Sholom U’Brocho! MAZEL TOV to R’ Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin on the occasion of his Yom Huledes (and wedding anniversary). May the new year – right from its beginning – be spent in true freedom and liberty, and may Hashem fulfill all of his desires le tov u lebrocho be tov hanireh vehanigleh! Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Boruch Merkur on the occasion of the Bar Mitzva of their son Yosselle (now Yoisef). May they raise him to be a true chayol mitoch harchovo bGUR! Mazel Tov to Sholom Ber Prus on the occasion of his engagement. Mazel Tov to Schneur Weinberg on the occasion of his engagement. May they use out the special period of Yokor Mikol yokor to its’ utmost! Mazel Tov to Leizer Posner on the occasion of his chasuna. May the new home be set up al yesodei hatorah vehamitzvos, and be a keli for all brochos! Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Zalman Moshe Abramson on the birth of their daughter. Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Levi Fuss on the birth of their daughter. Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Eizik Kleinman on the birth of their daughter. May they bring them up lTOve CHuMAA”T mitoch harchovo, and to be true chayolos! (If anyone is aware of any mazel tov’s that I omitted, please let me know). Thank you as always for the feedback, it is much appreciated.
This Simchas Torah, I went on tahalucha to a shul in Flatbush, where the Rov is a Lubavitcher yungerman by the name of Rabbi Vigler, who is creating an oasis of Chassidus and varemkeit in the middle of Flatbush. While I was there, one of his mispalelim (who has recently started learning chassidus with the Rov, and at the same time came to learn that his own father, who is a Gerer chossid in his eighties bla”h, is himself fluent in Tanya) shared with me the following firsthand account of his own experience with the Rebbe. I am quoting it–to the best of my recollection (it was, after all, simchas Torah) in his own words:
‘I met the Rebbe personally only once, when a friend took me to 770 to get kos shel brocho. We waited in line, slowly inching forward as we came nearer to the Rebbe’s place and to our turn to receive our wine and blessing. Now (as you all know), during kos shel brocho there were in fact 2 separate lines (that were each, in turn, “fed into” from various smaller lines). One passed in front of the Rebbe, and the other passed behind the Rebbe. The Rebbe would alternate between distributing the wine to the line in front of him and to the line behind him. However, ignoramus that I was, I didn’t know any of this at the time. All I knew was that I was in line awaiting my turn to receiving kos shel brocho, and I assumed that all would receive at the same place. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when, just as I reached the Rebbe’s place, the Rebbe abruptly did an about-face, and turned his back to me! I was left feeling shock, humiliation, consternation, and wondering what I had done to deserve this! It took only a few moments until the Rebbe turned back to my line, and I feel that he recognized my impressions on my facial expressions. In a marked departure for his regular practice, the Rebbe–after pouring a bit of wine into my cup–put down his becher, and reached out and shook hands with me!
Without any doubt, the story is another example of the tremendous sensitivity of the Rebbe. While working tirelessly to give to, and care for, thousands of Jews, the Rebbe does not for a moment lose sight of the feelings of a single individual! This, then, is the first lesson of the story.
But I think that there is another powerful lesson to be learned from this experience: Imagine what this individual thought that he was experiencing! Picture yourself approaching the Rebbe, and seeing him turn his back to you at the last moment. What a letdown that would be, what humiliation! What could possibly warrant such treatment?
Or, imagine that it’s after techiyas hameisim, and you’re standing in line with other Jews to offer your greeting to Moshe Rabbenu, and just as you extend your hand to him, he turns his face away from you. Could there be anything more hurtful, or more degrading?! Well, perhaps we are doing just that to the Eibishter! The Possuk says: “Ki ponu eilai oiref veloi ponim”. The Alter Rebbe explains that this is describing a situation in which Yidden are turning to the Eibishter and approaching Him (“Ki ponu eilai”). But the approach is in a manner in which we turn our backs to Him. This means that the Torah and mitzvos that we are involved with are devoid of “ponim” of pnimiyus, they are being performed in a superficial way, but they don’t represent where our true life and interests lay.
If you’re in the middle of learning or davening, or sometimes even in the middle of shemoneh esreh, and your cell phone starts ringing (or vibrating), what is the reaction? One person may forget where he is and instinctively answer it (almost like R’ Benyomin Kletzker who forgot where he was and what he was doing...). Another person may know that this is not a time to answer, but he (surreptitiously) looks at the caller ID, because he has to at least know who it is who’s calling and whom he’s not answering (maybe it’s Obama or someone like that). And then there’s the 3rd person, who ignores the phone, well aware that it’s not the time or place for it. But it takes him a tremendous amount of willpower. It is extremely distracting, and it is an immense struggle to try not to pay any attention to it, and not to wonder about it.
