Weekly Story: The Maggid’s Open Ruach Hakodesh

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

Being that next Shabbos is Yud-Tes Kislev, the yahrzeit of the Maggid as well as the Chag HaGeulah of the Alter Rebbe, the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus, I am posting this week a story of the Maggid and Bezras Hashem next week will be about the Alter Rebbe.

Concerning the Taste of Chassidus that comes after the story, I do not note every topic that is discussed in the Maamar, as my intent is to give a taste, as the Alter Rebbe would sing the words, Taamoo U’ri’oo Ki Tov Havaya (Hashem) – Taste and you will see that understanding G-dliness [through Chassidus] is good.then you will decide on your own to learn addition aspects of Chasidus.

As always, your comments and feedback is greatly appreciated.

As is known there were many fairs in Europe that attracted sellers and buyers from numerous countries. One of these big fairs took place in Konigsberg, Germany. The author of Sippurim Noraim was there also and he rented a room in an inn that was used by many of the biggest sellers and buyers at the fair.

Among them were prominent businessmen from the city of Slutzk, who were also tremendous Talmidei Chachomim (Torah Scholars). While they discussed Torah thoughts, part of their conversation was also about Chassidim and their leaders. Each one had something to say.

The inhabitants of Slutzk were known to be staunch opponents of the Chassidic movement, and they spoke negatively about many of the Rabbonim of the chassidim. Then someone began to speak against the Maggid of Mezeritch. 

To everyone’s shock and bewilderment, the people of Slutzk interrupted the speaker and firmly stated, “It is forbidden to say anything negative, on such a miracle worker. While we are fierce opponents to the ways of chassidim and their leaders, however, what we witnessed with our own eyes, and not something that was related to us by others, cannot be denied. 

The following astonishing and remarkable anecdote that he did, happened publicly in our own city. 

A member of our community traveled to the Vholin area for his business, however he lost his way and wandered aimlessly from around noon until midnight. He finally arrived in a town, which happened to be Mezeritch.  Being that he was cold, he hoped to find a house where he could warm himself up, but as noted is was already midnight and everyone was asleep, as there was no light shining from any window.

Driving around the town he finally saw one house where the light was shining through the window, he drove over and knocked on the door. An individual opened the door, invited him in, and as he entered to warm himself up, he noticed that the light was coming from a different room. That room was the holy chamber of the Maggid.

Realizing that he had a guest in the house, the Maggid went over to him and greeted him with the traditional Sholom Aleichem. The Maggid then asked him, “From which city are you from?” 

I am from Slutzk, the person replied. However, I wandered off the main road and I got lost until I finally noticed this town,

Everything is b’hashgacha protis, (Divine personal providence), the Maggid said to him. Therefore, it wasn’t for naught that you strayed off the path and ended up at my house. There is a reason for it!!

The Maggid then put on his glasses, (this was his mode of conduct whenever he wanted to limit his vision to see only one thing (and not the entire world,) and momentarily looked at the guest. 

The Maggid then said, “When you left your house, your son was gravely ill.

That is correct, the guest replied.

You have nothing to worry about, continued the Maggid, as Boruch Hashem, your son is now in excellent health.

When you return home, you will find the entire city in an uproar, as many, many young children are passing away, while your son had healed and became healthy. The Rov and the judges are searching and trying to find out what is the grave sin that is causing [Hashem’s displeasure to make] numerous young children to pass away.

The day after you return one of the magnates will be celebrating the birth of his newborn son, and he will prepare a large meal in honor of it. He will invite you to be one of the attendees.

All the important people of the city will also be attending, and the conversation would be about the horrible plague that is killing so many infants. They will come to the conclusion that a certain individual is the sinner; however he is pure and innocent from doing any sin Chas V’sholom (G-d Forbid).

One of very honored guests will be a wealthy magnate, one of the leaders of the city, and he happens to be a tremendous sinner. His actions are causing the deaths of the infants.

After the other guests will come to their conclusion about this innocent person that he is the sinner, they will begin hitting him, imploring him to admit to his misdeeds and repent. The above-mentioned magnate will attempt to join them. However, when he raises his hand to hit that individual, you are to grab his hand and say firmly to the magnate, “Wicked one, you are the one to admit, as you are the grievous sinner!” It is because of you that so many of our young children have passed away.

