In cities spanning the globe, Jewish communities are already marking the 66th anniversary of the passing in 1950 of the Sixth RebbeâRabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memoryâand the day that his son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, known simply as âthe Rebbe,â became the seventh Rebbe.
Commonly referred to as Yud Shevat (the 10th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat)âand corresponding this year to Tuesday, Jan. 19, and Wednesday, Jan. 20âit has become a time of introspection and inspiration for Jews touched by the Rebbesâ joint vision to share Torah and Judaism with their brethren, wherever they might be. Chassidic gatherings worldwide will focus on learning some of the Rebbesâ teachings; reflecting on the Rebbesâ love for every Jew; and rededicating oneself to the Rebbesâ directives of personal and communal growth in Torah learning and Torah outreach.
Communities often invite Chassidic leaders and rabbis to lead these gatherings, known as farbrengens. Among many others, Rabbi Moshe Feller of the Upper Midwest Region will join the gathering in Chicago; and Rabbi Yisrael Deren of Southern and Eastern New England will join the one in Vancouver, Canada.
Many thousands of people are also expected to visit the resting place of both Rebbesâknown as the Ohelâin the Cambria Heights neighborhood in Queens, N.Y. They will also attend farbrengens there and in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., home of Lubavitch World Headquarters.
Rabbinical students from Chabad yeshivahs around the globe will be among them. For them, the trip to New York comes after weeks of intensive Talmudic and Chassidic philosophical study and preparation for this significant day.
Marking the Day with Torah Study and Good Deeds
Along those lines, high-schoolers at the Lubavitch Mesivta of Chicago were encouraged to keep personal logs over the past few months of how they wisely spent their time and how much they learned for a number of weeks prior to the trip. They also participated in a schoolwide campaign to learn Talmudic folios and maamarim (Chassidic discourses) of the Rebbe by heart.
Of all discourses, the one most studied in conjunction with Yud Shevat is Basi LeGani. It was issued by the Sixth Rebbe to be studied on Shabbat, 10 Shevat 1950, in honor of his grandmotherâs 36th yahrtzeit. At the end, he himself passed away on that very Shabbat morning.
Exactly one year later, the Rebbe formally accepted leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and delivered his own discourse, expounding upon themes found in his predecessorâs discourse. This would become an annual tradition for the next four decades.
Those discourses, alongside the original discourse of the Sixth Rebbe, are often studied before and on Yud Shevat.
See the Rebbeâs letter about the customs of 10 Shevat
Study Basi LeGani in a number of formats
Send a petition for prayer to the Rebbeâs resting place
Join a live study session of a teaching of the Rebbe with Rabbi Tzvi Freeman at 8 p.m. EST
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