Weekly Story: Chof Av
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
This past Thursday was Chof (the 20th 0f) Av, the 81st yahrzeit of the Rebbe’s father, HaRav Levi Yitzchok. Therefore, I am posting a few points that I mentioned at a farbrengen in connection to this auspicious day, as well as thoughts I heard from others.
As always, your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated and welcomed.
In numerous sichos the Rebbe takes a thought of his father and expounds on it, bringing out the deep thought in a way that we all could understand it. One of the basic points that became very apparent to all who heard or learned those sichos, is how his father pointed out how every word of the Zohar or whatever part of the Torah that he was explaining is exact. Meaning that the concept discussed would be said specifically by that individual (and he would explain why), and if it was mentioned that it was said at a certain place, there was a meaning for that also.
In essence he brought out the concept, that since it is written in any part of the Torah, even if it is in Torah shel baal peh the oral Torah), it is exact, because the Torah itself is Emes (true).
When we look at the Rebbe’s sichos we see that exact approach. He showed that there is a reason and something to be learned from every word. This was extremely apparent when he began saying his Rashi sichos.
Some of the rules that he pointed out in his explanations of Rashi are that Rashi was exact in the words that he brings down from the possuk before giving his explanation on those words. This was underscored as the Rebbe explained on some of the few times why Rashi uses the word V’gomer (etc.) when he is explaining those words, and what v’gomer is teaching us.
Being that Rashi generally did not mention the name of the sage who he is quoting, that means that when he does mention the sage’s name, it is for a reason and it is to answer a subtle question.
When Rashi brings down two or more explanations on the same word, there’s a reason why he does it and that the difficulty on the second reason is a stronger difficulty than Rashi has on the first explanation.
These are just three of numerous examples which bring out how we are supposed to look at a Rashi and everything in the Torah, that there is a reason for everything and nothing is superfluous, meaning that everything in the Torah is 1,000% true!
Another aspect that we can learn from Reb Leivik is how he looked at everything that is happening in the world and in his life, even the things that might seem to be extreme negatives.
For example, he wrote a note explaining the experiences he endured during the first year after he was arrested. He explains, his arrest happened on Hoshana Raba, since Hoshana Raba is the final day of judgment for the entire year, and therefore he received his judgment on that day.
He also made note that his name Levi and Yitzchok, both represent the trait and characteristic of strictness and judgment.
A Kohen represents the characteristic of kindness, while the service of the Levites represented the characteristic of judgment. Similarly, Avrohom represented the trait of kindness and Yitzchok represents severity. Being that his name is both Levi and Yitzchok, that is why the Judgment came out in a severe manner.
He also notes why he sat in five different prisons which were in four different cities, the 303 days since his arrest until his arrival in his place of exile, as well as explaining other aspects.
In essence he was clearly stating that nothing happened in a vacuum just because the communist regime was wicked and let out their anger on him as well as others. He carefully pointed out that (and how) everything is from Hashem, and nothing happens just because it happened.
Thinking into this, I came to the realization that this is the concept of Yichud Ila’ah, which is expressed in the first Possuk of Shema, which is always read on the shabbos before his yahrzeit.
Just to mention one more point, the extent of his tremendous Ahavas Yisroel.
A middle-aged or elderly lady came to his house at around 11:00 at night and told him that after much pleading her son and soon to be daughter-in-law agreed to have a proper Jewish wedding ceremony. Their condition was that it would be officiated by the honored rabbi and that it will have to take place at midnight without any fanfare. She explained that both of them are members of the Communist Party and they are fearful that their identity being revealed and that is why it will take place at midnight.
Reb Leivik agreed and the Rebbetzin prepared some food in honor of the wedding, and he invited additional people to make a minyan. However, only 7 people showed up and together with him and the chosson there were nine, they were missing the 10th. After a moments thought Reb Levik asked the superintendent of his apartment building to please be the 10th, although he was well aware that his appointment as superintendent was that he spies on him (Reb Levik) and reports to the authorities of any visitors or happenings that were taking place in the rabbi’s apartment.
The superintendent was shocked at him being invited (as well as somewhat nervous that he could be accused of being an accomplice to the Rabbi’s illegal activity), but he came.
Reb Levik knew that this person worked for the communist regime that was trying to find an excuse for arresting him, yet all he looked at was, was, at that persons positive aspects, he as well as the choson and kallah are Jews and who were also prominent members of the Communist Party. The chosson and kallah needed his help. The fact that they were communist or that the superintendent was positioned there to spy against him didn’t deter him from helping another Jew. The end of the story is that he was proven to be correct. After everybody left the superintendent pulled out his card showing his affiliation with the Communist Party and said I no longer care to be member with them.
