Weekly Story: Chof Cheshvan

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

Shabbos Parshas Va’yeira is the Shabbos before Chof Cheshvan, the birthday of the Rebbe Rashab, who was born in the year 5621 (1860), 165 years ago. Therefore, this year we say Kapital (chapter) 16 in Tehillim at least on his birthday, this Tuesday, while some have the custom to say it the entire year.

As always, your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated.

 In many farbrengens that were connected to Chof Cheshvan, the Rebbe expounds on the story that when the Rebbe Rashab was four (or five) years old, he entered his grandfather, the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek’s room and he was crying. 

His grandfather asked him why are you crying and he replied, “If Hashem revealed Himself to Avrohom, why doesn’t He reveal Himself to me”? 

The Rebbe replied, “If a Jew at 99 years old feels that all of his accomplishments until now, as tremendous as they may be are not sufficient and he must circumcise himself,[meaning he must do more, and actually does something extraordinary then,] then he is worthy that the Eibishter should reveal Himself to him.

One can ask, didn’t the Rashab know that Avrohom was 99 years old at the time he circumcised himself, before his grandfather gave him this answer, so what was the message that the Tzemach Tzedek’s answer conveyed, which answered his question.

There is another famous question about the greatness of Avrohom, when we discuss the Akeida (bringing his son Yitzchok on the altar and was ready and willing to sacrifice him). Avrohom did so, only after Hashem revealed Himself to him and commanded him to do so, so if Hashem would reveal Himself to others, in all probability they too would have brought their children on the alter (as thousands of Jews did so even without being personally commanded by Hashem, in order that they are not forcefully baptized), So why is Avrohom praised for something that others have also done?

But as the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya,[1] it is the alacrity with which Avrohom fulfilled Hashem’s commandment.

I heard Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipsker A”H farbreng around Chof Cheshvan and he said, this answer that his grandfather gave him affected the Rebbe Rashab throughout his life. As is known in 5663 (1903), the Rebbe Rashab went to Vienna for three months, and one of the things he did there was to visit the famous Sigmund Freund. He had mentioned to his Rebbetzin that he feels that all of his learning had not succeeded in really changing and improving his character, as well as truly understanding the concepts he was studying. 

In other words, now that he was forty years old and Rebbe for already twenty years, and he knew of his tremendous accomplishments, he still felt that he hasn’t reached that level of alacrity. It isn’t pushing me to make a major change in myself. So, what have I truly accomplished?

Yes, he knew that he is going to be called the Rambam of Chassidus. Yes, he knew that Tomchei Tmimim, the yeshiva he established would have a major impact on Russian Jewry and world Jewry. He knew of his accomplishments and achievements. But he felt that if the learning of Chassidus doesn’t create a complete change in those who are learning it, so it is incomplete. That is what was bothering him.[2]

So Freund told the Frierdiker Rebbe to instruct the chassidim that they shouldn’t hide their interest in studying his teachings and that they are taking it to heart, meaning that it is completely changing them.

Rabbi Lipsker concluded with a call to action to his fellow shluchim and to all Lubavitchers.

The Rebbe sent us away from being by his farbrengens and our families, because there is a blazing fire burning among World Jewry. Every day there are some Jews who are becoming distanced from their roots and heritage.

So yes, there is no question that each shliach (as well as members of Anash) has what to be proud of and have what to show. However, after you have created your Jewish community in the wilderness you moved to, with establishing a day school or perhaps even a Yeshiva, and have a shul building that can sit hundreds of members that you brought them closer to Hashem,  and everything else that you accomplished, the question is are you waking up with the same feeling, drive, energy and enthusiasm as you had when you first moved on your shilichus?

He noted, that when he brought Mr. Landau to the Rebbe for a yechidus, Mr Landau informed the Rebbe of how much money he gave to build the yeshiva, and how the Yeshiva is growing and all of his other tremendous accomplishments on behalf of the Jews of Miami.

The Rebbe instead of applauding him, answered, and what about the thousands of Jewish children in Miami and in Florida that have as of yet no affiliation with any Yeshiva or any shul  or Jewish organizations.

The next day Rabbi Hodakov informed Rabbi lipsker that the Rebbe would like to know, if Mr. Landau was offended by the Rebbe’s further demands.

So this is the call to shluchim and to all of us, the Rebbe instructed us to prepare the world for Moshiach. There is no doubt that everyone is doing something in this aspect. But the question is do we understand how vital it is that we do something every day to accomplish this?

Furthermore, we shouldn’t push it off to the end of the day but we should do it immediately when  we begin our day, meaning we should get out of bed as soon as we wake up and then daven, as the question of  what could I do today to bring another Jew closer to Hashem is what is constantly and continuously on our mind?

