The truth is that when the great and holy day of Gimmel
Tammuz has come and gone, the day of our Melech and Moshiach, and we have
not yet merited the true and complete Redemption with the Rebbe shlita
standing at our head, it is almost impossible to think or speak, let alone
write, coherently. We cannot understand; we can barely feel, as if all our
senses have become paralyzed. There is nothing in the world that can arouse our
interest.
Nonetheless, this does not relieve us of the responsibility
and merit that has been placed on our shoulders, even when the task seems beyond
our capability. The Rebbe shlita is urging us on, demanding that we use
every opportunity to strengthen the world’s bitachon and emuna
that the Rebbe is chai v’kayam eternally, that he is the judge and
counselor, prophet and Nasi, and that all members of our generation are
obligated to seek his counsel, obey his directives and believe in his
prophecies, primarily the main prophecy of "Behold, Moshiach is coming." The
Rebbe is counting on us to teach the world that "the Nasi is everything,"
in the literal sense.
The past few columns have been devoted to explaining
according to Chassidus, something impossible to explain: the phenomenon of
Gimmel Tammuz. We explored the concept of nesira and explained how it is
not "a descent for the purpose of ascent" but is the beginning of the ascent
itself. Using several analogies and examples, we illustrated the shvira
that is perceived by the student at the exact moment he begins to receive the
essential light that is above his particular level. We quoted various sayings of
Chazal that Moshiach will be "revealed and concealed," and the Arizal’s
comments in Shaar HaGilgulim that Moshiach will ascend to higher levels,
both body and soul, "in the same way that Moshe Rabbeinu ascended the mountain,"
and that in the beginning stages he will be revealed "to a portion of
humankind," leading up to the whole world’s recognition of his identity. We
quoted the Rebbe (Volume 26 of Likkutei Sichos and other places) about
how there must always be a Nasi in a physical body, in the physical
world, that "the Nasi is everything" and that the world cannot exist
otherwise. According to the way G-d created the world, without a Rebbe, chas
v’shalom, there can be neither gashmiyus nor ruchniyus.
In other columns we’ve cited various additional sources, such
as the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Haazinu 5750, in which the Rebbe explains
that in our generation there is the existence of Moshe Rabbeinu, "a soul within
a body, in an eternal manner." The Rebbe also stated in 5752: "The innovation of
this generation, the ninth generation, in relation to all the generations that
preceded it, including the eighth, when a histalkus of the neshama
from the physical body occurred…(which is not the case in our generation)…[is
that at present we are experiencing] souls within bodies, without any
interruption, achieving perfection in the true and complete Redemption."
Similarly, on Shabbos Parshas Shoftim 5751 the Rebbe explained that the Nasi
HaDor is eternal and that he always exists in the physical world, "like the
cornerstone [of the Beis HaMikdash]" that exists in a particular physical
location and is not subject to change or alteration, "not even the alteration of
g’niza, like the aron, which was hidden away." "This is similar to
the judge and Nasi, who exists (eternally) in every generation, as a sign
of G-d’s ongoing and perpetual revelation in the world."
On Shabbos Parshas VaYigash 5747 the Rebbe issued the
following directive: "Whenever the claim is made that ‘they have already
eulogized and embalmed him,’ the truth according to Torah must be stated
explicitly. There is nothing to fear concerning the world’s reaction, as the
world is ready to accept it. It must only be explained in words emanating from
the heart, in which case the explanation will be effective."
All right, we know all that already. But in our heart of
hearts, all the explanations in the world fail to impress us. What happens now?
We’ve cried so much we cannot cry anymore. "Ad Masai,
Rebbe, Ad Masai?" We simply cannot bear it any longer. "Our eyes are focused
solely on you." "As the hart longs for streams of water, so does my soul long
for you." We have but a single desire: to see our Rebbe and king with our
fleshly eyes and hear his holy voice once again. When will we reach our ultimate
objective, the one that will finally justify this concealment and make it all
worthwhile? How we long for the time when "your eyes shall see your teacher,"
"and the glory of the L-rd will be revealed, and all flesh shall see that the
mouth of G-d has spoken!"
