The Vital Need to Spread Chassidus in Print

The Vital Need to Spread Chassidus in Print

Rabbi Y. Oliver

When the Baal Shem Tov asked Moshiach, “When will my master come?” he answered, “When the wellsprings [of your teachings] break forth to the outside.” Thus, the coming of Moshiach depends upon the wide dissemination of Chassidus.

Although delivering classes in Chassidus is very important in this regard, it appears that the medium of text is the key to disseminating these teachings on a large scale. As the Rebbe writes:

It was with great joy and satisfaction that I received the report from our mutual friends, the young men who arrived from Shanghai, that you undertook the proposition to devote yourself to raise the means to print the texts of our holy teachers, the teachings of the living G-d, in Shanghai.

As is self-evident, I conveyed the matter to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe shlita, who was exceedingly happy to hear this ... I am certain that, to you, it is unnecessary to elaborate on the immense merit generated by giving thousands of Jews the opportunity to study texts that contain the teachings of our Rebbeim. I would like, however, to touch on one example mentioned in the words of our Sages.

Our Sages relate that the entire difficulty of exile began as a result of lashon hara, undesirable speech, spoken by the spies [sent by Moshe]. Through this they brought calamities on themselves and on generation after generation that followed including our own generation.

The Talmud (Erchin 15b) relates that the advice to correct [this flaw] is through Torah study, as it states: "The remedy for the tongue is the Tree of Life." And "the Tree of Life" refers to the Torah.

The enormity of the punishment for undesirable speech—which is heard only by people in a specific place and at a specific time—gives us some appreciation of the great merit and reward that one receives for speaking [words of] Torah in a particular place and time. And from that we can extrapolate the magnitude of the merit and reward for printing [words of] Torah. For then the text and the words of Torah it contains reach people in all other lands. And the text remains and is studied tens and hundreds of years after it was printed.

I conclude with the wish that this great merit will sustain you in all that you need, and that you will continue to participate in similar projects. ...

From a letter of the Rebbe of 16 Menachem Av, 5706.

Understandably, assisting this endeavor also brings one tremendous personal blessings, as the Rebbe writes:

By helping publish a Torah text and disseminating it … motivating change, helping people find the proper path and resolve their problems ... the reward for this manifests in this world—with abundant material and spiritual good.

The Rebbe also states that awareness of the tremendous privilege one has to enable the publication of words of Chassidus should lead one to tremendous joy:

The tremendous greatness of printing Chassidus is evident, for when one prints one-and-a-half, or two thousand copies of a sefer [holy book] of Chassidus, words of Chassidus reach two thousand Jews, for surely the [presence of] the holy book will move the person to open it and delve into it. When one then prints two thousand copies of another sefer, one disseminates the wellsprings of Chassidus in a doubled manner, and more.

Thus, even a moment’s reflection on the greatness of this privilege will surely bring the person to great joy.

Hisva’aduyos 5749, Vol. 4, p. 324.

Please contact me to support my writing and publication of the teachings of Chassidus.

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Please join me in disseminating Chassidus

Dear Friend,

As you may know, for the last two-and-a-half years I have maintained a website, www.a-farbrengen.blogspot.com. On it I have produced a consistent output of high-quality articles and essays on various topics related to the teachings and the lifestyle of Chassidus. I have also distributed these postings via a growing e-mail list to subscribers worldwide, and you have been one of my loyal readers.

Do you like what you read? The articles I write require a lot of time and effort—for research, writing, and then reviewing.

My intention, with Hashem’s help, is to compile these articles into a series of books.

However, in order to continue this noble and holy work, I require significant financial assistance. Even once, with Hashem’s help, these writings are published in book form, the income from these books will be negligible when compared with the amount of money that I need to provide for my family.

Please make a donation in order to help support these efforts to publicize the teachings of Chassidus.

For just $36, please sponsor an article in honor of your loved one/s. I would suggest that you sponsor an article regularly in honor of your anniversary, in honor of the birthdays of your various family members, and in honor of the yohrtzeits of your departed loved ones. This donation can also be made lirefuah sheleimah, or in honor of a bris, wedding, or the like.

Please click on the Donate image below in order to make a secure donation via PayPal:

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Thanks in advance,

Yours sincerely,

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

Ahavas Yisrael: Not just a slogan

It appears to me that Ahavas Yisrael (the Mitzvah to love one’s fellow Jew) has become a slogan, and not of the positive kind. The purpose of a slogan is to remind us of something, but at the same time it causes us to forget, because the constant repetition of the idea makes it so routine that the opposite happens—we forget what it actually means and why it was so important to emphasize in the first place.

Ahavas Yisrael, on the most basic level, means being really nice to another Jew. Friendly. Warm. Welcoming. Accepting. Kind. Sensitive. Respectful. Genuinely interested in his or her welfare.

To accomplish this, we need to develop empathy. We need to be able to pull ourselves out of our own natural box and try to to consider another Jew’s feelings and needs. And not out of a dry sense of obligation to Hashem (although this is indeed an obligation), but out of a true feeling that since this Jew is my brother or sister, I should care about him or her and unite with him or her as much as possible.

