Weekly Story: An Enduring Embrace

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

I thank those of you who have already participated in the fundraiser on behalf of the memory of my brother-in-law Avrohom Eliezer hy”d, thecampfund.com and ask of those of you who have not, to please consider doing so. Thank you.

As always, your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated

On Shavuos some years ago, a friend told me the following story. It was so powerful that I knew that I was going to share it on some occasions.

He said, “When I was learning in the yeshiva, I went through some challenging situations. It affected my learning as well as my behavior to the point that the administration warned me that if I don’t improve, they will consider expelling me. This warning gave me additional anxiety, and I continued to spiral downwards. 

“Rabbi Yitzchok Springer knew me and although I wasn’t his student, he recognized that I am going through a rough time. He came over to me and without asking me to open up to him, he said: ‘Mendel, I want you to know one thing. [Regardless of what the administration told you] you should know that Hashem loves you, the Rebbe loves you, and I love you’. Reb Yitzchock then embraced me and walked away. Allowing me to decide how to react.”

Placing his hands around my shoulders, Mendel then embraced me and said; “Sholom you should know that I still feel the genuine warmth of that embrace forty some years later. That sensitivity gave me the ability to overcome the challenges and get back to myself. 

While this story speaks volumes about Rabbi Springer and the positive results of a genuine gesture, I decided to publicize it now, for the following reason.

As many in the community know, Mrs. Leah Lipsker may she be well, in addition to her many qualities has spearheaded the Chasdei Avrohom Eliezer camp fund for fifty years, since its inception in 5637 (1977) under the Rebbe’s guidance.

During those years, her sensitivity to thousands of families had embraced them with the dignity of sending their children to overnight camp together with their friends and classmates. Those children didn’t feel inferior and were never informed by her that the camp fund helped them, many years ago.

That positive summer camp experience helped those boys and girls develop and build their own happy and successful life.

This year, not only would your generous partnership with the camp fund continue this wonderful act of embracing and uplifting your neighbors and classmates of your children or grandchildren, but it would be an opportunity to return the embrace to Mrs. Lipsker.

Erev Pesach, her son Menachem Mendel suffered a stroke, and she is occupied in helping him recover and rehabilitate. While it is understandable that she cannot put in all her efforts in raising the sums she succeeded in raising in previous years, she is distraught of not only her sons condition, but also of the thought, what will happen to all the innocent and beautiful children that rely on this assistance, not knowing that their parent’s receive it from her.

So, I turn to each and every one of you, to please participate, especially this year, and give Mrs. Lipsker an embrace to give her the strength to continue this invaluable work. As well as giving hundreds of children a warm and everlasting embrace, one they will cherish for years.

May the tzedokah given be in the zechus that her son Menachem Mendel ben Eta Leah merit to have a complete recovery.

To conclude with a word of the Rebbe, which brings out the positive effects that a camp experience has on a camper. The Rebbe told Rabbi Moshe Lazar (one of the founders of Camp Gan Yisroel), [Until I visited the camp,] I did not envision how powerful the camp experience can have on a child.”

You can donate at www.thecampfund.com or Zelle to Kampfundme@gmail.com or mail your check to
Chasdei Avrohom Eliezer 818 Montgomery Street Brooklyn, NY 11213

A Taste of Chassidus

כי ביום הזה יכפרKi bayom hazeh Yichaper – Likkutei Torah Vayikra 25A 

This possuk is speaking about the uniqueness of Yom Kippur, however, in the first two sections of the maamar, the Alter Rebbe is focusing on the concept of how our actions cause that Hashem continuously recreates the world.

After this explanation he then clarifies in the final two sections its connection to Yom Kippur, and the uniqueness of Yom Kippur.

In this brief overview we will be focusing on the first concept he clarifies.

The possuk says, because Hashem your G-d, is like a fire that consumes The obvious question is, in what aspects is Hashem compared to fire?

