The Natural Chassid

When Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi began to disseminate his teachings in White Russia and Lithuania (circa 1772), many young men flocked to him and became his ardent followers, despite the prevailing opposition to the Chassidic movement. They found that Chassidism injected a new vitality and joy in serving G-d that was lacking in “establishment” Judaism. Among the newly converted Chassidim were the two sons of one of the leading Torah scholars of the time.

One day, they approached Rabbi Schneur Zalman with a dilemma that had been occupying their minds for some time: should they try to win over their father to the Chassidic approach to serving G-d, or is he perhaps too set in his ways to change at this point in his life.

“Does he perform mitzvot with joy?” asked Rabbi Schneur Zalman.

“Every year,” related one of the sons in reply, “when we finish building oursukkah, father climbs onto a bench and kisses the sechach[1].”

“In that case,” said the founder of Chabad, “he is fine the way he is.”

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[1]. The roof of branches (or other vegetation) that is the main component of the sukkah.

From MLC

The Birth Of The Alter Rebbe

Baruch and his wife, Rivka, were followers of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chasidic movement. When they had been married for a year and were still not blessed with a child, they went to see the Baal Shem Tov during the month of Elul to ask for his blessing.

At his birthday celebration on the 18th of Elul, the Baal Shem Tov blessed Baruch and Rivka, saying that within the year they would have a son. The young couple remained with the Baal Shem Tov in Miedzibosz for the High Holidays. Before departing for home they were privileged to have an audience with the Baal Shem Tov once again. When the Baal Shem Tov repeated his blessing, Rivka fervently promised that she would consecrate her son to the dissemination of Torah and the Chasidic way of life as taught by the Baal Shem Tov.

Rivka was quite a learned women and decided to intensify her Torah studies. She asked Devora Leah, her learned sister-in-law for guidance as to prayer and study during her anticipated pregnancy.

Six months later, Baruch went to Miedzibosz again to inform the Baal Shem Tov that his wife was pregnant. The Baal Shem Tov wished him "mazel tov" and gave him certain instructions to convey to his wife. Baruch left for home in a blissful frame of mind.

On the 18th day of Elul that year, the Baal Shem Tov displayed an extraordinary elation. He personally led the prayers, which he chanted joyously. It was clear that the Baal Shem Tov was observing the day in an even more festive manner than was customary for his birthday. During the repast which followed the prayers, the Baal Shem Tov told his disciples:

"Today, a new soul descended to earth, a soul which will illuminate the world with the revealed and esoteric teachings of the Torah, and will successfully disseminate the Chasidic way with selfless dedication, preparing the way for the arrival of Moshiach."

On the 25th day of Elul the Baal Shem Tov arranged a feast. Three days later, on Shabbat, he again gave a discourse and was in an extremely elated frame of mind. All of this represented a mystery to his disciples.

What the Baal Shem Tov's disciples witnessed in those days was nothing less than their Rebbe celebrating the birth of Baruch and Rivka's first child, Shneur Zalman, his circumcision, and the critical third day after the circumcision. Moreover, the various discourses which the Baal Shem Tov delivered on those occasions were connected with the newborn's destiny.

For Yom Kippur that year, Baruch came to the Baal Shem Tov. He had been cautioned not to tell anybody about the birth of his son. Again, before leaving for home, he received from the Baal Shem Tov a set of instructions concerning the child, and the careful watch which was to be kept over him at all times.

The following year Baruch came, as usual, to the Baal Shem Tov for the High Holidays. The Baal Shem Tov inquired about the little boy in great detail, and repeated his admonition to take special care of the child.

After Sukot, when Baruch was ready to leave for home, the Baal Shem Tov again counseled him to shelter the boy, and not to boast about his cleverness nor even to repeat ingenious comments Shneur Zalman might make.

Another year passed. Once again Baruch made his annual pilgrimage to Miedzibosz. Baruch reported to the Baal Shem Tov that, upon returning home from Miedzibosz after Sukot the previous year, his had wife told him that there was a noticeable change in Shneur Zalman. His speech and vocabulary, which were already extraordinary, had considerably improved. They had discovered that the young child had an amazing memory, and whatever he heard once, he never forgot. The Baal Shem Tov gave Baruch further instructions concerning the child. Baruch requested permission to bring Shneur Zalman to the Baal Shem Tov on his third birthday for the traditional first haircut and the Baal Shem Tov agreed. He told Baruch that Shneur Zalman should be brought by his mother and his aunt Devora Leah, on the 18th of Elul, after the morning prayers.

