Dear Alumni Sheyichyu!
Sholom U’Brocho!
Ach! Another Tisha B’Av passed, and we’re still languishing in this bitter golus! Men darf shoin machen a tolk! In the meantime . . .
Mazel Tov to Eli Peysin on the occasion of his engagement. Mazel Tov to Eli Simpson on the occasion of his engagement. May they use out the special period of Yokor Mikol yokor to its’ utmost! Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Zevi Weinberg on the birth of their son. May they bring him up lTOveCHuMAA”T mitoch harchovo, and to be a true chayol! (If anyone is aware of any mazeltov’s that I omitted please let me know).
Thank you as always for the feedback, it is much appreciated.
The following story was told to us this summer by Rabbi Heshel Greenberg. The story took place with a woman in Australia, and Rabbi Greenberg heard it from the baalas hamaaseh herself, who shared it to him when he was there a few years ago. I am writing it to you in first person, in the words of the woman with whom it happened (as best as they can be remembered):
“I hadn’t been feeling well for some time” (began the woman in her narrative), “and when I finally underwent comprehensive tests, I was presented with the worst possible news: The doctor informed me that I was suffering from a rare, but very serious, blood disease, one that is in fact much worse even than leukemia r”l. His prognosis was that I had at best a few days left to live. I lay in the hospital, miserable and depressed, and prepared for the end. My only brother, with whom I was very close, hadn’t visited me, feeling himself unable to face either me or my situation.
One night, I had a dream. In my dream, I saw myself standing at the beginning of a long dark tunnel (this is in fact a very common form of near-death experience).
At the other end of the tunnel, I saw my grandmother (who had already departed from this world), and she was beckoning to me. I felt as if there was a powerful force drawing me towards her. Although I understood the significance of joining her, I was myself also agreeable to do so, eager to leave my misery and suffering behind.
Suddenly, I saw a man with a grey-white beard, standing behind me on my side of the tunnel (I subsequently identified him as the Rebbe). “Don’t go”, he called to me with great urgency, “hold on tight!”
I began to hold on tight (although it is not clear to what I was holding on), and then I awoke. I was visibly excited about what I had seen, to such a degree that, a nurse who came in to my room just then, questioned me about the cause of my excitement. I was, however, too uncomfortable to share my experience with her, and remained silent. Yet, shortly afterwards, when my mother entered the room to visit me, I shared the whole story with her.
My mother listened, without interruption, then said to me: “Wait, I’m going to call in your brother”. My brother was in the waiting room, having forced himself to come to take advantage of, what he believed to be, his last opportunity to see me alive. As soon as my mother returned to the room with my brother, she instructed my brother: “Tell her what you dreamt last night”.
My brother immediately began to relate: “Last night, I dreamt that I saw you at the beginning of a long dark tunnel. Suddenly, I saw grandmother at the opposite end, beckoning to you. I was filled with fear, when suddenly I saw the Lubavitcher Rebbe standing behind you, telling you to stay put and hold on tight. Then I awoke”.
We marveled at the fact that we had the identical dream, and I was filled with new hope and optimism.
Needless to say, I recovered. A few month later, when the worst was already behind me, I decided that I should pay a visit to the Rebbe, and express my appreciation. Accompanied by Rebbetzin Groner (wife of Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Groner), we took the trip from Australia to New York, and came to the Rebbe (while he was distributing dollars?).
When I was in front of the Rebbe, someone said ‘This is the lady who had the dream”. The Rebbe immediately responded “It wasn’t a dream, it was reality!”
This Shabbos is Shabbos Nachamu, the beginning of the seven weeks when the focus is on being comforted after the mourning of Tisha B’Av. And we are all well aware of the exact requirement for us to be comforted. There is one and only way to achieve that; - through the immediate, complete and ultimate redemption through Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
Here. And NOW.
We speak about Moshiach, and we learn about Moshiach (some more and some less). But the era of redemption that he will usher in is for us still a dream. “Nachamu”, our comfort and consolation, will be only through that dream being no longer a dream but reality. When golus, instead, will turn out to be a dream, a too-long-lasting nightmare, that finally came to an abrupt end.
It follows that the preparation for this event should be to incorporate this mindset into our present life. Of course, we speak about Geulah, and about how G-dliness will permeate the entire Universe. But for many of us this remains a dream. The stock market, the “world cup”, and the news about BP and their oil spill; - those are our reality. Chassidus, nigleh, and our general relationship with Hashem are more of a dream, something spiritual and removed from our real lives.
But the Rebbe says to each and every one of us: “It’s not a dream it’s reality!” Torah and Mitzvos are your reality, Chassidus is your reality, Moshiach is your reality! All worldly and mundane matters ate no more that a fleeting dream (or sometimes a nightmare) – “kachaloim ya’uf”.
So, stop living your life in a dream. Wake up and smell the coffee! No. Not the coffee, that’s part of the ‘dream’. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE CHASSIDUS!
[In 5751, I was in Manchester with a few other bochurim for a short visit, for the chasuna of a friend. This was during the gulf war, and the Rebbe’s position was the topic of many conversations. Thus it happened that, while we were riding somewhere on a bus, we were approached by a few Poylishe Chassidim who were questioning us about the Rebbe’s position.
“Is it true that the Rebbe said that Eretz Yisroel is the safest place?” I was asked. I responded: “The Rebbe always points out that this is a clear Possuk, that Eretz Yisroel is the land where “Einei Hashem Elokecho boh meireishis hashonoh ve’ad achris shonoh”.
“I also know what it says in the Possuk”, was his rejoinder, “but I’m speaking practically now”].
Indeed, the Rebbe constantly taught us that what is written in Torah is reality, is the only practicality. G-d is the only truth, the only reality “Emes Havaya le’olam”. Anything that connects to Him and to the fulfillment of His directives is reality. All else is nothing more than a dream.
In this week’s Parsha, we are told: “And you shall know this day and consider it in your heart, that the Hashem He is G-d in heaven above, and upon the earth below; there is none else”. The Alter Rebbe, in Tanya, questions this: “This requires explanation. For would it occur to you that there is a G-d dwelling in the waters beneath the earth, so that it is necessary to caution so strongly [and negate this thought by stating that one should] “take it unto your heart,” and come to the realization that this is indeed not so”?
The basic answer is along the lines of the above: The Torah is telling is to ‘take heart’ and realize that even on the earth below and in the ocean, where there appear to exist a different reality (other than G-dliness, ch”v), there too remains true the ultimate and only truth: “Havaya hu elokim, ein od milvado”! This realization is what requires great effort among us; so that even when we deal with the apparent reality around us, we don’t lose focus of the real reality.
Even while we’re taking our vacations or going on camp trips, while we’re visiting Disneyland or Universal Studios, or while we’re going parasailing or white-water rafting, we must never forget even for a moment that these pursuits are not real, and not at all what our lives are all about. And, in general, the state of being of golus is not at all what’s real to us.
Leaving us with the message and directive: ‘Wake up Yidden from the dream of golus. Get ready to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu”!
And then, the whole word will see and recognize that: “It’s not a dream, it’s reality!”
L’chaim! May we all live lives that revolve around, and focus on the fact that Hashem is the only reality (so – forget about coca cola, and drink chassidus, it’s the real real thing), and may Hashem immediately transform our dream into actual and tangible reality, through the immediate revelation of Moshiach Tzidkeinu TUMYM!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
לזכות 'ר שלום מרדכי הלוי בן ,רבקה לגאולה וישועה קרובה ,ושלימה י"תומ ממש ג"בטוהנוהנ ולזכות 'ר צ"לוי בן צירל ק"לרפושו ט"ואויוש
