When the Alter Rebbe passed away, the Mitteler Rebbe was in Kremenchug, arranging homes for the family. When news arrived of his father’s passing, he fainted and could not come to. Each time he was revived he would recall the sad news and would collapse in a faint.
Finally, someone had an idea. He brought a box of manuscripts of the Alter Rebbe’s maamorim and the next time the Mitteler Rebbe opened his eyes, they showed him the box. The Mitteler Rebbe took a look at it and said, “We have with what to live.” And he did not faint again.
The Frierdiker Rebbe once said:
“For the followers of the Baal Shem Tov it was enough to be connected, to be mekushar, which means to follow the Rebbe’s instructions. For example: continually reciting words of Torah, and being dedicated to ahavas Yisroel.
“For the followers of the Maggid, that wasn’t enough. His students had to be near him and learn from his conduct.
“As for the Alter Rebbe, both hiskashrus and learning from the Rebbe’s ways weren’t enough; the chassidim were also expected to understand the Rebbe.”
On Motzoei Shabbos Vayikra, Beis Nissan (1920), a few short hours before the Rebbe Rashab passed away, he said to those around his bed, “I am ascending to Heaven; the writings I am leaving for you (Ich gei in himmel, di ksovim loz ich far eich). Take me in to the zal so that we will be together.”
The Rebbe explains that his departure is directly connected to the remaining ksovim, because by studying his teachings we will actually have the Rebbe himself, even as he stands in Heaven.
Reb Meir Simcha Chein once went into yechidus with the Rebbe Rashab, and complained that in earlier years his hiskashrus had been much stronger. The Rebbe replied, “The hiskashrus of one neshama to another neshama comes through Torah. Learn my Chassidus!”
Reb Meir Simcha answered that he did not have any of the Rebbe’s maamorim. The Rebbe told him, “Among the students of Tomchei Temimim you will be able, [if you really care,] to get copies of the maamorim without spending too much...”
