Weekly Story: Yud Shevat #2

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

When it comes to a yahrzeit, there’s always the question of what to focus on. Do we focus on the achievements of the Rebbe that was nistalek so many years ago, or do we focus on the Rebbe that not only continued his teachings and achievements, but also expanded them when he became his successor. 

This is a question that you will have by any yahrzeit. However, when it comes to your Rebbe, the question is amplified much more. On one hand it is the yahrzeit of the Frierdiker Rebbe, but at the same time it’s the beginning of our Rebbe’s nesius. Therefore, some years I would focus on one of them and the other years on the other one, while other years there would be a series of articles focusing on both. This year I decided to write about What a Rebbe is.

As always, your comments and feedback are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

I heard that the Frierdiker Rebbe once said or wrote, that he cannot describe brotherly love properly, since he was the only child of his parents and did not have any siblings. However, he can describe it in general terms, since he has witnessed the brotherly love from one chossid to another and from many people to their siblings. 

With this said I will now try to clarify some points that the Rebbe publicized. There is a story that a  Rov or a Rosh HaYeshiva was in a yechidus and asked the Rebbe, how can he allow someone that perhaps drove to shul on Shabbos to sit in one of the numerous Chabad Houses? The individual explained that he is aware of a person who ate and drank on Yom Kipper night and did other things as well that are not supposed to be done on Yom Kippur, but then on Yom Kippur day, he went to a Chabad House for a few hours in order that he would be there for Yizkor and for one of the tefillos. 

The Rebbe replied, do you agree that for those few hours that individual whom you are speaking about observed Yom Kippur properly? 

For those hours that he was there, he definitely did so, was the reply. 

In other words, the Rebbe replied, you are saying he did not drive, drink, smoke turn on any electronic device inquired the Rebbe, which means that during that time period, he observed Yom Kippur one hundred percent properly.

That is correct, replied that individual. The Rebbe then looked at the person and said to him, ” Do you have any idea of the tremendous pleasure that Hashem had that this Jew observed Yom Kippur properly for those hours?!” 

That Rov or Rosh Yeshiva, was overwhelmed, how can a person answer and quantify Hashem’s enjoyment from the positive act that a Jew did?

In other talks and letters the Rebbe describes the tremendous qualities and connection that a Rebbe has to every Jewish person male or female old and young alike, no matter where they live. One of the points that the Rebbe mentions extremely often is what Rashi quotes from our sages that a king is everybody.

Then comes the hardships some people have when the Rebbe describes the various stages in the era of Moshiach. 

Many Rabbonim have difficulty understanding how the Rebbe is able to describe these qualities and aspects of Moshiach’s role and functions when Moshiach has yet to reveal himself. Similarly, they ask, how do we know exactly what a Melech (king) or even a Rebbe is, and what do we mean when we say that the Rebbeiim are the Nasi of their generation? And if we can clarify what is the connection between Hashem and a single action that a Jew does? How is it possible for a human to really know these abstract concepts?

From their viewpoint and perspective, they are completely correct. They are very learned individuals and cannot comprehend theses aspects, and subsequently conclude that no one can comprehend it vividly to the extent that they can describe it to others. In order to explain how the Rebbe could discuss these things with certainty, while others don’t have that capability, we first have to understand what the title Rebbe actually means. 

Every Jew has a neshoma, however, a Rebbe has a neshoma kilolis (a soul that encompasses all neshomos). The Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya, they’re just as a child develops in the mothers womb from one aspect into different limbs Etc, so too every Jew receives their life sustenance through the neshoma of the tzaddik. 

In other words just as Shabbos is the beginning of the week or better said the head of the week and Rosh Chodesh is the head of the month, Rosh Hashanah however is the head of the entire year, and whatever a person will receive during the year is decided on RoshHashanah. 

The same thing is by neshomos. Most of us have a regular neshoma that gives sustenance to us, then there are individuals such as a Rov and Roshei Yeshivos that Hashem gave their neshoma a responsibility for the congregation or group of people that they are going to lead. Now obviously there are difference sizes communities, and some people are given the responsibility of a community that spread out in various cities and countries. 

