English translation — שיחה לילדי "צבאות השם" שיחיו - לאחרי תפלת מנחה - יום ג' פ' נח, ז"ך תשרי ה'תשד"מ.

They recited the twelve verses and sayings of our Sages.

And afterwards they sang the melody "We Want Moshiach Now".

Today's gathering can raise a question:

What distinguishes this gathering from the gatherings that took place earlier

(in the month of Tishrei)²,

and why is this gathering needed at all?

And especially since we have already gathered twice in the same month,

during our time of joy

(Sukkot)

and before that during the Ten Days of Repentance,

and especially since the gatherings were on special days,

the Ten Days of Repentance,

which are so called because they are ten special days,

the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur;

and likewise the days of our time of joy,

Sukkot,

have in themselves the importance of being days of a festival,

and a special festival whose essence is joy,

unlike now, when we are on a weekday —

so the question becomes even greater:

Why is it necessary to gather once again in the same month,

and speak about the same matters,

how I must serve the Most High,

and especially every boy or girl who belongs to "Tzivos Hashem",

and review the verses and sayings of our Sages, etc.?

Since despite this we are gathering today for the third time during the month,

one must say,

that there is a special significance and necessity to gather again,

even if one still remembers what was discussed in the previous gatherings,

during our time of joy and during the Ten Days of Repentance.

And the necessity for this gathering is to such an extent,

that we need to review again the twelve verses and sayings of our Sages,

and also speak words of encouragement,

rich things that will strengthen each one of us and each one of you,

in carrying out the mission of the Most High in the world,

which is,

as I said³ "This is the whole of man and the purpose of his creation...

to make for Him a dwelling place in the lower realms",

i.e., to make every part of the world,

and especially the place where you are and where we are,

a place where it is evident that the Most High is there,

and that He is the master of the house there,

because it is His dwelling place.

This is accomplished by a Jew conducting himself in the manner that the Most High desires and has commanded in His Torah,

and he is not satisfied with conducting himself this way alone — rather he also influences every Jew upon whom he can have an influence,

a boy upon a boy,

and a girl upon a girl,

that he should also conduct himself this way,

and he does it with the same warmth and vitality as his warmth and vitality when he himself conducts himself this way –

as you just said that it must be "You shall love your fellow" in a manner of "as yourself"⁵,

exactly like oneself. And this is a "great principle in the Torah"⁶,

as Rabbi Akiva says,

who was one of the greatest educators,

who showed every Jew in all generations the path in which one must conduct himself.

What indeed is the necessity for this gathering?

It is understood according to what our Rabbis, our leaders, explain in the discourses of Chassidus,

based on the Midrash,

that now

(after the month of Tishrei)

begins a time when, although even then one must carry out the aforementioned mission "to make for Him a dwelling place in the lower realms",

it is, however, a time when carrying it out is more difficult than it was in the previous months.

Since now the service is more difficult,

therefore it is a "special mission",

to carry out a more difficult "job" –

therefore one needs a special preparation for it,

that one should be in such a state,

that even when one sees that the "job" is difficult, it should not weaken the vitality and strength with which one does this "job",

but on the contrary,

one should do it with more vitality and brightness and earnestness –

then one will surely be victorious,

as I just said that "If one says, 'I have toiled and not found,' do not believe him",

i.e., that it is certain,

that since you will do it in a manner of "I have toiled",

you will surely be victorious.

In what way is the "job" that will be during the coming months more difficult than in the previous months?

The point in this is

(as understood from what is explained in the Midrash and in the aforementioned discourses of Chassidus):

When one gathers,

for example,

around Passover time,

in the month of Nissan,

one knows then that one must gather strength until the next festival⁹,

which is the time of the giving of our Torah,

Shavuot;

therefore the gathering is in such a manner,

that one gathers the strength to carry out the mission of the "Commander-in-Chief",

of the Most High,

as "Tzivos Hashem" –

for a period of seven weeks. Because in seven weeks another festival will come,

Shavuot,

which contains within it special powers that the Most High gives to every Jew,

as is the case with every festival,

and especially a festival of "the time of the giving of our Torah",

then one will surely receive new powers with new blessings.

