Menachem Mendel Schneersohn

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As Knowledge Humbles Power 55 and the suffering it brought about came as a result of his work in spreading the Torah and strengthening Yiddishkeit throughout Russia as is well known from the history of those days. Accordingly, this suffering should have called forth great feelings of satisfaction and happiness. For through his Divine service, he had merited!^ mesirus nefeshd^ to the point of experiencing suffering (and the fear) of death for so many days. We see a similar concept with regard to Rabbi Akiva.i‘* s׳When he merited to die for the sanctification of G-d name and sacrificed his life while enduring tremendous suffering, he experienced great pleasure. As he said: "Throughout my entire life, I was aggrieved,2°... 'When "׳....will I have the opportunity hours which he spent in the apartment of the Misnaged than during the entire imprisonment. "Since he had already emerged victorious... the matters involving his holy body did not concern him at all; they did not affect him. He was together with the Maggid; he had heard the Baal Shem, we can understand that it would not have bothered the Rebbe to spend another three hours, or even another day [in such circumstances]." 17. As the Previous Rebbe related with regard to the Alter Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe was very happy that he had merited to be imprisoned and sacrifice himself for the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid (see Likkutei Sichos, Vol. I, p. 73). 18. Note the Previous Rebbe's sichah of Yud-Tes Kislev, 5687 (the year of his imprisonment) printed in Sefer HaToldos Admur Rayatz, Vol. Ill (Kehot, 5732), p. 55: Jews! Grab [the opportunity for] mesirus nefesh. Grab [the opportunity]! The time for mesirus nefesh is passing. Soon there will be a time of complete religious freedom and then people will seek mesirus nefesh, but they will not find the opportunity. Soon there will come a time when people will praise the level reached by a person who merited to sit [in prison] for being a teacher, for maintaining a cheder or a mikveh. You will be jealous of them and you will be sorry that you did not merit this. Jews! Grab [the opportunity for] mesirus nefesh. 19. Berachos 61b. meaning ,צער [has the root מצטער The Hebrew word Rabbi Akiva used] . 0 2 "pain." Pain is the opposite of pleasure (Tanya, Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 29; Siddur Im Dach, p. 157 a,b; the series of maamarim entitled Yom Tov Shel Rosh HaShanah 5666, p. 157; etal)..

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