Weekly Story: Only The Best For Our Son

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

Since this past Wednesday, the 12th of Adar Rishon is the yahrzeit of my father-in-law’s mother, Chana bas Reb Avrohom, I decided to share a story that my father-in-law, Reb Moshe Pesach ben Chana, may he have a refuah Shleima, relates often about her. It’s a perspective that we all can learn from.

As always, your feedback and comments are always appreciated.

My shver went to Rabbi Schneiderman’s yeshiva ketana, Eitz Chaim for elementary. Upon graduating eighth grade, his parents were among the few that wanted to enroll their son in a Yeshiva high school, (as the vast majority went to public school).

Understanding that there were only very few classes available for the students who wished to apply to Yeshiva High Schools, his parents decided to apply to a few of them and whichever one accepts him first, is where he will go to learn. This way they are guaranteed that he will be learning in a yeshiva.

The first Yeshiva that tested and accepted him was the newly established Lubavitch Yeshiva and that is where he learned. A few years later in 5704 (1944) the Frierdiker Rebbe was opening a yeshiva in Chicago. 

In addition to appointing Rabbi Yosef Weinberg to be the head of the Yeshiva, the Rebbe wanted six students to go there, and they would be the nucleus of the yeshiva and learn with the local teenagers who would join. [This is similar to what the Rebbe Rashab did when he opened up a Yeshiva [now known as Toras Emes] in Chevron. He sent a small group of students and their conduct influenced the local students in how a talmid [Tomim] of Tomchei Tmimim conducts themselves.]

The older students who the Rebbe sent to open schools in various cities, such as Rabbi Weinberg, were able to decide on their own if they would go. [Obviously, they all chose to do as the Rebbe suggested.] However, for these younger students who lived locally, the Rebbe, would not allow them to make the decision, it was their parents’ prerogative.

So Rabbi Yisroel Jacobson and another Rabbi went to each student’s parents asking them for their permission for their son to travel to distant Chicago (an eighteen hour train ride), to help the Rebbe open up this Yeshiva by becoming its first students.  

Now my shver’s parents were married in Europe, and they came to America without any children. He was the only child born in America, and it was difficult for them to send him off.

Looking at each other for a moment, they were trying to make a decision. Then his mother said to her husband, “We want the best for our son. So the question is what is best for him? The Rebbe is asking us to send Moshe to Chicago. A tzaddik definitely wants the best for every Yid. So if he is saying this is the best thing for Moshe, the answer is obvious, of course we give our permission.”

My shver always concludes, while this answer may seem obvious to you, realize one thing. My parents came from Poland and had no connection to Lubavitch, yet they gave me permission to travel to Chicago, which in those days was considered a world apart. Meanwhile, some of the original six, whose parents were Lubavitchers, didn’t give permission, and the hanhalah (administration) had to choose others to replace them.

Taste of Chassidus

Maamer Vehaya Ke’asher Yarim Moshe 5730

As Erev Shabbos was Purim Koton, this week’s maamar is focused on the mitzvah of erasing the remembrance of Amalek, which is first mentioned at the end of Parshas Beshalach.

The possuk informs us that when Amalek attacked the Jewish people, Moshe Rabeinu sat on a rock and Aharon and Chur held his hands up in the air. Rashi quotes from our sages that Moshe’s hands did not cause the victory, rather when the Jews noticed his hands pointing towards heaven, they realized that they were to subject their hearts to Hashem.

One of the main points that has to be understood is why only by this war, did Moshe have to remind them to subject their hearts to Hashem, (even though they were on a very elevated level, as they just saw the great miracles in Mitzrayim, and especially by the splitting of the Red Sea, when they were able to point and state, “This is my G-d”), but not by any other war, including the capture of Eretz Yisroel, the land of seven nations (and 31 kings)?

This in itself shows that there is a tremendous difference between Amelek and all the other nations. So once we truly understand that difference, we would be able to answer the above question.

Chassidus explains that the seven nations correspond to the seven traits that a person has (kindness, severity, beauty etc., the seven middos). A person expresses one of these attributes based on their understanding. For example, many people are drawn towards a sweet table, as they think it would be enjoyable to partake from. Yet others would walk away (or perhaps distance themselves) from it, as their doctor warned them of the consequences it may have on them.

So while they see the same thing, their reaction is polar opposite from each other, and the reason for this is because it is based on their individual understanding. This is true for every emotional reaction. 

The Hebrew word for understanding is Binah. Chassidus explains that Binah is in the mind (the neshoma of the soul), attributes and emotions are in the heart (the ruach of the soul) and action is in the liver (the nefesh of the soul). Since the attributes are an outcome of the person’s understanding, therefore Chassidus states unequivocally that the mind rules of the emotions.

However, concerning Amalek, the possuk states Reishis Goyim Amalek – Amalek is the first nation that came to fight the Jewish people, even though it wasn’t in self-defense. So we see that Amalek is in a category by itself. There is Amalek and there are all the other nations of the world.

So we have to understand what is this difference, and through that we will see why Moshe was needed only for the conquest of Amalek.

We noted that the Neshoma, Ruach, and Nefesh of the soul are in the body. However, as is known, the soul has two additional parts, the Chaya and Yechida, which remain outside or surround the body. They both represent Chochmah (wisdom) and as is known Chochmah is the source of Binah.

[Chassidus explains that the four letters of Hashem’s name allude to the ten sefiros. The Yud alludes to Chochmah, the Hei to Binah, the Vov to the first six attributes and the second (final) Hei to Malchus. Since Yud is merely a dot without any expansion, it demonstrates that Chochmah has no airs about itself; it is nullified.] 

The reason why we need two levels to represent Chochmah (Chaya and Yechidah) is because there are two distinct levels of Chochmah. The lower level of Chochma is in order to refine something, as it says they were refined through Chochmah. Then there is the higher level, which is Yechidah, where the soul is connected and attached to Hashem that there is nothing besides it, or better said there is no other entity.

We will now answer the original question.

Since mankind was created to elevate the world, that proves that a person has to use the talents and abilities that they have at their disposal. Since only the three lower levels are enclothed in a person, it is evident that through them mankind will elevate the world through revealing G-dliness in it. 

In essence that means that the way to actually accomplish this feat is when our understanding of G-dliness guides our emotions and actions. That is called a service according to reason and understanding [in Hebrew, al pi tam v’daas].

Therefore, when the Jewish people had to conquer Eretz Yisroel and settle there, that is something they had to accomplish in a tangible way (avodas pnimi), so they had to do so with the talents they were in control of, namely Binah and the seven attributes.

However, when it came to conquering Amalek, which as noted was separated or aloof from the other nations, so then you use something that is somewhat aloof from you and that as noted is Chochmah.

Moshe said to the Jewish people, “And what are we?” [i.e. we are nothing]. Moshe described himself as nothing, since he nullified himself completely, and his only purpose is to serve Hashem. Complete nullification is higher than one’s talents, as he is negating anything about himself. As noted, that is the level of Chochmah.

Since Moshe is the faithful shepherd, he raised his hands to empower every Jew to go beyond themselves and serve Hashem on a level higher than understanding. Only then were the Jews able to defeat and conquer Amalek. Therefore, Moshe’s direct and revealed involvement was only needed to conquer Amalek and not the other nations.

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