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The Volper Shabbat Times B”H Erev Shabbos Vayechi, 17th of Tevet, 5781; January 1st, 2021 777 closely to the drunk. Reb Yudel was a The Volper highly esteemed Torah scholar. He was a close student of the Vilna Gaon, and When the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Shneur merited a seat of honor in the study hall. Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidism) At first he thought his ears were deceiv- remained in Russia after Rabbi Men- ing him, but then his amazement contin- achem Mendel of Horodok/Vitebsk went ued to grow. He realized that drunkard to Israel, the Rebbe began to spread his was an outstanding scholar, conversant teachings over the vastness of Russia, in all aspects of the Torah. Reb Yudel sending rays of the light of Chasidic stood there and listened until the drunk- philosophy to every city and town. At ard let forth a snore and nearly fell first he had very few chasidim, and the asleep. Reb Yudel shook him by the chasidic movement was quite limited in Yechiel Offner, yoffner.com shoulder. "Tell me, dear brother," he said scope, but day by day its light was re- in his ear, "where did you get all this vealed and people came to Liozna to One day the Volper arrived in Liozna in from?" investigate for themselves. White Russia, where he went to the local The Volper cocked an eye at him, and Here is the story of one who became an study hall. The Alter Rebbe was there Yudel suddenly saw the mysterious spar- exceptional advocate of the Alter Rebbe: with his Chasidim and outstanding stu- kle in his eyes. It scared him a bit and he dents, and he was saying a deep Chasidic edged away. "Ah, ah... You want to He had shabby clothes and a persistent smell of vodka about him. He was tall discourse. The Volper sat in a corner, know where I got this from?" Reb and skinny, and had prominent cheek- and in a rare moment of seriousness and Yudel nodded his head silently. He was lucidity, he rested his head on his hands too shocked to utter a word. bones, but his most distinguished feature and listened closely to the Rebbe's teach- was the sparkle in his eyes. Very few "N-n-no!" whispered the drunk. "I can't people knew him. He was known as the ings. Nobody paid him any attention at tell you now. But if you want Torah such Volper; nobody knew his first name. all. as this, go to Liozna where you will find The few who did know him also knew When the Alter Rebbe had concluded, he peace for your soul." left the study hall and went home. The that the Volper was a prodigious Torah Reb Yudel reeled backward in dismay. Volper also left the study hall, backpack scholar who used to be a student of He knew very well who was in Liozna, the Maggid of Mezritch. He had shared a on his shoulders, to continue his wander- for he was one of the greatest opponents bench with the great Chasidic luminar- ings. Before leaving though, he hic- of Chasidism and its proponents. Yet the cupped loudly and proclaimed with a ies, such as Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Ber- drunkard's words entered his heart, and a peculiar smile, maybe one of pain or ditchev, Rabbi Zushe of Anipol and his fierce battle was waged therein. "If this brother Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, longing, "Ah, we all ate from one bowl, drunk knows so much, what does the and even with the youngest of the group, but he got all the gedichte (the thick por- Rebbe himself know?!" he wondered. A tion of the soup)." Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. Together few days passed until he resolved to they had absorbed Torah and Chasidic Word got around, until the Alter Rebbe travel to Liozna to hear Torah from the teachings from the great Maggid. was told what had been said. "That was Alter Rebbe. He knew he had a lot to The Volper however, had unique quali- the Volper," the Rebbe said. "If I knew learn. ties which set him apart from the others. he was here, I would have tried to get Continued on page 3 him to stay with us so that he wouldn't After the Maggid finished speaking, the wander anymore." other students would go over to the Volper to hear him repeat the Maggid's The Volper continued his wanderings. Shabbat Times teachings. When he spoke, everything Eventually he arrived in Vilna, a large Candle Lighting Motzei Shabbat was clear and his audience would be city full of Torah scholars. Nobody paid completely overcome. him any attention. He entered a hostel Jerusalem 21:4 7145 where he got a warm meal. Then he re- Tel Aviv 2144 7145 Nobody knew what led