Bais Iyar: the Rebbe Maharash

00:01 As we find ourselves in Beis Iyar, which is the Yemai Ledles, the birthdate of the Rebbe Marash, in the year Taf kuf Tzadik Dalet, 1834, we will relate some stories that the Rebbe related at Rifabringen on this date in the year Taf Shin Gimel, 1943. This was seven years before the passing of the previous Rebbe, and this Rifabringen was written up by the Chasid Rabbedel Baumgarten, who later became the Hetzliach in Argentina. The Rebbe relates that till the generation of the Rebbe Marash, till the Rebbe Marash himself, all the Rabbeim prior to the Rebbe Marash conducted their life Ba'anius, which means not in a rich way, not in a rich manner. It was with poverty. Likewise, the Tzemach Tzedek, his father, the father of the Rebbe Marash, also conducted his life Ba'anius, and not in a broad manner, and not in a lavish format. But the Rebbe Marash, already during the lifetime of his father, began conducting himself with a Hispashtus in a very broad way. When they built his house, he asked, instructed that they should build wide and large windows to a great extent. The Tzemach Tzedek asked him, what do you need such big windows? The Rebbe Marash answered, Nori, it should be lichtik, it should be light, it should be illuminated. The house should be illuminated. So the Tzemach Tzedek asked, by Dem Zeiden, by my grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, there were very thin and small windows, and he managed. So the Rebbe Marash said, Misstoma iz gevenet lichtik, probably it

02:10 wasn't lit up. Tzemach Tzedek said, Nein, nein, si geven lichtik, lichtik. No, no, it was light, light. A second story that the Rebbe related is when the Rebbe Marash was about eight years old, he learned in the cheder, in yeshiva, with the Mogenovis, and also other children of his brothers. His brothers were much older than him, and he was learning together with his nephews, who were his age. The melamed once asked a question from all the students, and he requested that they should give him an answer for this question. The Rebbe Marash said that first let the other students, the other talmidim, say what they can offer as a response, and then he will answer. But the other talmidim did not know how to answer this question. The Marash gave a very good response that the melamed, the teacher, was very impressed. The other students were envious, were jealous of the Rebbe Marash because they are older than him, and nevertheless he knew better than them, and they began crying. And they said, the Emes, the Rebbe Marash is not such a big lamdan, not such a big scholar. But since the melamed, the teacher, knew that he is the youngest child of the Tzemach Tzedek, and they are already the next generation, they are grandchildren of the Tzemach Tzedek, so therefore the melamed shows him favoritism. And they ran to the Mariel, Rabbi Yehuda Leib, who was the father of one of these children who were learning in the cheder. While the children of

04:10 the Mariel, Rabbi Yehuda Leib, who were learning together with the Rebbe Marash, turned to their father to complain that the melamed respects more the Rebbe Marash, shows him more favoritism, the Rebbe Marash said he can't learn anymore together with them because he grasps it the first time that the melamed teaches them, and to them, the melamed, the teacher, has to explain it two, three times, and their minds are not so open. The Mariel then went in to the yeshiva, to the cheder, and he presented for the melamed his children's complaint. The melamed said to the Mariel, it is not because I honor the Rebbe Marash more, but because he answered very well. And the melamed told the Mariel, I'll tell you what the question is, and I'll tell you what the Rebbe Marash answered. The Mariel himself was impressed, but he told the Rebbe Marash, why do you have to say such a negative statement that my children are not really open-minded? So the Rebbe Marash said, what should I do if that's the fact? The Mariel then said, I am your older brother. How could you embarrass me, my children? The Rebbe Marash answered, you are older from me with your years, and I am older from you with our father's years, which means That the Rebbe Maharash was born when the Tzemach Tzedek, his father, was in his forties, and the melech, he received the maturity of his father at an early age, and that's what he means, "I am older than you

