In 1924 Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn gathered nine of his followers for an urgent, confidential meeting in his Leningrad home.
The Soviet Union was crushing Jewish practice. Rabbis were fleeing Soviet Russia en masse. Jewish schools, mikvahs, synagogues and butchers were all being forcibly shut down. The largest Jewish population in the world was slowly being repressed into abandonment of their faith and tradition. Rabbis, teachers and mohalim were sent off to Siberia, never to be heard from again. The future of Judaism looked desperate and devastating. On pain of death, Jews were simply giving up on their traditions.
With millions of Jews disconnected from their roots, the sixth Rebbe of Chabad asked for a Herculean commitment. "Until the last drop of blood, we will fight for Judaism," the Rebbe insisted. We will go underground, but we will build mikvahs, schools, shuls and more. Even if it costs us our lives.The nine men gave their word and - with the Rebbe - they had a minyan that made a secret pact.
The Communist regime was far from happy with all the institutions the Rebbe was secretly building. Over the next few years he would oversee the establishment of over 600 Jewish institutions. Some schools lasted only days before the authorities disbanded them - at times executing the staff.
Eventually, the Russians got fed up with "Schneersohn." They arrested him, tortured him and sentenced him to death. Miraculously, his sentence was reduced to ten years had labor, then to three years exile and finally he was released after 10 days in exile. He was liberated exactly 90 years ago today.
So, you might wonder, indeed the Rebbe survived (and eventually made it to the shores of America), but why was the Rebbe investing so much time, energy and human cost into a failing endeavor? There was no way he could win against the beastly killing machine known as Joseph Stalin! What was the Rebbe thinking? Why not pick up and leave, like all the other great Rabbis did?
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At the end of this week's Parsha Balak, Moshe's great-nephew Pinchas saves the day when he risks his own life to kill a terrible instigator named Zimri.
You might wonder, what was Pinchas thinking? Why not simply call a tribunal to deal with it and let the matter sort itself out? Why gamble with his own life?
One answer is that Pinchas realized that this is not only about today. Rather, it's a moment that will define the future. Aside from the factor that certain values are non-negotiable, Pinchas was in it for the long game. Even if he were to fail, his actions would guarantee fidelity to the Torah for generations to come.
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This, I believe, was also the attitude of the Previous Rebbe. He was taking into account future generations of Jews. He planted eternal seeds that would perhaps only emerge as blossoming trees and fruits in years to come.
History has proven him successful. Look at the Former Soviet Union today and you see flourishing Jewish communities, with mikvahs, shuls and yeshivas.
My nephew travels from out-of-town to attend yeshiva in Moscow! Who would have imagined that just a couple decades ago?!
Through tremendous self-sacrifice, Judaism was preserved and reignited from the (underground) embers that the Rebbe lit.
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We may not be called upon to sacrifice in the fashion of Pinchas or Rabbi Schneersohn, but we too must sacrifice for the sake of Judaism. If we don't plant seeds, our children and grandchildren will not be able to reap the benefits.
For some of us, keeping kosher requires self-sacrifice. What will my non-Jewish relatives say? How will I get kosher beef in Boise? What will I do when I am invited to eat in a non-kosher restaurant.
What will your self-sacrifice be?