English translation — שיחה לילדי "צבאות השם" שיחיו בבית הכנסת, אחרי תפלת מנחה והדלקת נר חנוכה יום ג' אדר"ח טבת, אור לז' דחנוכה, ה'תשד"מ.

[They recited the twelve verses and the sayings of our Sages.

Afterwards, they sang the melody "Vi vont Moshiach now"].

Today's gathering

(assembly)

is connected with Chanukah.

And since the gathering is primarily for those who belong to "Tzivos Hashem"

(the army of the Most High)

it is self-understood,

that they must immediately ask the question,

what special "mission" lies upon them in the days of Chanukah,

and what is the "order of the day".

For whoever belongs to an "army",

when a new event or special day occurs –

he immediately asks what is the order of the day,

the "order of the day"².

And it is also self-understood –

that the answer to the question is found in the "order-book" of Tzivos Hashem,

which is the Torah,

in which are written all the commands

(all the mitzvos)

of the "Commander-in-Chief"

(the Most High)

which He gave to every Jew,

and especially the Jews who belong to "Tzivos Hashem"

(the army of the Most High),

so in the Torah one finds the instruction of what the "mission" consists of in general,

and likewise what the "special mission" consists of in the days of Chanukah in general,

and on this day in particular.

So indeed the answer to the question is understood simply,

that primarily one learns it from the special content of the days,

in which the miracle of Chanukah occurred.

The miracle of Chanukah was with the lights of the Menorah in the Beis HaMikdash³,

consequently the special command of the days of Chanukah,

which was inscribed in the Torah

(in the "order-book" where all the "orders" are),

is that one must light the Chanukah lights³.

And one must do it with a blessing,

also such a blessing

("she'asah nissim")

which emphasizes that the lights are connected with miracles.

And one lights them in a manner of "pirsumei nisa",

so that all should see it,

until this is the purpose and goal and "goal" of the mitzvah –

to publicize the miracle.

What is the "specialness" of this mitzvah?

The intent of all mitzvos is indeed –

to illuminate both oneself,

and the entire house and the entire Jewish people,

until the entire world with Judaism,

which is a "light",

"our life and the length of our days"⁵ and "a mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light"⁶.

But in other mitzvos this is not as openly apparent as that they illuminate the world,

and one must derive it and extract it etc.;

the function of the Chanukah light consists in this –

that the mitzvah is,

that one should light a candle that illuminates around oneself,

and one should do it with joy,

together with blessing and thanking the Most High for that He has taken us into "Tzivos Hashem" to fulfill all His mitzvos,

also the special mitzvos that come on special days,

and one does it in a manner,

that immediately when a Jew lights the candle

(immediately when he fulfills the mitzvah)

it immediately becomes light around him,

until even the non-Jews who are in the street see,

that when a Jew fulfills a mitzvah –

he makes light around himself.

Another special matter in the mitzvah:

It is commanded in the Torah,

that one should light the lights in such a manner,

that one should from day to day make it even lighter,

lighting each day another candle and another candle.

From this one learns that a person must "ascend" in holiness in his service in Torah and mitzvos in general.

Here too one sees the effect of the Chanukah light:

By all other commandments one must have a special study that there is a directive "to elevate in holiness";

however, by the commandment of "Chanukah light" one sees this openly,

that after a day has passed in which one lit the Chanukah lights,

one must light another light on the new day. And this must be done each day of the days of Chanukah –

and with joy and praise and thanks to the Most High,

and with a blessing "Who performed miracles",

recalling that there was a miracle "for our forefathers in those days",

and together with this emphasizing that it was "at this time". At the same time of year in which one fulfills it now.

