Chapter 15

49. We have remarked1 that a certain neglect is observable in the spiritual lifestyle of Chassidus, which chassidim ought to rectify and set in order in a spirit of integrity: this is how things must be, they cannot be otherwise. And when, with G‑d’s help, people tackle this task with typically chassidic determination in order to restore the edifice of Chabad Chassidus, they will no doubt succeed.

This neglect, which due to this bitter exile and these harsh wanderings has befallen the spiritual lifestyle of Chassidism and Chabad Chassidus, comprises both elements that are fundamental – i.e., elements that everyone knows and understands to be fundamental – and elements whose presence or absence might at first glance appear to be equally inconsequential, and assuredly not crucial. That, at any rate, is what some people mistakenly think.

There is a verse that says, אֹרַח חַיִּים פֶּן תְּפַלֵּס, נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ לֹא תֵדָע – “Do not measure the way of life; her paths wander, and you do not know.”2 The Sages comment: “Do not sit and weigh the commandments of the Torah.”3 And Chassidus understands this to refer not only to the commandments of the Torah, but likewise to the teachings and the spiritual lifestyle of Chassidus.

Chassidus is light and vitality.4 Light, by its very nature, penetrates to every little corner and, being what it is, it is constantly continuous with the luminary from which it issued. Vitality, by definition, is that which animates great and small, coarse and refined, though always retaining its own identity.

Chassidus, as we have said, is light and vitality. The light of Chassidus finds its way into every wee corner, and the vitality of Chassidus animates everything and everyone – so that those things which at the first glance of mortal reason might even appear to be immaterial are illuminated and animated; this makes them recognizable as being far from dispensable or even secondary, but in fact crucial.

Chassidim of bygone years were of different levels – there was the chassidisher rav, shochet and melamed, the scholarly house-holder5 and the householder who engaged in business,6 and the craftsman. Each of these categories of chassidim would study Chassidus at fixed times; people would meditate at length in the course of their prayers – some more than others, but everyone would recite his prayers with due deliberation; and on Shabbos and festive occasions people would get together, sing soulful and meaningful melodies, talk about how a chassid should live his life, exchange narratives that reflected the conduct of the Rebbeim of the various generations and the conduct of elder chassidim, and share recollections of guidance offered at yechidus.

The crown of the chassidic life of each township was the mashpia. He was the person whom one would consult on matters involving one’s divine service; he was the person whom one would ask for advice as to how to rid oneself of undesirable behavior and how to habituate oneself to nobler traits; he was the person whom one would ask which way to turn if one longed to have one’s prayers issue forth spontaneously, or if one wanted to know how to prepare oneself spiritually for the Shema that one reads before retiring for the night; and it was the mashpia who told a chassid how to go about readying himself for entering the Rebbe’s study for yechidus.

The above list no doubt includes elements that mortal and this worldly intellect will deem to be of no consequence; for example, chassidic stories and chassidic melodies. The light and vitality of Chassidus, however, demonstrate clearly that relating a narrative concerning a Rebbe or a chassid, or singing a chassidic melody, are things of basic value.

One has to learn how to tell a chassidic story – without embellishing it with one’s own explanations and expositions, but rather setting it out straightforwardly.7 One likewise has to learn how to sing a chassidic melody – as it is, without cantorial frills. For, with G‑d’s help, these stories and these melodies have nurtured generation after generation of chassidim, toilers in the divine service of self-refinement.8

50. Chassidim regard mashpi’im as basic to darchei haChassidus (“the spiritual lifestyle of Chassidus”), a term which may be distinguished from darchei hachassidim (“the spiritual lifestyle of chassidim”). The latter term refers to the way in which the flow of chassidic inspiration is absorbed; the former term refers to the way in which it is sown. When a man sows, we know that successful germination depends on how well the seed strikes root, and this depends in turn on the sower. If he is an expert in agriculture, the main task of which is to prepare the soil to host the seed, and to arouse the [soil’s] vegetative property, the seed will sprout successfully. And when a man plants, his success is even more dependent on his preparation of the soil.