Arriving home, Baruch found that his son had made further strides during his absence from home. Little Shneur Zalman could now recite many Psalms by heart, and his memory and mental grasp were astonishing.

As prearranged, Rivka and Devora Leah brought Shneur Zalman on his third birthday, to the Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov cut off a few locks of hair, leaving peyot (side locks) according to custom, and he blessed him.

All the way home, little Shneur Zalman kept asking his mother who the elderly Jew was who had cut his hair. "That was Zaide," was her reply. Little did he then know that some day he would come to regard the Baal Shem Tov as his "grandfather" in a very real sense, namely, as the Rebbe of his Rebbe, the Maggid of Miezricz. However, the Baal Shem Tov, for reasons best known to himself, kept himself out of direct contact with Shneur Zalman. He did not permit Baruch to take his son with him on subsequent visits to Miedzibosz and he enjoined Shneur Zalman's teacher from telling him anything about the Baal Shem Tov until he was 15 years old. "Shneur Zalman is not destined to be my disciple," the Baal Shem Tov said. "He belongs to my successor."

Adapted from Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Kehot Publication Society

When the government authorities came to the house of Rabbi Shneur Zalman (the Alter Rebbe), founder of Chabad Chasidut, to arrest him for the first time, he slipped out the back door and went deep in the fields, thus temporarily avoiding arrest. When the police did not find him at home, they left. A short while later, the Alter Rebbe returned home.

Reb Shmuel Munkes considered the situation and decided that he must speak with the Alter Rebbe. He knocked on the door of the Alter Rebbe's room and identified himself. The Alter Rebbe allowed him in and he asked Reb Shmuel if he was aware of the seriousness of the situation. Reb Shmuel began relating the following story:

Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Horodok had a Jewish wagon-driver whom he frequently employed. At one point, however, Rebbe Menachem Mendel did not travel for many months. The wagon-driver and his family suffered from this lack of income. Finally, the wagon driver sold his horse and carriage and bought a dairy cow with the money. With the proceeds from the sale of the milk, the former wagon-driver was able to eke out a living.

Time passed and Rebbe Menachem Mendel suddenly called the man. "I would like you to take me on a journey," he requested.

"I'm truly sorry, Rebbe," the man explained, "but I sold my horse and carriage and have bought a milking cow in order to provide for my family."

"Sell your cow and purchase a horse and carriage," Rebbe Menachem Mendel instructed him. "I need to set out as soon as possible."

Without any hesitation, the man did as the Rebbe requested. As they traveled, the Rebbe pressed the driver, "I am in a hurry, let us go faster."

The driver whipped the horses and the carriage sped onwards. Soon, they were going downhill very quickly, with the driver barely able to control the galloping horses. To his horror, he saw they were heading straight toward a palatial house at the bottom of the hill. His efforts to slow the horses were unsuccessful and the carriage went right through the yard and stopped only after it broke a window of the house.

The poritz who owned the mansion was enraged and stormed out toward the carriage, pointing his rifle at the driver. "You did this!" he shouted.

"No, no! Not me!" cried the terrified man. "It's not my fault, but his!" he said, pointing to Rebbe Menachem Mendel who was sitting behind him meditating, oblivious to the entire incident.

The poritz aimed his rifle at the Rebbe. As he was about to fire, he suddenly froze, unable to move a limb in his body. The other members of the household had also come running outside. When they saw the poritz paralyzed, they begged the Rebbe for forgiveness and asked him to remove his curse.

"If he will promise never to harm a Jew, he will be cured," answered the Rebbe.

The poritz indicated his consent by nodding his head slightly, and his ability to move was restored. Later, as they continued their journey, Rebbe Menachem Mendel turned to the driver and asked, "How could you do this! Why did you put the blame on me? The poritz almost killed me!"

"Rebbe," replied the driver in all sincerity and with utmost respect, "when you didn't travel for months, I accepted it. Then, when you instructed me to sell my cow, I immediately did so. Though my family was left without an income, I trusted that you were a Rebbe and had reasons for making the request. When you told me to go more quickly I did so, though no wagon-driver allows his horses to run downhill.

"So, when the poritz came out, I figured, if you are truly a Rebbe, he will not be able to harm you. And if you are not, then you would have deserved everything you would have gotten. For, how could you have left an entire family going hungry for bread?"

