Why does it seem like Reb Shayele focused more on chessed than on Torah and Avodah, and why did he suddenly become so well-known in recent years?
In order to better understand the koach of Reb Shayele, and why so many people have seen yeshuos through this Tzadik, let’s explore another unique attribute of Reb Shayele. Reb Shaya was not the son, or even the primary student, of his Rebbe, the Lisker Rebbe. Rather, he was his gabbai.
The main role of a good talmid is to take the spiritual light of his Rebbe and package it in a more accessible way, converting a more abstract and exalted spiritual energy into a more tangible, grounded pathway in avodas Hashem.
When a talmid is successful in doing so, he really becomes bigger than his Rebbe in a certain way, because – although he is operating through the koach of his Rebbe – he is spreading the Rebbe’s ohr to make it more accessible to Yidden.
We find this by the ultimate talmid, Yehoshua Bin Nun. In the end, he was the one to take Klal Yisroel into Eretz Yisroel. He was the one who actually brought Klal Yisroel into an organized environment of avodas Hashem, even though Yehoshua was doing so through the koach of Moshe Rabbeinu. (We find a similar concept with the Navi Elisha, who was considered in a way to be greater than his teacher, Eliyahu Hanavi).
A talmid who nullifies himself to his Rebbe, and is there to just receive and spread the Rebbe’s light, can be zoche to tremendous things. Even more so, a gabbai who assists his Rebbe at all times with great dedication, is able to draw down the spiritual energy of the Rebbe to even lower places, and to more and more people.
In pnimius haTorah we find an ohr, a spiritual light, called “shin ayin nehorin,” which in a simple manner means a flash of light coming down from the highest and most abstract energy of “Kesser.” This light is the light of the talmidim. “Yehoshua” and “Elisha” both have the letters “shin” and “ayin” in their names – as does the name Yeshaya (R’ Shayele’s name).
This ability to draw an ohr down from the height of the spiritual level of Kesser to the world of gashmius (physicality), and to draw out and spread the ohr of a Rebbe to reach many more Yidden, is rooted in the middah of Yesod, which is the middah of “Hashpa’ah,” the ability to bring an existing ohr to flow to more places.
This is the reason that Reb Shayele, the gabbai, the ultimate talmid, held the key to being mashpia for Klal Yisroel such incredible shefa (abundance) of blessing, because that was all a gashmius manifestation of his Rebbe’s ohr. This is how he was able to perform so many mofsim (miracles) to help so many Yidden in need of salvation.
This is the reason that Reb Shayele, the gabbai, the ultimate talmid, held the key to being mashpia such incredible shefa for Klal Yisroel.
This explains why his light only started shining in recent years, because in these years , as we approach the arrival of Moshiach the main avodah is in middas haYesod. It is clear there is flow of hashpa’ah all over the world, as evidenced by the fact that the world is so interconnected, with information and ideas rapidly spreading all over the world in seconds.
The klipos are certainly taking advantage of this, with unprecedented accessibility to do aveiros and damage our body and soul at any moment in any place. When middos haYesod is hijacked by the klipos, impurity seeks to spread out and fill every place and fill our minds. Guarding our purity from these klipos (Shmiras haYesod) is therefore a crucial avodah for our generation.
But we also have a holy and beautiful manifestation of middas haYesod in our generation, where we see avodas Hashem and kedushah pouring forth ‘from the yesod,’ with avodas Hashem and kedushah flowing all over the world. We live in a generation where organizations like Artscroll have given an unprecedented number of Yidden access to learning Gemarah and so many seforim. We live in a generation when the light of pnimius haTorah is accessible to every Yid, like never before.
This is why it is specifically our generation that has been zoche to receive the light of Reb Shayele in such a strong way, giving us the chizuk and boost we need in the middah of Yesod, as we prepare to greet Moshiach.
AVODAH L’MAASEH:
We can go in the ways of Reb Shayele by trying to connect to this middah of bringing lofty concepts ‘down to earth.’ We shouldn’t think that something is too lofty of a madreigah (spiritual level) for us. With the right ‘packaging,’ every Yid has the ability to connect with the highest of concepts. Rather than telling ourselves that a certain style of learning or level in Yiddishkeit is not for us, we simply need to seek out the right way to absorb it, and find the right way to share it with those around us.
We can also learn from Reb Shayele to be a true talmid to our Rebbe, to be mevatel (nullify) ourselves to the Tzadik, and through that the Tzadik’s light will shine through us, change and elevate ourselves and the world around us.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 33 Red Shayele Yahrtzeit Edition.
