The Rebbe’s Yechidus With Sanz-Klausenburg Chassidim

Welcome to our weekly program, The Inside Story of Chabad in America, through the Mindel archives. This is the fourth program - it's a continuation. We started with the first program, and then we spoke about the delegation, we spoke about South America, we spoke about the farbrengen, among others. I think you should definitely look at the last three programs in order to understand this, because we are now in the middle of the delegation that came to the Rebbe in the early years.

Last week I gave the names of who was there, and now I'm going to begin telling how it started - the Klausenburg delegation that came in. The Rebbe began by saying that one needs to start with gashmius first, just as his father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe, always used to start with gashmius and not with ruchnius first. The Rebbe said, "I'm doing the same thing." Then he said to the delegation, "How is the Rebbe feeling, by gashmius?" - meaning, was he well. That was the first thing the Rebbe asked this group of people. So they reported about the Klausenburger Rebbe's physical health in detail - he was very sick, and they described the treatment he was getting. Then the Rebbe said to the delegation, "I'm afraid to ask about his ruchnius - he's a holy man, I'm afraid to ask." So the Rebbe started with gashmius, and then said he was afraid to ask about the ruchnius.

Then the delegation asked, in the name of the Klausenburger Rebbe, how the Rebbe's health was. The Rebbe answered, "When my sevivah [surroundings] is good, I feel good." That's an interesting answer. What this teaches us is that the life of a tzaddik is not his personal life - it is the world around him, and especially when the chassidim of the Rebbe are doing the right thing, that gives health to the Rebbe.

The Rebbe said to them, "I heard at his public gathering, and I'm happy to hear this" - because every Thursday night the Rebbe is happy during this. Why? Because - remember, a few programs ago, Rabbi Willinger [?] said this word constantly, and he got it from the Rebbe - "I am enthusiastic about learning Rambam, and I am glad there is a tanna demesaye'a - there's another source that supports what I do." What does that mean? I'll tell you.

There are letters that say when the Rebbe started to learn Rambam publicly, people complained: "This is not a Rambam shiur for the masses" - sometimes he wouldn't even stop, and would ask, let's say, ten or twelve kashes [questions], and then turn and ask, "What number are we up to?" It's like teaching children. So people complained about this. The Rebbe was happy that somebody else was doing the same thing. And by the way, people also complained that the Frierdiker Rebbe didn't make the broadcast [similarly simple] - as if he's not talking to adults. But the Frierdiker Rebbe had his reasons - there are letters about that which I'm not going to share today because there's no time. So the Rebbe was happy that he had a tanna demesaye'a.

Then the Rebbe asked the delegation, "Can you tell me the reason why the Klausenburger Rebbe started to learn Rambam - is this a minhag of his?" The delegation did not know the answer, so they said, "When we go back to the Klausenburger Rebbe, we'll find out and let you know."

Then the Rebbe explained why he himself started the custom of learning Rambam - this is amazing. The Rebbe said it like this: it is written that chodosh [new grain] is forbidden by the Torah - new grain is prohibited until we bring the Omer; only then is it permitted. So what does "chodosh" mean? Everything new in this world - any modern thing that people come out with - is also forbidden. The Rebbe explained: when there are new forces of evil, new tumah in this world - new styles, new modern ideas - all the time there are new things coming out, and unfortunately it creeps in among religious Jews too. We need to counteract these new things with new things. The Rebbe said we need new ammunition to fight these new influences - as long as the forces of evil come up with new things, we also need to harness the power of holiness and come up with new things.

Therefore, said the Rebbe - I think this is why, all the time, people were questioning why the Rebbe always introduced new things: because since there are always new things in tumah, we have to counteract with new things. And that's why the Rebbe, all the time, came up with new things. This reminds me - at farbrengens, the Rebbe used to whistle with his finger in his mouth, and many times the Rebbe would point, and everybody would whistle. Why? Because whistling is [unclear] - you shouldn't just think, you should whistle - so, to counteract, you have to [unclear]. I believe this connects to a French tune, from the time the Alter Rebbe passed away - that's another story.

Going back to what the Rebbe said - this is why he introduced the custom of learning Rambam. So after the yechidus, the Rebbe explained at a farbrengen why he started to learn it. The Rebbe said: "At the farbrengen today I'm going to read - there is an 'eis la'asos,' a timely mitzvah, to bring Mashiach, so we need to elevate from the very bottom." That's why - I'll explain what I mean. There are four parts of Torah: Pshat is the lowest, Remez is second, Drush is third, and Sod is fourth. In the worlds there are also four: Atzilus is the highest world, Beriah is lower, Yetzirah lower still, and then the world of Asiyah - our world - which we are in now. So we need to elevate from the bottom - the very bottom, being the lowest of the four worlds, Asiyah, which we are in. That is why, through Pshat - because Pshat is the lowest of the four parts of Torah - we can elevate the lowest place, since Asiyah needs the greatest effort to elevate. That's why the Rebbe started teaching Rambam, because it's the lowest, and it's the lowest that we need to elevate. This is why the Rebbe said, "I am enthusiastic about learning [Rambam]" - that's why he started it. And not only that - he made sure that even a simple person, not just a scholar, would be able to understand each halacha, and it needed to be taught in a simple way. The Rebbe also mentioned that this connects to Geulah [Redemption]. This is what the Rebbe said about why he started it mainly.

The Rebbe also asked the delegation: when does the Klausenburger Rebbe say the weekly Chumash portion on Shabbos - before Krias HaTorah [the Torah reading] or after? They answered, "Before Krias HaTorah." The Rebbe asked why Krias HaTorah itself shouldn't come first, since the Torah reading is itself called "Torah" - so it should come first.

So they said they would get back to him on that. The Rebbe was waiting from them for an answer to two questions: one, why he [the Klausenburger Rebbe] started learning Rambam, and the other, why he reads the Chumash before Krias HaTorah. They didn't get back to him right away. It was only after some time, when the Rebbe was still waiting for an answer, that it reached Rabbi Willinger [?], and he said, "I'm sorry - I knew the answer before, but I wasn't in a hurry to give it." But he added, "You Klausenburger chassidim are different - you are soldiers, you want things done immediately; as soon as you are asked, you want the reasons right away. We had the answer, but we didn't want to give it to you immediately, and we're sorry."

And then they conveyed the answer: why he reads the Chumash before Krias HaTorah - because that was the custom of his Zeide [grandfather/predecessor], who used to do it that way. He said that Krias HaTorah itself should always come first, so he does Krias HaTorah itself first. [This part is unclear and may be inconsistent.] And the answer as to why he started learning Rambam in public - he said that's a technical matter. This is what they answered him.

This is amazing - there's much more to talk about, but we have no time today. Since today, I believe, is our last program before Rosh Hashanah, I want to wish all my listeners, and everybody, that all the brachos from Elul until Tishrei should be fulfilled. And since we are entering the new year, we are entering Shnas Hakhel - a year of gathering. So today we should be united - united with other chassidim, united with the world, with all Yidden, united. This was the last farbrengen in which the Rebbe mentioned these two things - that's what he last spoke about. And since we are entering this year, we should open the gates, and surely we will do teshuva, and also do things bein adam lechaveiro [between man and his fellow], and then surely Mashiach will come. Take care, and everybody have a good [Yom Tov/New Year].