The Rebbe'im's Pictures - Part I

00:00 The hemshech to the earlier installments benegeia to the inyan of Rebbe. What is a Rebbe? We continue now with a new series of installments on the topic of pictures of the Rabbeim. Tmunas Rabbiseinu Nisiyenu. Benegeia to the Bashem Tev, one of the people who worked in the Rebbe's house related that he once brought pictures that are claimed to be from the Bashem Tev. The Rebbe said he's not accepting this, that it is from the Bashem Tev, because the previous Rebbe gave over that there is a Kabbalah, that there is no picture from the Bashem Tev. On another occasion, on the second night of Sukkos Tov Shin Chavav, late 1965, during the Sudah of Yom Tov, which took place in the Sukkah of the previous Rebbe's apartment, Rabianko Katz was a very chosheva yid from Chicago, had special kiruvim from the previous Rebbe and the Rebbe, and was zecher to eat by their Yom Tov table for many years, up to 30 years. The Pesach Zdarim related that he saw many pictures, and amongst them also from the Bashem Tev, and he asked the Rebbe if they are authentic. The Rebbe responded, the tmuna that they relate to the Bashem Tev, the picture that they attribute to the Bashem Tev, the Rebbe says this is a different Bashem who lived and was active in Germany. In addition to this, in the winter of Tov Shin Mem Beis 1982, Rabatomim Rabbi Israel Mordechai Halevi Kaziminski, Alavashalim, wrote to the Rebbe that in the Encyclopedia Judaica, they attribute

02:37 the famous picture of the Bashem Tev to another Bashem that lived in London. The Rebbe responded as follows. I'll first read it in Hebrew and then translate it in English. The Rebbe says it seems like that there is a conversation that took place by the Rabbeim that this is not the Bashem Tev himself, because according to tradition, it was passed on through the generations that the Bashem Tev's beard had 13 points, which they reflect the 13 attributes of mercy. That's the inyan of 13. On one occasion, the Rebbe said that from the Alte Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, there are famous pictures. And the Rebbe concludes from the Mitle Rebbe, even in fantasy, a picture does not exist. Speaking about the Mitle Rebbe, the Rebbe in a farbrengen, Yud Kislev Tov Shin Dalet Mem, late 1983, the Rebbe said the following, that based on what was mentioned earlier in that sicha, that a Yid has the keyach to uplift himself higher than the limitations of time and space. The mele it's understood that this is stressed even more yet through his kasrus, connecting with the Torah of the Baal HaGula, speaking about the Mitle Rebbe, learning his Torah to the extent that this limud is a inges shehazman groma, learning something that relates to that time when he is sitting down to learn something of the Mitle Rebbe. Hilchas HaChag BeChag, like the halachos of a Yom Tov in time for the Yom Tov. UbaZe Gufa, and in this itself, there is also a unique quality

05:10 when the study is in a manner that he pictures for himself, ke'ilu Baal HaShmua Emet Kenegdei, as the Mitle Rebbe is standing in front of him. And as our sages say that when a person gives over a certain vort from someone else, it should seem to him like he should be envisioning the source of whose vort he is repeating as that person is standing in front of him. And the Rebbe continues that by the Mitle Rebbe it's different than all the Rabbeim. Ulohoir, we find at Dwar Pela, benegeia the picture of the Mitle Rebbe. The Rebbe says from all the Nesiyah Chabad, from all the Rabbeim, there is a picture Through which it's easier to envision in thought the image, the image of the Rabbeim. Beginning from a picture of the Alter Rebbe as it was publicized and published by the previous Rebbe when he was still in Europe, benegea to the chain of events that brought to the revelation of the picture of the Alter Rebbe. Al derech zer, likewise, there are pictures from Rabbi Seinu Nesiyenu after till the previous Rebbe. Besides the Mitteler Rebbe, the Baal HaGula, that from him there was no picture left. And since, as quoted from our sages, that when a person relates something, learns something from an earlier scholar, from an earlier generation, he should picture as if the person is standing in front of him. How could that be fulfilled if we don't have a picture of the Mitteler Rebbe? And memeile won't be able to

07:14 fulfill this instruction that our sages teach us. The Rebbe explained that as it is known that through Torah we connect with Hashem. We grasp onto Hashem. Since Hashem the Almighty has enclosed himself and his essence in Torah, and memeile we connect with him. And therefore, although ein li guf, ein li musa guf, Hashem the Almighty is higher than a body and the image of a body, nevertheless we connect with him. In the same sense, benegea to the Mitteler Rebbe. That although we don't have an image, a picture of the Mitteler Rebbe, nevertheless by learning his Torah we connect with him. Benegea the Alter Rebbe and the Tzemach Tzedek. So it was mentioned, as mentioned earlier, that in already beginning from the Alter Rebbe we have a picture of him as it was publicized and published by the previous Rebbe. It's interesting to note that in the memoirs of a Yid called Rabbi Shayo Ushar, who was a native of the city of Yekhet Trinislav and a friend of the Rebbe's brother, Rabbi Sol Argeleib. So he had this chos to visit quite often in the house of the Rebbe's parents. So he relates that visiting in the house of the Rebbe's parents and the Rebbe and his siblings, one thing that stood out from my eyes hanging on the wall was the image of the first Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Shneer Zalman Beriadi. Which means that the Rebbe's father had a picture of the Alter Rebbe on the wall in the house. In a Sicha

09:34 Shabbos Parsha Vayeshev, Alef de Chanukah Tov Shin Nun, that's late 1989, the Rebbe said the following. Again speaking benegea to the image of the Alter Rebbe. So the Rebbe says that there are those that say that this was Metam HaMem Sholo. That how do we have today a picture of the Alter Rebbe? That this was inside the government. As it's mentioned also that he was in jail then and that's when the picture was drawn. Also benegea to the Tzemach Tzedek, the Rebbe says there are those that say that it was without his knowledge. In the same Sicha, additional details appear. The Rebbe elaborates and says that it seems like it was done by a non-Jewish artist, either with the Tzemach Tzedek's knowledge or without his knowledge, and then copies were made. As it's mentioned traditionally among Hasidim that it was Shabbos and this non-Jew saw the Tzemach Tzedek and then he went home and he drew this picture, this image, the image of the Tzemach Tzedek in his house. And this is how we have that picture. In addition, it was approximately 1998 that a new drawing of the Tzemach Tzedek was publicized. It was discovered. Tzemach Tzedek looks much more fragile than in the picture that circulated over the many, many years. And that drawing seems to be more authentic as it was found by one of the grandchildren of the Tzemach Tzedek in Russia. Im Yirtza Hashem, in the next installment we will continue benegea to the Rebbe Marash.