The Tzaddik

One of the contributions of Chassidut to the corpus of Jewish thought and life is the institution of the Tzaddik. The word tzaddik literally means someone who is very righteous and pious. The Chassidic Tzaddik is a divine communal leader who is intended to be an intermediary between the Jewish people and HaShem.

Kabbalah states that special individuals are able to impact the higher realms with their mitzvot. These individuals can also use esoteric mystical knowledge (like permutations of the Aleph Bet and the different names of HaShem) to effect change in this world. The general picture of this special Kabbalist is an ascetic hermit who is barely connected to this world. Like the Talmudic story of R. Shimon bar Yochai (the author of the Zohar) who lived in a cave for years eating carob. (An occasional carob bar from a Health Food store is okay, but I can't imagine eating it for a week - never mind years!)

This special Kabbalist is also part of the identity of the Tzaddik. The Tzaddik is able to daven and do mitzvot more effectively than other Jews. But unlike the Kabbilistic hermit, the Tzaddik lives in the community and is available to the people. Chassidut encourages people to daven with a Tzaddik, because the Tzaddik can also help the tefillot of individuals. Their davening is connected to the Tzaddik and their prayers carried to higher realms with the Tzaddik's prayer. The Tanya (פרק ב) encourages people to daven with a Tzaddik for this same reason. Even though every LCR (Local Chassidic Rebbe) is not on the level of a true Tzaddik, the role of the Tzaddik is crucial to Chassidic thought.

Death of Sarah Imeinu

I have already posted about one of my favorite pieces by the Piaseczno Rebbe regarding Parshat Chayei Sarah and the concept of Yissurin. (That post was in the context of Yom HaShoah)

I don't know if this counts as cross-referencing or it is double-dipping, but you can read (or re-read) that post here.

Learning the Esh Kodesh in English

One of my faithful blog readers recently asked me, "Oh great Kabbalah u'Madda. What is the best way for me to learn the Esh Kodesh of the Piaseczno Rebbe in English?"

Here is my reply:

There are two books in English related to the Esh Kodesh: one is an English translation and the other analyzes the sefer.

The translation of the Esh Kodesh is called Sacred Fire: Torah from the Years of Fury 1939-1942 and is translated by J. Heschy Worch. The English is quite readable and there are no explanatory notes or comments. There are many powerful messages contained in the translated divrei Torah, but as you would expect it is difficult to appreciate the Rebbe's chiddushim without knowing the sources that he is quoting.

The analysis of the Esh Kodesh is called The Holy Fire: The Teachings of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto by Nechemia Polen. He translates and analyzes portions of the divrei Torah and arranges them into categories.

I have used both books when teaching and I would recommend owning both of them if you can afford it. Both of them are available from Amazon.

Also, I know that R. Moshe Weinberger of the Aish Kodesh shul on Long Island has given shiurim on the Esh Kodesh and they can be purchased online.

Kol Tuv,

Reb Yaakov

ps - You can support Kabbalah u'Madda and purchase these books via the Amazon link at the bottom of the page!

Photo Credit - http://www.flickr.com/people/29096601@N00

Avraham vs. Tevye

The first of Avraham's ten נסיונות (trials) is contained in the first pasuk in Parshat Lech L'cha. Avraham had to leave all the comforts of his home and break out for a new life in Eretz Israel. This might be a little similar to the experience of a religious Zionist making aliyah from suburban America. No more Trader Joe's. Goodbye Target and Netflix. HaShem wants me to live in Israel and I will give up these creature comforts for the sake of the Lord. I do believe that life in the 21st century CE is a little easier than life in the 21st century BCE. Also, I would not have a wisp of a chance of passing this נסיון of Avraham, while he aced that test with flying colors.

The Ishbitzer Rebbe explains that Avraham had to forgo his affluent life in Charan - Avraham needed to focus on the מידה of שמח בחלקו.

We usually explain שמח בחלקו as being content with what you have. According to the Ishbitzer, it was not enough for Avraham to appreciating the good things in life - he had to be happy with what he had. We know that according to Hilkhot Tzedakkah, if someone asks you for money to help pay for their chauffeur - you are obligated to give them tzedakkah. Should Avraham ask for tzedakkah in Eretz Israel to help him live a similar life that he had in Charan? The Ishbitzer Rebbe takes this idea one step further, what should Avraham ask from HaShem? What level of basic needs and פרנסה should Avraham daven for? This was Avraham's נסיון, not only did he need to be content with his new frugal lifestyle, he had to be happy and to thank HaShem for whatever material well being he had.