But by nature we are so distant from other people and so attached to ourselves. We don’t stop thinking about ourselves. I, me. And even when we do (albeit rarely) think about others, most of the time, we only think about how they can somehow benefit us. Subconsciously, each person thinks that the entire universe revolves around him or her.

Developing empathy means learning that other people really and truly matter. In fact, they matter just as much as oneself, if not more. And therefore they deserve the same amount of respect and caring that one would want for oneself.

Of course, since developing this feeling means changing one’s innate emotions, it doesn’t come naturally. It requires strenuous, sustained effort. In the parlance of Chabad literature, this effort is termed avodah.

As the Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya ch. 32, the key to ahavas Yisrael is bringing the Neshama (soul) to dominate in the body. For it is the Neshama that truly unites us, for all Neshamos stem from Hashem, just like all siblings, no matter how different they are from one another, stem from the same parents.

Thus, when a Jew exerts the effort necessary to attune himself to the needs of his Neshama, then ahavas Yisrael will come naturally. Then Ahavas Yisrael will no longer be a slogan; rather, it will be a normal part of life.

Conditional Pleasure

Conditional Pleasure

Rabbi Y. Oliver

Today, the 16th day of Iyar, is the day that the mon, the food that fell from Heaven while the Jews travelled in the desert, began to fall (in 2448).

It is written that the mon would taste like whatever one wished, no matter what that taste was. If one wanted it to taste like chocolate pudding, or vanilla ice-cream, or hot peppers, he would sense that taste. From bitter to sweet and everything in between, it all depended on what the person wished to feel.

But what if he did not desire any taste at all? It would seem that then the mon was tasteless.

Sometimes a person complains that he lacks geshmak, enjoyment in serving Hashem. He davvens, learn Nigleh and Chassidus, performs Mitzvos, attends farbrengens, sings Chassidishe melodies, hears stories of Tzaddikim, and is still apathetic. He then raises a kasheh (challenging question) that he feels is of awesomely earth-shattering importance: “But I’m not inspired!” Then the person starts doubting: “It’s not working out; maybe it’s not for me, and I need to look elsewhere.”

But in fact, the person has no one to blame but himself and his attitude. Serving Hashem is inspiring, and is able to create the most intense and fulfilling pleasure possible (see the aphorism of Reb Hillel Paritcher mentioned here). The real reason that none of these things are affecting him is simply that he doesn’t truly want them to.

When he genuinely desires and seeks inspiration, he will surely find it, for we have been assured that one who toils will find (Megillah 6b).

Pesach Sheni: A second chance

On Pesach Sheni (see Bamidbar 9:1-14) there were Jews who were ritually impure and unfit to offer the Pesach sacrifice in its time (14 Nissan). They came before Moshe Rabeinu and demanded a second chance to offer it. Moshe consulted with Hashem, Who told him that on 14 Iyar a second chance will be given to offer the Pesach sacrifice. This is Pesach Sheni, the “second Pesach.”

The lesson of Pesach Sheni, as discussed in HaYom Yom, is that es iz nishto kein farfalen—it’s never too late to rectify and make up for one’s misdeeds. According to some opinions, those who were ritually impure had put themselves in this state intentionally—and yet they were given the opportunity to rectify it. Likewise, even if one contaminated oneself by sinning intentionally, he can always rectify the damage he did.

One of the classic ploys of the evil inclination is to make the person feel that his situation is hopeless. He feels that the damage he has done is irrevocable and the opportunities lost are irregainable. He is tainted, corrupted, and irredeemable. History has been written. There is no rewind button, no time machine. Spilt milk cannot be gathered up. As the rhyme goes, once Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again.

There is validity to this feeling, for according to the natural state of the world one can only change the present and rectify thing from now on, not the past. Nevertheless, Hashem, Who created nature and therefore transcends it, grants one the power to overcome it. In particular, Pesach Sheni comes to teach that no matter how low the Jew has fallen and how much damage he has done to himself and others, may Hashem save us, he should never lose hope. Hashem has endowed him with the ability to transcend nature. He can change himself, make up for and rectify the past, and start anew.

Even before the person starts working on changing himself, this very awareness should infuse him with the greatest joy. When a sick person who thought that his illness was incurable is told that in fact an effective, affordable cure exists, he jumps with joy. Likewise, when one learns that instead of feeling doomed to be perpetually weighed down by regrets and guilt, the Torah says that he can take out a new lease on life, he is elated and joyous even before he has started to do anything!

But then one needs to start taking the necessary action to rectify the past, which is an individual matter that depends upon the sin that one committed.

However, there is one crucial condition for this rectification, purification, and cleansing. According to the Torah’s account, the Mitzvah of offering the Pesach Sheni was only given to those who came and demanded, ”Why should we miss out?” Similarly, one can’t rectify the past through a rote ceremony or out of a sense of duty. He has to desire it and yearn for it from the depth of his heart.

In summary, Pesach Sheni gives one the encouraging message that the past can be rectified. Once one knows this, however, the onus lies on the person. If he reflects appropriately on this lesson, and truly internalizes it, he will be energized with the confidence that he can and will change, and this will spur him to invest the effort necessary to become a new person, and with the help of Hashem, he will ultimately succeed.

