This coming week on Vov Tishrei, the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, we will mark the Yahrtzeit, the anniversary of the passing of Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, of blessed memory, the mother of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
The Haftorah reading for the first day of Rosh Hashana is from the book of Shmuel (Samuel.) It tells of Chana and her entreaties to G-d to bless her with a child, whose life she would dedicate to holiness and G-dly service. Finally, a son was born to her, and when he was weaned she took him to Eli the High Priest in Shilo to fulfill her vow. There, she offered a song of joy and praise to the Alm-ghty: "My heart rejoices in the L-rd, my horn is exalted in the L-rd; my mouth is broadened over my enemies; because I rejoice in Your salvation." Because of Chana's self-sacrifice and under Eli's tutelage, Shmuel became one of the greatest prophets of the Jewish people.
In a book published about Rebbetzin Chana, one person remembers, "After each talk I had with Rebbetzin Chana, of blessed memory, 'Chana's Song' from the book of Shmuel came to my mind. For it is the song of a great Jewish mother who, after years of suffering and difficulty was blessed with a son who became a prophet among the Jewish people.
"Like Chana of old, tremendous hardships and obstacles were Rebbetzin Chana's lot. Yet, she kept this to herself, except for when her lips moved quietly in prayer. Years of loneliness and waiting were her portion. But, in the end a time came when 'my heart rejoices in the L-rd'--when the heart of Rebbetzin Chana was filled with happiness and exalting."
Rebbetzin Chana passed away on the sixth of Tishrei, 5725 (1964), at the age of 85. At the same time as her pure soul was returning to its Maker, Rebbetzin Chana's chair in the women's section of the main Lubavitcher shul at 770 Eastern Parkway inexplicably caught fire.