Weekly Story: Yud Aleph Nissan
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
As all Anash are preparing for Yud Aleph Nissan, this coming Friday, the day (122 years ago), that the Eibishter sent the Rebbe’s Neshama to this earth to inspire the entire Jewish nation. I am sharing some thoughts that I plan on saying b’ezras Hashem at a farbrengen this coming week.
As always, your feedback is greatly welcomed and appreciated.
There was a Shliach in a certain distant country, and although it was a challenging and daunting experience, he gave it his all, and slowly began seeing positive results in his new community.
But then a problem of a different sort arose, a member of his family had a medical situation, and after going from one doctor to another and from one medical facility to another, he came to the realization that in order for his family member to receive the proper medical care, the family will have to travel to another country.
Having no choice, he went to obtain the opinions of doctors elsewhere.
To his great relief he was informed that this illness is completely treatable, however, it is a very long process that takes years, and even then, there is a necessity for follow-up visits.
Hearing these words from a number of doctors, he returned to his city and pondered the situation; what am I supposed to do?
After a while he came to the conclusion that he has to inform the Rebbe what the doctors had said and conclude the letter, that based on this guidance of the doctors he had consulted with, he is asking the Rebbe’s permission to leave his place of Shlichus and perhaps someone else will take it over.
When the mazkir (the Rebbe’s secretary) brought in the letter and the Rebbe read it, he then disappointedly said to the mazkir, instead of asking to leave, he should have asked that he should be relieved of the problem and the illness should leave.
A similar story: A chossid had a medical issue and went to doctors for guidance. As it happens, his doctor referred him to a specialist, and after the examination, the specialist explained to him that there are two possible ways to deal with this situation. The doctor then explained the reasons why some choose one option, and others prefer the other. The doctor concluded, “The choice and decision are yours.”
The chossid thanked him and said he would inform him of his decision that week. He was able to have a yechidus with the Rebbe and asked the Rebbe which option he should choose.
The Rebbe replied, you should have asked that you shouldn’t need to have either one.
The chossid realized his mistake and said, “that is what I really meant”.
However, the Rebbe replied, when a Jew walks over the threshold of this room, they do so with complete Emunah that their problem can and will be solved. But now it is too late to ask for that brochoh.
Different stories, but the same message; when a chossid or any individual connects themselves to the Rebbe, being that the Rebbe is above nature, they too, can experience things that are above nature and have miraculous results.
The purpose of relating these stories is not merely to relate stories of the Rebbe, but to respond to a question that I have heard from parents and students alike. How can a child, even a sincere child, become connected to the Rebbe if it is so many years after Gimmel Tammuz. Yes, my child or I personally enjoy watching videos of the Rebbe’s farbrengens, or just listen to an audio of them, but sadly he or I myself never met or saw the Rebbe?
This question and many other questions are based on the premise that everything follows the rules of nature, so based on that premise the question may be a powerful and formidable one. However, when we realize that through becoming connected to the Rebbe you are elevating yourself to a higher level, a level that is above nature and overrules nature.
At that point the question is no longer, how can a child become connected, if the child, teenager or one in their twenties never saw the Rebbe, but the question now is, what can I do to encourage my child, or the person asks themselves, what can I do to become closer to the Rebbe, and then become connected to him?
Obviously, this can’t be answered with a broad brush, as Hashem created each person as an individual, but the general point is that we as parents have to conduct ourselves in a manner that our children should see that we conduct our lives in the way the Rebbe guides us.
Similarly, the teenager, etc., should realize that just as many others experience beyond natural results as a result of their dedication to learning the Rebbe’s teachings, being actively involved in doing his mivtzoyim, as well as obeying and fulfilling his guidance.
When the Rebbe notices our efforts, he will make sure the connection takes hold.
I heard from a Shliach that Rabbi Chodakov called him into his small room and told him that he was supposed to do a certain thing. The Shliach continued, I replied, “Don’t you realize that what you are now asking of me is much harder than any previous responsibilities I was given?”
