So, now that we are at the real culmination of the Tishrei month, it is the time for us to take care of some important business. Over Tishrei we were sure to have made various hachlotos tovos; - positive resolutions for the coming year. Perhaps during the inspiration of Rosh Hashono or Yom Kippur we regretted certain aspects of our behaviour of the past year, and resolved to change them in the coming year. Or perhaps it was the joy of Sukkos that evoked from us a commitment to improve ourselves in some area. Or, maybe, we didn’t make any hachlotos? In that case this date is especially important. Until the end of this day, the Tishrei is not yet complete. Everyone can still chap arein. You didn’t make a hachloto yet, or you realize that your hachlotos thus far are not far-reaching enough (as the Rebbe once responded: עשיר שהביא מנחת עני)? Well now before Tishrei comes to an end, we can still make up for whatever we’re still short in this area.
In either case, we now have to “unpack our bags”. Now we have to bring our hachlotos and inspiration into practicality, to ensure that they make us better people in the new year. But it’s easy for us to pay little attention to all these resolutions now. It was one thing for us to decide, while screaming “Hashem Hu Ho’Elokim” during ne’ilah on Yom Kippur, that we’re going to pay less attention to our desires and our taavos, that we’re going to apply ourselves more to our learning and our davening and that we’re all going to become chassidim and beinonim.
But now the sense of urgency may have worn off. After all, there are so many other important matters that we need to deal with now. We need to monitor our stocks, practice with our fidget spinner and always know what Trump has to do to avoid looking silly (in case he calls for my advice). My kvius in learning, my running to the minyan – all that can wait. There’s no emergency.
[As is written in seforim: In the beginning of the year it is ראשית השנה, this is the year in which I’ll change and become better and transform the world (and myself). But in the end it is אחרית שנה, it’s just another year like all the others (and there’s always next year to take care of those earth-shattering improvements)].
For this, I think, the above story should give us all a jolt. Because it is not just a ‘once upon a time’ story. It is a story that is real and viable today, and is meant to be a wake-up call to each of us, and to give us perspective about how the Rebbe relates to our hachlotos: The Rebbe puts everything on hold, and wants confirmation that we are actually carrying out all of our positive resolutions!
As chassidim we have some idea of the great importance of the Rebbe going to the ohel. It is there that he stands for hours on end, davening for all Yidden and for every individual. It is from there that the Rebbe is פועל ישועות בקרב הארץ. The most frequent answer of the Rebbe was אזכיר על הציון (or I mentioned it at the tziyon), referring all important matters to the tziyon. And it is more than that:
Subheading: The Rebbe’s Devotion
In the early years of the nesius of the Rebbe, there was once a delegation of elder chassidim that approached the Rebbe. Chassidim were concerned about the Rebbe’s health, and they wanted to request that the Rebbe take better care of himself. Specifically, they asked that the Rebbe not fast so much, and not spend so much time at the ohel (often in freezing cold or oppressive heat).
Regarding the fasting, the Rebbe responded that he doesn’t fast! With regards to the time he spent at the ohel, the Rebbe said to them (very seriously): “Why is this important to you? Because you want – you need – a healthy Rebbe. Well, I too need a Rebbe, and therefore I can’t give up any of the time I spend at the ohel”.
The Rebbe expressed with this statement that his going to the ohel was (also) as a chosid going to his Rebbe, a matter of utmost importance. And yet – all this would have to wait for the confirmation that these bochurim are actually living up to what they planned a few months earlier, and actually continuing their shiurim!
This is today, now! The Rebbe wants to know what each of us took away from the Tishrei. Today, zayin marcheshvon, is the last chance to clarify and crystalize what our practical hachlotos are; - how and in what we are going to improve ourselves in the new year. And the Rebbe wants to know – and lets us know that this is of utmost importance, and that anything and everything else in the world could and will wait for this – in real time, are we actually bringing them down into action.
Let us all make sure that we are clear about what we are going to do to become better, to fulfill the lech lecho, to distance ourselves from every aspect of our boundaries and desires and move ever closer to our destination – the “orech asher areko”, and apply ourselves to actually carrying them out, בפועל ממש, in a way that we can truly confirm to the Rebbe that this is taking place.
L’chaim! May we each take the necessary steps to move a little further away from our ארצך, our מולדתך, and our בית אביך, - and may the Eibishter do His part to complete the journey and bring us swiftly to our final and ultimate destination with the immediate revelation of Moshiach Tzidkeinu TUMYM!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
