Some teach by writing books, others deliver lectures, still others regularly issue public letters, essays and commentary. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, widely regarded as one of the most influential teachers of our generation, did all of the above; but his primary medium of teaching was the farbrengen or Chassidic gathering. In the years 1950 to 1992, the Rebbe conducted an average of about 50 farbrengens each year, each of which lasted several hours, with many extending through the night.
A farbrengen consisted of sichot ("talks"), each lasting an hour or more. Drawing on the week's Torah reading, an upcoming event of significance in the Jewish calendar, a passage from the Talmud or Kabbalah or a discourse of Chassidic teaching, the Rebbe would expound upon these timeless truths and then proceed to apply them to issues of contemporary social and ethical concern. Between the sichot, the thousands in attendance would sing Chassidic niggunim (melodies) and raise small cups of wine to which the Rebbe responded with the traditional blessing l’chaim ulivrachah! ("to life and blessing").
Presented here, courtesy of Jewish Educational Media, are three short film clips from a farbrengen conducted by the Rebbe on the 10th of Shevat, 5732 (January 26, 1972) -- the 22nd yahrtzeit of his predecessor, the sixth Lubvitcher Rebbe Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson (1880-1950), as well as the anniversary of the Rebbe's own formal assumption of the leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch on this date in 1951. The first segment contains a lesson from the "New Year for Trees" occurring five days later on the 15th of Shevat; the second segment catches a conversation during a break between sichot between the Rebbe and chassid telling the Rebbe about the birth of a granddaughter; the third segment shows the singing of the sacred Chassidic niggunim sung at the conclusion of major farbrengens.
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