06:23 with my father's years." The hamshacha to the early installment, been a gear to Beis Yair, the Yemai Leides of the Rebbe Maharash, and the farbrengen on this day in the year Taf Shin Gimel nineteen forty-three, when the Rebbe related many stories about the Rebbe Maharash. So we continue now in installment number two, discussing additional stories that the Rebbe related at this farbrengen. The Rebbe Maharash was an expert in reading musical notes, and he also had a talent of carving out things from wood, mm, making furniture. Also, in the time of the Rebbe Rashab, who was the son of the Rebbe Maharash, there were meneres that he carved out, uh, engraved, and they were hanging in Lubavitch. An additional story, the Rebbe relates that once the Rebbe Maharash was learning with his father a certain topic in the Talmud, and the Tzemach Tzedek told him, "Hasham dam inyan uzgeharav et?" Did you exert yourself on this topic? Did you really delve into it with fullest focus? And the Rebbe Maharash says, "Ich zer nit vas faran to haraven." I don't see what is there to exert for. But since the Tzemach Tzedek spoke about haraven, exertion, so he again reviewed this topic to the extent that there were blood stains on his forehead. To such an extent, the Rebbe Maharash exerted himself in studying this topic. The Tzemach Tzedek saw this, he said, "Shen genug. Vaysteris adir iz es nit negeia." It's enough. It seems like this does not pertain to you. Another story that the

08:46 Rebbe relates, the schedule of the Rebbe Maharash was that already eight AM, the Rebbe Maharash was already a quite a long time after davening. And he would patzir, he would stroll every day, ve'efen kavuah, steady. One time, he told the Chasid Rab Manya Monenzon that he wants to travel to Paris. They traveled to Paris. When they came to Paris, the Rebbe Maharash mentioned a name of one of the parks, and he says, this is where they need to travel. This park, not only that it didn't come to the mind of the Chasid that a holy person like the Rebbe will go there, but in addition to that, not even a simple person would go there because that park was hepchat tznius, the opposite of tznius, the extreme opposite of tznius modesty. When they came to the park, the Rebbe Maharash put on glasses, and he started to look in all directions, and then they went to the hotel. The Rebbe Maharash then took off his glasses, and he left. Rab Manya took the glasses and wanted to see what were the glasses that the Rebbe Maharash was wearing while he was in the park. He started to look through it. He saw they are not made from glass. They are made from precious stones, and you cannot see anything through them. But from the outside, it makes an impression as they would be made from glass. But it's impossible to see anything through them. Rab Manya then said, "Look to what extent the Rebbe could

10:50 conceal himself." That when a person looked externally at the Rebbe Maharash, he thought that Rab Maharash is wearing regular glasses. But in reality, the Rebbe Maharash did not see anything. The hamshacha to the early installment has been a gear to Beis Yair, the Yemai Leides of the Rebbe Maharash. We continue now with installment number three, the farbrengen of Beis Yair Taf Shin Gimel nineteen forty-three, when the Rebbe related many stories been a gear to the Rebbe Maharash, and we will now discuss an additional story that the Rebbe related at the time. The Rebbe spoke about the Chasid Rab Manya Monenzon, who was a Chasid of the Rebbe Maharash, and he would customarily daven Shacharis a long time, for hours. One time, the Rebbe Maharash told him the earlier evening that he should get ready because tomorrow morning at eight AM, we are traveling. The Hasid didn't realize that eight AM he needs to already be after davening, but the Rebbe said, "That's it. It's a done deal." However way he managed, he traveled with Rebbe Maharash at eight, eight AM, and the Rebbe Maharash told him, "Let's travel to the Alexander Hotel." Rab Manja was wondering, how is the Rebbe Maharash gonna be staying at such a hotel where people were eating non-kosher food, sitting without head covering? How is the Rebbe Maharash gonna deal with this? The Rebbe Maharash told him, "Let's go downstairs to the corridor, to the ball," which is the floor where everybody is playing different, uh, games, cards, et cetera.