Concluding his story, Reb Shmuel said to the Alter Rebbe, "If you are a Rebbe, you have nothing to fear by being arrested. If you are not, what right did you have to deprive thousands of Chassidim from enjoying the pleasures of this world?!"

Reprinted from Early Chasidic Personalities by Rabbi Sholom Ber Avtzon

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Chasidic philosophy, attracted to himself a circle of most distinguished disciples, each a great Talmudic scholar in his own right. To this distinguished group, which was divided into three groups, Rabbi Shneur Zalman taught his concepts of Chasidic philosophy.

Many of these disciples had formerly been opponents of the new teaching, but had been won over to it by the depth and profundity they found in Chasidic philosophy and the evidence of its power to refine the Jew's character.

One of these young men arrived in Liozna and soon made a name for himself as a brilliant "masmid," a person who devoted every moment of his time to the study of Torah. He spent hours immersed in meditation and contemplation and in a relatively short amount of time he achieved a remarkable mastery of the topics of Chasidic philosophy.

One evening, near the end of the fast of the Tenth of Tevet, he was feeling the effects of the fast, and so, exhausted and weak, he decided to retire earlier than usual. He prepared himself by washing his hands and reciting the Shema, which is said before retiring. However, he did not get a wink of sleep that night. Instead, he fell into a reverie of mediation upon the mysteries of the Divine names which are woven into the words of the Shema. Lost in thought, he remained standing by his window until dawn filled the sky.

In those days, to have a private audience with the Rebbe was a rare event, preceded by intense preparation and introspection. When the day arrived for this particular young man to enter the Rebbe's study, he asked the Rebbe: "What do I lack?" The Rebbe replied, "You lack nothing in scholarship and fear of heaven. One thing, however, you must see to, and that is to get rid of the chametz in your character, the leavened, the puffed up nature of an inflated ego. The remedy for this is matza, a poor food which symbolizes bittel, or self- abnegation.

The Rebbe continued to speak to his young disciple in this vein, explaining a certain Jewish law with which the young man was thoroughly conversant. Now, however, the student understood not only the plain meaning, but also the inner, esoteric meaning of the halacha. The Rebbe explained, "If a kitchen utensil which is used for Passover comes into contact with chametz (leavened), the law requires that it be heated so intensely that it emits sparks or its outermost part comes off."

The young man listened well to what the Rebbe told him, and when he left the Rebbe's room he was a different person. Speaking of it to his companions, he said, "The Rebbe taught me one of the laws of Passover as it is learned in the Torah Academy in the next world. He has infused me with the strength to work on my own character and to accomplish this law in my own day to day life."

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The rebbetzin of the Apta Rav, Rabbi Yehoshua Heschel, was busy finishing up the last minute preparations for the seder when there was a knock on the door. A servant opened the door, and there stood two charity collectors who were making the rounds gathering matza for the town's poor. The servant, seeing a stack of matzas wrapped in a napkin on the table, took it and innocently gave it to the men.

When, a bit later, the rebbetzin entered the room and noticed the matza missing, her heart fell, for this was no ordinary matza. They were the meticulously-prepared and guarded matzas which her husband had baked just before the holiday was ushered in.

She called in her household servants and soon discovered how it happened, but there was nothing to be done about it. She couldn't bring herself to disappoint her husband by telling him about the mistake, and so, with a heavy heart, she wrapped some ordinary matzas in a napkin and placed them on the table and said nothing about it.

Several days after Passover ended a young couple came to Rabbi Heschel seeking a divorce. The Apta Rav asked the husband why he wanted a divorce. He replied that his wife had refused to cook the Passover food without gebrokts - according to the custom which requires that no matza come into contact with water.

The Rav called over his rebbetzin and asked, "Tell me, what kind of matzas did we use for the Passover seder?"

His wife was startled by the sudden question, and she was afraid to respond. The Rav encouraged her and calmed her fears, and she went on to explain to her husband the entire episode that had transpired the afternoon of the holiday.

The Rav then turned to the young husband and said in a kind tone, "Listen to me, son. On the first night of Passover I ate regular matza and I pretended not to notice any difference. Why did I do this? I didn't wish to bring about any hard feelings or anger, G-d forbid. And you wish to divorce your wife over this Passover custom!!"

The young man immediately recognized his folly and the couple left completely reconciled.

