Connecting
To Eternity
By
Rabbi Shalom Yaakov Chazan
One
of the central principles of Chassidus is the belief that every
generation has a leader who is a direct continuation of Moshe
Rabbeinu, and who possesses the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu. The Zohar
refers to this holy soul as the “extension of Moshe in every
generation.” Of course, before the advent of Chassidus, the
leaders of the generations were not identified. The Baal Shem Tov,
the founder of Chassidus, was the first of a dynasty of leaders
— continuing with the Maggid of Mezritch and the leaders of
Chabad — who allowed themselves to be identified as the leaders
of the generation.
Of
all the great Jewish souls, why is it that specifically the soul
of Moshe Rabbeinu continually reappears as the leader of each
generation?
The
Rebbe explains this in Likkutei Sichos vol. 26 (the first sicha
of Parshas Shmos):
Moshe
Rabbeinu is the paragon of truth. Indeed, for this reason the
Torah was given through him, for “Moshe is truth and his Torah
is truth”). Of course, here we are not referring to truth merely
as it is the opposite of falsehood, ch’v, for many tzaddikim
are known for their truthfulness. Here we are talking about a much
deeper level of truth.
Truth
is eternal — constant and unchanging — as it is written, “sfas
emes tikon la’ad” (the lip of truth is established
forever). The fact that “the truth of Hashem is eternal” was
illuminated within Moshe Rabbeinu, causing Moshe to likewise be
eternal without change. In fact, truth permeated Moshe to such an
extent that even his handiwork is eternal. Thus the Sages say that
the Mishkan that Moshe Rabbeinu made was never destroyed, instead
it was hidden away and lasts forever.
How
much more so does this apply to Moshe Rabbeinu himself, about whom
it is said “Moshe did not die,” an expression said about no
other tzaddik except Yaakov Avinu, despite the fact that
concerning tzaddikim, even “in their deaths they are
called living.” Since Moshe Rabbeinu is the paragon of truth,
his life — even insofar as it is bound to the physicality of the
world — cannot be interrupted.
The
eternality of Moshe Rabbeinu’s physical life is expressed in the
fact that his soul is invested within a new body in each
generation, within the “Moshe” of each generation.
It
is important to know that the truth that illuminates Moshe
Rabbeinu is not a result of his work in the world, rather, it was
a gift from above. As soon as he was born — even before he began
his service in this physical world — the house filled with
light, the light of truth, independent of his own Divine service
within the world.
[Perhaps
this is the reason why the eternality of Moshe Rabbeinu’s
truth was expressed specifically in the Mishkan. That is, since
this light of truth was not a product of his work in this world,
it did not affect those things which he was to refine in the
world. It only affected the Mishkan, which was of itself entirely
holy, a house for Hashem, hardly lacking any refinement. However,
even the Mishkan, the only remaining handiwork of Moshe Rabbeinu,
is hidden, and its eternality is not revealed to all.]
For
thousands of years now,
Moshe’s eternality has been expressed in his spiritual life as
it is connected to the physicality of the world through the means
of the body of the leader in each generation. This was so until
the revelation of Chassidus in general, and the generation of the
Rebbe Rashab in particular, as will be explained.
Before
his histalkus (passing), the Rebbe Rashab said: “Ich
gei in himmel, di kesavim loz ich aich” (I am going to
Heaven, but I am leaving the sfarim [holy writings] with
you). The Rebbe explains (LS. vol. 32) that “tzaddikim
are like their Creator,” and just like Hashem “put Himself
into the Torah,” so too, the Rebbe Rashab “put himself into”
his Torah. Since the writings are here in the physical world,
through them, the Rebbe Rashab is here in the physical world. That
is, the sfarim are the eternal connection in the physical
world between the leader of the generation and Yisroel.
The
Rebbe goes on to say that the incredible eternality expressed in
the Rebbe’s writings continues with his only son, the Rebbe
Rayatz, “for through his writings, sfarim, and physical
possessions, we unite with the Rebbe himself, physically.”
This
unique eternality is emphasized in the Rebbe Rayatz’s first maamar
as Rebbe (indicating that it is fundamental to his leadership),
“Reishis goyim Amalek v’achariso.”
The
Rebbe Rayatz explains in the maamar that holy things exist
forever since they originate in holiness, from Hashem Himself. So
just as Hashem is eternal, so too His holiness and light exist
forever.
The
maamar continues: “The place of the tzaddik’s
Torah and Divine service retains its holiness even after he
departs the life of physical bodies for true life, and the
illumination of the light of his Divine service remains in place.
