Weekly Story: The Establishment of Tomchei Tmimim
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
While technically this post should be done next week, the Shabbos before the 15th of Elul, however, being that next week is also the Shabbos before Chai Elul, I decided to post about the uniqueness of Tomchei Tmimim this week, and next week to write bezras Hashem about Chai Elul.
As this series of The Weekly Story is coming to its 10th anniversary, (five hundred plus articles), something that I did not originally sign up to, when I began it for a commitment of just one year, I am thinking of how best utilize the time I spend on preparing and writing each week. Simply speaking, as my mashpia told me, how would it be most beneficial for the klal.
As always, your feedback and comments are most welcomed and are greatly appreciated.
As we are in the midst of Elul, we daven that Hashem blesses each and every one of you together with klal Yisroel for a kesiva v’chasima tova, lshana tova Umesukah.
The 15th of Elul, is the day the Rebbe Rashab announced in 5557 (1897) to a group of fifty prominent Rabbonim and Chassidim his decision to establish a Yeshiva where Chassidus is going to be learned with the same approach one has when he learns Nigla, and Nigla is going to be learned with the same reverence as one has when they learn Chassidus.
The question is asked, what is unique about this Yeshiva? Or why is it commemorated and celebrated as a very important day, not only in the annals of Lubavitch, but for world Jewry?
The Rebbe Rashab addressed this question himself when he stated that there were no shortage of yeshivas at that time. He continued and said, so why did he feel it was so important and necessary to open up another yeshiva, (which turned out to be the first chassidic Yeshiva).
He explained that this Yeshiva is not going to be following the regular schedule of all other yeshivos, [as that, which would give validation to the question,] but this Yeshiva is going to be unique. Here as noted above, the students are going to be learning both aspects of the Torah, Nigla and Chasidus, with the same intensity and awe. In other words they are going to learn the complete Torah, and therefore its students are going to be called Tmimim.
It is possible that at that time not everyone understood the importance and necessity of this approach, but as the years passed the entire Jewish world came to this realization.
The first ones to see what the yeshiva accomplished were those fifty Rabbonim and chassidim who originally told the Rebbe that they don’t believe he will succeed in fulfilling his vision. But a year later when they saw how those initial 15 students conducted themselves and transformed into the vision that the Rebbe set forth for his talmidim, they admitted they made a terrible mistake and all chassidim were hoping that their own sons would now be accepted into the Rebbe’s yeshiva.
Other yeshivos also took notice as some of their outstanding students applied to transfer and some were fortunate to be accepted.
However, as Dovid Hamelech writes in Tehillim (119:97), From my enemies I become wise, it was the maskilim who waged a war specifically against Tomchei Tmimim, that vividly brings out the greatness of Tomchei Tmimim.
As noted, there were many other yeshivos at that time, but the maskikim succeeded in infiltrating them and creating havoc, by influencing many of their students to become lax in the observance of numerous mitzvos. However, they were flustered in their attempts to accomplish this infiltration in Tomchei Tmimim, and they decided to resort to intimidation and violence in order to succeed.
They felt that they had to resort to this as they saw that the yiras shomayim of the tmimim was much stronger and firmer than that of the students in other yeshivos.
Shortly after the Communist asserted their power over Russia, other Roshei Yeshivos requested from the Frierdiker Rebbe an abridged course of Chassidus, so they can learn it with their students to give them the fortitude to stand strong and face this evil. They recognized that almost all of their students who just learn Nigla, are not equipped to stand up against this tyrannical oppression and are succumbing to the communist pressure, while they saw that not only weren’t the Tmimim succumbing to the pressure and intimidation tactics, but were pushing back by establishing underground yeshivos.
A second unique aspect of Tomchei Tmimim is the fact that the Rebbe Rashab gave the Tmimim a mission to spread light throughout world Jewry. It is such an integral part of the student’s nature, that he called them Neiros Li’hu’ear – to be a light that illuminates its surroundings, or as it is also known that a chossid has to be a lanchernick.- a Lamplighter
The Rebbe Rashab, the Frierdiker Rebbe as well a our Rebbe were firm in this conviction that each one told or replied to numerous students who sometime after their marriage had decided to earn a livelihood for their family, by doing some type of business, and were rebuked with the question, “Is this the goal of a student of Tomchei Tmimim? You are to bring the light of the Torah to your surroundings.”
