6649 —להשלים את חזרת המאמר כולו – הוראת כ"ק אדמו"ר מוהריי"צ נגד המנהג להפסיק את האומר

B"H, 17 Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of 12 Teves.

With great astonishment I read that you began to repeat a maamar of Chassidus^[1], but they did not let you finish the maamar^[2].

Although some have spoken in favor of this custom [so as not to cause embarrassment]^[3], in this matter too we have nothing but the directive of our leader, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly and blessed memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High, may his merit protect us^[4], who directed that the whole maamar be finished [and whoever wishes to fulfill his obligation^[5] to the local custom should begin again, and the second time stop]. Indeed, several of those now in the Holy Land, may it be built and established^[6], were also present on that occasion in Poland in 5696^[7]; and it is surprising that they did not publicize this directive. At any rate^[8], it is worthwhile to publicize it now, and the point is easily understood…^[9]

With blessing for good news^[10],

On behalf of the Rebbe, shlita,

E. Quint^[11]

Secretary

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 23, p. 521.

The directive of our leader (הוראת נשיאנו): See also above, vol. 16, letter 5872, and the references in the notes there.

Notes

1. A maamar of Chassidus (דא"ח): דא"ח = דברי אלקים חיים, "words of the living G‑d", i.e. a maamar of Chassidus. "To repeat" (לחזור): to say from memory a maamar one has heard or learned.

2. They did not let you finish the maamar (לא נתנו לו לגמור המאמר): A custom in some places: at a celebration, chiefly a wedding, the chassan begins to say a maamar or a Torah thought and is interrupted in the middle with singing and the like. The Rebbe wrote about this custom several times: in 5726 (12 Elul 5717), to R. Shmuel Elazar Halperin in Jerusalem, who had said only "a fragment" of the maamar Lecha Dodi at his wedding – the Rebbe asked him to repeat it in full within the month of the wedding, "and publicize this and arouse all those in a similar situation"; in 5779 (4 Tishrei 5718): "because of the custom of stopping in the middle – and to my astonishment there are also some of Anash who do so … there is in such a case the directive of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, who commanded to finish, and afterwards to begin a second time and stop"; in 5872 (26 Cheshvan 5718, cited in the publisher's note), again to R. Halperin; and in 6007 (23 Teves 5718): "what happened in such a case at one of the celebrations at which my father-in-law, the Rebbe, was present is known … they came with the argument of the custom, and he said that he should finish the maamar in full, and to keep the custom he should begin saying it again and they should interrupt him."

3. So as not to cause embarrassment (בכדי שלא לבייש): The reason given for the custom: not to embarrass a chassan who does not know how to say a maamar. In letter 5872: "one may say that it began so as not to embarrass one who does not have it". When everyone is interrupted, it is not noticed who could not have continued.

4. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, "may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, "his soul is in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו, "may his merit protect us".

5. Fulfill his obligation (יד"ח): יד"ח = ידי חובת. Whoever also wants to keep the local custom should first finish the whole maamar, then begin it again, and the second time be interrupted.

6. In the Holy Land, may it be built and established (באה"ק ת"ו): באה"ק ת"ו = בארץ הקודש תבנה ותכונן. The recipient was in the Holy Land, as were several of those who had heard the directive.

7. That occasion in Poland in 5696 (באותו מעמד בפולין בשנת תרצ"ו): The occasion in Poland in 5696 (1935–36) at which the Previous Rebbe directed that the whole maamar be finished. The Rebbe also writes of this story in letter 6007, above: "at one of the celebrations at which my father-in-law, the Rebbe, was present".

8. At any rate (עכ"פ): עכ"פ = על כל פנים.

9. And the point is easily understood… (וק"ל...): וק"ל = וקל להבין. The recipient himself should now publicize the directive and act on it – as the Rebbe also asked of R. Halperin, "and publicize this and arouse all those in a similar situation" (5726).

10. Good news (לבשו"ט): לבשו"ט = לבשורות טובות.

11. E. Quint (א. קווינט): R. Eliyahu HaKohen Quint (1899–1975), appointed in 1940 as secretary to the Previous Rebbe, who continued as secretary to the Rebbe and signed many letters on his behalf; author of Menuchas Eliyahu.

Summary

The recipient, in the Holy Land, began repeating a maamar of Chassidus at a celebration but was not allowed to finish it, following a custom meant to spare those who cannot say a maamar from embarrassment. The Rebbe's secretary writes that we follow only the Previous Rebbe's directive – finish the whole maamar, and to keep the custom begin again and be interrupted the second time – and that it is surprising that those who were present in Poland in 5696 did not publicize it; it should be publicized now.