CARRY ON! Rabbi Shlomo Cunin Los Angeles, CA
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לזכות הילד מצעירי השלוחים חייל בצבאות ה׳ מנחם מענדל הכהן שי׳ דערען לרגל יום הולדתו ח״י תמוז נדפס ע״י הוריו הרה״ת ר׳ אשר לייב הכהן וזוגתו מרת זישא שיחיו דערען CARRY ON! Rabbi Shlomo Cunin Los Angeles, CA TAMMUZ 5777 36 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER WORKING TOWARDS TRUE HISKASHRUS Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar Bal Harbor, FL HISVAADUS JEM 191830 CHASSIDIM via In connection with Gimmel Tammuz 2 TISHREI 5740, LEVI FREIDIN 2 TISHREI 5740, TAMMUZ 5777 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 37 WORKING The topics discussed by Toras exposed to other ideologies, they Hachassidus are vital for every person lose their enthusiasm for Torah and TOWARDS TRUE living today: mitzvos. HISKASHRUS In the past, Yidden had studied This is because their whole Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar various sefarim that discuss musar, connection to Yiddishkeit, while Bal Harbor, FL self-refinement, and topics that relate seemingly robust and healthy, was in to the ‘avodah’ part of Yiddishkeit. essence lying on a thin layer of ice; its SKATING ON THIN ICE Yet none of these sefarim dealt foundation was merely cultural—“My There are two ways in which a with the concept of the Aibershter father put on tefillin, so I do so too; Chassid is unique and stands out in his himself. None of them provide osiyos my grandfather davened, so I do environment: First is by learning and explaining the purpose of our entire as well…” With all of their pious following Toras Hachassidus, and the avodah, the focal point of all of our trappings, they were never able to second—hiskashrus to the Rebbe. The efforts. really connect. They may proclaim two are not necessarily independent Thus, there are often people that are “Hodu laHashem kiru vishmo,” but who of one another, as they are both fully observant and totally absorbed is this Hashem that I am talking to? necessary components. in a Yiddishe life, but as soon as they These questions were amplified leave their environment, or they are in our generation, when people ask JEM 201726 via 3 TISHREI 5742, LEVI FREIDIN 3 TISHREI 5742, TAMMUZ 5777 38 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER questions that are unanswerable; avodas Hashem. Instead of imagining So without the proper attitude, questions about the Holocaust, and Hashem in a scary sense, as One who such awareness can even feel other issues of faith. Without a proper will strike if you will transgress one oppressing, and then a person might perspective of the Aibershter, these of His laws, we receive an entirely even feel a greater urge to break out of questions could become validated, and new appreciation for Elokus, one that those constraints. can easily lead to a crisis of faith. allows us to develop ahavas Hashem, Yet, this awareness and mindfulness This is where Chassidus is (true) yiras Hashem, and perhaps is critical to a Yid in any generation, extremely relevant. It gives us the most importantly, it gives a person a and most certainly for one living with ability to tap into a concept that we foundation for kabbolas ol. all of the distractions that surround us cannot truly understand, but that This is an entirely new outlook; a today… can give us an intellectual base with dimensional move, both intellectually And therefore we have a Rebbe. which to deal with all of those issues. and emotionally. A person, a soul in a body, who is It explains you who the Aibershter is, perfect in this area. And his perfection FROM THOUGHT ahavas and how He relates to you and your TO ACTION is displayed with the biggest actions. Yisrael, relating to each person on his Understanding Chassidus gives us Upon learning Chassidus and own level; it evokes a message that you the ability to reach a step higher in our meditating on its lessons, the too, can achieve this goal, and you too, core values of a person are set can reach higher. straight. However, from idealism to In 5746, I brought a group of implementation is a very long journey. Yidden who were serving prison Our idealism may be wonderful, sentences to the Rebbe for a Shabbos. but it is of vital importance, that our During the farbrengen, the Rebbe gave knowledge be accompanied by a an explanation in maase merkavah, concept called moach shalit al halev; in a very profound sicha; and then the the intellectual world today, they call it Rebbe spoke to the prisoners. He told “mindfulness.” them about the avodah that they could Mindfulness does not mean accomplish while in a situation which meditation. Meditation is a means to the Gemara describes as “worse than allow an idea to infiltrate your entire death,” a situation that Torah doesn’t being. When we