Who Will Make the First Move in Bringing the Geulah?

This is how the Shpoler Zaide used to daven for the Geula and the Rizhiner's amazing addition to the Zeide's point. Their statements here are something only someone on their level can say...

The Shpoler Zaide used to daven and plead before Hashem in the following way: "Master of the World! Just so that you can win a little argument you are having with the Jewish people, we have to tolerate the yoke of such a long exile!?!? You have a disagreement with the Jewish people. They say, 'Return us to you Hashem, and we will return!', הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ יְהוָה אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה. Eicha 5:21. And you say, 'Return to me, and I will return to you!', "שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי וְאָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם." Malachi 3:7. For this You are delaying the redemption and waiting until the Jews do teshuva?! Therefore, I swear to you in my holy name that the Jewish people will not do teshuva before the redemption!"

The Rizhiner would add this: "I say the same thing, but I promise that it will come to pass in a clear way. When Moshiach comes, we will definitely do teshuva. But the Jewish people have a valid claim; We say in davening, "And because (מפני) of our sins we have been exiled from our land." "מפני," "because" can also mean "before." Meaning: Even before we had sined, it was already decreed that we would be exiled. Because at the Covenant between the parts, the Bris Bein Habesarim, (at the time of Avraham Avinu) the four exiles were already decreed against us. And just as you, Hashem, decreed exile on us before we sined, so too you must redeem us before we do teshuva!"

-Taken from the Sefer Sipurei Chassidim by Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin

-Dixie Yid

(Picture of the Rizhiner's Kever courtesy of A Simple Jew)

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When a Tzadik Says "No," Does He Mean "No"?

This posting can also be found at Mystical Paths, where I'll be making some guest posts for the next couple of weeks, while R' Akiva and R' Nati work on perfecting their new podcasts. Well worth the listen!

I saw a very interesting and somewhat troubling ma'aseh in Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin's sefer, "Sipurei Chassidim," on parshas Matos, relating to the seriousness of oaths.

There was a Chassid of the Shpoler Zaide who was unable to have children. He tried appealing to his holy rebbe many times to intercede with Hashem so that he and his wife could have a child. Every time, the Shpoler Zaide would push him off and find some reason not to accede to his request. On one occassion, the Chassid was at his wits end and made the decision that come-what-may, he was going to go over to his rebbe and was not going to leave him alone until the Tzadik would decree that he would be saved from his tzaros.

When he got there, the Shpoler Zaide was immersed in his thoughts and was involved with the higher worlds. He asked the Chassid to please leave him alone right then, because he was involved in matters involving the whole Jewish people and the time was not right for being involved with the problems of the individual. The Chassid felt like this was the perfect time of Hashem's willingness, so he continued to pester his Rebbe to give him a child without letting up. The Shpoler Zaide begged him to stop, because he was unable to concentrate with all of the commotion the Chassid was making. Eventually, the Tzadik could not longer take it, and he yelled at the Chassid, "I swear to you that you will never have children!"

The Chassid was extremely shaken and frightened by the rebbe's words and he said, "If so, I see that my root soul has no place here," he said "Shalom," to the tzadik and left.

After some time, he found himself in Koritz on business. After davening one morning there, he saw Rav Pinchas of Koritz, before the time when R' Pinchas was known as a tzadik. He was a sharp minded though and he could see that there was something very special about this Jew, even though no one else showed him any special deference. It was a few days before Pesach and after watching R' Pinchas daven, he was sure that this man was a very special tzadik, so he came up with a plan to see if R' Pinchas could help relieve him of his childless state. He went to R' Pinchas' house and asked his wife what they had for Pesach. She said that they were very poor, and unfortunately they had absolutely nothing. Therefore, he told her that he would provide them with everything they needed for Pesach and asked that he be their guest over Yuntif. She agreed.

The whole erev Pesach, he supplied them with a new table, chairs, all of the money she would need to buy Matzos, wine, fish, and meat for the Yomim Tovim and Sedorim. The whole day he went back to their house many times to check and see what they were still lacking and he supplied it in generous supply. Reb Pinchas knew nothing of this because he was immersed in his learning and avoda all day. He was actually suprised that his wife had not called him home to provide for the needs of the seder, since he knew they had nothing. He was happy, however, that he was able to devote all of his attention to the avoda of the day.

When he got home that night for the seder, he was astonished to find everything provided for in such a way. He asked his wife who was responsible for all of that and she introduced him to the Chassid. He greeted the guest but asked him nothing else. After the first two kosos of the Seder, he asked the Chassid, "What brings you here and what is your request?" He told R' Pinchas everything that had happened and the story with the Shpoler Zaide and the oath. He asked Rav Pinchas to find a way around the Shpoler Zaide's oath in order that he have health living children. R' Pinchas answered, "If I have some merit in shamayim, I swear to you that this year, your wife will have a son." And that is exactly what happened.

