R. Nachman, the holy Rav of Horodenka, was a student of the Baal Shem Tov. In 5524, he emigrated to the Holy Land, and settled in Tiberius. The following year (5525), he passed away and was buried there. He used to say the following parable:

Once the king’s only son contracted an illness that caused him to go mad. He began to think that he was a chicken, no less, and accordingly, he began to act as such in all aspects of his life. He stopped sitting at the table to eat the delicacies prepared for him at the palace. Instead, he would jump near the stove and begin pecking at the crumbs and seeds. He stopped lying down in a regular bed to sleep, and insisted upon crouching on the floor. He wouldn’t read or write or speak, and anyone who would approach him would only hear, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

The king, who loved his son very much and was deeply distressed to see him this way, spared no effort and was prepared to pay whatever amount was required in order to cure his son. However, nothing seemed to work. All the experts and psychologists who were brought from near and far and tried to explain matters to the king’s son and to get him to speak came up against a solid wall. Other than "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" the son was unwilling to utter a sound.

This continued for a lengthy period of time until one day, a guest arrived at the palace - an outstanding educator. He saw the king’s sorrow and said, "Give me some time. I will cure him in my own way. But, please, don’t disturb me and don’t try to help me to reach him. Let him be and wait for results."

Unlike all the other previous experts who tried getting the son to speak directly and got nothing more than a "Cock-a-doodle-doo!," the guest began acting exactly like the ill son, at least in his presence. He also stopped sitting at the table to eat the delicacies prepared for him at the palace and instead leaped and jumped near the stove and acted as if he was pecking at the crumbs and seeds. He also began crouching on the floor instead of lying down in a regular bed to sleep. He also wouldn’t read or write or speak, and anyone who would approach him would only hear, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"…

The "old chicken" who was satisfied from all the previous efforts "to interfere in his life" and to deprive him of his rights and prevent him from being a "chicken" as he wanted, tried at first to secure himself behind his wall of silence and ignored the chicken." However, it wasn’t long before he succumbed to his curiosity. Periodically, he began to observe intensely the mannerisms of the other "chicken" near him. Finally, he couldn’t take it any longer and turned to the "new chicken" and said, "Cock-a-doodle-doo, who are you?"

The "new chicken" chalked up his first check mark. He continues with the game and answered him in return, "Cock-a-doodle-doo, who are you?"

"Me?" responded the "old chicken" with undisguised pride, "a chicken, a real chicken!"

"Me, too," answered the "new chicken" with even greater pride - "a chicken, a real chicken - Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

"If so," said the "old chicken" to his new friend, "let’s be friends, two heads are better than one, hooray, Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

And the two jumped and leaped together near the stove and acted as if they were pecking at the crumbs and seeds, as all respected chickens have always been accustomed to do.

As time passed, the trust between them strengthened until they found themselves from time to time sharing opinions and thoughts on day-to-day matters. Of course, they always made sure not to forget to add before or after (or both) the beloved code - Cock-a-doodle-doo! - so they shouldn’t forget, Heaven forbid, who they are and to what "honored nation" they belong, the kingdom of chickens.

After a while, as things progressed, the "old chicken’s" suspicions lessened considerably and he showed even more trust in his new friend. Then, the "new chicken" ventured to make a suggestion to his friend:

"Cock-a-doodle-doo, listen, my friend, I’ve roamed around in many lands and I’ve seen many chickens of all different sorts and types. I have to tell you - the chickens around these parts are very primitive and highly uncultured. They still sleep on the cold hard floor and when they wake up from their sleep, all their bones hurt. In previous eras, humans also used to sleep on the cold hard floor until they learned to sleep in comfortable beds. Take London, for example. There, even the local chickens have progressed. They also have started sleeping in beds. Why should we suffer and act like the backwards local chickens? We can also be advanced and make our lives easier and more comfortable by sleeping in comfortable beds!"

The "old chicken" had difficulty comprehending. "And we can still be chickens, even if we sleep in beds?"

"Of course," said the "new chicken" without hesitation, "just like the chickens in London, Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

The truth of the matter was that the cold hard floor was not so comfortable for the "old chicken’s" back, but he was determined stubbornly and fanatically to be a chicken, and no sacrifice was too great for that purpose. However, if it is possible to remain a chicken and to sleep on a comfortable bed, it would be utter foolishness not to do so.

So the king’s son agreed to sleep in a comfortable bed, and the "new chicken" chalked up for himself another check mark.

