Episode 196 - Opponents to the Alter Rebbe from Within Chassidus

00:01 The continuation of the Alter Rebbe’s story. Now, to our great sorrow, we turn to a dispute that arose not from the misnagdim, but דווקא from his fellow students of the Maggid of Mezritch, who, for various reasons, began to oppose the Alter Rebbe. This is what happened. A tzaddik sought to dwell in peace, but was not allowed to. Precisely during those years of peace, when the Chabad Chassidic movement was becoming established, the Alter Rebbe faced the anger of the tzaddikim of Poland. The holy rabbis Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuzh, the Baal Shem Tov’s grandson; Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk, who was then in the Holy Land; and Rabbi Mordechai of Lechovitch had until then been loyal friends of the Alter Rebbe. But around the year 5562, their hearts turned against him because of slander brought before them. Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk had been the Alter Rebbe’s loyal friend throughout his time in Russia. Even afterward, when he went up to the Holy Land with Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok, Rabbi Avraham wrote the Alter Rebbe many affectionate letters. In fact, it was he who urged the Alter Rebbe to accept the leadership of the chassidim of Lithuania and Reisen, and he also encouraged those chassidim to accept the Alter Rebbe’s leadership. The Alter Rebbe held Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk in great affection, and referred to Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk as “our teachers in the Holy Land.” In his great humility, the Alter Rebbe lowered himself before them like a student before his teacher, and devoted all his considerable energy and strength to arranging the financial support for those holy rabbis and their associates. Yet some of the Alter Rebbe’s people, or of Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk’s people whom he sent to Russia to deal with that support, repeatedly acted against the Alter Rebbe’s wishes. The Alter Rebbe suffered greatly from them, but in his great humility accepted it all with a good heart. Those emissaries whom Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk sent to Europe, however, returned to the Holy

02:52 Land and made accusations against the Alter Rebbe to Rabbi Avraham. Sadly, as is known, there is a covenant that slander will be accepted by the heart. With great tzaddikim, it is accepted all the more readily, and so Rabbi Avraham accepted what they said. It is also told that one of the Alter Rebbe’s chassidim went up to the Holy Land, thinking that there, too, he would have someone from whom to learn and hear words of the living G-d. But after arriving and spending some time with Rabbi Avraham, and hearing words of the living G-d from him, he found that Rabbi Avraham did not quench his thirst as the Alter Rebbe had. He longed for the Alter Rebbe’s holy words and resolved to return abroad to him. Rabbi Avraham did not want to let him go, because the chossid was very precious and dear to him. But the chossid persisted and prepared for the journey. When he came to Rabbi Avraham for a farewell blessing, Rabbi Avraham warned him not to go, saying, “You should know that you have to cross the sea.” The chossid told Rabbi Avraham that he was not afraid, because he had a rebbe. At this, Rabbi Avraham’s face fell. He became very jealous of the Alter Rebbe, and resentment toward him took root in his heart. Together with the slander he had accepted, this turned his heart completely against the Alter Rebbe, until he began to challenge even the Alter Rebbe’s teachings of Chassidus and his conduct. Rabbi Avraham then began to raise an uproar against the Alter Rebbe. He also wrote a hostile letter about him to the holy Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, saying that the Alter Rebbe was not following the path of our teacher, the Maggid of Mezritch. And those emissaries we spoke of earlier traveled throughout the region, repeatedly making accusations against the Alter Rebbe to the tzaddikim of Poland. Their words had a particular effect on Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuzh and Rabbi Mordechai of Lechovitch, who until then had also been loyal friends of the Alter Rebbe.