Similarly, when we gathered around the festival of Shavuot,

the time of the giving of our Torah,

and afterwards

(in addition to the gathering)

also heard all together as the Torah was read again, the "Ten Commandments" –

this also gave "encouragement" and strength,

to carry out the mission of the Most High during the coming months, when one also needed to gather strength,

and prepare oneself to carry out the mission,

only for a period of three months,

until Rosh Hashanah and our time of joy.

But when the time of the festival of Sukkot now arrives,

although it is indeed "our time of joy",

and we have already gathered twice,

and strengthened one another in a manner that one can carry out the mission in the coming months to the fullest extent,

and especially since the first gathering was during the special days of the Ten Days of Repentance –

there is, however, a special matter that demands a special awakening:

The evil inclination can come and begin to make it difficult on the heart,

saying:

You should know, children,

that now you must gather strength to carry out the mission for a full six months,

from our time of joy until our time of freedom,

until the next festival of the three pilgrimage festivals arrives,

which is the festival of Passover, celebrated in the month of Nissan! And in this year,

which is a leap year,

the "job" will be even more difficult,

because one must gather strength not only for six months,

but for seven months! And only in seven months will the festival of Passover come,

when one will have blessing and success from the Most High,

a festival blessing and success.

As it is stated in the aforementioned Midrash,

that after Sukkot,

when the winter months come,

one must wait a long time,

until the next festival arrives.

Therefore we gather today,

in order to encourage ourselves,

and remind a Jew,

that he should know that he has been given the strength to carry out the mission!

And likewise, everyone who belongs to "Tzivos Hashem",

regardless of whether he is before Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah –

has the fullest strength with all the "training" he needs in order to be able to go out into the "field",

to the place where the evil inclination is,

and there carry out the mission,

even at a time when he has a difficult "job",

and to do it with joy and a good heart!

And surely "I have toiled and found" will be fulfilled for each one,

and it will surely be in a manner

(as was just said¹⁰)

of "For this matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it",

i.e., not only will it not be difficult to carry out the mission,

but it will be "near to you",

close and accessible to each one of you,

both "in your mouth" and "in your heart" and "to do it".

And it will be with much success,

so that the "Commander-in-Chief" will be highly pleased with you,

and will therefore give you more blessing and more success,

that you should continue and ascend higher and higher and be "promoted" higher and better.

Through this you will bring much nachat to everyone around you,

starting with the parents and teachers and instructors,

and you will also influence the children around you,

the Jewish children who do not yet know about the holy and supremely important mission that the "Commander-in-Chief",

the Most High,

has given them specifically,

with all the "ammunition" one needs to have in order to carry it out in the best way.

Through all of this together, it becomes a stronger army of "Tzivos Hashem",

and one is victorious in the war against the evil inclination,

which brings closer the true and complete redemption,

because this burns and nullifies the exile.

For the exile came "because of our sins"¹¹,

because the will of the Most High was not carried out as it should be. So when the Most High sees that Jewish children fulfill His will,

then He brings the redemption more quickly,

and "Moshiach our Righteous" comes,

"Now",

and leads each one of you and each one of us and the entire Jewish people to our holy land,

and there specifically in Jerusalem,

"the city of the great King"¹²,

and there specifically to the Temple Mount,

and into the Holy Temple –

speedily in our days, literally.

As discussed at every gathering,

there is a special lesson¹² that one must also learn from the portion in the Torah that is relevant to the time when the gathering takes place,

which is the verses from the Torah portion that is studied at that time and read in the synagogue with a blessing, on Shabbat,

Monday and Thursday¹³.

And it is self-understood that one must do this. For the Torah is our "order book",

the book from which everyone who belongs to "Tzivos Hashem" takes out the instructions on how he must conduct himself. So in addition to having the entire Torah the whole year,

one also has the special instruction,

"order of the day",

which is specifically connected to the week in which one reads and studies the special portion in the Torah,

and with the specific part in that very portion that is studied on the particular day when the gathering takes place.

