As is well known, the redemption of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe (from his exile) occurred over the 12th-13th of Tammuz. On Tuesday, the 12th of Tammuz, the Rebbe was informed that the order for his release from exile in Kostrama had arrived. However, since the government office was closed that day (due to a national holiday), they provided the Rebbe with his release certificate the following morning, Wednesday, the 13th of Tammuz.
Immediately on the 12th of Tammuz, the Rebbe delivered a maamar on the verse “Hashem is with me among my helpers, and I shall see the downfall of my enemies,” and the next morning, after his actual release, he delivered another maamar beginning with “Blessed is He who bestows kindness upon the undeserving, who has bestowed kindness upon me.”
{These two verses represent fundamentally different approaches.} The verse “Hashem is with me among my helpers, and I shall see the downfall of my enemies” is, in its simple meaning, a request concerning the future. One asks that (because “Hashem is with me among my helpers,” therefore) “I shall see the downfall of my enemies.”
In contrast, “Blessed is He who bestows kindness upon the undeserving, who has bestowed kindness upon me” expresses praise and thanksgiving to Hashem for past kindness.
This sequence seems puzzling: Logic would suggest that upon receiving good news about salvation and release, one should first and foremost thank Hashem, and only afterward make additional requests (for the future). {If so,} wouldn’t it have been more fitting for the first discourse to be “Blessed is He who bestows kindness”?
One might argue—though somewhat unconvincingly—that since the Rebbe could not yet recite the blessing of “HaGomel” {Blessed is He who bestows kindness...} upon first hearing the good news, as he had not yet been actually freed and certainly had not “completely escaped danger,” it was therefore not yet appropriate to deliver a discourse beginning with “Blessed is He who bestows kindness.”
But this explanation is insufficient: Surely even the {mere} news of impending release (before one can recite the formal HaGomel blessing) should evoke expressions of praise and thanksgiving to Hashem. The discourse could have incorporated some other expression of praise and gratitude (not {necessarily} the blessing of “HaGomel”), and this should certainly precede any request, especially one like “(Hashem is with me among my helpers) and I shall see the downfall of my enemies,” {a request for future assistance}.
