Dear Alumni Sheyichyu! Sholom U’Brocho! Mazel Tov to Avi Minkowitz on the occasion of his engagement. May he use out the special period of Yokor Mikol yokor to its’ utmost! Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Moshe Wiener on the birth of their daughter. May they bring her up lTOveCHuMAA”T mitoch harchovo, and to be a true chayol(o)! (If anyone is aware of any mazeltov’s that I omitted please let me know). Thank you as always for the feedback, it is much appreciated.
I heard the following story at a farbrengen this summer:
Rabbi Berel Zaltzman was born and raised in the former Soviet Union and was very active in the religious underground network there, even hosting a Yeshiva in his home for a number of years. He emigrated from Russia to Israel with his wife and 6 children in 1971, and has been involved in the various shlichuyos of the Rebbe since. In addition to being a respected chassidisher Yid, Rabbi Zaltzman is renowned as a talented and inspiring Chazan.
When R’ Berel came to New York the first time, he had the zechus to have a yechidus with the Rebbe. During the yechidus, the Rebbe instructed him to hold concerts, and also to produce a record. R’ Berel set to work immediately carrying out the directives of the Rebbe.
Now, you should know that producing a record is not as easy as it sounds (which is one of the reasons why I have not produced one yet). There is much work that has to go into it, as well as considerable financial investment. [By the way, a record is what used to be used to play music before tapes, which were before cd’s, which were before mp3’s which were what used to be used for entertainment before iPods].
About a year later, R’ Berel was by the Rebbe again for Tishrei, and, during his yechidus, was able to report on having carried out the Rebbe’s directives. The Rebbe then told him to produce a 2nd record. Rabbi Zaltzman at that time was still in debt from the first record, and, in addition, his own business was not doing very well, and he was struggling with his own livelihood. Thus, the new directive of the Rebbe sounded rather overwhelming.
When he returned to Eretz Yisroel (where he was living at the time), he discussed the matter with a number of his mashpi’im and some of the Eltere Chassidim. All of them, without exception, told him very emphatically that it was very obvious that the Rebbe did not mean for him to work on another record now, in his current situation, when it would be an unreasonable undertaking for him, and his material circumstances did not allow for it. At some later stage, he would be able to return to it. He followed their sage advice, and postponed the new project indefinitely.
The following Tishrei, he once again joined other Chassidim in their trip to the Rebbe, and had the great zechus of a yechidus with the Rebbe. At the beginning of the yechidus (Oh NO) the Rebbe asked him about the new record. When R’ Berel didn’t answer, the Rebbe exclaimed: “You didn’t make it? Why not?!” R’ Berel continued to stand silently, and the Rebbe said to him “Oh na far vos?!” [You won’t even give some reason/excuse]
Rabbi Zaltzman saw that the Rebbe wanted an explanation, so he told the Rebbe about his difficult financial situation, as well as the debts that remained from the first record, that precluded him working on a new one at this point.
The Rebbe listened to his explanations, and exclaimed in wonder: “Mit Stalin hostu zich gekent aneitzah geben, un du kenst zich nit geben kein eitzah mit a por toizent doller??!!” [Against Stalin you managed to hold your own, and you couldn’t deal with a challenge of a few thousand dollars].
[Needless to say, immediately following that yechidus he put together the necessary resources and, in a short time, took care of the second record].
Chazal tell us that Avrohom Avinu was given 10 tests by Hashem. The 2nd (or 3rd according to some opinions) was the test in the beginning of this weeks parsha, in which Avrohom was commanded by the Eibishter Lech Lecho. But when we compare this test with some of the other ones, it seems strange that it should even be considered a test.
Take, for example, the first (or second) nisayon: Avrohom proclaimed his belief in One Hashem, and stood up against all of the nations of the world. He defied the king for his belief, and endured being thrown in the fiery pit for it, risking his very life. After something like that, is it such a big deal that he embarked on a journey that took him away from his birthplace? People travel all the time (some people even enjoy it).