Another lesson is learned during the days of Chanukah –

from that which we then say in the prayer text "And for the miracles etc. that You performed for our forefathers in those days at this time",

which miracles consisted of the victory of the war against the Greeks who wanted "to cause them to forget Your Torah and to cause them to transgress the statutes of Your will":

Since one recalls,

as mentioned,

that this was "at this time", it thereby comes to a special emphasis that the Most High gave Jews "Your Torah" and "the statutes of Your will",

His "order-book",

that one should conduct oneself according to the instructions throughout the entire year,

and especially during the days of Chanukah when one says "And for the miracles",

and in a manner that this should illuminate all the days of the entire year,

each one should know that he belongs to "the army of Hashem" and to the Jewish people.

And since each one recalls that he belongs to "the army of Hashem" and to the Jewish people –

he must constantly make light within himself and around himself,

through "the candle of Hashem is the soul of man"⁸,

through his Jewish soul which the Most High –

the "Commander-in-Chief" –

gave him.

What does he do when he conducts himself according to the instructions of the Most High,

Who told him that through his conducting himself according to the light of the soul,

according to how the soul illuminates his life,

as it is stated in "Torah Or" –

he will have an illuminated life and will make it very illuminated in the entire house and family and in the entire Jewish people and in the entire world.

And he will do it ever more illuminated and illuminated –

until the entire world will become completely illuminated,

when the redemption will come through Mashiach our righteous one,

when the statement will be fulfilled "And it shall be in the end of days etc. and many peoples shall go and say, come and let us go up to the mountain of Hashem"⁹ and the nations will say¹⁰ "O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of Hashem"¹¹,

i.e. with the illumination of G-dliness,

and in a manner of forever and ever.

As discussed earlier

(section a)

there is also the "order of the day" of today,

which is the special day among all the days of Chanukah on which we have gathered together,

for it is certainly that the fact that we have gathered together today is with a special intention from the "Commander-in-Chief",

consequently there is in this day a "special mission" for the army of Hashem in particular and for all Jews in general.

Today distinguishes itself from other days of Chanukah in several matters:

This is the day on which one began saying "And give dew and rain for a blessing"¹²,

this is the third day which was doubled as good¹³ for although we are already after the lighting of the seventh light which has a connection to the coming day,

we are nevertheless holding by the evening prayer of the coming day],

and this is also Rosh Chodesh.

From all these details there must be a special lesson for "the army of Hashem".

For although these are different things,

but in the Most High's world in general and in His army in particular there are no coincidental things¹⁴,

rather every thing is –

as the Baal Shem Tov says¹⁵ –

by Divine Providence –

in every thing there is a lesson and an "order" for every Jew in general and for "the army of Hashem" in particular.

The lesson of the third day which was doubled as good is understood simply –

as discussed several times:

The concept of "it was doubled because it was good" alludes to "good for heaven and good for creatures"¹⁶¹⁷,

meaning that one may not be satisfied with a "good"

(goodness)

for oneself,

rather one must give it also to another.

And as you just said¹⁸ that there is an "order" in the Torah "and you shall love your fellow as yourself"¹⁹,

and this is not merely an "order" but a "great principle in the Torah"²⁰.

Meaning that every good thing,

and certainly all the things that are connected with Chanukah

(about which we spoke earlier) –

one must give "to creatures"²¹,

"to your fellow as yourself",

give it with heartfelt words and in ways of peace,

and in a manner of "as yourself",

that just as he does everything so that it should affect him,

so should he do all that is in his power to affect another. A boy should affect all boys who do not yet know about it,

and a girl should affect all girls who do not yet know about it.

In other words,

one must see to it,

that in all good things,

and especially in the things that are connected with the Chanukah light,

"and on the miracles" and with Torah in general –

there should be the "doubled",

it should come down with the same strength and vitality to all those whom one can influence,

through the fulfillment of "and you shall love your fellow as yourself".

Afterwards there is the lesson of Rosh Chodesh –

and as an introduction:

When one tells a Jewish child that although he finds himself in a great world he can illuminate the world by illuminating himself,

in his house and in the synagogue where he prays,

he can ask a question –

how can he accomplish this?

