The Rebbe - What is a Rebbe - Part V

00:01 Behemsek to the earlier installments when we get to the topic of Rebbe, what is a Rebbe? Continuing now with installment number five, discussing additional short stories or quotes from the Rebbe with regard to the relationship between the Rebbe and a Hasid. On one occasion, a Hasid mentioned to the Rebbe that the Rebbe is giving him extraordinary, exceptional kiruvim, and that sh-shows that he's not a Hasid, because a Hasid would not need these kiruvim. Kiruvim are basically for one who's not a Hasid. So the Rebbe responded to him as follows: "You need to decide what do you prefer more? Either kiruvim from me and complaints and criticism of Hasidim that they're telling you you're not a Hasid, or not to receive any more kiruvim, and then mele this will remove the criticism of Hasidim." On another occasion, the Rebbe told a Hasid who seemingly was leaving New York to return back to his home that when you are taking the spirituality that you received here, you are also taking me, and I'm cautioning you that you should use me, fulfill me only for good things. It was once during the time that the Rebbe distributed Lekach honey cake, which was basically Erev Yom Kippur or Hishtalshelus HaRebbe, and one of the Hasidim asked the Rebbe if by eating the Lekach, the Hashpa'ah, the broches that the Rebbe gives with giving Lekach also doesn't exist anymore. So the Rebbe responded that when you eat the Lekach, the physical aspect of the Lekach is like eaten, but the

02:23 spiritual aspect that came with the Lekach remains also later. It was in the year Taf Shin Yud or Yud- Taf Shin Yud Alef, which is basically 1950 or 1951, the Rebbe came to be Menachem Muvil, a family that was sitting shiva then for a distinguished Rav. I think the family name was Rosenberg. The story I heard from Rabbi Yisroel Gordon. And after the Rebbe was done with Nichum Aveilim, before leaving, they asked the Rebbe if he is willing to accept Shalom, which means that people approach the Rebbe, they shake his hand as it is customary in other Hasidic circles. The Rebbe consented. At one point, one of the Hasidim there who approached the Rebbe felt a very close feeling to the Rebbe. He said to the Rebbe, "I'm afraid I am be-becoming your Hasid." So the Rebbe told him, "Why do you need to do it out of fear? You can do it out of ahavah, out of affection." In Taf Shin Chaf Tes, 1969 approximately, there was a Yechidus for Rabbi Ephraim Hager, as n-known in England, one of the Choshev Anash, Freddy Hager, and he was a descendant from the Vizhnitzer Rebbes. Once went into Yechidus, and when this was brought up in Yechidus that he is a descendant of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, so the Rebbe told him, "You know what a Rebbe is? A Rebbe," the Rebbe continues, "is like the Baal Shem Tov. He did not go to sleep till everything that he had in the house, in yonim gashmim in

04:28 the house, he gave it to someone else. This is what it means a Rebbe." And the Rebbe continued, uh, that ulai, perhaps you should also follow the footsteps of your grandfather. In a sicha of Chayyei Elul Taf Shin Yud, 1950, the Rebbe said the following: "There are those that are dreaming and figuring that when Mashiach will come, there will be a ps-- a different Rebbe, epes a another Rebbe." The Rebbe says, "The re-truth is, the reality is that when Mashiach will come, we will have our Rebbe. Mir vellen haben unzer Rebbe. The same Rebbe and the same Hasidim."