Questions on a dream

On Friday morning I am told the news that Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife, along with several other Jews who had been in the Chabad House, had been slain. May G–d avenge their blood.

As soon as I recover from the initial shock, the kashes, the questions against G–d, start to arise. How could this happen ... ? As usual, there are no answers. I look in the faces of those around me and I see the same incredulity, confusion, and deep sadness.

However, by Divine Providence I read a story on Shabbos that I already knew; however, this time I see deeper meaning than I had seen before, that in a way addresses my questions.

As a child studying Chumash, the Ruzhiner would always ask Rashi’s question before learning the commentary of Rashi. When his teacher taught him the verse, “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder was set up on the earth, and the top reached the heaven, and angels of G–d were rising and descending” (Bereishis 28:12), the teacher waited to hear the Ruzhiner ask Rashi’s question: Shouldn’t the order be reversed? Don’t angels descend from heaven, and then rise? But the Ruzhiner was silent. The teacher prodded the Ruzhiner, “Why aren’t you asking Rashi’s question here?” The Ruzhiner answered, “One doesn’t ask questions on a dream.”

In a dream, inexplicable things happen. Dreams don’t have to make sense.

Our golus, exile, is compared to a dream. We may understand some events now and then, but we shouldn’t expect to, or be surprised if we don’t.

Only when Moshiach comes will we understand the reason for the suffering of exile and declare, “I thank you, Hashem, for you were angry with me” (Yeshaya 12:1). Until then, “One doesn’t ask questions on a dream.”

A chossid goes beyond the letter of the law

The Jew is commanded to follow rigorous laws, as outlined in tremendous length in the Shulchan Aruch. Much of his time and energies go to fulfilling these obligations.

However, this is only the beginning. There is more to Judaism than “the letter of the law”; the Jew should also strive whenever possible to go “beyond the letter of the law.”

In particular, Pirkei Avos is said to teach mili d’chasidusa, guidelines for pious conduct beyond the measure of the law.[1] We see here from a classical source that that the term chossid refers to the pious one. Similarly, a chossid in the sense of one who follows the path of Chassidus originated by the Baal Shem Tov should behave in a manner of piety.[2]

Granted, even amongst the pious there are many levels of piety, and for various legitimate personal reasons one may choose not to adopt certain hiddurim and chumros, pious practices. It is also necessary to take into consideration that we live in a spiritually low generation in which certain practices may be inapplicable and even damaging for everyone but a select few. Moreover, it is necessary to receive senior guidance in order to discern between pious practices that are personally appropriate and those that are not.

Nevertheless, the chossid’s observance should be inclined in this general direction. For him the law is not a maximum, but a minimum.

Why? Because Chassidus comes to infuse one’s divine service with warmth and passion, with meaning and inspiration.

In a word, love.

Love of the One Who gives us everything we have, Who chose us and showered us with Torah and Mitzvos. Who pulled us out of the depths of Egyptian depravity and raised us to the most sublime heights by giving us the Torah. Our Father, our Husband, our Lover.

One who feels love does not make calculations before displaying affection, and deliberate whether the gesture he desires to express is technically obligatory. And if he would, it would demonstrate that there is a definite lack of love in the relationship.

A chossid is someone in a deep relationship with G–d. He loves Him. And even if he doesn’t yet love Him as much as he should, he genuinely wants to. Reaching this deep relationship is the deepest, most personal goal of his life.

So not only does he not violate G–d’s will, he does even more than G–d asks of him. He is not seeking to follow a rulebook, but to serve G–d with every fiber of his being. Indeed, G–d prescribed rules; however, G–d did not define adhering to the rulebook as the sum total of our relationship with Him.

Thus, violating the rulebook is out of the question. Now, how do I bring myself to an even deeper bond with G–d? Through customs and pious practices.

This principle can be seen in the numerous pious practices accepted in Chassidic circles. In particular, in the Chabad tradition it can be seen (in no particular order) in the tradition to regularly sing niggunim, soul-stirring melodies of deveikus, deep connection with G–d; in the custom to meditate upon G–d’s greatness in order to arouse one to passionate prayer; and in the profound and soul-rousing Kabbalistic insights taught in the intricate teachings of Chabad Chassidic philosophy.

