A REBBE MUST BE OBEYED

One of the reasons for his hesitation was the fact that the Rebbe Rayatz was not a member of the Moetzes G’dolei Ha’Torah. R’ Shlomo went to consult with the Sadigora Rebbe. The Rebbe thought a bit and then said: Lubavitch is malchus. Did you ever hear of a king who listens to the opinions of the other ministers? * A compilation of Chassidishe stories on the topic of hiskashrus and obeying the Rebbe

By R’ Chaim Ashkenazi a”h

WHEN THE REBBE 
NEEDED A NOTEBOOK

Once, when the Rebbe Rashab was in France, he sent a telegram to the wealthy Chassid R’ Shmuel Michel Treinin, saying that he urgently needed him.

When R’ Shmuel Michel received the telegram, he did all he could to get to the Rebbe quickly, even though it cost him a lot of money. He paid for a room in a hotel near where the Rebbe was staying, and paid for someone to inform him as soon as the Rebbe needed him.

Suddenly, the Rebbe called for him and said he wanted to go out with him for a walk. When the Rebbe and the wealthy man went outside, the Rebbe asked him to enter a nearby store and to buy him a notebook (probably in order to write a maamer Chassidus). However, the wealthy man said: In that store, everything is expensive. Perhaps I should go to a side street and buy it for less over there.

Hearing this, the Rebbe said he no longer had a need for a notebook.

OBEYING THE REBBE

One of the first T’mimim in Lubavitch was a smart and very learned bachur. (He eventually lived in Yerushalayim and was blind and would give a shiur in Gemara by heart because he was fluent in Shas. He wrote a commentary on T’hillim called Ne’os Desheh.)

When he learned in Zembin by R’ Shmuel Gronem Esterman, he became of age for a shidduch. A wealthy man arrived at the yeshiva from the town of Dubrovna. The man had an only daughter and he asked R’ Gronem to pick the best bachur for her. He was willing to support his future son-in-law for twenty years, and when he would pass on after 120, the father-in-law would bequeath all his wealth to his daughter and her husband.

R’ Gronem suggested the shidduch to this bachur who went to see the girl. He liked her and decided to marry her.

When R’ Gronem heard this he asked him: Did you ask the Rebbe Rashab?

The bachur wondered: What is there to ask? The shidduch seems most suitable. I have no doubts that compel me to consult the Rebbe.

R’ Gronem explained that the Rebbe should be asked about a shidduch, and the bachur agreed and went to Lubavitch. Since he was a Tamim, and T’mimim were highly regarded by the Rebbe, they arranged a yechidus for him.

The bachur told the Rebbe about the shidduch and the Rebbe said: If you would listen to me, don’t go through with this shidduch.

The bachur asked him again, because he thought the Rebbe hadn’t heard the details and did not realize what a wonderful shidduch this was, but the Rebbe told him again not to go ahead with this shidduch.

The bachur asked: Why?

The Rebbe said: If you knew, you yourself would be the Rebbe!

When the bachur returned to Zembin, he told R’ Gronem what the Rebbe said, and said that nevertheless, he did not think he had to listen to the Rebbe in this matter.

R’ Gronem tried for weeks to convince the bachur to listen to the Rebbe (R’ Peretz Mochkin told this story in order to emphasize that in the past, hiskashrus wasn’t as strong by the T’mimim as it is in our generation).

REGARDS FROM THE REBBE

The son of R’ Asher of Nikolayev related that when he was a boy, he once returned from Lubavitch, from the Rebbe Rashab. When he arrived at the shul, they put him up on a platform and everyone was invited to listen to his live regards from the Rebbe.

The boy sat on that high place and just reviewed the beginning of a maamer, i.e. the pasuk on which the Rebbe expounded in the maamer. That was the regards that everyone received from the Rebbe.

LUBAVITCH IS MALCHUS

When R’ Shlomo Kupchik arrived in Eretz Yisroel (around the year 5703/1943), he struggled regarding whether to get involved with Chabad or not. One of the reasons for his hesitation was the fact that the Rebbe Rayatz was not a member of the Moetzes G’dolei Ha’Torah.

R’ Shlomo went to consult with the Sadigora Rebbe. The Rebbe thought a bit and then said: Lubavitch is malchus. Did you ever hear of a king who listens to the opinions of the other ministers?

ONE WHO DOUBTS

A Chassid of the Tzemach Tzedek once visited the Viledniker, who was a great miracle worker and would read people’s thoughts. The Viledniker would sit in a special room and nearby there would be a minyan. After the davening, his Chassidim would wait until he finished davening, and then he would go out to them and wish them a good Shabbos.

The visiting Chassid also stood there and waited for the Viledniker to come out. In the meantime, he began thinking over a maamer Chassidus that he heard from the Tzemach Tzedek, which began with the words, “Ein Aroch Lecha.”

He was so deep in thought that he did not realize that the Viledniker had left his room. The Viledniker went over to him and said: Ein Aroch Lecha? A bissel gegangen, a bissel geforen (you went a bit, you traveled a bit, i.e. you were lost in thought), good Shabbos!

Over Shabbos, the Chassid went to hear his teachings, and he thought to himself how he would say the same Divrei Torah differently. The Viledniker said: Hameharher achar rabbo kemeharher achar hash’china, one who thinks [doubting thoughts] after his Rebbe, is like he thinks [doubting thoughts] after the Sh’china.

The Chassid thought: Is he also considered my Rebbe? I have my own Rebbe.

The Viledniker repeated the same Hebrew phrase, explaining it thus: One who thinks that acheir rabbo (someone else is his Rebbe), is like he thinks [doubting thoughts] after the Sh’china.

The Chassid thought: By us in Lubavitch, they did not like wonder workers like these. They would have laid him out on the table and given it to him for that.

The Viledniker again repeated the same phrase with a new twist: One who thinks to give it to his Rebbe on his achorayim (rear end), is like etc.

When the Chassid heard this, he burst out laughing, although nobody else understood what was going on.

NOT NOW!

R’ Hillel of Paritch once went to the Tzemach Tzedek and asked to hear a maamer Chassidus. The Tzemach Tzedek said, not now.

R’ Hillel left the Rebbe’s room and remained standing near the door. Late at night, when the Tzemach Tzedek left his room, he saw R’ Hillel standing there and he asked: Why are you waiting?

R’ Hillel said: The Rebbe told me “not now,” and so I am still waiting.

The Rebbe acquiesced and said a maamer Chassidus just for him.

FROM A SHOCHET TO A RAV AND FROM A RAV TO A SHOCHET

A Chassid went to the Rebbe Maharash and asked for a bracha for a position as a rav. The Rebbe said: Why do you need to be a rav when you are suited to be a shochet?

The Chassid said that his vision was a little weak, and therefore, he did not trust himself to shecht.

The Rebbe advised him to shecht only by day and not at night.

The next Chassid who had yechidus wanted to be a shochet. The Rebbe said to him: You are suited to be a rav, not a shochet.

That is what they did – one was a shochet all his life and the other was a rav all his life.