Dear Readers sh’yichyu,
Many of us know about the dilemma that the Alter Rebbe had, whether to go and learn by the Mezritcher Maggid and eventually become a Chassid or to go elsewhere. He was the most outstanding young scholar in Europe at the time and had already mastered the Talmud and Halachic authorities. At that point, he felt that he had two choices: to study with the Gaon of Vilna or the Maggid of Mezritch. He chose to study with the Maggid of Mezritch. The Alter Rebbe decided: “I already know how to learn a little bit, but I haven’t yet learned how to daven.”
The one who really influenced the Alter Rebbe to go to Mezritch was his brother, the Tzaddik Reb Yehuda Leib of Yanovitch, known as the Maharil. R. Yehudah Leib is the author of the written versions of the Alter Rebbe’s maamarim that constitute Torah Ohr. He also wrote a Talmudic and Halachic work entitled She’Eris Yehudah.
There is a very special story that was told over by Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik, Reshimos D’varim, Vol. 1, p. 73, in the name of the Maharil: The chassidim once asked the Maharil, Reb Yehuda Leib of Yanovitch, the brother of the Alter Rebbe, “How did your parents merit children of such great stature in Torah—first the Alter Rebbe, then you, and then your brothers Reb Mordechai and Reb Moshe?”
Reb Yehuda Leib answered, “This was all in the merit of our mother, who was a fine Jewish woman, possessing the qualities of love of Torah and fear of Heaven. Here is an example of her good, upstanding deeds: Our father, Reb Boruch, was a businessman. Once his business travels required him to travel out of Russia and remain there for a while. When he returned home, he brought our mother a gift known as a ratanda (a certain kind of upper garment that was very costly). After some time passed, my mother sensed worry and dejection on the face of our private teacher. She discovered that he was not teaching us in a lively, enthusiastic manner as he always would. My mother asked the teacher, ‘Why aren’t you teaching my sons with liveliness and joy? What is worrying you?’
“The teacher responded, ‘My wife has been tormenting me lately, complaining to me, “See, Reb Boruch brought his wife a ratanda as a gift—why don’t you bring me gifts?”’ My mother immediately went to the cupboard, took out the ratanda, and gave it to the teacher, saying, ‘Give this to your wife so that she will no longer give you a hard time with her complaints. The main thing is that you shouldn’t be troubled, and you should be able to learn with my sons with liveliness and joy.’”
The Alter Rebbe and the Maharil decided to go together to the Mezritcher Maggid. In HaYom Yom the story is told: “The Alter Rebbe journeyed to Mezritch together with his brother Maharil, in 5524 (1764). Maharil had set out without permission from his wife, and therefore returned in the midst of the journey. The Alter Rebbe arrived in Mezritch and remained there — on this first occasion — until after Pesach in 5525 (1765). For [the first] two weeks he had been undecided as to whether to stay or not.
“The first maamer he heard [from the Maggid] was entitled ‘Nachamu Nachamu.’ It is not known whether this was the first maamer he heard after his arrival, or the first he heard after the initial two weeks that convinced him to stay and establish a connection [to the Maggid].” (HaYom Yom 11 Av)
In Likkutei Dibburim, the Frierdike Rebbe elaborates on this story: At the end of this first visit to Mezritch, the Alter Rebbe had planned to return home on foot, but the Maggid saw to it that he should travel by wagon. As the Alter Rebbe was loading his belongings, the Maggid’s son R. Avraham the Malach (“the Angel”), who was seeing him off, said to the wagon-driver: “Whip the horses until they stop being horses.” (Or, according to another version: “Whip the horses until they know that they are horses.”) Hearing this, the Alter Rebbe responded by saying that he had now learned a new path in Divine service. He therefore deferred his departure and stayed on for some time in Mezritch. The horse refers to material tendencies. The Alter Rebbe realized that staying in Mezritch would teach him how to harness them for Divine service.
The HaYom Yom (22 Cheshvan) actually quotes one of the original teachings that the Alter Rebbe heard upon his arrival by the Mezritcher Maggid: “The teaching is based on a verse from the prophet Yeshayahu. ‘I (Anochi) made the earth and I created man upon it.’ This means that…Anochi [a term signifying the One], Who is hidden and concealed from even the highest emanated beings, enclothed His Essence in numerous self-screening contractions in order to radiate forth the emanated beings, and to produce the created beings, [including] seraphim, as well as chayos and ofanim, angels and worlds beyond number. Moreover, with an infinite number of contractions…I made the earth — this physical world, and I created man upon it. Man is the ultimate purpose of creation. In fact, the numerical value of the word בראתי (“I created”) is 613, [the total number of mitzvos,] which are the ultimate purpose of man. As the Pardes states in the name of Seifer HaBahir: ‘The Attribute of Kindness complained to G‑d: “Master of the world, ever since Avram has been on earth, I have not been required to perform my tasks, for Avram is there to function in my stead!” Thus Avraham Avinu, who was a soul enclothed in a body and who extended hospitality freely in order to make G‑d’s existence known in this nether world, far surpassed the level of the Attribute of Kindness in the World of Atzilus. Indeed, the complaint of the Attribute of Kindness reflected its envy of his Divine service.”
Dear Chassidim:
While I was learning this HaYom Yom, of 11 Av, I wondered why it is important for us to know this seemingly trivial detail: “The first maamer he heard [from the Maggid] was entitled ‘Nachamu Nachamu.’ It is not known whether this was the first maamer he heard after his arrival, or the first he heard after the initial two weeks that convinced him to stay and establish a connection [to the Maggid].”
B’hashgacha Pratis, after contemplating the question, I started learning the Sicha of Pinchas 5751. The Rebbe writes (Ois 11) about the Minhag to call the month of Av with the name Menachem Av. The Rebbe explains: “Menachem, the comfort of Geula, is the purpose and goal of all the occurrences of the month of Av. In addition, everything starts with Geula, even before the descent, as the spirit of Moshiach existed before creation. Thus it is the revealed purpose of creation. This also gives us the strength that even if there is a temporary descent, it is not only for the eventual elevation, rather the elevation – Geula – can be found in the descent itself!”
After reading this paragraph, I had some possible insight into the above question. The Rebbeim are teaching us that Chassidus Chabad is founded on “Nachamu Nachamu,” the comfort of Moshiach. This is the founding principle in the Hiskashrus of the Alter Rebbe to the Maggid and the purpose and the necessity of the revelation of Chassidus Chabad. Our holy Rebbeim not only comfort us in exile but they prepare us all for the comfort of Geula.
After setting down the founding principle of Nachamu Nachamu, the Rebbeim built the beautiful edifice of Chassidus Chabad to prepare us and the whole world for the original purpose of creation, the Geula. Baruch Hashem, we have merited to be part of the “Dor HaShvii – seventh generation,” the generation of our Rebbe. “After 40 years, we have received the eyes to see, ears to hear and heart to know” and we are now focused on fulfilling the original purpose of creation in general and specifically of Chassidus Chabad.
So while many may say, as I have heard, that we should cool down the fire of Moshiach (r”l) and “go back to basics,” that we should focus more on the intellectual aspects and the Avoda of Chassidus Chabad, which of course we need to do as well, we need to remind everyone that “back to basics” is Nachamu Nachamu – bringing the Geula B’poel Mamash.
Chassidus Chabad is Geula and Geula is Chassidus Chabad! L’chaim!
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