תּוֹרָה אוֹר, דִּבּוּר הַמַתְחִיל לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה, סוֹף סְעִיף הַמַתְחִיל אָמְנָם, "לֹא יִשְׁבּוֹת יוֹמָם מִלִּרְאוֹת" צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת "לֹא יִשְׁבּוֹת יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה מִלִּרְצוֹת".

[In the above text, the Rebbe makes emendations to the Hebrew wording of Torah Or that have since been incorporated in all of its editions.]

אִמִּי זְקֵנָתִי (הָרַבָּנִית מָרַת רִבְקָה, נִשְׁמָתָהּ עֵדֶן) בִּהְיוֹתָהּ כְּבַת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה — בִּשְׁנַת תרי"א — חָלְתָה, וְצִוָּה הָרוֹפֵא אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכַל תֵּיכֶף בְּקוּמָהּ מִשְּׁנָתָהּ, אָמְנָם הִיא לֹא חָפְצָה לִטְעוֹם קוֹדֶם הַתְּפִלָּה, וְהָיְתָה מִתְפַּלֶּלֶת בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה, וְאַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה הָיְתָה אוֹכֶלֶת פַּת שַׁחֲרִית. כְּשֶׁנּוֹדַע הַדָּבָר לְחוֹתְנָהּ אַדְמוּ"ר הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק, אָמַר לָהּ: אַ אִיד דאַרף זַיין געֶזוּנְד אוּן אַ בַּעַל כֹּחַ. אוֹיף מִצְוֹת שׁטֵייט וָחַי בָּהֶם, אִיז דעֶר טַייטְשׁ וָחַי בָּהֶם, מעֶן דאַרף אַרַיינְבּרֵיינְגעֶן אַ חַיּוּת אִין מִצְוֹת. בִּכְדֵי אַז מעֶן זאָל קעֶנעֶן אַרַיינְבּרֵיינְגעֶן אַ חַיּוּת אִין מִצְוֹת, מוּז מעֶן זַיין אַ בַּעַל כֹּחַ אוּן זַיין בְּשִׂמְחָה. וְסִיֵּים: דוּ דאַרְפסְט נִיט זַיין קֵיין נִיכְטעֶרעֶ. בּעֶסעֶר עֶסעֶן צוּלִיבּ דאַוועֶנעֶן וִוי דאַוועֶנעֶן צוּליבּ עֶסעֶן. וּבֵרְכָהּ בַּאֲרִיכוּת יָמִים (נוֹלְדָה בִּשְׁנַת תקצ"ג וְנִפְטְרָה י' שְׁבָט תרע"ד).

מַאֲמָר זֶה אָמַר אַאַמוּ"ר לְאֶחָד עַל יְחִידוּת, וְהוֹסִיף: אוּן מעֶן דאַרף עֶס טאָן בְּשִׂמְחָה.

When my grandmother, Rebbitzin Rivkah,1 was about eighteen years old, in 5611 (1851), she fell ill. The doctor ordered her to eat as soon as she woke up. However, since she did not want to eat before her morning prayers, she would pray very early in the morning, and have her breakfast after davenen.2

When her father-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek, learned of this, he told her: “A Jew must be healthy and strong. Concerning the mitzvos it is written,3 Vachai bahem! — ‘One should live in them,’ which means that one must invest the mitzvos with life (chayus — ‘vitality’). And in order to be able to bring chayus into one’s mitzvos, one must be strong and happy.”

He concluded: “You should not [pray] on an empty stomach. Better to eat in order to daven, than to daven in order to eat.” He then blessed her with long life. [She lived till over 80, being] born in 5593 (1832)4 and passing away on Yud Shvat, 5674 (1914).

My father [the Rebbe Rashab] recounted the above teaching [of the Tzemach Tzedek] to someone at yechidus, and added: “And this should be done joyfully.”5

A Story with an Echo

Several distinguished chassidim once visited the Rebbe Rayatz for the Tishrei holidays. One Sukkos morning, as they were waiting for the lengthy Shacharis prayers to begin, his younger son-in-law — our Rebbe — entered the sukkah to eat something before the morning prayers. One of the chassidim politely suggested that since the Shulchan Aruch does not clearly permit eating before the morning prayers,6 it would be more fitting for the Rebbe’s son-in-law not to be seen eating at that time.

The Rebbe replied: “This is the custom of chassidim, and there’s no need to be bashful about a chassidic custom.”