Two weeks ago, we quoted a portion of a letter that the Rebbe wrote regarding Chabad standards. This was in response to a discussion about Chabad standards and a term that has come to be known as ‘Chabad lite.’ The response did not represent a personal viewpoint, rather the Rebbe’s perspective on this matter.
The essential questions that we need to ask ourselves are; what is the best way to keep Chabad standards and why are we struggling so much right now with these standards? Once again in order to answer these questions we turn to the Rabbeim. The following is a portion of a sicha from the Friediker Rebbe.
My father frequently recalled, the sicha of Yud Tes Kislev of the year 5699, December 1938. The Rebbe gave them two examples for the period which we are now in. The first example was of someone who was climbing a mountain and was almost at the peak. Those last few steps are the hardest to take and overcome. At that time any small thing is precious - a clump of grass, a stone, a twig, something to hold onto with your body. If someone can give you a hand to help you, give you some light and show you how to go those few extra steps, then this is something very precious.
The same thing, we are now right before Moshiach, the last few steps. Every good thing we have to keep precious, we have to have the light to help us succeed. What is the light that helps us succeed? It is the light of Torah and Mitzvos. Setting for yourself a time to learn. We are holding just before Moshiach. There are only a few more steps and any good things that we can do hastens his coming.
The second example was of a person who doesn’t sleep a whole night and then in the last 10-15 minutes before daylight he has a compelling desire to sleep. If a person could only push himself not to fall asleep during that time and then if during the day he could push himself more and not fall asleep then he can accomplish what he is supposed to, but if he falls asleep before daybreak then the whole day is lost. His sleepiness affects him for the whole day and his mind is not clear.
So too us now, we are just minutes away from Moshiach coming. Before the light of the day (Moshiach) we get very sleepy spiritually. No one knows a din, We have to strengthen ourselves not to fall asleep! Everyone has to set aside time every day to learn. We have to give off Terumah and Maseros of time, tithing of our time, to learn! It’s not enough that we support Yeshivos and others to learn on our behalf, which is a very good and important thing to do. But we ourselves must learn! A day cannot pass in which we don’t learn something. You cannot prepare yourself to go to sleep at night and to say Krias Shema without at least learning 1/2 an hour during the day. This is intrinsically connected to our Parnossah. We have to know that we have to designate time to learn (in Beis Medrash, in a Shiur) and then we will not fall asleep before daybreak Chas V’Sholom. We will be a vessel to receive the light of the Day (Moshiach). This is an obligation on every single Jew to know. When you meet another Jew you have to tell him - Listen Brother don’t fall asleep before Daybreak, because then when the light of Day will come, you will be very upset.
In the second mashal the Friediker Rebbe is saying that it is very dark before the break of dawn, and we are getting very sleepy. When we get sleepy we need to keep ourselves awake with a renewed dedication to learning and davening.
The following story I heard from Rabbi Mendel Lerman who heard it from Reb Michoel Teitelbaum A”H. Reb Michoel’s father was called to report to the Russian army for the draft. He came to the Rebbe Rashab on a Friday for a bracha to be released from the draft. His appointment to stand before the army board was on the following Monday or Tuesday. He approached the Rebbe’s Gabbai and the answer he received was that the Rebbe doesn’t schedule appointments on erev Shabbos because he is preparing for the Shabbos. He tried with others but received the same answer. Finally, he went to his uncle Reb Michoel Baliner, the Mashpia in Lubavitch for advice about what to do. He told him that he could stand by the exit of the shul after Maariv on motzei Shabbos. At that time the Rebbe gives his good wishes and brachos to people who are leaving etc. Reb Michoel Baliner said, “Tell the Rebbe your problem and ask for a bracha.”
Reb Michoel Teitelbaum’s father followed his uncle’s direction. When he told the Rebbe that he needed to leave to be at a meeting at Monday or Tuesday, the Rebbe looked at him and said, “What? You come to Lubavitch on Friday to leave on motzei Shabbos? You need to stay a week in Lubavitch!” He responded to the Rebbe, “But Rebbe, I have an appointment to go to the draft board?!” The Rebbe answered, “You need to stay a week in Lubavitch and learn Chassidus!”
He returned to his uncle to ask what to do next. The answer he received was to listen to the Rebbe. He stayed the entire week and went back the following motzei Shabbos and received a bracha. In the end, everything worked out.
One of our greatest problems today is our need to have everything instantly. We need instant gratification, instant messaging, instant coffee, and drive by lunches. We also want instant spirituality. We want to be instantly motivated by Chassidus or to just visit the Ohel for five minutes etc. What we really need is to take time to develop. This is what the Rebbe Rashab and the Friediker Rebbe are teaching. Take the time to learn Torah. Put yourself inside the learning and then internalize what you learn. This way we won’t fall asleep and we will refresh our connection to the Rebbe. This is what some of us are looking for in order to give us the strength to stay awake and uphold the level that Chabad standards call upon us to keep.