05:24 It is told that when the Tanya was printed in 5557, Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuzh received it with love and affection and called it “a book of understanding.” When the Alter Rebbe returned from Petersburg in 5559, he wrote Rabbi Baruch a special letter telling him of Hashem’s kindness and the wonders He had done for him and for them. But Rabbi Avraham’s emissaries came to the Alter Rebbe and spoke to him brazenly. They also traveled throughout the region, insulting and reviling him. The Alter Rebbe endured it all and remained silent. But when their harassment intensified and they went too far in causing confusion among the people, the Alter Rebbe’s sons and students pressed him not to remain silent any longer, for his strength to endure it was exhausted. The Alter Rebbe then wrote Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk a long letter of open rebuke, showing him that justice and fairness were on his side and that Rabbi Avraham had merely accepted slander. He told him plainly that Rabbi Avraham was not the Alter Rebbe’s teacher, and the Alter Rebbe was not his student. The Alter Rebbe did not need Rabbi Avraham’s approval for his teachings of Chassidus, nor had he ever asked for it, since they were the holy teachings of our teacher, the Maggid of Mezritch, and his holy son, Rabbi Avraham the Malach. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev also wrote to Rabbi Avraham, showing him that the Alter Rebbe was indeed following the path of our teacher, the Maggid. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak testified that the Alter Rebbe had been very dear to the Maggid, who had praised him highly. Sadly, none of this helped. The mountain separating those who had been close only grew higher, and their hearts remained divided. This was also the cause of the dispute with Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuzh. It is told that when famine broke out in the area, villagers were driven from their homes and left lying in the streets, swollen with hunger. The Alter Rebbe traveled throughout the region to collect money for them, including in the towns of Poland. Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuzh did not

08:02 want to tolerate this, and the Alter Rebbe suffered greatly at the hands of Rabbi Baruch’s people. When the Alter Rebbe traveled to visit the holy resting place of our teacher the Baal Shem Tov, he met Rabbi Baruch in Tulchin on Rosh Chodesh Adar 5575. At first, Rabbi Baruch received him with love and affection. Rabbi Baruch lived upstairs, and as the Alter Rebbe approached him, he said, “Who may ascend the mountain of Hashem[?]” Rabbi Baruch came out to meet him and replied, “One with clean hands,” and received him with love and affection. The Alter Rebbe then told him the whole story of Petersburg, from beginning to end. But afterward a dispute arose between them there, and the Alter Rebbe rebuked him to his face. Nothing helped, however, and they parted in disagreement. No good came of it for either side. This is what the Alter Rebbe wrote in his letter to Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk in Elul 5565. The Alter Rebbe says in the letter: “First, there is the well-known teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory, that a covenant has been made concerning slander: if it is not accepted in its entirety, part of it is accepted. For many years, as they sharpened their tongues like swords year after year, I was burned by it from there to here and from here to there.” The Alter Rebbe is referring to those emissaries who carried the funds from Europe to the Land of Israel, and so on. “The slander became like the ropes of a cart, the measure filled up, and a mountain rose between us. The mountain separating us grew high. In particular, I heard in the name of the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel that the place itself is a factor: he would warn people there very strongly to beware of baseless hatred, saying that the place is prone to it.” That is, the Land of Israel, the Holy Land. “For the destruction came about because of baseless hatred, and an imprint of that hatred remains. A further explanation was given clearly and thoughtfully this past Shabbos Nachamu. And baseless hatred comes only through gossip and slander, for it is not human nature to truly hate another person for no reason if that person has done him no wrong, neither in deed nor in speech. And now, whoever”

10:54 Who among us is greater than Shaul, Hashem’s chosen one and His anointed? Yet because Shaul accepted lashon hara, he killed the people of Nov, the city of kohanim, from infants to nursing babies—eighty-five kohanim who wore linen ephods, with a Kohen Gadol at their head. And even regarding King David, one who says that David did not accept lashon hara still has not arrived at the truth. But in a case like this, one must acknowledge it.” In other words, we need to understand. “I will recount Hashem’s kindnesses and His praises; Hashem desires, for the sake of His righteousness, to magnify it.” The Alter Rebbe writes to Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk: “To bring His righteousness into the light, so that it is plainly visible to all that Hashem’s truth is with us. But your heart has turned backward, like an error that goes forth from a ruler.” Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, for his part, wrote the following to Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk: “You complain about the Alter Rebbe’s conduct and say that it does not follow the Maggid’s path. First of all, the Gemara says that a person is not believed to testify after the fact. But beyond that, I am astonished that anyone could think to complain about the Alter Rebbe’s conduct. His entire occupation is teaching the people Torah and mitzvos, and that was also the Maggid’s chief occupation. This is the essence of the service we received from our teacher; it is the sacred path of our holy Torah, and along this path Hashem’s light will dwell. If only all the tzaddikim would conduct themselves this way. On the contrary, whoever does not follow this path is not following our teacher’s path. And whoever complains about the Alter Rebbe’s path is, as it were, complaining about the Maggid, G-d forbid, for teaching the Jewish people was precisely the heart of his service.” Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev continues: “I find it very surprising that you, who were together with us under the Maggid’s care, should find this path strange. In my opinion, this is the path, and it is the path on which

