To the holy court of the revered tzaddik, the holy Ruzhiner Rebbe zt”l, once came a group of “modern” and “progressive” Jews. Their custom was to wander through the courts of the tzaddikim to find reasons and pretexts to mock the devout and pious, opening their mouths in ridicule against the tzaddikim and God-fearing Jews, chas veshalom.
When they arrived late in the day, the chassidim in the large kloiz (shul or shteibel) had not yet begun Shacharis, for it is the custom of saintly, fiery servants of Hashem to prepare themselves with reverence before engaging in holy and pure tefillah.
The “enlightened” group stood aside, their eyes burning with judgment, observing the proceedings. At a very late hour, the prayers began with fervor and enthusiasm, as is the way of chassidim and anshei ma’aseh. The sacred kehillah did not glance at them even once, fully absorbed in their siddurim, their hearts and souls clinging to their prayers. Their focus was also on their revered Rebbe, who stood like a ministering angel before his Creator in his prayer chamber adjacent to the sanctuary.
When the prayers concluded, the chassidim, following their custom, sat together to partake of a drink and some refreshments, restoring themselves as one unified entity. Soon after, they returned to delve deeply into the Gemara discussions they had begun in the early dawn.
The “enlightened” group of Jews, who had never truly understood the ways and conversations of the upright chassidim, internally mocked their peculiar practices. When allowed to enter the inner sanctum, they brazenly and disrespectfully addressed the Rebbe:
“We rise every morning at the break of dawn,” they began. “We pray swiftly at the early Vassikin prayers and even manage to study a chapter of Mishnah afterward. We start our day early and appropriately. And yet you call us maskilim (progressives), misnagdim (opposers), and similar names. Meanwhile, you chassidim begin your morning prayers late, extend them for hours, and afterward sit down for a glass of le’chaim. And you still call yourselves chassidim!”
One of the close attendants standing nearby could not remain silent in the face of their audacity and insolence. He asked the Rebbe’s permission to respond to them decisively, and upon receiving it, he addressed them with sharp words:
“Let me explain the difference to you,” the chassid began with a smile. “It’s quite simple. Your prayers are cold and lifeless. The apathy and rigidity of your prayers resemble a morgue. Naturally, after such ‘prayers of the dead,’ you need to study Mishnah—just as one studies Mishnah after someone has passed away. But for us, whose prayers are filled with vitality and joy, it is only fitting that after prayer, we come together for a drink that brings hearts closer together (Sanhedrin 103b) and wish one another le’chaim!”
However, the holy Ruzhiner Rebbe responded differently: “The evil inclination knows and recognizes the immense power of a Jew’s prayer, which holds wondrous keys to open all gates and possesses the unique ability to transform and improve every matter for the better. Therefore, the yetzer hara exerts great effort, using various schemes, to confuse a person’s thoughts during prayer so that it will not be said with the proper intent and focus.
“Thus, the chassidim established the custom of sitting together after tefillah for a bite to eat and a drink, during which they wish each other le’chaim. Through this closeness of hearts, one friend reveals to another the burdens of his heart in a few brief words, expressing his needs. The other sincerely blesses him, wishing that his requests be fulfilled. This blessing is also considered prayer, for prayer can be recited in any language. The blessings that Jews bestow upon one another are akin to prayers. And in such moments, the yetzer hara pays no attention, not even considering the need to interfere, for it seems the friends are merely conversing. In these moments, they can elevate and uplift the entirety of their prayers!”
The Rebbe’s response also teaches the profound value of offering moral encouragement: how much we can strengthen and uplift broken hearts! Each one shall help his neighbor, and to his brother, he will say, “Be strong!” (Yeshayahu 41:6). As we have learned here, through the blessings that one Jew gives to another with sincere friendship and open-heartedness, many prayers can be elevated! All these blessings, given with unity and closeness of hearts, are heard and accepted Above.
It is beyond estimation and description how much strength a kind blessing spoken with a smile and heartfelt sincerity can provide to a Jew‘s soul, how much encouragement and uplifting we can bring to a fellow Jew suffering in this bitter exile. As a result, this also uplifts the Shechinah, which suffers alongside the affliction of the Jewish people, as expressed in its cry: “My head hurts! My arm hurts!” (Sanhedrin 46a). When the Jewish people rejoice, and their spirits are uplifted below, this, in turn, uplifts and brings joy to the Shechinah above, as it says (Tehillim 68:35), Give strength to Hashem!
