ב"ה היום הבהיר חג ההגים י"ט כסלו, ראש השנה לדא"ח, שנת "תהי' שנת חי עולמים"
Dear Alumni Sheyichyu!
Sholom U’Brocho!
Gut Yom Tov! Leshono Tova belimud hachassidus ubedarkei hachassidus tikoseiv veseichoseimu!
Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Dov Wagner on the Bar Mitzva of their son Schneur. Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Yaakov Wagner on the Bar Mitzva of their son Zalmy. May they be true CHaYoLim! Mazel tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Eizik Katzman on the birth of their daughter. Mazel tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Avi Tatarka on the birth of their daughter. Mazel tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Getzy Rubashkin on the birth of their son. May they bring them up lTOveCHuMAA”T mitoch harchovo, and to be true chayolim! (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.
Following is a free translation of an amazing story, which was in a whatsapp that was forwarded to me by Rabbi Yankel Berkowitz. Zechus horabim toluy boi and in all others who were part of the chain:
Rabbi Gorolnik, who was a mashgiach in the Nitra Yeshiva in Mount Kisko, related the following:
“Once, when I was conversing with the Lubavitcher Rebbe about the special qualities of mincha on erev Shabbos, I asked him about the fact that in Lubavitch they don’t say shir hashirim (on Friday afternoon).
“The Rebbe related that the Alter Rebbe was asked about the fact that he didn’t institute the reading of shir hashirim on Friday afternoon and reciting veshomru on Friday night? Especially in view of the fact that it is known that one who engages in these two practices is, through them, participating in a (celestial) “yerid”, - a fair “up above”. The Alter Rebbe responded that he doesn’t need to attend every “yerid”.
“The Rebbe added that he asked his shver (the Frierdige Rebbe) for the meaning of this, and the Frierdige Rebbe replied ‘Surely he is in that time (on erev Shabbos) at a more important and higher “yerid”, and has, therefore, no time to take part in the lower “yerid”.
“The Rebbe asked the Frierdige Rebbe further: “I can understand with regards to the Rebbe himself, who is attending a higher yerid, but chassidim (who, seemingly, are not taking part in any higher yerid), why don’t they say shir hashirim?” The Frierdige Rebbe responded: “When the Rebbe is at a higher “yerid”, he pulls all of the chassidim there along with him, thus, they, too, have no time to attend a lower “yerid”.
“When I heard this,” Rabbi Gorolnik continued, I said to the Rebbe: “In that case, perhaps I, too, should stop saying shir hashirim on Friday afternoon. I, too, would like to be mekushar to the Rebbe, and be pulled along with him to the higher yerid”.
“The Rebbe replied smilingly: “Kenzein az mein yerid iz tzushver fareich, un Shabbos darf men doch hoben menucha” [It may be that my (higher) “yerid” will prove too challenging for you, and Shabbos needs to be a day of rest”.
“But I insisted: “Af alpiken, villich zein tzuzamen mit’n Rebbin” [Nonetheless, I would rather be with the Rebbe]. The Rebbe, however, didn’t respond. I didn’t give up, repeating myself a second time and a third time. Finally, the Rebbe said to me: “Ich darf hobben a fohrshteier oich in dem yerid” [I need a representative in the other “yerid” as well]. That settled it.
“3 or 4 years later, I was at the farbrengen of the Rebbe on Shabbos Breishis. During the farbrengen, when I said l’Chayim, the Rebbe motioned to me to approach him. When I came close, the Rebbe remarked to me: “Dacht zich az mein fohrshteier iz nit geven nechten oif di yerid” [It seem that my representative was absent yesterday from that “yerid”].
At first I didn’t understand what he meant. Then, suddenly, it hit me, and I was amazed! That Friday, I hadn’t been feeling well, and came late to shul, and didn’t recite shir hashirim (as was my usual custom)!”
“There were two things that I learned from this: 1) The ruach hakodesh of the Rebbe, that enabled him to see from afar exactly what was transpiring with me. 2) In addition, I realized that when the Rebbe told me that he needed a representative, it was not merely a “gleich vertel”; - a manner of speaking, but was intended very literally!
In the Parsha of this week we read about the descent of Yosef into Mitzrayim, - ויוסף הורד מצרים. In the midrash we find two - seemingly very different – interpretations on this Possuk:
One interpretation is that the word הורד [descended] is actually from the root of "וירד מעם עדים", i.e., what we are learning is that Yosef became a ruler over the Egyptians. The second interpretation is הוריד עמו שכינה, - the Possuk is saying that Yosef (didn’t only descend himself, but) brought down the shechina with him to Mitzrayim.