For one can say of the place in which he learned and delved into
Torah and all the things he used for his Divine service that his
holiness is upon them from his contribution to the refinement of
the world.”
The
Rebbe Rayatz illustrates this point with a story from his father:
“I once saw my father the Rebbe, enter his father’s [the Rebbe
Maharash] room, which was arranged just as it was in his lifetime
[this was around 5645 or 5646]. He entered wearing a gartel, and
he stood near the table opposite the chair. His lips moved as
though he spoke, and he cried a lot.”
And
the Rebbe writes in a sicha:
What
we learn from all this is that a tzaddik’s life is
eternal, and not just in a spiritual sense, but also regarding the
physical place and his physical things (his table, his chair,
etc.), as it says, “holiness does not move from its place,”
the physical place, in “his father’s room” (in addition to
the spiritual place or level), because the holiness of a tzaddik
permeates all his things “even the place and things he used for
his Divine service” ... furthermore, the holiness of the place
and things, etc., belonging to the tzaddik (even after his
passing) is the same as when the tzaddik actually used
them, as a soul in a body.
...as
the Rebbe [Rashab] said, “I am going to Heaven, but I am leaving
the sfarim with you,” by connecting to the leader of the
generation — through being “connected” to his writings, his sfarim,
etc., in which he invested himself — this draws down from the
eternal existence of the tzaddik and holiness of the leader
of the generation to all those who walk “on the straight path he
taught of his ways, may we go in his paths forever,” especially
through learning the writings and sfarim, and by putting
them into action.
From
all this we see that the eternality of the Rebbeim extends to
their physical belongings — even to their table and chair —
and that through being “connected” to these belongings we
connect to the Rebbeim.
***
From
the Rebbe Rayatz’s statement that, “one can say of the place
in which he learned and delved into Torah and all the things he
used for his Divine service that his holiness is upon them his
contribution to the refinement of the world,” we understand that
the eternality of the leader of the generation and his writings
and possessions come as a result of his Divine service in the
world.
Perhaps
this is the reason why the eternality of the Rebbeim is also
expressed in their writings. That is, since their eternality
pertains to their Divine service in the world, it, therefore,
affects their entire role in refining the world, including their
writings and material possessions.
It
is interesting to note that although the homes of the Rebbeim,
from the Alter Rebbe to the Rebbe Maharash no longer exist, the
house in Rostov — where the Rebbe Rashab said “I am going to
Heaven, but I am leaving the sfarim with you,” revealing
that the eternality of the Rebbeim is expressed even in their
physical possessions — remains until this day. They have even
recently uncovered the mikva! This is “the handiwork of
Moshe is eternal,” not only as it is hidden away, but in a way
that is visible to all.
Moreover,
the above notion sheds new light
on the relationship the Rebbeim have with the library, a
relationship that is not like that of a person to his possessions,
but like that of a person to his inner essence, for the writings
are that which transmit and express the eternality of the lives of
the Rebbeim.
Accordingly,
we can understand the unusual things said by the Rebbeim about the
sfarim — like the Rebbe Rashab’s statement that the sfarim
are “my very life and soul,” or the Rebbe saying that the sfarim
are part of the Rebbe Rayatz’s life of the past, present, and
future until the end of time, and that taking a seifer from
the library means taking a portion of the Rebbe Rayatz’s life,
“upgerisen a shtik leben fun Rebbin der shver,” r’l
— for the Rebbeim invested their very lives and eternality
within the sfarim!
In
5739, after the sfarim held in Poland were returned, the
Rebbe wrote a moving letter to Mr. Yosef Shustak, who had
contributed to their retrieval. By way of introduction, the Rebbe
apologized for the letter’s delay, and explained that the
“main reason for the delay in writing the letter was because it
was not something easily expressed in words, and even harder to
express in writing, personal and deep emotions.”
The
Rebbe went on to describe the “deep significance the writings
had to the Rebbe Rayatz, as well as to all the other Chabad
Rebbeim preceding him”:
He
had a deep soul connection to them, over and beyond the connection
one has to books and manuscripts lacking a similar holy content.
Many of the writings are the heart and soul of holy Chabad
literature. Since this is the case, you can well understand how
greatly moved I was and will always be, and you can understand the
emotions of the friends of Lubavitch regarding your great and
exalted work in donating your time, your efforts and reputation in
order to get the manuscripts and holy sfarim “home.”
This deed constitutes true “redemption of captives,” since
only when they are home can these spiritual treasures realize
their full significance.
