English translation — בס"ד. שיחת יום ב' דראש השנה, ערב שבת קודש, ה'תשד"מ.

His Holiness the Rebbe, may he live for many good years, sanctified his holy hands for the meal.

[He instructed to announce that those who have not yet washed their hands for the meal –

should wash now.

Afterwards he instructed to announce regarding saying LeChaim that it should be before sunset,

and regarding the details of the laws connected with spreading the cloth and sanctifying. And afterwards he said:]

It is customary that the beginning of the farbrengen should be,

as the words of the Rebbe,

His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation,

with mentioning all the Nesiim by name,

beginning from the Baal Shem Tov,

the Maggid,

the Alter Rebbe,

the Mitteler Rebbe,

the Tzemach Tzedek,

the Rebbe Maharash and the Rebbe

(the Rebbe Rashab) of blessed memory,

and now they also mention His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe.

And afterwards an innovation was added from "Lafsha Lah" ² that they also mention the Arizal.

And although this

(the mention of the name of the Arizal)

was not before –

(as discussed many times)

this itself is the content of "Lafsha Lah",

that it was innovated;

and on the other hand –

it is not the simple meaning that it was entirely not before,

rather together with this they say that every innovation that "a worthy student will innovate in the future" was "given to Moses at Sinai" ³.

It also comes to that the matter

(that they now also mention the name of the Arizal)

is clothed in a reason and explanation:

The Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya ⁴ that "specifically in these later generations it is permitted and a mitzvah to reveal this wisdom",

which refers to the wisdom of the Arizal.

All the more so when we are already in the era of the footsteps of Moshiach,

immediately before the true and complete redemption,

when the spreading of the wellsprings outward has already occurred ⁵,

as preparation for "the King Moshiach will come" ⁵,

which spreading is more than merely "to reveal this wisdom",

as is also understood simply –

therefore specifically in this time

(before the redemption)

it was innovated that they should also mention the name of the Arizal.

And one should connect this with that in the future to come

(in the future redemption)

they will say specifically to Yitzchak "for You are our Father"

(as explained in the lengthy discussion in tractate Shabbos ⁶)

[which is no contradiction to what they say ⁷ regarding the third Beis HaMikdash that it has a special connection to Yaakov (an inheritance without boundaries ⁸) –

"not like Avraham about whom it is written ⁹ mountain etc. and not like Yitzchak about whom it is written ¹⁰ field etc. but like Yaakov who called it ¹¹ house etc."],

for Yitzchak is the name of the Arizal.

And as is known the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov ¹² that the name by which one is called in the Holy Tongue is the essence,

animates and sustains and expresses the content of the thing that has the name.

As is customary,

they mention all the Nesiim by singing their melody,

for a melody is the quill of the heart,

higher than speech which is the quill of the mind and intellect

(as explained in the talks of His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe ¹³).

And this is similar to what the Mishnah says ¹⁴ "the appointed one said to them: go out and see if the time for slaughter has arrived"

(the slaughter of the daily morning offering),

and "if it has arrived" one said "the entire eastern horizon is illuminated as far as Chevron". And the Gemara ¹⁵ explains the reason for this that they mentioned "Chevron"

("the entire eastern horizon is illuminated as far as Chevron") –

that this is in order "to mention the merit of the Patriarchs".

We see from this that even in the Beis HaMikdash where Divinity was revealed,

before they offered the daily offering,

which is the beginning of all offerings –

they mentioned the merit of the Patriarchs,

because through this they drew down that also in physicality they should have the merit of the Patriarchs.

Spiritually, the Patriarchs were there regardless –

because this concerns the daily offering which is a communal offering of all Israel,

and "a community does not die" ¹⁶. But in order to draw down the merit of the Patriarchs also in physicality they mentioned them verbally.

At first glance, however, it is not understood why they did not mention the names of the Patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov,

or at least mention the merit of the Patriarchs

(which means Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov),

rather they mentioned the name of the place where they lie –

"Chevron"?

Simply, the explanation of this is –

because Chevron is a place distant from Yerushalayim,

where it is noticeable

(when looking from Yerushalayim)

the light of dawn in the east.

And in the inner aspect of matters, the explanation is according to what is explained in the Zohar ¹⁷ that Chevron has an inner connection with all the Patriarchs

(and especially with Avraham),

because Chevron is from the term connection,

this indicates the connection and bond that existed by the Patriarchs. And this is "in Kiryas Arba, which is Chevron" ¹⁸:

"Kiryas Arba refers to the four elements,

which is Chevron, for they were connected in his body during his life" ¹⁹,

and the four elements correspond to the four letters of the Name Havayah that exist by the Patriarchs

(and by every Jew),

for "He placed the world in their heart" ²⁰,

therefore he has within himself connected together the four elements and the four letters of the Name Havayah

(as discussed in the previous farbrengen ²¹ from the discourses of our Rabbis, our Nesiim ²²).

