Chapter 163: The Alter Rebbe Organizes the Systems for Spreading the Teachings of Chassidus, the Journey to Volhynia

00:01 Rabbi Avigdor, the brother-in-law of Rabbi Boruch Mordechai of Bobruisk, had broken off contact with him years earlier. But now, having heard such extraordinary praise of his brother-in-law, Rabbi Boruch Mordechai, he decided to visit him. A festive reception was arranged in honor of the distinguished guest, the gaon Rabbi Avigdor. When the guest arrived, he was led to the large shul, where a large crowd had gathered. To give him a little rest from his journey, they brought him into a side room of the shul. And because it was a Chassidic shul, next to that room was another room called [unclear]. That was where those who spent a long time davening at a measured pace would daven. While Rabbi Avigdor was in the side room, he heard a sweet voice that captivated him, with a melody full of heartfelt yearning and longing of the soul. Rabbi Avigdor was greatly surprised. He knew, of course, that Bobruisk was a Chassidic town and that some chassidim davened until after midday, so he understood that this must be one of them. But the sweet melody moved him so deeply that he asked his brother-in-law, Rabbi Boruch Mordechai, “Who is this chossid who is davening?” Rabbi Boruch Mordechai told him it was Zalman Leib the coachman, who had lived in [unclear] and had worked as a coachman for Chaim Zelig in Vilna. Rabbi Avigdor replied jokingly, “Zalman Leib the coachman is one of the people who daven like that? Why, he is no more than the heel of someone who davens!” Rabbi Boruch Mordechai said nothing. After Rabbi Avigdor finished his lengthy discourse before the crowd, concluding with a homily on Aggadah for the householders, he was feeling rather pleased with himself. So when he saw Reb Zalman Leib, he remarked before the entire crowd, “Here is the heel of the one who davens.” Rabbi Boruch Mordechai sensed the public slight to the honor of Chassidus and the chassidim. He told his brother-in-law that the heel of one who davens is also something great according to the Torah, and that it brings benefit in three ways. The scholars and leading figures of Bobruisk, who already knew the wisdom and measured manner of their teacher, Rabbi Boruch Mordechai, understood that they were surely about to hear a sharp, pointed remark. For Rabbi Boruch Mordechai had a way of making others understand, through a witty turn of phrase, just what they deserved. “It is an explicit Mishnah,” said Rabbi Boruch Mordechai, “that the heel of one who davens says three things.” Rabbi Avigdor and the other scholars looked at him in astonishment and waited to hear this explicit Mishnah. Rabbi Boruch Mordechai paused for a few moments, then said, “The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos says: ‘Akavya’—the heel—‘ben Mahalalel’—of one who praises Hakadosh Boruch Hu—‘says: Reflect on three things and you will not come to sin. Know where you came from, where you are going, and before Whom you will have to give an account. Where did you come from? From a putrid drop.’ When you know that you came from a putrid drop, you will not be arrogant. ‘And where are you going? To a place of dust, maggots and worms.’ When you know that the place you are going is the earth and the dust, you will not be driven by desires or crave money. ‘And before Whom will you have to give an account? Before the King of kings, Hakadosh Boruch Hu.’ In other words, when you know that you must give an account before the King of kings, Hakadosh Boruch Hu, you will fear sin.” There is much more to the story of Rabbi Boruch Mordechai, and we will tell it on another occasion soon. For now, let us return to the life of the Alter Rebbe and his extensive communal work. In those days, the Alter Rebbe published a general letter about establishing regular contributions to support our holy Rebbes who had traveled to the Holy Land. The Alter Rebbe chose three capable young men and sent them across the country to arrange those contributions—that is, to collect money for our Rebbes in the Holy Land. He also charged them with winning people over to Chassidus and encouraging the study of Chassidus. By then, every town had one or two young men who had studied in Liozna, and in general we see