We know without doubt that even now, as these lines are being
written, the Rebbe zol gezunt zayn is chai v’kayam in 770, Beis
Moshiach, Beis Rabbeinu She’b’Bavel, "where he sits and waits in
anticipation of redeeming the Jewish people."
Rebbe, we are still coming to daven and farbreng
with you in 770, and we are bringing as many Jews as we can along with us. We
are trying to strengthen our hiskashrus, learn your Torah, the Torah of
Moshiach, and obey your horaos and takanos. We are trying to "live
with Moshiach" and spreading your message of imminent Redemption. We can even
see, Rebbe, how you continue to guide us and give us your brachos every
step of the way. The only thing we are lacking, Rebbe, is seeing you in the
physical sense.
It is for this reason that we are still able to rejoice with
an infinite joy, despite our sorrow. For this joy is so great that it can never
be diminished by sadness or a sense of deficiency.
We know that the world is not hefker, that there is
"Someone in charge" even when it isn’t readily apparent. We have full faith that
the terrible helem v’hester we are now perceiving is not the true
reality; rather than destruction and exile, it is the very beginning of the
Geula itself. Thus it is not coincidental that the Rebbe Rayatz termed
Gimmel Tammuz "the day of geula" back in 5687, for the Torah is eternal.
The fact that things look different to us is only a nisayon, a "small
moment" in time. (Ribono Shel Olam! Isn’t seven years long enough? Ad
Masai? But in truth, all of human language is inadequate when we’re speaking
about such earth-shattering, momentous issues. For indeed, nothing will satisfy
us except the full revelation of the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach before the
eyes of the world.)
When a deficiency in the etzem or nekuda is
felt, what good is hispashtus or giluyim? What benefit is there in
possessing the king’s treasures without the king himself? Everything is ready
for the chuppa, but where is the chassan?
This is similar to the famous teaching of the Baal Shem Tov
on the verse in T’hillim (102:1), "A prayer of the poor man when he
faints and pours out his speech before the L-rd": It is precisely the poor man
who has no other requests or desires other than for the King himself.
The rich person, explains the Baal Shem Tov, is liable to be
sidetracked by all the treasures he is shown on the way to the royal palace. The
splendor and beauty may be so overwhelming that he practically forgets to
breathe. Some people may become confused and stop in the outer courtyard, while
others may make it all the way into an inner chamber. But the only one who
remembers why he has come in the first place - to see the king - is the poor
man, who is so far removed from a display of wealth that he is impervious to
being ensnared.
Thus, while the prayer of a wealthy person may sometimes be
less than entirely focused on the King, the prayer of the poor man is always
directed to G-d alone.
As this applies to us: The danger exists that some people may
be sidetracked by the treasures they find on the way to the king - the
unbelievable depth of a maamer, the profundity of a sicha, the
insight and wisdom of the Igros Kodesh, the power of the mivtzaim,
or even the mesiras nefesh of shlichus. All of these, however, are
only giluyim, and are not the etzem. They are indeed treasures,
but one must never forget that the main objective is the king himself.
That is why it is precisely the poor (even in the pejorative
sense - i.e., not because of bittul and self-effacement, but really and
truly lacking in avoda), the "lost and dispersed," who do not lose sight
of their overall goal…
I do not mean to belittle (chas v’shalom) the
importance of everything the Rebbe has taught us is holy and dear. All of these
are ways we are supposed to connect ourselves to the Rebbe, in the same way that
it is impossible for a Jew to connect to Hashem other than through Torah and
mitzvos. A Chassid is obligated to learn nigleh and Chassidus,
especially the Rebbe’s teachings, and he cannot be mekushar without
obeying the Rebbe’s directives. Going out on shlichus is the epitome of
the whole idea of the seventh generation. Love and concern for our fellow Jew is
the foundation of our avoda, and every Jew is obligated to daven
and work on perfecting his midos. However…
As much as all these things are expressions of the etzem,
they are not the etzem itself. When compared with the etzem they
are only giluyim, even if they are necessary to enable us to grasp the
essence.