In simple words this means, I will learn from Avrohom Avinu: not only are we going to fulfill all the mitzvos that we are given, but we are going to conduct ourselves like Avrohom who woke up early in the morning, and didn’t wait for his servants and house help to prepare the donkeys but he prepared them themselves because this is the most important thing in my life!

And when we come to this realization that this is our priority and it cannot be postponed then we will do our mission with both a renewed commitment, realizing we have much more to do as well as with the same alacrity that Avrohom did the akeida.

A Taste of Chassidus Pusach Eliyahu Torah Ohr 13c 

Every Erev Shabbos before mincha we say a section of the Zohar, which begins with the words Pusach Eliyahu. The concept expressed in it is how Eliyahu Hanavi described the ten sefiros (attributes) of Hashem (of intellect and emotions) as they are in the supernal world of Atzilus. 

In this maamar the Alter Rebbe clarifies a few of the points that Eliyahu Hanavi said. Understanding the concepts that the Alter Rebbe explained are so important to understanding the concepts of Seder Hishtalshilus as well as the difference between the supernal world of Atzilus and the other three supernal worlds, that the Tzemach Tzedek and especially the Rebbe Rashab wrote a lengthy explanation on it. In this week’s A Taste of Chassidus, I am going to try to clarify a few of the points that the Alter Rebbe explains. 

I would like tomake one introduction. One of the famous questions asked is, Since Hashem is complete, why did he choose to create the world? Or what does He need it for? One of the answers given is, that this way He can be understood.

Now we all know that we who are His creations and are limited are not able to understand Hashem, who is infinite. Bur as the  possuk says מבשרי אחזה אלוק – From my body I can see -percieve G-dliness.[3] So Hashem created us in His image, and by paying attention to aspects of the body [and world],[4] we can have an insight in Hashem.

When discussing Seder Hishtalshilus, the order through which Hashem created the world, Chassidus refers to the four Supernal worlds, of Atzilus, B’riah, Yetzira, and Asia. B’riah means creation, which indicates that before B’riah was created there was no creation.[5] So if there was no creation what is the world of Atzilus? Here we are saying, it is not a creation, but yet it is an entity that’s not Hashem Himself and did not exist before the process of creation began.

Chassidus often notes that the root word of Atzilus, is Eitzel, which means close (next) to, which signifies that it is the closest of the four worlds to Hashem. In this maamar the Alter Rebbe points out that Arzilus is also connected to the word of Vayei’utzal [min huruach],[6] which means Hashem took from Moshe’s spirit and placed it on the seventy elders. Meaning that the elders received the quality of Moshe’s spirit, just in a diminished amount.[7] That is telling us that the light that shines in Atzilus is the same quality as the G-dly light that shone before it descended into Atzilus, just in a smaller quantity. 

However, when it comes to B’riah not only is it a smaller quantity of light, but it is not the same quality, as it is a new light.

To explain the difference between the light that is in Atzilus and the light that is in B’riah in clearer terms, Chassidus uses the parable of a teacher giving over a new concept to their students. In general, it can be accomplished in one of two ways. The initial step is the same; the teacher evaluates the level of the students and sees that they are not capable of understanding the concept in its purest form, and therefore they will conceal many of the intricate details and explain (initially) lower levels of the concept, which will bring down to the level of their students’ understanding.

If the students are somewhat capable, the teacher will teach the basic concept without delving into its intricacies. However, there are times when the teacher realizes that the students are not capable of understanding even the basic concept, as this is a concept they have never heard of. So, then the teacher begins with a parable of something they are acquainted with, and once they understand how it works in that situation, the teacher can show them how to apply it to the concept he/she is trying to teach them.

In this scenario the initial subject being taught is completely different from the concept that the teacher is trying to give over. As the first thing they are being taught is the parable and only after that is understood does the teacher show how this concept can be applied to the subject they want to teach.

Therefore, when Chassidus describes the light as it transitions from Atzilus to B’riah and then from B’riah to Yetzira etc., it describes it as the rays of the sun that pass through one or more curtains of a window. Then not only is the sunlight diminished, but it is somewhat changed from the original sunlight.

