Weekly Story: Lechatchilah Ariber

by Rabbi Sholom D. Avtzon

Since this Shabbos is Yud-Gimmel Tishrei, the 134th yahrzeit of the Rebbe Maharash, I chose to publish a short excerpt from the next volume in The Rebbeim Biography Series: The Rebbe Maharash, which is in the midst of being edited for publication.

Lechatchilah Ariber

It is well-known that the motto and, in fact, way of life of the Rebbe Maharash was Lechatchilah ariber: “The world says that if one can’t go around an obstacle, he should go over it. However, I say that the initial approach should be to go over it!”

One of the questions asked of me (from those who heard I was working on his biography) was: “How is it possible that Lechatchilah ariber is such a famous saying of the Rebbe Maharash if we don’t find it mentioned anywhere in his teachings?”

My response was: “If the Rebbe said that this was the saying of the Rebbe Maharash, it must certainly be somewhere in his teachings!”[1]

The questioner persisted, countering with two points: “First of all, find it. And second and more importantly, even if you do find it in some maamar, how can a statement mentioned once or twice throughout his numerous teachings be considered his epic saying for life?”

This prodded me to learn some of his maamorim.[2] The Rebbe writes in HaYom Yom[3] that every Rebbe had a maamar he would say every few years to purify the atmosphere. He then notes that the maamar of the Rebbe Maharash is the one beginning with the words Mi chamocha. (In fact, he said this maamar eleven times during the seventeen years of his nesi’us.) Accordingly, I decided to start by learning that maamar. I soon discovered that my search was over: not only is the concept of Lechatchilah ariber discussed there, it is the crux of the entire maamar!

The maamar focuses on the possuk “Mayim rabim lo yuchlu lechabos es ho’ahavah,”[4] and explains it to mean that the frustrations and headache of earning a living cannot extinguish the love a Jew has for Hashem.

The maamar then explains that the reason nothing (including these frustrations and headache) can deter a Jew from serving Hashem is because he recognizes the truth that Hashem created him and the entire universe. Accordingly, it would be illogical and in fact preposterous to say that Hashem created you and gave you commandments and instructions to follow — in other words, He spelled out the reason He created each one of us — and then created something else that prevents you from fulfilling His desire. Obviously, He would not create something that will stop and prevent you from fulfilling your mission!

When one has this mindset—that Hashem created me for a purpose and gave me a mission to accomplish in the world He created — can he then accept the notion that there is something stronger, which was also created by Hashem, that can prevent him from fulfilling Hashem’s desire and the entire purpose he was created? Obviously not![5]

Additionally, one of the Rebbe Maharash’s famous hemshechim is based on this possuk. This hemshech was said in 5636 (1876), and it contains 202 chapters, divided into forty-nine maamorim. One of the main themes in that year-long maamar is this very point. So no, the concept of Lechatchilah ariber is not limited to some “obscure”  maamar; it is mentioned prominently in his maamaorim.

And that, my friends, is the message of Lechatchilah ariber. We should know that we are going with the strength of Hashem, and therefore our ability is only as limited as we make it. If we would only not get in the way, we would see how we have unlimited potential.

Accordingly, we should strive to reach as high as we can to succeed in the mission with which the Rebbe and all the Rebbeim have entrusted us.[6] Spread Torah and Yiddishkeit, and prepare the world for kabbolas pnei Moshiach Tzidkeinu, may it take place speedily in our days!

It is interesting to note that the first time the Rebbe Maharash said the maamar of Mi chamocha was during the lifetime of his father, the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek. For as will be noted in his biography; this indeed was his approach throughout his life, even before he became Rebbe.

The author is a veteran mechanech at United Lubavitch Yeshivoth, and author of the acclaimed Rebbeim Biography Series and Early Chassidic Personalities Series. He can be reached at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.

If you would like to participate in publishing this 400-plus-page volume by sponsoring towards the editing and layout, please feel free to contact Rabbi  Avtzon.

[1] The word Anochi is an acronym for ana nafshi kesovis yehovis, as our Sages mention in Maseches Shabbos. Chassidus explains this to mean that Hashem’s essence is found in the Torah. Similarly, a person, and especially a tzaddik, puts himself entirely into his writings. So obviously this concept must occupy a prominent place in the Rebbe Maharash’s writings, i.e., in his maamorim.

[2] Author’s note: In general it is my belief that when a person writes a biography about a certain individual, especially on one of the Rebbeim, he must learn his teachings. Accordingly, I try to learn some maamorim of each of the Rebbeim whose biography I write.

[3] Entry for 28 Tammuz.

[4] Shir Hashirim, 8:7.

[5] When the Frierdiker Rebbe was released from imprisonment, he said a maamar on the words Yehi Hashem Elokeinu imanu. Thirty years later, the Rebbe elaborated on that maamar and explained: Dovid Hamelech called the Torah a song (Tehillim 119:54), even as he was enduring trials and tribulations, such as running away from his own son. This was because Dovid realized that everything comes from Hashem. This being the case, how can one perceive something as a difficulty, when it too is Hashem’s will?

[6] A shliach once told me the following story:

“One day, Rabbi Chodakov called me into his office and told me that the Rebbe wants me to do a certain task. Hearing his words, I responded in astonishment: ‘Do you realize what you are asking me to do? Do you really think it is humanly possible for someone to do that?!’

“Looking sharply at me, Rabbi Chodakov replied: ‘And do you think all of your accomplishments until now are your accomplishments, done with your abilities? The Rebbe was the one who gave you the strength and the connections with various people to succeed then as well. So why do you think this time his brachah won’t be with you and you will have to do the impossible on your own?!’ ”

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