Weekly Story: Ein Od Milvado

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

One of the stories which the Rebbe related more than ten times, is about the chossid Reb Binyamin Kletzker. Reb Binyomin was one of the Alter Rebbe’s outstanding chassidim and was an extremely successful businessman. In a letter the Rebbe writes, “It is appropriate to explain to all the businessmen of Anash this story, and especially to those Anash that my father in law, the Rebbe, desired that they should be yoshvei ohel (learning or teaching Torah), but they are following a new mode and transformed themselves into workers and entrepreneurs.”

The Story:

The purpose of every business is to earn a profit, and therefore a businessperson makes a detailed accounting of all the (direct and consequential) expenses and income, to see what is the bottom line. Once when Reb Binyomin was recording his expense income sheet, marking down the cost of the lumber, noting the different types, grades and sizes, the labor, shipping etc., each item was recorded with their exact number and cost. He then came to write the grand total and instead of writing down a number as the grand total, he simply wrote ein oid milvado – there is nothing besides Hashem!

Because even while he was thinking and involved in his business dealings and transactions with the intent of making a nice profit, the concept and feeling that Hashem is everything and everything is Hashem permeated him completely. So when he had to put in the price of each individual item, he did so to the tee. However, when he came to note the grand total, he automatically wrote (and declared), ein oid milvado!

The Frierdiker Rebbe also mentions this story (in Igros kodesh vol. 6), and he prefaces it with the following thought, what gives a Jew the ability to attain such a level of connection to Hashem, that even during his business, he is thinking and focused on Hashem?

He explains, the Navi Malachi says, Ani Hashem Lo Shunisi v’atam bnei Yaakov lo chilisem. The simple explanation is that Hashem didn’t change and whatever actions he abhorred in previous generations, his dislike to them remains the same. Yet while He completely destroyed nations and empires, because of their despicable actions, the Jewish nation as much as we may have angered Hashem and were punished for that, however, [because of His tremendous love to us] we have survived and remain eternally.

He continues, “But then there is the Chassidic understanding of this possuk. We say in shacharis, Hashem was there before the world was created by Him and is there after the creation. Being that He is the creator and without Him nothing will exist, that He is still here, is an obvious statement; [that is what the Alter Rebbe states in the beginning of sha’ar hayichud V’haemenah]. But the deeper meaning in this statement is that while a human uses energy to create something and can be affected (tired) from the exertion etc., the creation of the entire universe didn’t affect Hashem in the slightest.

The reason for this is, because the possuk states  כי בי”ה צור עולמיםHashem created the  entire universe with the two letters of yud and hey. Now, if by a person the utterance of a mere two letters in their life, are inconsequential when compared to the total amount of words and letters that they will utter throughout their lifetime, how much more so is that the truth by Hashem who is unlimited and infinite.

So when a Jew contemplates that the entire creation, of the entire universe and all of its planets and galaxies, which were created by these mere two letters, are in essence nothing compared to Hashem’s essence, then the outcome of this recognition should be a quenching thirst and desire to become closer and indeed connected to Hashem.

The Frierdiker Rebbe notes, therefore when a Jew has this perspective in life, his focus is how to fulfill the mitzvos as best as possible, without thinking of finding leniencies when it comes to serving Hashem and fulfilling His mitzvos, since the physical and material world are not their priority.

So as Reb Binyomin said to his associates, “You are surprised and shocked to see someone contemplating a concept in Chassidus in midst of his business deals, I cannot understand how in midst of davenning, one’s mind can wander to his business dealings. So if that can happen, why can’t thinking about Chassidus in midst of business occur?!!”

***

I chose this story since it is in sync with the thought espoused in the maamorim that the Rebbeim often said this week (Parshas Noach). They noted, the possuk says, mayim rabim lo yoochloo lichabos ess ha’ahava, (shir hashirim 8:7) which is explained at length in Chassidus to mean that the headaches involved in earning a livelihood (which are compared to the mayim rabim – turbulent waters), cannot extinguish the love a Jew has to Hashem. This thought is exemplified in the above story.

Additionally, I have decided that Vol. 6 in the Early Chassidic Personalities Series will be on Reb Binyomin Kletzker (Rabinovitch) and have begun researching and writing it. At this time I ask of all of you, if you know of a story, incident or any information about Reb Binyomin to please share it with me, so that I can include it in this edition. Thank you.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and author of numerous books. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.