Dear Reader sh’yichyeh,
Some of you may have never heard of the city of Gomel. That is because, as with many Russian names, we pronounce it Homel while in Russian is was pronounced Gomel. The same is true with the names Kohen and Kogan, Horowitz and Gorowitz.
The city of Homel has a long Jewish history: Jews settled in Homel in the 16th century. During the Cossacks’ uprising in 1648, about 2,000 Jews were killed in Gomel. Here is an account of what happened, from the Jewish Encyclopedia: Many of the wealthy Jews of the Ukraine sought refuge in Homel, which was a strongly fortified town after it came into the possession of Prince Chartoryski. The commandant of the fortress treacherously delivered them over to Hodki, leader of the Cossacks, in consideration of a payment of 1,200 florins. Outside of the city walls the Jews were stripped and surrounded by the Cossacks and were called upon to embrace the Greek Orthodox religion or meet a most terrible death. The rabbi, whose name was Eliezer, persuaded them to hold fast to their faith. With the exception of a small number who managed to escape to the adjacent woods, the Jews remained faithful to their religion, and were killed in a horrible manner.
When the Poles returned in 1665, the Jewish community was renewed. Many Jews who were converted by force were permitted to return to Judaism. By 1765 there were 685 Jewish families living in the city.
As Chassidei Chabad, we know Homel as a Chassidic city that was led by one of the most prominent Chassidim in the time of the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak Aizik Epstein, also known as Reb Aizik Homler. He was so holy, that after the passing of the Mitteler Rebbe, and the Tzemach Tzedek was refusing to accept the Nesius, the Chassidim asked Reb Aizik to be the next Rebbe! He was a very strong leader and the city became a fortress of Chassidei Chabad. The history of Chassidus Chabad is filled with stories told about Reb Aizik Homler.
Once, on a bitter freezing wintery day, when Reb Aizik Homler was travelling, he passed by an army base. He noticed an officer standing on guard outside the base, braving the biting frost, making sure no unauthorized person enters without permission. To his astonishment, he then saw a higher-ranking officer approach the guard and began whacking his feet mercilessly with a baton. Witnessing such brutality, Reb Aizik couldn’t just ignore it and asked the high-ranking officer, “Why are you whacking him like this? What did he do wrong?”
The official replied, “What kind of question are you asking, what infraction did he commit? Don’t you see that while he was standing on guard, his feet became frostbitten from the cold!?” This really dumbfounded Reb Aizik and he said, “And so, what is so bad with that. Isn’t the temperature outside a bitter frost, and he obeyed the command to stand on watch in this place and not to move. Is it possible for one’s feet not to become frostbitten under such circumstances?”
The official responded, “The fact that he is on guard and the fact that he is in the service of his majesty, the Czar, that in itself should have kept him warm!! The act that he lacked this enthusiasm, borders on rebellion!”
When Reb Aizik related this incident to chassidim, he said, “There is a tremendous lesson to be learned from this saying. I davened with it for three months, until it became part of me. We are servants of the King of all Kings. Additionally, our service is an obligation we have, to Hashem. This in itself should keep us warm.”
The Frierdike Rebbe recounts (Igros Vol. 4, pgs. 14-15): Reb Aizik had a student who was from Homel, whose name was Reb Tzaddok Nichamkin. Reb Tzaddok, a devout Chassid, was himself by the Tzemach Tzedek over 30 times and many times by the Rebbe Maharash. The Rebbe Rashab would really enjoy hearing stories from Reb Tzaddok. The Rebbe Rashab was once by a farbrengen that Reb Tzaddok participated in, in the year 5651. At that farbrengen, a Chassid who knew much Chassidus really tore into another Chassid as to why that Chassid did not learn chassidus properly. As the first Chassid had imbibed some L’chaim, he spoke very sharp and used derogatory names and expressions.
When the Rebbe Rashab heard this, he commented “This is a head, full of chassidus, without a body. The body is still coarse that needs refining.” He continued (HaYom Yom 22 Elul): Chassidus demands that, when trying to elevate another, one must “remove their fingernails” in order not to gash the other. “They (the forces of evil) seize by the fingernails”; every stab is klipa and sitra achra. After the “nails” are pared there must be “washing of the hands,” as explained in Chassidus – “calling forth intellect into emotion.”
