Thursday of this week, the third of Tammuz, Gimmel Tammuz, marks the yom hilula of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, observed throughout the world as a special day. One of the significant innovations of the Rebbe is the ongoing study of Rambam. We have just celebrated the Siyum HaRambam for the 42nd time. We constantly hear of more and more people learning Rambam daily due to the takanah of the Rebbe. In Israel 7,000 people now take weekly written tests on the daily Rambam through an organization called Shinenu.
A very viable preparation for Gimmel Tammuz is to join the Rebbe’s takanah of learning Rambam daily, whether three chapters, one chapter, or Sefer HaMitzvos. This establishes a special bond with the Rebbe that will enhance and increase the blessings for bonei, chayei umezonei revicho – nachas from children, good health, and long life and sustenance, all in a great and an abundant measure.
Many decades ago, the editor of the Jewish Post and Opinion, Gabriel Cohen, came to see the Rebbe. The Rebbe asked him why there wasn’t a column in his newspaper about the parsha of the week. Cohen answered that his readers did not have an interest in the parsha of the week. The Rebbe’s response was that this was exactly his point; there may be some Jews whose only connection with Judaism is this newspaper, and in this way they would also have a connection to the Torah.
When the Rebbe started his work of outreach in 1950, many in the Orthodox community criticized the Rebbe for his work: “How can you reach out to ‘them.’ They will bring their long heir, their pony-tails and their jeans into ‘our’ homes and they will ruin ‘our’ children.” The Rebbe did not pay attention to this, as to the Rebbe, “our children” includes all Jewish children.
Today, many who criticized the Rebbe emulate the Rebbe and do the work of kiruv.
The Rebbe taught us to look at a child who, for whatever reason, is (for the moment) a bit far as “our child”; “our son”; “Our daughter.” This changes the entire outlook and changes the entire attitude. Now it’s “our” problem and “we” have an obligation to deal with it.
A chassidic leader once came to see the Rebbe and spoke of “indzere kinder – our children.” To which the Rebbe answered: “I hope that when you say ‘our children’ you mean all Jewish children.”
At the very conclusion of his Mishneh Torah, the Rambam discusses at length the coming of Moshiach. The Rebbe told us so many times about Moshiach’s imminent coming and that we can bring him even closer by reaching out to all Jewish children regardless of the “age on the passport” and bring them closer to their own source and prepare ourselves and “chelko baolom – our part of the world” for the great geula – Teikef Umiyad Mamosh – speedily, friends, in our very own days.
