The wanderings of R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman from Rostov to Poltava to Charkov.
THE TRIP TO ROSTOV
In those days, the winds of communism raged, wreaking havoc and spiritual destruction. Many Jewish youth were swept up in the storm. The few who managed to withstand the powerful currents of heresy were the students of Tomchei T’mimim. The pure Chassidishe chinuch, saturated with faith in G-d, prepared them to fight communism with mesirus nefesh.
The reputation of Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim reached R’ Menachem Mendel Serebryanski, R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman’s father. A bachur from the yeshiva in Rostov traveled through Brahin and told about the yeshiva where time had stopped, the progressive atmosphere of “progress” did not penetrate the walls of the beis midrash, and the talmidim conducted themselves as G-d fearing individuals.
R’ Menachem Mendel was eager to register his son in the central yeshiva in Rostov, the capitol of Lubavitch at the time. Before sending his son to distant parts, he went to consult with his friend and relative, R’ Boruch Mordechai Perlov (grandson of the Tzemach Tzedek and author of Mishmeres Shalom).
At first he said no, apparently because he wanted R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman to continue learning with his young son. However, after a while he realized that it was in R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman’s best interests to go and learn in Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim. He gave the young man a letter of recommendation for the Rebbe Rayatz as well as a sum of money for a pidyon nefesh.
R’ Menachem Mendel’s financial state in those days was so poor that he did not even have the money for the trip to Rostov. He had to sell the few silver items in his possession, and with the money that he got in exchange, he bought tickets for himself and his son to Rostov.
This was in the early years of the Rebbe Rayatz’s nesius. Upon their arrival, they had yechidus. The Rebbe welcomed them graciously and after the yechidus he instructed the hanhala to accept R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman into the yeshiva.
ACCLIMATING TO YESHIVA LIFE
R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman, who had never learned in a formal yeshiva, found it hard at first to get used to the yeshiva schedule. In his town of Brahin, he was known as a bachur with a particularly active nature. So for example, during the transition between the government of the czar and the takeover by the communists, when bands of murderers traveled through the towns and sowed fear among the Jewish communities, R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman was one of the leaders of the defense force. Now he found it difficult when he was expected to sit most of the day and learn.
Within a short time, he became acquainted with the special character of the talmidim of the yeshiva, and learned to recognize the p’nimius that burned with a fire of love and fear of Hashem. Chassidus, which he learned for the first time in an organized way, had its effect on him and began changing his middos.
He became friendly with the best of the T’mimim at that time. He learned Nigleh with R’ Zalman Kurenitz and he learned Chassidus with R’ Nachum Goldschmid. As he learned, he discovered the tremendous wisdom and rare cleverness of his friends and his admiration for them grew from day to day.
R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman, who in the not-too-distant past had been a child of a well-to-do family, still had some items of clothing from those better days and he came to yeshiva with a fine fur coat. Within a short time, he noticed a bachur who suffered greatly from the cold and fell ill. He did not think twice but gave the bachur his coat. After a few more incidents in which he helped needy bachurim, he became known as “Zalman der gutter.”
In accordance with the yeshiva’s schedule, his day began with two hours of Chassidus as a preparation for davening. After the davening they learned Nigleh for eight hours, and then another two hours of Chassidus. During the Chassidus s’darim they mainly learned the maamarim of the Rebbe Rashab and the Rebbe Rayatz. However, the packed day did not suffice for him. Once he had gotten a taste of the sweetness of Chassidus, he wanted to learn more and more. When the day of learning was over, he remained for another two hours in which he studied the Chassidic teachings of the Rebbeim.
THE WANDERING YESHIVA
The yeshiva in Rostov lasted for nearly a year. At the end of the winter of 5681, the Yevsektzia began persecuting the Chabad Chassidim in Rostov. They held a public trial that led to the closing of the yeshiva.
The talmidim had to move and they traveled to Tomchei T’mimim in Poltava. They did not last long there either. Within two years, the yeshiva in Poltava was closed and due to the sensitive situation, it was decided to split the yeshiva into two outposts, one in Nevel and one in Charkov.