The Ishbitzer uses this explanation of Avraham's נסיון to explain the pasuk when Avraham returned from Mitzrayim.

Bereshit 13:2 "Abram was very rich (כבד מאד), with livestock, silver and gold"

R. Aryeh Kaplan brilliantly translates the phrase "כבד מאד" as, very rich. However, literally the phrase means, very heavy. The Ishbitzer states that Avraham was weighed down by all of his newfound wealth which completely contradicted his new outlook on life as a result of the first נסיון. After adjusting to a spartan lifestyle and to be genuinely happy and satisfied, Avraham felt that being wealthy was an actual burden.

One final note - the Ishbitzer's explanation of כבד מאד contradicts one of my favorite lines from Fiddle on the Roof. I will paraphrase Tevye who said, "If money is a curse, may HaShem smite me and may I never recover!"

Gedolei Yisrael - R. Tzadok HaKohen

R. Tzadok (1823-1900) was a prolific author and a profound thinker. A chassidic Rebbe who was a talmid of the Ishbitzer Rebbe, R. Tzadok grew up as a Litvak and was later convinced to "do teshuvah" and follow chasidut. (A good lesson for all of us, it is never too late to become a chasid!)

R. Tzadok authored many seforim on different subjects and he often discusses Kabbalah. His two works which are the most well known are, "Tzidkut HaTzadik" and "Pri Tzadik". Tzidkut HaTzadik is a discussion of improving your Avodat HaShem, but it is also a perush on Massechet Berachot. Pri Tzadik was actually written down by his students and is a discussion of the Parshah and the Moadim.

How (Not) to Learn Chassidut

Recently I was at another shiur given by my LCR (Local Chassidishe Rebbe) and he gave over a great story about the Yid HaKadosh and learning chassidut. The Yid HaKadosh is of R. Yaakov Yitzchak of Peshischa (1766-1813) and is one of the Chassidishe Rebbe's in the fourth generation after the Ba'al Shem Tov.

In the lifetime of the Yid HaKadosh seforim of Chassidut were being published and already there were over twenty different Chassidishe seforim that you could learn. The Yid HaKadosh was asked why do you need to learn Chassidut from a Rebbe when you can learn it from a sefer?

The Yid HaKadosh responded with the following mashal: If a person wanted to be a woodcutter, he could buy a book on how to chop wood. He could read about how to lift the axe over his head. And then he should use all his strength to bring the blade into the wood. There could also be all sorts of diagrams showing what angle he should swing the axe and what is the proper grip for him to use. But if he were to go and watch a person chop wood, he would hear the krecht krechtz (grunt) that is made as he swings the axe. He could read the book a hundred times and he wouldn't find that krecht krechtz mentioned anywhere. So too with learning Chassidut - you can read the words in a sefer, but you need to learn with a Rebbe to bring them to life.

As we approach Elul, try and find a Rebbe who can bring new life to the words of Torah.

A Chassidic Story

Some of you may have noticed that I have moved away from the mission of this blog: to propogate and educate the world in Kabbalah and Chassidut (with a modern twist). Well - I'm back. I will doff my Biblical trappings of the past few weeks and don a shtreiml and bekeshe. (Is there actually a correct spelling in English for bekeshe? Maybe it is a kind of onomatopoeia. The sound that is produced as you stroke your hand down a black silky coat - b'kesh.)

I have started attending a shiur given by my LCR - Local Chassidishe Rebbe, and I am going to attempt to share a story that he told us. Yet another Shameless Zionist Plug - other than Monsey Ir HaKodesh, I am not sure how many LCR's there are in America. Naturally here in Israel, they make themselves available to a spiritually needy public.

Like any good Chassidic story, the emphasis is the ambience and not the veracity of the details. Pull up a bowl of cholent and feast your eyes on a classic piece of Jewish lore.

It is said of Reb Simchah Bunam of Peshisca, that he was always the last person to enter a tisch or simchah. The reason for this is connected to Reb Simchah Bunam's cheshbon haNefesh - he was constantly striving to acheive the middah of aneivut (humility). He would stand outside the Shteibl or Beit Midrash and look at every Jew that was sitting inside. Reb Simchah would determine how is this Jew a better mentsch than me? In what way am I a worse Jew than that person? Only after he had compared himself to every Jew that was inside, then Reb Simchah Bunim himself would enter.

