Yud Shvat: Insights & Stories

00:01 As we approach Yud Shvat, the Yom Hagadol V'Hakodesh, the hishtals of the previous Rebbe in Tav Shin Yud, 1950, 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 Yechidism private audiences. These insights were later mentioned by his son-in-law, the Rebbe, in his sichas during his farbrengens in the 1930s and 1940s, which was prior to the hishtals of the previous Rebbe. The Rebbe would occasionally farbrengen with Hasidim on every Shabbos Mevorchim, beginning from Shabbos Mevorchim, Cheydish Menachem Av, that's summer, Tav Shin Alef, 1941, 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 1935 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 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 injection will be given. They sanitize it." So a person may ask a question, I

02:10 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, l'saken hade'as, to correct, to enhance the mind, 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 limud 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 what preserves the Torah, what preserves the

04:22 yiras Shamayim, which is the salt as mentioned from the Talmud in Shabbos. The second story took place in Mei Tzori Shabbos Chalamai Sukkos, Simchas Beis HaShoeva, late 1946. 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 mesuchan, 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, uh, uh, mentioned, and the Rebbe quotes it in a Sicha Shabbos Breishes Tov Shin Zayin late nineteen forty-six. The Talmud tells us in the conclusion of Masechet Seta that one of the curses that will take place before Bias HaMashiach, as the Mishneh mentions, that ein lanu li'shoin el avinu shebashamayim. We have to rely only-- We have

06:43 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? But then-- And then the Friediker Rebbe explains that the, the, the kavana is that when it will come to inyanim of Yiddishkeit, people will say that, "Eybishter vetshn zorgn far teyre far Yidden shemayim." Hashem will take, will take, uh, uh, will be concerned about it, will worry about it. Er darf zich ton zayne inyanim. Vos darf ich zich zorgn far, al, al vos iz a teyre? Hashem has to do his things. Why do I have to be concerned about it? And this is the meaning of the words, ein lanu li'shoin el avinu shebashamayim. 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 de'Meshiha. Going on now to a, uh, fourth insight. The Rebbe mentions in a farbrengen on the second day of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz taf shin ches nineteen forty-eight, 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... Says the previous Rebbe said that since it's no difference to this per-person in regards to his avodas Hashem, it is not something that he can implement

08:42 in his service to Hashem. It is not something that he can internalize, that it becomes part of his avodas 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. This is behemshech, in continuation to the earlier installment in which we shared a few pearls of wisdom, insights of the previous Rebbe. They were short interactions with people, Chassidim as well as non-Chassidim, who visited the previous Rebbe in yechidus, in private audience. 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. We now continue with installment number two, where we will discuss additional insights and short stories. In a farbrengen of Yud Alef Teves tov shin zayin, when the Rebbe farbrengten and it was early nineteen forty-seven, it's mentioned that Rav Bik gave over a Torah, a vort of Torah in the name of the Chozeh mi'Lublin on the verse, Oz nidberu yirei Hashem. And the Chozeh mi'Lublin elaborates about the unique quality of telling stories, relating stories. So the Rebbe then added that I heard from my father-in-law that Sefer Bereshit, the first of the five Chumashim, besides a few mitzvahs, it is basically primarily, primarily stories. All stories, stories of the avos and then the Shvatim. And this is a preparation for Sefer Shemos, which is when Matan Torah takes place and the mitzvahs

11:01 that follow. So the Rebbe brings out from this that a story brings to Torah umitzvos. On another occasion, the Rebbe relates in a farbrengen of Shvi shel Pesach tov shin tes, that is nineteen forty-nine, that it happened once during the childhood of the previous Rebbe that he decided to fast Taanis Bechoros erev Pesach. When the Rebbe Rashab realized this, he asked his son, the previous Rebbe, why. And the previous Rebbe answered he doesn't have a Siyum on a Gemara ready, and bemeheilah he wants to fast. Rebbe Rashab then took him to another room, and he gave him over a Gemara into his hand, and he advised him he should not go out from this room till he concludes the Gemara. And the previous Rebbe needed to make the Siyum and eat after that as his father instructed him. And the third occasion, this was Yud Aleph, Nisan, Taf Shin Zayin, nineteen forty-seven. The Rebbe was in Paris. The occasion was to greet his mother, who came out of Russia then, from Alma-Ata, after the passing of her husband four years earlier. And the Rebbe traveled to France to take care of the papers, and the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin spent from Purim till about the end of Cheyd HaSivan or till after Shavuot, the Rebbe farbrenged with Hasidim on various occasions. This Yud Aleph, Nisan actually marks an interesting, uh, milestone because Hasidim on their own were not aware of the Rebbe's yom ha'ledet, and it was the Rebbetzin Chana, the Rebbe's mother, who approached

