English translation — סקירה ע"ד ס"ת לקבלת פני משיח צדקנו

*

Regarding the writing of this Torah scroll, it was made known by the Rebbe, our master, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, of blessed memory, during the farbrengen on the night of Simchat Torah

(before the hakafot)

of the year 5702 (1942).

And this is his holy language:

"With the help of the Blessed One, and in the merit of my holy fathers, of blessed and saintly memory,

I have merited the idea of becoming,

with G-d's help,

an emissary for the benefit and merit of all of Israel, and to write a special Torah scroll – 'The Torah Scroll for Receiving the Face of Moshiach' – for receiving our righteous Moshiach, speedily in our days,

with you."

And in the letter of the 2nd of Iyar, 5702:

"The Cause of all causes and the Source of all sources,

blessed and exalted is He,

in the merit of the honor, holiness, and sanctity of our fathers, our holy Rabbis, of blessed and holy memory, brought about a good cause to merit me with a lofty and exalted mission,

to awaken and arouse immediately to repentance and to prepare ourselves immediately for the redemption, and to write a Torah scroll specifically for greeting Moshitz Tzidkeinu,

and the matter of the writing of the Torah scroll was kept secret with me, to do the matter in a private manner,

however, at the festive meal of Simchas Torah, in our discussion about the virtue of Ahavas Yisrael...

it occurred to me: was I correct in my judgment to conceal the truth and to prevent many and complete, innocent people from participating in the great and holy merit...

I decided to announce publicly that with His help, may He be blessed, I intend to write a Torah scroll specifically for the sake of greeting Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

speedily in our days, Amen."

And in the letter of the 24th of Teves, 5703:

"When we were seated at the Yom Tov meal during the festival days,

in the presence of our friends, Anash, may they live,

we spoke about the birth pangs of Mashiach and the coming of Mashiach Tzidkeinu very soon,

and within the words I said that it is my intention, with G-d's help, to write a Sefer Torah...

specifically in order to greet Mashiach Tzidkeinu very soon,

and because of love of Israel, anyone who desires to participate in writing letters has permission to do so."

The beginning of the writing was scheduled for the 20th of MarCheshvan,

the birthday of His Holiness, the Rebbe, the Rebbe Rashab, of blessed memory,

as was conveyed in "HaKriah VeHaKedushah"4,

and in a general letter from the secretariat of our Rebbe.

And then the beginning of the writing was supposed to be publicized,

therefore the start date was publicized.

But in practice it was postponed to the 2nd of Iyar,

as written in the letter of the 2nd of Iyar mentioned above.

"Due to various reasons, the possibility to begin, with G-d's help, the writing of the Sefer Torah was delayed,

and today, on the second of the month of Iyar — Tiferes shebeTiferes — the birthday of His Holiness, our master, father, and Rebbe, the holy Rebbe Maharash, of blessed memory, may his merit protect us, may his soul be in Eden, here the lot fell to begin writing the Sefer Torah for the merit of all of Israel in material and spiritual matters."

And indeed, on that day the writing of the Torah scroll began in secret,

as stated in a special announcement,

on behalf of the "Torah Scroll Committee for Welcoming Moshiach"5,

in "Hakriah Vehakedushah"6

: it took place according to the Rebbe's

(shlita)

[n"a]

wish without publicity7.

The writing of the Torah scroll was on special parchment of slaughtered and kosher hides8.

And furthermore, the Rebbe, the Admor Moharayatz n"a, wanted the parchment to be processed in the Holy Land,

and he turned with this request via telegram to Moreinu Harav Shlomo Yehuda Leib Eliezerov9.

And in a more detailed letter to him,

on 2 Menachem Av10.

"I sent a telegram to my friend shiy" regarding obtaining parchment from slaughtered and kosher hides processed for its sake—in the measure of six handbreadths—for writing, with G-d's help, a Torah scroll with which to welcome Moshiach Tzidkeinu very soon."

However, on the third of Kislev he writes to him again:

"Regarding the parchment for the Sefer Torah, it will indeed be expensive, so we intend to do this here."

The parchment, however, they obtained in the United States,

despite the difficulties in obtaining parchment at that time,

because most hides were taken at that time by the government

(for war needs).

And after the beginning of the writing, he turned regarding this matter,

on the sixth of Iyar 5702,

to the honorable Rabbi Eliyahu Nachum Shklier.

"With this I am coming to fill his hand to deal with the matter of the hides needed for processing the parchment for the Torah scroll that is being written, with G-d's help, specifically for the reception of our righteous Moshiach, speedily and in our days,

that they should be from slaughtered and kosher [animals], and they should please supervise this precisely,

and the Almighty will grant us the merit to receive our righteous Moshiach, speedily and in our days, with kindness and mercy."

All the expenses for the acquisition of the parchment and the scribe's wages

(the chassid Shmaryahu Factor, of blessed memory),

everything was on the personal account of the Rebbe, the Admore"r HaRayatz,

and the donations that were donated for this he gave to the fund of the "Merkaz L'Inyanei Chinuch" and the fund of "Machaneh Yisrael"13.

The Torah scroll was begun and written then,

but its completion was delayed for many years.

* * *

At the farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Va'eira,

3 Shevat,

5730 (1970), the Rebbe shlita announced its completion in the coming days.

And this is the text of the sicha said at the time of its completion:

"For various reasons, it was desired

that the completion of the Sefer Torah, which my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, began writing, should be at the conclusion of the twenty-year period since his passing.

And as it says in the Yerushalmi14

regarding Shimshon

[that "Shimshon is called by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said15

'For the sun and a shield is Hashem, God'16,

and specifically as the Holy One, blessed be He, is the 'sun',

without the shield17]

: "One verse says 'And he judged Israel forty years'18

and another verse19

says 'And he judged Israel twenty years, etc.' — this teaches that the Philistines feared him for twenty years after his death, just as they feared him for twenty years during his lifetime"20.

And therefore the conclusion was also after midday,

which is in the closest possible proximity to the Tenth of Shevat,

which in the fixed calendar of this year falls on Shabbat Kodesh

(as in the year of the histalkus)

".

And indeed on Friday, Erev Shabbat Kodesh of Parshat Bo,

the Tenth of Shevat,

after midday,

5730,

they completed it with a festive meal.

After a brief talk by the Rebbe shlita,

the recitation of the verses of "Lamnatzeiach Yaanecha" by R. Shalom HaLevi Lewitin obm, with the congregation responding verse by verse,

and the melodies of our Rebbes — the writing of the Torah scroll was completed.

And after reciting the verses of "Atah Hareisa"21,

the melody "Perazot Teishev Yerushalayim",

the rolling of the Torah scroll and the donning of the "crown"22

by the Rebbe shlita,

the carrying of the Torah scroll to the Holy Ark under a chuppah and accompanied by candles — the Rebbe shlita recited the "Shehecheyanu" blessing aloud,

and ate a new fruit.

Afterwards, he delivered a maamar beginning with the words "Lehavin Inyan Ksivas Sefer Torah",

which is printed here,

and a short talk.

And may it be His will that the hope and desire of the holy Rebbe, the Rebbe Rayatz, of blessed memory, be fulfilled,

that with this Torah scroll we will go out to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

very soon,

speedily in our days,

"Now"!