In Tishrei 5684/1923, the Rebbe Rayatz decided to bring the yeshiva back to Rostov so that it would once again be close by and under his direct supervision. The talmidim were close to the Rebbe and could attend his farbrengens, have yechidus, and receive instructions in avodas Hashem. They were able to see the Rebbe often.
During this period, R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman became a big maskil in Chassidus while cleaving to the Rebbe heart and soul.
During the winter of 5684, the Rebbe urged Anash to be moser nefesh in support of Judaism. At the 19 Kislev farbrengen that took place in Rostov, the Rebbe made a covenant with some Chassidim who committed to taking care of Jewish matters in their city. A short time later, on a visit to Moscow, the Rebbe made the famous covenant with nine T’mimim (with the Rebbe as the tenth) who swore to go in the path of the Rebbe and be moser nefesh for the dissemination of Torah till their last drop of blood.
These actions of the Rebbe became known to the GPU and they waited for him at his house in Rostov in order to arrest him. He found out about this as he was on his way home from Moscow, and he turned back around and settled in a village near Moscow for several weeks. The GPU was determined to arrest him and when Pesach approached and the Rebbe decided to return home, the GPU came to arrest him. It was only after much political maneuvering that they came to an agreement with the GPU. If the Rebbe would leave Rostov, they would leave him alone.
A few weeks after Pesach, the Rebbe Rayatz left Rostov and moved to Leningrad. The yeshiva was closed.
SECRET LETTER FROM THE REBBE RAYATZ
In the meantime, the yeshiva in Charkov, which had begun with a small group of talmidim from Rostov, flourished. Within a year, the yeshiva grew even more when a group of bachurim came from Kremenchug.
Among the bachurim who were sent to Charkov was R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman. He was one of the older bachurim and he soon became an active part of the administration of the yeshiva. Chassidim who learned in Charkov in those days remember him as a “good mother of the bachurim.” He was unusually goodhearted and took care of all the bachurim’s needs. When a bachur fell sick, he would visit him and take care of him.
In this role, he was in touch with R’ Yechezkel (Chatshe) Feigin, who was the general menahel of all branches of Tomchei T’mimim. He came occasionally to Charkov in order to personally oversee the development of the yeshiva and assess its needs.
R’ Feigin would occasionally deliver instructions and missions to R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman from the Rebbe Rayatz in connection with the running of the yeshiva in Charkov.
For the most part, these were the most secret of matters, and years later, R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman said that he often received instructions in writing from the Rebbe and on the letter it said “top secret, to be burned after reading.” Until the end of his life, he was pained about having to burn the Rebbe’s writing, but there was no alternative in those terrible days.
R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman would go to Leningrad, where the Rebbe was, for Tishrei. Aside from the z’chus of being in the Rebbe’s presence, he was a partner in the Rebbe’s holy work when R’ Chatshe Feigin asked for his help in the many administrative and secretarial duties the Rebbe had given him.
THEY MUST BE SERVANTS OF HASHEM!
One of the obstacles that stood in the way of the T’mimim who wanted to learn was being drafted into the Red Army. If it was hard to live a religiously observant life as a civilian, in the army it was nearly impossible. Not surprisingly, the bachurim did all they could to gain an exemption.
At the end of 5685, R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman and his friend R’ Aharon Yosef Blinitzky had to present themselves to the enlistment office. For Tishrei 5686, the mashgiach R’ Chatshe went with the two of them to the Rebbe in Leningrad to obtain his bracha that they succeed in avoiding the draft.
Before hakafos, a time considered especially auspicious, R’ Chatshe took the two bachurim for yechidus and pleaded on their behalf. The Rebbe’s response was: They must serve G-d rather than serve in the army.
With that answer, they were confident that they would be exempt and indeed, when it was their turn, they miraculously received the “white card,” which meant they were exempt from military service.