A shliach in a particular city was engaged in the mission of his shlichus; - bringing the people in his community closer to Torah and Mitzvos and to Hashem. However, he encountered one particular obstacle: There was one specific member of his community whom he was unable to bring closer. That individual, although cordial and polite maintained a certain coldness and aloofness that the shliach was unable to overcome.
It turned out that this individual had a very specific “problem” with Lubavitch. He had heard about various “protests” and demonstrations that had been organized by various Rabbis and Jewish leaders during the holocaust, to raise awareness about the plight of the Jews in Europe. It seemed to him that the Frierdige Rebbe’s involvements in these “projects” was minimal, and he reached his own conclusion that (ch”v) the Rebbe did not emphasize enough with the plight of his brethren. No explanations could move him; he decided that he had a legitimate complaint, and he kept his distance from Lubavitch. All of the efforts of the shliach to reverse this were of no avail.
Once there was an event in the Chabad House, and Rabbi Leibel Groner, the secretary of the Rebbe, was brought down as the guest speaker and to farbreng. Despite his reservations, the above community member also attended.
During the farbrengen, there was a particular sweet on the table, and this individual somehow noticed that Reb Leibel was avoiding partaking of that sweet. He encouraged him to try it, but R’ Leibel remained adamant in his refusal. Puzzled, he asked for an explanation.
At first Rabbi Groner changed the subject, but, after being pressed, he shared the following:
“I was a child in 770 during the war years. One day the secretary of the Frierdige Rebbe came out to us with a message from the Rebbe: The Rebbe asked that – since the Jews in Europe were in terrible peril – we should show our empathy by minimizing our indulgence in worldly pleasures, by forfeiting certain sweets. Each child chose certain delicacies to do without. For the duration of the war years,” Rabbi Groner concluded, “I was foregoing this sweet. By then I decided to continue, and not to go back to it”.
The community member was astounded. Here, he had heard of other leaders who had organized big demonstrations, made a splash and made headlines. But the Frierdige Rebbe – albeit in a quiet and unsensational manner – evoked in these children a genuine empathy that was recognizable in their daily conduct. In fact, the empathy the Rebbe evoked in these children was so real that, at least in one case, the impact continued to be felt decades later!
For this Jew this experience was a turning point in his relationship with Lubavitch, and from then on he was one of the shliach’s most ardent supporters!
It is already more than two months that our brethren in Eretz Yisroel are embattled, and this terrible war is showing no signs of abating. Every day we wake up to hear - lo aleinu Hashem yerachem – of another tragedy, another attack, another victim, another korbon HYD.
In fact, in many ways it seems that this war is more severe that many of the preceding ones: In chassidus (especially in the maamorim of Yud and Yud Tes Kislev) the maamorim address the seeming irony that the word for war (in the Possuk פדה בשלום נפשי מקרב לי) is “krav”. The root of the word “krav” is “kiruv” – closeness, and it would seem that a war is anything but. Chassidus explains that, in fact, the most severe wars are those fought, not from a distance by way of flinging arrows or other projectiles, but those fought in close proximity, in hand to hand combat.
The current war definitely contains this aspect of severity. People are being attacked from within, and they never know where the next strike will come from. It is awful, intolerable and absolutely horrible to wake up day after day, week after week and month after month to hear about another human sacrifice and another victim HYD.
One aspect of our nature, one serious risk is that we can become used to it. We become numbed to these horrific reports, to some degree indifferent and apathetic, and our lives continue normally.
But the first message of the above story is that we can’t be unmoved. כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה, and – furthermore – the battle for shleimus ho’oretz and the tremendous concern for the safety and security of the Yidden in EY was at the forefront of the Rebbe’s agenda throughout the years, and is – naturally – very close to the heart of every chosid.
And yet, as we see in the story, not every person’s reaction need be the same. For some the reaction may not be one that is sensational and makes a splash. Not all of us are meant to emphasize by signing up for TZAHAL and fighting back against the Palis (OK, I said not all of us).
The only thing that is without exception is that our response necessarily must be sincere, heartfelt and genuine. We need to emphasize in a way that reflects our acknowledgement that we are responsible for the welfare of our brethren, and – simultaneously – a way that reflects our recognition that our actions affect our brothers in sisters in Eretz Yisroel, because all Jews are connected.
Each one of us needs to make a serious evaluation of ourselves, and determine that (each of us in our own way) we’re doing something significant in our lives to express our connection with and concern for our brothers and sisters in the holy land.
In general, the Rebbe stressed the importance – when dealing with adversity – of increasing in Torah, Avoda and Gmach. They could be small steps, a few more minutes of Torah learning, a few more kapitlach of Tehillim every day (and the Rebbe specifically suggested 20, 22, 69, and 150) and a few more coins to tzedaka.
What’s important, however, is what’s behind whatever we do; - the recognition and realization that this is our war, and each of us has to feel responsible for the welfare of Eretz Yisroel, and to contribute in a meaningful way, each of us in whatever way we can, to improving the situation.
And, of course, as the Rebbe often emphasized, we have to utilize our most-powerful tool of simcha in all that we do, that is sure to enhance the results. And – being that we are in a year of Hakhel, we should undoubtedly find ways to increase in the Rebbe’s directive of making Hakhel’s, which will definitely increase the brochos and yeshuos even more.
One final point: As mentioned, we are witnessing a battle that – in contrast to most other battles - is referred to as “krav”, a battle entailing hand to hand combat from close proximity.
Perhaps this too contains a message; - namely, that our response should also include the specific manner of warfare of “krav” as it is in the spiritual sense. The maamorim connected with the yemei hageulah in Kislev explain this at length. This refers to serving Hashem through engaging our nefesh habehamis. It means learning chassidus in a way that we fully grasp the concepts. We have to think and analyze and deliberate until the idea that we are learning about makes perfect sense to our own NHB.
The indication is very simple: Are you fully comfortable with the idea that you just learned, comfortable that it makes enough sense to you that you feel able to explain it to or share it with a non-Jewish friend or acquaintance? If it makes perfect sense to you, and you are confident enough with it as to feel able to communicate it to a goy, then it is most probable that your own internal goy is on board as well.
