Weekly Dvar Torah: 60 Days of Joy and Giving

“My revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab], once remarked: “It is clear to me that when a Chassidic Jew sits in the House of Study and teaches a Maamar of Chassidus together with others, he brings joy to my forefathers. This happiness generates abundant goodness for that person, his children, and his grandchildren, both materially and spiritually” (Hayom Yom 13 Adar 1).”

This quote is from a letter that the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote to a Chossid in Tel Aviv. It seems that he complained to the Rebbe about his financial situation and the lack of having a Chassidic environment in his community.

[What follows is a synopsis and a loose translation of the original letter of the Frierdiker Rebbe].

It is up to you to create an environment by giving of yourself.

Teaching Chassidus is a foundation of the ways of Chassidus.

My father, the Rebbe Rashab, once told me that when a Chossid teaches a Maamar Chassidus, he creates Simcha by our ancestors, the Rebbeiim. Their happiness will be the cause of blessings of abundant goodness materially and spiritually, for the Chossid, his children and his grandchildren.

Many times, my father would lament the fact that there are people of high Chassidic stature, but they lack the feeling to care enough to do a favor for another Chossid through teaching him Chassidus. In contrast, he would point out certain Chassidim who were of average Chassidic stature, but they cared to teach Chassidus to others. They are ‘Mentchen’ he would say, they have a good feeling of teaching others.

A Chossid has to create an environment, my father would say. If he doesn’t, he should seriously examine himself and ask; what am I doing in this world?

A Chossid once came to the Alter Rebbe and complained that he lost all his money. The Alter Rebbe responded; I hear you complain about your needs; you need to pay bills, you need to marry off children, and you need sustenance for your family. But I don’t hear you talk about what you are needed for. ‘You’ are needed to illuminate your environment with Torah and Chassidus, and ‘Hashem’ has to provide you with your needs. You do what you need to do, and G-d will do what He needs to do.

[The Rebbe once explained; to complain about what G-d needs to do won’t help you, because it is out of your control. But what ‘you’ need to do is within your control. You are focused on the wrong thing.]

You are the Rebbe’s Chossid, you have learned enough Chassidus. Now you have an obligation to create a Chassidic environment. Take responsibility and start teaching Chassidus and Farbreng with Chassidim. Do not occupy yourself complaining about insignificant matters. It is up to you. You have to want to do it.

There is so much that we can learn from this letter. So, in the spirit of entering the 60-day period of preparing for Yud Alef Nissan, I will make the connection of the period of 60 days of joy, to the 60 days before Yud Alef Nissan.

I would like to propose that we utilize the 60 days that we have from now until Yud Alef Nissan to learn and teach Chassidus, specifically Likkutei Sichos. By doing that we are creating joy which is the theme of the 60 days of Adar. By doing our job of teaching Chassidus which in turn makes our Rebbeiim happy and results in their bestowing blessings upon us for an abundance of good, which will result in our having our needs met.

Why Likkutei Sichos?

In honor of the Rebbe’s 60th birthday, the first volume of Likkutei Sichos was published. It is well known that the Rebbe had refused to edit his talks for publication, and he relied on a staff of transcribers, ‘Chozrim,’ to write down the talks without his editing.

However, when the Bochrim asked the Rebbe to edit his Sichos because they needed it for when they go to Shuls to give over the Rebbe’s teachings, the Rebbe agreed. Indeed, the pamphlets were called תוכן ענינים בדא”ח לחזור בהבתי כנסיות = Chassidic content to repeat in the Shuls. The Rebbe agreed to go out of his way, to provide Chassidus that was edited to teach other Jews. This is in the spirit of what the Frierdiker Rebbe asked for, and the Rebbe upheld.

Having 39 volumes of edited Likkutei Sichos, is the result of this special effort the Rebbe invested to help us teach Chassidus. Teaching words of Chassidus makes our Rebbeiim happy. For this they shower us with Brochos.

Increase the happiness of our Rebbe in the 60 days of joy, by studying and teaching Likkutei Sichos as a gift to the Rebbe for his birthday. This secures us an abundance of blessings for all that’s good materially and spiritually.

Have a Sicha teaching of a Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Yosef Katzman