Time passed and the "new chicken" ventured to turn to his friend again with another suggestion. "Cock-a-doodle-doo, listen, my friend, I already told you that I’ve roamed around in many lands and I’ve seen many chickens of all different sorts and types. And I have to tell you - the chickens around these parts are very primitive and highly uncultured. They still eat bread crumbs and hard dry seeds, and are never completely satiated. In previous eras, humans also used to eat cold and dry food until they learned how to prepare food properly - to cook, to bake, to fry, and to eat tasty and satisfying foods. Take Paris, for example. There, even the local chickens have progressed . They also have started eating healthy, tasty, and nourishing food. Why should we suffer and act like the backwards local chickens? We can also be advanced and make our lives easier and more comfortable by eating good food and other delicacies!"

Again, the "old chicken" had difficulty comprehending: "And we can still be chickens, even if we eat food and delicacies as humans do?"

"Of course," said the "new chicken" without hesitation, "just like the chickens in Paris, Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

And again, the truth of the matter was that bread crumbs and dry seeds didn’t appeal to the "old chicken" at all, nor to his taste buds. But he was determined stubbornly and fanatically to be a chicken, and no sacrifice was too great for that purpose. However, if it is possible to remain a chicken and to eat food and other delicacies, it would be utter foolishness not to do so.

So the king’s son agreed to eat healthy, tasty, and nourishing food, and the "new chicken" chalked up for himself another check mark.

After a while longer, "the new chicken" continued with another detail, and then another, until with tremendous toil and effort, step after step, with extreme caution so the king’s son won’t understand that they want to deprive him, Heaven forbid, of his legitimate right to be a chicken, he succeeded in teaching him and educating him to be a human being again. The hope was that eventually when all of his human behavior patterns would be restored, then he wouldn’t care about being a chicken.

R. Nachman, the holy Rav of Horodenka, explained the underlying message behind the parable this way: Sometimes we have to deal with the evil inclination, i.e., the animal soul. There are times that it is difficult to attack the central overall point directly. The "chicken" has erected within himself a thick stubborn wall of opposition and he is unwilling to change his essence to be something that he isn’t. He has convinced himself that he must remain a "chicken" and any attempt to change that will come up against fierce opposition, digging in his heels with a "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

And then, sometimes you have to be shrewd. Don’t step on his corns, don’t give him the feeling that you are trying, Heaven forbid, to influence him not to be a chicken. Just decide to fulfill a mitzva, and another, and another - to be more like man ("adam," as in "adama l’elyon"), to the point that eventually he won’t mind really being a "man" and will stop with all the nonsense of the chicken coop.

At first glance, in addition to all of the lofty and wondrous matters that accompany them, this is one of the simple concepts to be found on the holy mivtzaim of the Rebbe shlita MH"M.

At the outset, one doesn’t approach someone with everything at once, with a threat against his existence and being with an uncompromising demand to repent totally and change his nature all in one shot. They just ask him to put on t’fillin once and then another time. They ask the woman or girl to light Shabbos candles and bring light into her house, etc. Then, with the passage of time, the person becomes more open to the idea and if a little bit of light can dispel much darkness, all the more so with a lot of light. Thus, eventually he will recognize and feel that it’s not so terrible and he’ll start being a "man" with all his 248 limbs (positive commandments) and 365 sinews (negative commandments) in all their particular details, and then he won’t mind that he has stopped being a "chicken."

As the Rebbe shlita said in the sicha from Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim 5710 (Sichos Kodesh, new edition, pgs. 169-170):

As the Rebbe elaborates at the beginning of the sicha:

But today, this is the time not to be affrighted, and we have to say: We had and we have a great Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, and I have come on his shlichus.

Thus, when we see a Jew who is stubborn in his determination that no one deprive him of his legitimate right to remain a "chicken" or a "ferd," there is no need to let it affect us. On the contrary, when we see that despite his stubbornness, he accepts upon himself more and more customs of "human" conduct, this is a sign that he’s on the right path, and finally, he will become a "man" to the point that he won’t care about being an "ois ferd" anymore.

***

It is impossible not to be moved and excited. In fact, it literally does the heart good suddenly to see in massive numbers the actual establishment of dozens of new classes on Moshiach and the Redemption in a short period of time. Furthermore, it is obvious that this causes great pleasure to the Rebbe shlita.