One leil Shabbat Reb Simchah Bunim stood outside his Shteibl and reviewed the crowd who had come to the tisch. He saw one Jew who had committed a terrible aveirah during the past week. Reb Simchah Bunim asked himself, "How can I possibly be lower than that Jew?" He stood swaying from side to side for over half an hour, trying to imagine some way that he could be lower than this particular Jew sitting inside. Finally, his face lit up as he found the solution to his problem. He told himself, "If I had committed that aveirah (chas v'sholom), I would never have showed up to my Rebbe's Tisch that same week!" And then R. Simchah Bunim went into the tisch with a spirit of aneivut.

Yom HaShoah – Too Many Yissurin

Yom HaShoah is coming and I wanted to mention a powerful idea by the Esh Kodesh. In Parshat Chaye Sarah (1940), the Esh Kodesh discusses the death of Sarah Imenu. He starts with Rashi’s comment that explains that the fact that Sarah’s death is recorded next to the Akeidah teaches us that Sarah died when she heard that Avraham was taking Yitzchak to Har HaMoriah.

The Esh Kodesh expands on this idea to teach us about the concept of Yissurin – difficult events. Chazal often talks about Yissurin shel Ahavah, that there are difficult events that come from a place of love in order to make us better people. However, the Esh Kodesh explains that there can also be too many Yissurin that can damage a person.

Yissurin can be compared to salt and food. Just as a small amount of salt enhances the flavor of food; so too, a small amount of Yissurin enhances a person. And just as too much salt ruins the flavor of food; so too, too many Yissurin can ruin a person. The Esh Kodesh concludes that if Sarah, who according to Chazal lived a life without sins, can die because of the overwhelming Yissurin that were connected with the Akeidah. Then certainly we can be damaged by too much suffering. For me, this is an appropriate message for Yom HaShoah.

Esh Kodesh - Happy Purim

I wanted to share a short yet powerful piece by the Esh Kodesh on Purim. As I mentioned in his Gedolei Israel post, you often get a feeling for the difficulty of living in the Ghetto from the drashot of the Esh Kodesh. His piece about Purim from 1940 discusses how to celebrate the simchah of Purim, when you are not experiencing any simchah in your life.

The Esh Kodesh starts with a quotation from the Tikkunei Zohar which states that Purim is like Yom Kippur (which is יום כפורים). He states that on Yom Kippur you must fast whether or not you want to, because that is HaShem’s command. So too on Purim, we are commanded to feel happy even if we feel like there is no simchah in our life. We must make an effort to enter a spark of simchah into our hearts.

He concludes that some say that the essence of the day of Yom Kippur grants atonement for our aveirot, even if we have done incomplete teshuvah. (Shitat Rebbe in Yoma 75a) So too, the simchah that we experience on Purim has the potential about redemption - even if we experience incomplete simchah.

Purim Sameach.

Gedolei Israel - The Piaseczno Rebbe

The Piaseczno Rebbe is R. Kalonymous Kalman Shapira (1889-1943) and he is the author of a number of seforim. His sefer, Esh Kodesh is a fundamental part of my life and religious growth.

The Esh Kodesh is a collection of clear and concise Shabbat derashot that were given in the Warsaw Ghetto from 1940-1942. It is a unique window into an Orthodox response to the Shoah. As each year passes the drashot reflect the situation in the Ghetto becoming more difficult. For example, in Parshat Ekev 1941 (page 113), the Esh Kodesh rebukes the community for being lax in their Torah study. People should at least be able to learn Chumash or to say Tehillim. However, there is a footnote in which he explains that by the year 1943 this rebuke no longer applies. The situation in the Ghetto has become so dire, that the Jews can only be expected to focus on survival. Some of the drashot are only focused on the Parshah, and some of them also reflect on life in the Ghetto.

In times of my life where I have been in extremely difficult circumstances, I have turned to the Esh Kodesh for chizzuk and support. His drashot validate the suffering and pain of the individual. He does not attempt to minimize suffering, and use the commonly heard expression, “HaShem only gives us what we can handle.” Rather he often states that because the situation appears to be so hopeless, the only possible salvation can come from HaShem. He is emunah in HaShem is strong and flexible enough to ask difficult questions that do not have good answers - because there are no answers to the horrors of the holocaust. Yet the Esh Kodesh shows us that it is possible to maintain your emunah during a difficult situation.

The Piaseczno Rebbe wrote another well known sefer called the Chovat HaTalmidim, which is a religious guide for teenagers. I will discuss this sefer in another post.

Tu B’Shvat Blossoms with R. Tzaddok

R. Tzaddok devotes an entire section of the Pri Tzaddik on Sefer Shemot to Tu B’Shvat. I would like to highlight two ideas that he discusses there. (Note - I recommend reading the entire first piece in this section, but it is not for the faint of heart.) The first idea discusses specifically the significance of fruit and the second idea discusses the general concept of eating.

