109 years ago the soul of Lyubavitch Rebe descended to our world. Today in all places of the world the new 110th chapter of Tehilim will be read for the Rebe that will mark the 110th year of his life.
110 years. This is how long Joseph the son of our forefather Yakov lived. Of all the sons of Yakov Joseph lived less of all. The Sages say that his life was so short because he was the second ruler over Egypt and was arrogant to his family.
On the other side the Sages say that Torah describes him as a man who lived a long life: he lived 110 years and saw his descendants to the third generation.
They say that rabi Schneur Zalman from Lyad, the founder of Chabad, blessed one of his chasids to live a long life and the chasid answered: “Let this be not just a long life when you hear and see nothing spiritual! I don’t want such long life!”
Longevity is not only a quantitative notion but qualitative. As we see the Torah assesses Joseph’s life not only by the years he lived but by the generations of the descendants he raised.
Our Rebe had no biological children but he raised several generations of Jews all over the world. He gave them the breath of life, those Jews, morally broken by the Holocaust and spiritually sleeping because of the Soviet powers. Today they and their children and their grandchildren live the full Jewish life. Every one of us can be considered a disciple, and thus a son, a grandson or a grand-grandson of the Rebe. This is the true sign of long living.
Shabat Shalom! Kosher Pesach!
rabi Shlomo Willhelm