Rachel The Alter Rebbe's Learned Grandmother

Rachel, the grandmother of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidut, was a remarkable Torah scholar in an age when that was far from the norm. The daughter of Baruch Batlan who was a follower of the Baal Shem of Zamotsch, she was given an excellent and wide-ranging Torah education, in keeping with the unusual custom of Chasidim to educate their daughters.
As a tiny child Rachel was carried to the mezuza in order to kiss it twice a day, instilling in her a love of Torah from her earliest infancy. Practically from the time she could speak, she learned Torah, progressing from the simplest blessings taught to all Jewish children, to more advanced studies, even mastering the intricacies of the Talmud. She became particularly expert in the study of the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law.
Whether out of modesty, for fear that people would regard a learned girl as a "freak," or to avoid an "evil eye," Rachel's father kept her scholarship a secret. When Rachel became engaged to the scholar Rabbi Shneur Zalman (who did not approve of women engaging in serious learning), no mention was made of the scope of her knowledge. Thus, she merely smiled when, after their wedding, her husband said to her he assumed that her mother had taught her all the laws that a Jewish woman was required to know.
Rachel's knowledge of Jewish law was so extensive, that she knew the differences in the customs which prevailed amongst the various Jewish communities. Thus, what was regarded as a strict law in one town, was treated more lightly in another.
Soon after her marriage it happened that Rachel's whole family was walking home one Shabbat from shul. The men, Baruch Batlan, his son Benjamin and his son-in-law, were in front. The women followed behind, Rachel among them. They all wore gloves as there was an "eruv" in Posen [a marked area where carrying is permitted on Shabbat]. Benjamin was also carrying books which he had borrowed from the synagogue, so that he could study at home.
As they were walking, the synagogue caretaker ran up to them, calling out that the eruv had fallen. They all stopped in bewilderment, not knowing what to do with their gloves and with the books that Rachel's brother had under his arm [since without the eruv carrying was no longer permitted]. Should they drop everything, or just remain where they were?
Baruch Batlan now called out to his daughter:
"Well, Rachel, you are an expert in the laws of the Shulchan Aruch. Tell us what are we to do now?" And turning to the men, he remarked: "We men are so busy studying Talmud and other such subjects, that when we are faced with a practical question of law, we do not know it. We have no choice but to turn to Rachel."
Rabbi Shneur Zalman, a great scholar, four years Rachel's senior, opened his eyes in wonderment! Was this some sort of joke?
Rachel blushed. She feared that now her husband might be upset with her. She would not have given away her secret, but her father had "put her on the spot," and she had to answer him.
"There is no need to take off our gloves," she ventured quietly, "for this is a case of 'accidental,' and there can be no likelihood of anyone taking off his gloves and carrying them, for, as we are in company, it would immediately be noticed and the person reminded. As for the books, these should be transferred from hand to hand until we reach the yard of a non-Jew, where they can be handed from the zone of "public property" to that of "private property."
As Rachel had foreseen, her husband was adversely affected by this incident and took every opportunity to make sharp and cutting comments. Once he remarked: "The Talmud says that 'The wife of a scholar is regarded as if she too were a scholar,' but in my case, it would seem that I must be satisfied to reach the equal of my wife's status." Rachel was very grieved at his attitude.
Her father was aware of the situation and he once countered: "The Jerusalem Talmud says that 'The wife of a criminal is also considered so.' I have given my daughter into your hands. It now remains to be seen what you make of her. She can either become the wife of a 'scholar' or the wife of a 'criminal.' It is entirely up to you!"
Rabbi Shneur Zalman understood the implication of his father-in-law's words, and from that time, changed his harsh and critical attitude towards his wife. On the contrary, he began to be proud of his wife, Rachel, appreciating at last her great learning and wonderful qualities.

Adapted from the Memoirs of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe.

