Weekly Story: My Investment For a Tremendous Return
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
This week I am going to write something I mentioned in a farbrengen of Yud Shevat. Being that a few years ago I wrote a book on the Shpoler Zeide, I feel compelled to write this public service letter to his descendants.
This Thursday night (19th of Shevat) you are going to have a large feast, a seudas Hoduah, to commemorate the tremendous miracle that Hashem did to save the Zeideh’s life.
In his tzavaah (will), the Zeide requested that at this meal you are supposed to invite poor people to be / as your guests. He also noted that you personally serve them, just as he personally took care of the poor and needy, and they are not to be served by any waiters.
However, it has come to my attention that at many of these family gatherings there are no guests who are poor. In response to my question, I was told that nowadays we don’t know who halachically is considered a poor person, especially here in America, so we therefore send tzedakah to be distributed in Eretz Yisroel and elsewhere in the world, where we know of families that are definitely poor and are struggling.
In order to clarify why I believe this is not correct, I will relate the story which I heard from Rabbi JJ Hecht’s son, Levi, about what the Rebbe told his father on this matter, before Rabbi JJ married off his oldest daughter.
The Rebbe said, before the chasunah you are to make seudas aniyim, (a meal specifically made for poor people).[1]
Being that he was a Rov of a shul and was involved in many communal matters, Rabbi Hecht knew a lot of people who could enjoy and benefit from a nourishing meal. However, when he offered a meal to them, their reply was, Rabbi don’t bother. He understood it to mean; Rabbi do us and yourself a favor; just give each one of us a few dollars and we’ll take care of the food ourselves.
One evening he mentioned in his house that he doesn’t know what to do, the Rebbe guided him to make a meal, but the poor people aren’t interested in coming for a meal, they would rather receive some money.
His brother-in-law, Rabbi Tzvi Moshe Lasker said to him, make a meal and invite students from the Yeshiva.
Rabbi Hecht didn’t know if students are to be considered aniyim- poor people, so he didn’t know what to do.
Being that JJ often spoke with the Rebbe, the next time he had to discuss something, he used the opportunity to mention his dilemma about making a seudas aniyim, and added what his brother-in-law told him to do, but noted that he is not sure
The Rebbe’s reply was, “Yeshiva students are the emese aniyim – true poor people.
So to all of the descendants of the Shpoler Zeide, if you invite students, whether male or female, I believe that that is fulfilling your ancestors, the Zeide’s written instruction and personal request of you. You are then to personally serve them and showing an example to your children that it is important to think and care about another Jew, even if they are not close relatives or family friends.
Obviously, if you want to continue sending tzedoka to Eretz Yisroel or poor people wherever they may be, that is wonderful.
As always, your feedback and comments on this or on the remainder of this weekly Story and/or A Taste of Chassidus, is greatly appreciated and welcomed.
My Investment For a Tremendous Return
As everyone knows, one of the ways of acquiring something is by making a trade, I will give you one of my belongings and in turn you will give me one of yours. The more valuable the item that you desire is, the more you will give up.
In my youth I heard or read the following story. After the histalkus of a certain tzaddik, his children sat down to divide his personal items. Before they began they all agreed that it must be done in the spirit of their father, without any friction or hard feelings. For example they put all of his seforim in a manner that they could all be seen and they all received an equal amount, allowing everyone to state their preferences etc.
After that they divided a second category, let us say his personal items, such as his kiddish bechers (cups) the seder plate, menorah etc.
The final item that had to be received was his tefillin, but how could that be divided, and especially as everyone truly desired to obtain it?
After much thought they decided that each one would write what they are willing to give up to obtain it. One son wrote, I will give up ta certain item from each category we divided. Another wrote, I am willing to allow you to choose any item from each category, and so on. Finally they opened the last note, in which it was written, I will give away everything I received for the tefillin.
All of the sons saw that that treasured it more than they did and said unanimously that he deserves to receive it.
The same thing is by chassidim, when we value and appreciate what the Rebbeim and Chassidus gives us, we are willing to give up other things that we thought were valuable, but realize that in comparison to what we are receiving their value is less than we thought, or are no longer valuable.[2]
This concept is brought out in the following story:
At the chassunah of Zhlobin,[3] one of the interesting topics of conversation was about what Chassidus had accomplished, and what was the difference between chassidim and misnagdim.