13:21 Hasidim and relayed to Hasidim that tonight, this evening is the yom ha'ledet of my son, and if you will ask him, he will farbrengen with you. Hasidim requested, and the Rebbe farbrenged. We don't have much from this farbrengen, but there are a few short stories that the Rebbe spoke at this farbrengen for biurim, insights in inyanim of Torah. One of the topics that the Rebbe related to at this farbrengen was a picture, a photograph, as Hasidim saw it then, how the Rebbe was sitting together with his father-in-law, with the previous Rebbe, and they were playing chess. And the Rebbe explained, "This picture was taken when the previous Rebbe was in a restful mode, following the instructions of the doctors who forbade the previous Rebbe from being involved in deep matters and to relax, and they asked him that he should be involved in matters that free him from a yoke." So the Rebbe tells in detail what took place. The Rebbe says this was in the city of Ferkel Desdorf, which is in Austria, in the year nineteen thirty-seven. The previous Rebbe was there for health reasons because in this city, the air is better and lighter, and it helps a person settle, settling of the mind, strengthening the health. And, uh, the Rebbe, our Rebbe, who was then in Paris, traveled there to spend time with his father-in-law while he was also taking care of communal work. The doctors then, as mentioned, suggested to the previous Rebbe that he should not be so involved

15:49 in deep philosophical topics, and that's when they played chess. Amongst the inyanim that took place then during the game, that when the, uh, previous Rebbe and the Rebbe were in the middle of the game, the previous Rebbe realized that the Rebbe is working the movements in the game in a way that the previous Rebbe should come out the winner. So the previous Rebbe told the Rebbe, "Men darf spielen ordentlich. You have to play honest." On another occasion, this was a gathering which was Lag BaOmer, Taf Shin Zayin, nineteen forty-seven. This was in France. And, um, Hasidim were discussing with the Rebbe in regards to what took place by the previous Rebbe over Pesach. Was there anything new? The Rebbe says, "Yes, there was something new this year." And the Rebbe relates, "It was the second night, the second Seder of Pesach, and the previous Rebbe asked that they should prepare for the keile, for the Seder plate. Instead of onions, it should be potatoes for the karpas." On Chol HaMed, when they opened the radio after the first day's Yom Tov, the news reached to Hasidim that one of the older Rebbes referred to in a footnote that it could possibly be referring to the Admor Rab Aron Merot, the Ba'al HaSh'em MiRimonim was Nistalek. This was the beginning of Cheyd HaSh'enim. On Shabbos Chol HaMed, the previous Rebbe farbrenged, and he said the following: "Malchut ha'aretz ke'ein malchut ha'rakia." Royalty on Earth is similar to royalty as it is in heaven. It is known

18:17 that here on Earth, when it comes to matters of the army, there is a law that every front, east, the south, the north, and the west, has separate generals who are appointed on these four fronts. If one of the generals passes away suddenly, the general who is in close proximity to that area needs to accept the task temporarily, filling in for this general till he will receive a directive from the ruler that he should pass it on to someone who will be taking over this position on a permanent basis. The previous Rebbe continued, "The Admor who was Niftar, who was one of the older Rebbes, would be mevater netzutzes. He would refine the sparks of kedusha as it's taught in the Torah of the Arizal, and that he would accomplish through doing mitzvahs in this physical world, and when it came to karpas, he would use potatoes. Now that he was Niftar, the previous Rebbe needed to take over this position to accomplish birur ha-netzutzes, to refine these netzutzes and elevate them likewise through tapuchei adama, through potatoes. And this was the reason why the previous Rebbe changed his custom, which was always to use an onion, and used a potato for that year Pesach. We will im yirtze Hashem continue in the next installment.