On the other hand, if you’re in the middle of talking on the phone (to your stock-broker, or travel agent or shadchan..), do you ever have to struggle not to let your mind wander to the R’ Chaim you learned yesterday, or to the maamar you’re in the middle of? Did anyone ever strike out in a baseball game because he missed the pitch because he was trying to remember if he finished Rambam yet or not?
There are things that we are involved in with our chitzoniyus, our bodies are performing acts, but our hearts are not in it. And then, there are things that we approach with our face; - our ponim, our pnimiyus. When we are involved in matters that are part of our Yiddishkeit, we have to turn to the Eibishter with our pnimiyus, with our inner self, with our entire being.
The same is true with regards to the connection between a chossid and the Rebbe:
Rabbi Nachman Bernhard was the Rabbi of the largest shul in South Africa for about 5 decades. Before making the decision to move there, he visited the Rebbe, who encouraged him strongly to accept the position. He related the following about that yechidus: ‘It was after 1 a.m. when I entered the Rebbe's office and saw the Rebbe for the first time in my life. The yechidus lasted for over an hour. I felt as if the whole world around us had disappeared and it was only the Rebbe and I. In the yechidus, the Rebbe told me that Jewish life today is being devastated, as if by a fire, and whoever can extinguish the fire, must do so. The Rebbe pointed his finger at me: "You have no right to sit and become a talmid chacham."
‘I still resisted. I said to the Rebbe: "I have already left an important position for the sake of my children's education. What will happen to them in South Africa?" By then, I had three daughters. The Rebbe answered that the children of every Jew who devotes himself to communal work receive Divine protection. The Rebbe didn't exactly tell me "go," but he calmed my fears about going to South Africa. When I went out of the Rebbe's room I said to myself, "I may not yet be a Lubavitcher Chasid, but from now on I am the Rebbe's Chasid!"
In 1974, after 10 years in South Africa, he made plans to move to Israel. He wanted to see the Rebbe to ask him to recommend someone to replace him. He relates the following about his yechidus at that time:
‘I flew to New York and went into yechidus, which lasted an hour and a half. The Rebbe told me how much I could accomplish in South Africa. Everyone can accomplish best in his own milieu, the Rebbe said, but it is much harder to have an effect in an alien environment. The Rebbe suggested that I remain in South Africa. I let out a big sigh (having had my mind set on the move to Israel). The Rebbe suggested that I visit Israel frequently. I objected that these trips were very costly. The Rebbe smiled and said that he would pay for my ticket, and continued to encourage me to stay in South Africa. Again I sighed, and again the Rebbe asked me, "Why are you sighing? You are fulfilling a Heavenly mission! The hundred thousand Jews that you can affect will bring G-d so much satisfaction!" The Rebbe also spoke about himself. "Don't you think that I also want to be in Israel, near the holiness, but we have responsibilities”. By now I knew that I would return to South Africa. I, however, wished to discuss it further, and I asked if I could have another yechidus on Sunday, to which the Rebbe acquiesced.
That Shabbos the Rebbe gave me extraordinary kiruvim, - extra measures of attention and encouragement. I appreciated this very much, and the first thing I said when I went into his room on Sunday was a word of thanks for the kiruvim. "Kiruvim are a two-way street,” the Rebbe replied. "Must I too show kiruvim to the Rebbe?!" I asked in wonder. "Yes!" “What does the Rebbe mean? I have already agreed to accept the Rebbe's advice. I am staying in South Africa”. I asked. "Yes”, said the Rebbe, “but your decision should not be made with the resignation of one who has reluctantly accepted a decree. Rather, it should come happily and good-heartedly!”
We all are fortunate that the Rebbe greets us face to face, something that expresses itself in many ways. But this is something that he wants–and expects–us to reciprocate. And the way that we show our faces to the Rebbe, the way we show him the kiruv of pnimiyus as opposed to the richuk of achorayim–according to the above story–is by carrying out his directives with joy and enthusiasm. We shouldn’t be doing things merely as a way of fulfilling our “duties” as Chassidim, but with love and life, with joy and jubilation, in short–with our entire being!
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The Rebbe once related what happened in Italy after the invention of the train. In every city and town, large and small, people gathered to witness the new phenomenon, the “horseless carriage” that is powerful enough to pull so many railroad cars. Italy was no exception, and countless people arrived to view the spectacle. However, there, there was an unexpected hitch; - although there was steam and noise, the train itself remained in its place! The Rebbe explained that they had forgotten to attach the engine or locomotive to the rest of the cars. Thus, although the engine hissed and smoked, the power it generated had no impact on anything else!
The Rebbe explained that throughout the month of Tishrei, and the numerous Yomim Tovim that we celebrate then, we generate a powerful force, which has the ability to have a tremendous impact on the following year. However, in order to take advantage of this enormous source of energy, we have to “fasten” it to the rest of the