think Chassidus sanction at all. before davening or at ony other time, The Rebbe said that there are it is meditation; to allow its ideas to numerous levels of exile. The first affect our core. is the exile of the neshamah in the Mindfulness is the next step. body, all the way to the lowest form One of the most difficult things of exile—prison. But the Rebbe then for a person to do is to constantly said, that when a person is put into be mindful. To consistently think to an intense darkness, it is because that himself, is my conduct right or wrong; person has much stronger abilities what are the consequences going to than most people, and Hashem be, and so on. This is one of the most definitely gave him the strength to difficult things in the world, because overcome it. our nefesh habehamis is too much of an The Rebbe explained that same obstacle for us to constantly keep these idea; that if Hashem placed them in concepts in mind. this “exile within exile,” then they Therefore, notwithstanding all of surely have the abilities to overcome it our hisbonenus, and all of our learning and fulfill their mission through it. Chassidus, it is still impossible—in Then, during that same farbrengen, the words of Tanya, “lo yuchal lo”—to the Rebbe spoke another sicha, this remain constantly astute and aware of one to the rabbonim. the consequences of one’s actions. The Rebbe said that they cannot be satisfied by the fact that they TAMMUZ 5777 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 39 JEM 245340 via LEVI FREIDIN RABBI SHOLOM BER LIPSKAR AT DOLLARS, 25 IYAR 5750. once learned in yeshiva; they must connection that inspires and raises a I would pass the Rebbe and receive a constantly review their studies and person higher. dollar, my mood would go through ensure that they are always fresh in On a similar note, just being in a drastic change. I would leave the their minds. the Rebbe’s presence gave us the Rebbe’s presence literally on a high. The prisoners went out of their feeling that we were in the presence That’s what the Rebbe did to you… minds; here the Rebbe had uplifted of Elokus—this gave us immense IN TIMES LIKE NOW and encouraged the prisoners, while trepidation; upon leaving yechidus chastising the prominent rabbonim one’s mood would undergo a Someone I am close with once and telling them that they could do transformation. told the Rebbe that he feels that his better. The first time I entered the Rebbe’s hiskashrus is lacking. The Rebbe told In other words, at that farbrengen room after Gimmel Tammuz, I was him that if he wants to be mekushar, the Rebbe brought them to shocked by something, which I had he should learn the Rebbe’s sichos and understand and appreciate their never noticed before. When I used to maamarim. place in Yiddishkeit; if beforehand, enter the room for yechidus, the walk This person might have been their mindfulness of their sad state from the door to the Rebbe’s desk felt looking for a more fanciful proposal; would have lead them to depression, a mile long. It was only when I entered perhaps to say some l’chaim and now their mindfulness gave them after Gimmel Tammuz that I noticed become inspired, or some similar inspiration and encouragement. that physical smallness of the room. instant formula. The concept of a neshamah klolis Whenever I would go for dollars, That attitude was very distant is not merely a spiritual concept, the feeling during the wait would be from reality. Instant inspiration will intangible and unseen. It means a real one of intense nervousness. But once dissipate within a short time. To be TAMMUZ 5777 40 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER truly connected to the Rebbe, a much I once decided to do a poll: I walked amos of the Frierdiker Rebbe, and so longer process is needed. around 770 asking bochurim what on. Through studying the Rebbe’s was written in that day’s Tanya. Yadah The Rebbe often cited the letter of sichos and maamarim, one’s mind inish b’nafshei, we all know whether the Alter Rebbe, where he explains process becomes one with the Rebbe’s. we will have the ability to answer that tzaddikim live on after their Through imbibing the Rebbe’s talks, that question without being a tad passing, and have even more influence our brains begin to automatically embarrassed. in the world than before. think in the Rebbe’s fashion; that is To become mekushar to the Rebbe, Yet, the Rebbe still chose to spend true hiskashrus with the Rebbe. it is imperative that we apply ourselves countless hours at the Ohel. When I was a young yeshiva with true dedication to studying These were not perfunctory bochur, we used to learn maamarim the Rebbe’s Torah, and then—trust yahrtzeit visits; we saw a living, with our teacher, and when we me—when we do so, new doors of breathing connection.