This Week In

11 Nissan

• 5739-1979, the Rebbe repeated a story from the Talmud about how King Yazdegerd of Persia fixed the belt of the Torah sage Huna son of Natan while explaining that he was doing so because the Jewish people are a priestly and holy nation. Putting forth a detailed analysis on the story according to Kabbalah, the Rebbe concluded with a blessing that today’s kings concern themselves with the welfare of the Jewish people. Many understood these words from the Rebbe to be a prayer on behalf of the Jews in Iran (modern day Persia) which had just undergone a violent Islamic revolution.
• 5745-1985, after completing the first annual cycle of studying the Mishneh Torah by Maimonides, the Rebbe pointed out that many countries, including Spain, Morocco, Egypt, as well as the UN, were commemorating the 850th year from the Rambam’s birth. The Rebbe associated this with the Rambam’s work as a physician, when he would dedicate much of his time to healing non-Jews, and to the fact the Rambam is the only great halachic authority who included the noahide laws within his code of Jewish law. The Rebbe concluded that Jews and non-Jews — and even the US government — should continue to recognize and emulate the Rambam, suggesting that special edition stamps bearing the Maimonides name or likeness should be issued.

1. Sichot Kodesh 5739 vol. 2 p. 417, 435 2. Torat Menachem 5745 vol. 3 p. 1709