The Hidden Door In Haditch

It was Elul, 5701 (1941) when the Germans invaded the town of Haditch and forced the Jews out of their homes. The unsuspecting Jews followed orders and filed to the outskirts of the town, where they were massacred. A handful of them, however, fearing the worst, had fled to the Jewish cemetery. They hid themselves in the small synagogue which was attached to the Ohel (the building housing the grave) of the founder of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, known as the Alter Rebbe.
Lookouts were posted outside the synagogue, while inside, The Hidden Doorz the little band of Jews tried to sleep. They hoped to make contact with nearby partisans who could lead them to their forest hideout. Suddenly, the guards saw a wagon approaching filled with Ukrainian police. They dashed to the synagogue to warn the others, but the police had seen them. The Jews were trapped inside with Ukrainian police guarding the locked doors of the synagogue building.
There was no escape, and the terrified survivors of the massacre at Haditch waited in the darkness. In the adjacent Ohel, the Eternal Flame flickered as always above the grave of the Alter Rebbe. Aharon Ginzberg, the old caretaker of the cemetery, entered the Ohel and wept. He contemplated what lay ahead. Tomorrow would be the last day of his life, he thought.
"Holy Rebbe!" a cry escaped from his lips. "Your children are in desperate danger! You must pray for us! 'If not for the prayers of tzadikim in the Other World, this world could not exist for even one second...'"
Although Aharon Ginzberg's eyes were closed, he felt rather than saw a swell of brilliant light filling the room. It was emanating from all sides -- from up, from down, from the very walls of the structure itself. Then he heard a voice, a heavenly voice reverberating in his ears.
"I cannot bear it any longer!" the voice said. "The attribute of Yaakov is the attribute of mercy. Open the cave under the Eternal Flame."
Suddenly, the door to the synagogue was thrown open and three members of the S.S. and two Ukrainian policemen stormed in. "Here they are!" they cried triumphantly. "You will remain here until morning," the S.S. man snarled. All of the Jews who had been in the synagogue were now shoved into the Ohel. Locking them in, the murderers went into the synagogue, to wait for dawn. While the Jews spent the night immersed in prayer, their tormentors wiled away the hours drinking and laughing.
Aharon Ginzberg whispered to their leader, Binyamin: "Binyamin, I heard a voice telling me there is a cave under the eternal light." Binyamin had no idea what to think of these strange words. He walked over and moved the wooden desk which stood beneath the light. There, to his utter shock, was a trap door. He lifted the lid and peered into the mouth of a hidden cavern.
It was decided that Binyamin would lead the procession, with the women and children in the rear. Everyone descended the rickety steps into the dark tunnel except the old caretaker, Aharon Ginzberg. He had remained above and had carefully and silently replaced the wooden desk which had covered the cave's entrance. Then he resumed his recital of Psalms.
His son Leibke began to weep when he realized what his father had done. "Tatte," he sobbed, but he was quickly silenced. The group moved steadily through the thick darkness, stopping every so often to get their bearing. But then -- disappointment -- the exit was completely sealed with earth and gravel. They began to scrape at the loose earth with their bare hands. They dug until they were bathed in sweat, but their labors were rewarded, for just when they could dig no more, they found themselves standing beneath the cold night sky.
Only Leibke Ginzberg hesitated. How could he leave his father behind?
The others faced another kind of trial. There, before them, a freezing river separated them from the forest and the partisans' den. Binyamin was the first to spot a small, half-rotted boat on the other side of the river. He managed to bring it across and two by two, he ferried the survivors to the other side. Though exhausted, they continued on until they found the partisans' hideout.
Binyamin told the partisans of their narrow escape and that Aharon Ginzberg had remained behind. The partisans made their way through the forest until they reached the Ohel. There they found Leibke Ginzberg lying outside the building undetected by the soldiers but helpless to save his father, who had been discovered by the loathsome killers.
Finding their prey gone, the soldiers had turned their wrath on the old man. When he didn't respond to the curses and beatings, they shot him three times and he returned his holy soul to his Maker.
Leibke and the partisans had been the powerless witnesses of the murder. Now that the killers' weapons had been completely discharged, they waited for them to emerge. Five minutes later it was all over. The bodies of the soldiers were stripped, their weapons and uniforms confiscated. By the light of the partisans' lanterns, Leibke Ginzberg wept over his father's remains.

