And They Went to Selichos… Somewhat Tipsy
It was in middle of hakafos and all the chassidim that came to Lubavitch were singing and dancing. The Rebbe Rashab was by his place and the atmosphere was pure happiness. All of a sudden a chossid came into the shul, took a look at what was happening and cried out in pain, “The Rebbe is holding by Hakofos and I am getting ready for Selichos.”
Chassidus explains the various steps that begin on Rosh Chodesh Elul and progress through Elul, days of Selichos, Erev Rosh Hashanah, Rosh Hashanah, the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, erev Yom Kippur, Yom Kippur, the four days until Sukkos , Sukkos, Simchas beis hashei’va, hoshana raba, Shemini Atzeres, and culminating in Simchas Torah. And after that is, V’yaakov hulach l’darkoi.
But this chossid was bringing out that it is not enough to jump on the wagon and go for the ride, rather it is a journey and in order to appreciate it, one has to make the journey himself.
[It can be compared to a group of mountain climbers, who are going on an expedition to reach a mountain peak that few people reached. There is excitement even in middle of all the preparation. And as they reach certain milestones in their quest, they celebrate that achievement, but realize there is more to accomplish. When they reach the peak their happiness is unleashed in the most powerful expressions possible.
That is when one makes the journey. But if one takes a helicopter and lands on the peak, he arrived there but the celebration is not there. To celebrate you have to partake in it].
And the journey begins in earnest by Selichos.
Yes throughout Elul we have heard the Shofar, gave additional tzedokah, added in our learning and improved in our actions. But then comes the Shabbos before Rosh Hashanah (or as in this year two shabbosim before) and a Jew stops for a moment and realizes, Rosh Hashanah is almost here! Have I really prepared myself adequately for it? Yes, I did some minor adjustments, but for something so important, that preparation is not enough.
So he realizes he has to prepare. He figures, in my house, I might not be able to concentrate, so he decided to go back to shul after havdalah and make some serious preparation. Coming to shul he takes out a Tehillim and begins saying some verses, and then notices that other people are also saying Tehillim. Each one had the same thought. I must do a more thorough preparation.
Then there were a few Jews who had a flair in poetry and with words and they created certain pizmonim and that my friends is the source of saying Selichos on Motzei Shabbos.
It is reminiscent of one of the Temimiim in Lubavitch who asked the Rebbe Rashab, can he say tachnun Friday night in middle of his krias Shema before going to sleep?
The Rebbe Rashab looked at him and asked, What for? [Shulchan Aruch says we don’t].
The Tomim replied, if I don’t say it I simply can not fall asleep. How can one sleep, if he realizes that he had not served Hashem properly that day, which really means he caused Hashem some anguish and then goes to sleep without asking and indeed pleading for forgiveness!
Hearing this, the Rebbe Rashab replied, If that is your reason, you may say tachnun.
So this Shabbos and motzei Shabbos as we, chassidim, prepare for selichos, we attend a farbrengen and in order that don’t take every word spoken as a personal attack, we take a little l’Chaim and we prepare to actively go on the journey.
May it be a kesiva v’chasima tova, L’shana tova u’mesuka in a revealed way for all Anash and the entire Jewish nation, and may we all merit the ultimate brocha of bee’as Moshiach Tzidkeinu speedily in our days Amen.
I heard the above concept from the Mashpia Reb Melech sheyiche Tzwiebel (just forgot the names of the chassidim). The parable of the mountain climbing was made up just to bring it out.
The author can be reached at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.