Learning Torah with humility

Learning Torah with humility

Rabbi Y. Oliver

At first glance, both Torah wisdom and secular wisdom (lehavdil) are wisdom, and should be treated similarly. However, this is not so. Since the Torah is divine wisdom, one should approach it in a way fundamentally different, and in some ways even opposite, from the way that one approaches secular wisdom.

In the realm of secular wisdom, no concept is sacred. Every concept must be examined critically and rigorously before it can be accepted. To do otherwise is to fail to employ the principles of reason and the laws of logic in the use of one’s mind.

This process is known as critical thinking, and for the secularist, this is the highest virtue, the greatest badge of honor, the key to greatness, and the only possible method of arriving at truth. Since the human mind is the supreme arbiter of truth, if a given concept stands up to intellectual scrutiny, it might be true; if not, not. Conversely, anyone who accepts any idea without having examined it critically is dismissed as a naïve simpleton.

In Torah, however, every teaching (assuming it was taught by a rabbi of sufficient caliber) is a revelation of Hashem's will and is thus inherently sacred. A corollary of this is the Torah’s perfection, for just as Hashem is perfect, so is His wisdom, as it is written, “The Torah of Hashem is perfect.”[1] Hence, the observant Jew accepts the teaching as absolutely true even before understanding it, and will continue to accept it even in the event that he has great difficulty understanding it.

However, this is not to say that questions will not arise, and that all concepts in Torah will be immediately clear and obvious. On the contrary, Hashem designed the Torah such that it can only be truly acquired through intense effort.[2]

When a question arises on an accepted concept in secular wisdom, one (rightly) entertains the notion that the current theory might indeed be faulty. In contrast, when a question arises in one’s studies in Torah, one’s faith in what the Torah teaches is not shaken whatsoever. Rather, one views the conceptual difficulty as simply one of countless opportunities that Hashem grants the serious Torah scholar to toil in Torah in order to discover the answer to the question. Moreover, the Talmud promises that one who toils will surely ultimately find the solution to his question.[3]

In fact, questions are not only possible in Torah study, they are inevitable. As any serious student of Torah knows, any discussion of a topic (known as a sugya) involves delving into some points in great depth, discussing others in moderate depth, and mentioning still others only in passing. Questions will likely arise on the points not as thoroughly discussed, and in order to resolve these questions and reach full understanding of these concepts, one must expend the effort necessary to seek other sources that elucidate them. Of this our Sages say, “The words of Torah are poor in one place, and rich in another.”[4]

In summary, the believing Jew approaches Torah study with intense awe and humility, and attributes any lack of understanding on his part to a shortcoming in his own puny understanding, not in Torah . Accordingly, on the verse, “For it is no empty matter for you” (“ki lo davar reik hu mikem”), our sages interpret: “It is no empty matter—and if it is empty, it is from you” (“ve’im reik, hu mikem”).[5] If the Torah appears to the person “empty,” i.e., lacking in wisdom, chas veshalom, he should know that this emptiness is “from you”—due to his own personal deficiencies.

(What deficiencies might prevent one from understanding Torah? As mentioned, if the Jew toils, Hashem promises that he will find the answer to his questions. So his lack of understanding may stem from not having toiled enough. Or he may have only studied the topic from sources that explain it superficially, and not bothered to track down the sources that explain it in depth, which hold the answers to his questions. He may be lacking in fear of Heaven, which prevents him from being a vessel to Torah and truly understanding it. And so on.)


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[1] Tehillim 19:8.
[2] Megillah 6b.
[3] ibid.
[4] Yerushalmi, Rosh Hashanah 3:5.
[5] Ibid., Shabbat 1:4; Shevi’is, 1:5.



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Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for (at least) $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.

28 Nissan: "Do Everything You Can to Bring Moshiach!"

Today is the auspicious day of 28 Nissan. See my former posts on the significance of this day here, here, and here. Moshiach now!

11 Nissan--The Rebbe's mission: Be in and above the world

Today is 11 Nissan, so let us take a minute to reflect on the Rebbe’s declared mission.

A Jew should not cut himself off from the world, nor may he become immersed in it and forget about serving Hashem. Rather, he should combine the two; he should be in the world and above it simultaneously.

(The Rebbe was the ultimate example of this, for although he lived a life of intense holiness and purity, he was extremely practical and action-oriented, becoming involved in the nitty-gritty issues of the administration of Chabad and non-Chabad institutions and publications worldwide, and devoting his time to inspire every single Jew. Indeed, perhaps the most oft-quoted saying he qould quote from our sages was “Action is the main thing.”)

Logically, this should not be possible, for the world and G–dliness are contradictory. The world conceals the reality of Hashem, and so, it would seem, the only way to connect to that reality is by severing ties with the world. However, one who does so fails to fulfill the purpose of his life—to reveal G–dliness within the world.

How, indeed, can G–dliness be brought down to a world of concealment of G–dliness, without the world ceasing to exist, or the purity of the divine revelation being compromised?

Since Hashem is omnipotent, He can combine these two opposites. How do we connect to this infinite power, and thereby accomplish this in our own lives? We do so through bittul, nullifying ourselves to Hashem. Through bittul we lessen our sense of self and thereby create room for Hashem’s infinity to shine into our personal lives, enabling us to combine these opposites.

