The impassioned speech delivered by Levi Friedman, a representative of Camp Machane Moshiach, at the Tzeis’chem L’Shalom gathering for all the guests who had come to the Rebbe for Tishrei 5773.
When they asked me to speak at the Kinus as the children’s representative from “Camp Machane Moshiach,” even before they told me what to say and how to say it, I immediately said I was willing and even that I very much wanted to speak at the Kinus.
No doubt you are wondering why. It’s very simple; I felt I must tell all the guests who came to the Rebbe shlita what we, the children, felt here during this month. Or more correctly, about the change that took place within us.
Many of you probably heard the story I am about to say, and they also told it here today, but since the Rebbe says we need to publicize miracles, and it’s a mitzva to tell as many people as possible, I will repeat it, especially so you can hear it from our perspective.
It all began that Friday, when we returned from mivtzaim in Manhattan. We arrived at 770 for Mincha with the Rebbe. Within a few minutes, we heard that what unfortunately had happened with many of the Eshel apartments had happened to us too, and firemen had come to the gym [where the children of Machane Moshiach slept].
When firemen come, that means you have to clear out and there is no place to sleep. Considering the number of campers and staff members and the alternate arrangements that would have to be made, we had to begin to devise plans immediately.
Within a few minutes, Rabbi Mendy Hendel arrived. He is the one in charge of Eshel and is constantly seeing to our needs. He began talking and negotiating with the police who were there. Everyone saw that the situation was not good.
And now I will tell you what happened from the perspective of us soldiers.
After Mincha, the unit commanders told us that we could not go to the gym and in the meantime we could stay in 770 until further notice.
Most of the soldiers were down in the dumps. The younger soldiers were really worried. Everyone knew that if, G-d forbid, we would have to leave the gym, it would be really hard to find places for all of us to sleep, and on Erev Shabbos, no less.
Suddenly, the commander Mendy announced that he was taking us on a special tour of 770. We soldiers were excited and all joined the tour.
After about twenty minutes of interesting stories about 770, Mendy stopped and told everyone to be quiet and listen to what he was going to say. Then he told us that right after the firemen came, he wrote about the situation to the Rebbe and asked for a bracha.
In the letter that he opened to in the Igros Kodesh, the Rebbe wrote an entire letter about the avoda of the Kohen in the Beis HaMikdash. At the end of the letter, he wrote, “Surely you keep the three shiurim – Chumash, T’hillim, and Tanya.”
Mendy told us that if that is what the Rebbe wrote, this is what we had to do and it would help! If we wanted to see bracha and hatzlacha in this situation, we all needed to decide to be more particular about learning Chitas, each one adding in the way that he could.
Mendy concluded by saying that we would pause for twenty seconds and make a hachlata about Chitas, then we would go to the Rebbe’s room and tell the Rebbe about our good hachlata and that we ask that the Rebbe help that the gym be given back to us.
Not even fifteen seconds went by from when we began thinking about a hachlata and Mendy got a text message. All excited, he read it out loud to us. It was from one of the people in charge of Eshel and it said: “Didan Natzach! We have the gym! Not one thing he [the Rebbe] said will be returned empty-handed.”
We burst into a Didan Natzach dance and then went to stand next to the Rebbe’s room and relayed the good news with our thanks. Thank you for the gym that was restored to us!
T’mimim and dear guests – we soldiers learned that the Rebbe is chai v’kayam! The Rebbe is always with us. The Rebbe runs the world, and if the soldiers of Camp Machane Moshiach need a gym, it makes no difference what the municipality of New York thinks; they will have their gym!
If you think that it was only through this story that we experienced this idea, you are mistaken. Throughout this entire month that we were in camp, they taught us just this one thing: that the Rebbe lives here, in 770! He is with us in a physical body at every t’filla, with every sicha, and every farbrengen. No concealment or anything else will take this firm faith away from us.
This is what we got from camp, the responsibility to publicize to the world that the Rebbe is alive. To teach the sichos of the D’var Malchus, to live with them constantly, to get our friends involved. In short, when we return to Eretz Yisroel, when they see us, what will they see? Moshiach!
They asked me to say all kinds of things, but I think there is no more important inyan than this.
In conclusion, I would like to thank some people who deserve a heartfelt thank you for their involvement and devotion to us children throughout the month. On behalf of all the soldiers of Camp Machane Moshiach, the commanders, the staff and all the others, thank you to R’ Sholom Ber Drizin and R’ Mendy Hendel, who are the people behind the Hachnasas Orchim organization who ensured that we had food and lodging.
I would like to thank the generals and staff members of the camp who were endlessly devoted, throughout the month, to every detail of camp.
Acharonim Acharonim Chavivim – the ones mentioned last are beloved – the ones who, thanks to them, I experienced a real Tishrei! They are my commanders in camp. Thank you for all that you gave me, for putting your all into everything you did. The one thing that was your priority throughout the month was us, your soldiers, our gashmius and mainly our ruchnius.
There is no more time to talk; we need to move on. We have to bring about the hisgalus already. So let us proclaim together the proclamation that is the essence of our lives: Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach L’olam Va’ed!