mezuzah, Tzedakah, Bayis Maley Seforim, Shabbos lights, Kashrus, and Family Purity. These will be the preparation to the “campaign,” so to speak, of G-d Himself, the only one capable of doing it[44] — the future redemption.

[The Rebbe Shlita then gave the Gabbai a cup of liquor to say “L’chayim,” and also the bottle of liquor to distribute to the participants in the Siyum HaTorah. He then gave him the crown, saying, “In the name of the whole congregation,” and also money for Tzedakah in Eretz Yisrael. He then gave a L’chayim to the craftsman who made the crown, telling him to have success and to make many crowns for many Sifrei Torah; and to learn and fulfill that stated in the Torah.]

4. Now is the time to occupy ourselves in the preparations for Yud-Tes Kislev, and also to prepare for the Chanukah campaign, especially reaching those who are in jails, hospitals, and old-age homes. Most of all, efforts in the Chanukah campaign should be addressed to those who have the merit to guard Eretz Yisrael, [i.e. the soldiers in Eretz Yisrael to prevent the land from being vulnerable to hostile elements. For the Halachah is that even outside Eretz Yisrael, one is forbidden to allow even the remotest possibility of leaving a territory vulnerable to attack. This is especially true in Eretz Yisrael, where G-d’s vigilance is constant, and “[they may] continue a scheme, but it will be foiled; conspire a plot, but it will not materialize, for G-d is with us.” And the soldiers who guard Eretz Yisrael, of any rank, should be especially zealous to kindle “the commandment [which] is a lamp, and the Torah [which] is a light,” increasing every day.[45]

May it be G-d’s will that through the preparations for the Chanukah campaign we shall merit to have the lights of the third Bais HaMikdash, through the coming of our righteous Mashiach, speedily in our times.

   

Notes:

34. (Back to text) Every new discovery or invention is not really a new thing since “there is nothing new under the sun.” Rather, everything has its proper time in which to be revealed — “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

35. (Back to text) Since man has free choice, however, new discoveries can also be used for bad purposes. When a Jew chooses the correct path, then one shows that he does indeed belong to the “wise and understanding people.”

36. (Back to text) This includes communication with a far-off place in a spiritual sense. For when a person turns on the apparatus [e.g. telephone, radio] for whatever reason whatsoever, and listens, it is by Divine Providence that he hears something connected with Torah and Mitzvos.

37. (Back to text) As the Talmud (Sanhedrin 44a) states: “Even though he has erred, he is a Yisrael.” And as the Previous Rebbe writes in the letter concerning his liberation from prison, not only he was redeemed, but every Jew, even those who “are only Yisrael in name.”

38. (Back to text) In Tehillim (Ch. 147:19) the verse states: “He declares His word to Yaakov, His statutes and His judgment to Yisrael. “ The laws are not only given to Jews to keep, but they are His — G-d too, so to speak, fulfills them.

39. (Back to text) Similar to that written by the Alter Rebbe in Iggeres HaKodesh, (14) that each year on Rosh Hashanah, “a new, more sublime light descends, so sublime a light as has never shone yet since the beginning of the world.”

40. (Back to text) The liberation of the Alter Rebbe was on a Tuesday, the day on which the portion of Tehillim (divided into the days of the week) contains the verse “He redeemed my soul in peace.” Today’s farbrengen is, by Divine Providence, also on a Tuesday. The farbrengen is a preparation to the Siyum HaTorah which will be held in Eretz Yisrael two days hence (of which the Alter Rebbe wrote that the liberation was “in the merit of the Holy Land”). But even those who won’t be present at the actual Siyum HaTorah can also participate as if, and more than as if, they actually were there. For the Baal Shem Tov taught that a person is where his thoughts are, and since this farbrengen is a preparation to and is connected with the Siyum HaTorah, its intention is to cause everybody to actually participate and be there.

41. (Back to text) The Alter Rebbe does not specifically write that his liberation is associated with others. Nevertheless, it is surely comparable to that of the Previous Rebbe, who writes specifically that “G-d did not only liberate me... but all Jews.” This is like the concept of Yud-Tes Kislev that “He has redeemed my soul in peace.. for the [sake of the] many who were with me. “

42. (Back to text) And then “The L-rd your G-d will enlarge your border” — we receive also the lands of the Keni, Knizi, and Kadmoni [the remaining peoples of the land of Canaan, who were not conquered.]

43. (Back to text) For a Mitzvah should not be “free,” but paid for.

44. (Back to text) As the Previous Rebbe said: It was not with our will that we went into exile, and it will not be with our will that we will go out from exile.

45. (Back to text) As the Ramah says that nowadays it is a “simple unquestioned custom” to add an extra light each day when kindling the Chanukah lights [although the basic minimum is but one light each day].