On a more cosmic level, during the age of exile, the upper realms and the lower realms are split apart. From our perspective, G–d’s reality is abstract; we know that He exists, that Torah is true, and that the Jewish people are chosen, but this reality is hidden, and the world around us and the nations within it cry out the opposite.

The Rebbe declared that the purpose of our generation, the seventh generation in which the Rebbe is the leader, is to bring the Shechinah down here, into our lowly world, with the coming of Moshiach. In that era, the physical world will remain as it is, not becoming “a world of souls,” but rather, remaining “a world of souls in bodies.” No longer will G–dliness be abstract, as it was throughout the age of exile, and even during the leadership of the first six Chabad Rebbeim. Rather, the Rebbe will reveal the Shechinah, and reveal it lematoh ba’aretz—down here, in this world.

Our part to prepare for this is to create an “inner redemption.” This means bringing down our abstract knowledge (haskalah) into practical inner change (avodah). It means not only attaining holy intellect and sublime emotions, but bringing them to permeate our thought, speech, and action, and extending it to all those around us. We thereby hasten the coming of the collective redemption with Moshiach now!

Why No New Rebbe?

Why No New Rebbe?

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

Some ask: Why hasn’t the Chabad movement appointed a new Rebbe?

One answer is that in the case of the previous Chabad Rebbes, even when the successor was not immediately known, the predecessor dropped various hints about the successor’s identity. In contrast, the Rebbe explicitly prepared chassidim for the event of his histalkus by issuing a public will (see here), in which not only did he not indicate that the Chabad movement would be led by another Rebbe after the Rebbe’s histalkus, but on the contrary, he instructed that it be led by the Chabad Rabbonim of each community, whom the Rebbe declared were to be akin to Yehoshua who succeeded Moshe Rabeinu.

Moreover, on an earlier occasion, the Rebbe alluded to the possible scenario of his histalkus, and instructed chassidim how to act in such a situation by relating the following story of the Tzemach Tzedek.[1]

Once, the Tzemach Tzedek was summoned to a rabbinic conference called by the secular authorities. At this conference he vehemently opposed the “reforms” in Jewish education that the anti-religious Haskalah movement was pressing the government to mandate, and in so doing he endangered his life many times.

His colleague at the conference, Reb Itche Volozhin, confronted him: “How can you permit yourself to risk your life—what will be with the community [if you lose your life,  G–d forbid]?” The Tzemach Tzedek responded: “This question can be answered in two ways: First, there are the children [who can succeed me]. [They were holy in their own right, and most of them indeed went on to take the mantle of Rebbe after the Tzemach Tzedek’s histalkus.] Second, the unity among chassidim will lead them toward Moshiach.”

The Rebbe quoted this story in 5726 (1966), and commented:[2]

Now that it is the hundredth year after the histalkus [of the Tzemach Tzedek], and now there are also no children, the solution is for chassidim to unite, and in this way they will carry it out. ... The unity among chassidim nullifies all decrees and negative things, breaks through all boundaries, and elicits the truth of Havayeh [transcendent G–dliness] until it reaches here, in the world.

The Rebbe was clearly intimating (and twenty-eight years in advance!) that since in the scenario of his histalkus, G–d forbid, there would be no successor, the solution to the absence of his physical leadership will lie in the Tzemach Tzedek’s second response—unity among chassidim. Here, too, the Rebbe clearly indicated that he would have no successor, and instructed chassidim how to approach this scenario.

Yet although there is no successor, this is not to say that the Rebbe no longer leads us, chas veshalom. Rather, what the Tzemach Tzedek meant to say was that through unity among themselves, chassidim would be able to overcome his physical absence. But he would still be spiritually present with his chassidim just as before. We see this principle in the Rebbe’s words concerning the Previous Rebbe after Yud Shevat:

People ask questions concerning histalkus [i.e., how can the Previous Rebbe continue to lead us after his histalkus]. We find that the Talmud Yerushalmi[3] says of Shimshon:

In one verse it is written, “He [Shimshon] judged the Jewish people for forty years” while in another verse it is written, “He judged the Jewish people for twenty years.”[4] ... This indicates that ... they were in fear of him for twenty years after his passing in the way that they were in fear of him for twenty years during his lifetime.

In other words, Shimshon’s leadership and rule continued even after passing, for the Jewish people were “in fear of him” [i.e., inspired by him to serve Hashem] for another twenty years; thus, it is considered as if he had judged the Jewish people for forty years.

If this is true of a Shofet, it is certainly so with regard to a Rebbe, since the entire being of a Rebbe is the soul-level of Yechidah [regarding this level of the soul, see here], and he elicits this level into every section of his soul and of his body. With respect to the level of Yechidah, the event of a histalkus has much less relevance. Thus, it is absolutely certain that a Rebbe can continue to lead even after his histalkus, just as he did during his lifetime.

There are certain areas in regard to which the histalkus makes a difference. However, in other areas [nothing has changed]. Just as things were run until now—two, three, four years ago, and earlier—with supernatural success, because the Rebbe was in charge, so, too, from now on. The Rebbe is in charge, and is running all matters. ...