HaShem created human beings in Bereshit Perek 2,.and they were commanded to eat as part of their utopian life. Furthermore, their food was specifically the fruit from trees.

2:16 - HaShem commanded Adam to eat from all of the trees of Gan Eden.

Even before the sin of the Etz HaDa’at, Adam and Chava were intended to eat food for physical sustenance. The purpose of eating was to enable them do HaShem’s mitzvot in this world.

The ultimate Kabbalistic goal of doing mitzvot, is to harmonize and unite all of the Olamot (worlds). When the Olamot are harmonized then the direct positive influence of HaShem can be experienced in our world. Unfortunately, the sin of the Etz HaDa’at permanently crippled this harmony. (Today one of our goals is to try and repair the damage of the sin of the Etz HaDa’at by doing mitzvot - to be explained in depth at another time.)

R. Tzaddok continues and explains that when people (he actually says it is for the Tzaddik, but aren’t we all really tzaddikim? Or at least we can try to be,) begin to do teshuvah in order to improve themselves, they should first master their physical desires. They begin by doing teshuvah on their eating habits.

(A quick aside about the teshuvah of eating. Rav Kook discusses in Orot HaTeshuvah Perek 1 that the first stage of doing teshuvah is physical teshuvah. You should be in good health, and that includes good eating habits, before you focus on improving other aspects of your life. Rambam includes the halakhot of proper eating in Hilkhot Deot, which is in the first section of the Mishneh Torah. These are two good examples that physical good health, including eating habits, is a prerequisite for doing teshuvah and doing Torah and Mitzvot.)

This type of teshuvah is not only for individuals, but it is also one of the hidden messages of Tu B’Shvat. Shvat is the beginning of a teshuvah cycle in the Jewish calendar. We begin to fix our eating habits in Shvat to prepare for the teshuvah of Nisan.

In Shvat, you improve your eating habits. In Adar, you are now ready to celebrate the physical redemption of Purim. And finally in Nisan, you are ready to begin the full redemption at Pesach. (At Purim Haman sought to physically destroy the Jewish people, and we physically (Purim seudah) commemorate his downfall. According to R. Yehoshua in the Gemara Rosh HaShanah, the ultimate redemption will be in Nisan.)

Tu B’Shvat begins a teshuvah cycle that culminates in Pesach. And the fact that Tu B’Shvat is the Rosh HaShanah for trees is connects us back to Gan Eden, which is the utopian existence that we are trying to regain.

Have a meaningful Tu B’Shvat.

(One final note - it is not a coincidence that Tu B’Shvat, Shushan Purim and Pesach are all on the fifteenth of the month!)

Photo Credits: Free photos for websites - FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Parshat BeShalach - Who is free and who is a slave?

One of my favorite divrei Torah of the Ishbitzer Rebbe from the Mei HaShiloach appears in Parshat BeShalach. The Parshah is discussing the journey that B’nei Israel takes from Mitzraim to the famed Yam Suf. The Torah states that HaShem did not want B’nei Israel to travel on the Plishtim road, which is the faster route to Eretz Israel. Instead they marched in a zigzag pattern making various stops along the way to Yam Suf. One of the cities that they camped near was called, “Pi HaCherut” which is translated as: The Entrance to Freedom. (Shemot 14:2)

In the next pasuk, Paroh realizes that he has allowed all of B’nei Israel to escape from Mitzraim and describes them as, “crazy in the desert.” He then girds his loins, and takes his army to chase after B’nei Israel which brings us to Kriat Yam Suf.

The Mei HaShiloach explains that this place was called Pi HaCherut because it was a city dedicated to hedonism. (Not unlike modern day Las Vegas. Although the phrase, “What happens in Pi HaCherut, stays in PiHaCherut,” doesn’t really flow.) The Mei HaShiloach continues and states that Paroh’s observation that B’nei Israel are, “crazy in the desert,” does not refer to their circuitous march. Rather this phrase refers to the contrast between the inhabitants of Pi HaCherut and B’nei Israel.

B’nei Israel have already begun the process of accepting the yoke of Torah and Mitzvot. They have already begun to limit their choices in life - for example, they will only eat kosher food, and they will not practice adultery. B’nei Israel are crazy when compared to the population of Pi HaCherut. Why would anyone willingly choose to deny themselves physical pleasure?

The Mei HaShiloach emphasizes that in reality Paroh’s observation is completely wrong. The former slaves, B’nei Israel, are now showing their true freedom because they can choose what actions to take in life. Whereas, the free inhabitants of Pi HaCherut are actually slaves to their own physical desires.

