Despite kashes, our mission is clear

How do we deal with challenging questions, “kashes,” concerning the relationship between the Rebbe and chassidim after Gimmel Tammuz? Perhaps a lesson can be derived from the excerpt of the sicha below:

The question is asked: Why did the Histalkus of my father-in-law, the [Previous] Rebbe, have to occur? We had a Jew who displayed miracles openly; if so, we could have continued and completed together with him the years remaining until the arrival of Moshiach?

I have no solution to this question.

However, we should know that the reality is that “A Tzaddik who passes away is found in all the worlds even more than during his lifetime” (Zohar 3:71b). “This means that even in this world of action he is found more” (as explained in Igeres HaKodesh in the explanation to sec. 27). Thus even now the Rebbe grants the strength to go out and draw a fellow Jew close to Torah, to the teachings of Chassidus, and not only to the school of “general Chassidus” [a reference to non-Chabad Chassidus], but also to the teachings of Chassidus Chabad.

However, some fools ask questions. The proper solution is not to listen to them, pay attention to them, or be deterred by them.

Toras Menachem, Vol. 2, p. 22.

Lesson:

To apply this to our current situation: Why did Gimmel Tammuz happen?

Various answers may be suggested, but let’s just say for the purpose of this post that we don’t know.

Yet regardless, one thing is clear. The Rebbe is still our Rebbe and we are still his chassidim.

We have a mission with which he has charged us—to teach Torah and Mitzvos in general and chassidus in particular to every single Jew.

Are there questions that could be asked—kashes? Yes.

But they don’t change the fact of the Alter Rebbe’s statement that the Tzaddik’s connection with his Chassidim continues after his passing—words that are clearly directly relevant to our situation (especially in light of the principle of “he ruled concerning himself” discussed here).

Those who get carried away with kashes and lose sight of the pure truth in the words of the Alter Rebbe are fools. Nothing personal, of course. The intention is not to insult or talk unfavorably of another Jew, G–d forbid, but to reject this way of thinking. But why do so by calling the person a fool? This especially striking choice of language here is noteworthy considering the Rebbe’s general aversion of using any even slightly inappropriate language. Perhaps in this connection the idea of a fool is one who dismisses the truth, as the Alter Rebbe writes so powerfully in Tanya chapter 14: “I do not wish to be a fool like him to deny the truth.”