Thus, just as until now, in all areas [of his activities], there was tremendous, supernatural success, so will it be in the future, a time when “He is present [in the world] ... [even] more than during his lifetime.”[5]

Thus, the choice given us is that we have the privilege to join him in the areas under his leadership.

It is certain that all activities will continue as before. And just as every living thing [constantly grows, his activities] will conform to the principle that “One should always rise higher in holiness,”[6] in an ever-growing and expanding manner. ... The Rebbe gave, gives, and will give the opportunity to everyone to take part in these activities.

He also promised that participating in his activities will bring blessings in children, health, and livelihood.

Toras Menachem 5711, Vol. 2, pp. 186-187.

So the Rebbe teaches clearly that a Rebbe never leaves his chassidim, and continues to lead them even after his histalkus just as before. This principle surely applies to the Rebbe himself (especially according to the principle that the Rebbe himself taught us on many occasions that “he rules concerning himself,” explained here).

Another reason that the Chabad movement will not appoint a new Rebbe is that the Rebbe clearly defined the “mission statement” for his generation in the very first Ma’amar that he delivered, Basi Legani. Our task is to draw the Shechinah [divine presence] down into the world, with the actual coming of Moshiach (see here). Or, as the Rebbe put it in more recent years, “This generation is the last generation of exile and the first generation of redemption.”[7] Since, to state the obvious, Moshiach is yet to come, the Rebbe’s role as Leader of the Generation surely continues. 

Moreover, the tremendous, ongoing, ever-growing success, kein ayin hara, that the Rebbe’s chassidim and shluchim have had in spreading Yiddishkeit and Chassidus worldwide despite the Rebbe’s physical absence attests tangibly and powerfully to the Rebbe’s ongoing leadership.

Finally, a word must be said, with all due respect, about the questioner. What I will explain also accounts for the fact that it is typically non-Chabad chassidim who (often with well-meaning intentions) pose this question. The very question reveals a total lack of understanding (usually not the questioner’s fault) about the concept of a Rebbe, especially as explained in Chabad teachings (for more on this topic, see here).

A Chabad Rebbe is not a glorified CEO of a company, a figurehead, and a charismatic leader. He is (and this is completely not doing justice to the concept) a truly holy person. Moreover, not only does he fit the Tanya’s definition of a Tzaddik gamur—one who is completely pure, and not only has no evil inclination, but derives no pleasure from anything worldly, and even finds physical delights abhorrent[8]—but he is a Rebbe, which means far, far more. Just one example of just how lofty is the level of a Rebbe was mentioned above, “The entire being of a Rebbe is the soul-level of Yechidah, and he elicits this level into every section of his soul and of his body.”[9]

Since, on account of the “decline of the generations,” truly holy people are not around anymore, never mind people of the caliber of a Chabad Rebbe, choosing a regular person, even a great scholar who is a very refined, inspired person, and declaring him Rebbe would be utterly absurd. It would be akin to declaring a chicken a person, and expecting it to manage a company. This would obviously make a farce of the entire concept of a Rebbe, and would in any case fail miserably. This is nicely put by the response of Reb Zalman Marozov sheyicheh to a distinguished rabbi who posed this question to him: “In Russia, we had a very hard time obtaining an esrog. We would have to go to great lengths and spend exorbitant sums of money, and the whole town would share the use of one esrog. And yet no one thought to ‘solve’ the problem by simply taking a lemon and declaring it an esrog ...

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[1] Sefer HaMa’amarim Admur HaRayatz 5711, p. 245.
[2] Sicha of 13 Nissan, 5726.
[3] Sotah 1:8. Cf. Yalkut Shimoni, Shoftim 71.
[4] Shoftim 16:31.
[5] Zohar 3:71b. Cf. Tanya, Igeres HaKodesh, explanation to epistle 27.
[6] Berachos 28a.

[7] Sefer HaSichos 5750, Vol. 1, p. 158.

[8] See Tanya ch. 10.
[9] This also ties in with the Rebbe’s statements that the Chabad Rebbeim were the “Moshiach of the generation,” because Moshiach is particularly associated with the soul-level of Yechidah (Ramaz on Zohar 2:40b).

Dedicated in the merit of a speedy release for the captives Yonasan ben Malka (Jonathan Pollard) and Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka (Sholom Rubashkin).

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Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for (at least) $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.

The paradoxical mission of evil

The Paradoxical Mission of Evil

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

Hashem loves us dearly, and therefore He wants our bond with Him to be real. As long as we remain in a pure, sheltered environment, although our bond with Him may be very strongly felt, it is lacking, because it may be superficial—if put to the test, it could well fall apart.

So although He is pained, so to speak, to do so, for our own benefit, Hashem tests us. He wants to grant us the opportunity to reveal how deep our connection with Him is. How does he test us? With evil, and the evil inclination.

The Zohar[1] compares this to a king who raised his son to follow high standards of ethical behavior, and then hired a prostitute to do everything in her power to seduce the son. Only when the prince rebuffs her completely and stubbornly refuses to sin does the king know for certain that all his efforts to raise the prince to a life of virtue were effective.

