הֶחָסִיד ר' העֶנְדִיל סִיפֵּר: יָדוּעַ הָיָה לְכָל הַחֲסִידִים, אֲשֶׁר בִּיחִידוּת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיְתָה הַעֲבָרַת הָעָרְלָה, וואָס נִיט וואָס, פוּן עָרְלַת הַלֵּב אִיז מעֶן גְּלַייךְ פָּטוּר געֶוואָרעֶן.

R. Hendel1 related: “It was well known among chassidim that their first yechidus removed the foreskin [of the heart].2 Whatever else might happen, one was immediately rid of the heart’s foreskin.”

Delving Deeply

The foreskin of the heart represents the coarseness and material orientation that can lead a person to think, “I exist for the sake of myself.” As soon as a chassid comes face to face with his Rebbe, a person who has transcended all self-concern, it becomes obvious that this conception is no longer valid.

He now realizes that his lifelong task as a chassid is to sensitize himself. In the words of the Rebbe Rayatz: “Ample in thought; sparing in words; prolific in deeds. And the one to be worked on is me. Such was the mettle of a chassid of bygone years.”3