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A
Radically New Approach
By
Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Ginsberg
Reb Mendel
Futerfas, a’h, would often relate:
The
well-known mashpia, R’ Shmuel Betzalel Sheftel (the
Rashbatz), who taught the Rebbe Rashab and the Rebbe Rayatz, would
tell the following story at farbrengens:
There was
once a simple Jew who tried to observe Jewish law to the best of
his ability. He was a wagon driver who rose early each morning,
fed and watered his horses, greased the wheels of his wagon, and
then carried his passengers and packages to distant parts until
nightfall.
This was
exceedingly difficult labor, for the roads in those days were
unpaved. A coachman had to exert himself arduously to avoid
veering off the road. He had to prevent his horses and wagon from
getting mired in mud, and make sure he got his passengers and
their bundles to their destination. He always made sure to eat a
hearty breakfast before starting his workday to give him strength
for the strenuous work ahead of him.
This simple
Jew’s son was not any more learned than his father. In fact, he
probably knew less. When his son was old enough, his father took
him into the business. The two rose very early in the morning, fed
and watered the horses, greased the wheels of the wagon, davened
quickly to the best of their ability, ate breakfast, and went
off to work.
One day,
father and son got up early as usual, but this time the father
said, “Today is the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, so we cannot eat
as we usually do. We must fast until nightfall when the stars come
out.”
The son was
not thrilled by this information, especially since neither he nor
his father knew the reason for this fast. However, he had no
choice but to listen to his father.
The pair
went off to work as their stomachs growled for food. Work was much
harder than usual, and guiding the horses and wagon demanded more
effort than ever. They veered off the road a number of times, the
wagon overturned, and the bundles fell off. It was only with great
difficulty that they managed to get back on the road.
The son
grumbled throughout the day, complaining about his father who
forced him to fast and to work so hard on an empty stomach. It was
during the summer and the days were long, especially in the area
in which they lived, when night fell as late as 11:00 p.m. The
unfortunate lad had to fast until late at night without knowing
why.
The next
day, the father got up early as usual, but the son just rolled
over in bed. All efforts to rouse him were to no avail, as he
simply refused to budge. “I’m not interested in working so
hard while fasting for so many hours!” he moaned.
When the
father realized what was bothering his son, who thought he would
have to fast again that day, he pushed his son and shouted, “Get
up! Don’t worry about what happened yesterday. Haint iz nisht
nechten (today is not yesterday)!”
*
* *
When the
Rashbatz would tell this story to his students, he would repeat
the last line over and over, “Hert zich ain, kinderlach (listen
up, children), shaint iz nisht nechten, haint iz nisht nechten!”
*
* *
In the sicha
of Parshas VaEira 5750 (Seifer HaSichos, Vol. 1, p. 255) the
Rebbe MH”M shlita says:
On the
tenth day of the “eleventh month” this year, we will have
completed forty years of the Rebbe my father-in-law’s leadership
as the ninth nasi (from the Baal Shem Tov). At that time,
the avoda of the ninth generation will be completed...
The Moshe
Rabbeinu of our generation announces... “You have camped
at this mountain long enough…” All our deeds and work have
already been completed, and with astounding growth, and in a
manner that is apparent to all... Therefore, the Moshe Rabbeinu of
our generation, the Rebbe, my father-in-law, continues in his
proclamation: “Turn and travel...come and inherit the land which
Hashem promised to your fathers...” [Approach] the entry into
the land with the true and complete Redemption...with the coming
of the special and most auspicious time for Geula, in the
fortieth year, in the eleventh month, etc. [This is] the very last
preparation and the very last endpoint for entry into the land,
with the true and complete Redemption. Each Jew must do what is
dependent on him to use this auspicious time to bring the true and
complete Redemption. [One should do so] by strengthening faith in
the coming of Moshiach, the expectation and request and demand for
his coming. Most importantly, [one should] increase in Torah and mitzvos,
especially in spreading the wellsprings outward – men, women,
and children, each according to his ability.”
