Letter in a Sefer Torah

Motek

Tue, Sep 21 2004, 9:10 am

Children's Sefer Torah Campaign

Uniting Jewish Children around the World

Chabad has always been very well-known for its many campaigns for Jewish children. One of the most famous is the Children's Sefer Torah Campaign, which has involved children throughout the world. Yet many people are unaware of this project's extreme importance to the Rebbe or how innovative it was when it first began almost twenty years ago.

The campaign originated from a farbrengen which was held on Yud Aleph Nissan, 5741 (1981), (the Rebbe's birthday.) Several months previously the "Tzivos Hashem Organization" had been launched for children below the ages of Bar and Bas Mitzvah. During the sicha that the Rebbe delivered that day, he referred to "Tzivos Hashem" and the fact that children bring their parents closer to Judaism, a task which unites all Jewish children. Furthermore, the Rebbe stated that in this physical world a visible gesture of oneness was vital and that the ultimate expression of unity was through Torah. For this reason, the Rebbe called for "the writing of a special Sefer Torah for all Jewish boys and girls below the age when the observance of mitzvos becomes a requirement."

During sichos delivered over the next few days, the Rebbe dealt with the subject at length, right down to the most specific details. For example, the Rebbe fixed the price of a letter in the Sefer Torah as one dollar or its value in local currency. The Rebbe also asked for it to be written in Israel "because [Israel] is the only country where the Eyes of the L-rd your G-d are upon it at all times, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year, which was chosen by the Holy One more than all the other lands."

The Rebbe specified the Old City of Jerusalem as the location for the writing of the Sefer Torah. This is because Jerusalem also represents "the concept of unity," as it was never divided among the Tribes and was the focal point of the B'nei Yisroel. The Rebbe further requested that the Sefer Torah be written in the famous Tzemach Tzedek Shul because "it is the only Shul [in the Old City] whose walls and roof have remained intact from the time they were built." The Rebbe wanted the writing of the Sefer Torah to begin immediately on Yud-Aleph Nissan and be completed in the year of Hakhel by erev Rosh Hashana, the birthday of the Tzemach Tzedek. In the end the sofrim worked so quickly that it was completed by the 20th of Av.

The Rebbe also emphasized the importance of the child's role in purchasing a letter in the Sefer Torah. It was not enough for his parents to buy it for him. If the child was old enough, he had to use his own money and a letter detailing his age, his Jewish name, his mother's Jewish name, family name, and write his address himself. This way, he would value this acquisition all the more and would be encouraged to participate in an exercise of unity. Even small babies could play a role by being present when their parents filled out the form, because "whatever a baby sees and hears (even at one day old) remains in his memory afterwards."

The Rebbe paid special attention to the sensitivities of young children by directing that they should only be told which parsha contained their letter rather than knowing exactly which letter they had been given. Although every letter in the Torah is holy, it is possible that some children would be upset if they knew that their letter was part of a word which had an apparently negative connotation, such as one of the Divine Rebukes in Devorim. Such a fear could affect their mazal. For this reason, adults should also not be told which specific letter they have received if they purchase one in a Sefer Torah. The letters are allocated by lottery.

The Rebbe asked for certificates to be issued to the children who had purchased letters because, "this will make it special and important to them. When they see this certificate they will hang it on the wall to show it off to their friends, who will then be inspired to buy a letter in the Sefer Torah." The Rebbe was very involved in the design of these certificates, specifying that a picture of the Western Wall be put on the right instead of the left side and that a picture of Rachel's Tomb should be featured on the left rather than the right side of the certificate.

The Rebbe also directed that ten adults (including the rabbis and sofrim involved) should purchase a letter in each Sefer Torah so that there would not be any halachic problems with a Sefer Torah whose letters were bought exclusively by minors.

Motek

Tue, Sep 21 2004, 9:12 am

The new campaign was received with such enthusiasm that even before anyone knew exactly where to send their applications, many parents and children around the world were signing up to buy letters at their local Chabad centers. At a second meeting of the Vaad Rabbonim Chabad, Rabbi Shmuel Greisman, a shliach of the Rebbe to Israel, was appointed to direct the campaign. From then on, Rabbi Greisman has been running the Children's Sefer Torah Campaign.

During the sicha delivered at the farbrengen on Yud Aleph Nissan, the Rebbe stated that when the Sefer Torah was completed, a second Sefer Torah should be written. Since Moshiach would come once, "all the Neshamas in the Guf have been born" many more Jewish children would be born in the coming months and there would surely be enough children to purchase all the letters in the second Sefer Torah. These two Children"s Sifrei Torah are compared to the two Sifrei Torah of Moshiach.

The worldwide Chabad community worked tirelessly to sign up applicants for letters in the new Sefer Torah. The Rebbe also continued to promote the project by speaking about the campaign at almost every farbrengen. When children passed by the Rebbe, he invariably asked if they already had a letter in the Sefer Torah. The Rebbe often mentioned it when people requested blessings on behalf of their children and would emphasize that a letter could be purchased as soon as a child was born. The name could always be added after it was given.

