The Sun Did Not Set

When Chabad Rabbis reach out to people as emissaries of the Rebbe, some people ask, but who is the Rebbe today? And the answer is the Rebbe is the same Rebbe who has led us for over 70 years. But how can that be? Didn't it all change thirty years ago?

On Tuesday is the third of Tammuz, the day that in 1994, we lost the ability to physically see or hear the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersohn. But something else happened on this day, many years ago, that tells us the real story.

We read in the Book of Joshua a fascinating miracle that occurred during the time that the Jewish people in the conquering of the Holy Land. The Jews were engaged in a decisive battle, near victory, when night approached. It was virtually impossible to wage a successful battle after nightfall. Joshua feared that darkness would offer the enemy an opportunity to flee and regroup; if the sun set, perhaps all would be lost.

Miraculously, the sun did not set. And the Jews completed their mission.

Nothing happens by chance, rather everything that occurs is by Divine Providence. The fact that these two events occurred on the same date must indicate something profound about what really happened on this day.

The Tzaddik (righteous person) who is the leader of the generation is compared to the sun, whose light, warmth, and radiance inspires and invigorates his generation.

On the 3rd of Tammuz, the sun did not set.

The Rebbe continues to lead, inspire, and invigorate us. Though we may not see him physically, we know he is here with us, encouraging us to carry on in the task with which we've been entrusted. Ours is the last generation of Exile and the first generation of the Redemption. We must usher in this new era by perfecting ourselves and the world around us. How? By doing another Mitzvah, such as giving charity and studying Torah.

We have our marching orders. We know the Rebbe is in the lead, showing the way. And we continue to follow.

In honor of the Rebbe's day, we encourage you to resolve upon yourself an additional mitzvah/good deed. You can come into the Mitzvah Tank or any Chabad House for help and to write a letter to the Rebbe!

Shabbat Shalom!

Light Shabbat candles at 8:12 PM in NYC.