Reb Levik’s love for every Jew inspired that person to such an extent that he now felt proud to be a Jew and embarrassed that he was connected in any manner to the Communist Party which looked down on any Jew that expressed a feeling for fulfilling and following their religion.
A Taste of Chassidus U’chisavtum Al Mezuzos Beiseicha U’vishi’uhreicha 5734
In order to easily understand the concept discussed in this maamar, I will make a brief introduction. Chasidus explains that everything that applies to a person’s life or existence, similarly, applies in the world. For example, Chassidus states, that just like everyone understands that the soul gives life to the body so too a person would understand that Hashem gives life to the universe. So, the universe is considered a big body while a human is a small body.
Now we will begin discussing the concept of this maamar.
The possuk states that we should place the mezuzah on the outside of the house, and also on the gate which is not necessarily connected to the house.
[As everyone knows, on the outside of the mezuzah is written Hashem’s name of Shin, Daled, Yud; which is an acronym for the three words Shomer Dalsos Yisroel, which means the One who protects the doors and houses of Israel.]
The question asked here is, why are the mezuzos [also] placed on the outside of the house and not [just on the] inside of the house, where the items that need protection are?
In Chassidic terminology, inside and outside are called p’niminous and chitzonious. So the Torah is telling each and every Jew, it is not enough that you learn Torah and fulfill the mitzvos, which are “inside” you, but you need the protection to begin on the “outside” and that is through Kabbalas Ol: accepting without question whatever Hashem requests from us.
This also explains, why the mezuzah contains the two parshios of Shema and V’huyu Im Shumoiah, and not from other portions of the Torah that speak about Hashem’s protection for His Nation as well as for their possessions etc.
Our sages teach us, the reason why we say Shema before V’huyu Im Shumoiah, is that Shema expresses the concept of accepting Hashem as my/our King regardless of what He will ask of us, which is the concept of Kabbalas Ol. Only afterwards, once we unconditionally accepted Him as our King, do we say the second parsha of V’huyu Im Shumoiah, telling us to listen to His Commandments and then fulfill them in their entirety.
That is one of the reasons why the Mitzvah of Mezuzah is to write only these two parshious and nothing else, even other pesukim that speak about Hashem protecting us. Because Hashem is telling us, that the protection that a mezuzah provides, is a result of our Kabalas Ol. As this Kabbalas Ol is what really connects us to Hashem.
This concept (that through our connection to Hashem) we merit His protection, is alluded in the word Mezuzah itself.
Mezuzah is a compound of the two words Zoo and Zeh (plus the letter Mem).
Zoo is a reference to the Jewish people as the possuk states Am Zoo Yutzarta – This Nation You Formed. While the word Zeh is a reference to Hashem as the possuk states, Zeh Keili V’anveihu -this is.my G-d and I will beautify him.
Now we can better understand what the possuk In Tehillim means when it states, if Hashem doesn’t watch over the house, its builders worked for naught.
In other words, the possuk is clearly stating that there are builders, but the builders on their own cannot keep the house standing, there is a necessity to have an additional factor or power to accomplish that, and that is Hashem.
As noted above, everything that is in a person is in the world at large, the same is vice versa. So just like the builders of a house are not sufficient, so too the builders of a person are not sufficient and you need an additional factor.
This is what Shlomo Hamelech wrote in Mishlei (24;3-4) A house is built with wisdom, and it is established with understanding. With knowledge, the rooms are filled with all riches, precious and pleasant. So you have a house that is built on the firm foundation of all three intellectual powers, chochmah, binah and daas, yet our possuk tells us that nevertheless if you want even that wonderful house to be protected you need a mezuzah, which as we explained is kabbalas ol.
But one may ask, the fact that a Jew fulfills mitzvos and learns Torah, isn’t those acts in themselves an expression of kabalas ol? What more or stronger expression is being requested or required from us?
The Rebbe concludes the maamar by explaining, a Jew may serve Hashem with all of their heart and soul, however, the possuk [in the first parsha of Shema] points out we should also serve Hashem with all of our might, higher than nature and our comfort zone.
Our heart and soul, is inside us, but as our possuk states the protection is when the mezuzah is outside of us, that is when we serve Hashem with the aspects that are above and beyond our norm, something that is out of our zone.
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.
