STORY OF CHANNAH:
12 And it came to pass, as she prayed long before the
LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.
QUALITY OF THOSE THAT STUDY TORAH FOR ITS OWN
SAKE: pious
PROVERBS: Chapter 12
TZADIKKIM: Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuz (18th of Kislev) and Rebbe Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritch
(19th of Kislev)
Week 12 is
the week of Yud-Tes Kislev. The verse from the story
of Channah is about her increased/extensive prayer, and of how Eli,
the Kohen Gadol watched (lit. guarded) her mouth. The story behind of Yud-Tes
Kislev begins with a heavenly decree against the Alter Rebbe for revealing
the secrets of Chassidut, which manifested itself in his physical
imprisonment for 53 days, due to bogus charges of treason against the Czar.
During those days, the Alter Rebbe was visited by the Baal Shem Tov and the
Maggid of Mezritch (whose yahrzeit is on Yud-Tes Kislev), and
the Alter Rebbe was told that not only was he absolved of the heavenly decree,
but that he should increase his teaching and revealing of Chassidut. With
the approval now from his masters, who “watched” the Alter Rebbe’s mouth, the
Rebbe’s approach to teaching Chassidut became much more expansive.
Chassidim refer to the difference in approaches as “before Petersburg” and
“after Petersburg,” the place of his imprisonment.
The Pirkei
Avot adjective associated to this week is that Torah makes him fit to
be “pious,” in Hebrew, Chassid. Yud-Tes Kislev is known as the Rosh
Hashanah of Chassidut. Channah’s behavior in the above story is extremely
pious.
Chapter 12
of the Book of Proverbs continues to contrast the actions of the righteous and
the wicked. The qualities of being righteous (Tzadik, last week’s) and being
pious (Chassid) are quite similar. The main difference is that the Chassid goes
above the letter of the law in order to please the Creator. There are more than
a few examples of qualities associated with a Chassid in Chapter 12:
2. A good
man will obtain favor of the Lord, but a man of evil devices will condemn.(...)
10. A
righteous man has regard for the desire of his beast, but the mercy of the
wicked is cruel.(...)
26. The
righteous is more generous than his neighbor, and the way of the wicked will
lead them astray. (...)
28. In the
road of charity is life, and [on] the way of its path there is no death.
As mentioned
in the past weeks, the contrast between the righteous and the wicked is one of
the main themes of Chanukah. The above verses also draw a contrast between
the Alter Rebbe and those that slandered him and caused his
imprisonment.
As mentioned
previously, Yud-Tes Kislev is the day of the liberation of the Alter
Rebbe, and is called the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidut. This week
contains two yahrzeits very much associated with the Chassidic
movement in general, and with the Alter Rebbe in particular.
The 18th of Kislev is
the yahrzeit of Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuz, the grandson of the Baal
Shem Tov. He was also a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch, and one of the most
prominent rebbes in the times of the Alter Rebbe. In fact, when the Alter Rebbe
was freed on Yud-Tes Kislev, he wrote to Rabbi Baruch describing the great
miracles that occurred at the time.[1] The Alter
Rebbe was also once challenged by Rabbi Baruch, to whom he is said to have
replied, "You may be his grandson in a physical sense; I am his grandson
in a spiritual sense."[2]
As also
mentioned above, Yud-Tes Kislev is the yahrzeit of the
Maggid of Mezritch himself. The Maggid also is quoted as saying: "Rebbe
Zalmanyu [the Alter Rebbe] has the feelings of a son. I was like a son to my
Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov, and he is like my son."[3]
The Maggid
of Mezritch was the successor of the Baal Shem Tov. It goes without saying that
he was a tremendous genius and authority in both the hidden as well as the
revealed aspects of the Torah. His disciples (other than the Alter Rebbe and
Rebbe Baruch of Medzhibuz) became the leaders of the Chassidic movement, such
as Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk and his brother, Rav Zusia of Anipoli, Rebbe
Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk; Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, Rebbe Aharon of
Karlin, Rebbe Shmuel Shmelke of Nikolsburg and his brother, Rebbe Pinchas Horowitz
of Frankfurt, and many others.[4]
The
following account also illustrates just how great the Maggid’s role was in the
Alter Rebbe’s redemption:
When the Maggid was on his deathbed, 18 Kislev 1772, the
Maggid's son, Rebbe Avraham the Malach, was by his side, along with Rebbe
Yehuda Leib HaCohen and Rebbe Schneur Zalman...
...He then turned to Rebbe Schneur Zalman.
"Zalmanyu," he said, "give me your hand. You will remain alone,
you are for yourself - you have your own way. You will need a lot of help from
Heaven. I will yearn for you very much, and G-d willing, I will save you from
all your troubles."
According to
the Chabad tradition, he also said to him before his passing: "This day is
our Yom Tov (festival)."
Other yahrzeits this
week include those of Rabbi Baruch son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager of
Vizhnitz (the “Imrei Boruch,” 20th of Kislev) and Rabbi
Yochanan Twersky (the 5th Rebbe of Rachmastrivka, 20th of Kislev),
and sometimes Rabbi Yochanan Perlow son of Rabbi Yisrael of Stolin-Lutzk (21st of Kislev).
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