Four Cups and the Teachings After Chatzos
As I Heard Them, Vol. 1, pp. 485-486, no. 6
Continued from the biography of R. Eliyahu Akiva Lipskar:
In the year 5712 (1952) the Lipskars arrived in Canada.
That year, in honor of Purim, the Rebbe sent him a ticket to enable him to travel to him. He remarked to the Rebbe’s secretary Rabbi Hadakov that he did not have the appropriate documents to reenter Canada. The Rebbe responded with a smile that his mother had informed him of R. Eliyahu’s success in dealing with the Russian border guards – and now he couldn’t sort something out? On Purim in those years when he would partake in the festive farbrengen, the Rebbe would tell him to say “ l’chaim. ” On one occasion, after saying “l’chaim” and finishing the cup, the Rebbe indicated to him to have another cup – and he drank another cup. Following the second cup the Rebbe said “Nu!” and he had a third. The Rebbe then indicated with his holy hand that the cup should be full. Following this, the Rebbe stated that he should have yet another cup. And so, R. Eliyahu drank four large cups, until he was rolling under the table…
Before he returned home, the Rebbe told him in yechidus that when he arrives back in Toronto he should report what he had heard in New York. R. Eliyahu answered that the ideas which were said before chatzos he could tell over, however, he had not heard the teachings from chatzos and onward. The Rebbe responded that after chatzos they were much better than before…