Therefore the Torah is called by the name "Torah",

from the word hora'ah (instruction)¹⁴,

because its purpose and aim is to give instructions to Jews,

and this is in a manner of "Torah is light"¹⁵,

a bright and clear instruction –

how every Jew,

and especially those who belong to the army of the Most High,

to "Tzivos Hashem",

must conduct himself in general,

and specifically on the day when he studies that portion in the Torah.

Today's gathering takes place on the third day of Parshat Noach,

so it is connected with the verses in Parshat Noach from "shlishi" to "revii" –

where the story of Noach and his household is told,

how they were saved from the flood,

by being in the "ark".

And here the evil inclination comes and says to a child

(or to an adult):

The Torah itself says that all these things happened and occurred many thousands of years ago,

so what can you learn from these verses for your life now,

how to wage war against the evil inclination in the "United States"

(or in another country)

in the year 5744 from events that occurred thousands of years ago?!

But the "Baal Shem Tov" comes,

and immediately gives the "ammunition" with the answer to this claim –

how one answers the evil inclination that he is a great fool,

and does not know what he is talking about! For the Torah is "eternal"¹⁶,

it is an eternal teaching and lesson,

and it is especially bright and clear in order to show every Jew how he must conduct himself!

And furthermore, the Baal Shem Tov teaches us¹⁷,

that even every thing in the world that a Jew sees or hears is by Divine Providence,

so that he should learn from it how to serve the Most High as "Tzivos Hashem",

then it is certainly true that every matter in the Torah is also an instruction for every Jew in his service,

and especially the portion in the Torah that has a connection to that day,

as understood from the saying of the Alter Rebbe¹⁷,

that one must live with the weekly portion,

with the part that is relevant to this time.

What is the lesson from the story of Noach for us? The Baal Shem Tov explains¹⁸,

that just as Noach was saved from the flood by building an ark according to the instruction of the Most High,

and entered the ark together with his entire family,

so that therefore the flood that was in the entire world did not harm him,

and he came out whole together with all his relatives,

and even with the animals that had a connection to him and with which he conducted himself as he should have –

so too is it with every Jew:

The Most High gives every Jew an "ark",

a chest,

which are the "teivot" (words),

the words of prayer and study,

the words of Torah and prayer.

I.e., that by a Jew studying the words of the Torah with vitality,

until he is completely immersed in Torah and occupied with Torah,

and likewise in the words of prayer,

that he knows and is certain that he turns to and prays to the Most High every day through the words of prayer,

Starting from when he begins the day with "Modeh ani lefanecha",

with the words

(words)

of "Modeh ani lefanecha",

and afterwards with "Shema Yisrael",

and also all the other words of other parts of the prayer,

and he does it in a manner that he says it with vitality and is completely immersed in the words –

then the same thing happens to him that happened to Noach,

that he comes out whole from everything around him,

he and all that is his,

just as Noach and all that was his were saved through the ark!

Therefore, even when around him it is a time of winter,

and on the street there is wind,

it is snowing or raining –

it does not affect him,

and he can continue with his life and with his praying to the Above,

and with his learning the Above's Torah.

Additionally, there comes a special emphasis,

that one must not be satisfied with entering alone into the ark,

into the words of Torah and prayer,

rather one must also influence one's friends,

a boy upon a boy and a girl upon a girl –

according to the principle of "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself."

That is the special instruction of the third day of the week in general. And as mentioned several times,

that regarding the first third day,

the first Tuesday,

the Torah says,

in the portion that was read the previous Shabbat

(Shabbat Bereishit) –

from which Shabbat one takes the blessing of how to conduct oneself in the days of the week –

that on this day it was said twice "that it was good"¹⁹,

Which means that this is a day when the "good,"

the good conduct,

must be double:

not only good towards Heaven,

good in one's conduct between man and the Omnipresent,

but also "good to the creatures"²⁰,

that he conducts himself in a good manner also towards "creatures,"

i.e., also that he influences all Jews and children he can reach,

that they too should conduct themselves in a manner of good,

in a good way.

And when the conduct of a Jew is in such a manner,

that he is found in the words of Torah and prayer,

and also influences other Jews to conduct themselves thus –

then his ark becomes like Noach's ark,

as it is told in the verses of the portion,

that he waits until "the earth was dry"²¹,

until the "rain" and the "flood" in the world pass,

and the world becomes "dried" –

and he goes out into the open and dominates and leads the entire world.