We who had the merit to learn in Tomchei Tmimim, let us remember that no matter what our livelihood is, we are first and foremost, Tmimim, and as the saying is, The Rebbe is our father and Tomchei Tmimim is our mother, we must keep the mantra of Tomchei Tmimim alive and vibrant.
We know that Hashem entrusted us with a mission, which is in fact the mission that Hashem gives to every Jew: as Chassidus explains, each Jew should constantly ask themselves, for what purpose was my neshoma sent away from basking in Hashem’s glory, into this world, where G-dliness is concealed.
And the answer is to elevate the world, by revealing Hashem’s greatness in it, and then not only will we elevate the physical world, but we will elevate our neshoma to a higher level than it originated from.
A Taste of Chassidus – Shoftim V’shotrim 5729
Before I begin giving a synopsis of this maamar, I have to note, that certain concepts noted in this maamar are explained in more breath in the maamar with the same heading that the Rebbe said in 5616 (1856), So I merged some of the points that were spelled out there into this maamar.
In the first words of this weeks parsha, the Torah instructs us to appoint Judges and Officers at the gate of every city in Eretz Yisroel.
One of the fundamental tenets of Chassidus is that the Torah is eternal and always applies in all places and all times. So the question becomes, what is the application of this mitzva nowadays, even for one who is living all alone on an island?
The commentaries explain that just as the inhabitants of a city use the gates to allow someone from a different city to enter or to deny them entry (and vice versa, to allow one of its inhabitants to leave and interact with them or not), so too there are four portals that a person has that allows something outside of them to make an impression on them and influence them in a certain degree.
They are the (two) eyes, (two) ears, (two) nostrils and the mouth.
So the Torah is instructing and guiding us to place judges and guards by these four portals, for the judges to decide if the thing I might look at, listen to, smell or speak, will draw me closer to serving Hashem, or not.
Once the judges [the G-dly soul] determine this question, then the officers are there to enforce it.
To explain this [the term gates] on a deeper level; the Torah uses the word “Gates” in another possuk. In the final chapter of Mishlei [the perek of Eishes Chayil], the possuk states “Her husband becomes known in the gates.”
“Her” is a reference to the Jewish people, so her “husband” is a reference to Hashem. The question then becomes, it is simply impossible for a human to comprehend Hashem’s greatness, so how can the possuk state that He becomes known?!
The Zohar explains that the Hebrew word of gates is “Shi’urim” which is similar to the word “Shiur” which means level, and amount which denotes it is in a limited scope. Each person has their own level or characteristic, as well as their capacity or limitations.
So the possuk is stating that a person gains understanding in Hashem according to their level of service to Hashem. One who serves Hashem through love is different than the one who serves him through fear, etc. Furthermore, many individuals serve Hashem with love, but each one on a different level of love. Subsequently, the understanding they will be granted is also different from one to the other, but by all of them it is a limited insight in Hashem’s greatness. His true greatness is beyond our capacity.
However, in order to gain access even that limited understanding, there is a pre-condition, you must establish judges and offices on your gates, which as noted are the eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth.
Eyes are to see, as the possuk states, Pick up your eyes and see[ meaning think and realize that Hashem is the One] who created these [the heavens and earth and everything in the entire universal].
Ears are to hear, as the possuk states, And now Israel, listen to the statutes and laws that I am teaching you to fulfill.
The nostrils are to smell, as the possuk states they shall place incense in Your nostrils, the service of the Levites. While speech is to daven and praise Hashem.
As the Alter Rebbe explains, Seeing is the service of Reuvan which demonstrates Love. Hearing is the service of Shimon, which represents fear.
The service of the Levites are to strive to become united with Hashem.
And then Yehudah was born, and as the possuk notes, Yehudah denotes total self-nullification.
Applying this in the service of Hashem, one has to place Judges and guards to be careful what we look at and see, as well as making sure we don’t listen to something negative or bad about another person. Smell refers to thoughts of desire [for example, when a person smells food, they desire it. While speech is telling us be careful what you say, as our sages state, there is nothing better for a person than silence.
These actions cleanse a person from the evil that tries to embed and influence him, and once that evil is eradicated from within us, then we are capable of gaining insight in the greatness of Hashem.
Furthermore, by appointing Judges over our conduct we will merit the days of Moshiach, when Hashem will return to us the judges [i.e. the Sanhedrin] as we had, with the building of the third Beis Hamikdash speedily in our days.
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.