The Rebbe MH"M has explained (see Volume 1 of Likkutei
Sichos, page 226) that without hiskashrus to the Rebbe, a person can
learn Torah, daven and observe mitzvos (even beyond the letter of
the law) while actually being in the very lowest depths, G-d forbid. It is,
therefore, obvious that the importance of all the above (personal avoda,
mivtzaim, etc.) is because they are ways to attach to the Rebbe, rather
than as ends in themselves.
We must not allow ourselves to be sidetracked by giluyim.
Nothing can fill the void in our hearts and souls except the immediate
revelation of the Rebbe shlita, the true etzem, who will usher in
the Messianic era.
The old style of hiskashrus that was valid years ago
is no longer enough. A person cannot be mekushar without doing what the
Rebbe wants him to do now. In the Dvar Malchus of Parshas VaEira
the Rebbe explains how everyone can become "holy to the Nasi of the
generation":
"This is achieved by being filled and permeated with the
goal of fulfilling the shlichus of the Nasi HaDor, the Moshe
Rabbeinu of the generation, the first redeemer who is the last redeemer, whose
primary function is to ‘bring about the Days of Moshiach’ in actuality."
In other words, it is only when a person is filled and
permeated with the particular shlichus the Rebbe wants us to concentrate
on now - "to bring about the Days of Moshiach" - that one becomes sanctified to
the Nasi HaDor.
"Furthermore, the very knowledge that my father-in-law, the
Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation, will immediately enter…and will look
at each and every one of his Chassidim and mekusharim to assess his
standing and situation, etc., should provide the impetus and motivation for
completing and perfecting all of our deeds and service."
It is precisely because our only desire is to see Moshiach
that these two emotions - feeling an intense longing for the Rebbe, while at the
same time experiencing the joy of the imminent Redemption - should spur us on to
practical action.
As mentioned many times in this forum, the Rebbe explained on
Shabbos Parshas Shoftim 5751 that it is the obligation and merit of each
member of our generation to connect to him, to fulfill his directives ("your
judges"), seek his counsel in important matters ("your advisors"), and believe
in all of his prophecies, culminating in the main prophecy [about Moshiach’s
imminent arrival], a prophecy not declared as scholar or judge, but as prophet,
which must then occur: "immediately to Redemption" and "Behold, Moshiach is
coming."
It is, therefore, clear that our primary shlichus is
to spread awareness of the Rebbe shlita all over the world. By that I
mean not just telling people about his greatness and scholarship, but about the
Rebbe’s role as Nasi and head (as well as heart) of the entire Jewish
people, without whom it is impossible to connect to G-d. As the Rebbe once
stated, "G-d forbid that one would say that he was Nasi only in the
past." Everyone must be made to know that the Rebbe is the Nasi now, at
this very minute, and it is a very great merit and obligation to be mekushar
to him. In other words: to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu in actuality.
To quote from the Rebbe’s famous letter of Gimmel Tammuz
5710:
"Each and every one of us must know, that is, deeply
contemplate and ponder seriously, that he is the Nasi and the head, and
it is from him and through him that all physical and spiritual influences are
derived, and that it is through hiskashrus to him (how to do this has
already been discussed in his letters) that one becomes connected and united
with the source, and the source of sources, to the very highest levels, etc."
We must truly do "all in our power" to spread the Rebbe’s
message, in keeping with our Sages’ dictum, "Everything the Holy One, Blessed Be
He, created in His world was only created for His glory." This means that we
must use every advertising technique in the book and harness it for the
purpose of holiness.
It is especially important to bring Jews (and non-Jews) to
the Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh. When we approach people we should
make it clear that we are not asking anything from them, but offering them help
and salvation.
May the merit of our resolutions for good in all of the above
bring about the immediate revelation of the Rebbe shlita, and may we
celebrate this yovel year together with him. And at that very first
farbrengen with Moshiach, we will sing the song that many around the world
have already begun to sing:
"Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach L’olam
Va’ed!"