The above story can help us understand the connection between the two interpretations: When Yosef went to Mitzrayim, against his will, we can well understand that this was source of great sorrow for him. Yosef surely felt: “This is not where I want to be, or where I belong! I want to be together with my father and Rebbe, together with Yaakov. I want to be in Eretz Yisroel, in the place where Elokus is revealed, rather than in the land of Mitzrayim, “ervas ho’oretz”, the most depraved place on the earth.
Says the midrash: It’s true, this is not the comfortable place to be, not the enjoyable place to be, not the desirable place to be. But this is where Yosef needs to be, because – at this time – the Eibishter needs to be there, in Mitzrayim, and Yosef is the personal representative of the A-lmighty. Yosef is not going there alone, he is accompanying the King of Kings Himself there, and therefore this can’t be helped; - He needs His personal ambassador there.
For the same reason, Yosef was not going there as an exile, a refugee, a helpless slave. Yosef was the most powerful ruler over the entire land. Not merely later on, when Paroh elevated him to that position, but from the moment of his arrival. Because he was there as the representative and personal emissary of the Melech Malchei Hamelochim HKBH. Understandably, in that case, his position was the most powerful in the land.
In our generation we are entrusted with the most vital shlichus, to finalize the dirah batachtonim. This is performed primarily by the shluchim, who sacrifice themselves to live in a pina nidachas; - a G-d-forsaken corner of the globe, in order to spread Yiddishkeit. In a more general sense it is the mission of every single neshomo of our generation, who was placed into this chunk of history for this explicit purpose.
Anyone of us can think of many other places where we’d rather be. We all would undoubtedly prefer different circumstances, - we’d like to be in a place of giluy Elokus, where we are, in an open and revealed manner, together with the Rebbe.
But we are here, like it or not! We are here because the Rebbe needs a representative here. Here in this generation, in this time and this particular era. And here, in this exact place where each of us may find ourselves, - every place with its’ unique challenges and hardships and problems.
But, as undesirable as the place may seem (or be), this place needs its’ ambassador, this place (together with the rest of the world) needs to be drawn into to mission, to be permeated with the maayonos, with holiness and G-dliness.
And this realization carries with it (mainly) two very important messages. Firstly, we have no cause to be intimated in any way by anyone or anything in the world. Let it be the mayor or the governor or even the president himself. Let it be a millionaire, a billionaire or even a trillionaire.
But what significance do any of those titles have next to the personal ambassador of the King Himself?! In the words of Chazal אמר מלכא עקר טורא, - if the king so decrees he can uproot mountains. No obstacle is so great, no difficulty so challenging that they can be an impediment before the personal representative of the King.
But the other side of this realization is the responsibility that this places upon us. How much more must we take care to ensure that all of our actions thoughts and speech are appropriate. The standards that we must adhere to, when we bear in mind who we are constantly representing, are of an altogether different scale.
Now it is Yud Tes Kislev, Chag haChagim, Rosh Hashono laChassidus. Just as on Rosh Hashono, this is a time to refocus, to set the foundation for our chassidishkeit and avodas Hashem for the coming months. It is an opportunity; - even if – for some reason – we didn’t start off the year as we were meant to, we can now set things straight.
There was a chosid (who lived in Montreal) who was once walking in the street, and inadvertently walked through a transparent glass wall of a building. The Yid was r”l severely injured, with glass cuts to his entire body, and he had to spend a few months in the hospital recuperating.
When he was ready to be released from the hospital, it was in the month of Kislev. The chosid wrote a letter to the Rebbe, in which he lamented the fact that he had been cooped up in the hospital and missed out on the most important dates of the year: Rosh Hashono, Yom Kippur, Sukkos and Simchas Torah.
The Rebbe replied: ‘We are now just before Yud Tes Kislev. Yud Tes Kislev is Rosh Hashono, so whatever was lacking in the celebrating of the “first” Rosh Hashono (and, apparently, all the ensuing days of Tishrei that are a continuation of, and follow, Rosh Hashono) can be made up for on Yud Tes Kislev’.
Let us use this time to recognize and internalize our position as representative of the Kavayachol and of the Rebbe, and the related zechusim and responsibilities that result from this, and use this awareness and the resulting empowerment to speedily complete our mission, to be meifitz all of the maayanos to every point in chutz la’aretz, and the bring about the “ossi mar”–“Malko Meshicho”–NOW!
L’chaim! May we each use out the special days appropriately, awaken our hearts and become inspired to rededicate and commit ourselves to our vital mission, and may the Eibishter grant that this geulah lead up directly into the complete and ultimate geulah through the immediate revelation of Moshiach Tzidkeinu TUMYM!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
לזכות 'ר שלום מרדכי הלוי בן, רבקה לישועה וגאולה בפשטות, ובגשמיות למטה ט"מיי" תומ! ממש ולזכות 'ר ברוך מרדכי בן 'חי אסתר ש"ל רפוק" ורפוט" ואויוש מתוך בריאות הנכונה ס"וכט