_____________________________
[1] See Bava Kamma 30a.
[2] See Kuntres Inyanah Shel Toras HaChassidus, p. 1.

Proving axioms?!

All these posts to prove that the emunah in the Rebbe is important, that Avodas HaTefillah is “still” just as important as ever, that the Rebbe is “still” with us just as much as before Gimmel Tammuz ... this is all ekeldik, nauseating. It’s like needing to prove that G–d exists, or that the Torah is from Hashem, or that Eretz Yisroel belongs to the Jewish people. Feh. Hashem is real. His Torah is real. Eretz Yisroel is His eternal gift to us. On the contrary, He is the true reality, and our existence is fake. To have to prove these things ... is feels like a concession to the darkness. It’s like having to prove that one is not an illegitimate child. It can be proven, but the act of doing so is repulsive and degrading.

The same goes for Avodas HaTefillah and emunah in the Rebbe. To non-Chassidim I have no complaints; they can’t be expected to know these things. But for Chassidim ... These are things that ought to permeate the internal life of a Chossid to the point that ... that is who he is. That’s what his life is about. You don’t need to explain something if you’re living it.

But what can I do? We live in such an intense spiritual darkness that it needs to be spelt out that these things are important, and they need to be explained and made available, because otherwise many people simply won’t know, and might well not be motivated to make it their business to know. This is the light that people need, and many don’t even know that they need it, and how much they need it, so we have to explain and prove.

Disclosure: I’m not claiming to be perfect in these areas in terms of fulfilling them in every respect in practice; I’m not by far. It’s just that I’ve reached the point where I don’t have any conflicts about whether these are things I should be pursuing, and so I pursue them, more or less. In other words, they are the foundation on which to build, the axioms. What’s distressing for me is that we have to prove ideas that should be axiomatic. May Hashem have mercy on us, and send us Moshiach to show us NOW the emes Havayeh l’olom, when all ignorance and doubts will vanish.

Appreciating Chassidus

Some ask: “What is the point of investing so much time and effort to study Chassidus Chabad, which discusses Hashem’s greatness in such tremendous detail, if at the end of the day one can never truly understand Hashem? Whatever one understands is only ‘the tip of the iceberg’!”

I responded that Chassidus says that one of the tactics of the kelipa of Amalek is to come in a “silk kapote,” a guise of piety, and try to discourage the Jew from becoming excited from a miracle story. He says: “Big deal! Why are you so excited? Of course Hashem can perform a miracle—He created the entire world and has absolute power over it!”

However, in reality one should become excited from the miracle story, for although we understand intellectually that Hashem utterly transcends all of existence, on our level, which is superficial, that is not our experience. What we see around us is nature, ha’teva, which has the same numerical value as the divine name of Elokim, which represents nature. Thus, a miracle is a ray of light in a sea of darkness, and so it should excite and inspire us—and this is the reason that it was shown to us.

The same goes for Chassidus. Granted, from Hashem’s perspective—“Da’as Elyon”—our grasp of His greatness and absolute unity is infinitesimal. Still, the teachings of Chassidus in general, and Chassidus Chabad in particular, represent a divine revelation of a staggering, unprecedented scale when compared with the amount that could be understood before this wisdom was revealed.

Thus, the true reason that this study is neglected is that we don’t appreciate what it is—of course, not fully, but to a significant degree. And even if we once did, we have allowed ourselves to forget, to become distracted by the routine of life.

“Hashem has exposed His holy arm” (Yeshaya 52:10), and if we neglect to study this sublime wisdom and make it part of ourselves, and then disseminate it further, we are neglecting to accept the priceless gift that Hashem has extended to us through His holy emissaries, the Rebbes of Chabad. On His initiative, out of His pure, infinite kindness, He has revealed His innermost dimension to us, with the hope that we will allow it to enter and permeate the innermost dimension of our souls. 

Let’s not disappoint Him.

Immediate blessings

Reb Folle Kahn ע"ה relates:

One of the famous Chassidim of the Rebbe Rashab, Reb Shmuel Michel Treinin, lived in Petersburg. Once, one of his grandchildren fell ill, and Reb Shmuel Michel wrote a pan to the Rebbe Rashab and sent it by mail to Lubavitch. He then received a telegram from the Rebbe Rashab summoning him to Lubavitch immediately for a particular reason, so he travelled. When he arrived and came before the Rebbe Rashab, he told tell him about the illness of his grandchild, saying that he had sent a pan to the Rebbe Rashab. He told this because he estimated that the pan had not yet arrived. The Rebbe Rashab said to him, “As soon as a pan is sent, one is already assisted.”