Rabbi Chodakov looked straight in my eyes and said, “And all the things that you accomplished, were they your own accomplishments?! The Rebbe gave you that ability to achieve success in those situations, he would have given you the ability to succeed in this situation as well.”
A Taste of Chassidus
V’hoyo ki Yish’olcha Bincho 5732
The possuk is informing us that when your child will ask you, why are there three categories of Mitzvos, (Eidus, Chukim and Mishpatim – testimonials, decrees, and laws), you should reply that we were slaves in Mitzrayim and Hashem took us out with a strong hand. He then instructed us to fulfill these decrees.
Our sages inform us that this is the question of the wise child.
Being that he is a wise child, he knows that every mitzva is a unique way for a person to connect themselves to Hashem. So, we have to understand, what exactly is he trying to understand through asking this question? Additionally, the answer the Torah instructs us to give is, that Hashem instructed us to do so. So why is it important that before we give the answer, to first state that we were slaves in Mitzrayim. How does that clarify the answer? Finally, the child asked you to explain why we do all of the three categories, and the father responds only about chukim?
Chassidus explains that the wise child knows that we connect ourselves to Hashem through fulfilling a mitzvah, [as the true meaning of mitzvah is connection, and not as normally translated to mean commandment]. But his question is, why do you fulfill mitzvos with the physical aspects of the world, when our forefathers did so through spiritual means. That is why the wise child says, “to You”. As his question is why are you doing it differently than our forefathers? [Unlike the wicked child who is saying I have no part in this, the wise son is asking why can’t I fulfill the mitzvos the same way our forefathers did them?]
The father answers in a way that the wise child should comprehend the answer. So he says, there is a major difference between nowadays and the days of our forefathers. In their days the physical and coarseness of the world could not be elevated. Therefore, they didn’t take physical items to perform a mitzva, everything was done on a spiritual level. However, being that nowadays (after Matan Torah) the world can be elevated, we are able to take the items of the world and elevate them to G-dliness.
Realizing that the wise child will ask; how can we have the ability to elevate the material aspects of this physical world when our great forefathers couldn’t accomplish that? Weren’t they on a much higher level than us?!
Therefore, father begins his answer by stating, “we were slaves in Mitzrayim” where we had to toil very hard.
A slave is called EVED, toil is called AVODAH, and toil over a hide (animal skin) to transform it to become a piece of parchment, is called IBUD. These three words are all from the same root, which shows that there is a connection between them.
So, by stating at the very beginning of his answer, that we were slaves in Mitzrayim, and we had to do hard labor, the father is answering this question. In essence he is saying that through us doing that toil, Hashem granted us the ability to transform the coarseness of the world into holiness. [And He granted us that ability at Matan Torah].
The father continues to say, and Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim in order that we fear Him. Chassidus explains that there are two levels of fear. The lower one is that my entity fears Hashem, while the higher level is that my fear is so integral that I negate my own essence or entity, and there is only Him.
Therefore, the father only mentions the mitzvos that are called chukim which are decrees that are counter-intuitive, completely against the person’s intellect. By fulfilling those mitzvos the person puts aside his own perspective and obeys Hashem. In essence, this is the hardest thing for a person to do; a person will work very hard if they understand why and what they are toiling for. But to instruct a person to do even an easy thing, but it is something that they feel is not proper or in their own interest, isn’t something that is easily accomplished.
[For example, a worker who was devoted to the job for almost twenty years is being asked to train a new worker to take over their position, not because the worker is retiring etc., but since the new workers salary will be half of what they are paying you, and they are going to fire you. It takes a special person to be able to do this, and especially to do it with a full heart.]
So just as the person negates his own thoughts and indeed his own entity, in order to observe and fulfill these Chukim (and all other mitzvos), so too by taking those material and physical items, the person is demonstrating that these physical items are not a contradiction or even separated from G-dliness, but their essence is that they were created just to serve Hashem.
By accomplishing this we will succeed in bringing the world to its completion and destiny of becoming a dwelling place for Hashem’s essence to dwell in. May it be speedily in our days.
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and an author of numerous books on our Rebbei’im and their chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.
