LEARNING FROM THEIR WAYS
Chazal teach that a person should associate himself with Torah scholars as much as possible, for thus he will learn from their ways.
The author of Sefer HaChinuch writes that connecting to talmidei chachomim upholds the entire Torah, and is a strong foundation to help the neshama. A person who is ordinarily in the company of talmidei chachomim will be held back from transgressing, chas veshalom. As Shlomo HaMelech writes, "He who goes together with wisdom will become wise."
(רמב"ם הל' דעות פ"ו ה"ב, ס' החינוך תל"ד)
Surprisingly, the Torah identifies Elisha HaNavi not as the foremost disciple of Eliyahu who received Torah teachings from him, but as "the one who poured water over the hands of Eliyahu." From this we see that serving talmidei chachomim is even more valuable than learning from them. Besides the zechus of helping them, it is specifically through such contact that one can receive guidance on how to live one's daily life.
(ברכות ז ע"ב, מחזור ויטרי תכט)
The Frierdiker Rebbe related: During the time of the Tzemach Tzedek, one could find eltere chassidim visiting Lubavitch year round. The younger chassidim would service them ("shimush"), and this enabled them to watch the eltere chassidim daven, eat, learn and interact with others.
Very often this would impact the young chassidim even more than their own study of Chassidus. As Chazal say, "Being of service to Torah sages is superior even to Torah study," for study produces a learned person, whereas shimush produces an oved HaShem and a chossid.
(לקו"ד ח"ד ע' תרפח)
On another occasion the Frierdiker Rebbe related: In the past, yungeleit would spend time in the close company of eltere chassidim. The eltere chassidim would repay the gratitude that they owed to their own madrichim, by now relaying to the yungeleit what they had received many years earlier. This contact is what made a chossid; this contact is what made a true chassidishe gathering.
(סה"ש ה'שי"ת ע' 354)
VITAL DIRECTION
In תש"ט (1949) the Frierdiker Rebbe bemoaned the fact that young chassidim were lacking guidance. It is unfortunate, he said, that the young chassidim refrain from observing the eltere chassidim who themselves had learned to appreciate the preciousness of an eltere chossid. Even a talmid who is successful in his studies and in his own character refinement needs a great deal of shimush before he is fit to guide others. As chassidim were wont to say, "An eltere chossid has more mellow sense than a yungerman who is a maskil and an oved."
In my youth I saw how the really young chassidim were delighted when an eltere chossid took an interest in them. It did not matter whether the budding chossid was told a warm word or a stern one, since he knew that it was preparing him to be able to absorb the Chabad-chassidishe education into the very roots of his soul.
With such a chinuch, the chassidishe child rose from level to level, enabling him in time to raise his own Chabad-chassidishe family.
(לקו"ד ח"ג ע' 1006)
In the winter of תש"י (1950), the Frierdiker Rebbe discussed the necessity for chassidishe guidance. He said: "Nowadays, many chassidim are completely off track. It is often the loud youngsters, lightheaded and spiritually insensitive, who arrogantly jump to the head table, and thus they remain naked – without a knowledge of Chassidus, and even without middos tovos and a geshmak in davening. For, as the age-old chassidic saying goes, 'Everyone needs chinuch, even a Rebbe who is the son of a Rebbe and the grandson of a Rebbe.' "
(סה"ש ה'שי"ת ע' 350)
The Rebbe Rashab told his son, the Frierdiker Rebbe: One must spend time in the close company of elder chassidim (raibn-zich arum eltere chassidim). When I was younger I would spend time with Reb Shmuel Ber and Reb Chaim Ber during the few weeks that they spent in Lubavitch. I then spent three-quarters of a year applying what they spoke about.
(רשימות היומן ע' תסא)
STUDYING THEIR CONDUCT
Reb Michoel Beliner, the legendary mashpia, is fondly remembered by oldtimers from Lubavitch as Reb Michoel der Alter ("old Reb Michoel"). When he grew frail, the yeshivah administrator suggested to the Rebbe Rashab that he no longer be paid a salary. The Rebbe told him, "In my eyes, the fact that the bochurim can gaze at him is worth a salary. He is an image of an alter chossid."
(Incidentally, some chassidim understood that phrase to intimate that Reb Michoel was equal in standing to a vintage chossid of the Alter Rebbe....)
(לשמע אוזן ע' 103)
One storekeeper in the town of Lubavitch would close his shop every Monday and Thursday morning so that he could go and hear the elder chossid Reb Hendel saying VeHu Rachum through his tears.
(לשמע אוזן ע' 011)
CONSIDER
How does one receive guidance through serving the eltere chassidim? Why can't it be acquired from hearing them teach Torah?