At one point, Reb Shmuel commented, “The [Alter] Rebbe taught that a person has to give up something in order to become a chossid.” Turning to the Rov of Homil, Rabbi Yitzchok Eizik HaLevi Epstein, he said, “If Reb Eizik Homiler, for example, had studied only Nigleh (the revealed parts of the Torah), and not become a chossid, devoting so much time to the study of Chassidus and the ways of Chassidus, his greatness in Nigleh would have rivaled [the noted halachic authorities] the Shach[4] and the Taz.”[5]
With characteristic humility, Reb Eizik turned the conversation away from his own greatness, saying, “And you, Reb Shmuel, what did you give up?”
“Me?” Reb Shmuel replied, “If I had not become a chossid, I would have used my charm to convince the misnagdim to give me their money and used it to buy mashke.”
So as you see, each chossid gave up or sacrificed something important, for something greater, and that was to become connected to the Rebbe.
So now that we are coming close to Yud Shevat, the day the became Rebbe, and we are all thinking and discussing how to strengthen our hiskashrus to him, the question is how important and necessary do we realize having this hiskashrus is? Monday morning a father of young teenagers asked me this exact question; how do I explain to my children the reason we connect ourselves to the Rebbe in a few sentences.
I replied, most people use a GPS even when they are traveling around in their own city and know the direction on how to get their destination. But nevertheless they use the GPS, because perhaps there is a delay caused by construction or for whatever reason, and their normal way is not a good option, so the GPS will tell you to take a different route.
The same thing is with us, we all desire to serve Hashem properly, but at the same time we see so many different paths amongst frum and chassidishe Jews, who also want to serve Hashem properly. So therefore, we turn to the Rebbe who understands each of our unique personalities and situations, and he is able to guide each one of us on the proper path avoiding or guiding us how to overcome all of the obstacles and challenges, and serve Hashem.
I would like to conclude with the following story that I heard from the mashpia Reb Meilach Zwiebel.
In the months before Yud Shevat 5711, the chossid Reb Avrohom Pariz, spearheaded a campaign that the chassidim should sign a ksav hiskashrus – a letter stating that we are accepting the Rebbe as our Rebbe, as well and giving a real commitment to fulfill his guidances and conduct ourselves as a chossid. Reb Avrohom went from city to city and from country to country, to encourage the chassidim to sign it. A few weeks before he came to Eretz Yisroel, the mashpiim farbrenged to encourage the fellow Chassidim to sign it and explain to them the importance of doing so.
One of them was (I believe he mentioned Reb Shaul Ziskind), traveled to many shuls and communities, farbrengening with the chassidim and explaining why everybody must sign it.
When Reb Avrohom Pariz came to his shul, the first one he presented the letter to sign was the mashpia, Reb Shaul. To everyone’s shock, Reb Shaul replied, “I am not ready to sign.” Three days later he asked that Reb Avrohom come to him and he is ready to sign.
The chassidim could no longer contain their bewilderment and asked him to explain what was his different thoughts over the last month. First you went from Shul to Shul for three weeks encouraging everyone to sign. It was obvious to all of us that you are definitely going to sign. But when Reb Avrohom brought it to you, you said you are not able to and now three days later you are able, so what happened?
Whether I was going to sign it, was something that I definitely was going to do all the time. Being that I felt so strongly about it, therefore, as you noted I ran around encouraging every chossid to sign it and explained the why it is so important that we do so.
However, when the letter finally came to me and I was about to sign it, I thought to myself is this fair? Here, I am asking the Rebbe to give up his personal life and take care of the chassidim and klal Yisroel – the Jewish people, for the rest of his life, and what am I am going to give him in return, a few liras, which will cause that I will be skipping a supper or two, and I’ll be hungry for a very short time. Is that a fair exchange?!
So at that moment I said, I could not sign as I felt I am not signing it with true meaning. But then I remembered that I had two letters that the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote to me when I was living in Russia. Those letters were written to me and uplifted me and gave me the ability to overcome the challenges and extreme difficulties of remaining strong in face of communist Russia. I have read those two letters over the past 20 some years whenever I felt overwhelmed by the challenges of that time, and each time they gave me the strength to go forward. These two letters are my most precious possession. Last night when I came to this realization, I decided that is what I am going to give to the Rebbe, the two letters that are so vital to me and kept me going, and that in my mind is the fairest exchange I can do.