However, the Rebbeiim of Chabad are given the responsibility of being concerned for each and every Jew no matter who they are and where they are. For this reason they are often referred to as the Moshe Raibeinu of their generation. Therefore, they are given a Neshoma Kilolis, a soul that has connection to each and every Jew. Subsequently, being that the Rebbe was given this responsibility he was also given the ability to fulfill his responsibility, as our sages inform us that Hashem does not give anyone a task to do, that is beyond their ability. This means that everyone is given the talents and tools to fulfill their mission in its entirety. 

There are two ways of understanding a concept, one is by studying that concept itself and becoming so familiar with it, that you can develop a deep understanding of it. The second way is through comparing it to something that is in our realm of understanding. Therefore, we often use a parable.

Chassidus explains this is the meaning of Mi’bi’suri Eh’che’zeh Ehloi’kai – From my flesh I can [observe and] see G-dliness. Since the Torah states that Hashem created us in his image and form, therefore we say on erev Shabbos in Pusach Eliyahu, that kindness is on and comes from Hashem’s right side/hand and strictness and judgement comes the left.

So even if one chooses to say or believe that the Rebbeiim didn’t have the ability to see what was going on in the Heavens, nevertheless, the Torah is truth, and the Torah states that every Jew is Hashem’s only child, so obviously a father has tremendous enjoyment when he sees the positive conduct of his child.

As noted, the Rebbeiim are the Moshe Raibeinu of their generation.  Moshe Raibeinu, was not only the teacher of the entire nation, but he also served in the capacity of being their king. Aking is to be concerned about each and every citizen of his country, and as noted the Rebbeiim have a neshoma kilolis, which connects them to every Jew.

So is it then a wonder, how the Rebbe can describe aspects of a kings personality, functions and obligations? Being that Moshiach is also known as Melech [king]  HaMshiach, so by extension of understanding what is a Melech, he also has the ability to completely comprehend the purpose, mission and personality of Moshiach.

May we indeed merit to complete the mission Hashem has entrusted us to fulfill [as is explained below in the A Taste of Chassidus, and we will merit the coming of Moshiach Now

A Taste of Chassidus        

Foreword

From 5706 and onwards, the Frierdiker Rebbe rarely said a Maamor. However, he wanted thr chassidim to learn maamorei Chassidus. Therefore his son-in-law, our Rebbe, would find a Maamor that was said previously by the Rebbe, either in the Rebbe’s Library, or he would borrow one from those Chassidim that had a copy. 

Yud (the 10th of) Shevat is the yahtzeit of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s grandmother Rebbetzin Rivkah, while Yud- Gimmel (the 13th of) Shevat is the yahrzeit of his mother Rebbetzin Shterna Sara. The following month Adar,  has purim and two weeks later is Beis Nissan the yahrzeit of his father the Rebbe Rashab. 

So our Rebbe took two consecutive maamorim that his father-in-law, the Rebbe said in 5683 and gave it to the Rebbe to look over and make the changes he wanted. The two maamorim were divided into four, one for each occasion, and a new beginning was written at the beginning of the first maamar, plus at the end of the now twenty chapters, the Rebbe wrote a few line summary. 

For Yud Shevat the chassidim were to learn the first five chapers.

I will now write a brief summary of the concept presented in those five chapters.

A Taste of Chassidus       Basi Lgani 5710    

Being that the possuk states, “I came to my garden” and not to a garden, that emphasizes that Hashem was already in that place and therefore it is His. However, because of the sin of Adam HaRishon with the Eitz HaDaas and the subsequent six major sins, the Shechina left the physical world and went up to the heaven. 

