מְבָרְכִים רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ מַרְחֶשְׁוָן. אֲמִירַת כָּל הַתְּהִלִּים בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה. יוֹם הִתְוַעֲדוּת. הפטורה: כֹּה אָמַר - וְיַאְדִּיר.

1 , 2 We bless the month of Marcheshvan.3

[On Shabbos Mevarchim, it is our custom] to recite the entire Book of Tehillim early in the morning and to hold a farbrengen on that day.

The haftarah begins with Ko amar and ends with veyadir.4

הַהִתְוַעֲדוּת — פאַרְבְּרֵיינגעֶן — בְּרַבִּים בִּכְלַל, וּבְשַׁבָּת אוֹ בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת בִּפְרַט, הִיא אַחַת הַיְסוֹדוֹת בְּדַרְכֵי הַחֲסִידִים וְהַחֲסִידוּת, וּפֶתַח וּמָבוֹא לַמִּצְוָה הַיְסוֹדִית דְּאַהֲבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

רוּבָּא דְּרוּבָּא הִנֵּה בְּכָל הִתְוַעֲדוּת הֲרֵי רָאשֵׁי הַמְדַבְּרִים תּוֹבְעִים מֵאֵת הַמְסוּבִּים שֶׁיֵּטִיבוּ הַנְהָגוֹתֵיהֶם וְדַרְכֵיהֶם, שֶׁיִּקְבְּעוּ עִתִּים לִלְמוֹד דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹקִים חַיִּים וְשֶׁיִּשְׁמְרוּ הַקְּבִיעוּת, וַאֲשֶׁר הַלִּמּוּד יִהְיֶה עַל מְנָת לִלְמוֹד וּלְקַיֵּם. — וְהִנֵּה כְּלָלוּת עִנְיַן וְאוֹפֶן הַתּוֹכָחָה מְבוֹאָר הֵיטֵב בְּדִבּוּר הַמַּתְחִיל וְאִם רוּחַ הַמּוֹשֵׁל (קוּנְטְרֵס למ"ד) אֲשֶׁר רָאוּי לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵאַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵינוּ לְלָמְדוֹ הֵיטֵב אַדַּעְתָּא דְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ — אָמְנָם הוֹכָחָה זוֹ בְּעֵת הַהִתְוַעֲדוּת הִיא רַק עַל דְּבָרִים וְעִנְיָנִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם מִשּׁוּם הַלְּבָּנַת פָּנִים וְלֹא כְּלוּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מֵאָז וּמִקֶּדֶם, אֲשֶׁר אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ הוֹכִיחוּ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְחִבָּה גְּדוֹלָה.

Holding public farbrengens in general, but especially on Shabbos or Motzaei Shabbos, is one of the foundations of the path of chassidim and Chassidus. It is a portal to the observance of the fundamental mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael, the obligation to love one’s fellow Jew.

In most cases, the main speakers at each farbrengen entreat the participants to finetune their conduct and way of life, to fix times for the regular study of Chassidus, and to keep this commitment. Moreover, the subject matter should be studied with the intention of putting it into practice.

The concept of admonishment in general and its proper administration are thoroughly explained in the maamar entitled Ve’im ruach hamoshel (Kuntreis 30).5 It is appropriate for every member of the chassidic brotherhood to study that discourse well and to take it to heart.

And indeed, admonishment exchanged at a farbrengen should concern matters that cause no trace of embarrassment.6 This is the way of old — a person would admonish his friend with love and deep affection.7

Living as a Chassid

In Keser Shem Tov, the Baal Shem Tov speaks of how a fault we see in another should serve as a mirror in which we should seek the same fault — perhaps in a more subtle guise — in ourselves.8 Otherwise, we would not have perceived it in another. Hence, explains the Rebbe Rayatz, a person who rebukes another must be humble and do teshuvah, for he is inevitably tainted by the very same blemish for which he is now rebuking his friend.

An over-zealous preacher once wrote to the Rebbe Rayatz that the failings of his congregants were a justifiable cause for indignation. In the reply of the Rebbe Rayatz, which was written in the days before disposable hypodermic needles were invented, he likened rebuke to a drug administered by injection. Before a communal leader rebukes his listeners, he explained, he must ensure that the “needle” is thoroughly clean. Otherwise his words will be ineffective; indeed, they may even cause an infection.

The disinfectant that prepares the drug for injection comprises humility and ahavas Yisrael.