Reprinted from Reaching Out Newsletter

The Story of Yud Tes Kislev

The black carriage was already waiting. Inside the house, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad Chasidic movement, made final preparations before his arrest and imprisonment.
Rabbi Yisrael Kazik, the Rebbe's brother-in-law, managed to exchange a few words with him. "What shall be done?" he asked worriedly. "Travel to Petersburg," the Rebbe answered, "immediately!"
The officer in charge ordered the armed police to surround the Rebbe, who was making his way toward the carriage. The black carriage drove off, leaving the distraught Chasidim behind.
The charges brought against the Rebbe were extremely serious. The government informants claimed that the money the Rebbe sent to Israel in order to strengthen Jewish settlements was actually supporting the Turks, who were, at the time, at war with Russia.
The Rebbe was brought to the prison, but not one chasid knew his whereabouts. There were many prisons in Russia, and it would be dangerous to search through them. The elder Chasidim instructed everyone to pray, and they appointed a committee to be in charge in the meantime.
The Rebbe's brother-in-law didn't waste a minute. Rabbi Yisrael didn't even take time to change out of his Chasidic garb, which he knew could cause him some difficulty in the capital city. As he didn't even have the proper travelling documents with him, which could lead to his own arrest, he borrowed the documents of another chasid, and left.
Meanwhile, in a prison in Petersburg, the Rebbe was interrogated for many hours. His interrogators were impressed by his strength of character and integrity. Deep down they knew that the accusations against the Rebbe were false, but they were bound by the law that did not allow for his release without an investigation.
One day, one of the officers said to the Rebbe, "I would like to do you a favor. What can I do for you?"
The Rebbe requested that his family be informed that he was alive and that he hoped that G-d would soon make his innocence known. The officer readily agreed to his request. He asked, however, how he would be able to contact someone from the Rebbe's family as he didn't know them.
"Before I was brought here," the Rebbe told the guard, "I instructed my brother-in-law, Reb Yisrael Kazik, to travel to Petersburg. He is wearing the traditional Chasidic garb, and he is probably wandering near a prison."
After searching for some time, the guard noticed a Jew who fit the Rebbe's description. When the guard was sure no one was looking, he motioned to the Jew to come over to him. When he asked the Jew, who was Reb Yisrael Kazik, to identify himself, Reb Yisrael identified himself with the name on the documents he had borrowed. The guard accused him of lying and left.
Reb Yisrael figured that the officer wanted to give him a message. After consulting with other Chasidim, he continued to wander through Petersburg in case the guard returned. The guard told the Rebbe of his meeting with a Jew who fit the description, but whose name was not Yisrael Kazik. The Rebbe told the guard to try once more.
The officer again met Reb Yisrael, who identified himself as such. Without exchanging another word, the guard began to walk away, and Reb Yisrael followed him discreetly. They arrived at the guard's home. The guard went inside, and while Reb Yisrael stood outside and wondered what to do next, a watermelon fell out of a window of the house. Reb Yisrael understood that it was for him, and he quickly picked it up and carried it away.
He brought it home, and in the presence of the elder Chasidim, opened it carefully. Inside the watermelon was a note that read, "Hear O Israel the Lord our G-d the Lord is One." The Rebbe was alive! But they still didn't know where he was being held.
Meanwhile, the Rebbe's health was in danger, because he would not eat the prison food. The warden offered to obtain kosher food for the Rebbe and went to Reb Mordechai of Lipeli, and asked him to prepare kosher food for a Jewish prisoner. Reb Mordechai sensed that this prisoner was the Rebbe, and on the bottom of one of the jars he hid a note that said, "Who is the one eating this, and where is he found?"
The jar was returned, and under a bit of food was a small note written in the Rebbe's handwriting. The Rebbe informed the Chasidim of his situation and where he was being held. The news quickly spread throughout Russia, "The Rebbe is alive and well!"
Eventually the Rebbe was exonerated of all charges and released on the nineteenth of Kislev, which is celebrated as the Festival of Redemption, when the Chasidic movement and the right to disseminate Chasidic philosophy triumphed.

Shimon The Tinsmith Who Sent Good News To The Alter Rebbe

During the time of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the founder of Chabad (known as the Alter Rebbe), a group of his chasidim in a certain town were being severely oppressed by the misnagdim (opponents of the Chasidic movement) there. Some of the chassidim were even arrested, due to the slander and false accusations presented to the local authorities. G-d was merciful, however, and the innocent victims were released. They immediately sat down together to write a letter to the Rebbe, informing him of the good news of their deliverance.

Among this group was a poor tinsmith named Shimon, who was only average in knowledge and understanding, but was strongly bonded to the Rebbe with love and dedication. He was often heard to spontaneously cry out, "Oy Rebbe!" This Shimon took it upon himself to arrange the delivery of the letter to the Rebbe. Instead of sending it by regular mail, he decided to hire a private messenger in order that their letter get to the Rebbe "express," absolutely as soon as possible. He arranged to pay for the extra costs out of his own pocket.

In those days, every Chabad-Chasidic community had its own council, which would direct all chassidic matters. The council members were all well-acquainted with the dire economic situation of R. Shimon how he sometimes had to trek from village to village to find more work, how he barely managed to support his family at the most minimal level, how his wife and children were sick. When he said he intended to pay the expensive fees for the express messenger out of his own meager funds, they refused to hear of it. They told him he shouldn't do it.

