On Pesach Sheni (1950), just three months after the histalkus of the Frierdiker Rebbe, the Rebbe spoke at a farbrengen about the possibility of still connecting with the Frierdiker Rebbe:
“Even a person who never saw the Rebbe, or for whatever reason did not fully absorb what he saw (nit derhert), can still connect with the Rebbe now through the Rebbe’s continuing influence with his chassidim.”
How did Kalev stand strong against the influence of his fellow meraglim? Chazal say that he visited the kvarim of the Avos, where he davened for his success.
Like the meraglim, we too are at risk of following our own reason instead of what we were instructed to do. Like Kalev, we can strengthen our commitment to the shlichus we were given by visiting the kever of the Rebbe (hishtatchus) with the awareness that we are actually in his presence (doh iz er). Without this, it is possible for one’s commitment to be tainted by personal calculations and rationalizations.
In addition, there is also a form of spiritual hishtatchus which, as the Baal Shem Tov says, occurs when one studies the Torah of the tzaddik, the teachings in which he invested himself. Thus, by learning the Rebbe’s Torah one strengthens his connection and his commitment to fulfill his shlichus faithfully.