13:07 And the Rebbe Maharash continued, "Let's sit down near a small table." And this is where they sat down. Near them, there was another table where people were sitting and playing cards, and drinking wine, and, uh, involved in their playing. After a certain time, the Rebbe Maharash turned to one of them and said, "Young German young man non-kosher wine you're not allowed to drink." He made the impression like he didn't hear anything, and he laughed, and he continued drinking. Rab Manja was wondering how the Rebbe Maharash knew exactly what table to approach, and that this person is Jewish. Then the Rebbe Maharash continued and said, "Younger man allen drink again." Again, the Rebbe Maharash repeated, "Young man, you're not allowed to drink." And again, the person ignored him. The third time, Rebbe Maharash said, "Younger man, young man, you're not allowed to drink, and it is a pity on your soul." And immediately after that, the Rebbe Maharash said to the Hasid Rab Manja, "Let's go back to our room." And they went back to the room. After a short time, this young man came and asked, "Where is the person who spoke to me in the ballroom?" Rab Manja said, "If you will not tell me what you, you do and who you are and who brought you here, I will not tell you where the person is." The younger man said, "Please don't bother me. Don't annoy me. Just tell me immediately where the person is." Rab Manja showed the person where the Rebbe

15:23 Maharash was staying. The person went into the Rebbe Maharash room. He stayed there for a long while, and then the Rebbe Maharash and Rab Manja left the hotel. After a specific time, it became known that this person became a Baal Teshuvah, and his descendants are from a certain family from Paris, from whom there are many religious and complete in fulfilling title mitzvahs. And in addition to that, they also did a lot of favors for Yiddishkeit. In , nineteen forty-five, the Friediker Rebbe told the story with more details, and we'll translate it from the from . The Rebbe Maharash once traveled to Paris, and he took along with him his Rab Levik and Rab Pinchas Leib, and also the Hasid Rab Manja, Manzon, and Rab Yisrael Berlin. They all joined the trip. When they came to Paris, Rab Yisrael Berlin asked the Rebbe Maharash, "Where are we going? Where are we to travel to?" So he said to the Hotel Alexander, "This is one of the biggest hotels in which kings and royal families would stay." When they came to the hotel, the Rebbe Maharash asked they should give him a group of rooms. And they told him that, uh, there are rooms that are available, and the price is two hundred franc for a day. The Rebbe Maharash asked if there are better quality rooms on that floor in which he will be staying, where the games are taking place. So they told him there is a section that is vacant also on the first

17:42 floor, but it's very expensive. The Rebbe Maharash asked for a section that consists of three rooms: one room for him, one for Rab Levik, and one for Rab Pinchas Leib. Rab Yisrael Berlin and Rab Manja stayed in a hotel close by because they did not want to pay such a price. They weren't able to afford it. After a few hours, the Rebbe Maharash went into one of the halls where they were playing cards, and he sat down near the junge man who was playing cards. And from time to time, this junge man was drinking from his cup. The Rebbe Maharash placed his hand on the shoulder of this junge man, and he said, "Junge man, yayin nesech, non-kosher wine, you're not allowed to drink. You're prohibited from drinking." And then he said again to him, "Yayin nesech stupefies the m-mind and the heart. Remain a Yid." And he said, "A gute nacht," good night, and he returned back to his room. The Rebbe Maharash was very... With the biggest rachshus, very intense and emotional. And Rabbi Shaul Berlin says he never saw the Rebbe Maharash in such a state. It was customary in that hotel that if someone wants to go up to a higher floor or he wants to descend from one floor to another, since in those years they did not have elevators yet, so they would have a special chair, and as soon as the person sat down on that chair, the service would pick up the person either to a higher

19:40 floor or would bring down the person to a lower floor. From his rachshus, the Rebbe Maharash, while going back to his room, sat down on one of these chairs. And immediately, the masharsim, the crew, picked up the chair in order to take the Rebbe Maharash to a higher floor. The Rebbe Maharash reminded himself that he's living on, staying on that floor. So he says, "Pardon. I apologize. I made a mistake," and he went back to his room. After many hours, this junge man who the Rebbe Ma-Maharash met earlier came and ap-entered Rebbe Maharash's room. The Rebbe Maharash, a while later, left the hotel, and the Rebbe Maharash, after, uh, a time later, said that it's already... And as time moved on, after a certain time period, the Rebbe Maharash said that it's already many generations, that it's already many genera-- many generations, that many generations have already passed that did not have such a pure soul. But it was in the, the depth of klipus till this junge man did teshuva. And this junge man became the head of a family, religious, as known in France as a very reputable family. Behemshech, to the earlier installment, has been a gear to Beis Ya'ir, the year ma'yedeles of the Rebbe Maharash, and referring back to the earlier installment, negia to the Rebbe Maharash's visit in Paris, and the haspa, the impact that the Rebbe Maharash made on a Yid who swayed away from the path of Yiddishkeit, and through the words of the Rebbe Maharash and