He will immediately admit, and the plague will immediately stop, Not one more child will die.

The Maggid concluded, “If you don’t do as I instructed you, you should know that your own son, will immediately die an unpleasant death.

The businessman went home, and he fulfilled everything that the Maggid instructed him to do. There was not one detail which the Maggid said to him would happen that didn’t occur.

All the inhabitants of Slutzk were astonished from this wonderous happening,

The businessmen from Slutzk then said to the others who were together with them at the fair, “Would you find such a holy person that the spirit of Hashem is in with him? We all witness this, and it is impossible to deny it.

A Taste of Chassidus

Maamar Kotonti YudT es Kislev 5730

One of the main points that Chassidus constantly stresses is that the reason Hashem created this physical and materialist world is, that we should transform it to become the dwelling place of Hashem. The Shechina was dwelling in this world when Hashem first created the world, before the sin of eating from the Eitz Hadaas. The second time it occurred is by Mattan Torah, as the possuk states that Hashem came down on the mountain, and the third time, which will be permanent, will be when Moshiach comes. (This is discussed at length on the Maamar of Basi L’gani, which means Hashem is saying, I came to my favorite garden.)

The question that is asked is, how can the lowest world become Hashem’s main dwelling place, and not the supernal world of Atzilus, which is G-dly and not even the worlds that are even higher than it?

The truth is this is the question that Shlomo HaMelech asked (1 Melachim 8:27) when he built the Beis HaMikdash. Behold the heaven (Atzilus) and the heavens above it (the supernal worlds higher than atzilus) cannot contain You, yet this [limited] house can?

The answer is twofold; As noted the higher worlds are G-dly on their own, so that fact that they nullify themselves to Hashem, is not a great wonder [or accomplishment). However, this world where Hashem’s presence, greatness and glory are concealed and nevertheless we subject ourselves to Him, that is true nullification.

And even if you want to say that the higher supernal worlds are also expressions of true nullification, there is a tremendous difference between them. This difference is explained by the following parable. A person speaks and a parrot has the ability of limited speech. Yet when we hear a human speaking, his ability to speak doesn’t truly impress us, as it is expected. But when a bird speaks, that is not expected and therefore it is a source of entertainment and enjoyment.

So too being that those higher worlds are much closer to Hashems glory and greatness, it is not surprising that they nullify themselves. However, when a thing/world considers itself to be an entity and perhaps an important one, yet it nullifies itself, that gives Hashem real pleasure and therefore He makes this world His true dwelling place.

Therefore [in answer to Shlomo HaMelech’s question], only the Beis HaMikdash could contain Hashem, while the heavenly spheres couldn’t. The building of the Beis HaMikdash had to be in the exact measurements that Hashem wanted. The Holy of Holies was to be exactly twenty cubits in its width. The holy Ark had to be two and a half cubits wide, and it was to be placed in middle of the chamber.

If one subtracts two and a half from twenty, you have seventeen and a half. So, on each side of the holy Ark, there should be eight and three quarters of a cubit. Yet there were ten cubits on each side. The question is how was that possible?

But the physical limitations of twenty cubits were so nullified that it no longer existed as an entity. This is higher than nature and the cubits were not limited to being cubits (or in Chassidic terminology, nimnah hanimnaous). This level or trait of not being limited in any manner is only found by Hashem Himself, so therefore only it can become Hashem’s dwelling place.

Furthermore, being that everything is created by Hashem, in essence they all recognize that Hashem is their source of life and are naturally nullified. [It just depends how much of Hashems greatness is revealed to them.] However, in this world, Hashem’s greatness is concealed from the world and therefore we can feel that we are a self-made entity.

The ability to create something that thinks it is not dependent on anything else can only come from a source that indeed is not dependent on anything else, and that is Hashem’s true essence. While everything else, including the  supernal worlds were created by extensions of His glory but not His essence.

So therefore, Hashem’s essence is only connected to the physical world and therefore the only place it can rest, in the Beis Hamikdash. And once the Beis Hamikdash received this ability it transferred it to the Jewish nation, that if we humble and nullify our ego etc., then Hashem will dwell in this world that was previously physical and materialistic.

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