FOR A SOLITARY LAMB
Before Moshe Rabbeinu was chosen to lead the Yidden, HaShem measured his level of caring dedication to his flock. Indeed, when Moshe would take the sheep to graze, he would allow the old and weak sheep to eat the softer grass, while the tougher grass he left for the young and strong ones. This sensitivity to the needs of each group was certainly impressive, but it was not yet enough to show that he was fit to become the Yiddishe leader.
Once, one solitary lamb ran away from the flock and Moshe ran after it. He followed it to a creek where it stopped and drank. Moshe apologized, "I didn’t know that you were thirsty. And you are probably also quite tired!"
He lifted it onto his shoulder and returned it to the flock. It was this incident that proved him truly worthy of becoming the Raaya Mehemna, the Faithful Shepherd.
Similarly, the Rebbe explains, a true Yiddishe leader is not one who concerns himself only with the grand needs of his community – "Klal Yisroel," but one who also sees to the seemingly insignificant needs of each individual Yid – "Reb Yisroel."
(שמו"ר פ"ב פ"ב, שיחו"ק תשל"א ח"ב ע' 342)
TWO YEARS FOR ONE NESHAMA
Reb Yosef of Beshenkovitch, a talmid chacham who knew the entire Shas and Rambam by heart, earned the greatest honor from the talmidei chachomim of his town. In the year תקס"ד (1804), the Alter Rebbe advised him, "For the benefit of your neshama, it would be better for you to become a wagon-driver than a rov." Ten years later, in תקע"ד(1814), when he was 70 years old, Reb Yosef was offered the rabbonus in the town of Liepli. Recalling the Rebbe's advice, he realized that now was the time to follow it, and he declined the offer.
For a month he wavered, confused, not knowing what to do. Eventually he mustered up enough courage to visit the local wagon station. When the wagon-drivers saw him, they asked him where he wished to travel.
"I haven't come to travel," he answered in a low voice. "I've come here to learn how to become a wagon-driver."
They looked at each other in surprise, and began to joke at his expense. One driver, however, saw his insistence and agreed to teach him the trade. In the stall, he was shown how to hitch the horses, attach the saddle and the reins, and how to oil the wheels.
While he was busy learning, one of the horses whipped his tail and almost knocked out his eye.
That night, Reb Yosef arrived home dirty and bruised. He changed his clothing, went to shul to daven, and gave his shiur. Returning home, he found his wife in tears, for she had heard of his visit to the stables. However, when he then shared the Rebbe's instructions, she told him, "So if the Rebbe told you this, you mustn't delay even a day. Tomorrow I'll sell my jewelry and you will be able to buy a wagon."
Hearing her innocent words, Reb Yosef decided to travel to Velizh, where he would learn more about the trade from a wagon-driver who was also a talmid chacham and a chossid.
Time passed and he became used to his new lifestyle. One evening he stopped over at a Yiddishe inn, and sat down with a sefer. The innkeeper introduced him to a guest who needed to travel the following day. The guest, 'Solomon Gamitzki' (earlier known as Shlomo Leib), was a Yid who had deserted the paths of Yiddishkeit, and had become a friend and employee of Count Batchaikov, no less.
"What time will we leave?" asked the guest.
"After davening," was Reb Yosef's reply.
"At what time?" he retorted. "To me, it makes no difference whether you daven or not; I need to know when we will travel, to know when to wake up, wash, and eat."
"...And daven," added Reb Yosef.
"That I leave for you," concluded the guest. When he realized that Reb Yosef would not be ready to leave until 10:00 a.m, he ordered another coach for 5:00 a.m., and went to sleep for the night.
Shortly after midnight he awoke, bewildered. Someone was crying. He opened his door and saw Reb Yosef sitting on the floor, saying Tikkun Chatzos by candlelight and weeping. That sight penetrated deeply into his heart. Memories of his youth, his father, his melamed, the wife and children he had left, all passed before his eyes. When the night drew to an end, he watched Reb Yosef daven with earnest kavana, and his eyes filled with tears. At 5:00, the innkeeper came to notify him that his coach was ready, but he decided to travel with Reb Yosef instead. Hours passed, and Reb Yosef was still davening. Overcome with anguish, the guest went to the innkeeper, borrowed his tallis and tefillin, and davened too.
However, so intense were his feelings of regret and teshuva that he became extremely ill. For several days he hovered between life and death. The count sent his own doctor to examine him, but the doctor gave up hope. Reb Yosef remained at the sick man’s bedside, fasting and saying Tehillim, and helping him with his decision to return to his family and Yiddishkeit. Eventually, Shlomo Leib regained his strength and was able to leave the inn. Reb Yosef traveled home and when he arrived, he saw many chassidim preparing to travel to the Mitteler Rebbe in Lubavitch.
Arriving there, he was greatly surprised to meet Shlomo Leib. He had resigned from his job with the Count, and had now come to Lubavitch to learn and be near the Mitteler Rebbe. When Reb Yosef entered for yechidus, the Rebbe informed him, "My father appeared to me last night and told me that Yosef of Beshenkovitch has fulfilled his mission. My father turned a lamdan into a wagon-driver for the sake of one Yid. Now, for the benefit of many Yidden, he instructed me to appoint you as mashpia to all the chassidim in Beshenkovitch."
(הקדמה לקונ' פוקח עורים)
CONSIDER
Why did specifically the care for an individual show that one is a worthy leader?