The answer to this is,

as you just repeated¹⁸,

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

that the one and only Creator and Master of "heavens and earth",

of the entire world is the Supreme One

(the "Commander-in-Chief"),

and when He gives a "mission" to a small boy or a small girl to illuminate the world –

He gives along with it the power for them to be able to carry it out,

that they should be able to fulfill another mitzvah and another mitzvah;

learn another verse and topic and saying of our Sages of blessed memory in Torah and another topic in Torah –

Consequently,

when the special days of Chanukah arrive,

everyone has the power,

that through fulfilling the mitzvos that are connected with Chanukah –

to illuminate the entire world,

since the Supreme One is the One who created the world.

Nevertheless, it could still be,

that one might be frightened by this. That before lighting the Chanukah lights,

the world is dark.

For this there is the lesson of Rosh Chodesh,

that there is nothing to fear from darkness.

The concept of Rosh Chodesh is,

that it is a day that comes immediately after the moon was completely dark,

and on Rosh Chodesh it begins to shine anew,

and it continues shining more and more until the day comes when it shines in perfection,

the moon will be established in its perfection²³

[as mentioned earlier (section 5) regarding Chanukah that the light becomes stronger and increases day by day].

From this comes the instruction to Jews who count by the moon²⁴,

they count their days according to the moon and also "count" the instructions from the moon how to conduct themselves –

one should know that there is nothing to fear from the fact that it is dark,

because eventually it becomes light,

until "they are destined to be renewed like her"²⁵.

And regarding this –

one should not be frightened if it happens that as a result of the evil inclination one stumbled and did a non-"illuminated" thing –

because one has the power to overcome the evil inclination,

and on the contrary –

only more than before.

And as an example, as it was by the miracle of Chanukah,

when beforehand the evil inclination prevailed and it was that "they defiled all the oils in the Sanctuary"²⁶

(there was impure oil,

not as it should be),

and afterwards there was the victory of the Jews over the evil inclination,

and over all those whom the evil inclination had incited "to cause them to forget Your Torah etc."²⁷

(to cause forgetfulness of Torah and Judaism²⁸) –

until the victory was complete,

"and they established these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great Name."²⁷

Along with this comes the lesson from that which we began today to say "and give dew and rain for a blessing":

The concept of "rain",

a rainfall,

is –

that although it itself is drawn down from above by the One Above

(because we pray for it from below),

nevertheless it cannot accomplish its effect below unless a person plows and sows.

And it is known the saying of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, leader of our generation,²⁹

that that which rain accomplishes in the mission of the Holy One, blessed be He

(which fulfilled the request of "and give dew and rain for a blessing")

is specifically when a person has first plowed and afterwards sown,

then the rain comes and it "satisfies the earth and causes it to bring forth and sprout",³⁰

and then the rain is "for a blessing",

a great blessing,

more than one expected, because the One Above gives the blessing in a miraculous manner.

Thus from this there is a lesson for each one of you,

that although there were miracles that the One Above made and gave,

and He also gives now,

which is called by the name "rain" –

one must not forget that one must oneself "plow" and "sow" in order to properly receive the blessings of the One Above.

And what is the concept of "plowing" and "sowing" in the service of a Jewish child –

he should prepare his house that it be a fitting place for blessing,

it should be a place that when one places into it a "kernel" from which grain can grow, the house should be prepared to make the grain grow,

and afterwards he should place in the kernel –

and then from it should grow tens and hundreds of kernels,

until "it brings forth first fruit" miraculously,

as kernels grow.

Then the blessing of "and give dew and rain for a blessing" which we pray –

is fulfilled in the best and greatest manner.

There is another lesson from today,

since we are already at the seventh light,

that this is the day before the last day of Chanukah.

At the time of the miracle of Chanukah there was the "wicked Greek kingdom"²⁷ which wanted "to cause them to forget Your Torah and to make them transgress the statutes of Your will"²⁷,

and the Jews vanquished them.

So although the victory was over two thousand years ago,

nevertheless remnants of the "wicked Greek kingdom" still remain,

which is the "evil inclination" which strives

(Heaven forbid)

to make Jews forget about "Your Torah" and "the statutes of Your will"

(as the wicked Greek kingdom did).