Shemu’os V’Sipurim, Vol. 1, p. 116.

Explanation: Writing a pan is in and of itself a way of a chossid establishing a connection with his Rebbe. Thus, the pan does not need to be seen to arrive for it to be effective. As soon as the chossid writes the pan and sends it, the Rebbe senses it and the chossid is blessed.

Comment: This story is surely very relevant to our time, when we cannot openly see the Rebbe receiving our requests for blessing; although we can bring these requests to the Ohel, one might feel that it does not hold the same sort of as effect and potency as when we were able to receive a response openly. However, this story demonstrates that even without the Rebbe actually receiving the letter, it is fully “registered.” So, too, nowadays—even without receiving an open response, we are confident that the Rebbe has heard our request and is doing his utmost to intercede with Hashem on our behalf.

Coping with the post-Gimmel Tammuz situation

We find ourselves in a very difficult time. We do not see the Rebbe, but we know with certainty that he is still with us, for “a shepherd will not abandon his flock.” In a sense this situation is unprecedented, in that after the Histalkus of every earlier Rebbe there was a successor. However, in our situation the Rebbe continues to be our Rebbe even after his Histalkus.

There is much confusion and ignorance about how to approach the Rebbe/Chossid relationship in this time. I think it is important to search in the teachings of Raboseinu Nesi’einu and compile sources that can provide guidance and encouragement in this trying time, until we are reunited openly with the Rebbe—“ve’lo yikoneif od morecho, vehayu einecho roi’ois es morecha” (Yeshaya 30:20). I hope to do so in this blog.

Please contact me if you know of any helpful sources, especially obscure ones.

Chassidus is built on davka

A classic letter of the Previous Rebbe (my translation):

Chassidus is built on davka—davka so, no different:

1. G–d could have created a spiritual world, not such a physical one, but He created davka a physical world.

2. G–d could have given the Torah and the Mitzvos to angels, but He davka gave the Torah and the Mitzvos to people.

3. G–d could have elevated all Jews to the heavens and given them the Torah and Mitzvos there, but He davka gave the Torah and the Mitzvos on this physical world.

4. G–d could have made matters such that people would have no evil inclination, and especially a Jew, but He davka created people with an evil inclination. (I shall reveal a secret: the Gemara says: “He who is greater than his fellow has a greater evil inclination.” [Sukkah 52a])

5. G–d could have made everyone love Jews, but He davka made matters such that all the nations hate Jews. (The mountain upon which the Torah was given is called Sinai. The Gemara says that “sinah [hatred] descended upon the non-Jews” [Shabbos 89a]: Since the Jews have such a beautiful, pure, wise Torah, they are hated.)

6. G–d could have made matters such that all Jews be chassidim, but He davka made matters such that misnagdim were first, and only then did the best ones become chassidim.

7. G–d could have made matters such that all chassidim have good heads and good hearts, but He davka made matters such that chassidim have average heads and very average emotions.

8. G–d could have made matters such that all chassidim have chassidishe, religious children, but He davka made matters such that all chassidishe children’s minds are dreaming with confusion—they themselves don’t know what they want.

So we find that there are many davkas—davka so, no different.

It’s all about davka:

davka to create a physical world,

davka to give the Torah and the Mitzvos to angels, not people,

davka to give the Torah and the Mitzvos on the earth,

davka to create people with an evil inclination,

davka that the Jews be hated,

davka to be born misnagdim first,

davka to first have a simple head, etc.,

davka to that the children should first be in a state of tumult, and then set themselves on a healthy path.

All these davkas, and tens of thousands more, depend on one davka—that one should davka want the truth.

Then, even a chassidishe child,

even with a simple head,

born a misnagid,

and a Jew, whom everyone hates,

with an evil inclination,

on the earth,

not an angel,

in a physical world

will be able to refine his simple head,

and refine his simple, coarse emotions,

and then become from a misnagid, a chossid,

and all nations will acknowledge that a Jew should be loved,

and the evil inclination will become a good inclination,

and the physical world will begin to shine cleanly and purely, like the heavens,

and then the angels will recognize that [Jewish] souls are higher ...

