Who, Me? Yes, You!
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
This Monday is Chaf Cheshvan, the birthday of the Rebbe Rashab. On one hand, when we remember and celebrate special days of the Rabbeim we increase our connection and become inspired. On the other hand we can wonder how it is relevant to us today in our situation. The Rebbe asks this question with regard to the well-known story brought in Hayom Yom for the 9th of Cheshvan.
When my father was four or five years old he went to his grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek, on Shabbat Vayeira, and began to cry as he asked, "Why did G-d show Himself to our father Avraham - but He does not show Himself to us?" The Tzemach Tzedek answered him: "When a tzadik decides at the age of ninety-nine years that he should be circumcised, he deserves that G-d appear to him."
The Rebbe Rashab was a son of a Rebbe, and part of part of a dynasty of Rabbeim. In general they didn’t speak about themselves. This story was told to us so that we should to give us kochos to learn to be this way. How can we expect to be like them?
The Rebbe (Likutei Sichos v. 15) says that not only can we expect this of ourselves; this should be the way that we approach chinuch as well. We should inculcate within our children the desire that Hashem should be revealed to them. They should have the intention that the reason for all Torah and mitzvos is to reveal Moshiach.
This is a very nice vort for the Shabbos table but what has it got to do with our environment and our streets etc.? Isn’t it just wishful thinking to expect to reach such a level? How can we expect this of a 20 year old who tells that he never saw the Rebbe? He has shut himself down from listening, even if he doesn’t let you know. How do we explain this to him?
I’ve mentioned a few times that once Moshe Hecht wrote the Rebbe for help and the Rebbe responded that he already sent a shliach to his city and he gave him the kochos. His name is Moshe Hecht (himself!) he should go speak with him. The Rebbe sent him the message that he already had given him all the kochos he needed to succeed. He just needed to uncover them and use them.
When we attend a fabrengen for a chassidishe Yom Tov we know its special. By just showing up and eating some kugel and herring, we will not be affected. We don’t say l’chaim just to get high. We need to uncover the block of the physical and allow the neshama to feel and reveal the connection that’s already there.
We need to spend time learning sichos and maamarim and realize that the Rebbe is speaking to us. We need to think about what it means to us. We need to search and find the connection and then apply it. Then its real, then it will have continuity.
Once Michoel der Alter gave a mashal to his students about how to learn chassidus. It was a story of a simple unlearned person who hired a melamed to teach his children in a village distant from the community. Since the man was unlearned, he would also have the melamed read him his mail. One day a telegram arrived with the sad news of his father’s passing. When the man heard the melamed read the news he fainted on the spot. Michoel der Alter asked: “Certainly the melamed should have fainted because he read it first! Why didn’t he faint?” He answered; “Because it wasn’t his father”. So too with chassidus, when you realize that its our Father then its different. When we learn chassidus this way it affects us.
So too with nigunim; by tapping into the spiritual which we already have, we allow the neshama to feel the connection. Moshe Hecht needs to speak to Moshe Hecht because the Rebbe gave him the kochos already.
So too with chinuch when Yaakov lo meis, when the Rebbe is still alive, then it is definitely possible to reach a very high standard. Because its not, and it never was, about the physical, it’s the spiritual connection that makes it all possible.
There’s a story of a tzaddik (not Chabad) that told his son near his passing; I am no longer in a body. The son held his hand and said I’m touching your hand. The tzaddik responded; you are holding a hand because you only feel the physical. So too when we grasp hold of the physical we are unable to feel the spiritual.
By connecting to the Rebbe and living and doing Torah and mitzvos with the intention to reveal Moshiach may we merit to see the complete revelation of Moshiach Now
Good Shabbos