Staying Connected; Completing the Shlichus
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
In this week’s parsha Yaakov sends malachim to Eisav. The Previous Rebbe tells the story of the Maggid, who on the last Shabbos of his life in this world quoted this pasuk as he laid on his bed in the presence of the Chevraya Kaddisha. He quoted Rashi who says; malachim mamash, real malachim, and then added; the mamash (the body) of the malachim he sent to Eisav but the spiritual part remained with Yaakov.
The Rebbe asked; how is it possible to divide and separate between the body and the spirit? Do they divide so that the body can go to Eisav while their spirit can remain by Yaakov? Rashi’s comment taken simply means real malachim, not physical messengers. After everything is said and done Yaakov sent real malachim. They went to Eisav, nevertheless their spirit stayed with Yaakov and remained connected.
This is similar to each one of us in our shlichus here in this world. We have a neshama and we have a body. The neshama cannot make a dwelling place for Hashem in this world without the body. Nevertheless the neshama needs to stay connected to Hashem; the shliach has to stay connected to the mishaleiach, the one who sends him.
When I was at the Kinus HaShuchim this year someone said that he heard that my father said Tefillas HaDerech every day he was away from 770. He wanted to know if I could confirm as true what he had heard. I told him that my father never told me but that it made sense for a few reasons. First, he was the kind of chosid that always wanted to be near to the Rebbe. It was very hard for him to be away. Also, he travelled a lot.
Another reason is the letter we found that he had always carried with him to read and re-read wherever he went. From the letter I understood that father had a tshuka, a desire to be together with the Rebbe (that it’s wasn’t enough for him to be accomplishing things on his own). The basic content of the Rebbe’s letter was that he shouldn’t feel that he is so far away on shilchus, and that his longing is causing him to be always waiting for later to return to 770. Rather, he should be where he is on shlichus and be happy that he’s doing shlichus. With this kind of outlook it makes sense that he might have said Tefillas HaDerech every day. This was how all chassidim felt about being on shlichus at that time. What kept them going, whether in Russia or in Shanghai was the feeling, the tshukah to be by the Rebbe. That we may be on shlichus in this or that place but our true home is by the Rebbe.
A chosid isn’t a chosid automatically just because his father was; I need to build and strengthen my connection to the Rebbe, so that the Rebbe is in front of me just as it was in the previous generations. I cannot be satisfied that they had a tshukah, I need to see to it that my hiskashrus is real, not an echo from the past, that my penimius and ruchnius stays by the Rebbe.
The sefer Hayom Yom details the three things necessary to strengthen hiskashrus. Seeing the Rebbe, learning his Torah (this includes listening to recordings, learning his Sichos and maamarim inside and repeating them, learning them in depth and applying them to our daily lives), and following his directives. These three things correspond to thought, speech and action and encompass every aspect of our lives. They provide a complete connection and make it as the one who said them is standing in front of us.
I remember how my father would not go to bed without finishing his shiurim, including Chitas and Rambam. After the Rebbe came out with learning Rambam, I remember how he would call the shluchim to convince and encourage them to study Rambam daily even though it was difficult to find time because they were so busy. It was so important because this is what builds and strengthens the connection.
When we are busy with all of these three things and they are fully part of how we live, then it effects us and arouses a true teshukah of closeness to the mishaleiach, the Rebbe. It gives us the strength to be successful in all aspects of our shlichus. By continuing and strengthening our connection may we complete the shlichus to make this world a dwelling place for Hashem and witness the full and complete revelation of Moshiach Now!