YOUR TEARS ARE IN VAIN. DO THE REBBE’S SHLICHUS!

Translated and presented by Boruch Merkur

One Chassid wrote to me that from the time of the histalkus he has been extremely broken, and at times, when he is alone, he breaks down in tears… * What has been accomplished through his tears?  Is this the Rebbe’s objective? Did he ask him to cry? * And in the meanwhile, the Rebbe’s shlichus has been neglected! * Following the histalkus of the Rebbe Rayatz, the Rebbe MH”M proclaimed that the Rebbe remains alive as before. * Source materials on this topic, compiled by Rabbi Majeski in Likkutei M’koros. (Translations appear in bold. Underlining is the author’s emphasis.)

On Chag HaShavuos of 5710, the Rebbe MH”M spoke about the connection between humility and joy:

In the maamer of Chag HaShavuos beginning with the words, “The humble shall increase their joy in G-d” (Seifer HaMaamarim 5710, pg. 237 ff.), my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, הריני כפרת משכבו, outlines the connection between humility and joy, saying that not only are they not opposites – on the contrary, they complement each other.

The Rebbe goes on to explain how humility is not a result of inherent lowliness; the humble know their strengths. However, they simply don’t ascribe the virtue of possessing these positive character traits to themselves. They see any good they possess, rather, as “what they inherited from their fathers.” This self-effacement or bittul is a product of “acknowledging the truth.” Considering their own contribution as negligible, humble people are void of ego, which makes them “vessels for Supernal Joy.”

The lesson as this applies to us:

We must know that the virtues and talents we possess are only what was given to us by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe. Indeed, we must achieve the ultimate state of bittul in order to vehemently fulfill the Rebbe’s shlichus. As stated above, the humble, in essence, are strong-minded; they ignore any distraction, concealment, or disguise.

One must fulfill the Rebbe’s shlichus without considering anything at all. One must not concern himself with questions or difficulties: Why are we saying Kaddish? Why do we write “הריני כפרת משכבו,” etc.? We must behave like the humble, who are strong-minded and do not get caught up in any diversions.

One Chassid wrote to me that from the time of the histalkus he has been extremely broken, and at times, when he is alone, he breaks down in tears…

The question is, however: What has been accomplished through his tears? Is this the Rebbe’s objective? Did he ask him to cry? It is almost certain that his crying does nothing, with the exception of what our Sages taught, “All those who shed tears for a decent person (and how much more so in our case), the Alm-ghty counts [his tears] and places them in His treasury.” But in the meanwhile, the Rebbe’s shlichus has been neglected!

(Ibid 88-89)

On Shabbos Parshas Shlach, the Rebbe MH”M elaborates on the strategy of seduction the Evil Inclination employs. As our Sages teach in Meseches Shabbos (105b), “This is the craft of the Evil Inclination: Today it tells the person, ‘Do this’…until it tells him, ‘serve idolatry.’” To begin with in its assault on the person, the Evil Inclination does no more than introduce its opinion; it merely acquiesces with the Good Inclination to do Mitzvos. However, the Evil Inclination’s intermingling into the person’s affairs, even in this extremely benign manner, is the source and springboard for it eventually telling the person to “serve idolatry.” The advice to combat this covert action is as follows.

The main condition for fulfilling the shlichus is, therefore, following the Rebbe’s words, without deviation and without mixing in the intellect; specifically through kabbalas ol [simply accepting the directives as stated].

Of course, this is not always such a simple task. The Evil Inclination’s subterfuge is so stealthy and subtle in its initial engagement that special strength is needed to defend against it. The advice to summon this strength is: maintaining a deep bond with the Rebbe – even after the histalkus.

Naturally, one who feels that the Rebbe is now distant from us, or even inaccessible, would balk at this challenge, so the Rebbe continues at length to illustrate how the opposite is true: the Rebbe is still with us.

When we speak about my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, we do not say, “זכר צדיק לברכה” (as stated in Yuma 37a) or “נשמתו עדן”: 

On Simchas Torah of 5691, my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, said: “I don’t say ‘נשמתו עדן’ regarding my father,  for I don’t demarcate an address [to the location of his soul]. Moreover, for me, my father never passed away, etc.”

Similarly regarding my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe: One should not say about him “נשמתו עדן,” because: 1) Who is able to specify an “address,” restricting his location to Gan Eden – the lower Gan Eden or the higher Gan Eden, or endlessly higher than that? 2) Why should we cast him away from us?! He certainly doesn’t want to leave us behind. The fact is that he is right here with us!

For the same reason we don’t say “נשמתו עדן,” we also don’t say “זכר צדיק לברכה,” for the concept of remembering (“זכר”) only applies to something distant, something that can be forgotten. Whereas in our case, where it is not possible for there to be forgetfulness, G-d forbid, there is no need to remember, just as there is no need to remember a living person.

More particularly:

It says in the Gemara (Yevamos 96b, end ff.): “Why is it written (T’hillim 61:5), ‘I shall dwell in your tent olamim, forever [but also meaning, in (two) worlds]’? Is it possible for a person to dwell in two worlds?  … [The Gemara answer that] when the saying of any talmid chochom [who is deceased] is spoken in this world, his lips murmur in the grave.” The Baalei Tosafos elaborate: “When his soul is in the Yeshiva shel Maala, the Supernal Yeshiva, his lips move in his grave as if he were speaking. Thus, in a single instance, he dwells in two worlds.”

The whole concept of a yeshiva, the Rebbe MH”M explains, entails both a rosh yeshiva as well as his talmidim; either one on their own does not constitute a yeshiva. Their must be a rosh yeshiva teaching and talmidim reviewing the shiur and coming to understand the material.

And regarding a yeshiva (which includes both a rosh yeshiva and his talmidim) there is the Yeshiva shel Mata, the Terrestrial Yeshiva, where worldly matters are studied, and there is a Yeshiva shel Maala, where the topic of study is spiritual. (See Kuntres Limud HaChassidus g. 18 ff.; Seifer HaSichos 5703 pg. 148 ff.) And [with regard to the Rebbe] both of them – the Yeshiva shel Mata and the Yeshiva shel Maala – exist both before and after the histalkus. The difference is only with regard to concealment and revelation. Prior to the histalkus the Rebbe was visibly present in the Yeshiva shel Mata, but concealed in the Yeshiva shel Maala, whereas after the histalkus, the opposite true: he is revealed in the Yeshiva shel Maala but concealed in the Yeshiva shel Mata. However, in essence, even now he is present here, in the Yeshiva shel Mata, and there is absolutely no change.

It is written, “Evil is not emitted from the Supernal Source” (Eicha 3:38). Since it is impossible that there should be “good” unless we are together with my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, certainly he is present with us, as before. The change is only with regard to revelation and concealment. That is, before [the histalkus] he was with us visibly, whereas now he is with us in a hidden manner. Thus, there is presently a need to bring proofs from the words of the Gemara that it is “possible for a person to dwell in two worlds.” And to accomplish that, it is necessary to study his Torah: “When the saying of any talmid chochom [who is deceased] is spoken in this world, his lips murmur, etc.” However, the fact that he is presently with us in a concealed way and we must bring proofs for this – does not in any way weaken the reality of the situation at all!

(Ibid 106-107)