The Rebbe Rashab: Salvation for the Bold
Rebbe Shalom Dov Ber Schneerson, (the Rebbe Rashab) the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, was the founder of the Lubavitch yeshivah network, Tomchei Temimim, and was called ‘the Rambam of Chassidut.’ He was born on the th of Cheshvan in 5621 (November 1860) and passed away on the second of Nissan, 5680 (1920). He was laid to rest in Rostov in Russia.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe related a story he had heard from his father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz, the Rebbe Rashab’s son:
Once the Rebbe Rayatz was in his father’s study. The Rebbe Rashab took all the letters that he had recently received and scanned them. The Rebbe Rayatz saw that there were letters that his father read quickly, while he would spend a long time reading others. When he asked his father the reason for this, he answered: “I scan the letters quickly to see if there is someone in need of prayer. When I see that all is fine with the writer, I continue on. But when I see the name of someone who needs prayers, I immediately pray for him.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe related that the Rebbe Rayatz added: “The chasidim do not realize how great was my father’s love for his people; even before they would turn to him, he would already pray for them and take care of their needs.”
The chasid Rabbe Yaakov Landau, the Chief of the Rabbinical Court in Bnei Brak, related that he witnessed the following story:
Once a very important and well-to-do man entered the Rebbe Rashab’s study with a request for the recovery of his only son. The son was very ill and the doctor’s had given up hope. “Please promise me that my son will be completely healed,” he begged the Rebbe Rashab.
“I cannot promise,” the Rebbe Rashab replied.
The father heard this and he boldly exclaimed, “Rebbe! If it is not in your power to help me, then I have no claim upon you. But if you do have the power to save me, what about the verse, ‘You shall not stand on the blood of your neighbor?’”
Rabbi Landau testified: “I saw the Rebbe’s face turn completely white, and he sunk into deep, holy thought. He then asked the father of the boy to exit the room and wait there until he called him. After some time, the father was called to enter and the Rebbe said to him, “With God’s help, your son will have a complete recovery.”
In the second story, the bold demand of the father caused the Rebbe to bless his son. The story had a happy ending, but from a certain perspective, the father’s question remained hanging in the air: If the Rebbe could have blessed his son, why did he wait for the urging of the chasid? This question becomes even more potent in light of the great love that the Rebbe had for his chasidim, as was depicted in our first story.
The answer is that there are many levels within a true rebbe and tzaddik. Not every person meets the rebbe at the same level and with the same intensity. In keeping with the secret of the “image” (םֶלֶצ), or tzelem, as explained in Kabbalah, we can explain that the tzelem shines in the tzaddik completely, with the three components of his soul: The letter tzaddik (צ) of tzelem parallels the inner, conscious light of the soul; the letter lamed (ל) of tzelem parallels the tzaddik’s constant state of renewal; the letter mem (ם) of tzelem parallels the power of the tzaddik’s self-sacrifice.
The conscious light of the soul, alluded to in the letter tzaddik, is relevant to the chasidim who approach the rebbe as an ordinary tzaddik, or even as the tzaddik of the generation (and as a result arouse within the rebbe this aspect—as the rebbe mirrors their confidence in him). At this level, it may be that the rebbe can promise nothing. All he can do is feel the sorrow of his chasid.
When the father in our story manifested the level of yechidah in his soul with his boldness, the Rebbe immediately felt that his words were emanating from the inner point of his heart. At that point, a much loftier level manifested itself in the Rebbe. If the Rebbe was at the level of tzaddik with the letter tzaddik of tzelem, then at the level of the mem of tzelem, he is the Mashiach. But while the word Mashiach (ַיחִׁשָמ) begins with a regular mem (מ), the mem of tzelem is at the end of the word and is thus written as a final mem (ם). The two are not the same. There is an amazing explanation for this. In the verse about the Mashiach, “for increased governance and everlasting peace” (ץֵין קֵם אֹלוָׁשְלּה וָרְׂשִּמַה הֵּבְרַםְל), the first word has a final mem as the second letter in the word, which is not according to the rules of grammar. This alludes to the fact that the final mem of the Rebbe is the aspect of Mashiach in him. This itself is the self-sacrifice that he has for his people. [For those who are more familiar with the intricacies of Torah: This dovetails nicely with the fact that according to the Alter Rebbe’s ruling, “You shall not stand on the blood of your neighbor” remains obligatory when there is danger].
When the Rebbe prays to God from the yechidah in his soul, salvation comes quickly and his prayers flow to him easily. When a rebbe accesses and prays from this deep point in his soul, there are no obstacles in the way. It is possible to ascend infinitely to God and to draw down infinite salvations. When this is the case, it is possible to promise that with God’s help, the child will regain his health.
1 Leviticus 19:16.
2 Isaiah 9:6.
3 Mishnah Brachot 5:5.