to the Volper's downfall. At some point, he began drink- moved a bottle of vodka from his worn Haifa 21:7 7144 satchel and poured himself a big glass. ing excessively. He even began to fre- Beer Sheva 2144 7144 quent bars. He did not speak about him- The scholarly drunkard settled down in New York 214: 7144 self. Wherever he went on his wander- his place and went to sleep by the warm ings, his mouth would spew forth pearls oven, while mumbling secrets of Torah. of Torah and wisdom, even the deepest He quoted from works of Kabala and Chabad of Israel Rabbi Joseph I. Aronov secrets of Torah. The more he drank, the concepts from the innermost teachings of Published by M.L.S. Kfar Chabad (03) 3731777 more the "secrets came out," the secrets Torah, and every so often he burst into Editor: Aharon Schmidt of Torah. People who did not understand drunken laughter. [email protected] him mocked him. Reb Yudel stood nearby and listened Please guard the sanctity of this publication We Don’t Belong In Exile a certain perspective, the G‑dly energy how Joseph tells his brothers that ultimate- contained within them is greater than that ly G‑d will take the Jews out of Egypt. This week’s Torah reading begins: manifest in situations where holiness is “And Jacob lived in the Land of Egypt.” openly revealed. Why is Joseph the one to communicate this The Baal HaTurim, one of the foremost message? Because his spiritual level trans- Torah commentaries, explains that Jacob Emulating Jacob’s Example cended the exile. Yes, he descended to spent his best years in the land of Egypt.” Egypt and was even enslaved there. But How can the G‑dliness within these enti- these external events did not change his To explain: Throughout his life, Jacob was ties be tapped? By emulating Jacob’s ex- inner makeup. Inside, he was a king and beset by problems and difficulties. In ample. Jacob saw no difference between because he was a king inside, ultimately, Egypt, he was able to live in wealth and life in Egypt and life in Eretz Yisrael. Cer- his external circumstances changed to re- prosperity and spend his final years shar- tainly, the externals were not the same. flect this inner core. ing his wisdom with his sons. These were Here he lived amid affluence and security, obviously the best years of his life. and there he struggled with perverse foes. This was the message Joseph communicat- In one place, the land was holy, and in the ed to his brethren: “You will live many Light Over Darkness other, it was corrupt. years in Egypt and you will ultimately be enslaved, but that will not define who you One might, however, ask: Why were the But internally, he saw no change. In both are. Egypt is a land of limitations and you best years of Jacob’s life spent in Egypt? places, his life was characterized by an possess a Divine potential that transcends Egypt is a depraved land, a place of spir- unchanging and uninterrupted commitment all limitations. Eventually, that potential itual darkness. Why was it that Jacob to Torah. Even in Egypt, this was the focus will surface and you will be redeemed.” found fulfillment there rather than in Eretz of his existence. Despite the decadence of Yisrael , our holy land? Couldn’t G‑d have Egyptian society, he and his descendants This is a message not only for the Jews of structured it otherwise? remained focused on the spiritual. Joseph’s generation, but also for the Jews of all time. A Jew does not belong in exile, The commentaries explain that this reflects Through these efforts, he was able to tap for he possesses a soul that is an actual part a motif suggested by the Zohar. On the the latent spiritual potential that is present of G‑d. As he realizes this potential and verse: “I saw an advantage to light over within Egypt, enabling the higher quality expresses it in his conduct, it surfaces and darkness,” the Zohar explains that it is of light to surface. And by doing so, he influences the external environment, caus- through darkness that it is possible to attain generated the potential for the exodus from ing redemption to be a tangible reality. the higher quality of light. Egypt, when his descendants would pro- ceed from exile to redemption. Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe; The existence of every entity in the world adapted from Keeping in Touch, Sichos in is maintained by G‑dly life-energy. Even A King Inside and Out English; From our Sages and Moshiach those objects which appear to be spiritually Now! reprinted from LchaimWeekly.org - empty possess G‑dly sparks.
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