Every Jew's Obligation

He’aros and Pilpulim Every Jew’s Obligation CHESHVAN 5779 16 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER מוקדש לחיזוק ההתקשרות לכ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו נדפס ע"י הרה"ת ר' מרדכי וזוגתו מרת חי' מושקא ומשפחתם שיחיו גראסבוים סטאני ברוק, ניו יארק RASKIN FAMILY ARCHIVES CHESHVAN 5779 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 17 What’s the point? One of the most enduring characters in Chassidic literature is that of the fantastically egotistical Torah scholar from the early time-period of Chassidus: geonim who imagined themselves greater than Moshe Rabbeinu (and found themselves questioning Hashem’s judgement as a result)1; hermits who could not comprehend why Eliyahu Hanavi would not appear to them2; and Talmudists who sincerely thought of Rashi as an inferior caliber scholar to themselves.3 Their self-worth was measured by their achievements and innovations in Torah-study, ONE OF and as much as they studied, a true appreciation for Elokus and avodas THE MOST Hashem was nonexistent. Perhaps For generations, many Chassidim CRITICAL ENDEAVORS IN THE scorned the notion of focussing on one’s own innovations in Torah, DEVELOPMENT OF ONESELF AS A viewing it as synonymous with leaving Elokus out of the picture, a relic of CHOSSID IS TO FOSTER IN ONESELF these self-absorbed scholars. This attitude is alive and true CHASSIDISHE HANACHOS, A today, in one form or the other. Many view chiddushim as the purview of CHASSIDISHE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. the elite, of those who “know how to learn,” of roshei yeshivos and rabbonim As we grow into adults, we develop a fundamental perspective on life from (and overconfident youngsters). Why a variety of influences—parents, friends, teachers, books, experiences—and waste time and energy on developing this determines our approach to everything we do, whether consciously or mediocre ideas that might not even subconsciously. be true when there are so many real Naturally, not all of one’s viewpoints can trace their origins to Yiddishkeit, things to learn? Isn’t that an exercise of and altering them to become more in line with those of Torah is one of the most empty vanity? מוח שליט על.difficult, but still worthwhile, accomplishments that one can do the mind governs the heart, and when our head is in the right place, our The Motivational Factor ,הלב emotions and actions follow. The Rebbe’s attitude was different. Throughout the nesius, the Rebbe educated us, shifting our perspective on His primary argument was simple: matters large and small. This shows itself most prominently in extremes; in the people study more when they know (relative) ease with which a Lubavitcher asks someone to put on tefillin, in the that they have to come up with constant focus on Moshiach, and so on. There are so many areas where we can something. only wonder how life would be outside the Rebbe’s influence. “In earlier generations, the roshei But then there are areas where the Rebbe’s viewpoint is so revolutionary, so yeshivos world infuse their students different, that although we go through the motions and follow the instructions with energy and gusto in the study to the tee, it would almost seem that the Rebbe’s fundamental outlook has yet to of Torah,” the Rebbe said. “Today, seep through. unfortunately, the roshei yeshivos do not infuse their students with sufficient enthusiasm in Torah, which CHESHVAN 5779 18 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER is why other ways must be found to do so. FOR GENERATIONS, MANY CHASSIDIM “When a student knows that SCORNED THE NOTION OF FOCUSSING every once in a while he will need to ON ONE’S OWN INNOVATIONS IN deliver a chiddush in Torah in front of his colleagues, this gives him more TORAH. energy in his studies so that he won’t be caught in front of his friends not knowing the material... These chiddushim should then be written, and printed in a special kovetz, in order to publicize it everywhere. Thus, these chiddushim will not remain in the yeshiva, rather yagdil Torah v’yaadir.” 4 “When the students are infused with the notion that they should discuss Torah among themselves and come up with new ideas, that itself gives them more enthusiasm in their studies: the very fact that they are empowered, and told that ‘the time has come’ for them [to innovate in Torah] gives them more enthusiasm. This is true even though their ideas my creator 6 bittul Torah may not always be fully true... Even if . It’s not about finishing a it is considered ! “Even you will say that this is Torah-study certain amount of books or reaching if he has already innovated in Torah for an ulterior motive, shelo lishma; a certain level of knowledge; it’s not today—three times!