Weekly Story: The Mitteler Rebbe’s Studiousness
by Rabbi Sholom Avtzon
Being that this Tes Kislev is the 250th year since the birth of the Mitteler Rebbe, (who was born in 5534/1773), I decided to write a few articles about some aspects of his life. These stories are taken from the sefer, Sippurim Noraim, [written by Reb Yaakov Cadaner) which is known to be accurate. The Frierdiker Rebbe gave it to the Rebbe to read during his Sheva brochos.
As always your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated.
Due to the Mitteler Rebbes tremendous humility, whenever possible, he didn’t reveal his greatness. This was especially true when it came to his unbelievable knowledge in Nigleh (the revealed part of the Torah). So while everyone knew that his knowledge in Chassidus was vast and tremendous, many of them thought that in Nigleh, he wasn’t so knowledgeable. However, those of us that merited to be in close proximity to him, saw and recognized his greatness in Nigleh.
Yes, he was extremely succinct in Chassidus, as is reconizeable from his numerous seforim in Chassidus. However, most people didn’t know of his tremendous diligence in Nigleh. It was beyond imaginable. Every day {especially in his youth], he toiled in Nigleh for 15 hours a day. He reviewed each halacha numerous times, and the final time was with the same intensity and fervor as the first time.
Let me relate to you an incident that I personally witnessed.
Once there was a learned discussion among his outstanding chassidim, who were geniuses and respected rabbonim, not only in their city, but throughout their province and beyond.. Amongst them were the Alter Rebbe’s brother, Reb Yehudah Leib, known as the Maharil, Reb Nechemia Dubrovna, Reb Boruch Morfechai and others.
There discussion continued for many days. Each day one of the attendees would present his solution to the question, however, it was questioned and refuted by the others. After they all tried to resolve the question, to no avail, they declared: “Since we are unable to understand it properly, let us enter the Rebbe’s room and present it to him.
As a group they entered and ask him to clarify it for them. They were inside the room for a half hour, and left the room with tremendous joy. The Rebbe had explained it in a phenomenal manner that it resolved all of their questions.
This shows the depths of his knowledge that without any hesitation, he was able to resolve their question, while they couldn’t resolve it after contemplating on it for many days.
Then there is the story that demonstrates the intensity of his concertation.
After his marriage, his family lived on the ground level, while the Alter and his family lived on the upper level. While the Mitteler Rebbe was learning, his infant daughter fell out of her crib and began wailing bitterly. However, due to the intensity of his concentration, he was oblivious to everything else and simply didn’t hear her cries.
However, the Alter Rebbe who also was learning heard the cry and came downstairs. He noticed that the baby was lying on the floor close to her father, his son, and crying bitterly. The Alter Rebbe picked up his granddaughter calmed her down and gently returned her to her crib.
He then remained there for around two hours and his son was still oblivious to his surroundings. To him the only thing that existed was the Torah subject he was studying. When he concluded the studying he was alarmed to see his father in the room. In astonishment he inquired of his father, why is he in this room? If I was needed for something, father could have sent an attendant to summon me and I would have gone upstairs.
His father informed his that his daughter had fallen out of the crib and he was so involved in his learning that he didn’t gear her cries and wails. The Alter Rebbe continued and said, I am shocked/astonished at the smallness of your mind. That when you are studying something there is no room there to be sensitive to something else, especially the cry of another.
I on the other hand am different than you. Even when I am in the deepest concentration, in order to understand the most lofty concepts, I sense everything around me, even the walking of an insect on my table.
His Desire To Learn
I heard the following from the melamed who taught the Mitteler Rebbe’s children and grandchildren.
Once the Rebbe went to the city of Shklov and much to his distress, he had to remain there for a few days. The thing that gave him the most anguish was that he couldn’t learn each day as much as he desired.
He instructed the coach man to encourage the horses to gallop as fast as they could, in order to arrive home, the earlier the better. Obeying the Rebbe’s instructions, he whipped the horses and they began galloping. Along the way one of the horses collapsed and died. However, the Rebbe told him to continue going as fast as possible.
