Yud Tes Kislev – A Mini Farbrengen
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
Being that this today is Yud-Tes Kislev I am sharing with you a few anecdotes that I will mention during a Yud Tes Kislev farbrengen. As always your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Your feedback is most welcomed and always appreciated
A YUD TES KISLEV STORY
Reb Yechezkel of Staratouv, was originally a talmid of Reb Menachem Mendel Horodoker, and when Reb Menachem Mendel moved to Eretz Yisroel, he became close to the Alter Rebbe. When the Alter Rebbe made the guidelines of Liozna, limiting a chossids’ ability to visit him only once a year for a maximum of a week, Reb Yechezkel was one of the individuals who were exempted from these guidelines.
When he heard that the Rebbe was arrested, and taken to Petersburg in the black carriage (reserved for those who are charged of the most serious charge of treason), he realized that the Rebbe’s life is in danger. So Reb Yechezkel gathered the chassidim of Staratouv and he informed them that he is accepting upon himself all of the suffering that was decreed upon the Rebbe, including death. He then began to fast for three consecutive days and nights. On the third day, as soon as one was permitted to daven mincha, he did so, and then called the chassidim and informed them: I will pass away in a few hours, as the heavenly court accepted my request that I pass away instead of the Rebbe.
He then requested that the chassidim bring some mashke and he said a l’chaim, saying, I don’t want to come to that world as if I am perfect (a b’tzidkuscha), in fact I passed away in middle of a fast.
He then made them swear that when they hear the wonderful tidings that the Rebbe was freed from his imprisonment, they should come to his grave site, say a l’chaim and go into a chassidishe dance.
He then said vidui and passed away.
On the morning of Yud Tes kislev, each one of his elderly friends came to shul, they look at each other, waiting for the other one to say something. Finally one of them began saying that last night Reb Yechezkel came to him, and the others said, he came to me also, and he informed me that that it was decreed in the heavenly court that the Rebbe will be freed today.
WHAT DID CHASSIDUS ACCOMPLISH?
The Alter Rebbe was once asked, ‘What did Chassidus accomplish? Before the Baal Shem Tov, there were many tzaddikim such as the Reishis Chochmah and the Shaloh.”
He answered, this question was asked to the Baal Shem Tov himself and he gave the following parable to answer it; there are two ways of preventing a thief from entering your property; a person can put up a gate around his house and yard and when he notices a stranger entering, he cries out ‘Thief.’ Seeing that he was noticed the thief runs off.
A second way is the owner allows the thief to enter his property and then grabs hold of him and hands him over to the authorities.
The difference between them is the first way he was scared off, but there is the possibility that he would return and try his luck another time.
However, the other way also has a shortcoming. It is possible only if the owner is stronger than the thief. Otherwise he can get hurt, in addition of being robbed.
The Alter Rebbe explained: Before the Baal Shem Tov, it was sufficient for a Jew to hear the shout Aveira. That reminder, prevented the person from sinning and rebelling against Hashem. However, in our days, a regular person might not have the inner power on his own to withstand the pressure and allure of the aveira (sin). Even if he hears the shout, it might not bring clarity to him.
Through Chassidus the Baal Shem Tov gave a regular Jew the strength to withstand the temptation on his own and hold down the nefesh habihamis that it doesn’t try to entice him.
PRIME QUALITY
Sometime after the Baal Shem Tov revealed himself, the vaad daled aroitzois heard that there is a Jew who writes kemayois (charms) and they felt that it is forbidden to do so. So they sent three rabbonim to investigate if it is so, and if yes to warn him that he must stop or they will have to take drastic measures against him.
The Baal Shem Tov answered this question of theirs and they saw that they are dealing with a learned individual, not just a charm writer, and what he is writing is not a charm.
They then asked him, “What is your greatness that you have sixty students, when in our yeshivos we have thousands of students?”
The Baal Shem Tov replied there are two ways a person plants his field:
One farmer plants every inch of his field and he is assured that something will grow. So he is relaxed and isn’t attentive to the field. Even if one part doesn’t grow properly, another patch will definitely grow.
Then there is another farmer who doesn’t plant too much, however, he is very attentive to the produce that is developing. Every morning he rises early to check on the stalks. If he sees that the soil is not covering the roots properly, he will add soil. If he notices weeds or something else growing there, he will hoe and remove it. He is constantly taking care of the seed.
The difference between these two approaches is that by the first person there will be an abundance of fruit or other produce, however a large percentage of it will be inferior quality and even the better quality ones are not top grade, so when their seeds are planted they produce a similar outcome; a field that most of its produce is not high grade.
However, by the second farmer, all the fruits that grow are superb and top quality and their seeds will produce a similar outcome.
Saying that the Baal Shem Tov returned to his room and they went on their way.
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A few hours later the Baal Shem Tov with some of his students got into a carriage and ultimately caught up with them.
They all went into an inn and they spoke for twelve hours, the Baal Shem Tov then asked them one thing; to give an honest report.
At the end of this conversation, two of them remained and became students of the Baal Shem Tov while one continued on his own back to those who sent him.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE YUD TES KISLEV
When the Rebbe Rashab was not in Lubavitch for Yud Tes Kislev, the farbrengen was lead by his son, the Frierdiker Rebbe and eltere chassidim. By one such farbrengen the Rashbatz said the following:
The order of things is also illuminating and teaches us a proper perspective. Purim occurred between the first Beis HaMikdash and the second. A few hundred years later, during the second Beis Hamikdash, we had the miracle of Chanukah. Then came the accusations against the Rebbe and his ultimate freedom.
Our sages tell us The Jews, His Torah, and Hashem Himself are all one entity.
The first fight was against the body of the Jew. Haman wanted to destroy their physical body. After that came the Greeks: they waged war against the mitzvos that have no reason or explanation for them. As we say in the al hanissim the Greeks fought against chookei ritzoinecha. They argued that the Torah is a scholarly work and those commandments that you understand you should follow, but those that have no explanation don’t follow. So in essence their war was against the Torah.
The accusations against the Alter Rebbe was against the teachings of Chassidus. What is Chassidus? It is the revealing the G-dliness in everything. So this battle was against Hashem himself. So we celebrate the Hashem’s victory of being revealed in the world!
The Rashbatz concluded, now that we understand what Chassidus is we should learn it with a new appreciation and enjoyment by applying ourselves to understand what we are learning thoroughly.
L’shana tova b’limud HaChassidus v’darkei HaChassidus t’kuseivoo v’seichuseimoo
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com
Please join me in blessing Tzion ben Sarah, may he be blessed with a complete and speedy healing and mazal tov in honor of his son Asher’s bar mitzvah.