Igros Kodesh of the Rayatz, Vol. 1, pp. 448-450.

The slogan of modern music: Everything is permitted!

The following answer of the Rebbe appears to be to the question of whether to create Jewish music that is similar in some respects to secular music, done in the style of popular genres of music. Examples today might be rock, hiphop, rap, blues, reggae, etc. The Rebbe may also be responding to the issue of whether it is acceptable to remake existing goyishe music using Jewish lyrics.

The Rebbe says that creating such music is a matter of saving Jewish lives in the spiritual sense, apparently because it reaches people already affected by secular music and helps them break away from it. On the other hand, it simultaneously creates the problem that it introduces listeners not yet corrupted by secular music to the world of that genre, which can be very detrimental, and this presents a challenge that one needs to overcome:

... Based on the verse: “In all your ways, know Him” (Mishlei 3:6), it follows that as a whole, your plan is correct and necessary, and so on.

Understandably, just as with any plan, success is more likely and greater when [the plan] is performerd by an experienced expert in the relevant area, or at least if it is done under his orchestration and administration, and with the requisite and appropriate devotion.

However, the area of music is unique. The present situation is that a segment of this music 1) is able to conquer people’s hearts; 2) can provide a livelihood for the musician, at least a moderate one (which will enable him to devote himself to these plans in a way fit for their success); 3) has already conquered the “market” and become famous, and so on.

It [the popular music] is not just secular, but it also forms the listeners’ attitude towards excitement of their evil inclination, destruction of the existing “boundaries” and “order” (including, to our great anguish, mainly in the area of modesty), etc.

On the one hand, this emphasizes even more the need for your plan (since it is literally a matter of spiritual life and death [“pikuach nefesh mammosh”]).

On the other hand, this magnifies even more the difficulty, etc. in carrying it out since you must fight against the existing situation, to negate the suspicion of the religious listeners and leaders, which is based on the atmosphere prevalent in the music world of the youth and even of the adults.

Furthermore, and this is also primary—how can it be ensured that for those for whom this will “introduce them” to the world of music that it will not introduce them also to its very large (at least in quantity) already existing side, which is very colorful and knows no boundaries, and on the contrary—its slogan is: Everything is permitted, everything is desirable for you to try yourself davka [and find out] what it is all about, and when the time comes you will decide for yourself your attitude to it without any preconceptions whatsoever.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 38, p. 179 (emphasis in original).

28 Nissan: Do Everything You Can to Bring Moshiach In Actuality

 

 

On 28 Nissan 5751 (1991), the Rebbe gave us a holy mission, “Do everything you can to bring Moshiach in actuality.”

Let’s analyze this:

“Do”: Focus on action, which is “the main thing,” as the Rebbe has said countless times.

“Everything”: What?! Everything? That seems somewhat ... undefined. And perhaps unattainable.

Perhaps it means as follows: The Torah tells a Jew to love Hashem “be’chol me’odecho” (usually translated as “with all your might”). Chassidus translates this as “with all your me’od (Torah Ohr 39d, Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefillah ch. 16)” “Me’od” means literally “very much.” To love Hashem properly, one must constantly go beyond one’s limitations. But personal limitations are inherently relative. What is difficult for one person comes easily for another, and vice versa. So “do everything you can to bring Moshiach.” Push yourself to go beyond your normal limits, and then push yourself again. Until he comes.

“You”: That’s right, lil’ ol’ you. And me. Every Jew can bring Moshiach, regardless of position or social standing. Even a small child can bring Moshiach.

“Can”: Every person can do different things, for we all possess different skills and spheres of influence. Each person needs to assess whether he or she is using his time and talents to maximum effectiveness.

“To bring Moshiach”: Our efforts have a goal, and it is forbidden for us to lose sight of it. The goal is that Moshiach actually come and bring the full redemption. This goal must propel us to action, but continue to inspire us even as we concern ourselves with the nitty-gritty details of carrying out the task at hand.

