Teshuvah: Please take me back to you
Everyone is asking, “So how do you do Teshuvah?”
There are two stories.
The first one is someone came to the Holy Rizhner (Yisroel Friedman (1797-1850) (Der Heyliger Rizhiner)) ((Yisroel Friedman of Ruzhyn (1797-1850) known as der heyliger rizhiner “the holy one from Ruzhin”, was the progenitor of several Hasidic dynasties known collectively by the name Ruzhin.
As the son of Rebbe Sholom Shachne of Prhobisht, Rabbi Yisroel Friedman was a direct descendant of Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritsh who was the main disciple of the Baal Shem Tov.
Only 6 years old when his father died, he was brought up by his older brother Rebbe Avrhom of Prhobisht. He showed outstanding qualities from childhood and at the age of 7 was engaged to Sarah, daughter of Rabbi Moshe of Berdychiv. At 13 Yisroel married and settled in Boto?ani, Moldavia. Three years later his brother Rebbe Avrohom died and young Yisroel succeeded him as leader of the chasidim. After first moving back to Prhobisht and then Skvyra, he finally settled in Ruzhyn, where he achieved the reputation of a great holy man and attracted thousands of followers.
Rabbi Yisroel of Ruzhin conducted his court regally, claiming descent from the Royal line of King David. He lived a life of apparent great luxury and surrounded himself with splendor, such as his carriage with silver handles drawn by four horses.
In 1838 he was accused of complicity in the death of two Jews accused of being informers and was imprisoned for two years by the Russian authorities.
On his release he moved to Kishinev, then to Ia?i and other places before finally settling in Sadigora, Bukovina (Carpathian Mountains) in 1842. There he re-established his court in all its glory. In 1847 his wife Sarah passed away and he remarried Malka, the widow of Rabbi Hersh of Rimanov. On the 3rd of Cheshvan 1851 the Rebbe of Rizhin departed this world and was buried in Sadigora.
His six sons all established Hasidic dynasties, which include Sadigura, Boyan, Chortkov, Husyatin and Bohush.)) and said, “Can you please teach me how to repent?” and he answered, “Listen, man, when you did your sinning you didn’t come to me to ask me how to do it. If you know how to sin. You also know how to repent.”
The other story is, someone came to the Mittler Rebbe (Dov Ber of Lubavitch (1773-1827)) ((DovBer of Lubavitch (Mittler Rebbe Yiddish, lit. “the Middle Rebbe” intermediate Rabbi, i.e. the middle one of the first three generations of the fathers of Chabad);the second Chabad Rebbe, son and successor of the Alter Rebbe, and uncle and father-in-law of the Tzemach Tzedek.
Dovber was renowned for the breadth and depth of his Chassidic teachings and his incredible love and concern for every Jew. He expounded the philosophy of his father and interpreted the meaning and implications of all its intricate phases in a most lucid manner.
His commentaries on his father’s original texts are filled with detailed discussions of the ideology and philosophical concepts of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, and by their volume, preciseness and clarity testify to the great mental stature of their author.
It is interesting that when news of the death of Rabbi Shneur Zalman reached St Petersburg, the War Minister called a special session of the Cabinet to send a message of condolence to the bereaved family.
The official address was brought to Rabbi Dovber at Krementchug by representatives of the Governors of Poltava, Tchernigow and Odessa, with an enquiry as to the best way in which Russia could repay the Lubavitcher Rebbe for the support and encouragement Rabbi Shneur Zalman had given the Czar during the Napoleonic war.
The son and successor of the first Chabad leader asked nothing for himself, but requested a benevolent attitude by the Russian Government towards the Jews, and the improvement of their economic position.
Asked for specific suggestions, he requested the cooperation of the government in settling numerous Jews on the land, a project which his father had taken up just before the Franco-Russian war broke out. In this way, the famous Jewish settlements of Kherson came into being.
Rabbi Dovber continued the work started by his illustrious father, following the path he had pioneered. In addition to further expounding the doctrines and philosophy of Chabad, he devoted himself to the communal and social activities initiated by his father. Intellectually he was exceptionally gifted and he was also a fluent and sparkling speaker.
Inevitably, the Napoleonic war had disastrously disrupted Jewish life. However, during the days of Rabbi Dovber, there was a revival of Chassidism, and there was a marked increase in the knowledge of it among young students.
The Rebbe had instructed that young men should study Chassidism for at least three hours daily, and in time every Chassidic community produced a growing number of youthful scholars. Later, many of these learned young men became teachers in different communities. This had a marked effect on the local Chassidim, since the study and knowledge of Chassidism promptly increased. The Mittler Rebbe endeavored to persuade the Jewish masses to leave the precarious occupations in which they were then engaged. He urged them to go and live in villages and settlements where they could learn to till the soil, or acquire skills and learn crafts which would provide them with an honest, steady income. This would eliminate the constant worry and insecurity that accompanied their existing occupations.