22:01 his haspa, the Yid became a baal teshuva. We continue now discussing how this story was told by the previous Rebbe, as we mentioned in the previous installment. This was in Taf Shin Heh, 1945. And this story, as the previous Rebbe related it in Taf Shin He, the Rebbe in 1947, when he published the biography of Rebbe Maharash, this story was also included in this Sefer HaHa'al Deis, page seventy-seven. In Taf Shin Yud Aleph, it was the evening of the acceptance of the Nesi'us, when the Rebbe accepted the Nesi'us on Yud Aleph Shvat Taf Shin Yud Aleph by his first ma'amer, deliverance, and this was Basse Legani. During the ma'amer, the Rebbe related stories, the nigey to our Rabbeim and examples of Avos Yisroel, how they committed themselves to help another fellow Jew. When it came to the Rebbe Maharash, the Rebbe mentioned this same story. We'll read it as it is translated in English by Sichos in English. The Rebbe says, "Then there is the story how the Rebbe Maharash once traveled from a healing spot to Paris solely for the purpose of meeting with a young man to whom he said, 'Young man, forbidden wine stupefies the mind and heart. Become a practicing Jew.' The young man returned home and found no rest until he returned to the Rebbe Maharash and repented. Eventually, he became the head of a God-fearing and observant family." And the Rebbe elaborates, "It is well known that time was extremely precious to the Rebbe Maharash, to the extent that

24:27 even his recital of my ma'amarim was brief. There were times when at eight in the morning he already concluded his prayers. Nonetheless, he traveled to a distant city and stayed there a considerable amount of time for the sake of one young man." About fourteen years later, in a farbrengen on Shabbos Chalom Meitzuchis Taf Shin Chof He, late 1964, the Rebbe again told the story. We don't have the details of the sicha, but it was documented very briefly. The delivery of this is described as follows. The Rebbe broke down and cried several times during the Sicha. A legendary distinguished Chassid, Rabbi Sadya Liberov, who visited with the Rebbe for Sukkos that year, shared with Chassidim the following. When the Rebbe told the story, it was with an indescribable intense emotion. During the Sicha, the Rebbe unusually held on to his beard, hat, and table. The scene was heavenly beyond this world. This is the way the older Chassid, Rabbi Sadya Liberov, described what took place when the Rebbe told this story. And once again, in the year 5708, which is late 1991, the Rebbe mentioned in regards to the Rebbe Maharash that he traveled to France and he made Ba'al Teshuvah there and meditated and also accomplished in Yoni Chassidus while he was in France. This evening's broadcast we're dedicating Le'zchus in honor of Miriam Bas Yevolechaim Tevim Baruchim Rab Efraim Ze'ev Shmoeli, who was nifter on the eighth day of Iyar one year ago. She was a very active person on many levels in the

27:00 community. We should already merit to visualize the fulfillment of the prophecy, הַקִּיצוּ וְרַנְּנוּ שְׁכְנֵי-עָפָר וְאִוְּשֶׁה בְשֵׁיכָם That those who are dwelling in the dust will awaken and rejoice and she amongst them. The Hamshach to the earlier installment about Beis Iyar, the birthday of the Rebbe Maharash, we continue now with installment number five, relating additional stories which the Rebbe related over the years about the Rebbe Maharash. In a Sicha of Yud Beis Tammuz Tov Shin Yud Dalet, 1954, the Rebbe related the following story. There was a person that fell through with a certain aveira, a certain transgression, and he wanted to receive a tikkun, compensate to correct this issue. The person went into the Rebbe Maharash for Yechidus in order to request this tikkun. But since the person was embarrassed to say that he himself fell through with this issue, so instead he decided to tell the Rebbe Maharash that a good friend of his who trusts him very much fell through with this aveira. And since he's embarrassed to come himself, he requested from him, from this person, that he instead should ask the Rebbe Maharash what he should do about it, how we can correct it and rectify it. The Rebbe Maharash answered, why did he need to send you? If he is embarrassed, he could have come himself and state that somebody sent him. On another occasion during a Fabregen in Chedish Tishrei, Shabbos Parsha Hazinu, Tov Shin Chav Beis, late 1961, the Rebbe related that the previous Rebbe, when he spoke about