Also the name "HaDerech HaY’shara" (i.e., "the direct path") is taken from the famous sicha (Shabbos Parshas Tazria-Metzora 5751), in which the Rebbe emphasizes that the "direct path"- the easiest and quickest of all the paths of the Torah to bring the revelation and coming of Moshiach in actual deed - is learning Torah on Melech HaMoshiach and the Redemption, and in particular the teachings (Maamarim and Likkutei Sichos) of the leader of our generation, which is the source, example, and preparation for the Torah of Moshiach."

And the even greater and more wonderful innovation in all this is that those who for years did not come to classes on the Redemption and Moshiach are going on the direct path and are learning about the Redemption and Moshiach.

(And there is no relevance to the claim that there are all types of underlying purposes, etc. We have heard many times from the Rebbe shlita MH"M that the intentions are not what are relevant. Rather the actual deed. Our Sages have said, "If only they would leave me and keep my Torah, for the light brings a person to the better." The Rebbe shlita said (sicha from Chaf Av 5710) that even someone who has doubts about "Anochi" and "Lo Yiyhe Lecha" should still be involved in the Rebbe’s teachings, as the light brings a person to goodness. And when he holds on to the Rebbe’s "kliamke" (i.e., doorknob), the Rebbe drags him out of the mud in which he was stuck.")

We have seen clearly how the Rebbe shlita MH"M brought everyone to him, each one progressing in his own way and at his own pace, but eventually they all come.

There was a need for this after Gimmel Tammuz 5754, and even then there were arguments if there is a need to travel to the Rebbe, to 770. (Note: It is a fact that not many people traveled for Tishrei 5755.) Then there were those who tried to find different types of substitutes, such as "Chabad begins in Lubavitch," and organized trips there requiring tremendous investment. Others tried to explain that "the Rebbe is found with the shluchim." (True and correct in and of itself, but again, by no means a substitute.) Thank G-d, today, everyone travels to the Rebbe, to 770, and we no longer hear the question "How is it possible to say ‘to travel to the Rebbe’ in its simplest interpretation in a situation such as this?"

(Obviously, the intention here is not, ch"v, is not to make light of the great importance connected to the burial places of the Rebbeim in Lubavitch, etc. Particularly, as is known from the special shlichus of R. Dovid Nachshon and R. Avi Taub in Iyar 5751 to read there the p’sak din of all the Chabad rabbinical courts worldwide regarding the fact that the Rebbe shlita is "Melech HaMoshiach." This shlichus was closely accompanied by instructions and revealed miracles from the Rebbe shlita, etc. [The story was recently repeated in the Beis Moshiach supplement, "HaAvoda HaYechida," from the Yud-Alef Nissan issue.] However, this can not come "in place of" a trip to the Rebbe in its simplest interpretation. As the Rebbe wrote in response to someone who wanted to travel there and spoke in exaggerated terms about the importance of the matter - "How many times during the last month was he at the Tziyon here?")

And even if presently not everyone has come to a clear recognition of the clear and simple existence of Melech HaMoshiach, the fact that he is alive and exists in its simplest and most literal interpretation, and that there is a need to declare "Yechi Adoneinu" from every available platform, nevertheless, one must give praise for every additional step of progress, as Melech HaMoshiach will undoubtedly leave no one behind and he will finally bring them all to him in every detail.

Needless to say, it is understood that this alone is not enough. This cannot substitute for learning the entire D’var Malchus, from start to finish, every week, the last sicha for the time being that we have heard from the Rebbe shlita for that week, to learn it well and review it in depth and with great precision and to live with the special sichos that the Rebbe shlita gave us as "provisions for the way" for this unique time in which we find ourselves in order to fulfill the clear instruction to "live with Moshiach," and in order to know what is wanted from us now and to carry it out in actual deed, to declare and publicize the announcement of the Redemption with the greatest possible "shturem." As mentioned earlier, this is progress in the right direction, on the direct path, and all those walk on it will certainly come to "behold his appearance directly" with the Rebbe shlita MH"M in every detail.

And when we do so, we must spare no effort that everything will be totally filled and absorbed with the "only thing that remains in the work of shlichus - greeting Moshiach in actual deed."

Melech HaMoshiach will undoubtedly leave no one behind and he will finally bring them all to him in every detail. We will all merit as one, "as one man with one heart," to see our king, our Moshiach shlita standing and redeeming us all with the true and complete Redemption, immediately - mamash!