Reb Tzaddok witnessed this incident and said that he would like to say over something that he heard from Rabbi Aizik Homler (HaYom Yom 27 Cheshvan): When I came to Liozna, I met elder chassidim who had been disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch and R’ Menachem Mendel of Horodok. They would frequently repeat the adage: “Love a fellow Jew, and G‑d will love you. Do a favor for a fellow Jew, and G‑d will do a favor for you. Befriend a fellow Jew, and G‑d will befriend you.”
Reb Aizik added (being paraphrased): Those Chassidim of the Maggid and R’ Mendel Horodoker lived with this teaching for many years. This created a clean and healthy spiritual body in which the Alter Rebbe was able to come and bring the Neshama of Chassidus Chabad. He explained that Chassidus demands intellect and understanding and he was able to bring the Chassidim to the true light of Chassidus.
Dear Chassidim sh’yichyu,
It is obvious that the main lesson to learn from this story and HaYom Yom is the importance of Ahavas Yisroel. Without ahavas Yisroel, there is nothing to build on. At the same time, we need to know that this is what makes us a “clean and healthy body” to receive the Neshama, and the purpose, of Yiddishkait and the creation of the world: The revelation of Moshiach.
Just as the Alter Rebbe built on the teachings of the previous Chassidic masters and elevated everyone with the revelation of Chassidus Chabad, the same is true with our Rebbe: Building on all the Rebbeim as well as the earlier years of the Nesius, the Rebbe then shared with us the amazing sichos of the D’var Malchus. In these sichos, starting primarily after the famous sicha of 28 Nissan 5751, the Rebbe elevates all of us to the light and life of Geula.
Week after week, in sicha after sicha, the Rebbe works to change our prism of reality. Instead of seeing everything, as Klal Yisroel has done for the past 2000 years, through the prism of Galus, and thus Geula seems like a dream – the Rebbe opens our eyes to an amazing reality: A reality of a world ready to come to its’ ultimate destiny, when G-dliness will be revealed to all.
The following story was told to me by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg. A woman in Australia, to whom this story happened, shared it herself with Rabbi Greenberg when he was there a few years ago. I am writing it here in first person, in the words of this woman to whom it happened:
I hadn’t been feeling well for some time, and when I finally underwent comprehensive tests, I was presented with the worst possible news: The doctor informed me that I was suffering from a rare and potentially fatal blood disease. His prognosis was that I had at best a few days left to live. I lay in the hospital, miserable and depressed, and prepared for the end. My only brother, with whom I was very close, didn’t visit me, as he felt unable to face neither me nor my situation.
One night, I had a dream. In my dream, I saw myself standing at the beginning of a long dark tunnel (this is in fact a very common dream or vision for those experiencing a near-death experience). At the other end of the tunnel, I saw my grandmother who had already departed from this world, and she was beckoning to me. I felt as if there was a powerful force drawing me towards her. Although I understood the significance of joining her, I was also agreeable to do so, eager to leave my misery and suffering behind.
Suddenly, I saw a man with a white beard standing behind me on my side of the tunnel (I subsequently identified him as the Rebbe). “Don’t go,” he called to me with great urgency, “hold on tight!”
I began to hold on tight, although it is not clear to what I was holding on, and then I awoke. I was visibly excited about what I had seen, to such a degree that a nurse who came into my room at that moment questioned me about the cause of my excitement. I was, however, too uncomfortable to share my experience with her, and I remained silent. But shortly afterwards, when my mother entered the room to visit me, I shared the whole story with her.
My mother listened, without interruption, and then said to me: “Wait, I’m going to call in your brother.” My brother was in the waiting room, having forced himself to come to take advantage of what he believed to be his last opportunity to see me alive. As soon as my mother returned to the room with my brother, she instructed my brother: “Tell her what you dreamt last night.”
My brother immediately began to relate: “Last night, I dreamt that I saw you at the beginning of a long dark tunnel. Suddenly, I saw grandmother at the opposite end, beckoning to you. I was filled with fear, when suddenly I saw the Lubavitcher Rebbe standing behind you, telling you to stay put and hold on tight. Then I awoke.”
We marveled at the fact that we had the identical dream, and I was filled with new hope and optimism. Needless to say, I recovered. A few months later, when the worst was already behind me, I decided that I should pay a visit to the Rebbe and express my appreciation. Accompanied by Rebbetzin Groner (wife of Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Groner), we made the trip from Australia to New York and came to the Rebbe.
When I was in front of the Rebbe, someone said “This is the lady who had the dream.” The Rebbe immediately responded, “It wasn’t a dream, it was reality!”
Let us all learn the sichos of D’var Malchus and watch as the Geula metamorphizes from a dream to our reality!
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought-after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula u’Moshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.