The Day Light Broke Free 19 of Kislev

On the 19th of Kislev, 1798, after 53 days in a Russian prison, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi—the Alter Rebbe and Baal HaTanya—walked free. He had been imprisoned on charges that his revolutionary teachings of Chassidut threatened the czar's authority.

But this date carries even deeper significance: 26 years earlier, on the 19th of Kislev in 1772, Rabbi Schneur Zalman's teacher—the Maggid of Mezeritch—passed away.
Before his passing, the Maggid told his beloved disciple: "This day is our yom tov."

Two moments, one date. A passing of the torch and a declaration of freedom.

The Alter Rebbe had done what many considered impossible: he took the mystical teachings revealed by the Baal Shem Tov and made them accessible to every Jew—not just scholars—through the Chabad approach. He put these teachings into the Tanya, of which Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev said: "Reb Shneur Zalman put such a great GD in such a tiny book!"

His release wasn't just personal freedom—it was permission from Above to spread these teachings even more widely than before.

This is Chag HaGeulah—the Holiday of Redemption, the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidut.

The Segulah:

The Alter Rebbe taught that the gates of Heaven open especially wide on this day. It's an auspicious time to pray for:

✨ Parnassah – sustenance and financial relief
✨ Spiritual clarity – light to break through personal darkness
✨ Freedom – from whatever is "imprisoning" you
✨ Daily Tanya – Rav Ashkenazi taught that reading one chapter of Tanya every day brings proven yeshuot; countless people have witnessed miracles through this practice

Tonight, daven with extra kavannah for what you need. The gates are open.

What mitzvah can you do today in the spirit of Yud-Tes Kislev?

Chag Sameach 🕯️

Rabbi Dov-Beer, the Maggid of Mezirich,

chabad.org
lubavitch.com

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