The Correction That Waited

by Rabbi Asher Zeilingold, Clear Vision

Towards the end of the school year, several groups, including eighth grade graduating classes, would go to the Rebbe. Of course, we older students at 770 wanted to join in, as well, and several times, I had the privilege to do so.

In these “interviews,” the Rebbe would synthesize a message he wanted these students to walk away with. To bring home points, he would offer parables.

At the beginning of one interview, the Rebbe said that he was going to speak in Yiddish. One of the teachers, excusing his interruption, said that he had heard that the Rebbe spoke in English, “and few, if any of the students, understand Yiddish.” The Rebbe said that he was more comfortable speaking in Yiddish, “I will say some of what I prepared, someone can translate it, and then I will continue on and so forth.” 

The teacher was not satisfied, saying, “If you don’t mind, we’d appreciate it if you said the whole thing in English.” The Rebbe agreed and said that there might be a word that he did not know exactly how to translate to English, and the teacher volunteered to translate those words.

At one point, during that audience, the Rebbe spoke about having a nitzachon over one’s inclination to err. He looked at the teacher and asked, “How do you say nitzachon in English?” The teacher said, “victory.” The Rebbe then continued on. 

When someone wrote up the interview, he transcribed the teacher’s translation: “The victory over the evil inclination.” The Rebbe edited it to, “The hegemony over the evil inclination.” The word connotes that it was not only a victory, but that the person now had total control over the inclination.

The Rebbe clearly had not liked the translation, but in front of his students, he did not push the teacher for a more suitable translation. When he was editing, however, he amended it in the transcript.

An excerpt from the forthcoming book Clear Vision: Living by the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Guidance ClearVisionBook.com