צוֹם גְּדַלְיָה נִדְחֶה. אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ. סְלִיחוֹת.

The Fast of Gedaliah, postponed [from yesterday], is observed today.1

[The “long”] Avinu Malkeinu2 is recited [at Shacharis and Minchah].3

Selichos [are recited4 on this day].5

קִצּוּר בִּאוּר אַאַמוּ"ר בְּאוֹפֶן הָא': ת, תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם הוי' אֱלֹקֶיךָ, עֲבוֹדַת הַתְּשׁוּבָה הַבָּאָה עַל יְדֵי הַתְּמִימוּת, כַּמָּה בְּחִינוֹת וּמַדְרֵגוֹת בְּעִנְיַן הַתְּמִימוּת, וּבְיַחַס אֶל הַתְּשׁוּבָה הָעוֹלָה עַל כּוּלָּנָה הִיא תְמִימוּת הַלֵּב — הַנִּקְרֵאת עֶרנסְטְקַייט — כָּאָמוּר בְּאַבְרָהָם: וּמָצָאתָ אֶת לְבָבוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְפָנֶיךָ.

An explanation [by the Rebbe Rashab] of the first approach, abridged: “Trust G‑d your L‑rd with simple faith.”

This refers to the Divine service of teshuvah that comes through temimus, a quality that comprises several aspects and levels.With regard to teshuvah, the most important among them is temimus — earnestness — within the heart. As it is stated with regard to Avraham,6 “You found his heart faithful to You.”

Living as a Chassid

The very first teaching of Tzavaas HaRivash7 reminds us to be tamim in our service of G‑d. This simple, artless faith lies at the core of the chassidic approach to life. Yet it has often been said, “It is not so simple to be a simple Jew.” For the simple faith of the Jewish soul reflects the simplicity of the Ein Sof — the aspect of Divinity that infinitely transcends all qualities or definitions.

This superiority of simple faith once found picturesque expression in a remark by the Rebbe Rashab. His remark revolves around two placenames in the Old Country, Kremenchug and Nevl, which for generations on end came to signify two distinct types of Lubavitcher chassidim. The chassidim of the Ukrainian city of Kremenchug were esteemed by their contemporaries as maskilim.8 In the insiders’ jargon of Lubavitch, that term implies that they were experts in the philosophical intricacies of the scholarly literature of Chabad Chassidus, but that they were somewhat lacking in the ardor that should characterize the Divine service of a true chassid. Not so the simpler folk of the Belorussian township of Nevl, whose candid farbrengens have become legendary. These warmhearted chassidim were commonly regarded as being earthier and less intellectually sophisticated, but their faith was simple, soulful and ardent.

And the Rebbe Rashab, whose discourses are characterized by philosophical erudition, once remarked, “I cherish more a butcher from Nevl than a scholarly maskil from Kremenchug.”9