The avodah of chassidim is planting – and in this labor, even more than in sowing, spiritual germination depends chiefly on the extent to which roots are struck, which depends in turn on the preparation of the soil. This preparation will succeed only when the sower – the mashpia – is expert, and not lazy. For not only will the yield of a lazy worker be lean, but moreover his fruit will be unwholesome.

There is no need to spell out what is meant by spoiled fruit and what harm it can bring. Not only does such fruit fail to fortify a man’s spiritual faculties and physical organs, as it would have done had it been of a different quality, but in addition it causes pain, and in fact weakens the bond between the spiritual faculties and the physical organs.

Yet however severe this pain and this weakening may be when caused by spoiled fruit of the physical variety, they are incomparably less severe than the extensive harm and the weakening of the spiritual faculties that are caused by spoiled fruit of the spiritual variety. This becomes apparent when one sees how a spoiled fruit of chassidic stock can bring about not only his own debilitation, but a desecration of the sanctity of Chassidus as well.

Failure to germinate and the appearance of spoiled fruit can be explained by a number of contributing factors, but what truthfully matters is the attitude of the sower. Not only must he invest considerable exertion of the spirit and of the flesh in order to make the soil receptive to new rootlets, and then dig, weed, and irrigate, all in their due order; but in addition the sower – the mashpia – must be utterly dedicated to his saplings, caring for each one individually. If there is a consideration that will not directly affect germination, but to some extent will ultimately improve his fruit, he will spare no effort in utilizing it, because the quality of his fruit matters to him above all else.

Such a man is the genuine Rebbe-like mentor, the chassidisher mashpia.

51. One of the commandments fulfilled by those who observe the Torah is the mitzvah, וְהָדַרְתָּ פְּנֵי זָקֵן – “You shall respect the elderly.”9 There are those who fulfill it with loving punctiliousness,10 and it is indeed a delight to behold the noble expression of deeply-rooted, Jewish character traits. The Talmud interprets זָקֵן alternatively, as זֶה שֶׁקָנָה חָכְמָה – “One who has acquired wisdom.”11 Yet Jews respect not only such an elder, but also a man who is simply elderly. Jews respect a gray beard, and revere a white beard. (For the moment, a gray beard is still a rarity in America; one should hope that soon, with G‑d’s help, this manifestation of Israel’s glory will come into its own.)

True to its holy and typical style,12 Chassidus, which is light and vitality, has introduced light and life into this subject too. Accordingly, the collective discipline of chassidim has given birth to the label זִקְנֵי הַחֲסִידִים – “elder chassidim,” regardless of the particular standing of any individual chassid, be he a prominent Torah scholar, an ordinary Torah scholar, or quite an ordinary chassid. All of these are referred to as “elder chassidim,” and revered accordingly.

There is an old saying that has been passed down to us by the elder chassidim of the early generations: “An old villager13 is worth more than a young prodigy.”

Chassidus does not admire talents and sensibilities that are granted as a gift,14 but those that are earned by one’s own toil. Chassidus regards the entire weight of avodah as resting upon the exertion of the flesh, and accentuates15 the exertion of the spirit.

The Baal Shem Tov taught the world that every Jew has the potential to accomplish great things in realizing the Divine intent that underlies creation. The Alter Rebbe and the Rebbeim who followed him showed how every individual can realize his potential in order to fulfill that intent.

Elder chassidim are the very sap of the chassidic way of life. Their influence is felt in the unquestioning discipline that a chassid ought to have, in his devotion to a farbrengen of chassidim, and in his relish of a chassidic story or melody. It is the elder chassidim who transmit an appreciation of the majesty and splendor16 that they were privileged to behold in the Divine Presence that rested on the holy countenances of the Rebbeim of their generation; it is those same elder chassidim who reflect the resplendence and radiance17 that animated the hoary chassidim of earlier days among whom they themselves were guided long ago in their own spiritual maturation.

Elder chassidim, to be sure, serve a vital function in the education and guidance of a chassidic community. But foremost in this function are the mashpi’im, whom the Rebbeim of their respective generations have endowed with the resources to serve the younger members of the chassidic fraternity as mentors, teachers and guides.

