Envy of the Simple Soul

by Dovid Zaklikowski for Hasidic Archives

When the great Lubavitch disciples would gather for a chassidic farbrengen in the town of Lubavitch, it was marked by intense emotion, brotherly critique among the participants, and an atmosphere so demanding that the younger chassidim were not permitted to join until they were mature enough to withstand what took place.

On one such occasion, the scholarly Rabbi Hillel “Paritcher” Malisov remarked that he envied Sholom Yosef “the Builder” Plotnik. The Builder was a disciple of the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, and was known as a simple man. By the time Rabbi Hillel came to know him, the elderly chassid would spend many hours immersed in prayer.

Once, during his prayers, the Builder began to weep bitterly. After he finished, Rabbi Hillel asked him what had happened. He replied that he had heard from Rabbi Schneur Zalman that every person possesses a lofty soul drawn from the wisdom of the world of Atzilus, the highest of the four spiritual worlds.

“Today I thought to myself,” the Builder said, “that a soul from Atzilus is found in a fool. What a pity it is for the wisdom of Atzilus to be lodged in such a fool as myself! Therefore, I began to cry.”

As Rabbi Hillel related this story, he himself began to weep. Present as well was Rabbi Isaac Epstein, the rabbi of Homyel, who then said that he envied Rabbi Hillel: “A man who is such an intellectual, so proficient in Torah, who serves G-d on such elevated levels, and yet can still feel envy for such a simpleton.”

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