Events around the world will focus on the living legacies of the Sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory, and his son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, known simply as “the Rebbe.”
In cities spanning the globe, Jewish communities will be marking the 75th anniversary of the passing in 1950 of the Sixth Rebbe—Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory—and the day that his son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, known simply as “the Rebbe,” became the seventh Rebbe.
Commonly referred to as Yud Shevat (the 10th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat)—and corresponding this year to Shabbos, Feb. 7-8, — it has become a time of introspection and inspiration for Jews touched by the Rebbes' joint vision to share Torah and Judaism with their brethren, wherever they might be. Chassidic gatherings worldwide will focus on learning some of the Rebbes' teachings; reflecting on the Rebbes' love for every Jew; and rededicating oneself to the Rebbes' directives of personal and communal growth in Torah learning and Torah outreach.
Many thousands of people are also expected to visit the resting place of both Rebbes—known as the Ohel—in the Cambria Heights neighbourhood in Queens, N.Y. They will also attend farbrengens (Chassidic Gatherings) there and in the Crown Heights neighbourhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., home of Lubavitch world headquarters.
Of all the discourses, the one most studied in conjunction with Yud Shevat is Basi LeGani. It was issued by the Sixth Rebbe to be studied on Shabbat, 10 Shevat 1950, in honour of his grandmother's 36th yahrtzeit. By divine providence, he himself passed away on that very Shabbat morning so this course is treated as his final testament containing a most powerful message and legacy bequeathed to the generation that followed.
Exactly one year later, the Rebbe formally accepted the leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and delivered his own discourse, expounding upon themes found in his predecessor's discourse. This would become an annual tradition for the next four decades.
Those discourses, alongside the original discourse of the Sixth Rebbe, are often studied before and on Yud Shevat. To offer our readers an appreciation of this groundbreaking foundational discourse, we bring you here a translation of the first chapter of this Basi Legani discourse which set the tone for all that followed and served as the 'Magnum Opus' for our generation with the Rebbe assuming leadership as the final successor of the Chabad Lubavitch movement in 1951.