52. R. Hillel [of Paritch] was not only a born prodigy who harnessed his genius to toil in the study of the Torah: (By the age of thirteen he was completely at home in the entire Babylonian Talmud,18and by fifteen he had mastered all the writings of the AriZal. Indeed, the Tzemach Tzedek said of his familiarity with the Kabbalah, [borrowing the metaphor with which the Talmud extols R. Yosef’s mastery of its own primary sources,] “Everyone needs the man who owns wheat.”19 In those days20 it was not so remarkable for a young man to be thoroughly at home in the revealed levels of the Torah21 by fifteen or sixteen. But to have mastered the Kabbalah as well was an amazing attainment, even in that luminous era.)

In addition to his superlative erudition in both the revealed and mystical planes22 of the Torah, R. Hillel had taught and trained himself: he had drilled his body to act in harmony with the Torah – and for him its revealed and mystical aspects were of equal weight.

For example: As is known, the Kabbalah prescribes that on Friday afternoon one should sleep a little between Minchah and Kabbalas Shabbos, the twilight prayer that welcomes the Sabbath.23 R. Hillel did not have to exert any effort in order to fall asleep. That happened as soon as he lay down, because he had cultivated and refined his body to such an extent that his soul functioned only according to the Torah, including its mystical dimension.

In the year 5578 (1818) the Mitteler Rebbe told R. Hillel that he should make the journey to the agricultural settlements,24 adding: “You shall gather in gashmiyus and sow ruchniyus.”From that time on, R. Hillel regarded that directive as defining his mission in life. Throughout his years he collected funds for the ransom of captives. With part of the money he provided kosher food for Jewish soldiers in Bobruisk,25 and with part he provided for the needs of individuals who had been imprisoned because of various libels.

It was the Mitteler Rebbe who made R. Hillel a mashpia,26 and the Tzemach Tzedek fortified him in this role.

R. Hillel tackled his task as mashpia with self-sacrifice – by sparing no effort to cultivate each additional recipient of the light of Chassidus. He cherished every disciple of even the most modest attainments. In this he followed in the footsteps of Avraham Avinu, who is described by the Sages as being generous27 in body and soul. For Avraham Avinu, a man of wondrous intellect, dedicated his life utterly to explaining the concept of the Unity of G‑d to a Levantine nomad, even to a clod.

Moreover, R. Hillel took pains to determine by what means he could best guide each of his disciples towards developing a sensitivity to the light of Chassidus, so that it would be able to enhance his endeavors in the service of G‑d.

It was his custom to have three niggunim sung three times each at his table every Shabbos, and on Yom-Tov to have five niggunim sung three times each.

He used to find a path to the heart of each of the young men under his tutelage by addressing a particular story and a particular teaching specifically to him. (To R. Dov Ze’ev Kozevnikov, for example, he explained at length the harnessing of the power of speech as an element in avodah.) All those at the table would then sing a niggun. With the first time it was sung, the teaching would cleave to the listener; with the second time, it would be warmly fused in his heart.28

53. Mashpi’im, then, have to have self-sacrifice for the sake of the young men whose mentors they are. It will never suffice to merely speak as a mashpia, and simply tell someone that he should act in a certain way. One needs to toil at refining oneself – and thereby influence another. Rashbatz29 used to say: “If one seeks to show another what a mensch is, one has to be higher than what a mensch is. Being a mensch signifies habitude; being higher than a mensch means being master of one’s habits.”

My teacher, Rashbatz, once heard from [his mentor] R. Michl of Opotchk that at his first yechidus the Alter Rebbe had said: “Shackle your mental habits in hobbles.” (In those days prisoners were kept in safe custody indeed by having their feet enclosed in wooden weights.)

A mashpia must be aware of his global responsibility – weighing himself, thinking and scrutinizing at length – for his every move affects the very soul of his disciple.

It is a rule with chassidim at large that nothing in one’s divine service should attract undue notice.30 When one goes to the mikveh,31for example, no one needs to know about it. And this directive comprises both a positive and a negative commandment. The negative command is that one should remain free of unduly perceptible conduct; the positive command is that one’s divine service should reflect one’s inner integrity.32

A query: “The foregoing discussion spoke of the obligation to think. How is ostentation applicable in this?”