Although it was a freezing night, he refused to enter an inn to warm up for a few minutes, even though the only thing that entered his mouth that day was a cup of coffee.
They arrived at the beginning of the night. Upon entering his house, he didn’t remove his coat etc,. but immediately rushed to his study, took out a gemorah and began learning, while he remained standing.
The entire night, without any interruption, even for a moment or two, he continued to learn, until the sun rose in the morning, and the gabbai informed him that the minyan is about to begin davening Shacharis. Saying that the gabbai gently began to take the gemorah.
The melamed concluded, I noticed that the Rebbe’s body began shaking, as it was noticeable on his facial expressions that the learning was so precious and endearing to him, more than a father experiences when he finally is able to see and embrace his only child that he hasn’t seen in twenty years.
Taste of Chassidus
VaYomar Hashem El Avrom Lech Lecho 5738
Hashem said to Avrom, go away from your land…to the land that I will show you. In Chassidus it is explained that there are two opposite explanations on these words.
The first explanation is that Avrom is a compound of two words: Av Rom, which means an exalted father. Father is a reference to Av-father which is a term for Chochmah which is wisdom. Exalted wisdom refers to a level of wisdom which is exalted and higher than revelation in this world.
So Hashem’s instruction was that this exalted level should leave its place, where it is concealed from the world, and go down and become revealed. That is called going from above to a lower level, Milmaaleh Limatah. The second explanation is that Lech Lecha is going from below to above, as will be explained later on.
The possuk then concludes to the land which I will show to you. Here also, there are two meanings. A. I will show you the land. B. Only there when you go down, will your exalted level become revealed.
[Since the Torah is eternal, this concept applies to each and every Jew.] A Jew has five parts to his neshoma: Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshoma (which are enclothed in the body,) Chaya (which is hovering above the body, meaning it is too powerful for the body to contain it) while Yechidah, is the essence of the soul which is connected to Hashem, the highest level.
So Hashem is telling every Neshoma, only by going down into the materialistic world can all five parts of your neshoma, even the highest level of Yechidah, be elevated to an even higher level.
One may ask, where do we see that this is so? The answer is that we learn it from the flood in Noach’s time. The possuk says that the ark elevated itself above the highest mountain because of the turbulent waters. The ark had three levels, which are a reference to the three separate levels of the neshoma. [The lowest three which are enclothed in the body, Chaya which hovers above it, and Yechida which is completely above it.
How does being in the turbulent waters of the materialistic world elevate a person? The answer is that Hashem instructed Noach to enter the Ark. The Baal Shem Tov explains this is a directive to every Jew. When you are about to enter a time and place of turbulence, make sure that beforehand you enter the words of davening (prayers) and learning Torah. Not only won’t the waters negatively impact him, but then you will become elevated, because even during that turbulent time I recognize that the most important factor is learning Hashem’s Torah and being connected to Him through davening. In that situation, I am stating and declaring that everything is from Hashem, even this turbulent situation.
As mentioned above, the highest level of Avrom became revealed by lowering himself into the world, and that gave us the ability to reveal the highest level of our neshoma in the world.
The other explanation in Lech Lecho is going from lower to higher (Milmatah Limaalah). Avrom left a place where idols were served and went to a holier place, Eretz Yisroel where he built an altar and sacrificed a sacrifice for Hashem.
This too applies to each one of us, as after the holidays of Tishrei begins the service of Yaakov went on his way. Not only are we leaving the exalted level of the holidays and entering the world, which is from higher to lower, but it also is a reference to the service of going from lower to higher.
How do we see this? The name Yaakov is derived from the fact that he was holding onto the heel of his brother. The heel of a person has the lowest power of life in the entire body. So he is beginning this journey of his with his heel (which is explained to mean without an understanding and appreciation of G-dliness, but rather only with dedication to the Creator without any reason besides that He is my Creator.) He continues on this journey until he gains an appreciation of G-dliness, so it is from bottom upwards.
