Weekly Story: The Farbrengen Continues 

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon 

One of the basic teachings of Chassidus is, that when we communicate and celebrate a special occasion, it is pertinent not only for that day, but that day should influence our conduct from then on.

Therefore, this week, and b’ezras Hashem next week, I will be posting a few of the stories or anecdotes that I heard from various individuals at farbrengens recently on Yud Beis Tammuz as well as Gimmel Tammuz, which I believe the readers will enjoy.

As always, your comments and feedback are welcomed and appreciated. 

Rabbi Moshe Raitport related the following:

Some years ago, on Simchas Torah, he was in a shul in Boro Park and an elderly respected individual noticed him and seeing that he is a Lubavitcher chossid, came over to him.

He said, “I am going to relate to you a story, however, you are not to ask me questions about it.” 

Moshe said, “I don’t know if I can agree to that condition”; however, that person started to speak with tears flowing down his beard. It was evident that he was becoming extremely emotional, as if he was reliving an experience. 

Once in the 1920’s the Frierdiker Rebbe was sitting on a train. Opposite him said an agent of the notorious NKVD. He began berating and belittling the Rebbe and all observant Jews, in a very vulgar way.

During his entire tirade, the Rebbe sat in his seat and did not give any response. When the train arrived at the station that he planned to get off at, the Rebbe stood up to disembark and that person did so as well.

At that point, the Rebbe faced the man and said, “Hayitochen (how is it so), that you spoke such vile language, especially as you were raised in a chassidishe family [it is unbecoming of you]?”

Full of indignation the officer angrily retorted, “How do you know that I come from chassidim?”

The Rebbe responded, “I observed you while you were eating, and I noticed that you had crackers in your hand. However, instead of biting a piece off of it, you first broke a piece off and then ate it, and that is how you continued eating them. That comes from a chassidishe upbringing.” Saying that, the Rebbe left, and the man was utterly stunned. 

The man came home that evening and was extremely reflective and thoughtful. In a short time, he made a drastic change in his life and returned to his roots.

The man continued his narrative and said, I know this story because that officer was my father. Not only did he become religious, but he merited to see that all of his children and grandchildren are Shomrei Torah and mitzvos.

When I related this story, someone mentioned to me, without a question, the words of a tzaddik have tremendous power and can change even an avowed atheist. However, often as in this story, the person has to be ready to listen to and internalize the tzaddik’s words, and then it will accomplish its objective. 

On Gimmel Tammuz, I heard the following from Rabbi Silberberg.

He noted that when the Frierdiker Rebbe was extremely ill and also when he was arrested, chassidim pledged years to his life.

Reb Elchonon Morosow (known as Reb Chonya) was one of the people who brought this concept to the attention of the other chassidim. In his emotional plea, he stated that he is willing to give away whatever number of years he had, in order that the Rebbe should live.

Now, the purpose of relating incidents and anecdotes of the Rebbeim or the chassidim from the past, is to inspire ourselves and others to emulate these actions. The question is, how, or better said, in what manner, can this story be emulated and applied to us nowadays?

He noted that although this is not being requested from us nowadays in the actual sense, nevertheless it does apply to us in a figurative sense.

Everyone who is connected to the Rebbe does actions that the Rebbe inspires and requests of us. It may be learning with another Jew, encouraging an individual or a group of people to be careful in the fulfillment of a mitzvah, or helping another in a physical sense.

However, while we all do it, there are different ways one can do it.

A person can do it when it is convenient for them. This is commendable, for the main thing is that they are having a positive interaction with another and helping them in one or more ways.

Yet there is a higher way to do this, and that is by giving the Rebbe a part of your life. In other words, I am dedicating or giving a certain amount of time to the Rebbe on a daily or weekly basis.

For that time period, I am not a spouse, a parent etc., which carries its own responsibilities, but at that time I am completely dedicated to fulfill the Rebbe’s wishes and guidance. Those minutes or hours belong to the Rebbe, and that is my focus.

A Taste of Chassidus 

Boruch Hagomel L’Chayovim Tovos 5733

When the Frierdiker Rebbe was released from his exile in Kostroma, he said four ma’amorim (chassidic discourses) to commemorate the occasion. One of those ma’amorim was on this verse.

This verse or better said, this blessing is said by an individual who was in a life-threatening situation, and fortunately remained alive and healthy. However, the person is acknowledging that his survival was not a natural occurrence but rather it is a result of Hashem’s kindness and mercy and proclaims so publicly, by reciting this blessing.

However, one may ask, the code of Jewish law states that one who passes by a place where they experienced a miracle says, “Blessed be the one who performed a miracle for me in this place.” So why when that same person says this blessing, they are instructed to say “Blessed be the One that showed kindness to one that was guilty” (and subsequently perhaps deserved a harsh punishment)?!

To answer this, we must clarify which people are obligated to recite the above 

mentioned blessing.

Our sages inform us that there are four categories of incidents that mandate this blessing:

1. One who was seriously ill and was healed.

2. One who crossed over the rivers or oceans.

3. One who was imprisoned and faced the possibility of a death sentence.

4. One who traveled through the wilderness.

We know that the Torah came down from heaven (a spiritual aspect) into this physical world. Subsequently, this means that these four categories are referring to a Jew who is in a serious spiritual danger. We will now explain what each category is referring to.

1. A sick person means their health is not up to par. This represents a person whose mind (intellect) and heart (emotions) are dulled, preventing them from truly comprehending a thought of G-dliness and being inspired by it.

2. One who traversed the seas. This is a reference to a Jew who is occupied with earning their livelihood, and as a result of this preoccupation is not focusing properly on serving Hashem. 

3. A prisoner is bound by chains; this is referring to a Jew who is bound to the physical attractions that the world offers.

4. One who traveled through the wilderness. The possuk states that a wilderness is a place where man does not dwell. Chassidus explains this to mean that a wilderness is a place of snakes and scorpions, a dangerous place, devoid of man. ‘Man’ is referring to Hashem, meaning that it is lacking spiritual attraction. Simply put, the person who is in the wilderness is too caught up with everything but G-dliness.

Anyone who finds themselves in any of these groups, is obligated to elevate themselves to a higher level, and bring more G-dliness into their life. And indeed, this is a common thought that he discussed in all four ma’amorim after his liberation.

We can now answer the question. 

The common translation of the Hebrew word Chayov is “guilty”, as in the case when a judge informs one of litigants that they are chayov – guilty. 

However, there is another meaning to this word and that is you are obligated, (which is the extension of a litigant being guilty, subsequently that they are obligated to pay).

So we are saying and praising Hashem for extracting us from that spiritual danger, that in essence we were responsible to do on our own, but in His tremendous kindness, He noticed our distressed situation and gave us the strength that we thought was lacking in us, which allowed us to elevate and extract ourselves from one of those four situations.

This is also the deeper meaning of Boruch, which we previously translated to mean Blessed be the One, however, in a deeper sense it means to bring down the power and ability that is in the spiritual realms to help us in this physical world. 

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbei’im and their chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com