Further
in the letter, the Rebbe writes:
Certainly
the “material” and “inanimate” aspects of the writings are
permeated with the light and eternal life of the highest levels.
But when these writings are taken from their natural environment,
from “their home,” they are in exile and in captivity, and as
good as the care of them may be, they are like captives in the
full sense of the word, which can never be truly happy even if all
their physical and even spiritual needs are taken care of, for
they yearn to return home, to unite with their families and
friends and with the environment in which they belong. For this
reason, the mitzva of pidyon shvuyim (redeeming
captives) in its usual meaning is such a great mitzva. So
one cannot imagine the enormity of the merit you have as well as
those who assisted you, in the pidyon shvuyim of these
writings.
As
far as I know, we don’t find gedolei Yisroel relating to
their sfarim as living people for which the mitzva
of pidyon shvuyim applies. But the Rebbe refers to the kesavim
(manuscripts) as living people, who are interested in
“uniting with their families and friends,” and he applies the mitzva
of pidyon shvuyim to them as one would to a Jew held
captive!
This
is only because these writings express the eternal life of the
leader of the generation, and therefore, the Rebbeim related to
them as though to living things, a part of the Rebbe’s life.
[Naturally,
the above refers to the earlier Rebbeim, and not to the Rebbe
MH”M, who lives eternal life with no interruption, as the Rebbe
explains in the sicha of Parshas Bo, 5752, that the
uniqueness of our generation is expressed in that this generation
goes on to eternal life with no interruption. Furthermore, there
isn’t even the change of geniza (being hidden away), as
it is explained in the sicha of Parshas Shoftim, 5751, that
the present leader of the generation does not have the change of geniza,
for he is like the even hashesiya (foundation stone), which
is not subject to geniza.]
This
also answers those who ask: Since the library is not open to the
public, but is only available to researchers — rabbanim, roshei yeshiva, and writers, who may
need to refer to a rare seifer — what connection does it
have to the simple Chassid who makes do with the sfarim
that he owns or with those available in shul?
Of
course, whoever heard the Rebbe’s sichos about the sfarim
could never ask this question! In the sichos quoted
earlier, the Rebbe states explicitly that the connection a Chassid
has with the sfarim and writings of the Rebbeim is that
when he is connected to these sfarim, he is connected to
the Rebbeim. In other words, the library is the means through
which a Chassid connects to the Rebbe.
This
doesn’t apply merely to learning the sfarim (as the Rebbe
put it, hiskashrus through the sfarim is “primarily by
learning the writings and sfarim, and bringing the study
into action”). Even without learning them, the very presence of
the sfarim in the Rebbe’s library, where the Rebbeim put
them, connects us to the eternal life of all the Rebbeim!
The
Rebbe even clearly explained (Tammuz 5745) to simple people, who
find it difficult to understand the great importance the Rebbe
attributed to the sfarim, the connection the library has to
all Chassidim:
By
its very nature, the library makes a great impression on everybody
who visits it to do research, and it brings about feelings of
respect and esteem towards the movement to which such a valuable
library belongs.
And
this was the Rebbe Rayatz’s motivation in founding the library,
that in addition to its serving as a resource for those who learn
and clarify inyanei Torah, both Nigla and Chassidus, the library
would bring about a kiddush ha’Shem and kiddush shem Lubavitch,
for Jews and gentiles, in their knowing that the Lubavitch
movement has such a valuable and rare collection.
This
leads to feelings of respect and esteem, etc. for this movement,
and as a result — there’s inspiration to get more involved in
this movement, which leads to an increase in all good things —
an increase in fulfilling Torah and its mitzvos amongst Bnei
Yisroel, and an increase in the fulfillment of the seven Noachide
laws among the gentiles. For the purpose of the Lubavitch movement
is to disseminate Torah and Yiddishkeit amongst Jews, and to
disseminate the light of holiness in the world, as the verse says:
“I have given you as a light to the nations.
From
this sicha it is clear, that since a Lubavitcher Chassid
has to disseminate Yiddishkeit and Chassidus throughout the world,
the library helps in his work. When a person hears that a
Lubavitcher Chassid represents a movement which possesses such a
distinguished library — his respect for the Chassid and the
movement he represents grows, and inspires him to get more
involved in this movement.
In
other words, the very existence of the library helps all Chabad
Chassidim in their work around the world, in drawing Jews towards
Chassidus.
In
light of the above, we
understand how much a Chassid must value the possessions belonging
to the Rebbeim. We also understand that before making any change
in connection with the sfarim and holy items kept in the
library, we must carefully examine the Rebbe’s sichos to
see whether it is something that meets the Rebbe’s approval.