Indeed, every Jewish child,

as a "soldier of Hashem",

can vanquish the evil inclination,

through his behaving as is proper –

but he must have a special preparation for this,

in a manner of self-sacrifice for the study of Torah and fulfillment of the commandments,

exactly as Matityahu and his sons did.

And this is the content of the days of Chanukah –

this is the time when one prepares to go out on an "attack" with a war against the evil inclination –

then one has the great victory with "miracles" and "redemption" and "mighty deeds" and "salvations".

Corresponding to this, it is fitting that one prepare to utilize the days of Chanukah in the best manner:

Already beginning from the first days of Chanukah, one must stand in a movement of readiness to wage war with the evil inclination in a manner of self-sacrifice,

and especially when one stands on the eve of the last days of Chanukah –

one must prepare to give the evil inclination the greatest defeat,

such a defeat that he should not even have the audacity to disturb a Jew from learning Torah and fulfilling commandments,

and a defeat in a Chanukah-like manner,

a victory with miracles and redemption and salvations until "to give thanks and praise".

And this is the special quality of today,

after the seventh light,

when one stands on the eve of the last day, on the eve of the "final battle" with the evil inclination –

that one has the opportunity to overcome the evil inclination and give it such a defeat that it will be effective forever and ever.

And from then on, each one of you and of the entire Jewish people should be illuminated with G‑dliness and Judaism and the light of "A mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light" –

through the victory that comes as a result of the preparation throughout the entire year,

especially during the days of Chanukah and particularly the last days of Chanukah.

And then one has the promise and blessing and success from the Almighty,

that one will also celebrate the eighth light of Chanukah,

"Zos Chanukah",

with success;

And that this will be a light for the entire year,

with "A mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light" which will bring light also in physical matters,

and also the "light of Hashem" of the redemption,

as mentioned earlier.

And everyone will go together with Moshiach Tzidkeinu "now" to the third Beis HaMikdash,

where there one will kindle the Menorah together with all Jews and each Jew;

And there will be a luminous Beis HaMikdash and a luminous Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh and a luminous Eretz Yisrael,

which will all make the entire world luminous.

And the world will be luminous also in the last days and moments of exile

(where one is now)³¹.

And then each one of "Tzivos Hashem" will receive a special "medal" and a special "reward" and recognition from the Almighty Who "performed miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time",

and will surely also perform miracles for us,

beginning with the main miracle,

the essential miracle –

the true and complete redemption.

Especially * Chanukah is an appropriate time to say a few words to the Jewish children who are in those countries where it is not so easy to fulfill mitzvos in general and the mitzvah of Chanukah in particular.

For them especially were given powers and blessings from the Almighty,

that they should be able to overcome all these difficulties, and they should be able to fulfill the mitzvah of Chanukah and all the mitzvos in the manner in which they need to be fulfilled,

That is, regarding the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah lights

(as mentioned earlier) –

that each day of Chanukah one should add kindling another light and make it more luminous,

and so from day to day,

And to kindle the lights beginning with the blessings upon it –

that we bless and are thankful to the Almighty for that which He has chosen us as His people,

and given us His Torah –

"Your Torah",

and His mitzvos –

"the statutes of Your will",

and given us powers that we should be able to fulfill them regardless of difficulties.

And as has already been spoken many times³²,

that it is guaranteed in the constitution of Russia

(U.S.S.R.)

and all similar countries,

that every Jewish boy or girl,

and every Jew in general,

who wishes to fulfill the mitzvah of Chanukah and all the mitzvos –

he

(or she)

may do so freely and will receive protection from the authorities for this,

so that no one may interfere with him.

And then one also has the possibility,

the freedom,

to fulfill the mitzvah of Chanukah as it needs to be fulfilled –

that from day to day one adds another mitzvah,

another light and makes it more luminous.

