Weekly Story: The Frierdiker Rebbe 

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon 

Being that this coming week is Yud-Beis Tammuz, and many people ask me various questions about the Frierdiker Rebbe, especially as my editor is in midst of reviewing the second volume,  I would like to clarify one point which I believe is a misconception that many have. 

As always, your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated and most welcomed. 

It is well known that most of the history that we are aware of about the Rebbeiim and Lubavitch in general, is from the Frierdiker Rebbe’s Sichos and writings. Subsequently, people believe that he had an outgoing personality. However, in my understanding that is the farthest from the truth. 

The Frierdiker Rebbe writes in his Reshimas Hamaasar (his notes about his 7th and final arrest) that already when he was young, he made sure that no one could read or even notice his emotions.

When he was eleven and returned from the Ohel, after he davened for his father, he discussed it with his melamed but asked him not to tell anyone that he went there.

In other words, he was extremely quiet and reserved. 

Shortly after his bar mitzvah, the doctors instructed him to rest well, and his mother was happy that he didn’t fight it,  and went to bed and woke up at the prescribed time. But little did she know that his chavrusah would climb into his bedroom window an hour or two after he went to sleep and learn with him for some time, until he went back to sleep, and then he woke up at the prescribed time.

Once he said his own maamar in Peterburg and the Rebbe Rashab asked someone who heard it to repeat it to him. That Shabbos the Rebbe Rashab repeated that maamar and when the Frierdiker Rebbe reviewed it with his father, this was one of the very few times he didn’t ask a question on it.

When his father asked him why no questions, he replied that he understood it and added that he deduced of a 4th level on his own. So even though he was extremely close to his father, he concealed some aspects from him, so how much more so did he conceal from others.

These are just three of the many examples of his quiet and reserved nature, that will be described in greater detail in his biography. 

But yet we absolutely see that he divulged and revealed aspects of Beis HaRav that were never before revealed, so we see that he indeed had an outgoing personality. 

The Rebbe mentioned in a sicha that this that to his father-in-law, the Rebbe, revealed these secrets is similar to what is discussed in the Basi Lgani maamar, that in order to be victorious in a war, the king opens up and throws open the treasures he and his ancestors had accumulated and concealed for generations. In other words, he wasn’t planning on revealing these points, however, when he felt it was absolutely necessary to do so, he did it.

The biographical sketches that he published in HaTomim, were published only after our Rebbe requested that he does so.

The Mitteler Rebbe was the only Rebbe who published his own maamorim during his lifetime, while the Rebbe Rashab published four of his kuntreisim. However, the Frierdiker Rebbe published his maamorim, but that was only after he left Russia.

In fact when one looks at his letters at the beginning of his Nesius, his focus was on two things, strengthening both Tomchei Tmimim and the learning of Chassidus among Anash. He wasn’t interested in becoming involved in everything else, even though he was already involved in communal affairs for the last twenty- five years. He then said in Sichos and wrote to others that being that no one else was willing to stand up to the Communist Regime, and it is a horrendous danger to the continuation of the Jewish Nation observing Torah and Mitzvos.

So we see that he went against his nature and desire in order to protect the Jewish people. 

This gives us an additional insight in his mesiras nefesh. 

On Yud Beis Yud Gimmel Tammuz we normally point to the point that he put his life in danger, (as well as his dedication for the proper chinuch of every Jewish child). That type of Mesiras nefesh we Boruch Hashem do not face. But the mesiras nefesh to completely put aside our own decisions and preferences, in order to serve the Jewish people, that we can and should learn  to emulate from him.

This is just one aspect to think about this Shabbos, Yud Beis Tammuz.

A Taste of Chassidus 

Zos Chukas HaTorah Likkutei Torah Bamidbar p.

There is the well known question as to why the Mitzvah of Parah Adumah (sacrifing the Red Heifer) is called THE decree of the Torah, as there are many decrees.

One of the classic answers is, while there are many other decrees, our sages tell us the Shlomo HaMelech stated אמרתי אחכמה והיא רחוקה ממני א – I thought would be able to understand all the decrees of the Torah, however, the one of the Purah Adumah was elusive from me. So we see the Purah Adumah is the real classical chok, as even Shlomo, the wisest of all men couldn’t understand its reason.

In this maamar, the Alter Rebbe is going to explain, that not only is it the “real” chok, but it brings out the essence and purpose (or intent) of every Mitzvah. 

Mitzvah is normally translated to mean a commandment. However, Chassidus defines and translates Mitzvah to mean a connection. We connect to people we respect or to concepts we feel are important. The possuk compares a neshoma (soul) to the flame of a candle. The nature of a flame (fire) is to rise, demonstrating the desire of the neshoma to connect to its source – Hashem. 

In Chassidic terminology that is called Ruhtzu. However, it can have a drawback, and that is when the person desires to cleave to Hashem completely and have no connection whatsoever with the world. As Chassidus explains that was the sin of Aharon’s sons and the mistake of the meraglm (the ten spies).

Hashem created us that we should draw down His essence into this physical and materialistic world. That in Chassidic  terminologyis called shov.] 

While this is accomplished through every mitzvaha, it is especially apparent in the Mitzvah of Parah Adumah. As in all other mitzvos, something else more apparent. For example, every mitzvah that is in the category of Eidus, testimony, we do the mitzvah to state that Hashem rested on Shabbos, took us out of Mitzrayim, protected us in the wilderness etc.. Or we are guided and taught to concentrate on some ideal; such as when one.dons tefilling and places it against their heart, they are to contemplate that I am giving over my heart (feelings and desires) that they should be in align with Hashems desires. Simarly when the shel rosh is placed above the brain, he is to commit to give over his thoughts and intellect on how to.serve Hashem and understand His Torah and Mitzvos. 

Whereas, the mitzvah of Parah Adumah brings out the concept of Ruhtzu and Shov in clear terms.

To understand what the Alter Rebbe is explaining, it would be beneficial to review a concept that is explained in Chassidus about Chomer (the item)and Tzurah (the way it is made and is seen, its appearance).

For example you want a chair to sit on, that is the chomer, the aspect you need. However, how the chair will be made, from which material and will it be a stool chair, a folding chair, kitchen or dining room chair, or a recliner etc, that depends in each person.

Similarly, each one of us is created with the attribute of desire. The difference is that each one of us chooses what we desire. In other words there is nothing wrong with having a strong desire, the only problem may be if we utilize our desire for something that we shouldn’t. 

With this introduction we can now understand why Parah Adumah brings out the concept of Ruhtzu and Shov in a manner that no other mitzvah in the Torah does and therefore it is called Chukas HaTorah – the decree of THE entire Torah. 

In the first chapter of Likkutei Amorim Taste the Alter Rebbe explains that everything in existence is comprised of the the four elements of fire, wind, water and earth. The difference is what percentage of each and how they are combined.

So when the Parah Adumah is burned the only thing left is the ashes, which is the element of earth, while the other three elements go up in the smoke etc. This shows that the most prominent aspect, or the Chomef, of the Heifer was the element of earth. 

Burning it on the fire represents the concept of Ruhtzu that the aspiration is to cleave to Hashem and leave this world.

But the next and final avodah of the Purah Adumah is to mix it in water and sprinkle it on a person who is impure. Just as the tendency of fire is to elevate itself as an expression of going higher, the tendency of water is to find the lowest place to descend to, and that is the concept of Shov. To reveal G-dliness in the lowest part of the world – נתאווה הקב”ה להיות לו דירה בתחתונים

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.