Therefore this negative aspect had to be reversed, and it began with  Avrohom Avinu, who through his righteous acts change the course and began bringing the shechina back down into the world. Avrohom brought it from the 7th Heaven to the 6th, Yitzchok brought it down another level to the fifth, Yaakov to the 4th, Levi to the 3rd, Kehos to the second, Amrom to the 1st and Moshe Rabeinu, who is the 7th generation brought it back down into this physical world. As we see the possuk says that the Shechina came down into the Mishkan (Tabernacle). 

But it should be noted, that the wording in the possuk is “I will dwell in them” plural, and not I would dwell in it –  just the Tabernacle.

Our sages learn from this that Hashem desires is, to dwell in each and every one of us. In fact that is the reason that He cheated the entire universe, that each one of us, individually and collectively, should bring down His Shechina. 

This is accomplished through controlling the desires that the animalistic soul tries to entice us with and even furthermore to transform the animalistic soul desires that it itself should desire to be close to Hashem. The Shechina is called light, the infinite light of Hashem. Obviously the higher the world is in the spiritual sense, the closer it is to its source – Hashem, so it could accept a higher level and a more revealed aspect of Hashem’s Glory. The lower the world is the less it can contain and receive of this level of revealed G-dliness, so in order that the lower world can contain it, the light is diminished and also concealed. Subsequently the lower world is not overwhelmed by the revelation of G-dliness, and its existence is not nullified. 

However, this is speaking about the level of revelation that is measured according to each world and item as it is, but there is a higher level of light which is not measured according to the ability of the world to accept it, and it is a general light which is in all worlds equally just the worlds don’t necessarily feel it’s existence. In Hebrew that is called the light of Sovev.

By controlling and transforming the desire of the animalistic soul that brings down that higher level of light of Hashem’s Glory which is way above the world’s former level to receive and now the world is able to receive it.

And that is what the Commandment of You should make for Me a Mishkan, it is incumbent upon each one of us, that we should bring the shechina into our lives and then into the entire world.

Being that this concept of bringing down the shechina was mentioned in connection to building the Mishkan, evidently that proves that the main service of the Mishkan was to accomplish this feat. 

As is well known we brought the kobonos (sacrifices) in the Mishkan and then in the beis hamikdash. When theTorah gives us this commandment, instead of saying an individual from amongst you who wishes to bring forth to Hashem, it says a person who wants to come close to Hashem, from you should be the sacrifice. The question is why is from you after coming closer and not before? 

The explanation Chassidus gives is, that when a person wants / has a desire to come closer to Hashem, the person might feel that because of his negative conduct it is impossible for them to come closer. Therefore, the possuk states, when you want to come closer to Hashem, you have to give up something from yourself, meaning, sacrifice one of your desires, tendencies Etc. 

The Torah then names which animals can be brought, cattle, sheep Etc. 

As noted this commandment is also to each person individually, so that means a person  can find those animalistic traits in themselves. This is to let us know that each person has to deal with their own conduct and tendencies and the way one overcomes the conduct of an ox which has a tendency to gore and intentionally cause damage is different than the person who has the tendency of a sheep which is much more timid.

And by sacrificing these tendencies of yours, either by controlling their impulses, and then by transforming them, the shechina comes downand is revealed in this world.

We now can understand why the walls of the Mishkan were made from cedar tree. In Hebrew it is called aitzei shitim. however, the word shitim is connected to the word Shitus -which has the meaning of folly. A person’s mission is to take the folly craziness of desires for worldly aspects, and channel that power of desire (which by most people is for worldly pursuits) that we should desire  to serve Hashem. 

Furthermore, the lumber was transformed into boards and in Hebrew the boards are called keroshim  or keresh [Kuf, Reish, Shin] in the singular. When we move the shin at the end of the word to the beginning, it spells the word Sheker which means falsehood. But our mission in life is that we take this falsehood and utilize it to build the Mishkan. 

Once again this demonstrates  that the entire purpose of the Mishkan, is to bring down Hashems Shechina into this world, and we accomplish th is by changing and transforming the powers of the Animilistic soul, that it too desires to utilize those powers to serve Hashem.

May we finally succeed and bring back the Shechina, with the coming of Moshiach NOW!

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran Mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com