And therefore when one wishes to mention the merit of the Patriarchs –

one mentions it through mentioning Chevron

("the entire eastern horizon is illuminated as far as Chevron"),

which has an inner connection with the Patriarchs.

Similarly regarding the mention of the merit of the Patriarchs of Chassidus,

our Rabbis, our Nesiim –

one does this through mentioning

(not only their names themselves, rather)

through another thing –

through their melodies,

for the essence of a melody is the quill of the heart

(as above).

The aforementioned matter –

that they sing melodies of our Rabbis, our Nesiim in order to mention the merit of the Patriarchs –

is also the reason why for several years it was customary to sing before the Rosh Hashanah prayer,

both at Maariv and at Shacharis,

the melody "Avinu Malkeinu":

The melody "Avinu Malkeinu" is from the Alter Rebbe *²². Therefore,

when in the Rosh Hashanah prayer they say the supplication request of "Avinu Malkeinu" they also sing

(beforehand)

the melody on the words in order to mention the merit of the Patriarchs –

the Alter Rebbe. And even at the Maariv prayer when they do not say "Avinu Malkeinu" in the prayer –

they mentioned it by singing the melody on the words "Avinu Malkeinu".

That is, the main reason for singing the melody is because of the merit of the Patriarchs

(not because it is a prayer),

but along with this the matter also comes that the melody is also a prayer.

And based on this one will also understand the reason why recently they did not sing "Avinu Malkeinu" before the Maariv prayer:

Since we now stand immediately before the coming of Moshiach in the true and complete redemption,

and the service of our generation is "the deed is the main thing" –

it is not appropriate that when they do not say

(in actual deed)

"Avinu Malkeinu" in the Maariv prayer,

they should only sing it in a melody

(because of the merit of the Patriarchs)

and thereby emphasize that it is not a prayer and in the prayer they do not say it

(contrary to the desire that they should actualize the matters in deed).

What then do they have in the Maariv prayer of Rosh Hashanah in actual deed? The matter of the true and complete redemption:

We see that in all the weekday prayers,

both by day and by night,

they say "for Your salvation we hope all day",

the matter of the true and complete redemption.

From this it is understood all the more so that in the Rosh Hashanah prayer one should pray about this. And especially in the prayer of the first night of Rosh Hashanah,

when all matters are elevated to the ultimate perfection.

We indeed see in the Rosh Hashanah prayer,

both by day and by night,

the request for the true and complete redemption:

In the silent prayer of Rosh Hashanah we find a wondrous thing:

Generally, one is careful not to make any changes and to request one's needs in the first three blessings of the silent prayer

(in the individual prayer).

They make the changes in the middle blessing of the Shacharis prayer,

or in the middle blessings of the Mussaf prayer.

We see that in the first three blessings of the silent prayer of Rosh Hashanah,

and moreover in the third blessing,

corresponding to Yaakov,

an inheritance without boundaries –

they add many matters:

"And so may it be sanctified etc.",

"And so place Your awe etc.",

"And so give honor etc.",

"And so the righteous etc.",

"And may You reign etc."!

And these five matters correspond to the ten sefiros:

"And so may it be sanctified" corresponds to the sefirah of Chessed,

"You are holy". "And so place Your awe" corresponds to the sefirah of Gevurah. "And so give honor" corresponds to the sefirah of Tiferes. "And so the righteous"

(in plural)

corresponds to Netzach, Hod, Yesod

(Netzach, Hod, Yesod).

And "And may You reign" corresponds to the sefirah of Malchus.

And in all these prayers it concerns the true and complete redemption:

"the kingdom of the house of David, Your anointed one".

And so forth.

And also in those where it is not explicitly mentioned "the kingdom of the house of David, Your anointed one",

they say however "and may they all form a single bond to do Your will with a whole heart"

(until this will be so not only among Jews but in the entire world,

as they say in the prayer),

which will surely be in perfection only in the true and complete redemption.

And similarly in the other mentioned prayers it concerns what will be in the future redemption,

until "and may You reign, You, Hashem our God, alone over all Your works etc." which will be actualized with the coming of Moshiach our righteousness.

From all this it is understood that when one is in the era of the footsteps of Moshiach,

immediately before the true and complete redemption –

it is not fitting that when they do not say "Avinu Malkeinu" in the Maariv prayer of Rosh Hashanah they should sing "Avinu Malkeinu" in a melody

(which negates the matter of prayer,

as above),

rather then it is more fitting a matter connected with the true and complete redemption as they say in the Rosh Hashanah prayer also at Maariv.