We could say to Avrohom: “Against the Stalin of your time, against Nimrod (who were both bent on eradicating any trace of religion r”l) you managed to hold your own and you didn’t succumb, is taking a trip even a deal for you?! And yet, Lech Lecho is listed in the Torah as a test. Moreover, while his allowing himself to be put into the furnace for his belief is all but ignored, being merely alluded to in Chumash very briefly, it is Lech Lecho that the Torah first gives extensive attention to.
Because, in the earlier nisayonos, he fought for his beliefs. Avrohom was waging an ideological war to defend and uphold his beliefs and principles. There were prices that he had to pay, and sacrifices that he had to make, in order to succeed. He even had to be prepared to face the ultimate sacrifice. But that is sometimes easier than the nisayon of just obeying, just following a command, where there is no recognizable objective.
Indeed, it can in some ways be easier to “deal with Stalin” than to carry out a “simple” Lech Lecho. In the maamar “VeAtoh Tetzaveh” the Rebbe speaks about Chassidim who had mesirus nefesh in Russia, who passed the test of “dealing with Stalin” with flying colours, and yet, when they came to America, the test of Lech Lecho (whether an issue of a few thousand dollars, or conveniences etc.) was more challenging.
I see bochurim all the time who amaze me with their sacrifice for mivtzoim, giving up their meals, their comforts, conveniences and even huge chunks of their own free time for the sake of mivtzoim. They are ready to undertake expenses that force them to fundraise large sums of money (which I have discovered–contrary to popular belief–is not exactly the most exciting occupation in the universe). Yet the same bochurim, when it comes to the day-to-day learning, to sit in a comfortable zal, being provided with three nutritious (and delicious) meals a day, and be involved with the most pleasurable pastime in the world, they find it immensely challenging. Even though they are promised that the learning will be good for them;-it will bring to ואעשך לגוי גדול ואברכך ואגדלה שמך' והיה ברכה etc., still they find it difficult (needing a snack every ten minutes and a diversion every 15 minutes and taking off 2 out of every 4 days for a headache or a toothache etc.).
It’s not the learning itself that poses the difficulty. In fact, when it is needed for mivtzoim, they can excel in learning as well. Rather, it is the Lech Lecho, the simple following of the day-to-day commandments, which oftentimes prove that much more daunting.
But, in the Torah, the story of Avrohom Avinu begins (primarily) with Lech Lecho. Because while the passion that we feel for our ideology, and our commitment to expend great efforts to defend it and promote it, are commendable, the essence of Yiddishkeit is the following out the plain, basic directives of the Eibishter, that tell us how to live our lives on a daily basis as proper Jews.
So we all have to, occasionally, look beyond the drama and the sensationalism, and take a step towards “Lech Lecho”;-towards following one more mitzvah precisely the way we were instructed. We need to make our cheshbon hanefesh, a proper evaluation, and determine (not (just) what is left to do for us to save/change/transform the world, but) what mitzva/mitzva/hora’ah is there, that we can perhaps be carrying out more properly.
The Lech Lecho will probably not be anything exciting, it will probably not earn us fame and acclaim (and our picture on col). What’s worse, it’s not usually so difficult and costly, so we can’t even “pat ourselves on the back” and enjoy the satisfaction of telling ourselves “Wow you just displayed such mesirus nefesh”. The “Lech Lecho” is in all probability drab and plain. That’s what makes it so difficult.
But it’s the Lech Lecho, doing what we were told, as we were told, without any deviation or calculations, which is the way we live as proper Jews and the way we serve Hashem. In addition (as a fringe benefit), it’s the way that we receive all of Hashem’s brochos–as enumerated in this week’s Parsha–in the greatest abundance both in gashmiyus and in ruchniyus (just as the 2nd record in the story was probably a vehicle for wealth and brochos).
And it is the sure way to ultimately bring us to our destination;- אלה ארץ אשר אראך – to live our lives in a way in which we actually see and sense our connection with the Eibishter, until this brings us to the literal ארץ אשר אראך, to our final arrival in Eretz Yisroel with the imminent Geulah TUMYM!
L’chaim! May we all practice the Lech Lecho in our own lives, determining exactly how we can better fulfill the Ratzon ho’elyon (and one of the ways to determine that is by speaking to our rav), and may the Eibishter on His part fulfill the “lech Lecho”, taking...