R. Shimon, however, refused to accept their decision. He said that the good news of their release would give the Rebbe relief and happiness, and if such news could reach the Rebbe even just one hour earlier, it was worth more to him then all the wealth in the world.

As part of the council, one chassidic elder in each community was responsible for matters of education and guidance, and he would report on a regular basis directly to the Alter Rebbe. When the matter of the messenger was brought before the elder chassid in this position in R. Shimon's town, who also oversaw the fundraising campaigns for the Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess fund [to support the Chasidic commuinity in the holy land] and for maimad [to support the Rebbe's household], he counteracted the council and endorsed the tinsmith's choice.

Eventually, the report of what R. Shimon had done became known to the Maharil ztz'l (Rabbi Yehuda Leib, brother of Rabbi Shneur Zalman and a tzadik in his own right), who had been appointed by the Rebbe to be the overall supervisor in Chabad communal matters of tzedaka.

After some time had passed, one of the leading Chasidim, Rabbi Yaakov of Semillian, arrived in the town as an emissary of the Rebbe. He had been sent to collect the money for the above-mentioned campaigns from all the chasidic communities in that area of Russia. Much to the astonishment of the chasidim who had all gathered to meet with R. Yaakov, he delivered a letter to R. Shimon the tinsmith written entirely in the personal handwriting of the Alter Rebbe himself. In it the Rebbe thanked him for arranging a special messenger to deliver the good tidings of the release speedily. The Rebbe concluded by blessing R. Shimon that G-d Al-mighty should bless him to be always a bearer of good news.

Not long after that, R. Shimon's situation started to improve. His wife and children became healthy, and he himself began to prosper greatly. The Rebbe's blessing was fulfilled. Because R. Shimon the tinsmith exherted himself to make another Jew happy, and especially a great tzadik, and at great personal sacrifice, he merited to become a bearer of happy news: of himself and his family, and of the chassidic brotherhood of his town.

Kashering Oneself

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Chasidic philosophy, attracted to himself a circle of most distinguished disciples, each a great Talmudic scholar in his own right. To this distinguished group, which was divided into three groups, Rabbi Shneur Zalman taught his concepts of Chasidic philosophy.

Many of these disciples had formerly been opponents of the new teaching, but had been won over to it by the depth and profundity they found in Chasidic philosophy and the evidence of its power to refine the Jew's character.

One of these young men arrived in Liozna and soon made a name for himself as a brilliant "masmid," a person who devoted every moment of his time to the study of Torah. He spent hours immersed in meditation and contemplation and in a relatively short amount of time he achieved a remarkable mastery of the topics of Chasidic philosophy.

One evening, near the end of the fast of the Tenth of Tevet, he was feeling the effects of the fast, and so, exhausted and weak, he decided to retire earlier than usual. He prepared himself by washing his hands and reciting the Shema, which is said before retiring. However, he did not get a wink of sleep that night. Instead, he fell into a reverie of mediation upon the mysteries of the Divine names which are woven into the words of the Shema. Lost in thought, he remained standing by his window until dawn filled the sky.

In those days, to have a private audience with the Rebbe was a rare event, preceded by intense preparation and introspection. When the day arrived for this particular young man to enter the Rebbe's study, he asked the Rebbe: "What do I lack?" The Rebbe replied, "You lack nothing in scholarship and fear of heaven. One thing, however, you must see to, and that is to get rid of the chametz in your character, the leavened, the puffed up nature of an inflated ego. The remedy for this is matza, a poor food which symbolizes bittel, or self- abnegation.

The Rebbe continued to speak to his young disciple in this vein, explaining a certain Jewish law with which the young man was thoroughly conversant. Now, however, the student understood not only the plain meaning, but also the inner, esoteric meaning of the halacha. The Rebbe explained, "If a kitchen utensil which is used for Passover comes into contact with chametz (leavened), the law requires that it be heated so intensely that it emits sparks or its outermost part comes off."

The young man listened well to what the Rebbe told him, and when he left the Rebbe's room he was a different person. Speaking of it to his companions, he said, "The Rebbe taught me one of the laws of Passover as it is learned in the Torah Academy in the next world. He has infused me with the strength to work on my own character and to accomplish this law in my own day to day life."

