Dear Reader sh’yichyeh
This Shabbos is the Shabbos before 9-10 Kislev, the birthday, yahrtzait and Chag HaGeula of the Mitteler Rebbe. The Rebbe writes in the HaYom yom for these days: “The birthday of the Mitteler Rebbe in 5534 (1773) and the anniversary of his passing in 5588 (1827). His resting place is in Niezhin. [On 10 Kislev,] 5587 (1826), the Mitteler Rebbe was released from his confinement in Vitebsk. Word had arrived on Chol HaMoed Sukkos that informers had denounced him to the authorities. On the first day of Parshas Noach, the 28th of Tishrei, he was duly escorted by several officials from Lubavitch. In the afternoon, he arrived in Dobromisl and delivered the maamer entitled Mayim Rabim. On Monday he proceeded to Liozna, where he delivered the maamer entitled Reshafeha Rishpei Esh. On Tuesday he reached Vitebsk and remained there in confinement until the Sunday of Parshas VaYishlach, 10 Kislev.”
Regarding the Niggunim of the Mitteler Rebbe, the Rebbe writes (HaYom yom 25 Tishrei): “Those ascribed to the Mitteler Rebbe were composed in his time and were sung in his presence. He was not their composer, however. He had a group of musical young men who were known as ‘the Mitteler Rebbe’s choir,’ which comprised singers and various instrumentalists.”
In addition to his choir, the Mitteler Rebbe had another group of young men trained to perform acrobatic stunts on horses. Usually, they would perform on chassidic festivals or similar occasions. Once, however, on an ordinary weekday, the Mitteler Rebbe requested a performance. His son, anxious to please his father, led the horsemen in their feats, but in the midst of one of the stunts he fell, and crashed to the ground in pain. The Mitteler Rebbe immediately called for medical assistance, but asked that the performance continue. Only when it was over did he go to his son.
“Why didn’t you go to your son beforehand?” one of the chassidim respectfully asked the Rebbe. “Let me answer your question with another question,” the Rebbe replied. “Why did I call for a performance on an ordinary weekday?
“The answer is that joy has great healing powers. I saw that there was a Heavenly decree against my son and I sought to nullify it or at least mitigate it. That’s why I called for a celebration. When he was injured, I hoped that the decree had been annulled, and that continuing the celebration would speed his recovery — which indeed proved to be true.”
The Mitteler Rebbe would say Maamarim at length. In the Sichos of the Rebbe they are referred to as “Rechovos Ha’nahar - widening of the rivers,” as the Mitteler Rebbe would expound at length on the points of Chassidus that were revealed by his father, the Alter Rebbe. It is fascinating to note that the longest of the Sichos in the D’var Malchus, and the longest edited Maamer of the Rebbe, were both said on 9-10 Kislev, which Chassidim have connected to the “Rechovos Ha’nahar” of the Mitteler Rebbe.
In the longest edited Maamer of the Rebbe, entitled “Veshavti Beshalom 5738”, which was said in the Rebbe’s room right after the Yom Tov of Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5738, the Rebbe expounds at great length on the elevation that the Neshama receives by the fact that it is “lowered” to this physical world and needs to interact with the physicality of the world.
True pleasure is derived from a novelty. The Neshama serving Hashem in heaven is not a novelty. The G-dly soul serving Hashem in this physical world, while it is a bigger challenge, is not a novelty. Even a Jew getting his body and animal soul to serve Hashem, being that the body of a Jew was chosen by Hashem, is not a true novelty.
[This complete harmony of body and soul was apparent by the Mitteler Rebbe. The Rebbe often repeated that one of the lessons that could be learned from the Mitteler Rebbe’s life – from the fact that he was born and ascended on high on the same date of 9 Kislev – is the idea of perfect harmony and synthesis between body and soul and between the teachings of Chassidus and the actualization of those teachings in everyday life. The way to achieve that harmony and synthesis is through complete immersion in the study of Chassidus and in spreading those teachings to others less fortunate than oneself. The life story of the Mitteler Rebbe personifies total immersion in the study of Chassidus and in the teaching of Chassidus. It was as the Tzemach Tzedek framed it, “If one were to cut the finger of my father-in-law, blood would not run out, but Chassidus.”]
However, when one elevates and refines the physical world, that is a true novelty. This novelty gives tremendous Nachas to Hashem and the Neshama revels in this pleasure. This is what truly gives Hashem Nachas, when we make the Dira Ba’tachtonim.
In addition to the above, the Rebbe teaches us (VaYeitzei 5752) that by learning certain parts of the Mitteler Rebbe’s Chassidus we hasten Moshiach’s arrival.
The reason for this is as follows. The Torah (B’Reishis 25:18) tells us that Hashem made a special treaty with Avraham, promising that his descendants would inherit the Land of Eretz Yisroel. The Torah states that Hashem promised Avraham ten lands, but in reality, the Jewish people only received seven!
Rashi, the foremost commentator on the Chumash, explains: “There are ten nations [enumerated] here, but He gave them only seven nations. The [other] three are Edom, Moab, and Ammon, and they are [here referred to as] the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, which are destined to be [our] heritage in the future, as it is said: ‘Upon Edom and Moab shall they stretch forth their hand, and the children of Ammon shall obey them.’”
The Alter Rebbe writes (Tanya Ch. 36) that everything that will happen when Moshiach comes depends on our avoda in the times of galus. How do we prepare to conquer those extra three lands?
In Chassidus it is explained that the seven lands represent that avoda of the seven emotions (middos) of the heart, while the remaining three lands represent the avoda of the three parts of the mind (mochin). In order to conquer the three lands when Moshiach comes, we must conquer our mind and have it be devoted entirely to the service of Hashem. The Mitteler Rebbe’s Maamarim are very deep and intellectually challenging, and they also discuss these concepts at length. By learning those Maamarim, we are preparing for Moshiach.
We are now celebrating 40 years of the miraculous recovery of the Rebbe in 5738. Let’s remember the words of the Rebbe (VaYeitzei 5752) which is connected to the 40 years of the Rebbe’s Nesius at that time: And the only thing missing is that a Jew should open his eyes as he should, when he will see that all is ready for the Redemption! There is already the Shulchan Aruch (the Set Table); there is already the Leviasan, the Shor HaBar and the Yayin Meshumar. The Jewish people already sit by the table, “the table of their Father” (the Holy One Blessed be He), together with our righteous Moshiach. (As is stated in holy books that in every generation there is “one descended from Yehuda who is qualified to be Moshiach”). In our generation this is the leader of our generation, my sainted father-in-law. And now forty years after the passing of my sainted father-in-law we also have already “a heart to know and eyes to see and ears to hear.”
We must now only open the “heart to know” and open “the eyes to see” and open the “ears to hear.” Likewise, we must utilize all 248 physical limbs and 365 physical sinews in the learning of the inner aspects of the Torah, as revealed in the teachings of Chassidus and observing the directives of our Rebbeim and leaders. These directives include learning about the concepts of Redemption, in a way that will open the heart, eyes and ears. That is, one must understand, see and hear in the physicality of the world the true and complete Redemption in actual reality. One should learn the Torah of Moshiach (the inner aspects of Torah) in a way of seeing. All of the above is already prepared; one need only open the eyes to see it! Also, the custom of the Jewish people which is continually spreading in our time, to learn the subject of Redemption and Moshiach, in order to prepare himself and others even more for the revelation of the true and complete Redemption, as mentioned above.
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula u’Moshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com