Art - Part 3: The Rebbe's Image

00:01 The hemshech in continuation to the earlier installments, we continue now with installment number three, where we will discuss additional insights on art, which Rabbi Tiefenbrun merited to receive from the Rebbe and the impact of his artwork. We will discuss a selection of stories about the strong impact Rabbi Tiefenbrun's paintings made on people, referring to the paintings of the Rebbe. The first story is about a person who bought from Rabbi Tiefenbrun a beautiful artwork of the Rebbe, and he placed it on the wall in his office across his desk, where he sits and works every day. When he later met Rabbi Tiefenbrun, he related to him that ever since the painting was placed in his office, he began feeling a fear of doing something wrong. He feels as if the Rebbe is looking at him and is following his footsteps. So how can he be doing anything or even, and even worse than that, when the Rebbe is watching all his actions and is following his footsteps? The second story is about a woman who once bought a painting from Rabbi Tiefenbrun, and she told Rabbi Tiefenbrun that originally she placed the painting in the living room, which also had a television. Then the couple thought for themselves that it is not appropriate that the TV should be in the same room, and therefore they moved the TV, the television, to another room. But this is not the end of the story. At a later time, when Rabbi Tiefenbrun met the husband, who was a doctor,

02:03 the husband disclosed to him that finally they realized that the Rebbe's picture and the TV cannot dwell in the same house, and they disposed the television from their home. A third story is told by Rabbi Schneer Zalman Kaisen, Shliach from the Rebbe in Cleveland, that once he was preparing a young student for the Bar Mitzvah, and on a specific day he was to teach him how to put on the film. When Rabbi Kaisen entered the room, he saw that the student had already put on the film on his own. He asked the student how did he manage to put on the film on his own without anyone teaching him. The student responded, he looked at the painting of the Rebbe made by Rabbi Tiefenbrun, and saw how the Rebbe wore the talisman film, and that is what taught him how to put on the film on his own. A fourth inyan which is connected with a brocha from the Rebbe for the artwork. In a yechidus and a private audience, the Rebbe blessed Rabbi Tiefenbrun and said the following, Since panosa needs to come through the artwork, therefore it should be batzlocha, successful. When he left the yechidus, Rabbi Tiefenbrun did not understand what the Rebbe meant, panosa needs to come through the artwork. Since at the time he had additional sources of income, he was a communal person in fundraising for institutions, etc. But with the time he realized that the words of the Rebbe were factual, because without the artwork he would not

03:55 have had enough panosa. Such that without the Rebbe's broches for the inyan of atzlocha, for the success of the art, who knows if he would have been able to establish himself in his life. A fifth story in regards to the paintings. A person once asked Rabbi Tiefenbrun to draw a painting of the Rebbe, how the Rebbe was leaving to the Eyal on the dreadful day of the 27th of Adar, Tov Shin Nun Beis, 1992, when the Rebbe had a stroke at the Eyal. The Rebbe is seen waving his hand as someone says goodbye. Rabbi Tiefenbrun refused to draw this image, saying the Rebbe has not left us, he is here with us, he does not say goodbye. In conclusion, he drew a painting of the pause of the Rebbe in the original picture, but instead of the Rebbe waving his hand, sort of saying goodbye, he drew of the Rebbe holding and reading a pan, a pigeon. In conclusion, regarding the impact of the Rebbe's image, we'll discuss a story which was not necessarily related to the above mentioned paintings, but teaches us the impact of the Rebbe's image. A family whose daughter was dating a Yeshiva bachar from a non-Hasidic Yeshiva had a picture of the Rebbe in their house. After a few dates, the Yeshiva student said that one of the conditions that he is ready to continue with this shidduch is that he does not want the Rebbe's picture in his house. The family then turned to the Lolaver Rebbe and asked

06:14 his advice. The Lolaver Rebbe responded the following. The Lubavitcher Rebbe's picture inspires yiras shamayim, fear of heaven. When one does not want it in their house, that means that person is lacking yiras shamayim. And therefore, this young woman should discontinue with this shidduch. Umessaymim betev.