“What is the difference between a ‘Rebbe’ and a ‘Tzadik’?” the guest asked those assembled at the Farbrengen in the Lubavitcher Shtibel in Samerkand.
Well, to be honest it didn’t look like much of a Shtibel… it was more of a makeshift room under the removable floor boards… but when the Oilom would gather each Shabbos to Daven and Farbreng the warmth of the Shtibel was certainly there.
“The difference” the elder Chossid in the room began, “you want to understand the difference? I’ll explain it to you by relaying a story”.
“For fifteen years Reb Nissen was waiting for his miracle.
For fifteen years every time he would travel to the Rebbe Maharash in Lubavitch, whether alone, or accompanied by his wife, he would plead with the Rebbe to Bentch them with a child.
But each time the Rebbe would ignore their request.
Reb Nissan and his wife were frantic, they knew that the only one with the “key” to help them was the Rebbe, and if the Rebbe was ignoring their pleas, He must know that the situation is bleak…
The situation looked hopeless, until one night.
It was “one of those” Farbrengens. The Oilom had been sitting for hours, the Lechaim having relaxed their minds, and the Nigunim opening up their hearts – bringing forth an outpouring of subliminal emotions, they didn’t know existed… the world around them and the ‘Tirdos Haparnossa’ they would have to contend with the next day, all vanishing from consciousness.
“Lechaim” cried Reb Shmuel the bookbinder to his colleague Reb Faitel Shklover.
“Lecha— Oy, we ran out of Mashke”.
“Nu? Who is going to go buy some Mashke?”
The question easier asked than answered… who would dare walk the dark Russian streets at 3:00am?
“Is there anyone who is willing to go out to buy Mashke”? The crowd wondered, hoping they can keep this ‘Gan Eden’ going for another few hours.
Here Reb Nissan saw his chance, “I’ll go”, he said, “but on one condition,
“We know the famous Kabbalah from the Alter Rebbe that what a ‘Chassidishe Farbrengen’ can achieve even Malach Michoel cannot achieve.
“The Brochos given with sincerity and love between Yidden reach the highest levels.
“I will gladly go out to find a bottle of ‘Mashke’ but on condition that you Bentch me that I have a healthy child”.
Reb Nissan persisted, and succeeded to prevail over their hesitations, and one by one the Chassidim ‘Bentched’ him to have a healthy child.
Sure enough, a short while later his wife reported the news they had been waiting for, for fifteen years!
Overcome with joy, he hitches his horse and wagon and rushes to tell the Rebbe this amazing news.
But rather than sharing in his joy, the Rebbe becomes extremely serious, puts his Holy head in his arms and sits like that for a while.
A few moments go by, until with a large smile the Rebbe wishes him “If so, may you have Bonei, Chaye, Umezonei Revichei”.
And the Rebbe explained to the relieved Chossid; When a person is born they receive three keys, one for children, a second for Parnossa, and the third one is for life.
When you came the first time, I saw, that for whatever reason, you only received two of these keys.
You are Boruch Hashem healthy, and you have a good Parnossa, both of these are important and I did not want to take any of them away from you.
When you told me the good news, I went to see which one the Beis Din Shel Maala took away, and truth be told I saw that they had switched the keys – given you Bonei but taken away a different one.
I began to argue your case to the Beis Din Shel Maala, saying that the Chasidim didn’t understand the implications of their Brocha, so it’s unfair to punish you because of their ignorance, and in the end they agreed to give you all three keys.
“This is the difference between a ‘Tzadik’ and a ‘Rebbe’” concluded the older Chossid.
“Often one has everything they need in potential, but there is a certain blockage which doesn’t allow it’s manifestation into this physical world,
A Tzadik is able to remove that blockage.
But to create a ‘Hashpoa’ that never existed before – that only a Rebbe can do.
***
When we Daven, we are not trying to bring into creation something that didn’t exist before. Not at all.
When we Daven we are trying to remove the obstacles which obscure the already existing reality, and thus manifest what already exists in the spiritual, into the physical.
In other words, though we are not Tzadikim, when we Daven, whether we are Davening for a physical lack that we would like filled, or whether we are trying to reach deeper levels of consciousness and connect to Ruchani, what we are really doing is removing some of the “most physical” elements in ourselves, or the world, and tap into the more refined “Ruchaniyusdike” elements.
***
It goes without saying, that the less material (‘Chumri’) our surrounding – the easier it will be to reach the spiritual.
That is why we Daven in a ‘Mokom Kodosh’.
A Shul and Beis Medrash are holy places, their walls seeped with Kedusha. The Oron Hakodesh so holy that it must be buried. And the Sifrei Torah…
Being fully surrounded by such holiness, one has already managed to rise one small ‘Tefech’ away from “absolute physical” to “Kedusha physical”.
Therefore, the words uttered in such an environment are able to reach higher [deeper] levels in spirituality, thus drawing into the “absolute physical” what may have been more difficult on one’s own.
Similarly, Davening in a Shul assists the ‘Davener’ to reach deeper levels of understanding in Elkus.
Because, being in a Shul, the Davener already began at a higher level.
So as we continue in this mini-series of focusing on Davening:
For these next two weeks, let us be extra vigilant to Daven in an actual Shul.
for these next two weeks let us be extra vigilant to Daven in an actual Shul.
***
Last time we discussed one of the physical preparations – Mikva.
Just to note; in addition to that and Tzedoka (which we discussed last year. See here). Other physical steps for preparing for Davening are:
- Washing ones hands
- Putting on a Gartel
- Ensuring that one is in a clean place, with clean smell.
- Wearing appropriate clothing.
- And ensuring that there are no distracting images.