In continuation of the above regarding mentioning the merit of the Patriarchs of Chassidus through singing their melodies –

they should now sing the melodies,

beginning with the melody of the three shepherds,

the Baal Shem Tov,

the Maggid and the Alter Rebbe –

the melody of the three movements. And afterwards a melody of the Alter Rebbe,

not connected with requesting one's needs ²³. And afterwards the well-known melodies of the other Nesiim.

Just as His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe, said regarding the two days of Rosh Hashanah that the time is precious ²⁴ –

they should not waste time,

rather sing the melodies immediately and at once,

quickly,

"now".

They sang the three movements. A melody from the Alter Rebbe

("Likras Shabbos").

A melody of the Mitteler Rebbe. A melody of the Tzemach Tzedek.

A melody of the Rebbe Maharash.

A melody of the Rebbe

(the Rebbe Rashab) of blessed memory.

HaBeinoni. Atah Bechartanu.

[Afterwards His Holiness the Rebbe, may he live for many good years, instructed that they should spread the cloth and sanctify and take everyone out.

Afterwards he said:

Just as he (the one who sanctifies over wine) makes the world happy,

similar to how it is on Simchas Torah –

they should know that on Rosh Hashanah there must indeed be "and rejoice" –

to make happy –

but it must also be "and rejoice with trembling" ²⁵.

Afterwards he sanctified over wine].

He instructed to play a melody and said the discourse beginning "Zeh hayom techilas maasecha".

Afterwards he recited the Grace After Meals.

At the end of the Grace After Meals, His Holiness the Rebbe, may he live for many good years, said

(in a loud voice)

also "the Merciful One, may He grant us as an inheritance the day that is entirely Shabbos and rest for the life of the worlds"

(even though the Grace After Meals was on the Yom Tov meal);

"He Who makes peace in His high places"

(and not "the peace",

even though this is during the Ten Days of Repentance).

And in continuation of this, His Holiness the Rebbe, may he live for many good years, explained:

Regarding saying in the Grace After Meals during the Ten Days of Repentance "He Who makes peace in His high places" or "He Who makes the peace" –

I once asked His Holiness my father-in-law, the Rebbe,

and after he listened to everything he said that one must say as it is written in the Siddur

("He Who makes peace").

Regarding that they said among the "HaRachaman's" also "the Merciful One, may He grant us as an inheritance the day that is entirely Shabbos and rest for the life of the worlds"

(even though it is still before the acceptance of Shabbos) –

since in this place in the Grace After Meals one may interrupt ²⁶,

one may say it.

And especially since the Alter Rebbe brings in his Shulchan Aruch ²⁷ also the opinion of the Taz ²⁸ that "even if one did not eat an olive's worth after dark one must mention

(Shabbos in Retzei)

" – all the more so that in the "HaRachaman's" where one may interrupt in the middle,

one may say "the Merciful One, may He grant us as an inheritance the day that is entirely Shabbos etc.",

when it is already the time of Shabbos

(after sunset).

So when one can and may say an additional blessing that "the Merciful One, may He grant us as an inheritance the day that is entirely Shabbos and rest for the life of the worlds",

which now we certainly need to attain,

and especially since the "HaRachaman" is written in the Siddur –

one may certainly say it,

and may there be an additional "HaRachaman" *!

Now the order will be as follows:

The cup of blessing from the wine will be distributed, with the help of Hashem, tomorrow at the meal of Rava d'Ravin.

And in the meantime –

since on Shabbos "all your work is done" ²⁹ and all matters are from pleasure,

there should be by each one rest and pleasure in all matters.

And especially since it is Shabbos Shuvah,

and it is known what is written in the writings of the Arizal ³⁰ that each of the seven consecutive days of the Ten Days of Repentance

(between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur)

corresponds to one of the seven days of the week of the entire year

(the first day of the Ten Days of Repentance corresponds to all first days etc.),

therefore Shabbos Shuvah corresponds to all the Shabbasos of the year. It follows that from this Shabbos one takes rest and pleasure for all the Shabbasos of the year *.

Therefore the rest and pleasure on this Shabbos is with greater strength and greater vigor until the ultimate perfection,

since from this Shabbos one takes rest and pleasure for all the Shabbasos of the entire year.

And even by those who have not yet accepted Shabbos –

"those who taste it merit life" ³¹ is already on Erev Shabbos ³²,

therefore they already now

(on Erev Shabbos)

taste from the rest and pleasure of this Shabbos,

and also from "the day that is entirely Shabbos and rest for the life of the worlds" ³³.

[His Holiness the Rebbe, may he live for many good years, gave the challah to the esteemed Rabbi M.Y. may he live.]