DIRECT LINE
The Torah repeatedly commands us to connect ourselves to Hashem.
Chazal ask: How is this possible? How can a mortal attach himself to HaShem?
They answer that this can be accomplished by connecting to such talmidei chachomim who are constantly attached to the Shechina. When we bond with them, we are thereby connected to HaShem.
(כתובות קי"א ע"ב, ס' המצוות להרמב"ם מ"ע ו')
The Midrash says that when a person is connected to a tzaddik, he is helped and saved in the merit of that tzaddik, just as Lot was saved in the merit of Avrohom Avinu.
(מדרש תנחומא וירא פ"ט)
The Rebbe once explained that we connect to a Rebbe only because of his direct connection to HaShem, and not because of his qualities. In this context the Rebbe related:
Someone once asked the venerable chossid, the Rashbatz, whether the Rebbe Rashab had ruach hakodesh. The Rashbatz replied, “To me it makes no difference! I know that he is a Rebbe. If a Rebbe needs ruach hakodesh, then he surely has it, and if not, then what is there to be excited about...?”
To this the Rebbe added: "Someone once came and told me that the Frierdiker Rebbe had told him, 'Connect to me, and you will be connected to whom I am connected to.' This person was very excited, thinking that the Rebbe had meant his father, the Rebbe Rashab. I did not want to disappoint him, but in truth, the Rebbe had meant that he would be connected to HaShem. In truth, that is what matters to us."
(תו"מ ח"א ע' 94)
HOW TO CONNECT
When asked, "How can I connect to the Rebbe if I never met him personally?" the Frierdiker Rebbe replied:
"True hiskashrus is achieved by studying Torah. Studying my Chassidus, reading my sichos, joining Anash and the temimim in study and farbrengen, fulfilling my request of reciting Tehillim and keeping set times for Torah study this is hiskashrus."
(היום יום כ"ד סיון)
CONSIDER
What does it mean to connect to the Shechina through the tzaddik? How does this show in the chossid?
Why must hiskashrus comprise of Torah and avoda? What does it mean to be "mekushar"?
In a letter to some young students the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote:
"I was pleased to hear you thanking HaShem for your connection with me. However, you must consider whether you are truly connected with me, or whether it is all imaginary, or perhaps it is just an empty slogan. True hiskashrus must bring one to action.
"You know that I demand from all talmidim, especially those connected with me, to bring the light of Torah and mitzvos into Yiddishe homes and to create there an atmosphere of Torah and yiras Shamayim. Have you fulfilled this? With what are you connected to me? Until you take part in one of those activities, your words about hiskashrus are empty slogans.”
(אגרות קודש מוהריי"צ ח"ח ע' רכ"ב)
FERTILE FIELD
The Frierdiker Rebbe once compared a bracha from a Rebbe to rain falling on a field. If the field is plowed and planted, the rain will promote growth, but not if the field lies fallow. Similarly, for the Rebbe's brachos to be fully effective, one must make due preparations – by connecting with the Rebbe through studying Chassidus and observing its customs.
(אג"ק ריי"צ ח"ד ע' רע"ט)
Reb Yankel Landau related:
At the farbrengen of Yud-Tes Kislev (תרע"ט 1918), the Rebbe Rashab said that in the World to Come, too, one should ask to be with the Rebbe.
Fired with emotion, Reb Zalman Havlin jumped to his feet and said, "Who knows if we will be able to find the Rebbe's door?"
The Rebbe assured him, “Don't worry, you will find the door..."
At this point, I asked the Rebbe what will be when they ask me, “What connection do you have with the Rebbe? Did you do what the Rebbe told you?" And the Rebbe replied, "Indeed! One must heed the directives," but immediately added, "Yet, we have a Rebbe. [One can say:] I was together with him; I heard Torah from him, and I learned his Chassidus."
Reb Yankel Landau later added:
It seems to me that 'I heard Torah from him' refers to the teachings we heard from the Rebbe during his lifetime in This World, and 'I learned his Chassidus' refers to our ongoing study of his teachings after his histalkus.
(שמועות וסיפורים ח"א ע' 184)