—he must increase zol zein shelo lishma, the main thing about what you accomplish—it’s about and innovate even more, for every is that they will live with Torah, and your obligation to serve Hashem by moment that there is an obligation to eventually they will arrive at the studying Torah. Just as one must serve study Torah, there is an obligation to 10 lishma.”5 Hashem with the hand by performing innovate in Torah.” mitzvos, one must serve Hashem with chiddushei As the Rebbe pointed out, this When one views the mind by studying Torah. Torah isn’t a theory: it has been proven true in this context, as a selfless The point of innovating in Torah whenever it’s been tried. extension of our service of Hashem is not to come up with the most rather than a self-centered ladder of Innovation as an Obligation brilliant idea, or to give oneself empty accomplishment, it becomes clear Beyond the practical accomplishments. It is simply an why the Rebbe urged every single considerations, there was also a extension of the obligation to study.7 person to do so, no matter the quality deeper, philosophical issue at play. As the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya, of their scholarship or brilliance of A bochur in a non-Chabad yeshiva “Every Jewish person has the ability to mind: Every single person has a part was once very despondent. He wasn’t innovate in both halacha and aggada, in Torah, and every person can be the intellectually gifted like his friends, in both nigleh and nistar—and he is talmid vosik whose innovations were and he was beginning to come to the obligated to do so.”8 This obligation included at Har Sinai. shattering realization that his life-long applies every single day, as the Zohar one Innovating in Chassidus] ,לאפשא לה בכל יום ויום“ :dream of becoming a gadol would states never come to fruition, no matter must] increase in the Torah every It seems that the first iteration of 9 he’aros how hard he tried. Broken-hearted, he single day. ” publishing in the Lubavitch Hatomim wrote to the Rebbe. If a person has the ability to world was in , a periodical The Rebbe replied with one line innovate in Torah, the Rebbe says, and published by the Frierdiker Rebbe instead he chooses to study subjects in in Poland, where people were אני נבראתי :that would change his life given the opportunity to ask and ,I was created to serve Torah that have already been revealed ,לשמש את קוני CHESHVAN 5779 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 19 questions in the he’aros weren’t “ON PAPER, THE EDITORS [OF solid enough to pass the test. HATOMIM] ARE OTHERS, BUT THE • Be Original! When the Rebbe WORK IS ALL HIS [I.E. THE REBBE]...” fielded questions on Rashi (see below), he would urge people answer questions in both nigleh and don’t understand [you cannot truly to think of original questions, Chassidus. For the first time, some of comprehend it]… Only through instead of simply copying the the most profound issues in Chassidus learning the maamar to the extent that type of questions the Rebbe were being discussed on paper in you have questions, that is how you had developed: why Rashi plain language. [The official editor of will arrive at the true understanding of cites the name of the author Hatomim was Reb Shmuel Zalmanov, the matter.”12 or why Rashi provides two and for many decades, the Rebbe’s explanations, etc. level of involvement was anyone’s How To: • Don’t get lost in technicalities. guess, although many suspected Over the years the Rebbe gave The Rebbe’s clearly preferred that he was very involved. Recently, practical guidance on how to write a question that was a “klotz an entire cache of letters from the he’aros and how to create a kovetz. kashe,” the common-sense Frierdiker Rebbe to the Rebbetzin was • Ensure that the he’aros follow question that people (and discovered, and in one he writes, “On the klalei halimud: The Rebbe often meforshim) don’t even paper, the editors [of Hatomim] are often spoke about the fact that, think of asking. He would others, but the work is all his [i.e. the unfortunately, yeshivos do urge people to focus on these Rebbe].”11] not study the “rules of study” types of questions instead of It would take many years before (Klolei Hashas printed at the technical pilpulim, and not to it would become popular on a end of Mesechta Brachos), get lost in the technicalities of broader level. Beyond the general where one finds practical the subject. uncomfortability that some had with guidance on how to approach • There were two phrases the chiddushim, they were particularly study, and thus the he’aros Rebbe would often use (with מ‘שפאלט א האר און :(perplexed with the notion of people sometimes don’t make sense.

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