Although the king urges the prostitute to do her utmost to ensnare the prince, he only does so in order that the test be formidable and not easily passed. However, the king’s entire reason for sending her is his wish that the prince will ignore all her wiles and live up to his refined upbringing.

Thus, paradoxically, if the prince remains loyal, the prostitute will be rewarded, while if she succeeds, the king will be upset at the prostitute, and will punish her. (Along these lines, the Torah says that if one sinned with an animal, the animal must be put to death, “since disgrace came through it.”[2])

Likewise, Hashem dispatches the evil inclination to test our loyalty to Him. Each person is sent his or her own “prostitute” equipped with the powers to test him in a way that will be truly difficult for him or her personally to overcome, according to his or her personality and weaknesses. What is a difficult test for one person is easily overcome for another, and vice versa.

Yet despite all the evil inclination’s efforts, it knows that if it fails, it will be richly rewarded, but if it succeeds, it will be harshly punished, and so it secretly prays for its would-be victim to ignore it. And when we do reject the temptation, the evil inclination thanks us for enabling it to accomplish its true mission.[3]

This very awareness imbues with us the strength not to succumb to the evil inclination, for if the evil inclination itself wants us to disregard it, sinning is surely very foolish.

It should be noted that as tremendous as the benefits are of being tested, it would be foolhardy and arrogant for one to ask for a test, or initiate one, for the very simple reason that one might fail. Thus, the Gemara warns that “One should never bring oneself to be tested, because David, King of Yisrael, brought himself to be tested, and failed.”[4] Likewise, in the morning Berachos we ask of Hashem, “Do not bring us to a test”[5]; thus, we should surely not initiate such a situation ourselves.[6]

To carry the above analogy further: If the king chooses to arrange that the prince be tested, that is his choice; however, if the prince knowingly enters such a situation, the king will be most displeased, and the prince would be much more likely to fail.

In summary, Hashem seeks to reveal our loyalty to Him by testing us, and this awareness infuses us with the strength to overcome temptation; nevertheless, we should not test ourselves.

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[1] Zohar 2:163a. Cf. Kesser Shem Tov #115.
[2] Vayikra 20:15, Rashi. 
[3] Sicha of 20 Tishrei 5744.
[4] Sanhedrin 107b.

[5] Berachos 60b.
[6] Cf. Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 15, p. 44.

Based on Tanya, chs. 29, 9;
Sicha of Yud Shevat, 5718 (Toras Menachem, Vol. 22, p. 43).

Dedicated in the merit of a speedy release for the captives Yonasan ben Malka (Jonathan Pollard), Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka (Sholom Rubashkin), and Zeva Rochel bas Chaya (Wendy Weiner Runge).

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On removing sadness and maintaining joy

Strength is not only physical; it is also emotional. And defeating an opponent requires both kinds of strength. In fact, sometimes the key to victory is not physical prowess, but motivation and enthusiasm. A warrior who is physically mighty, but feeling weak and sluggish, will lose when fighting against an opponent who is physically weak, but feeling energetic and confident.

In our inner world as Jews, a titanic struggle is taking place between two implacable opponents: the evil inclination, also known as the bestial soul, and the good inclination, also known as the divine soul. Each side craves total control of the Jew’s thought, speech, and action, and will stop at nothing to accomplish its goal.

However, before discussing how to go about waging this war most effectively, let us come to terms with the most basic fact of this situation: In order to defeat the evil inclination, a Jew must fight, and he must fight enthusiastically and courageously. This is war.

(This is the reason that armies use anthems and march songs—in order to infuse morale and confidence in their forces. Similarly, football teams hire professional coaches to egg on their players .)

The Jew must believe that he can emerge victorious in his inner struggle, and that despite the odds against him, he will win. Then, with the help of Hashem, he stands a good chance of winning. If, however, he doubts his abilities; if he is feeling weak, depressed, and low, then he is bound to lose.

This is not only true of a person who suffers from depression for no apparent reason.[1] Even if one’s sadness is totally legitimate and understandable, and no one will have any complaints against him for feeling that way, he must know that it must be overcome. The sadness is poison for his Neshamah, for it will weigh him down and sap him of the inner strength that he needs in order to defeat his evil inclination. And the more depressed he feels, the more easily the evil inclination will be able to entice him to sin.

In general, there are two legitimate reasons for sadness: Sadness from the awareness of one’s sins and the tremendous damage that they have wrought, and sadness from suffering that one has undergone.

In order to eliminate such sadness it is not sufficient to smile and clap one’s hands (although such external methods are recommended, as they may well significantly diminish the sadness, or at least help one cope with it). Each of these kinds of sadness can be eliminated by contemplating certain thoughts:

If one is sad about one’s sins, one should allocate a specific time (usually while reciting the Shema before going to sleep) in which to do Teshuvah. One should then consider one’s behavior, identify what one had done wrong, reflect upon the severity of the sins, regret them sincerely, and genuinely commit to changing in the future.

After this accounting and process of inner change is complete, one should believe wholeheartedly that Hashem has forgiven him, and be joyful.

