There are so many different layers and aspects of a Tzadik like the Lubavitcher Rebbe, even just in the aspects of the Tzadik that we know about. So it’s hard to pinpoint just one aspect of the Rebbe to put into words in honor of his yahrtzeit. But here is one idea that brings out one angle of the Rebbe.
When Klal Yisrael traveled through the desert, they carried the Mishkan with them. When they rested from their travels, and were in a state of “Yachanu,” that is when the Mishkan was erected. It would seem that that was a time of Ha’aras Panim, when the Divine Presence was revealed. That’s when the Jewish people were able to serve Hashem through the Avodas HaMishkan and the Korbanos; “Kohanim b’avodasam, Leviim b’shiram u’v’zimram, Yisrael b’ma’amadam.” And then, when the Mishkan was disassembled, and traveled through the places of nachash saraf v’akrav (Devarim 8:15 – snakes and scorpions, and other dangers of desert travel), it was the opposite: the time of Hester Panim, the time of concealment.
This is why, when the Mishkan was on the move, Moshe Rabbeinu would daven “Kuma Hashem v’yafutzu oyvecha” (Come forward, Hashem, may Your enemies be scattered, etc). This was a time of danger and war! The Ishbitzer comments (Behaaloscha, Mei Hashiloach, Chelek Aleph) that when Klal Yisrael were traveling through the Midbar, they were at a place of Hester Panim and choshech and nachash saraf v’akrav. In such a situation, in such a matzav, one can only call out to Hashem.
Yet later in Mei HaShiloach (Behaaloscha, Chelek Beis), the Ishbitzer points out that the truth is, to a certain degree, the exact opposite. The Passuk describes the Mishkan settling in certain places as “Yamim Rabim.” The Ishbitzer quotes the Medrash that “Yamim Rabim” means Yemei Tzar, times of distress. This implies that it was specifically the moments of
traveling that were the times of Ha’aras Panim and the settled times were Hester Panim. This seems to be the opposite of what we outlined above.
Again, going into the Midbar is the inyan of entering a place of nachash saraf v’akrav. One needs a tremendous degree of confidence to go into such a place and maintain a mission-orientation, to remain purpose-minded and to think, mamish, “I’m going to the place of nachash saraf v’akrav to fulfill the purpose of creation of Dirah B’tachtoinim, to reveal Hashem in the lower, physical world, and I am a shaliach, a messenger of Hashem in that regard.” The externalities of such an environment is one of concealment of Hashem, a place that represents both physical and spiritual “nachash saraf v’akrav“.
Nevertheless, says the Ishbitzer, the nekudah shel HaShechinah, the Presence of Hashem, is specifically shining the brightest at that moment when Knesses Yisrael is embracing the confidence, the resolve and the mission-oriented focus of fulfilling Hashem’s shlichus in this world.
At first glance, when the Mishkan was erected – when Klal Yisroel was encamped – that was the time of ohr, clarity, and Ha’aras Panim. And when the Mishkan was traveling, it was a time of Hester Panim, the concealment of Hashem and the dangers of the situation of nachash saraf v’akrav. But that’s all in chitzonius, when only approaching the external layer of understanding!
But in a deeper place, in the nekudas oimek shebalev, it’s the exact opposite. When the essential nekudah of the Shechinah that’s
inside of every single Yid is not shining so brightly, that’s when the Ribono Shel Olam has no choice but to keep us in a pristine environment, which is when the Mishkan was erected. But it’s specifically when the nekudah shebalev is shining brightest and Klal Yisrael are strong enough to embrace that mission-oriented goal of Dirah B’tachtoinim, that the Ribono Shel Olam sends us to a place of nachash saraf v’akrav in order to conquer it b’kedusha. And so davka when you find yourself in that environment of nachash saraf v’akrav, is it a sign of a great revelation of Hashem and Ha’aras Panim that’s taking place in the oimek shebalev.
To me, to a certain degree, this is the inyan of what the Lubavitcher Rebbe zy”a did.
He embodied having this orientation of the mochin shel
Geulah, the uplifted ever yearning for something greater mindset, as opposed to having the mochin shel Galus, the mindset that is restricted by whatever situation the person finds themselves in. The mochin shel Galus sees the Mishkan being erected as ohr, and dismantled and traveling as choshech. That itself is a Galus orientation. But the mochin shel Geulah sees it in the exact opposite way.
When the Mishkan is erected, but there’s an entire world of chaos surrounding it and we’re not doing anything about it, the mochin shel Geulah sees that as the time of choshech. And the reason why we’re not able to do anything about it is because we ourselves are weak. But when there’s an illumination in the oimek shebalev, then you have the confidence and the resolve and the mission-oriented focus of going to conquer that choshech. And so, to a certain degree, one of the key aspects of the Rebbe is that he oriented us towards the mochin shel Geulah, which flips the script on what’s considered close and full of light and what’s considered far and full of darkness.
It’s known by Chassidim that the Rebbe said, “The farther you’re out, and the more places of Midbar that you’re going to illuminate, the closer you are to me.” He used to tell the Chassidim that they could come to him for Yom Tov, but even if they were right next to him it could be as if they are really very, very far. And the opposite is true as well – even if they were physically very far away, if they were helping other Yidden, he considered that to be very close to him.
That mochin shel Geulah shines brightest davka at a time when you’re being sent as a shliach of Hashem to go illuminate the Midbar, to travel with the Mishkan on your shoulders through the Midbar. To me, that is an unbelievable shift in orientation, and it’s mamish the mochin shel Geulah, and is a little bit of a taste of what the Lubavitcher Rebbe gave to us.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 41 Lubavitcher Rebbe Yahrtzeit Edition.