So you see from all of the above stories and incidents that if we truly want to become a chossid and become connected or strengthen our connection to the Rebbe, the way to express our desire and show that we really mean it, is by giving up something that is important and precious to us.
This does not necessarily mean giving up big assets, it means simply demonstrating to ourselves that we mean it. Learning Chitas and Rambam, instead of merely reading them. Learning Chassidus more often than we did until now, or trying to understand it clearer. Davening with the minyan and waking up to say Shema in its proper time etc.
This declaration that I am changing my habits and conduct because I am connected to the Rebbe, means that I am giving myself over to the Rebbe, and that is what hiskashrus is all about.
A Taste of Chassidus
Vayehi B’shalach Pharoh ויהי בשלח פרעה Torah Ohr p. 61a
In this maamar the Alter Rebbe explains the reason why Hashem sends the Jewish people into golus (exile). In other words what benefits are going to be derived because we were in Golus [as Chassidus teaches us, that every descend is in order to attain a higher ascend].
The Navi says קדש ישראל לה׳ ראשית תבואתה Reishis Tzivu’oisoi,[6] that the Jewish people are holy to Hashem, and then the possuk compares and calls them, His – Hashem’s, first grains. So we have to understand, why are we compared to vegetation. This comparison is seen much stronger when the possuk says, and I will plant her in the lands of the Nations,[7] so we see that the possuk is informing us, that the reason Hashem sends us in golus, is similar to the reason a seed is planted in the earth.
Through understanding the process of how a seed grows and develops into a flower, grain or tree, we would understand the reason and benefit of us being in golus.
A seed on its own doesn’t have the ability to grow or produce anything. Only when it is planted and completely covered by earth, can the growth process begin.
But if it is as noted, that the seed on its own doesn’t cause the growth, what is it that by placing it in the ground and covering it in the earth, accomplishes that it can bear growth?
When it is covered by the earth, it first rots away or disintegrates and that arouses the power of growth that is in the earth to infuse itself into the decomposed seed with the power of growth, and something grows.[8]
Additionally, there is another main factor to keep in mind; no one plants a seed to produce one seed in return. Rather, one plants a seed to grow a stalk of wheat (or whatever item is being grown), which has hundreds or thousands of seeds in it. Or the person plants a fruit seed, with the hope and expectation that a tree will grow from which hundreds of fruits, each with numerous seeds, will grow. In other words, through the process of planting that singular seed, it multiplies manyfold and becomes much greater than it was originally.
We will now describe how these various steps apply to the Jewish people while they are in golus.
When Hashem told Yaakov, do not fear descending into Mitzrayim, Hashem added, for I will establish you THERE into a great nation.[9]. That infers that Hashem is saying to Yaakov, you can and will become a great nation only if you are THERE in Mitzrayim, but if you remain here in Eretz Canaan – Eretz Yisroel, it won’t happen.
We now have to understand how and why it will only happen there, and not if he remains in Eretz Canaan [which will become Eretz Yisroel].
The first thing we mentioned about a seed is; that although a seed technically is higher than sand, nevertheless the power of growth is not in the seed but rather in the sand. This is in accordance to the teaching of Chassidus that the higher a thing is, the lower it can descend to. Therefore, the sand, which is on a lower level than the seed, has an ability that the seed doesn’t have, since its source is higher.
The same thing is concerning the Jewish people and nations of the Earth. While the Neshoma of a Jew comes from a higher source, but in the process of creation the source of a non-Jew is from the world of Tohu [where everything is equal, and there is no difference between night and dark, and evil and good], while the source of the Jewish Nation is from the world of Tikun, where everything has its own place, and therefore, everything is measured, as to how much it can and is deserving to contain.
Being that the non-Jews come from the world of Tohu where there is an abundance amount of revelation, to the point that the vessels are unable to contain that level of G-dliness, therefore non-Jews, who come from that source, receive Hashem’s blessings, even if they are not deserving of it. As we see many non-Jews whose conduct is questionable as they serve idols etc, are blessed with happiness, longevity and wealth.
While a Jew whose source is the world of Tikkun, which is a world of proportionately, only receives according to their actions, meaning in a much more limited form.