03:00 tremendous dedication among the Alter Rebbe’s students. Every instruction and directive of the Alter Rebbe was immediately carried out with the utmost care, diligence and precision. In view of the large number of young men who wanted to travel to Liozna, the Alter Rebbe designated six places—Lepel, Dubrovna, Smolyan, Ulla, Shventsiany and Yanovitch—where they would be examined. A special representative of the Alter Rebbe sat in each of these places to determine whether the young men met the criteria he had set. The instructions included a requirement that there be six or seven young men at each examination site, that the examination last no less than two weeks, and that the person in charge then report which candidates were suitable. Under the rules, the young men who had stayed in Liozna in 5536 and 5537 were not permitted to come back for another extended stay; they could visit only once a year. An exception could be made if the minyan and the gabbaim responsible for the contributions felt that a young man devoted to Torah study and avodah merited special attention. In that case, he would be allowed to come to Liozna once more during the year. At the request of the three aforementioned shluchim, they were given permission, if they encountered a promising young man on their travels who wanted to go to Liozna, to draw him close and place him in the care of one of the young men who had studied there. After studying with him for a month or two, they could allow him to come to Liozna. By Pesach, the Alter Rebbe had assigned the students in the chadarim, each to his own place and course of study. From Pesach until Shavuos, he was generally secluded in his holy room. By Shavuos, the young shluchim mentioned earlier had collected a large sum to support our holy Rebbes in the Holy Land, and they had also succeeded in establishing regular contributions. They won the hearts of the rabbis, the shochtim and examiners, and the teachers, and found among them many fine, distinguished rabbis who wanted to travel to Liozna. Thus, a large crowd gathered in Liozna for Shavuos. Several days after Shavuos, the Alter Rebbe held a lottery

05:55 among the young men to decide who would have the privilege of taking the donated funds to the Holy Land to support our holy Rebbes there. Two young men were selected. During those same days, Rabbi Moshe, the Alter Rebbe’s brother, established a class in Gemara with Rashi and Tosafos for the young men who had come to study, naturally following the Alter Rebbe’s instructions. In Tammuz, the first group of young men who had arrived in Liozna after Pesach departed. A second group took their place, in keeping with the rule that the young men could stay in Liozna for only two or three months. Rabbi Yehudah Leib, known as the uncle from [unclear], and Rabbi Mordechai, brothers of the Alter Rebbe, oversaw the young men’s supervision, guidance and studies. The town of Liozna took on an entirely different character. Those householders who had been coarse, simple merchants became like the tribe of Zevulun, supporting those who sat in the tents of Torah. Their young sons began to apply themselves diligently to Torah study, and their daughters expressed a desire to marry Torah scholars. During the summer, four more examination sites for young men were added, in the towns of Beshenkovichi, Keidan, Kletsk and Mogilev. These became regional centers from which instructions went out to those connected with the Alter Rebbe throughout their districts. The shluchim and the representatives of the centers corresponded with Rabbi Yehudah Leib, the Alter Rebbe’s brother and chief representative, reporting everything that was happening. On Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, word was sent through the shluchim and representatives that visitors coming to Liozna could stay for only one Shabbos. In Tishrei they could stay for only one of the occasions: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos or Shemini Atzeres. The Alter Rebbe stressed that even those who brought enough food for their entire stay in Liozna were not permitted to remain longer, except by special authorization from the gabbaim responsible for the contributions, the minyan or the representative. At every turn, we see the Alter Rebbe’s organizational ability in arranging the outreach, which led everyone to participate wholeheartedly and with all their strength in achieving the intended goal. When Tishrei arrived, crowds upon crowds streamed to Liozna, some by wagon, some

