of the Rebbe’s teachings.
Many of the Rebbe’s talks lasted six hours or more, with breaks for melodies in between. On Shabbat and holidays there were no recorders. Reb Yoel and a small team had to listen carefully, remember every idea, understand every sentence, and later reconstruct the talks from memory.
Because of their work, the Rebbe’s Chassidus was preserved for generations.
As we around 100 years since Lubavitch was incorporated in the United States, it’s worth remembering:
Lubavitch was incorporated by chassidim before the Sixth Rebbe arrived in America. Legally, within that structure, the chassidim chose the Rebbe.
For the past century, the Lubavitcher Rebbe has been one of the most accessible leaders in the world.
His teachings are available to anyone who wants to study them. And he gave more one-on-one encounters with individuals than almost any leader in history.
Recently, Chabad-Lubavitch had to defend its property in court when rogue chassidim attempted to take control of the synagogue basement.
The Rebbetzin, Chaya Mushka, once reminded someone of a simple question:
“Why does a person break in during the night to take something when no one is looking?”
Sometimes the most important question is the one we ask ourselves.