Don't spend the night in a house whose door faces east

The disciples of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Chabad Rebbe, were often sent by him to distant places in order to inspire Jews in their G-dly serivce. While on these missions, the Rebbe's emissaries collected funds for scholars in the Holy Land, a charity to which the Rebbe was devoted from his youth. One such emissary was the chasid Reb Zalman Zezmer.

When Reb Zalman came to the Rebbe to receive his blessing for the success of his mission, the Rebbe added the unusual words: "Don't spend the night in a house whose door faces east."

True to the Rebbe's blessing, Reb Zalman was highly successful in his travels, touching the hearts of hundreds of Jews. He also managed to collect a handsome sum of money to be sent to the Holy Land to sustain Torah scholars who had no means of support other than the money from their brethren abroad.

Reb Zalman was happily on his way home, having fulfilled the command of his Rebbe, when he noticed that the wagon was traveling off the beaten road. The driver too had realized the error, but in the blackness of the country road he had no idea how to get back to the main road. They continued on their way, allowing the horses to blindly proceed when suddenly in the distance they saw a light. Following the light, they soon arrived at a house. They knocked on the door and were warmly received by the elderly resident.

Reb Zalman and his driver were exhausted by the trip and their frightening experience of being lost in the darkness. Reb Zalman washed his hands in preparation for praying the evening service, and turned to his host to inquire which direction was the eastern wall, the direction of prayer. When the old man pointed to the door, Reb Zalman froze in his place, the words of the Rebbe sounding in his ears, "Don't stay in a house which has the door in the east."

He immediately called the driver and in frantic tones told him, "Prepare to leave at once!" The driver looked at him in astonishment. "What? Leave now? Why we've only just arrived and besides, we have nowhere to go and don't even know where we are!" Still the appearance of Reb Zalman and his tone of urgency left no room for question.

He began to gather their belongings and was headed for the door when he was stopped by the booming voice of their host who screamed at the top of his lungs: "Where do you think you're going? I take guests into my house, but I don't let them go so fast! Put down your belongings, you're not leaving this house!"

With that frightening announcement, the man left the room and bolted the door behind him. The two prisoners just stared at each other, wondering what to do. Rough voices were heard as a group of men entered the adjoining room behind the locked door. "What's that carriage outside?" roared one of the voices. "Look's like you've managed to snare a pretty fancy one this time."

"You've hit it on the head there," snickered the erstwhile host. "Why, they're loaded; I could hear the coins jingling all the way across the house."

"I'm gonna get a look for myself," said one of the band, and with that the door swung open. Greeting the eyes of the prisoners was quite a vision: six gangsters with blood in their eyes. "Ha!" one barked, "I guess these ones won't escape while we eat. It looks like they're here to stay." A variety of grunts and laughs followed as the murderous gang proceeded to crowd around a table.

But Reb Zalman, having been sent to perform a mitzva by his Rebbe, was undaunted by their threats. "Listen to me," he cried. "I have been sent by a very holy man, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, a saint who knows many secret things, and you will never get away with your evil plans, for his merit protects me. My master warned me not to spend the night in a house whose door faces east. Your fellow thief can attest that as soon as I realized that the door of this house faces to the east I tried to flee, but he prevented me from leaving. And now, I warn you, if you don't allow us to depart in peace, my holy master will avenge our blood and you will live to regret your deed!"

The gang members burst out in raucous guffaws...all except one -- the owner of the house whose countenance seemed to change as soon as he heard those words pronounced.

At nightfall, Reb Zalman and his companion were again closed behind the heavily barred door and, imprisoned in the darkness, they recited Psalms with much weeping and pleading for Divine mercy. At the crack of dawn they heard furtive footsteps approaching from the other side of the door. When the door opened they saw the owner of the house standing before them, his fingers to his lips, warning them to be quiet, motioning to them to follow him.

When they stepped into the main room, the man said in a low voice, "Hurry, I will help you escape." He led them to their wagon and as they were readying the horses for the escape he whispered, "I saved you because of your Rebbe. Take these fifty rubles to give to the holy man."

They urged on the horses and sped toward Liadi. When they arrived, the Rebbe said to them: "I didn't sleep the entire night on your behalf." He then took the fifty ruble note and stuck it into a crack in the wall, and there it remained. Years later an elderly man arrived in Liadi and requested to see the Rebbe. The Rebbe refused to admit the man, but removed the fifty ruble note from the crack in the wall and ordered that it be given to him.