Among the prominent Torah leaders who bought a letter for their children and grandchildren in the special Sefer Torah for Jewish children were: the Gerrer Rebbe ob"m known as the "Lev Simcha," the Gerrer Rebbe ob"m known as the Pnei Menachem (who also participated in the sium of the Sefer Torah), the Klauzenberger Rebbe ob"m, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzera ob"m, the Bobover Rebbe ob"m. the Gaonim: Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ob"m, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ob"m, Rabbi Yaakov Landau ob"m, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky ob"m, Rabbi Pinchus Hirshprung ob"m, Rabbi Yehuda Tzadka ob"m, Rabbi Ben Zion Aba Shaul ob"m, Rabbi Simcha Zisel Braude ob"m, Rabbi Yisrael Yitzchak Piekarski ob"m, and Yibadel L'chaim Tovim V'aruchim: the Viznitzer Rebbe Shlitah, the Belzer Rebbe Shlitah, the Boyaner Rebbe Shlitah, the Tosher Rebber Shlitah, the Lelever Rebbe Shlitah, the Munkatcher Rebbe Shlitah, the Slonomer Rebbe Shlitah, the Skulener Rebbe Shlitah, the Skverer Rebbe Shlitah, the Kretshnefer Rebbe Shlitah, the Rachamstrivka Rebbe Shlitah. the Gaonim: Rabbi Boruch Shimon Schneerson Shlitah, Rabbi Shmuel Wozner Shlitah, Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv Shlitah, Rabbi Yochonon Sofer Shlitah, Rabbi Sholom Mashash Shlitah, members of the Beth Din Tzedek of the Eda Hachreidit and more.

Motek

Tue, Sep 21 2004, 9:14 am

The Rebbe told the following story during a farbrengen on 17th Tammuz, 5741:

In Russia a small boy once asked his father, "What is a Sefer Torah?" The child's father, who had been born many years after the Russian Revolution, had no idea. However, his curiosity had been aroused by his son's question and he asked him where he had heard about it. The child replied that someone had asked him if he wanted to buy a letter in a Sefer Torah that was being written for children around the world.

"Ask some of the old people," suggested his father. "Maybe they know what it is."

The elderly Jews whom the child asked did remember what he was referring to and told him all they could remember about Judaism. Later on, the family sneaked into a Shul to see a Sefer Torah for themselves. This was only the beginning of the family's return to their heritage.

On a number of occasions, the Rebbe would ask children during yechidus if they had purchased a letter in the Sefer Torah. The following story was told by Rabbi Daniel Danan of France:

A French woman who had recently become religiously observant decided to visit the Rebbe for dollars. When it was her turn, the Rebbe gave her an extra dollar for her husband and three more for her children. The woman was very disturbed by this, because, although she had five children the Rebbe had only given her three dollars. She asked Rabbi Groner, the Rebbe's secretary, if she could submit a letter to the Rebbe requesting an explanation. The Rebbe wrote that he had given her the dollars for those of her children who already had a letter in the Sefer Torah. Upon further inquiry, the woman discovered that only three of her children had been registered.

Another story:

One day, a particular family was enjoying a picnic on the banks of Lake Kinneret when one of their children went astray. After searching the area thoroughly , the family found him in the lake. The child was rushed to the intensive care unit at the Poriyah Hospital in Tiberias. When the doctors there managed to resuscitate him, he was transferred to the hospital in Afula. After a few hours of intensive treatment, his family were informed that the damage caused to his central nervous system meant that, although he would live, he would be completely paralyzed.

The child's family was devastated. While they were still trying to absorb the shock, a young girl came to the hospital to do mivtzoim. When she heard about this terrible tragedy, she tried to comfort the family. She suggested that the child's parents buy him a letter in the Children's Sefer Torah. They immediately agreed to do so. The parents also wrote to the Rebbe asking for a bracha. In the answer that they received, the Rebbe asked if the child had purchased a letter in the Sefer Torah. The parents were very pleased to be able to give a positive answer.

Two days later, the child's condition dramatically improved. By the time the girl visited the hospital during the following week, he was already out of intensive care and well on the road to recovery.

Motek

Tue, Sep 21 2004, 9:19 am

During a sicha that was delivered on Parshas Lech Lecha, 5742, the Rebbe stressed how important it is for a Jewish child to purchase a letter in the Children's Sefer Torah:

"Even if children have letters in an adult Sefer Torah, this is only of secondary importance. It cannot be compared to the tremendous value of being written in a special Sefer Torah for children."

Interestingly the merit of buying a letter in a Sefer Torah is alluded to in the book of Daniel:

"...There shall be a time of trouble such as there never was since there was a nation until that time. And that time your people shall be delivered, every one who shall be found written in the book." (Daniel, 12:1)

Presently, more than one million Jewish children worldwide have purchased letters in these Sifrei Torah. The fourth Sefer Torah is currently being written.

Since the campaign began almost twenty years ago, there is a whole new generation of children who can take part in this gesture of Jewish unity. It is up to all of us to sign up our own children as quickly as possible and to involve as many others as we can, wherever they are.

Taking into account the cost of postage, processing, printing, publicity, and the production and distribution of certificates, the cost of each letter is almost two dollars per child. Yet the price of a letter is still only one dollar, as set by the Rebbe.

for order form and address:

http://www.kidstorah.org/

Mail may be sent to: Children's Sefer Torah, POB 8, Kfar Chabad, 72915, Israel. For more efficient processing, please write all information clearly and mail it directly to the above address.

an address in the U.S. is:

Letter in Sefer Torah
c/o Greisman
675 Empire Blvd
Bklyn, NY 11213

you can also do it by credit card

any further questions, e-mail:
tankist@zahav.net.il