And likewise regarding Torah and mitzvos in general –

that in the day-to-day life of a Jew he conducts himself and one fulfills "A mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light",

one makes more luminous one's own life and the life in one's own home,

so that it should be

(even)

more luminous with the holiness and light of "A mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light".

And just as every Jew and all Jews in all lands are currently in the darkness of exile –

through illuminating one's own life and one's own home with the light of "a mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is light",

beginning with lighting the Chanukah lights and adding another light each day and making it brighter –

this brings closer the fulfillment of the Almighty's promise,

that very soon,

speedily in our days, literally,

the darkness of exile will end and the great light of the true and complete redemption through Mashiach Tzidkeinu will begin,

When every Jew and all Jews,

"our young and our old, our sons and our daughters"³³,

all Jews together,

in a good manner with good health,

in ways of peace and pleasantness – will go together with Mashiach Tzidkeinu to Eretz Yisrael,

to our holy land,

and there –

to its capital city, Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh,

and there –

to the Har HaBayit and Mikdash Hashem,

to the mountain where it will be built,

by the Almighty³⁴,

the Beis HaMikdash,

And there we will all see how Aharon HaKohen lights the lights of the Menorah in the third Beis HaMikdash.

And from then on there will be the eternal redemption³⁵ and the eternal light for all Jews and for all nations,

true and eternal peace in the entire world.

And whoever adds another mitzvah,

all the more so if he does many mitzvos,

brings closer and hastens even more quickly,

in the manner of "Achishenah"³⁶,

that speedily in our days, literally, there should be the redemption from exile through the true and complete redemption. Amen, ken yehi ratzon.

As is customary at every gathering –

we will also conclude this gathering with a matter of tzedakah³⁷.

Consequently, after having prayed Minchah,

and after having said and heard the verses from the Written Torah and teachings from the Oral Torah –

all of which was done with vitality,

together with the resolve to do more,

as the lesson of the days of Chanukah that one must ascend in holiness –

which includes the two matters of Torah and prayer,

one who engages³⁸ in Torah and prays with the congregation,

we will also complete the third matter mentioned in the teaching of our Sages of blessed memory³⁸ on "He redeemed in peace³⁹" and "in acts of kindness",

through the giving of tzedakah.

Therefore, we will now give each of you "Chanukah gelt"⁴⁰ three coins

(through the madrichim and madrichot):

One coin you will certainly,

after it becomes yours,

give for tzedakah in connection with chinuch,

the education of Jews in a Jewish way

(which is related to Chanukah, which shares the same root as "chinuch"⁴¹,

as explained by our Rabbis and Nesi'im⁴²);

The second coin you should give to a poor person who needs the money literally;

and with the third you should do as you see fit.

And since there are also adults here –

parents or relatives or brothers and sisters –

in your merit,

in your merit,

we will also give each of them three coins,

and certainly they will do with them in the aforementioned manner.

And all these things should be done in a manner that shows that one does them with true joy,

resolving that "the evil inclination is cast down" and "the exile is cast down" –

Through singing joyfully "Take counsel and it will be thwarted, speak a word and it will not stand, for G-d is with us"⁴³,

and also "But the righteous will give thanks to Your Name, the upright will dwell in Your presence"⁴⁴,

that very soon we should sit "in Your presence",

in the Beis HaMikdash.

And conclude with "Veyivaneh HaMikdash" and "Yibaneh Beis HaMikdash bimheirah veyameinu"⁴⁵.

All of which will further hasten the perfection of Torah –

through each of you influencing every Jew,

until every Jew will do likewise –

which is the perfection of Torah study and fulfillment of mitzvos in perfection and in the manner of "adding and going" like "mehadrin min hamehadrin";

And this will make you also a part of the "great congregation"⁴⁶,

of the entire holy great Jewish people,

"our young and our old, our sons and our daughters" –

the perfection of the nation;

“And behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven”⁴⁷,

in the manner of “I will hasten it” –

when we will go together with Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

flying upon the clouds of heaven in a good and swift manner to our Holy Land,

“a land which the eyes of Hashem your G‑d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year”⁴⁸;

and find the completeness of the land,

a tranquil land –

because it is a whole land,

entirely as the Holy Land,

as a holy land,

complete with its holiness and complete in its simple sense –

for “Hashem your G‑d will expand your border”⁴⁹,

meaning that the wholeness brings an expansion to the degree of “mehadrin min hamehadrin”.

