Laying the Cornerstone
1. The cornerstone should be of natural stone, not man-made. A hole is dug, the stone is placed within the hole, and it is then covered with earth (or even with man-made materials such as cement).2
2. It is fitting and proper that young children who study Torah — tinokos shel beis rabban — also participate in laying the cornerstone, as they are the foundation upon which the world exists, as our Sages state:3 “The world exists entirely in the merit of the words of Torah uttered by tinokos shel beis rabban.”
3. It is proper to speak words of Torah and Chassidus regarding the subject of a home, etc., before laying the cornerstone.
4. [Chabad Chassidus contains many expositions regarding a home. Most of them are centered on the verse,4 “A Psalm, a Song of Dedication of the House, by David.”]
5. The Rebbe wore his Shabbos garments when the cornerstone was laid for the expansion of the 770 shul. [After the ceremony, the Rebbe distributed a dollar to each of the individuals attending in order that they give it to tzedakah.]5
Housewarming — Chanukas HaBayis
1. It is a Jewish custom that upon entering one’s new home, one celebrates with a festive meal, highlighted by a chassidic farbrengen and LeChayims.6
2. During the farbrengen,it is fitting to speak words of Torah and Chassidus for blessings of success in the home, both materially and spiritually. One should increase in words of Torah and prayer.7
3. There is a Jewish custom of beginning one’s dwelling in a home by bringing children into the residence, in order that they learn alef-beis there or verses of Torah and the like. The children are treated to sweets. This serves as a most fitting Chanukas HaBayis.8
The Best Time to Move In
1. It is best to move into the new home on a Tuesday, “the day concerning which ‘it was good’ is stated twice.”9
2. If moving in on a Tuesday poses a difficulty, one can move in on any other weekday, except for Monday and Wednesday.10
3. The Rebbe’s response to an individual who asked whether it was appropriate to move into his new home during the month of Menachem Av: “In light of the well-known saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, if at all possible, do not move into your new home during this month, but during the month of Elul, the month of mercy. At the very least, push it off until after the 15th of Menachem Av.11
4. Before bringing anything else into the residence, holy books should be brought into the home — a Siddur, Chumash, Tehillim, Tanya and the like. Only after this is done should the furnishings and household items be brought in.12
5. It is the common custom that upon moving in, one brings in bread and salt without delay.13
6. [There are many customs related to constructing and moving into a home.
For example: Selecting the location of the dwelling; its proximity to a shul; the height of the home in relation to the shul; uprooting a fruit-bearing tree in order to build a home; the home’s windows; a wall or railing on the roof; the direction of the bathroom;14 leaving a square cubit unpainted as a remembrance of the Holy Temple’s destruction. There are also many directives in the will of R. Yehudah HaChassid (e.g., brothers living together; two people with the same names living together; living in a dwelling that one had once moved away from; a home constructed of stone; building on land that never had a building constructed upon it; building a mikveh and a merchatz in one’s home; closing up windows); selling one’s home to a gentile, selling one’s inherited home, and more.
However, they have not been enumerated here, since there are so many detailed customs — customs that vary from one community to the next — and particularly since there are no established Chabad customs regarding these matters, nor are they to be found among the writings of the Rebbeim. See the texts cited in the footnote.15 ]