29:23 his grandfather, the Rebbe Maharash, said that there wasn't a person like him who suffered so much, literally, as it was happening in his last years in this world. And despite this, it didn't happen even once that a Yid, when he came in to the Rebbe Maharash for Yechidus, that the Rebbe Maharash should not greet him with a gracious smile. And not a smile which is artificial, but a true, sincere smile. In a Fabregen of Tov Shin Yud, 1950, this is the year that the previous Rebbe was in Stalag, the Rebbe told the following story. There was a contractor, the Meshech, over the course of years, lived himself in Peterburg because of problems that he had in Sholom Bayis, marital issues. One of the days, the relatives of his family convinced him that he should return to his home. On the way to his home, he traveled to Lubavitch and he went in to the Rebbe Maharash for Yechidus. And he asked for a bracha for his returning back home. And by the way, he told the Rebbe Maharash that a general in Peterburg suggested to him, when he gave to his business A specific project. And therefore he is planning that after he returns home and everything will settle down at home, he will then travel to Petersburg and he will complete the deal, will finalize it. Rebbe Marash said that instead travel to Petersburg immediately and close the deal and after that you will return to your home. The contractor was puzzled about the

31:40 words of Rebbe Marash. How you talking? How is it that he is returning back home after so many years that he was not at home? The Rebbe Marash should instruct him that he should actually go back from where to where he came from only to close a business deal. What's the reason for such a rush? After the Rebbe repeated his words a second time, the Kablan, the contractor, said to the Rebbe, I will do what the Rebbe instructs me, but maybe could the Rebbe tell me the reason for this? The Rebbe answered him, if you would know the reason, you would be a Rebbe yourself. When the contractor came back to Petersburg, he met the general who was planning to leave his house, going for a trip outside the country for a long time period. And as soon as he came to this general, they both, the contractor and the general, went into the house and they completed the deal. After a short time, the contractor became very rich from this business deal and he understood the reason why the Rebbe pressured him that he should immediately attend to this business deal. Because if he would have come, even a few moments later, he would have lost the whole deal because the general was leaving the country for a long time period. So the Rebbe, when he told the story, asked the following. At first glance, it's not understood. What bothered the Rebbe Marash that he refrained from telling the person the reason why he

33:41 is pressuring the person that the person should immediately return to Petersburg? So the Rebbe explained that even in matters that are understood in a logical manner, a person has to fulfill the words of the Rebbe Mitzad Bikel. Commitment. And this is the true shlemas of a person. And therefore the Rebbe Marash did not tell him the logical reason what the Rebbe Marash was seeing, what was taking place that this general is going to be leaving town soon because he wanted the contractor should fulfill his words Mitzad Bikel. And finally, in conclusion, a fabringen of Shabbos Breshis Toshav Chavalet, late 1963. The Rebbe Marash davened Mincha in his room. And at that time, Rab Monya Manzan, the Hasid, who was considered a distinguished person in his time, was present. While the Rebbe Marash is davening Mincha, all the thoughts that Rab Monya thought in his lifetime started to come to his mind. In yanim of such caliber that he had no shayas to hit in those years. Memories, thoughts from many years earlier. And surely it wasn't appropriate to think about it in the house of the Rebbe Marash. And from feeling such a disgust of this experience, he started to scream, like it's ugly. I don't want to think about it. It's disgusting. And after that, he found out that the Rebbe Marash then said the posik at that time, Zechar Av Tuvcha. Zechar Av Tuvcha means zikorn memory. And this had an impact on the memory of people who were there then in the

35:47 house. And the mele this brought a flashback of all the thoughts that the person thought meshech of all his life. And the Rebbe, our Rebbe, concluded the story that this is the inyan that beshas a person davens in the four ames of a tzaddik, which means in the four cubic feet of the tzaddik. When the tzaddik davens, even if a person does not understand how, it is the pchina that the tzaddik is standing right in front of him.