And in continuation of the above regarding the fact that we are in the last days of Chanukah, here is the place to arouse regarding two matters:

a) One should endeavor to utilize the hours that remain of the days of Chanukah to make a farbrengen

(of adults),

both of men and of women,

and with joy and a good heart.

b) Since Chanukah comes immediately after Yud Tes Kislev and Yud Kislev and is connected with oil –

the inner dimension of the Torah⁵⁰,

one should complete the printing of the Tanya in the places where it has not yet been printed.

And one should do it with alacrity,

the alacrity of “mehadrin min hamehadrin”,

so that even in the few places where the Tanya has not yet been printed –

it should be printed,

if one can manage,

during the days of Chanukah.

And if one cannot manage –

one should finish it at least by the twenty-fourth of Teves,

the yahrtzeit of the old Rebbe, the Baal HaTanya;

and those who cannot by then –

then at least by Purim Katan,

and at least by Purim Gadol,

in Adar Sheini

(which this year is indeed a full year⁵¹,

with the greatest number of days that a year can have –

since “G‑d called the light day”⁵² means that a Jew has a greater ability to make light for himself and for the entire world).

And connecting redemption to redemption⁵³ –

that coming from the redemption of Yud and Yud Tes Kislev,

and standing during the days of Chanukah,

in the redemption from the wicked Greek kingdom “in those days at this time” –

one should connect this redemption with the true and complete redemption through Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

And we will finish the printing of the Tanya after his coming,

for the Omnipresent will bring all the synagogues and study halls of the entire world to our Holy Land⁵⁴,

And the main thing is –

that the Omnipresent should accept our prayers of “We want Moshiach now” in its simple sense,

below ten handbreadths,

speedily in our days, literally.

Just as I was just told⁵⁵ that I am a “child” and give an “extension” –

it occurred to me to give an “extension” regarding the farbrengens

(as above, section 3).

That just as there are “mehadrin min hamehadrin” regarding farbrengen,

consequently, however much time remains until the conclusion of Chanukah is not sufficient for them –

they should also continue it on the Shabbos following,

for “whoever toiled on Erev Shabbos will eat on Shabbos”⁵⁶,

consequently,

since one farbrengs before Shabbos,

the Shabbos will also be a joyous one and in a manner of delight,

since then is the “Vayechulu”⁵⁷ of all matters of Chanukah.

And this “extension” is given also for the procrastinators,

who will begin to deliberate,

how can one make a farbrengen in these two days,

and the deliberation will be with so much exertion that they will be exhausted and the farbrengen will not be in its completeness –

so they should,

at the very least –

but with greater strength and vigor –

farbreng on the Shabbos following!

And through these farbrengens, there should be opened, as the saying of the Alter Rebbe,

related by our generation’s Nasi⁵⁸,

that a Chassidic farbrengen opens more than Michael

(the ministering angel of Israel⁵⁹)

opens,

bringing down all blessings from the Omnipresent,

beginning with the primary blessing of the true and complete redemption through Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

speedily in our days, literally.

[They sang “Utzu eitzah… imanu E‑l”,

“Ach tzaddikim…”,

“We want Moshiach now”,

“Yehi ratzon… sheyibaneh Beis HaMikdash…”

The Rebbe of blessed memory gave the counselors and counselors-in-training, may they live, ten-cent coins,

to give to each of the boys and girls, may they live, three coins of "Chanukah money":

One –

to give to charity for a matter connected to education;

the second –

charity for a poor person;

and the third –

to do with it as they see fit;

And likewise to give to each and every one of those present

(the adults)

may they live].