Rabbi Dovber was at all times interested in aiding the settlement in the Holy Land. In 5583 (1823) he was the first to establish a colony in Hebron, and he continued to support it financially. He personally acquired a synagogue there, which bears his name.
At the time of his father’s death Rabbi Dovber was in Krementchug in Little Russia, and from there he went to settle in Lubavitch in White Russia.
En route, Chassidim provided him with means to establish himself in his new home. Upon his arrival, however, he decided to distribute these funds to the needy and wrote to a relative about forming a committee of three to supervise the allocation. In this letter he referred to a “considerable” sum.
Years later this letter came into the hands of the recipient’s heir, an unscrupulous and vengeful enemy of Rabbi Dovber. He harbored an implacable hatred of the Rebbe for some personal family “slight.” With judicious doctoring the figures in the letter, “three or four thousand rubles” became “one hundred and three or four thousand.” Indeed a “considerable” sum. What could be its purpose? And how did he gather such a sum on so short a journey? Obviously he was planning a revolution!
The money was destined for the Turks who then ruled the Holy Land. The regular remittances to needy scholars there lent an air of credibility to the charges. Other weird accusations were made concerning the dimensions of the Rebbe’s synagogue being similar to those of the Jerusalem Temple, and that meant that he intended to be king of Israel!
The similarity to the charges leveled against Rabbi Shneur Zalman in 5558 (1798) is striking.
In the autumn of 5587 (1826) Rabbi Dovber was instructed to appear in Vitebsk, the provincial capital. This was done in a most respectful manner through high-ranking officers and the arrangements were made to suit the Rebbe.
Hundreds accompanied him from Lubavitch, and at every village the elders met him with the traditional bread and salt. The honor accorded him by Jew and gentile deeply impressed the officials.
Governor-General Chavanski, a harsh man who had little affection for Rabbi Dovber, conducted the investigation. Important dignitaries interceded on his behalf. He was treated courteously and later he was permitted to worship publicly and to lecture on Chassidism.
He was officially informed that he was completely exonerated of all suspicion and released on the tenth of the month of Kislev, a date which has since been a festival amongst Chassidim.
His death, a year later, on the 9th of Kislev, 5588 (1827), exactly fifty-four years after his birth, marked the end of an important chapter in the history of Chabad.
Rabbi Dovber had plumbed the depths of his father’s teachings, explored their implications and developed the doctrines in detail and depth. His father was the creative, original thinker, the founder of a movement. Rabbi Dovber achieved its consolidation and advanced Chabad’s manifold activities.)), who’s like a master of Teshuva and has written many books on Teshuva. “You have written so many books; please teach me how to do Teshuva.” So the Mittler answers, “To tell the truth, after all the books I’ve written, I still don’t know.” Even if you study all the books in the world about repentance, nobody can tell you how to do it, just you alone. The books are only like doors to open thoughts in our heads.
There is also a very famous Torah where the Rebbe Maharash (Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch (1834-1882) (Maharash), fourth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch) ((Fourth in succession to the leadership of Chabad was Rabbi Shmuel, son of the Tzemach Tzedek. Rabbi Shmuel continued to spread the teachings of Chabad among the Jewish people, and at the same time to engage in communal activities to improve the spiritual and material conditions of the Jewish masses within and beyond the ranks of the Chassidic movement.
In 5615 (1855), at the age of twenty-one, Rabbi Shmuel’s father requested him to participate actively in communal work. Together with a colleague, Rabbi Shmuel traveled to the Russian capital in order to take part in a conference called by the Russian Government to discuss the problems connected with the publication of textbooks with a German translation for use in the instruction of Jewish children.
This conference was under the chairmanship of one of the assistants of the Minister of the Interior. Despite his youth, Rabbi Shmuel voiced his opinion clearly and vigorously to the officials of the Czarist Government.
Between the years 5616 and 5626 (1856-1866) he traveled extensively throughout the country and abroad, in order to meet and influence important Jewish leaders. The friends that he made and the confidence he inspired at these meetings were to be of great assistance to Judaism in later years.
After the death of the saintly Tzemach Tzedek in the spring of 5626 (1866), Rabbi Shmuel was elected to succeed him as head of the Chabad Chassidim. His leadership, which lasted from 5626 to 5643 (1866-1882), coincided with one of the stormiest periods of anti-Semitism in Russian history, originating in the highest circles of the Czarist court in St Petersburg. Many princes were among the violent Jew-baiters who constantly schemed to cause trouble to the Jewish communities and to instigate pogroms.
Rabbi Shmuel, keenly aware of his great responsibility, was among the foremost fighters in the battle for the survival and defense of the Jews. He was the moving spirit in all actions taken to save the Jewish masses or defend them against the vicious attacks from Government circles.