Until then, when thoughts of past sins arise, one should simply make a mental note of them, and postpone further reflection on them to that designated time, knowing that the sadness at an inappropriate time is in fact a sneaky ploy of the evil inclination to weaken the Jew so that he falls prey to the enticements of the evil inclination.

If, however, the sadness has come from painful events in one’s life, G–d forbid, know and contemplate that in reality, these events are an expression of Hashem’s love. He is revealing to you a level of G–dliness that is so sublime that from your perspective, it is painful, because you lack the spiritual vessels to contain it. Work to refine yourself, and evoke love of Hashem within yourself, to the extent that knowing that you are experiencing a sublime level of divine revelation will lead you to joy, despite the difficulties of the external reality. As a reward for this joy, when Moshiach comes, you will be privileged to perceive this very divine revelation in all its glory, without experiencing any negative repercussions.

In summary, joy is vital for a Jew to serve Hashem well and overcome the evil inclination; conversely, sadness severely endangers one’s spiritual safety and must therefore be eliminated. Even legitimate sadness can and must be removed by using certain specific meditations, enabling the Jew to maintain an emotional state of joy, and thus have the upper hand in his war against the evil inclination.

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[1] Cf. Tanya ch. 31: “בשעה שהוא עצב בלא"ה ממילי דעלמא או כך בלי שום סבה.”

[2] The Previous Rebbe said: “A soldier ... even though he enters a situation of danger, he goes forth with a joyful song ... he goes with joy, and this makes him the victor” (Sefer HaMa’amarim 5710, p. 191; quoted in Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 3, p. 799).

Adapted from Tanya, chs. 26, 9.

Postponing Mitzvos until a rainy day

Reb Folleh Kahn relates:

The Rebbe Rashab suffered from stones in his gall bladder. Once, when Dr. Shachor was visiting, the Rebbe Rashab was beset by very severe pains, during which he took a break to pray Mincha. Soon after he finished his prayers, the pains ceased.

The doctor asked him: “Rebbe, couldn’t you have waited for a brief while until the pains subsided, and prayed then?”

“I didn’t know; I calculated that the pains could have worsened, so I prayed as long as I could,” the Rebbe Rashab explained.

Shemu’os V’Sipurim, Vol. 1, p. 165.

Sometimes there are so many things going on in our lives that we tell ourselves that “for now” we need to delay learning Torah, delay praying with concentration (kavana), delay attending farbrengens ... until we’re less stressed, less overworked, have a clearer mind, and more patience. “Until a rainy day.”

But oddly enough, often the more that we delay devoting time to the spiritual, the more the material concerns pile up, and the more the spiritual eludes us.

However, when we manage to overcome the distractions and difficulties and make the time, even if it means “stealing” time, to focus on learning Torah and prayer, we suddenly start to see that more time becomes available.

In any case, since we never know what the future may bring, we can’t delay anything. We must grab every opportunity that comes our way. As our sages say, “Grab and eat; grab and drink!” (Eruvin 54a). Likewise, they say, “Don’t say, ‘When I have free time I will learn, lest you never have free time’” (Avos 2:6). Moreover, “It is not given to man to tell [the Angel of Death]: ‘Wait until I have settled my accounts and arranged my household’” for “who knows when his time will come?” (Devarim Rabba 9:3).

Saying "Boruch Hashem"

“How are you?”
“Boruch Hashem, I’m fine. And how are you?”
“Boruch Hashem, I’m fine too.”

Now, please excuse my bluntness, but if the inflection in the pronunciation of “Boruch Hashem” and “I’m fine” were filled with feeling, these words would have some meaning. But in my experience, the vast majority of the time, in such exchanges Boruch Hashem seems to be said without any feeling. This expression has thus become hopelessly clichéd, and lost any meaning, to the point that it sounds banal.

To be sure, one notices the difference between whether someone is in the habit of saying it or not, and that says something about the person speaking and counts for something. Yet like everything in Yiddishkeit that is done out of habit, saying Boruch Hashem often becomes a rote routine.

The “popularization” of this expression comes from the Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov used to approach ordinary Jews—men, women, and children—and inquire about their material lives in order to hear their simple but heartfelt expressions of thanks to Hashem. The whole purpose of saying Boruch Hashem is thus to inject into our mundane lives recognition of Hashem and genuine gratitude for his manifold blessings. This goal is not attained if we recite the formula without a second thought for what it means.

So remember this the next time someone asks, “How are you?” Regard this as an opportunity to take a moment to reflect on your blessings, feel gratitude to the Giver of those blessings, and express that feeling in a genuine way. Hashem is listening.

Kedushah Vs. Kelipah

Everything physical depends upon a certain spiritual energy for it to exist as it does. It is thus taught, “There is no blade of grass down below that does not have an angel on high that strikes it and tells it, grow!”[1] 

However, there are two kinds of physical beings: Those that receive their spiritual sustenance from holiness, or Kedushah, and those that receive it from unholiness, or Kelipah.[2]

There is no middle ground, and so any physical being that is not holy necessarily receives its sustenance from Kelipah.[3] 

Kedushah and Kelipah are inherently spiritual realities. Although they sustain and underlie the physical world, they are not directly perceivable by mortal man, for his soul’s existence within a body limits him such that his conscious domain is the physical world.