08:50 Among the young men, the question was who would have the privilege of taking the donated funds to our Holy Land to support our holy Rebbes there. Two young men were chosen. In those days, Rabbi Moshe, the Alter Rebbe’s brother, established a class in Gemara with Rashi and Tosafos for the young men who had come to study, naturally at the Alter Rebbe’s direction. In Tammuz, the first group of young men, who had arrived in Lyazna after Pesach, departed. A second group took their place, in keeping with the rule that the young men could remain in Lyazna for only two or three months. Rabbi Yehuda Leib, known as Uncle Maharil[?], and Rabbi Mordechai, the Alter Rebbe’s brothers, oversaw the young men’s supervision, guidance, and studies. The town of Lyazna took on an entirely different character. Its householders—peddlers who had been coarse and simple—became like the sons of Zevulun, supporting the tents of Yissachar. The young sons began applying themselves to Torah study, and the daughters expressed a desire to marry Torah scholars. Over the summer, four examination centers for the young men were added in the towns of Beshenkovichi, Kidan, Kletsk, and Mohilev. They became regional centers from which guidance went out to those connected to the Alter Rebbe throughout those districts. The shluchim and representatives of the centers corresponded with Rabbi Yehuda Leib, the Alter Rebbe’s brother and chief representative, reporting everything that was happening. On Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, notice was sent through the shluchim and representatives that guests coming to Lyazna could stay for only one Shabbos, and in Tishrei for only one occasion: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos, or Shemini Atzeres. The Alter Rebbe stressed that even those who brought enough food for their entire stay in Lyazna had no permission to remain longer, except by special instruction from the gabbaim of the maamados, the minyan, or the representative. At every step, we see the Alter Rebbe’s gift for organization in arranging the outreach, which brought everyone to take part wholeheartedly and with all their strength in achieving the desired goal. When Tishrei arrived, crowds upon crowds streamed to Lyazna, some in wagons, others

11:39 On foot, among them rabbis, shochtim, teachers, ordinary householders, old and young. The chief representative, Rabbi Yehuda Leib, instructed them to maintain order regarding how long each person could stay in Liozna. At the same time, he took an interest in each visitor—what sort of person he was and what he could accomplish in his own city and community. It is no wonder that the outreach during Tishrei, among such a large gathering from many different places, brought good results for the spread of the study of Chassidus throughout Lithuania. At that time, the Alter Rebbe issued an order that no one was to come to Liozna during the winter, until after Pesach, except young married men coming to receive a program of study. No one knew the reason, but no one dared ask, either. Even one-- even one-- even the Alter Rebbe’s own brother: all of them set aside their own opinions before the Alter Rebbe’s higher judgment, like simple servants. At the beginning of Cheshvan, the Alter Rebbe gave his brother Rabbi Yehuda Leib various instructions, organized the students into chadarim and arranged the young men’s course of study. He chose three young men to accompany him on his journey, saying that he would return home to Liozna before Pesach. This journey was connected with the Alter Rebbe’s role as general coordinator of the students of the Maggid of Mezritch. He traveled to Volhynia, where the members of the holy fellowship had arranged to gather for a farbrengen. We do not know the details of that journey. We do know that at this farbrengen, the members of the fellowship challenged the Alter Rebbe for having charted a new course: he screened those who wished to draw close, selected only those with a grounding in study, and permitted even them to come only at set times. “Was that how their teacher and master, the Maggid, had conducted himself?” they argued. Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin was especially prominent among those who objected. He lived closer to White Russia and therefore knew more about the system the Alter Rebbe had introduced.

14:15 The Alter Rebbe himself gave a detailed account of everything he had instituted and arranged. He expressed his holy view that, without entering into arguments about his overall approach, which was based on what he had received from the Maggid, study must be strengthened through clear explanation and elucidation, particularly in Lithuania. That was the only way to achieve the desired goal. The members of the holy fellowship, the Maggid’s students, were not satisfied. They saw the Alter Rebbe’s conduct as a departure from the established path as they had received it, and therefore decided to write about it to their colleague Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok in the Holy Land. The Alter Rebbe remained in Volhynia on this journey for about half a year and visited various places. Apparently, in one of his letters he expressed great sorrow over the internal opposition to his approach. He found comfort, however, in the fact that several of his colleagues—the holy rabbis Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli and his brother Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, along with some five or six others—supported his holy view. Yet to his sorrow, he saw the holy spring dividing into separate streams. On this journey, the Alter Rebbe visited the holy resting places, the gravesites of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid, and many stories about these visits circulate among chassidim. The Alter Rebbe also visited the city of Mohilev on the Dniester River, where he had stayed about two years earlier, when Rabbi Menachem Mendel and his group were traveling to the Holy Land. In other words, we are now speaking about the year 5539, roughly 1779 by their count. This visit to Mohilev brought the Alter Rebbe great pleasure and was a drop of sweetness amid his sorrow: there he found fine growth from the seeds he had planted on his first visit. He now saw fit to establish a center there as well. He chose one of the three young men accompanying him and entrusted him with running it.