In this episode, Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov of West Bloomfield, Michigan, shares vivid memories of living through the entire saga of the sefarim court case as a bochur- from the summer of 5745 (1985) through 5750 (1990). He recounts the story in compelling detail, from the discovery of the stolen sefarim to the court case, appeals, and subsequent legal battles. More than a historical account, this is a firsthand window into what it felt like to be a bochur during those years: the uncertainty, the pain, the joy, and the growing understanding of what was at stake. Through his recollections, Rabbi Shemtov explores what the case meant to the Rebbe and what these events revealed about the bond between the Rebbe and Chassidim. Along the way, we gain a deeper appreciation for what we are celebrating on Hei Teves—and why its message is so central to our lives as Chassidim in Dor Hashvi’i. At four and a half hours, this episode is an experience to take in at your own pace, over as many sittings as you need. We’re releasing it well ahead of Hei Teves so you have time to immerse yourself in the story and join the growing shturem and anticipation as we approach forty years since Didan Notzach. 00:00 Introduction: Remembering Hei Teves 04:30 Hearing About the Stolen Seforim 22:20 Tishrei 5746: Overcoming Through Simcha 37:03 The Rebbetzin’s Historic Deposition 51:30 Why the Seforim Battle Mattered 1:20:53 Inside the Seforim Court Case 1:43:01 The Rebbe’s Response: Expand Lubavitch 2:14:09 Hei Teves: The Victory News Arrives 2:26:45 Seven Days of Unforgettable Dancing 2:32:25 Sending Names to the Rebbe 2:54:24 The Appeal: The Battle Continues 3:32:13 Flying From Australia for the Victory 3:49:49 Witnessing the Seforim Return 4:15:13 Recovering Treasures and Final Settlement 4:23:40 What Hei Teves Means for Us Today

In this episode, world-renowned lecturer and teacher of Chassidus Rabbi Manis Friedman joins us for a deep and thought-provoking conversation about his personal journey and the fundamental questions at the heart of a Chossid’s life. Rabbi Friedman traces his family’s connection to Lubavitch in Tashkent and their eventual move to America. He shares memories of growing up in Crown Heights, attending the United Lubavitcher Yeshivos at Bedford and Dean, and living in the same apartment building as Rebbetzin Chana, the Rebbe’s mother. He reflects on how his friends and educators helped draw him closer to the Rebbe, his decision to become a Lubavitcher Chossid, and how his siblings followed suit. He recalls a pivotal moment he witnessed with the Rebbe, his experiences in yechidus, and his move to Minnesota on shlichus after his marriage. He also takes us back to the founding of Bais Chana, the pioneering institution for baalos teshuvah, sharing how it began and what those early days were like. Rabbi Friedman offers a fascinating look at his unique role translating the Rebbe’s farbrengens live for satellite television broadcasts—how it began, what it required, and the experience of conveying the Rebbe’s words as he spoke. Throughout the conversation, he explores what it means to understand and articulate Chassidus, and how expressing it clearly in English is an indicator to how much we have understood and internalized. In the second part of the interview, the conversation turns to some of the biggest questions: Why do we need a Rebbe? What is the chiddush of our Rebbe and the mission of Dor Hashvi’i? What does it mean to bring Moshiach, and how do we understand Gimmel Tammuz within that mission? Rabbi Friedman addresses these questions and more with the clarity and depth that have made his teaching meaningful to so many.

In this episode, Rabbi Mayer Plotkin of Montreal, Canada, shares a candid and entertaining conversation about his life experiences- growing up in Montreal, eventually coming to Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn, and, through hashgacha pratis, finding his way to the Rebbe and joining the Lubavitch Yeshivos in Montreal and 770. Rabbi Plotkin experienced being by the Rebbe as a bochur in the late 1950s and early 1960s, giving him unique and up-close memories of the Rebbe during those years. He shares many personal memories and fascinating experiences from over the years, including his interactions with the Rebbe’s mother, moments surrounding the Rebbe’s heart attack, and stories he heard firsthand from elder Chassidim such as R’ Zalman Gurary and R’ Shmuel Zalmanov. A conversation filled with stories and an inside glimpse into the world of Lubavitch in those early years.