The Rebbe replied as follows:

In a public talk in the year 5662 (1902), my father once said: “An oved walks on his feet; a maskil walks on his head. When a maskil walks he is audible and visible; an oved walks by unnoticed.”

By thinking one’s way into the core of the matter, one can understand why this is so. Among other things, haskalah includes wild aftergrowths – unsown weeds, or fruit that grows without the supervision of an expert farmer. Precisely such are logical arguments of untested validity – original, but not true. Thinking of this kind gives a man a foolish conceit, so that he starts walking about on his head. An oved, by contrast, not only brings about desired changes within himself, but the very fact that he is engaged in avodah endows him with a certain degree of upright conduct, at least to the extent that he will be free of pride.

Let us examine the difference between a maskil and an oved a little more deeply. The oved proceeds from the axiom that his present spiritual condition is unsatisfactory, and that he really must improve things. This axiom in itself creates a hatred and a disgust for arrogance and to a certain extent rids him of pride. Haskalah proceeds from the axiom that a man really ought to hit upon a novel analysis or interpretation and, most importantly, that he himself should be the one to do it. The kernel of evil in this is its egotism, and this becomes manifest in showy behavior.

54. The Alter Rebbe expected chassidim to attain [the lofty level in the love of G‑d that is called] ahavah rabbah. This was what he demanded not only of those who were men of stature in Torah study and in avodah, but he demanded it also of peddlers – that their minds should be engaged in the subject of ahavah rabbah as they trudged from village to village with their bundles of merchandise on their backs.

And, indeed, the Alter Rebbe endowed them with the strength to do so. This kind of thinking involves setting oneself aside, as if one were non-existent, in the spirit of the teaching, בַּטֵל רְצוֹנְךָ מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹנוֹ – “Set aside your will out of deference to His will.”33 It is true that when one fulfills G‑d’s will there is also a certain degree of ego involved. Nevertheless, the motivation for this is “like [that of] a son who strives for the sake of his father and mother, [whom he loves more than his own body and soul].”34 This too is an instance of setting aside one’s own being. And though the expression that “a son is a leg35 [i.e., an intrinsic component] of his father” suggests that a son is [after all] a separate entity,36 yet “a son who strives for the sake of his father” is not conscious of his own ego.

55. It is with compassion that I observe the Torah scholars, the young married yeshivah students. What they are lacking is the fear of Heaven, a warm upbringing, and guidance that springs from an utterly dedicated soul. Even if they see an example of a person who is G‑d-fearing and who fulfills the commandments punctiliously, he is G‑d-fearing from birth, devoid of vitality. The yeshivah students do not know what is meant by experiencing zest in one’s fear of Heaven.

There is reason to pity the students of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivah, for they have beheld nothing of the Chabad-chassidiclight of Torah and avodah. They have seen how a hundred and fifty or two hundred students with cultivated spiritual sensibilities37 study Chassidus as a group, their faces reflecting their concentration as they become intensely engrossed in the comprehension of profound concepts in Elokus that the ethereal denizens of the World of Atzilus would yearn to grasp. But they have not yet been privileged to see how dozens of students at prayer pour forth their souls in a rapture of dveikus. And they still know nothing of how a chassidisher young man should toil at self-cultivation, both in the refinement of his character and in the sensitizing of his mind in readiness for the grasp of a G‑dly concept.

May the Merciful One grant them success, so that through the mashpi’im and through their own dedication to the ways of chassidim they should fulfill all that they are being guided to do – and then, with G‑d’s help, they will bask in the rays of Torah and avodah.

56. An oved ought to be an anav (“one who is humble”) and not a shafal38(“one who is lowly”). A shafal is preoccupied with himself, his spirit weighted down by a broken and contrite heart. The anav, aware of what is lacking in his spiritual condition, forever yearns to improve himself, and gladly accepts criticism from whoever may offer it. At the same time, however, he retains a forcefulness that derives from his power of discernment,39 for he is aware of his own strengths. Yet his self-assertiveness (in the spirit of the verse, וַיִגְבַּה לִבּוֹ [בְּדַרְכֵי ה'] – “His heart was lifted up [in the ways of G‑d]”40) is also characterized by a forcefulness that derives from his power of discernment.

