The breaking point of the evil Communist empire came through an event that at the time seemed small — the release of the Lubavitcher Rebbe [the Rebbe Rayatz, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe] from prison. The tyrannical regime was defeated by a Jewish Rebbe, broken in body but mighty in spirit.
It looked like a hopeless battle. On one side stood a ruthless, tyrannical government, without scruples; a regime capable of tearing a man from his home and family and executing him without a word. On the other side were Torah-observant Jews — without weapons, without public support, and without tools to fight such a regime. Could there be a more lopsided fight?
One Anchor
These Jews had one anchor — the Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe. He was the one who dared to rebel against the tyrannical regime’s schemes.
Under his direction, a secret underground network of resolute and self-sacrificing chassidim arose, spreading across the country and preserving the flame of Jewish life. They opened synagogues, Torah schools, and mikvahs, and ensured the availability of kosher slaughter, circumcision, religious articles, and Jewish literature.
The Rebbe was warned that he was playing with fire. The Communist regime feared no one. Rabbis, and even non-Jewish religious leaders, were imprisoned and killed by the thousands. Objectively, the regime had no reason to hesitate before laying its heavy hand on the Rebbe.
Suicide Mission?
Yet the Rebbe was undeterred, and he directed his chassidim similarly — to truly risk their lives, without fear. The activists were caught one after another. They were imprisoned, exiled, and executed. But for every arrested activist, another stepped in. If a yeshiva was discovered in one city, the next day it reopened in another.
These determined chassidim refused to surrender. The concept of giving in didn’t exist in their vocabulary. Still, the struggle looked like conscious suicide. Logically, it had no chance of success. The Jewish section of the Communist Party (the infamous Yevsektsiya) viewed the Rebbe as the nerve center of the “anti-revolutionary” underground activity. But the Rebbe never flinched, sacrificing himself in every way to ensure that the flame of Judaism would never be extinguished.
The Miracle
Indeed, the Rebbe was arrested, and for a moment it seemed that no force in the world could stop the regime from carrying out its plan to, G-d forbid, take his life — as it had done to hundreds of thousands before him. Then came the miracle — a miracle so immense that it’s still hard to grasp its full magnitude. In the end, the Rebbe was released, and the days of his release — the 12th and 13th of Tammuz — became a Festival of Liberation.
Today, we understand: the breaking point of that evil empire came through what seemed at the time a marginal event — the release of the Lubavitcher Rebbe from prison. A regime that executed ministers and generals, public figures and religious leaders without blinking — was defeated and forced to surrender before a Jewish Rebbe, physically broken but spiritually towering.
It’s no wonder that upon his release the Rebbe wrote: “The Holy One, Blessed be He, did not redeem me alone on the 12th of Tammuz, but also all those who love our holy Torah, observe mitzvot, and even those who are only called by the name Yisrael.” This wasn’t a personal victory, but a battle for the right to be a Jew and to live as a Jew. The Rebbe’s release was a victory for every Jew, and this holiday is a celebration of the eternal spirit of Israel, which overcomes all its enemies.
The Power Within Us
The Festival of Liberation, the 12th and 13th of Tammuz, conveys the idea of swimming against the tide. It’s easy to be a Torah-observant Jew when the external conditions support it. When the surrounding environment is sympathetic, and when Torah observance earns honor and respect — there’s nothing exceptional about it.
The real question is: what happens under different conditions, when one must draw from within deep inner strength to battle a hostile atmosphere? This day demonstrates the power of Jewish faith and the mighty strength that lies within every Jew. If we are only determined and ready to fight for what is vital to us — with self-sacrifice and unwavering faith — G-d will be with us, and we will prevail.
