BUILDING A CONNECTION
After the Mitteler Rebbe’s histalkus on Tes Kislev תקפ”ח (1827), the Tzemach Tzedek declined to accept the leadership of the chassidim, preferring to earn a living by teaching young children. In due course, however, he was enlisted to guide the studies of the yoshvim, the full-time adult students in Lubavitch. At that time, they numbered more than one hundred chassidim, who spent their time learning and davening in the Mitteler Rebbe’s large beis midrash.
Six months later, many of the elder chassidim from nearby regions, as well as representatives from the remote farming colonies founded by the Mitteler Rebbe, traveled to Lubavitch for Shavuos. After prolonged entreaties, the Tzemach Tzedek finally agreed on erev Shavuos to accept the nesius. The township of Lubavitch was alive with simcha.
At that time, although the elder chassidim of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe treated the Tzemach Tzedek with the respect due to a Rebbe, they did not feel the inner connection that hiskashrus entails. Nevertheless, they wholeheartedly advised the younger chassidim to connect to the Tzemach Tzedek with a deepseated hiskashrus. They even divided the country amongst themselves, each taking responsibility to travel around a specific region, to arouse Anash to cleave to the new Rebbe.
Some years passed, and for Shavuos תקצ”א (1831), many chassidim traveled to Lubavitch, among them rabbonim, melamdim and many of the Alter Rebbe’s elder chassidim. On their return journey, some of them passed through Dubrovna, where the gaon Reb Nechemia lived. This revered elder chassid had been a talmid muvhak, a leading disciple, of the Alter Rebbe, and a chavrusa of the Tzemach Tzedek. He had not traveled to Lubavitch.
A weighty convoy of illustrious chassidim – including Reb Aizik Homiler, Reb Moshe Vilenker with his brother Reb Velvel, Reb Zalman Zezmer, Reb Pesach Molostovker, and Reb Yekusiel Liepler – now arrived in Dubrovna and went to visit Reb Nechemia.
Meeting them, Reb Nechemia related a recent dream. “The Alter Rebbe appeared to me and asked: ‘Why do you not have a rav? Aseh lecha rav! Appoint yourself a rav!’ When I asked whom I should appoint as my rav, the Alter Rebbe gave a complex discourse, indicating that I should cleave to the Tzemach Tzedek. This coming Shabbos, therefore, I will travel to Lubavitch.”
His words made such a tremendous impression on those present, that after some discussion they decided to join him and return to Lubavitch. That Shabbos, the Rebbe delivered three maamorim, no less, and those elder chassidim who had not yet forged a connection with the Tzemach Tzedek, now accepted him wholeheartedly as their Rebbe.
When the Rebbe Rashab related the above story he concluded, “Old-time chassidim had an inbuilt sensitivity to Chassidus and avoda, and were able to unfailingly recognize the truth. For three whole years, these great chassidim would toil on a particularly meaningful subject (inyan pnimi) to the point of actual mesirus nefesh, and when they spoke about connecting to the Rebbe, they spoke from the heart (devarim hayotzim min halev). Yet despite all that, they realized that they still lacked a genuine connection with the Rebbe. They reached this level through their avoda in learning and davening. Only after three years did they reach a real connection to the Rebbe. That is a chossid and that is Chassidus!”
(ספר השיחות תרצ"א ע' 245)
Similarly, Reb Hillel Paritcher related that he had traveled thirteen times to visit the Tzemach Tzedek with emuna, until he felt that he was Rebbe.
(לקו"ס פרלוב ע' רצ"ו)
A WORTHY CHOSSID
Reb Zalman Schneerson of Lodz was a great chossid and oved, and his eloquent delivery of Chassidus was legendary. Every Shabbos after Mincha many chassidim would gather in his home and Reb Zalman would teach a maamar for two or three hours, yet listening to him was a pleasure.
One year, the Rebbe Rashab’s yahrzeit fell on Motzaei Shabbos. Reb Zalman asked that a binder of hand-copied maamorim of the Rebbe Rashab be brought, and he asked someone to read from it.
After the maamar, Reb Zalman began to sing the Rebbe Rashab’s niggun with intense dveikus. Then he said, “It is known that by singing a niggun, one can connect with the creator of that niggun. But how can we connect to the Rebbe if we are all messed up?” – and he wept aloud for a long while.
(ליקוטי סיפורי התוועדויות ע' 447)
Of the many guests who had come to visit the Rebbe for a certain major farbrengen, one group was delayed. At the farbrengen, a chossid said LeChaim to the Rebbe, “for those who are here, and for those who have yet to arrive.” In return the Rebbe wished him LeChaim, “for those who are here who have yet to ‘arrive’...”
(תשורה צרפת פסח תשנ"ו ע' 4)
At times, the Rebbe jokingly bemoaned the practice of some people whose “hiskashrus” required of them to consult with him over petty matters, such as whether to “sneeze to the right or the left.” The Rebbe added that he was willing to forego such “hiskashrus,” and that such individuals should better utilize their time for more meaningful matters.
(תו"מ תשמ"ח ח"א ע' 159)
Reb Zalman Gurary related: One night, not long after the passing of the Frierdiker Rebbe, I had a dream in which the Frierdiker Rebbe said something about the Rebbe accepting the leadership of the chassidim. I shared the story with the Rebbe and asked him if the dream was worth anything, and he replied, “It depends on whether you went to sleep after a good Kerias Shema She’al HaMita, or after a good supper...”
(בכל ביתי נאמן הוא ע' 208)
CONSIDER
What took so long for the chassidim to connect to the Tzemach Tzedek? What were they waiting for?