When occasion arose, R. Aizel [of Homil] did not hesitate to rebuke. His style was decidedly pungent.

Once he remarked to R. Hillel [of Paritch]: “I envy you, Hillel. Your body is an incarnation of the donkey of R. Pinchas ben Yair.”41

Replied R. Hillel: “I wish it were! But that is only by virtue of the body, and such a level can be attained only by means of great exertion according to the directives of the Torah.”

57. There are those who ask, מָה הָעֲבוֹדָה הַזֹּאת לָכֶם – “What is this service of yours?”42 After all, they argue, the law does not actually prescribe this kind of divine service. So why, before eating bread, should one wash each hand three times?43 Why should one wear a gartl? Why should a man immerse himself in a mikveh?

Let it be clear that inside the person who asks these questions lurks a tiny freethinker. This is a rule that everyone should know: It is certain that some of those who ask, “What is this service of yours?” are to be numbered (Poor fellows!) among those who have been taken into captivity among the heretics and atheists,44 yet one should have nothing to do with them. Since such a person queries the very point of this kind of service, one should not engage in debate with him, nor attempt to transform his thinking; one should simply part company. If one happens to encounter a person who asks this question in the spirit of the son who asks, מָה הָעֲבוֹדָה הַזֹּאת לָכֶם by which he means [in the language of the Haggadah] לָכֶם, וְלֹא לוֹ – “‘of yours,’ excluding himself,” then it makes no difference who the questioner is. Even if he is not a simple individual but a rabbi or teacher or whatever, one should keep one’s distance from him in order not to run the risk of being influenced by him.

Let it be clear that one who asks [as above], “What is this service of yours?” – even if his question relates not to a mitzvah but to a Jewish custom, is a rasha [as in the Haggadah], and one may not associate with him. And the same applies if his question relates not to a custom, but even to an embellishment that someone might add to the most conscientious way in which a mitzvah is customarily performed.45

58. At the meetings of the Rabbinical Conference46 that took place in 5603 (1843), my great-grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek stood his ground to the point of literal self-sacrifice over every recommendation – even the most inconsequential – raised by the cruel Minister of Education, Count Uvarov.47

At the opening session the Minister instructed the secretary to present the program that had been compiled by the Minister and his assistants for the education of Jewish children. He then ordered the four participants to sign the document – the Rebbe; the celebrated gaon, R. Itzele of Volozhin; a magnate by the name of [Israel] Halperin; and a scholar called [Betzalel] Stern.

Recognizing the dangers involved, the Rebbe was the first to speak up: “The Government summoned us to hear our opinions, not to sign what others have written.”

With that he refused to sign, and announced that he was resigning from the Commission.

Lilienthal,48 who was at Uvarov’s side, whispered something into the ear of the Minister, who flew into a rage and demanded: “Is not the law of the land binding?!”49

“That principle,” replied the Tzemach Tzedek, “applies only to material affairs, but not to things that are the province of the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact it applies only to financial matters such as taxation.50 Moreover, even a Jewish custom is law, and no one has the right to undo it.”

Uvarov countered: “Jewish women are accustomed to cover their faces with their hands when they kindle the Sabbath candles. Is that law, too?!”

“Yes, indeed,” replied the Tzemach Tzedek. “The Jerusalem Talmud51states that the usage of women is Torah.”

59. There are people who argue [as above, sec. 57], “What is this service of yours? Here in America things are different; things are different nowadays!” One should keep in mind that a person who speaks in this way is under the influence of a rasha, and one should turn aside from him, for he is one of the blind who are led astray by learned [scoundrels].

Jews ought to know that the Torah is eternal, uniform in all places and at all times. One ought to go out into the streets and warn these people. Let it be clear that a line ought to be drawn between those people [who lead astray] and these [who are led]. One must keep one’s distance from them, not associate with them, and maintain no contact with them.

This subject comprises a positive and a negative commandment. The negative commandment is that the Torah, being eternal, does not vary according to place and time. The positive commandment is the obligation to engage in public education: one Jew should make another Jew [aware of his heritage].