However, when it describes the light in Atzilus compared to the light before Atzilus, we say that the light was concealed. However, this concealment is only referring to the light that shines forth, but not the light itself. The Ohr Hamimaleh and not the Ohr Atzmi or Ohr Hasoivev.[8]

Subsequently, we say that not only is the light that shines in Atzilus, G-dliness, but even the vessels of Atzilus are G-dliness. Whereas the light and vessels in B’riah and the other worlds are creations.[9]

Now we can understand why Eliyahu said, Hashem, You are one, but You are not part of the calculated ten sefiros [of Atzilus], You are wisdom, but You are not counted as the sphere of wisdom [of Atzilus]. As the ten sefiros of Atzilus are considered like ornaments that bring out or better said that bring attention to Your greatness, yet they are not You.[10]

As explained, Hashem’s light enters Atzilus, but it is only the source of the ten attributes of Atzilus, but not the attributes themselves. So yes, He has wisdom, but Hashem is not the wisdom that is portrayed in Atzilus.

To explain this in clearer terms, the Alter Rebbe notes that some fruits have sweetness (or bitterness) in them. Now fruits like every vegetation has an angel that is its source of life, as the possuk states, let the earth sprout forth…, So essentially the earth is the source of all vegetation, but if one tastes the earth (or the seed), they won’t taste any sweetness, so where does the sweetness of the fruit come from?

The Alter Rebbe explains that it comes from the sphere of Chesed (kindness), while all bitterness are derivatives of Gevurah (strictness).

Humans for example have five senses. We can taste a sweet food, we can hear a sweet sound or smell a sweet smell and upon seeing something say that was sweet. Each one of these sweetness’s are different, but they all come from the source, which is called kindness. Yet the attribute of kindness does not have a sweetness, rather it creates sweetness (just as strictness is not inherently bitter, but can cause bitterness).

With this thought the Alter Rebbe explaims why Eliyahu Hanavi calls the sefiros in Atzilus Tikunim, while the sefiros of B’riah and onwards are called Levushim.

Levushim are garments, and as Chassidus explains, garments are not part of the person

Yes, garments enhance the person’s appearance, but when one sees a person wearing a nice garment the comment is often, that is a stunning outfit or expensive suit. However, tikkunim means fixing or better said enhancing. When a lady puts on makeup, it is to make her beautiful (not that someone should say, I want to have that makeup). As women try to obtain makeup that matches their natural color (palette).

The same thing is accomplished when people adorn jewelry, it is to bring out their beauty. 

Being that the sefiros in Atzilus are essentially G-dliness, so they are not a new entity, but rather revealing Hashem’s entity, so there are compared to Jewelry. While the sefiros in the lower worlds are a new, meaning separate entity, therefore, they are called garments as they are separate entities from their source, just as garments also draw attention to the garment itself,  and not just to the wearer of the garments.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He will be farbrengening this Tuesday night in Beis Eliyahu Nochum on Lefferts at 815 pm, and is available to farbreng in your community. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com

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[1] Iggeres Hakodesh, letter # 21.

[2] Author’s note: Perhaps it was only because of his tremendous accomplishments that he felt there is much more for him to achieve. As noted in his biography, that year was when the noted chossid the Rashbatz (Reb Shmuel Betalel) mentioned after the maamar, that one an orphan becomes twenty years old, is capable to buy and sell their property on their own, and no longer has to have a court appointed manager.

In essence he was saying that it now became apparent that the Rebbe Rashab was now saying his own original thoughts.

[3] Iyov, 19:26.

[4] I added and world, because we find in numerous saying of our sages, “This can be compared to a king.” So we see that we understand actions of Hashem from a human king. For example, just as a king doesn’t have to do an action to establish an edict etc. as he establishes it through expressing that this is what he wants, so too Hashem created the world through ten statements.

[5] We see this same thought at the beginning of birchas Hashachar in Elokei Neshoma. First we say that the Neshoma is pure [Tehora he] and then we say You created it, You formed it… Tehora is referring to when the Neshoma was in the supernal world of Atzilus, and only when it descended into the supernal world of B’riah, do we say it was created.

[6] Bamidbar 11:25.

[7] Chassidus explains, Moshe said to Hashem, I am not able to relate to a desire to eat and enjoy meat (a roast or a steak etc.), so Hashem replied, I will take a part of your spirit and give it to the seventy elders, and being that they are on a lower level than you, this request is compatible with their level.

[8] In the maamar, the Alter Rebbe explains this concealment as follows: There is the power of understanding. However, when a person is sleeping or is occupied with some physical work, he is not thinking about anything. So while there is no revelation of the power of understanding, it is there completely, just waiting to be utilized. This can be compared to electricity in a wire, but when the switch is off, so no electricity is flowing, but it is ready to be used whenever it is needed.

[9] This is discussed in detail in Tanya, Iggeres Hakodesh # 20.

[10] Compared to Briah they are G-dliness, but in comparison to the light of before the tzimtzum of removing His light, they are not G-dliness.