We
are speaking here about the recent exhibits held at the library,
which were done ostensibly to slake the thirst of the Chassidim,
at least in some small way, so that they could see the treasures
the library contains.
However,
in the seifer “Sifriyas Lubavitch” there is an
answer of the Rebbe in connection with the suggestion that an
exhibit at the library open for Yud Shvat, 5750, which says
simply, “ein ha’zman grama mattim l’ha’nal” (the
time is not right for this). The Rebbe did not negate the
possibility, but he did not give it his approval, since “the
time is not right.” On what basis then was it decided that the
time is now right?
And
even if, in his answer, the Rebbe did not rule out the idea
completely, the idea does seems to be negated in the sichos
of Tammuz, 5745:
“This
issue [the Rebbe Rayatz’s giving researchers the opportunity to
look at the sfarim] was not done publicly so that the
“rifraff” would not come. For the library is designated to
serve those people doing literary research, and not to satisfy the
curiosity of anyone who wants to see the library.”
After
this sicha was said, much thought must be given to the
notion of opening the library to everyone. (And this does not
contradict the “feelings of respect” aroused by a visit to the
library, because that refers to researchers and rabbanim
who visit and not just anyone.)
And
if this was done based on “maaseh Rav” of the
Rebbe Rayatz, who brought Chassidim in from time to time and
showed them the Baal Shem Tov’s siddur, the Rebbe Rayatz
was particular about showing the holy siddur only after the
Chassid went to the mikva and prepared himself.
Also,
despite the fact that the Rebbe Rayatz showed the Baal Shem
Tov’s siddur to many Chassidim, the Rebbe MH”M never
showed it to the Chassidim, and he himself was careful not to
touch it. He once said that he was afraid to touch it! Chassidim
who are connected to the Rebbe attribute the same regard towards
all the writings and belongings of the Rebbeim, and so these
things should certainly not be displayed at an exhibit with open
admission.
Furthermore,
the Rebbe explained many times why the Rebbeim have their writings
printed and made public. The Rebbe gives the well-known example in
Chassidus of the king who had “a tremendous treasure, which had
accumulated over the generations and which he never used, but was
kept locked away. But to win the war, he squanders all the
treasures.”
In
those sichos the premise is that the treasures must be
hidden away in the king’s treasury (for the way a kingdom is run
is that there are treasures, and their concealment enhances the
king’s stature), and are not made readily available, certainly
not for squandering. The only reason to remove the treasures is to
win the war (by learning the sfarim), and to achieve
victory any effort is worthwhile.
Despite
the strong desire on the part of the Rebbeim to win the war, they
never removed the Rebbeim’s possessions. The reason for this is
simple: seeing these objects will not help achieve victory in the
battle, and so they must all remain in their place, in the
treasury!
Isn’t
this the simple meaning of what the Rebbe said? — “When these
writings are removed from their natural environment, from “their
home,” they are in exile and captivity. As good as their care
may be, they are captives in the fullest sense of the word, and
can never be truly happy even if all their physical and even
spiritual needs are met, for they yearn to return home, to unite
with their family and friends and with the entire environment to
which they belong.”
This
is especially so when holy writings and holy objects from the
Rebbe’s room are taken in order to publicly exhibit them at
gatherings and farbrengens held outside of 770. As it is
explained (Likkutei Sichos vol. 31, p. 170) about the vessels of
the Beis HaMikdash on display at Achashverosh’s party:
“Achashverosh made this party for the cancellation of the
construction of the Beis HaMikdash (Megilla 11b), because
according to his calculation, the seventy years of the Babylonian
exile were up and the Jewish people were not yet redeemed. He
said, ‘now they will certainly not be redeemed’ and he removed
the vessels and used them, etc. So anybody who partook of that
meal showed that he was happy about the destruction of the Mikdash.”
We
will conclude with the Rebbe’s answer to the request of the
administration of the library (summer, 5750) about celebrating the
chanukas ha’bayis (opening) of the library: “Concerning
a chanukas ha’bayis, od chazon la’moed (we will
see at a later date) to decide about this.” From this answer we
see that the library is not just another one of the Rebbe’s
institutions, but it is of the utmost importance to the Rebbe. We
hope that we will immediately merit the ultimate “mo’ed,”
the revelation of the Rebbe MH”M, and the celebration of the chanukas
ha’bayis of the library and the chanukas Beis
HaMikdash, when we will see all the Rebbeim, and not only through
their sfarim, but in person.
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