Weekly Story: Farbreng with Reb Binyomin Kletzker

by Rabbi Sholom Avtzon

Reb Binyomin Kletzker was one of the Alter Rebbe’s outstanding chassidim. He was blessed with greatness in both his spiritual as well as in his financial affairs. He is best known for the following incident. After making a detailed calculation of his expenses and revenue, he wrote as the sum finality, ein oid milvado – there is nothing besides Hashem. By him nothing else mattered.

Yes, he was a wealthy person and operated a large business, which caused him to travel to the big fairs in Leipzig and additional places, but the sum total of everything was “Everything is from Hashem.”

He was also known for the pearls of wisdom that he gave over to other chassidim, and the Frierdiker Rebbe related on Shavuos of 5704/1944, the following thought that Reb Binyomin related.

Once before Shavuos the chassidim were farbrengen amongst themselves, and they were discussing the following point.

Shavuos is the day that Hashem gave us His holy Torah. Chassidus explains that until Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah) the spiritual and physical realms of the world were totally separated. They could not mingle one with the other. As we say in Tehilim (psalms, chapter 115:16), the Heavens are to Hashem, while the Earth was given to man. But by Matan Torah, Hashem broke down this barrier and the spiritual could permeate and elevate the materialistic aspects of the world. In fact that was the entire purpose of Matan Torah, to elevate the materialistic aspects of the world.[1]

However, their question was, what is the preparation that we have to do on our part, in order that we can be a proper receptacle to receive and appreciate this tremendous gift?[2]

After discussing it amongst themselves and were unable to come up with an appropriate answer, they decided to present this question to the [Alter] Rebbe’s oldest son, HaRav DovBer, who was appointed to be their mashpia (mentor).

He replied, your question is correct, one indeed needs to make a proper preparation to receive the Torah, however, the answer, cannot be answered simply in a short thought; we will have another farbrengen and discuss it in detail, then we will be able to actualize the necessary preparation. The chassidim were more than willing to participate in another farbrengen , and a time was set.

However, before joining the farbrengen himself, HaRav DovBer entered his father’s room and discussed the issue with him.

The Alter Rebbe replied; “The Torah itself gives us the guidelines of what our preparation should be. The Torah states, Hashem told Moshe to instruct the Jewish people, ‘Don’t come close to your wife, wash your garments, set boundaries around the mountain and sanctify it’.

That is telling us, first and foremost, one has to detach themself from their intense longing and desire for all that the materialistic world offers one to enjoy. If you are preoccupied with other aspects, it will be difficult to appreciate the greatness of the Torah properly.[3]

Then the Torah continues, clean your garments, which is alluding to the fact, that our ‘garments’ are a reference to our thoughts, speech and actions. In other words, the Torah is instructing us to clean our thoughts speech and actions, that it be in sync with what Hashem wants from us.

The Frierdike Rebbe doesn’t explain what “Make boundaries around the mountain, and sanctify it” means, perhaps because he wants us to contemplate on that our self.

I chose to relate this story, since this week we completed the days that one was able to bring the korbonos (sacrifices) that he was obligated to bring in honor of the Yom Tov, as well as the fact that we are a few weeks away from Gimmel Tammuz. The obvious question on everyone’s mind is; what is the proper preparation that we can do, to make Gimmel Tammuz a more meaningful day?

On this we must learn from the Mitteler Rebbe’s response: “This is a valid question, and is not a quick fix. The first thing necessary is that we must realize the importance to farbreng together and contemplate on it, only then we will approach it with the proper perspective, of strengthening our hiskashrus to the Rebbe and fulfilling all of his ho’raos.

May we all be zoche to see malkeinu b’rasheinu, speedily in our days!

P.S. If anyone knows of additional stories connected to the noted chossid, Reb Binyomin Kletzker, please inform me of them, at avtzonbooks@gmail.com, as I would like to make a booklet about his life.

Rabbi Avtzon Is a veteran mechanech and author of numerous seforim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be reached at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.

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[1] In the mamaar of that Shavuous, the Frierdike Rebbe explained, that is the reason why Har Sinai was a small mountain. Since the whole intent of the Torah is to elevate the physical world, so when the Torah was being given and reached the world, the earth became elevated.

[2]  Indeed as Chassidus explains this is one of the differences between the first Luchos that we didn’t merit to keep and the second Luchos which we did. Simply put, the first Luchos were given before we were adequately ready to hold on to it and therefore they didn’t last. However, the second Luchos came after our Teshuva and therefore they did remain with us.

[3] Author’s Note: This is similar to the famous saying of the Rebbe Rashab, concerning all of the talmidim of Tomchei Tmimim, that they are the soldiers of Dovid. Our Chazal inform us that Dovid hamelech instituted that before his soldiers went to war, they wrote a conditional divorce to their wife; that in case he doesn’t return, she is divorced from now. The Rebbe explained this to mean; Dovid instructed his soldiers to separate themself from their worldly interests and preoccupation; in order to be able to focus entirely on their objective of winning the war.