13. The translation of hilulah is chasunah. At a chasunah, the custom is to give gifts. At the hilulah/chasunah, Hashem gives a gift to the tzaddik, which is that Hashem enables the tzaddik to provide goodness to Bnei Yisrael. Obviously, those who are closer to the tzaddik will be from the first to receive the brachos. Therefore, everyone should try to make themselves close to this great tzaddik, either by making a seudah, a l'chayim, or by coming to the kever, each person in his own way. And most important, is to learn from this tzaddik's ways and serve Hashem accordingly. Those who do so will be first in line to receive the yeshuos that the tzaddik will distribute on this day.
The Beis Avraham (Noach) teaches, "On the yahrtzeit of tzaddikim, even if you didn't know them in your lifetime, and you never heard divrei Torah from their mouths, nevertheless, those who go in their ways and gather together, and tell holy stories, and review their lessons, and learn how to serve Hashem, through these means they attain a connection with these tzaddikim.
When the Bas Ayin left Avritz to travel to Eretz Yisrael, many of his chassidim accompanied him to the port of Odessa. The Rebbe was already on the ship, and his chassidim asked him, “How can we maintain our connection with you?”
The Bas Ayin replied that Chazal tell us that we connect with Hashem when we practice Hashem's attributes. "As Hashem is compassionate, you shall be compassionate..." "Similarly," the Bas Ayin said, "if you emulate the middos I excel in and have trained myself in since my youth, we will be united. Even when we are miles apart, we will be connected as though we are face to face. I have three primary middos that I trained myself to be cautious with since my youth. They are never to speak lashon hara, never to tell a lie, and to be distant from gaavah. If you also take on yourselves these three attributes, we will remain united." Indeed, these three middos are primary themes in his holy sefer Bas Ayin.
(The Bas Ayin is buried in a cave. To come to his kever, one needs to bend down low. Tzaddikim said that this exemplifies the Bas Ayin’s humility. Even to get to his grave, one must lower himself.)