For every Jew goes on a mission from the Holy One, blessed be He, to make for Him a dwelling place in the lower realms,

therefore he surely carries this out,

in the best manner,

since "In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth"²²,

And he carries it out in an easy manner,

not as the evil inclination tries to argue,

that because it must last a duration of six or seven months until the next holiday comes, therefore it is a difficult thing –

because "the matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it."

And he carries it out with "flying colors,"

and with all the blessings and successes from the "Commander-in-Chief,"

from the Above Himself

Both for himself,

and for all those who helped him and educated him and brought him into "Tzivos Hashem,"

the father with the mother with the teacher with the male counselor and with the female counselor –

may they have from you true nachas.

And then everyone will prepare together for the redemption,

saying to the Above,

that since they have nullified the "our sins" that brought about "our exile from our land"¹¹,

the Above must bring,

and surely He will bring the redemption from the exile,

and they will return to our holy land and to Jerusalem, the holy city,

and to the Holy Temple,

and speedily in our days, literally.

Since we were all together in the words of prayer,

when we all prayed together the Minchah prayer;

and also were all together in the words of Torah –

when we all together said and repeated the twelve verses and sayings of our Sages, of blessed memory –

now we must do another thing that brings the redemption closer and hastens the nullification of the exile.

That is,

as discussed several times,

through the commandment of charity,

about which our Sages, of blessed memory²³, say "Great is charity, for it brings the redemption near,"

i.e., the commandment of charity has a special quality that the Above –

the "Commander-in-Chief" –

has invested in it,

that by doing this commandment one hastens and brings closer the state of redemption,

when the exile will end and we will all be redeemed,

and indeed very quickly,

until –

"Now!"

Accordingly,

we will now conclude the gathering with the commandment of charity

(as is customary at every gathering),

by giving each one three coins:

one or two of them should be given for charity,

which is first;

And with the third

(or with two of them)

one should do something in a manner that a Jew should conduct himself,

in a way that he makes the world a dwelling place for Him, may He be blessed,

for example:

by buying with the coin a food item or a drink and before eating or drinking one makes a blessing,

either "Who brings forth bread from the earth" or "by Whose word all things exist" and the like,

i.e., acknowledging and thanking the Above for having created everything

(by His word),

not only "the heavens and the earth"²²,

but also the water and the bread and the like.

All this,

both the giving of the coin for charity,

and the blessing and the like –

hastens even more the arrival of the redemption through our righteous Moshiach.

And in order to show how much each and every one of you and each and every one of us is truly happy and proud of that which the Above has chosen him and taken him into His army – we will "accompany" the distribution for charity and giving charity –

with the repetition of the verses of Torah and prayer,

"Take counsel" and "But the righteous,"

and also the prayer²⁴ "May the Holy Temple be built speedily in our days" –

with joy,

with a happy melody.

And since all these actions help further that the Above fulfill your request and prayer that "We want Moshiach now" – we will also sing that melody,

and the Above fulfills it also with joy and with speed,

and we will have the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach speedily in our days, literally.

And in practice:

We will now conclude with the melody of "Take counsel,"

thereby proclaiming that the evil inclination has nothing to do and nothing to hope for from Jewish children,

for we sing with joy that "Take counsel and it will be foiled, speak a word and it will not stand, for G-d is with us"²⁵,

and afterwards we will sing "But the righteous,"

because we hope,

that very soon there will be "But the righteous will give thanks to Your Name, the upright will dwell in Your presence"²⁶,

in our holy land,

And we will conclude with the prayer,

that "May it be Your will" that all these things be "speedily in our days,"

beginning with "May the Holy Temple be built speedily in our days" literally.

[They sang "Take counsel etc. for G-d is with us,"

"But the righteous etc.,"

"May it be Your will etc. May the Holy Temple be built etc.,"

"We want Moshiach now."

His Holy Honor, the Rebbe, may he live for many good years, gave the male and female counselors, may they live, ten-cent coins,

to give to each and every boy and girl, may they live, three coins,

as above in the sicha].