We know that every aspect of the world is made up of the four elements: fire, wind, water, and dirt [Earth]. It is interesting to note that in a certain aspect, the element of fire is distinctively different than the other three elements. They exist on their own, without needing anything else helping them to be visible.

We can see the oceans and seas, feel the wind and see the sand as they are, independent of whether they are by themselves or in proximity to anything else. However, when it comes to fire, we only see it, if and when it is burning some other entity, but it on its own in never seen. For as soon as the item is completely consumed, the fire is no longer visible.

The reason for this is, that the fire has the nature to return to its source which is in heaven, and therefore unless there is an entity on this Earth that is being consumed by the fire, or better said holding on to the fire that it doesn’t return to its source, there will be no sign of a fire. As the fire will immediately go back to source and won’t physically exist in this physical world.

Now one can understand why the possuk compares Hashem to a fire. Hashem created the world through ten sayings or utterances: Let there be light, Let there be Heaven etc. These utterances are the aspects that the possuk is referring to and comparing them to fire.

The reason being, that just as we explained that the nature of fire is not to be connected to this world, but to return to its source; the nature of Hashem also is not to be connected to this world.

Chassidus explains that the reason for this is the act of creating the world is not demonstrating Hashem’s greatness. Rather, it is broadcasting Hashem’s humility, that He lowered Himself to create such a lowly world. Subsequently, these utterances wish to return to their source in the supernal heavens just as fire wants to cleave to its source. 

Just as the only way fire remains in this world, is when there is something that it could grab hold on to and burn, for example the wick, wood, or whatever entities that’s being burned and that is what is retaining the fire to remain in this world. The same thing is with the ten utterances through which Hashem created the world. They too desire to leave this physical world and need something to retain them from leaving the world.

For just as when there is no wick etc., there will no longer be a fire, so too if there is nothing holding these utterances to remain in the physical world, the world would no longer exist.

To explain this concept of holding on to these utterances that they remain in this world in practical terms, we first have to understand or clarify how Chassidus defines “world.”

Generally speaking, we refer to the four worlds, Atzilus, B’riah, Yetzira and Asiah. Atzilus is G-dliness. While B’riah is the first step of creation, followed by Yetzira which is when it begins to take a form, and everything is finalized in Asiah.

In Chassidic terminology these three stages of creation are compared to Machashova (thought), dibbur (speech) and Maaseh (action). So our mission is to sustain Hashem’s thought (to create), speech and action as it is related to creating the world.

Being that we must sustain these three aspects of Machashuva, dibbur and Maaseh, the Mishna informs us that the world stands on the three pillars of Torah, Avodah (korbonos/davening) and Gemilas Chassadim(fulfillment of mitzvos).

When one brought a sacrifice to the Beis Hamikdash, while it had to be slaughtered, the main point of the sacrifice is that the person who is bringing it thinks as to why they are bringing this particular sacrifice.

The same thing is when we daven (which is done being that we cannot bring the sacrifices, until the third Beis Hamikdash will be built, may it be speedily in our days). While we must say the words, our sages explain that when the Torah states And you shall serve Him (Hashem) with all your heart, that means to daven with feeling. [And we speak out the words to arouse those feelings and thoughts].

So through davening we hold on to the aspect of Hashem’s thought in the creation process of the world.
Then comes the aspect of learning Torah. The Halachah is that one fulfills the mitzvah of learning Torah when they verbalize the words they are learning. So through speaking in the words of Torah, we hold on to the aspect of Hashem’s speech in the creation process of the world.

The third pillar is Tzedoka (which includes all mitzvos. Tzedokah is an action, whether you physically help a person or give them assistance. So through our active actions of fulfilling all mitzvos, we hold on to the aspect of Hashem’s speech in the creation process of the world.

So through our Tefilla (thought) Torah (speech) and Tzedokah – Mitzvos (actions), we draw down or maintain these ten utterances of Hashem, giving the world its existence.

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.