When Rav Yisroel of Ruzhin told this story, he added that there was a big dispute in Shamayim. Whose oath should give way to whose? The oaths of both Tzadikim are mutually exclusive. It was eventually decided that whichever Tzadik had never made an oath in his entire life, even a true one, would have his oath fulfilled. Since R' Pinchas Koritzer had made no oath his entire life, the Shpoler Zaide's oath had to make way for R' PInchas Koritzer's oath. However, such a thing does not happen without consequences, and that son that was borne of R' Pinchas' oath turned out to be a Rasha and a Moser.

Ad kan is the story. I have many questions that I want to leave you with. Why did the Shpoler Zaide push off the Chassid's request so many times before that fatefull day of the oath? I heard another story which is very similar about the Baal Shem Tov where he was hesitant to give a bracha for a child because of the avreiros that child would do. If that was the case here too, then perhaps the Shpoler Zaide had very good reason not to want this man to have a child... Relatedly, what is the dividing line between when you insist on help from a Tzadik despite his efforts to push you off, because those obstacles are merely a test, and when should a person listen to the Tzadik to stop trying? Please ponder!

-Dixie Yid

P.S. The picture is "Old Jew from Jaffa," courtesy of gwu.edu.

Chochma vs. Bina - Practical Manifestations - Part 5

Please read the introduction first. Highly Recommended.

Rebbe Nachman and the Shpoler Zaide:

I spoke on Purim night (5765-2005) at length about the idea of the holy Rebbe the Shpoler Zaide, zy"a. I said that fools say that he opposed Rebbe Nachman, and I repeatedly said that one who says that today is a fool. The Shpoler Zaide, zy"a, was the holiest of the holy, and never truthfully opposed Rebbe Nachman. (Perhaps his [R' Morgenstern's] intention is that even at the time, there were hidden, secret reasons why, as it were, there was an aspect of dispute superficially. However, today, it is impossible that there should even be an external understanding of the secrets that existed at that time, and therefore, one who, today, mentions the disputes of that time, is simply a fool)

I concluded [on that occasion on Purim] that when Moshiach comes, it will be revealed that the wedding ring of the redemption will be made from the apparent dispute between the Shpoler Zaide and Rebbe Nachman. As Rebbe Nachman said, in the future there will be much laughter from this matter. Meaning: It will be revealed that it [the apparent dispute between the Shpoler Zaide and Rebbe Nachman] will be was an aspect of the frolicking/fighting between the Shor Habor and the Levyoson, who fight together.

The interpretation of this is that it hints at this according to the explanation of the Kozhnitzer Magid, zy"a, regarding the pasuk "וזדים טבעת," (from Shiras Hayam- "You will sink the intentional sinners") that the Holy One will turn the intentional sins (zadonos) of the Children of Israel into merits and adornments (from the word טבעת/ring, which is spelled the same as "taba'ata.") Similarly, one can explain "v'zaidim taba'ata" that the wedding ring [of the redemption] will be made from this idea of the Shpoler Zaide's ["וזדים" hinting at the name "Zaide"] [apparent dispute with Rebbe Nachman].

On another occassion, he explained the idea of the fight between the Shor Habor and the Levyoson at length, and how it was an aspect of unifications "דבטישו" [help on this word would be appreciated] which will exist before the redemption between Moshiach ben Dovid, who is the aspect of Shor Habor and Moshiach ben Yosef, who is the aspect of the Levyoson

It is known that the Zaide, zy"a, was a direct male descendant of the Maharal from Prague, and the BeSh"T, zy"a, brought down his (the Maharal's) neshoma into this world (as is known according to the well known story). He [the BeSh"T] was his [the Shpoler Zaide's] Sandak, and he gave him the name of the Maharal from Prague, since the Maharal was the aspect of Moshiach ben Dovid in his generation, as is hinted to from the words of Rav Chaim Vital, zy"a. And even the Maharal, himself, hinted to this in one of his seforim (See, Shearis Noson page 398), and Rebbe Nachman was, at the beginning of his avoda as Moshiach ben Yosef, as I've written elsewhere.

Click here for part 6, Rav Chaim Brisker and the Chazon Ish

-Dixie Yid

A Shpoler Zaide ma'aseh and the deeper meanings of minhagim

I saw the following ma'aseh in Sipurei Chassidim by Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin. It really struck me because shortly after I read it, I came home from the seder on the second night of Pesach and my 4 year old daughter did exaclty what was talked about in this ma'aseh with the Shpoler Zayde.

For time immemorial, there has been a minhag that Melamdim would teach the children a peirush to say on each part of the Hagada (Kadesh, Urchatz, etc) as they announced each section. For Kadesh, the children would say, "When the father comes home from Shul on the night of Pesach, he needs to make Kiddush right away so that they children don't fall asleep."