60. Today’s reading52 of Tanya,53as noted in HaYom Yom,54amplifies an utterly praiseworthy aspiration – to have oneself included and absorbed into the totality of the divine service of the entire community of Israel. This is the exact opposite of the attitude of the person who asks, “What is this service of yours?”55

There is a principle that prevails in all matters, including the service of the Creator, especially as conducted according to the teachings of Chassidus: מְרוּבָּה מִדָּה טוֹבָהמִמִּדַּת פּוּרְעָנוּת – “The measure in which blessing is given is greater than the measure of punishment.”56 [This principle may be applied in our context, too.]

[The Haggadah comments on the wicked son’s question:] “By thus excluding himself from the community, he denies a fundamental principle of our faith.” This denial appears in the very phrasing of his question, “What is this service of yours?”to the exclusion of himself. For with this question he is excluding himself from the community of Israel who accepted the Torah and its commandments [at Sinai] by first declaring “We shall fulfill,”57 and only then saying “We shall hear,” without asking “Why?” [On the negative side, then, this statement of self-exclusion has serious repercussions.]

Now since, as we have quoted, the measure of the positive outweighs the measure of the negative, it is clear that the noble aspiration to have one’s own divine service coalesce with that of the entire House of Israel soars far aloft into the supernal worlds. And this is what is amplified in today’s reading of Tanya.

Various kinds of union are explained by the [Alter] Rebbe [in ch. 41].

In the first instance, an individual is here urged to unite and attach “the source of his divine soul and the source of the souls of all Israel” to G‑d Himself. With this the Alter Rebbe explains the words that are recited [before performing certain commandments]: לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיה בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל – “For the sake of the union58 of the Holy One, Blessed be He, with His Shechinah ... in the name of all Israel.” For with these words, every individual subsumes himself in the plurality of the community of Israel, and at the same time makes himself an envoy of the community of Israel – to unite the Holy One, Blessed be He, with His Shechinah, in the name of all of Israel.59

By appointing himself a representative of all of Israel for the purpose of effecting this union, each such individual invokes the principle that the measure of the positive outweighs the measure of the negative. For all of Israel is an entire community, and is hence an entity whose virtue in many vital respects far surpasses that of any individual.

The [Alter] Rebbe goes on to say that though such a union should spring from [the rare and lofty level of altruistic love of G‑d called] ahavah rabbah, yet in order to cause Him gratification, everyone should nevertheless habituate himself to this intent.

Secondly, there is a union60 that takes place in the World of Atzilus. It is a wondrous union, initiated by the divine service of mortal man through his study of the Torah and his fulfillment of the commandments.

Thirdly, there is a union between (on the one hand) the Torah and its commandments and (on the other hand) a man’s Divine soul. This union is brought about by man’s spiritual labors that are directed “for the sake of the union of the Holy One, Blessed be He, with His Shechinah”– specifically in the name of all of Israel.

Fourthly, the soul becomes united with Divinity, this being the innate desire of every Jew.

The [Alter] Rebbe proceeds to tell us that once a man’s soul takes its leave of his body, it is occupied with the letters of the Torah and of prayer, and does not think of bodily affairs; exactly so should a man be occupied during his lifetime with his divine service in the Torah and the commandments.

One of the chassidim of the Tzemach Tzedek, R. Shneur Zalman of Polotzk,61 had memorized (among other things) the entire Talmud, both the Babylonian and Jerusalem versions. The Tzemach Tzedek once told him that he ought to review Mishnayos from memory, and explained: “When my grandfather (the Alter Rebbe) says in Chapter 41, ‘just as when [the soul] leaves the body at the end of seventy years, for then it does not think of bodily needs, but its thought is united with, and clothed in, the letters of Torah and prayer,’ he is referring to the period immediately after a man’s passing. When a man repeats Mishnayos by heart for years on end, the main intent of which is uttering the letters of the Torah, it is then granted him to repeat Mishnayos after his passing. And then those letters escort his soul to the Heavenly Court through the meritorious chamber of the letters of the Torah and prayer.”

Fifthly, in a gigantic step of ahavas Yisrael, and out of self-sacrifice for chassidim, the Alter Rebbe empowers all those who walk in the paths of chassidim to be incorporated within the unity of the Creator – by devoting a thought to Him, and by occupying themselves with the letters of the Torah and of prayer.