GOOD YOM TOV!

Today is the auspicious day of Yud Tet (Yud Tes) Kislev, the day that the first Chabad Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe, was released from prison after 53 days in confinement. He was imprisoned on trumped up charges of treason, but as we know, any accusation in this world is due to an accusation above in the Heavenly realms. What was the accusation against the Alter Rebbe? That he was introducing to the world a new study of Torah, the inner dimension of chassidut, and he was doing so to the masses whereas in the past the inner dimension (such as Kabbalah) had only been studied by a select few. But while in prison, the Alter Rebbe was recognized by his jailers as well as the Czar himself, as being a holy man who did miracles. After several interrogations, he was exonerated of all charges and freed. And in Heaven that meant permission was granted to spread the teachings of Chassidut. So yud tet kislev is a yom tov for all Jews. And we all should take advantage of this special occasion to make good resolutions to learn Chassidut (such as the Alter Rebbe’s classic work of Tanya) and to learn more about the practice of Chassidism. It is through learning and spreading Chassidut that the Moshiach will come. The Baal Shem Tov was the first to introduce Chassidut to the world and his disciple the Maggid of Mezeritch added a greater dimension to that study. But it was the Alter Rebbe who actually brought a new aspect of Chassidut to the world through his book of Tanya and his teachings of Chassidut: he started Chabad Chassidut. And it is this study in particular that will hasten the arrival of Moshiach….and that is why there was such an accusation against the Alter Rebbe, because the forces of unholiness recognized that if he would succeed in disseminating his teachings of Chassidut, it would add so much light to the world and bring redemption. But on Yud Tet Kislev the Alter Rebbe prevailed and Chassidut prevailed and as we increase in learning this inner aspect of Torah, we prepare the world for the coming of Moshiach and the final redemption, may it be very soon.