One time at the seder of the Shpoler Zaide, his son made that declaration at Kadeish, but left out the explanation, "so that the children won't fall asleep." His father asked him why he left out the last part. And he answered that his rebbe didn't teach that part. So the Shpoler Zeide taught his son that part.

Unfortunately for the melamed, he was one of the guests at the Shpoler Zaide's meal the following afternoon. The Zaide asked him why he doesn't teach that part, as it's always been taught. The melamed answered him that it didn't seem like such a good reason for making kiddush right away, because the din of making kiddush quickly after ariving back at home applies even when there are no children in the house. Therefore, he decided not to teach the children that explanation.

The Shpoler Zaide got very angry and rebuked the melamed for his arrogance at fooling with ancient minhagim, and for thinking that he was smarter than all of the other melamdim through the generations. There are much deeper meanings to this minhag than you have known about.

The rebbe then proceeded to explain the deeper meaning of why our forefathers instituted that introduction that the children say into the seder: In the Zohar on Parshas Emor (Page 95a) it states that Rebbi Chiya opened wit h the pasuk from Shir Hashirim 5:2 "אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה, וְלִבִּי עֵר," "I am sleeping but my heart is awake." The Jewish people say, "I am sleeping in my exile." The Shpoler Zaide continued that this Zohar teaches that while the Jewish people are in exile, they are in a state of sleep and a lack of tranquil thinking (histalkus hamochin) because galus brings with it all kinds of pressures, persecutions, poverties, and expulsions. Therefore, our fathers instituted that the children open up the seder and introduce it just like Rebbi Chiya's introduction in the Zohar. And the meaning is like this: When the children say "When father comes home from Shul," it means that when our Father in Shamayim returns after Maariv Pesach night from Shul back to Shamayim and he has just seen that even though every Jew is tired and worn from the pressures of life in galus, from work, and from the labor of preparing for Pesach, nevertheless, when they are in Shul they daven Ma'ariv, they say Halel with fiery enthusiasm, and they pour out their hearts before Hashem in tefillah, each one according to his level, then; "He needs to make kiddush right away," meaning: He must immediately renew his Kiddushin (marriage) with the Jewish people (like the pasuk in Hoshea 2:21, "וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי, לְעוֹלָם," I will betrothe you to Me..." This is "in order that the children not fall asleep," meaning: that he should redeem us from galus so that His children, the Jewish people, not fall asleep, G-d forbid, in the deep sleep of the exile and give up hope from ever being redeemed.

When the Shpoler Zayde finished this explanation, he cried out, "Abba, our Father in Heaven! Redeem us quickly from our exile! Just a little bit longer and it will no longer be, "I am asleep but my heart is awake," but we will completely fall asleep in this Galus, Chalila!"

I was really taken with this ma'aseh when I read it, so later on when my 4 year old ran over to me as I walked into the house for the second seder and said, "Daddy, take off your coat and make kiddish, so the children don't fall asleep!" I was so impressed. I guess they really do still teach that traditional explanation of Kadeish for the children to say at the Seder!

-Dixie Yid

The Shpoler Zayde

Of course, the Shpoler Zaide is most known for the famous "Hop Cossack!" story, where he outdancing the cossack while wearing the bear skin costume, which can be found here at Heichal Hanegina.

-Dixie Yid

If you think you have a bad environment at work...

I saw the following story in the sefer Sipurei Chassidim by Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin in the Shir Hashirim section on Pesach.

Shir Hashirim 2:2: "K'shoshana bain hachochim, kain rayasi bain habanos." "Like a rose among the thorns, so too is my beloved among the nations"

There was a ma'aseh with the Shpoler Zaide. One of his Chassidim had to make his living working in a tavern. He came to the rebbe for guidance.

"Every day I have see drunks and low-lifes behaving like animals and talking about the most disgusting things. I'm really worried that this will affect my mindset and will lower me to be more like them. What can I do?"

The Shpoler Zayde answered him: "It sounds to me like you think that if you had enough money to live on without having to work, and you had beautiful cloths, plenty to eat, and a beautiful clean Bais Medresh full of seforim to learn in, then you could really serve Hashem. But that you can't really be a kadosh, a tahor, and an eved Hashem in the environment you have to me in now.

Well let me tell you, Hashem already has tens upon tens of thousands of malachim serving him up in shamayim like that already. If He needed one more of those, you would have been created as a malach. Hashem put you in that place of tumah right now so that you would long to be close to Hashem, and look forward the whole day to those few holy words you can utter before your Creator. That longing and desire and purity and holiness of the mind that you can have in the midst of that tavern of yours is more precious to Hashem that the service of all of those malachim up in Shamayim.

The words of the Shpoler Zeide are more important for us now than ever, as we are surrounded at work and on the streets (and those of us who bring TV and internet into our homes; there too) with nivul peh, pritzus, and base conversations. May Hashem help us be mechazaik ourselves to hope and live for the moments of avodas Hashem that He grants us!

-Dixie Yid