רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן שָׁאַל אֶת אֶחָד הַחֲסִידִים הַגְּדוֹלִים הַמְקוֹרָבִים בְּיוֹתֵר בִּהְיוֹתוֹ אֶצְלוֹ בִּיחִידוּת, לְמַצָּבוֹ. וַיִּתְאוֹנֵן הֶחָסִיד כִּי יָרַד מִנְּכָסָיו וכו'. וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ רַבֵּנוּ: דִיךְ דאַרף מעֶן — אַז דוּ זאָלְסְט מאַכעֶן לִיכְטִיג דַיין סְבִיבָה מִיט תּוֹרָה וַעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁבַּלֵב. פַּרְנָסָה אוּן וואָס דוּ דאַרְפְסט — דאָס דאַרף דעֶר אוֹיבּעֶרשְׁטעֶר בָּרוּךְ הוּא דִיר געֶבּעֶן. טוּ וואָס דוּ דאַרְפְסט, וועֶט הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ טאָן וואָס עֶר דאַרף.

Once, in the course of a yechidus, the Alter Rebbe questioned one of his foremost and closest chassidim about his personal situation. The chassid lamented that he had lost all his possessions.

The Alter Rebbe answered him: “You are needed — to illuminate your surroundings by studying Torah and by serving G‑d with your heart [in prayer].1 As for your livelihood and the things that you need — this G‑d must give you. Do what you must and G‑d will do what He must.”2

A Mini-Farbrengen

Throughout the generations, there were always chassidim who on principle did not consult their Rebbe about their financial affairs. After all, in Tanya,3 the Alter Rebbe sharply reproves his followers for discussing their material needs with him.

Nevertheless, over the generations, he and his successors did concern themselves with these needs. For example, one of the chassidim of the Rebbe Rayatz, who had been wealthy during the czarist era, was thrust into poverty by the Communist revolution. Soon after, when the Rebbe Rayatz visited Moscow, this chassid lacked even the trolley-fare to visit him, and had to cross the entire city by foot. Yet, when it came to yechidus, he raised only spiritual issues.

After answering his questions, the Rebbe Rayatz asked him, “And what about your material affairs?”

“They don’t interest me,” the chassid responded.

“But they interest me!” the Rebbe Rayatz replied.

*

Now, why did the Rebbeim disregard the advice given above by the Alter Rebbe?

When reproving his chassidim for making requests on material matters, the Alter Rebbe blames “their great love for the life of the body,” even though their ultimate goal is to harness their bodily well-being for the sake of Heaven. Indeed, he adds, this “love upsets the normal order of conduct.”4

It has been suggested that this same quotation serves to explain why the Alter Rebbe himself, and so too his successors, in fact disregarded his above plaint about requests for material needs. He gives the reason in the above letter — that “love upsets the normal order of conduct.” Out of their great love for the chassidim, and their concern for their welfare, the Rebbeim went far beyond the rules they set for themselves, and concerned themselves intimately with the material needs of their chassidim.

Every downward flow of Divine blessings — both spiritual and physical — is elicited via Moshe, the Nasi of each generation. Hence his concern for every aspect of their welfare.5