We are now approaching the holy day of Yud Shvat, on which the Frierdiker Rebbe passed away. One of the many things which the Frierdiker Rebbe instituted was the daily study of the weekly Parsha with Rashi. Every day one is meant to learn the Aliya which corresponds to that day of the week, thereby finishing the Parsha in seven days. While instituting this custom, the Frierdiker Rebbe quoted the Alter Rebbe who said “We must live with the times”. This is understood as an instruction to learn practical lessons, which pertain to that specific time, from the daily portion of Chumash.
In Parshas Beshalach, which will be read next week, the week of Yud Shvat, the Torah describes the great and awesome miracle of the splitting of the sea. Krias Yam-Suf is known as one of the greatest miracle of all times and served as a preparation for the receiving of the Torah as well as the final redemption. How was it that this historical phenomenon came about? The Torah tells us about a certain man named Nachshon who selflessly threw himself into the raging waters before they split. This act of bravery served as the merit which drew down the miracle for the entire nation.
When observing Nachshon’s actions, one may notice that his courageous act may not have been completely acceptable. Before the giving of the Torah, according to many opinions the Jewish people had the same status as the gentiles. There is much room for doubt regarding whether a gentile is obligated to give up his life. This would make Nachshon’s actions questionable because one who gives up his life in a situation that he is not obligated to do so is considered to have spilled blood. Additionally, even according to the opinions who say that the Jewish people already had their own status even before the giving of the Torah, this was only in areas that would obligate the Jews to act more stringently than the gentiles. In a situation where the rule of a Jewish person would be more lenient, they were obligated to adhere to the more stringent rules of the gentiles. Being that the ability to give up one’s life is considered a leniency when contrasted to the Mitzva of not killing, before Matan Torah it would not have been permitted.
Now that we have established that Nachson’s leap into the raging water was not necessarily Halachically permissible, we must try to understand what drove Nachshon to do it regardless. Nachshon understood that the entire reason why Hashem took the Jews out of Mitzrayim was in order to receive the Torah. With this goal in mind, Nacshon did not allow anything to distract him from achieving it. He continued marching forward towards Har Sinai without anything in the way disrupting him in the slightest way. The fact that there was a sea between him and his destination didn’t matter to him because the only thing on his mind was moving toward Har Sinai and receiving the Torah.
The Medrash recounts how at that point in time, before the sea split, the Jewish nation was divided into four groups, each with a different opinion as to how to respond to the predicament they found themselves in. The first group believed that it would be in their best interest to surrender and return to Egypt as slaves. The second group felt that they should wage war with the fast approaching Egyptian army. The third group held that everyone should flee into the desert. Finally, there was a fourth group who thought that the appropriate action would be jumping into the water. Had Nachshon followed the general rule of going according to the majority, he would have had plenty of room to debate whether it was permissible for him to jump into the water. But Nachshon didn’t want to make any calculations. He knew that Hashem had said that the Jewish people must travel towards Har Sinai, and that was the only matter on his mind. He realized that all of the three other options were not going to bring him a step closer to Har Sinai and the receiving of the Torah, and they therefore weren’t something he would consider.
This episode serves as a lesson for all generations. We specifically saw this mode of conduct by the Friediker Rebbe. Directly from the beginning of his leadership, the Frierdiker Rebbe’s work was connected with total self-sacrifice. At that time, Russia was ruled by the communists who made every effort to eradicate Yiddeshkeit from their country. Every action of the Frierdiker Rebbe was a threat to his life, yet he continued to do everything within his power to spread Yiddeshkeit throughout Russia. This level of self-sacrifice was also demanded from all of those who worked with him. Although we do not find an obligation to demand Mesiras Nefesh from others, when one feels that this mission is directly from above, such measures would be understood.
The Frierdiker Rebbe explains in a Maamer the difference between the Mesiras Nefesh of Avraham Avinu and that of Rebbi Akiva. While Rebbi Akiva anticipated the day when he would have the opportunity to give his life over for Hashem, Avraham viewed it as something he would be we willing to do if the need arose. His primary focus was spreading the awareness of G-dliness in the world, and teaching everyone how the world itself is G-dliness. If, in order for him to accomplish this mission he needed to have Mesiras nefesh, then he was prepared to do so.
The Frierdiker Rebbe viewed Mesiras Nefesh in the same manner Avraham did. He did not seek out Mesiras Nefesh, but if it was necessary in order to accomplish his mission, then he was prepared to do so. This is why the Frierdiker Rebbe did not try to determine whether his specific situation demanded Mesiras Nefesh according to Halacha or not. He had a mission, and that was to bring Torah and Mitzvos to the Jews in Russia and around the world, and he would not let anything get in the way of him accomplishing it. This is also the reason he was not distracted by what the different groups of Jews were saying at the time. He knew that he must bring Jews closer to the Torah, if there was a “sea” in the way, he would jump into the sea. As long as he would do his part Hashem would take care of the rest.
This is the lesson which the Frierdiker Rebbe taught our generation, which is now preparing for the coming of Moshiach. We must be aware that our mission is serving Hashem and bringing Jews closer to the Torah. Anything other than this is not relevant to us and is merely a distraction. We must not be confused by people who claim that we must do other things which do not bring us closer to receiving the Torah. We must constantly be moving closer towards our goal and if there is a “mountain” or “sea” which is in the way, we must continue carrying on. Through this commitment we will reach our destination of receiving the Torah (which is constantly being given) and become unified with Hashem.
Just as Nachshon was rewarded for his actions by being the first of the Nesi’im to bring his present to the Mishkan which brought down the Shechina, so too every Jew must view himself as a Nachshon who can bring about great G-dly revelations in this world. The Zohar tells us that if there is even one Jew who will act according to the way that is demanded of him, he will bring about salvation to the entire Jewish people and Moshiach will come. Through this, we will merit to see Techiyas Hameisim, when we will be reunited with the Frierdiker Rebbe and we will all march forward towards Moshiach. May it be speedily in our days!
