Yud Shvat: The Previous Rebbe (Part 2)

00:01 As we approach Yud Shvat, the Yom Hagadol VaKodesh, the hisdalkus of the previous Rebbe in Taf Shin Yud, nineteen fifty, we will share some pearls of wisdom, insights of the previous Rebbe. They were short interactions with people, Hasidim as well as non-Hasidim, who visited the previous Rebbe in Yechidus private audiences. These insights were later mentioned by his son-in-law, the Rebbe, in his sichas during his farbrengens in the nineteen thirties and nineteen forties, which was prior to the hisdalkus of the previous Rebbe. The Rebbe would occasionally farbreng with Hasidim on every Shabbos Mevorchim, beginning from Shabbos Mevorchim, Cheid Mesh Menachem of... That's summer Taf Shin Alef, nineteen forty-one, and this extended for the next fifty-plus years. The Rebbe never skipped a Shabbos Mevorchim. Likewise, there were additional occasions during which the Rebbe would publicly speak to Hasidim. The first two stories which follow relate to the question of the need for Hasidus and Musar. The first story was told by the Rebbe in a farbrengen in the summer of nineteen thirty-five in the Yeshiva Temcheti Milu Lubavitch in Warsaw. The Rebbe relates the following. In Wien, in Vienna, a Yungerman, a young man asked the previous Rebbe, "I can understand the purpose of learning the Talmud and Halacha because this gives strength to a person, spiritual spre-strength, but what is the point of studying Musar and Hasidus?" The previous Rebbe responded as follows. "Before a person receives an inoculation, an injection, they cleanse the area where this injec-jection will be given. They sanitize it." So a

02:08 person may ask a question, I can understand the injection itself, this gives strength to a person, and it cures the person. But for what purpose do they need to sanitize the area where the injection will be given? But the answer is, in order that at the time when this injection is given to the body, we want to avoid that there shouldn't be any dirt or anything around that area which could, chas v'shalom, damage, hurt the person's health. Likewise, in regards to Limud HaNigla, when a person is learning Nigla, in addition to that, we also need the cleansing of Musar and Hasidus in order that the Nigla should be digested in a enhanced qualitative manner. And the Rebbe concludes the story that this person was very impressed with this response. This is also actually something that we see in the Rambam. When the Rambam speaks certain halachas, he concludes certain halacha titles, he mentions a lesson that a person could derive from the halacha. And as the Rambam refers to it, Lesaken Hadaas, to correct, to enhance the mind, that a person should uplift himself and have a higher perspective of what Torah is teaching him and how to internalize it. Likewise, the Gemara in Shabbos mentions that when it comes to the Inyanim of Torah, a person also needs Yiras Shamayim, which is the salt. And then it is a definite Inyan that a person will be able to understand Torah, learn Torah, and fulfill Torah in a very enhanced manner. Because that is basically

04:20 what preserves the Torah, what preserves the Yiras Shamayim, which is the salt as mentioned from the Talmud in Shabbos. The second story took place in Metzora Shabbos Chalamet Sukkot, Simchas Beis HaShoeva, late nineteen forty-six. The Rebbe spoke about the need and necessity of the study of Hasidus. And the Rebbe quoted from the previous Rebbe that people ask a question, what is Hasidus? And the previous Rebbe responded a mashal, a parable of a doctor who gives a person a cure, and the person finds himself in a very dangerous situation, a Cheileh Mesukan. And the Cheileh, sick person, is very persistent, and he wants to know what kind of medicine are you giving me, and how did you create this medicine? How did they produce this medicine? So the Rebbe says there's no place to ask a question when a person is, is, is-- life is in danger to begin understanding the science of how they produce this medication. Likewise, in regards to Hasidus, a person doesn't need to ask a question, what is Hasidus? But when he will learn Hasidus, he will well understand how Hasidus is helping him in Avodas Hashem. Now we go on to a third inyan that the previous Rebbe mentioned, and the Rebbe quotes it in a Sichah Shabbos Breishis Tov Shin Zayin, late 1946. The Talmud tells us in the conclusion of Mesechta Seta that one of the curses that will take place before B'es HaMashiach, as the Mishnah mentions, that ein lonu lishoin el avinu sheba shamayim. We have

06:41 to rely only, we have no one to rely on, but only on our Father in heaven. And the Talmud considers that a curse. So the previous Rebbe wonders, what kind of curse is this? And then the Friedrich Rebbe explains that the kavoni is that when it will come to inyanim of Yiddishkeit, people will say that Eibishter vech zorgen fateire v'al yiro shamayim. Hashem will take, will take, will be concerned about it, will worry about it. Er darf zich ton zaynen inyanim. Vos darf ich zich zorgen v'al al votses hateire. Hashem has to do his things. Why do I have to be concerned about that? And this is the meaning of the words, ein lonu lishoin avinu sheba shamayim. When a person says, leave it to Hashem, we don't have to do anything. That is one of the curses that will take place in the time of Ikus et de Meshecha. Going on now to a fourth insight. The Rebbe mentions in a fabringen on the second day of Shreidish Tamus Tov Shinches, 1948, that a bocher, a student once asked the previous Rebbe in Riga two questions. The second question related to malachim, to angels. The previous Rebbe responded to the first question. But the question in regards to malachim, he did not respond. And the Rebbe explained why. Because since, since the previous Rebbe said that since it's no difference to this person in regards to his avedus Hashem, it is not something that he can implement in his service to Hashem. It is

08:45 not something that he can internalize that it becomes part of his avedus Hashem. It is just knowledge, knowing about malachim. So why is there a need to respond to that? We will, im yirtze Hashem, continue in the next installment.