I first read this piece by the Mei HaShiloach over ten years ago, but this powerful message has stayed with me since. True freedom is not an expression of freedom of action; true freedom is an expression of choice. Similar to the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot:

איזהו גיבור? הכובש את יצרו.
Who are strong people? Those who can control their passions.

Shabbat Shalom

Photo Credits - www.stockphotography.com

Gedolei Yisrael - The Ishbitzer Rebbe

My son actually has a once a week class at his school called Gedolei Yisrael (I believe that the class is actually pronounced in an Israeli accent and not in Ashkenazus) where they learn about a different great Rabbi every week. So I thought I should do a Kabbalah u’Madda version - no rationalist non-mystics allowed. (Don’t worry I will go back and discuss the great rabbinic mystics that were mentioned in earlier posts. For example, Ramban, R. Tzaddok and others.)

The Ishbitzer Rebbe is R. Mordechai Leiner (1801-1854) and his sefer that he wrote is called the Mei HaShiloach (The Running Waters). Actually, his sefer was written by his talmidim and is based on divrei Torah that he gave either on Shabbat morning or at Seudat Shlishit.

(It is common amongst seforim “written” by Chassidic Rebbes, that they were actually written by their talmidim. The best example of Chassidic ghost-writing is R. Nachman of Breslav. R. Nachman only wrote Likkutei Maharan, and the other billions and billions (said in a Carl Sagan accent) of Breslover seforim were actually written by his talmidim - most notably R. Nosson.)

The Ishbitzer Rebbe was one of the main talmidim of the Kotzker Rebbe - R. Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. The Kotzker had a number of well known talmidim and he was known for his uncompromising approach to all aspects of life and his acerbic wit. The Kotzker is certainly worthy of his own post as a Gadol b’Yisrael (Israel?) and I will discuss him at a later date.

I would emphasize two aspects of the Ishbitzer Rebbe's divrei Torah:

• He often has very creative insights to the Parshah and Torah ideas.
  

• He will often justify the actions of the רשעים the wicked personalities in the Chumash. See his explanation of the stick gatherer (איש מקושש) in Bamidbar 15:32,
  

This second aspect often made his ideas controversial and not coincidentally R. Shlomo Carlebach z"l was a big fan of his sefer. The Mei HaShiloach is a two volume sefer, mainly on the Parsha but also contains some ideas on shas. His descendants would later create Radzhyner Chasidut.

It's All Greek To Me

Since it is now Chanukkah, I feel an obligation to discuss a Chassidic insight into the chag. I am discussing a piece that appears in the Pri Tzaddik, which is R. Tzaddok of Lublin’s (1823-1900) commentary on the Parshah and the Moadim. (For the remainder of Sefer Bereshit, most of my Chassidut entries will come from this sefer because it is one of the few Seforim that I have actually unpacked.) R. Tzaddok primarily focuses on explaining the connection between the Torah sh’Baal Peh and Chanukkah. He relies on the well known drashah that connects the light of the Channukkah candles to the light of the Torah.

The Lvush and others have pointed out that the Greeks did not want to physically destroy the Jewish people, but rather they wanted to spiritually eliminate Judaism. Thus, they sought to eliminate the study of the Torah from Judaism, because it is the spiritual source of Judaism. When the Hasmoneans defeated the Greeks, they also defended Judaism against Greek culture. The miracle of the light of the menorah is also the miracle of the victory of the Torah against Greek culture. All of this is the background for the chidush and insight of R. Tzaddok. (By the way, I am planning to make a separate post about why it is legitimate to discuss one idea disconnected from a long drasha. But a friend told me, “Oh yeah, I’ll look at your blog when you actually say something new.” I admit to being a little obsessed with introductions.)

R. Tzaddok states that Channukah also highlights the dichotomy between Greek philosophy and the Torah sh’Baal Peh. (zot leumat zot) In other words, the Oral Torah can be described as the act of interpreting the written Torah. Thus, when we learn Torah we are engaging in the following process: we use our God-given intellectual ability to legally and philosophically understand and apply the Torah to our world. (The legal application is controlled by the Rabbinic “we”.) Greek philosophy engages in the same process; however it is creating a legal and philosophical framework which is completely devoid of (and contradicts) the Torah. Thus, according to R. Tzaddok the holiday of Chanukkah and the mitzvah of lighting the menorah celebrates the intellectual victory of the Torah sh’Ba’al Peh over Greek philosophy. Finally, R. Tzaddok emphasizes that Channukah is the time of the year which renews our connection to the Torah sh’Baal Peh.

Channukah Sameach