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Torah thoughts
12th of Tammuz—Day of Liberation
Adapted from ,he works of'Rabbi Menachem m This resolute determination did
Sihnccrson, the l.ubavilcher Rebbe. by Rabbi ,
Yo».i New. Chabad of Georgia not chan 8 e even after they pun
ished him for refusing to answer
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Rabbi Schneerson
12th Tammuz— Day Of Liberation
The third of Tammuz, (this past
Thursday) is the date the previous
Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph
Isaac Schneersohn of sainted mem
ory, was informed in 1927 in his
Communist prison cell that his
sentence would be commuted from
death to three years’ exile in the
town of Kostrama. The actual date
of liberation took place on the 12th
of Tammuz, which has become a
joyous occasion in the Jewish cal
endar.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, an out
standing leader of Russian Jewry,
had been jailed by the anti-religious
Communist regime for his efforts
to strengthen Judaism throughout
Russia. From the first moment
that he had been led into the pris
on, the Rebbe had made a firm
decision that he would refuse to be
intimidated in any way by the
power of his captors—the Com
munist G.P.U. (Secret Police of
that time). Indeed he would regard
them as if they would be “veritably
nought and nothingness.”
one of their questions. The pun
ishment had been to incarcerate
him in a small room filled to a cer
tain height with filth and muck.
There was nothing on which to
lean or support oneself, and in the
mud and on the walls crawled a
variety of rats and vermin. He had
been left in this cell for almost 24
hours, yet no impression had been
made upon his resolute determina
tion to regard his torturers with
anything but the contempt they
deserved.
On Thursday, the first of Tam
muz, a group of guards entered his
cell and ordered him to stand. The
guards spoke in Russian. The
Rebbe’s custom was to answer in
Yiddish. The Rebbe replied that he
would not do so. Prison practice
decreed that when a prisoner was
to be given certain information, he
was to receive this information
while standing, to show his respect
for the prison authorities. Hence
the Rebbe’s refusal to stand. One
of the guards, who was apparently
Jewish and therefore understood
the Rebbe’s reply said “If you will
not obey—we will beat you!” The
Rebbe disregarded the threat. The
guards proceeded to carry out their
threat, then left the room.
A second group later entered the
cell and repeated the order, with
the same outcome. A while later,
yet a third group came in, accom
panied by a Jew—Kavalov. The
Rebbe again stated that he would
not stand up, and the beating was
once again administered—but to
no avail. Kavalov flew into a rage
and shouted: “We will teach you!”
The Rebbe replied: “It depends
though, WHO will teach WHOM...”
The Rebbe was finally asked to
go into the office, where he was
informed that he would be released
and sent to Kostrama in exile.
The above episode has an inspir
ing moral for us: A Jew must
decide with an unflinching, reso
lute determination that all those
who oppose the aspirations of his
G-dly soul, all those would prevent
him from increasing his own and
others’ commitment to Judaism—
are “veritably nought and nothing
ness.” He will then be ultimately
successful in attaining his goal
despite all difficulties.
Bonn asked for reparations data
Interiors
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PAGE 11 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 11, 1986