13:48 Hashem’s light will dwell. And I testify with absolute certainty that my mechutan”—meaning the Alter Rebbe—“was exceedingly dear to the Maggid, who would always praise him lavishly, beyond measure. It was only worthless, empty men with no understanding of Torah who brought lashon hara to Rabbi Avraham’s ears, and he himself sent emissaries to disrupt matters. And they dare open their mouths against the Alter Rebbe?” Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev also said of the Alter Rebbe: “We all ate from one bowl, but this Litvak”—meaning the Alter Rebbe—“took the cream and the substance.” He writes something similar in his letter to Rabbi Avraham: “You say that our teacher, the Maggid, held our teacher Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok dear? I did not hear that. But I can testify that my mechutan, the Alter Rebbe, was very dear to the Maggid, who praised him exceedingly.” And here is what the Alter Rebbe wrote to the chassidim about his meeting with Rabbi Boruch of Mezhibuzh: “I received the letter, ‘A Shigayon of David,’ and my stomach churned. Can there be a man so deceitful as to turn matters completely upside down? On the contrary, I rebuked Rabbi Boruch to his face for his ingratitude. Both times I was imprisoned in Petersburg, it was because of his grandfather”—meaning the Baal Shem Tov—“and I could have said, ‘His grandson is alive; let him come and answer all the questions raised against him.’ But I did not say that. Afterward he asked me, ‘Why do you need to go through all this?’” Apparently Rabbi Boruch asked the Alter Rebbe that. “‘You can surely sweeten the judgments by passing your hand over your forehead and face.’

16:16 “I said to Rabbi Boruch, ‘Our forefather Yaakov surely knew how to sweeten the judgments. Yet he did not do that; instead, he met Eisav and brought him a gift. The truth is that both are needed: sweetening the judgments and sending a gift to Eisav.’ After that Rabbi Boruch asked me, ‘Is it fitting for someone of your stature to travel around such distant towns?’ I told him, ‘Am I greater than Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, who traveled all his life collecting money to redeem captives?’ Then I asked Rabbi Boruch whether it was true, as I had been told in his name, that he had called my Sefer Shel Beinonim a book of intellect, and he acknowledged that it was. I asked him, ‘Then why are you angry with me?’ He said, ‘Why did you come to our region?’ I gave him two answers. First—‘The earth and all it contains belong to Hashem.’ Second, I could not bear the suffering of the villagers who had been driven from their homes into the towns, where they lay in the streets, their bellies swollen, dying of hunger. Rabbi Boruch said to me, ‘What does it matter to you if they die?’ I told him, ‘It is clear that you accepted lashon hara about me from those people from the west. Until the year 5562, we were loyal friends. But those people from the west’—meaning those who came from Eretz Yisroel—‘spoke lashon hara about me, and you accepted their words just as Shaul accepted what was said about David. So I say, as David said to Shaul: May Hashem judge between us.’ At first I said not to show the letter to the chassidim, so that there would not be a desecration of Hashem’s name before the non-Jews. But then I changed my mind. On the contrary, I ordered that the letter be copied and sent to all the communities of Anash, so that everyone would know of their falsehood. For the letter claimed that I had asked Rabbi Boruch for his approval of my trip to Petersburg, and that he had told me anyone traveling to Petersburg had to wear Russian clothes and grow a forelock, and that I had agreed to do so for the good of the Jewish people.

18:54 “That is a lie, as is well known to everyone in our region: many people from here travel to Petersburg without having to do any of that. And why would I need his approval? What do I need his approval for? I have in my possession a writ of freedom from the emperor concerning all my activities.” The Alter Rebbe concludes the letter: “The emperor’s peace and protection are over them, and Hashem is with us; do not fear.”