This concept that the source of non-Jews is higher or came before the source of Jews is alluded in the possuk, “And these are the kings that ruled in Edom, before there was a king in Israel.”[10] Showing that the source of non-Jews is a higher lever [before] the source of a Jew. Since their source is higher, they received a higher dosage of Hashem’s kindness, as we see that the first ten generations from Adam through Noach, lived seven and eight hundred years – from an abundance of Hashem’s kindness.
However, in order for the seed to tap into that reservoir of an abundance of ability etc. of the power of growth, it has to be placed into and covered by the earth. We have to understand how this relates to the Jewish people being sent into golus?
Being that we come from the world of Tikkun, where we receive only in proportion of what we earned and deserve, and not more, so essentially, we are then connected to a very limited aspect of Hashem’s kindness and revelation. In order for us to tap into the level of unlimited or infinite level of Hashem’s revelation, we have to become immersed and covered up by that level. Being that that level is shining upon the nations of the earth, therefore, we must be there with them. Not by G-d forbid joining them and conducting ourselves like them, but by being exiled amongst them.
This brings us to the third stage where the seed loses its appearance of a seed, as it begins to spoil. This too happens to the Jewish people. When we are in exile or in the chassidic terminology, when our Neshoma enters the physical body, and has to work hard to survive in order to provide for the family etc., it can happen that even though the person serves Hashem, but the neshoma loses some of its beauty [its love and fear for Hashem] and what one notices is its strive to survive and perhaps even prosper materialistically.
But just as after the seed falls apart and disintegrates, the power of growth becomes infused in it, so too happens with the neshoma of the Jewish people.
Once the neshoma feels it has lost its affinity and connection to Hashem, and is no longer expressing its true desire to be one with Hashem, that arouses a deeper desire to return to Hashem, and it draws those aspects of tremendous and unlimited kindness of the world of Tohu, which descended into the world of tikkun, and then elevates them back into vessels..
This is why when the Jewish people were being sent away by Pharoh from Mitzrayim, the possuk states and a great multitude of non-Jews went up with them. Chassidus explains this to mean that the Jews were able to elevate two hundred two sparks of holiness, in the two hundred and ten years they were in Mitzrayim. They took those sparks of holiness, which fell or were absorbed into Tohu and brought them into Tikkun. As the Talmud explains, (Pesachim 87B) that Hashem planted us among the nations in order that those special souls of converts and the remaining eighty-six sparks of holiness, actually convert and join the Jewish people, (or be elevated back to their source).
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.
[1] As is known, the night before the Rebbe’s chassunah, there was a special meal held in the Yeshiva of Tomchei Tmimim in Warsaw, for the students of the yeshiva.
[2] As Reb Shmuel Munkis said to the Alter Rebbe before his arrest, “If you are not a Rebbe, you deserve a punishment, for what right did you have to take away the enjoyment from thousands of Jews, from worldly pleasures?! So we see that all chassidim gave up pleasures and other things to become a chossid.
[3] The first Chassunah between one of the Mitteler Rebbe’s daughters and a grandson of Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchov
[4]. Shach: HaRav Shabtai Cohen, author of the great Halachic commentray, Sifsei Kohen (printed in the Shulchan Aruch, on the sections of Yoreh Deah and Choshen Mishput). He lived from 5381 – 5422 (1621 – 1662), one hundred fifty years earlier.
[5]. Taz: HaRav Dovid Halevi, author of the great Halachic commentary, Turei Zahav (printed in the Shulchan Aruch, on/in the sections Yoreh Deah and Choshen Mishput). He lived from 5326 – 5417 (1586 – 1677).
[6] Yirmiyahu, 2:3
[7] Hoshaiu 2:25
[8][8] Author’s Note: In order to clarify this point, as to why we explain that it is the infinite power in the earth which causes the seed to grow and delelop into whatever it becomes, and that is not from the seed itself; is because what happens when this seed is planted in another country or region, whu doesn’t anything grow then?
The answer is that the soil is not conducive for that type of fruit, vegetation etc. This clearly demonstrates that the power of growth comes from the soil and not the seed itself. Just that the soil bonds with the seed and produces a growth that has the seeds DNA.
[9] Bereishis, 46:3
[10] Bereishis, 36:31