Then on Yud
Shvat 5750 (ibid., p. 269):
Every Jew
of this generation will then reach the level of “After forty
years, a man attains the daas (understanding) of his
Rebbe,” the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the nasi ha’dor
(for the nasi is everything). That is, one’s entire being
and intellect are standing upon “the daas of his
Rebbe…” Especially since this generation is the last
generation of Galus (as mentioned above), after the
refinement of all the individual [sparks] has already been
completed (through “our deeds and work” throughout all the
previous thousands of years), certainly, this is already the prime
time for Geula (That is, unlike earlier generations, when
even if the Geula had come then, there were still
individual sparks that were not yet refined (on an individual
basis). And that is why tzaddikim of earlier generations
did not force the keitz (despite their ability to do so),
even though they knew the great pain of Galus and the exile
of the Divine presence, etc. — they did not force the keitz so
that no sparks “would be lost.”)
The above
discussion answers a question many have: In what way should this
special avoda, of forty years since the hilula of my
father-in-law, nasi doreinu, be expressed? The avoda
must be expressed in the context of a new reality – a new
reality based on a new foundation: attaining the daas of
his Rebbe.
Simply
put, all of the things which the baal ha’hilula demanded,
including learning Torah diligently, fulfilling mitzvos in
a beautiful manner, and especially disseminating Torah and
Yiddishkeit and the wellsprings outward, one must begin to do on a
whole new scale, in a whole new state, a nai’er shtel (a
new stance). [They should not be done] according to the
aspirations that existed previously (based on the understanding of
the student), but according to the aspirations and scope of “the
daas of his Rebbe,” nasi doreinu. [This is]
whether in Torah study (especially learning the Torah of the baal
ha’hilula), which must be (not only with additional
understanding, but primarily) with a whole new approach and
foundation. [It must be] based on the method of learning and the
inner intention of the Rebbe. Conduct in accordance with the
directives of the baal ha’hilula must be done in this
manner.
“It is
not enough to add another detail, or even another principle, even
a great principle in this avoda, but there must be, “a
man attains...,” one’s entire being must change and be
predicated upon “the daas of his Rebbe.” Even small
details must be affected. With a little contemplation, every
person can find aspects he can make into a new being, which
“attain the daas of his Rebbe.”
In other
words, each person must become a new “mosad” (institution)
— in his Torah, avoda, and gmilus chasadim —
which stands on a new foundation, “the daas of his
Rebbe.”
As the
Rashbatz would say, “Listen children, today is not yesterday.”
The Rebbe says it is not enough to add another detail, or even
another general principle, even a great principle, in this avoda;
rather, one’s entire metziyus must change and be
predicated upon “the daas of his Rebbe.”
We are
talking about an essential change, as the Rebbe MH”M says,
“Not according to previous aspirations (based on the
understanding of the student), but according to ‘the daas of
his Rebbe,’ of nasi doreinu.” From now on, the Rebbe
says, our whole stance and posture must be entirely different. We
cannot be satisfied with our present spiritual level and merely
add to it. “You have been sitting at this mountain long
enough.” Enough of the avoda we had up until now. “Turn
and travel onwards.” Make a sharp turn, and begin an entirely
new avoda. “Come and inherit the land. Every Jew must do
all that is incumbent upon him to use this auspicious time to
bring the true and complete Redemption, literally.”
***
The Rebbe
showed us clearly how he expressed this new approach. Every move
the Rebbe made at that time had to do with Moshiach and Geula.
As time passed, this became more overt. At first, the change only
affected a few details, but as time passed, we progressed into a
radically new era.
We also saw
this when the Rebbe took over the Chabad leadership. The special avoda
of the seventh generation did not start then all at once. We
were eased into it, perhaps in order to get us accustomed to it.