The forces of Kelipah possess a tremendous amount of energy. This energy sustains all the beings in the world that draw their sustenance from it, from all the four kingdoms of domem (inorganic things), tzomei’ach (plant life), chai (the animal kingdom), and medabeir (mankind). However, their energy is not their own—it is derived exclusively from holiness. Hence, the existence of Kelipah and those physical things that receive their sustenance from it, is not a true existence, and so they are compared to darkness, which has no substance.[4]

This is also why the Kelipah is compared to the gnat, whose entire existence is derived from sucking life from other creatures, and which lacks any capacity of its own to give.[5] Similarly, the Kelipah is compared to the leech,[6] whose life depends upon sucking blood from its host.

Likewise, the Kelipah receives a certain minimum amount of sustenance from Kedushah that enables it to maintain its existence. However, the Kelipah is not satisfied with this; it greedily yearns to boost its strength as much as it can. Since it lacks any energy of its own, its only way of growing is by drawing extra energy from Kedushah, which it accomplishes by preying on those who draw their sustenance from Kedushah.

The Kelipah sucks this extra energy from Kedushah by enticing the Jew to violate one of the 365 Negative Commandments, may G-d save us.[7]

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[1] Bereshis Rabbah 10:6.
[2] Tanya ch. 24, beg. 

[3] Ibid. ch. 6.
[4] Ibid. ch. 29.
[5] Ibid. ch. 24.
[6] Toldos Avraham Chaim, ch. 9.
[7] Tanya chs. 4, 37.

Yiddishkeit and Chassidus: For our own benefit

Original painting by Chana Rivka Hawkins

Someone once wrote to the Rebbe asking for permission to be “released” from the Rebbe’s directive to recite the daily Tehillim and study the daily portion of Tanya. The Rebbe responds:

You write in your letter that you are so overloaded with learning commitments that you are only careful to study the daily portion of Chumash with Rashi, but you do not recite the Tehillim as it is split up into the days of the month, or the daily study portion from the Tanya. You ask if you can be released from these two latter requirements.

I am surprised at you, for these study portions should not be kept as a favor to someone else, but for your own benefit. In this they are similar to all matters of Torah and Mitzvos, which are for the benefit of the person who studies Torah and observes the Mitzvos. Thus, it follows that being released from adhering to these study portions also “releases” one from the positive outcome that these study portions bring.

Igros Kodesh, Vol. 14, pp. 288-289.

A not-so-amusing story is told. Once a not-so-bright truck driver came to a bridge that had a sign that said: “Warning! Trucks above eight feet high must not go further!” Knowing that his truck was nine feet high, the truck driver looked to the right and to the left, carefully searching for any observers, or a camera. Once he was sure that no one was looking, he pressed his foot down on the accelerator ...

Some people have a certain attitude (and perhaps we all have it to some extent) that since Torah and Mitzvos are a duty from Hashem (and they are indeed), Hashem is asking us to do them for Him, and not really for ourselves. The consequence of this is that when we feel up to doing things for Hashem, we are careful to keep the Mitzvos, but when we are not in the mood, our observance is lacking.

When we dig deeper, this attitude to observance holds a shocking implication. It conceives of Hashem as imposing restrictions and obligations on us in order to satisfy some sort of selfish whim of His, without really caring about the burden and difficulty that these strictures create.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. Hashem only gave us the Mitzvos “in order to refine the creations” (Bereishis Rabbah 44:1), to elevate and refine us and bring us to our perfection. Thus, every Mitzvah performed elevates a different limb of the body and the faculty of the soul associated with it; full performance thus elevates the entire body and soul (Tanya ch. 4).

Similarly, some who technically identify with the Chassidic community also subconsciously regard studying Chassidus and observing Chassidic customs as an act of extra piety in which we are essentially doing Hashem a favor, or doing the Rebbeim of Chassidus a favor, and losing out personally.

Again, nothing could be further from the truth. The Rebbeim taught Chassidus and Chassidic customs (e.g., the study of Chitas—Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya, as mentioned above) because they sought to reveal special, priceless methods (see here) of refining and elevating our souls and bringing them to perfection. Earlier generations were not privy to these methods, and yet we, although we are far less worthy than they, have been showered and spoiled with an endless treasure-trove of these teachings.

Moreover, these teachings contain an elixir of spiritual life (see here) to help us survive and even thrive despite the intense, doubled, and redoubled darkness at the end of the exile (see here). Choosing to abstain from studying Chassidus or following its ways is choosing to deprive one’s Neshamah of the benefits that it could have gained from doing so, and to deprive one’s body of the material blessings that this would have brought in its wake.

Using the analogy of medicine above, Torah and Mitzvos in general and the path of Chassidus in our generation, are the medicine that Hashem prescribed for our souls. Regarding them as a burden to be done in order to do a favor to Hashem or to those who have been sent to teach his word, the Rebbeim, is akin to a patient who refuses to do his doctor a “favor” and swallow the medicine that the doctor prescribed for him.

The childish immaturity of this attitude with respect to physical health is blatant; let us learn this lesson in connection with spiritual health as well.