“In actuality”: Our part is to do and do and do. Whether we accomplish, and Moshiach actually comes, is really in Hashem’s hands. But until we do, we cannot rest. Although it hasn’t happened yet, we know that it’s in our hands. We can make it a reality. So that knowledge makes us responsible and accountable. It propels us to transcend our own petty concerns, to reject personal preference and desires and instead embrace this noble cause. For if we choose wisely, our every action could be the one to change the entire physical and spiritual cosmos, to make the final redemption a reality.

Lechaim!

Maintaining inspiration 2

How does one maintain one’s inspiration throughout life? The key is building oneself up spiritually in one’s younger years. The higher one’s level in his youth, the less he will fall later on:

... Concerning your question about where to continue your studies, and in what manner.

In my opinion, education of youth, especially education at your age, influences the entire course of one’s life, and one’s independence and firmness depend upon this. This enables every person to withstand the challenges that he may face in life.


We find ourselves in an age of numerous changes, in which it is impossible to predict our lifestyle in several years time. Thus one cannot know how great the challenges one is destined to face in the realm of just, righteous behavior, and in faith and religion.


Therefore every single member of the youth should and must receive religious education to the maximum degree, in order to enable him to overcome any danger that may come, G–d forbid. And even if such an education involves some inconvenience or the like for a certain period of time, of what significance is this when compared with the immunization and extra strength that one only receives through this education, for one’s entire life.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 22, p. 387. 

If in one maintains a certain religious level to a certain degree, this is only thanks to the fact that in his youth he was on a higher spiritual level. Then although difficulties of life and the struggle for survival and against the environment may have reduced the level of his youth, he remains at least with his level of middle age. It follows that one who is on a lower level in his youth will naturally fall from his level after several years to a level lower than what one would have hoped.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 22, p. 386.

Someone once questioned the need for the rigorous schedule and intense atmosphere of Tomchei Temimim. A chossid responded with an analogy from a furnace: If one only wishes to heat up the room where the furnace is, then it need not be heated up so much. But if one wants to heat up the entire house, even the rooms a fair distance away from the furnace, then the furnace must be heated up to the highest temperature possible!

Kashes: To ask or not to ask

Is it appropriate to speak in a complaining way against the Aibishter, to ask kashes (doubting questions) when others suffer tragedies? To in effect challenge the wisdom of the divine decree?

I recall being told that one can differentiate between davenen  (praying) for the future and complaining about the past:

If the painful events are ongoing and reversible, then we davven and are even allowed to demand (many Tefillos are written in a demanding tone) that from now on these events unfold in a good direction. However, when we hear the news of a final, irreversible event, e.g. that someone died (lo aleinu), the Torah tells us to say “boruch Dayan Emes”—blessed is the True Judge—and accept the divine judgement.

Are there any exceptions to this rule? Cases where we find that even after irreversible events occurred, Tzaddikim continued to complain against the divine decree, to ask kashes?

In any case, even if there is legitimacy to such kashes, they are liable to be atzas ha’yetzer, a ploy of the evil inclination to bring the person to fall:

1. Since by definition such kashes have no answers, or at least no truly satisfying ones, dwelling on them for too long can be spiritually unhealthy. These are, after all, the same sort of kashes that many heretics use to dismiss all religion and all belief in an omnibenevolent Creator and Director of the universe. So these thoughts can lead one to doubt Hashem altogether, G–d forbid.

2. Even if one’s emunah remains unshaken, these thoughts weigh the person down and make it very difficult to fulfill the Torah’s exhortation to serve Hashem with simchah (joy).

On the other hand, it seems that our role is to be the defenders of our fellow Jews, the saneigor shel Yisroel. It follows that if Jews suffered, it should bother us, and especially when the suffering seems unjust—when the righteous suffer. As the angels cried out when they witnessed the slaying of the ten martyrs, “Is this Torah, and is this its reward?!” (Berachos 61b) The Torah seems to be telling us that this was the appropriate response, especially considering that angels don’t possess free will. Granted, Hashem negated this, and responded “Be silent, so did it arise in thought before Me,” but that was a later stage. Although Hashem’s response to our complaint is to tell us to be silent, I don’t think this means that it was wrong to express the kashes in the first place. I think that the kashes are a normal, proper response from a thinking, feeling, caring person who seeks Hashem.

In my humble opinion there is a balance to strike here, where kashes are recognized and deeply bother the person, but do not affect the person in a way that weakens his or her emunah and simchah.