In fact, many people of the earlier generation had a very
difficult time with the new avoda and did not readily
accept it.
The
statement about the start of a new era, “Nothing remains except
one thing: for all of you to stand ready for the building of the
third Beis HaMikdash,” was said in connection with Hei
Teives 5747, didan natzach. The Rebbe said that there is no
need to worry about this being construed as “wild talk,” for
the truth must be told and one need not be affected by the
world’s reaction. The Rebbe added that, regardless, the world is
ready to hear this. Even when people say, “They embalmed and
eulogized him,” the truth must be told according to Toras
Emes (the Torah of Truth)!
Then the
Rebbe’s approach became even more progressive. For example, a
few weeks later, the Rebbe said for the first time, “They have
already finished polishing the last buttons.” After the passing
of the Rebbetzin on the 22nd of Shvat 5748, the Rebbe referred to
a new era and compared it to the changes that occurred on Yud-Alef
Shvat 5711, when the Rebbe officially accepted the Chabad
leadership. After the Rebbetzin’s passing, the Rebbe changed
certain of his established customs. There were no more weekday farbrengens.
There were no more maamarim. At the Rebbe’s farbrengens,
the Alter Rebbe’s niggun was not sung anymore. The
explanations on Rashi and Rambam stopped. What did we hear
instead? The Rebbe continually spoke about the fact that this is
the “highest time,” the absolutely final endpoint for the
Redemption!
Then came
Yud Shvat of the fortieth year (5750), when the Rebbe spoke about
a radically new approach. The Rebbe’s style changed completely.
Not only did the Rebbe speak about the Geula continually
and openly, but the entire farbrengen and all the sichos
were focused on that one topic. In the past, the Rebbe’s farbrengen
on Shabbos began with the special niggun of the year from
the Rebbe’s chapter of Tehillim. This changed to beginning with
the niggun of “zol shoin zein di Geula,” then
“s’kumt shoin di Geula,” then, “Yechi Adoneinu.”
The Rebbe would begin by speaking about the special time we found
ourselves in, the threshold of Geula. Then he would mention
something briefly about the weekly sidra and immediately
connect it with Geula. The Rebbe would continue at length,
emphasizing that we are about to find ourselves immediately in the
third Beis HaMikdash before the Even HaShesiya.
There would be a few words about how the date of that particular farbrengen
was connected to Geula. And the Rebbe MH”M would make
statements such as, “The main thing is that we are about to find
ourselves already in Yerushalayim in the Holy of Holies,” and so
on, throughout the farbrengen.
When people
tried to repeat the sichos or write them down, they ran
into great difficulties. How could they explain what the Rebbe
said so briefly, in a manner similar to stream of consciousness?
How could they get across the concepts so that they would be
comprehensible to those who studied them, and how could they trim
away some of the apparent redundancies about Moshiach and Geula?
Despite the
amazing concepts in the Dvar Malchus, which were edited by
the Rebbe, (and are vital and must be learned repeatedly), they
still don’t convey the spirit of what the Rebbe said at the farbrengens.
As the Rebbe once said to a Polish Chassid, “They say I am crazy
about Moshiach — but I mean it.”
*
* *
Since we
find ourselves in this time, especially after Yud Shvat of the
50th year, we are obviously beginning an entirely new era. We are
asked not only for an additional detail of avoda, or even a
great additional principle, but for a radically new perspective.
Of course, this new perspective must be reflected in all the
details as well, but the main point is: “One’s entire being
and all one’s concerns, in every possible way, must be dedicated
to the nasi ha’dor by being consumed and permeated with
fulfilling the mission of the nasi ha’dor, the final
redeemer, whose main function is to actually ‘bring about
the days of Moshiach.’”
Simply put,
this means to “live with Moshiach” by learning and living with
the Dvar Malchus, by publicizing the besuras ha’Geula,
and by unceasingly demanding the revelation of the Rebbe Melech
HaMoshiach. |
