Use These Titles
1) (Reb Yisrael) Ba'al Shem Tov; 2) Harav HaMaggid; 3) Admur HaZaken [the Alter Rebbe]; 4) Admur HaEmtza’i [the Mitteler Rebbe]; 5) HaTzemach Tzedek; 6) Admur Maharash [the Rebbe Maharash]; we might also add the epithet, “Lechatchilah Ariber”; 7) Admur (HaRashab) Nishmaso Eden [the Rebbe Rashab]; 8) The Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Leader of Our Generation.
Think of Their Personal Names and Significance
While mentioning their official titles, we should also bear in mind their private names, as well as the significance behind them: 1) The personal name of the Ba'al Shem Tov is Yisrael – reflecting on his having revealed the inner aspect of “Yisrael”.
Address Them as Leaders of Jewry
Perhaps then, we should also be accustomed to mentioning the names of the Rebbeim at the gatherings held on, or closely following, Rosh Hashanah.
We should not use their personal names when mentioning the Rebbeim, but rather, the titles by which they became known in their role of Rebbe and leader. We thus emphasize their accomplishments as “Shepherds of the Jewish People.”
Why Mention the Names of the Rabbeim?
In addition to mentioning the Rebbes by name, we also ‘mention’ them through singing their melodies. In explanation: The straightforward reason for specifically mentioning the Rebbes at the beginning of the new year, on Rosh Hashanah, is similar to the statement of the Mishnah regarding the sacrifice that was offered at the start of each day (Tamid Shel Shachar). It states, that upon witnessing the first light of morning which constitutes the time to slaughter the sacrifice, the lookout would announce, ‘The entire eastern face [of the horizon] has lit up, until [the city of] Chevron!’ [Now, why was it necessary to add ‘until Chevron’? The Sages answer that it was] ‘In order to mention the merit of our forefathers’ [i.e., by mentioning the city best known for Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, who are buried therein, the Kohanim would arouse the influence of our forefathers’ merits –Ed].
Likewise, while it is presently Rosh Hashanah and we are at the head and start of our divine service for the new year, then just as at the beginning of the daily service in the Beis Hamikdash that began with the daily morning Tamid-sacrifice, ‘we [too] make mention of our forefathers’ merits,’ i.e., we mention the names of the Rebbes and Leaders. We do so in order to elicit their merits as a source of power for the divine service of the entire coming year.
Yechidah – Reveal Their Souls and Ours
Accordingly, we could further add, on a deeper level, that it is known that a Leader of a generation is the inclusive ‘Yechidah’ of that generation. [There are five levels of the soul, the highest being the Yechidah, which is totally united with Hashem –Ed.] Accordingly, the leader draws down the ability for every Jewish person to reveal the Yechidah of their own individual soul [and to reveal it] within their physical bodies and their portion of the world [i.e., their property and sphere of involvement and influence within the surrounding world – Ed].
Why Do We Need Both Name and Niggun?
In order to increase this bestowal of power and its actual revelation: 1) We make open mention and clearly state the names of the Rebbes; primarily, their names as [they were known in the position of] Rebbes, for that further emphasizes the aspect of their being Jewry’s inclusive ‘Yechidah’. (This comes in addition to their personal names, which relate to the particular soul that was called by the particular name.)
We sing their melody, a melody being ‘the quill of the heart’ which reveals the inner self. Through doing all this, we add in the revelation of the each Rebbe’s Yechidah and also in the granting of power that enables each person to reveal the Yechidah of their individual soul.
Physical and Spiritual Blessing for All Jews
[Now, if power is granted to reveal the most abstruse level of the soul, then] how much more so [is the power granted that enables each of us to reveal the lesser levels of our soul, namely,] the Chayah, Neshamah, Ru’ach and Nefesh, i.e., all of the ‘five names by which she [the soul] is called.’ Moreover, this extends to the actual corporeal body and material matters of the Jewish people.”
