When the Mitteler Rebbe was five years old, he studied under Reb Ber the melamed, in the home of Reb Avraham the doctor. Once he overheard Reb Avraham bemoaning, “We are already far into Elul, but I haven’t yet prepared the leeches!” Leeches were used for healing purposes and were only out during the warm summer months.
When the Mitteler Rebbe came home after cheder, he used to spend time in the company of the chassidim who were in the room next to the Alter Rebbe’s room. One day he saw them sitting around and talking, when they suddenly began to laugh. Hearing them, the young boy reprimanded them, “We are deep into Elul, you haven’t yet prepared the leeches, yet you sit here laughing?!” And he left the room.
They immediately assumed that this was a vort he had heard from his father, the Alter Rebbe, and began to think deeply into its meaning. They concluded that just as leeches are used to draw out a patient’s diseased or overheated blood, during the month of Elul one should do away with one’s negative desires in preparation for Rosh HaShana.
When word of their discussion reached the Alter Rebbe, he said, “Such is the way of the Baal Shem Tov – to learn a lesson in avodas HaShem from every physical thing that one sees or hears. Whoever follows this path and uses all physical things for avodas HaShem, will instill in himself and in his descendants a spark of inspiration in avodas HaShem.”
Chassidim recall: That Rosh HaShana, the floor was wet with tears from the impact of the Mitteler Rebbe’s vort, and on Simchas Torah, the shoes of the chassidim were worn out and torn by the exuberant dancing inspired by the Alter Rebbe’s promise.
(סה"ש תרצ"ו ע' 5, תו"מ חל"ה ע' 126)
The chossid Reb Foleh Kahn related:
Once, as I was sitting alone, I heard the Rebbe Rashab muttering to himself, “It’s Elul in the world and time is just flying away.” Hearing these words, a shiver went down my spine.
When I later shared this experience with my fellow chassidim, they all told me, “Don’t you understand? The Rebbe was speaking to you.”
(שמועות וסיפורים ח"א ע' 145)
During the month of Elul, the Rebbeim would be preoccupied with their personal avoda, leaving less time than usual for correspondence. Chassidim would therefore keep their correspondence to a minimum, to allow the Rebbe to prepare for Rosh HaShana.
(אוצר מנהגי חב"ד ע' יא)
