Selected Talks by the Rebbe

The last discourse that Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, published before his passing commences with the verse “I have come into My garden.” The Previous Rebbe explains that this refers to our world, the innermost dwelling place of G-d.

The Previous Rebbe wrote a discourse that served as his last teaching. Its title quotes the verse where G-d says, “I have come to My garden, My abode.” By choosing those powerful words, the Rebbe taught his generation and future generations, that beneath all its outer appearances, this world is G-d’s own garden and dwelling place. No matter how strong the urge to give in to cynicism or despair, no matter how bad things may appear, this teaching shows and empowers us to search out and reveal the essential goodness and G-dliness of the entire creation.

In a letter to one of his disciples, Maimonides describes the taxing daily schedule he endured as court physician to the sultan of Egypt. It not only drained him to the point of exhaustion, it also left him nearly no time to pursue the true joy of his life: Torah study.

“Bosi L’Gani – I have come to My garden.” G-d created this world to be a glorious Divine orchard for His presence. Man is charged with planting and tending this orchard by creating a “fruit-bearing tree” out of his own portion of the world.

At the crossing of the Red Sea, the Jews proclaimed, "This is my G-d, and I will exalt Him!" But the first to recognize G-d's hand were those children born in Egypt during the harsh decrees. G-d Himself had hidden them away in the fields and sustained them.

At the time of the Song of Moses, the Jews were in the midst of a great journey through an awesome desert. They had yet to reach, conquer and establish a Jewish homeland. By contrast, at the time of the Song of Deborah, the Jews were already settled in the Land of Israel. Deborah was called upon to organize a campaign against Canaanite invaders.

The Rebbe distributes bottles of L’chaim at a Farbrengen at 770.

The Rebbe asks a recent émigré from Georgia to sing a traditional song of the Georgian Jews.

A lively niggun sung during the times of the Soviet Jewish resistance. “Water will not drown us and fire will not burn us”.

A vintage clip of this lively Chabad Niggun.

“Let all those seek You rejoice and delight in You, and let those who love your deliverance say always, ‘May G-d be exalted!’” (Psalms 70:5) Although the tune of the Niggun is much older, the words were added in honor of the Rebbe’s sixty-ninth birthday.

Between talks at the Yud Shevat Farbrengen in 1972, the Rebbe gives special blessings to a grandfather on the birth of his granddaughter, and to a father on the Bar Mitzvah of his son.

Sacred Chassidic nuggunim sung at the conclusion of major farbrengens.

Civilized society depends on proper education built on a healthy foundation. But the only true foundation for education is the same as that of all of creation: “In the beginning, G-d created the Heavens and the Earth.”

Parents rely on the Public School System to rear their children into mature, responsible adults. Their children are imbued with the values of this country’s sense of pride: That “My own power and the strength of my hand have brought me my success.” But with this approach unchecked, they will grow up to use their education to achieve their own selfish desires.

Those who oppose silent prayer in public schools, cite the separation of religion and state as the basis to eliminate religion from the public arena. However, this ignores the reason the law was established in the first place: to protect the freedom of religious expression of the original settlers in this country. This modern-day repression of democracy goes against the intention of the authors of the Constitution.

An address on the Rebbe's birthday, shortly after the assassination attempt on US President Ronald Reagan's life.

On March 30, 1981, crazed gunman, John Hinckley attempted to kill President Ronald Reagan. Shortly there-after the Rebbe, of righteous memory, spoke of the shocking nature of the crime, and the root cause of such evil.

The best way to heal illness is through preventive measures. The disease of crime is a reality, but recognizing that it is real should bring about real change. The education system must reorient itself to stop this disease before it manifests. We are not calling for a "new" resolution, but rather a return to the values accepted by the citizens of this country and by all nations.

“Evil will come from the north.” The Soviet Union is a clear manifestation of this prophecy. At the same time, G-d bestowed the United States with the mission and the moral and material might to counter this evil. To succeed, however, America must be free of economic pressure from immoral dictatorships. If we rely on them for oil, this nation’s strength and influence is compromised.

There is a solution to America’s energy crisis: Solar Energy. Solar technology requires far less time to develop than other energy sources. What can a small group of Jews accomplish by discussing this issue amongst themselves? Maimonides rules that even a single statement based on Torah, has the power to tip the scales for salvation. Past experiences have shown that issues discussed here, have reached Washington.