Ninety-seven years ago, on the 14th of Kislev, the wedding of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the future Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, and Chaya Mushka Schneerson, daughter of the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, took place. The wedding was held in Warsaw at the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva in the presence of numerous Chassidim and the Sixth Chabad Rebbe.
However, the wedding of the future Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe and Chaya Mushka Schneerson was celebrated not only in Warsaw: The groom’s parents, Chief Rabbi of Yekaterinoslav-Dnipropetrovsk from 1909-1939, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, and his righteous wife, Rebbetzin Chana, were refused exit from the country by the Soviet authorities and could not attend their son’s wedding. Therefore, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak organized a second wedding ceremony in Dnipropetrovsk, which took place simultaneously, and for which many rabbis and Chassidim living in the Soviet Union came to participate.
There exists an account titled “From the Diary of a Student of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva about How the Wedding of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Took Place,” with an abridged version published on many resources. We offer our readers the most complete version we found in the Russian-language internet, which was published on the now-defunct website of the Nachlas Levi yeshiva.
“The good news that the wedding of the daughter of the Rebbe Rayatz, Mrs. Chaya Mushka, with the Rebbe was to take place in Warsaw, brought great joy and stirred a storm of emotions among the Jews of all Poland, and especially among the Chabad Chassidim and the temimim—the students of the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva, where, at the insistence of the Rebbe Rayatz, the wedding was to be held.
On the 13th of Kislev, thousands of people gathered at the station to meet the Rebbe Rayatz and his family, who were living in Riga (the capital of the then-independent Latvian republic) at the time. Throughout the day, a large number of Chabad Chassidim arrived in Warsaw from all cities of Poland and Lithuania. Numerous guests also arrived from distant places, among them the father-in-law of the Rebbe Rayatz, Reb Avraham Schneerson from Kishinev.
On this day, a feast was arranged for the students of the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva, attended by the Rebbe, the groom, all relatives of the groom and bride, and many Chabad Chassidim. After the feast, which lasted until after midnight, the Rebbe Rayatz wanted to dance with the students of the senior yeshiva. They formed a large circle, and the Rebbe Rayatz danced inside it for a long time.
The next day, the 14th of Kislev, at five in the evening, the Kabbalas Panim began in the yeshiva hall. Guards were specially posted at the entrance to the yeshiva, as permission to enter was granted only to those with entrance tickets. Thousands of people tried to break in and begged to be let in, but there was too little space to accommodate all who wished.
In the large hall stood a huge table, at the head of which sat the groom. The Rebbe Rayatz sat at his right hand, and Reb Avraham Schneerson at his left. On both sides of the table sat distinguished guests: Admorim, rabbis, community leaders from all over Poland.
Absolute silence fell in the hall when the Rebbe Rayatz began to speak: ‘It is known and widespread that during wedding festivities, the souls of fathers from the three preceding generations come from the “True World.” This is how it happens in all Jewish homes. However, it sometimes happens that the souls of fathers from more than three preceding generations appear at a wedding. And, as an invitation to the souls of the righteous, our fathers, our holy Rebbes, who will come to the wedding to bless the newlyweds, we will say Chassidus, part of which belongs to the Alter Rebbe, part to the Rebbe the Mitteler Rebbe, part to the father of my grandfather (the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek), part to the grandfather, the father of the bride’s grandfather (the Rebbe the Maharash), part to the grandfather of the groom’s grandfather, part to my father, the grandfather of the bride (the Rebbe the Rashab). And it is said: “One who repeats a teaching in the name of the one who said it brings redemption to the world” as if the one who said it stands before him.’ And the Rebbe Rayatz began to recite a maamar beginning with the words “Go forth, my beloved, to meet the bride.” After reciting the maamar, the Rebbe Rayatz went with the groom to a separate room, where they stayed for a short while. After that, the groom was led to the badeken, and from there everyone went together to the chuppah, which was located in the yeshiva courtyard.
More than five thousand people crowded the courtyard. The shoshvinim (attendants) were the Rebbe Rayatz and his wife, Rebbetzin Nechama Dina, the Rebbe Rayatz’s uncle, Reb Moshe Orenstein, and his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, the daughter of the Rebbe the Maharash. At the time when the groom and bride were led to the chuppah, the Rebbe Rayatz ordered the singing of the Alter Rebbe’s nigun, “Arba Bavos.” The Rebbe himself also sang this nigun in great deveikus (cleaving) to the Almighty.
The chuppah was conducted by the Rebbe Rayatz himself. The “Seven Blessings” were recited by the Rebbe Rayatz with amazing and powerful deveikus, and the entire community stood awestruck by the sight they were privileged to witness.
The wedding feast took place in one of Warsaw’s large halls. The Rebbe Rayatz walked among the tables and himself poured mashke (as Chassidim often call vodka or other strong kosher alcoholic drink—diluted spirit or moonshine) to all the wedding participants. Reaching the students, he delivered a discourse before them, and after the discourse, he came out to dance with the yeshiva heads and educators.
Having finished dancing, the Rebbe Rayatz sat in his place and said a maamar beginning with the words “He who created joy and gladness…” The recitation of the maamar continued until after midnight, and only then did the guests wash their hands to begin the meal. During the meal, the Rebbe ordered that a print of the Alter Rebbe’s autograph, with appended explanations written by the holy hand of the Rebbe Rayatz, be distributed as a gift to all participants. Great joy, wedding songs, and dances continued until dawn. It was only at seven in the morning that the celebrants dispersed to their homes. Poland had never seen such an amazing wedding.
Regarding the day of the 14th of Kislev, the Rebbe remarked: ‘This day bound me to you—the Chassidim.’ (From the book of the Rebbe’s talks for the year 5714, page 119).”
(“Sefer HaToldos Admur HaRayatz”).