We obtained this ability of elevating the highest levels by descending into the lowest world (Asiah), from Simchas Torah (that was just a few weeks ago). On Simchas Torah through dancing and jumping with your feet, the lowest part of your body, the Torah is elevated to a higher level. [This was discussed in the maamar that we posted for Simchas Torah.]
This concept is especially appropriate in a leap year. The reason we add another month (7 times every 19 years) is in order to balance the lunar calendar with the solar one. The sun is above us and radiates its rays down to us that is from higher to lower. While the moon is a receptacle, which is on the bottom and then transmits what it received which is similar to the concept from bottom upwards.
The lesson or directive to us is, that through our actions down here, we cause Hashem to send us His blessings from Above. Not only the blessings that are proportionate to our service, but even from higher levels.
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.
Mushkie
“Rebbe continued and said, I am shocked/astonished at the smallness of your mind.” – do you think that is a proper way for a father to talk to his son?! To put him down like that! And if he has a small mind, is it his fault that Hashem made him with diminished capacity?!
continued
AH
A “small mind” doesn’t mean diminished capacity. It means not focusing on the bigger picture.
Mushkie
“smallness of your mind” in Yiddish would be “klayn keppel’dik”. Opposite of ” ah breit’en kop”.
If someone told you that you are “klayn keppel’dik”, is that not a put down?! Would you take it as a compliment?!
If anything, the story began that the Mitteler Rebbe had a VERY “breiten kop”. (Although, that might have developed later in life).
I just don’t see this as a “chinuch lesson” to a son.
Mushkie
I read the story on chabad.org like this:
The Alter Rebbe admonished his son: “No matter how engrossed one may be in the loftiest occupation, one must never remain insensitive to the cry of a child.”
https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/letters/default_cdo/aid/1973508/jewish/Heeding-the-Cry-of-a-Child.htm#:~:text=Subsequently%2C%20the%20Alter%20Rebbe%20admonished,the%20cry%20of%20a%20child.%E2%80%9D
Mushkie
The quote from Chabad.org was from an English letter of the Rebbe.
Mushkie
In the Rebbe’s letter:
The Alter Rebbe shared his house with his oldest married son, Rabbi Dov Ber (who later succeeded him as the Mitteler Rebbe). Rabbi Dov Ber was known for his unusual power of concentration. Once, when Rabbi Dov Ber was engrossed in learning, his baby, sleeping in its cradle nearby, fell out and began to cry. The infant’s father did not hear the baby’s cries….
Mushkie
But the infant’s grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, also engrossed in his studies in his room on the upper floor at the time, most certainly did. He interrupted his studies, went downstairs, picked the baby up, soothed it and replaced it in its cradle. Through all this Rabbi Dov Ber remained quite oblivious.
Subsequently, the Alter Rebbe admonished his son: …
Mushkie
“No matter how engrossed one may be in the loftiest occupation, one must never remain insensitive to the cry of a child.”
Letter:
13 Kislev, 5723
[December 10, 1962]
Rabbi Avtzon, which version is correct?
Mushkie
And then to add, “I on the other hand am different than you. Even when I am in the deepest concentration, in order to understand the most lofty concepts, I sense everything around me, even the walking of an insect on my table.”
Is that not being boastful?! A father telling his son, “My mind is so much greater than yours”!
Is that a way to talk to a son?!
Mushkie
“Once the Rebbe went to the city of Shklov…The thing that gave him the most anguish was that he couldn’t learn each day as much as he desired.”
Seems all he needed was a gemorah. There no gemorah in the city of Shklov?!
And couldn’t he study during the wagon ride home?
After all, he was able to concentrate and not hear his surroundings!)
Mushkie
Interesting to add that Sefer Shaarei Teshuvah was first printed in Shklov, in 1817-1818, in the lifetime of the Mitteler Rebbe.
Mushkie
I see the contradiction between the two stories.
The first story is that he could learn with such concentration that he remained oblivious of his surroundings.
The second story is that he needed certain conditions to learn – only in his house, not in a wagon or a strange city.
Mushkie
I am troubled by the lines:
“Obeying the Rebbe’s instructions, he (the coachman) whipped the horses and they began galloping. Along the way one of the horses collapsed and died.”
Did the Rebbe actually instruct him to whip the horses, to cause terrible tzar balei chaim, to the extent that it directly caused the death of one of the horses?!
Am I too sensitive or is that not troubling to others?
badel
In The Rebbeim Biography Series I explained a similar conversation between the Alter Rebbe and his son The Mitteler Rebbe.
The Alter Rebbe said I am greater than you as I have a son who will be Rebbe, [while your sons won’t succeed you],
The Mitteler Rebbe replied, I am greater as I have a father who is a Rebbe while your father wasn’t a Rebbe.
Mushkie
Would Yitzchok tell Avrohom Aveinu, I am greater than you because I am a tzadik ben tzadik, while you are a tzadik ben rosha (Terach)?
Would Avrohom Aveinu tell Yizchok, I am greater than you because my son was brought as a korbon at the Akeida but your son (Yaakov or Esov) wasn’t?
Is that the type of discussion children and parents have?
I hope they were just joking around!
badel
The Frierdiker Rebbe explained that the Alter Rebbe was stating that his emotions are more revealed than his sons while his son countered and said no Chabad demands intellect and not emotions and therefore my path is proper.
I would add that in his final 11 years which were in Liadi, the Alter Rebbe diminished revealing his emotional part and was more intellectual. Therefore the maamorim he said
Mushkie
I understood that when the Mitteler Rebbe was learning, he reached a level that “es iz nit da kein velt” (there was no earthly world in his world). The Alter Rebbe admonioshed him that Torah and Mitzvos are davka IN the world, and ker a velt, by giving a tzura to the chomer.
badel
were longer with greater elaboration etc.
So these conversations are not what they seemingly seem to be.
So here the Alter Rebbe wanted to teach his son that the path which he is on, which many would say shows his total involvement in his learning is not the ultimate level, there is a higher level.
We see this by the Rebbe Rashab also.
Mushkie
From Rebbe’s letter, in this story the admonishment was that no matter how lofty the person’s personal avodah, he must hear the cry (and needs) of a Jewish. Some think if they are learning they are exempt from mivtzoyim (ossek b’mitzva pottur min ha’mitzva) and that helping other yidden is for those that aren’t busy learning.
Therefore the issue wasn’t his learning, but ignoring responsibility!
badel
Right before his histalkus he admonished his son not to react and show his emotions but to do everything with intellect.
This elevated him to a higher level and was utilized in his ongoing battle with the Yevsektzia.
badel
Concerning your other point.
In Shklov he went for communal matters and while he learned a few hours a day, it was not as much as he would have wanted. But only he could deal and resolve this aspect of communal work. So he had no choice but to forgo his regular schedule.
So yes while he was traveling back home he was reviewing Torah in his mind, but he felt it is not the sam
badel
not the same as actual learning inside the text and therefore he didn’t go to sleep when he came home but learned the entire day.
Mushkie
Thank you for taking the time to answer me and inspiring me and my friends each week. We literally farbreng (in person or online) and discuss your stories in-depth.
We argue, debate and take real lessons from them in our own lives.
The chassidus you write is difficult for us to relate to, but the stories – we can internalize and grow from them.
Mushkie
From Rebbe’s letter, in this story the admonishment was that no matter how lofty the person’s personal avodah, he must hear the cry (and needs) of a Jewish. Some think if they are learning they are exempt from mivtzoyim (ossek b’mitzva pottur min ha’mitzva) and that helping other yidden is for those that aren’t busy learning.
Therefore the issue wasn’t his learning, but ignoring responsibility!