In 5629 (1869) Rabbi Shmuel organized a permanent council of leaders of the St Petersburg Jewish community. The council’s task was to be well-informed in all matters concerning the Jewish people and to be on constant guard to defend their interests and rights. From 5630 to 5640 (1870-1880), Rabbi Shmuel again made many trips to various parts of the Russian Empire and abroad, with complete disregard for personal safety
During 5639 and 5640 (1879-1880) there was a considerable rise in anti-Semitism throughout Russia. In many cities and towns the enemies of the Jewish people incited the local populations to carry out pogroms against the Jewish communities. Rabbi Shmuel again traveled to St Petersburg to try to stop this new wave of persecution.
He had many personal friends and acquaintances among government officials, princes and nobles. They assured him that the anti-Semitic campaign would be stopped, but pogroms broke out again in 5640 (1880) in Kiev and Nieshin.
Rabbi Shmuel had just returned from a visit abroad in connection with the problems of the Jewish communities, when the sad news reached him. He at once set out for the Russian capital, and with the aid of Professor Bertenson, court physician to the Czar, he was able to obtain an immediate audience with the Minister of the Interior.
Filled with sorrow because of the desperate situation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe went so far as to reproach the Minister for not having kept his word to suppress the anti-Semitic outbreaks. He made it clear that continued failure to do so would create a very bad image of the Russian government among the highest circles in foreign countries.
In the course of his meeting with the Minister, Rabbi Shmuel mentioned that he had received letters from many personalities and bankers in other countries who had international influence. They all wanted to know what attitude they were to take, in view of the sad news concerning the plight of the Jews in Russia, and what they could do to protect the lives and property of the Jewish population in Russia.
The Minister asked: “What was your reply?”
“I have delayed my reply till I receive positive assurances in this matter from the Russian government,” answered Rabbi Shmuel.
“Rabbi of Lubavitch,” said the Minister, “do you dare to intimidate the Russian government with threats of the power of foreign capitalists? Are you threatening a revolution in this country?”
“Your Excellency does not have to interpret my words as an attempt at intimidation,” replied the Lubavitcher Rebbe. “Regard them, rather, as a serious fact to be reckoned with, for this concern is shared by capitalists and great men even of the non-Jewish world, who are shocked by such barbaric and inhuman outbreaks as have occurred here. As to the second question, it appears to me that it is the negligent and weak conduct of the Imperial Government in the past that could now bring about a revolution in this country.”
That very evening, on returning to his hotel, Rabbi Shmuel was informed by the government that he was under arrest. Two policemen stood guard at the entrance to his room for two days. On the third day, however, he was called before the Minister of the Interior and given a positive reply to his request.
This is but one example of the numerous occasions when Rabbi Shmuel turned to the Ministers and princes of Russia on behalf of the Jewish people, displaying complete disregard for any threats of punishment to himself.
Such was Rabbi Shmuel’s conduct in all his communal work. He was not deterred by the rich capitalists or the sophisticated Intellectuals of the “Haskalah” movement, who wanted to secularize the Jewish religion, nor was he intimidated even by the highest Government officials. He voiced his views clearly, forcefully and with dignity on every occasion that it was necessary to do so in the interests of the Jewish people and his outstanding leadership was reflected by the respect shown for his pronouncements and interventions. During this time the adherents to Chabad increased in number and like the leaders of Chabad since the inception of the movement he ministered to their individual needs and enquiries, strengthening their devotion to Torah in the especially difficult times in which they lived. He was the author of many volumes of Chassidic literature.
Rabbi Shmuel’s short but vital and purposeful period as leader of Chabad also heralded the next phase of its work, which is characterized by the campaign to spread the knowledge and study of Torah and the spirit of tradition and G-dliness among the Jews of the world.
This world-wide activity was spurred by the growing mass emigration of Russian Jews. While concentrating on Russia, including its outlying provinces of Georgia, Uzbekistan and Caucasia, Chabad activities spread to the land of Israel, Poland and the Baltic countries and, more recently, to the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, North Africa, South America, Africa and elsewhere.
It is noteworthy that these activities have been carried out with equal zeal and determination whether the Jews concerned have been of Oriental, Sephardic or Ashkenazi origin, once again emphasizing the all-embracing character of the Chabad movement as one belonging to the whole People of Israel.))says that you have to regret what you did wrong. He says “Imagine someone going swimming and then G-d forbid, he’s drowning. How much does he regret that he went swimming?” This is all very heavy, but here I just want to add that the Teshuva of today is a completely different Teshuva. There is one level of Teshuva which is from the tree of knowledge. This is also holy. I realize that I did wrong, and I don’t know how much I regret it, hopefully, and I decide to do good. But then imagine that I love someone very much and we become strangers. The question is not whether I did right or wrong. The question is not whether I did right or wrong. The question is much deeper; I miss him so much. And I’m just going back to him because I missed him. And imagine before I say hello to him, he asks, “Do you regret what you did? So there is a level of Teshuva that has to do with whether I did right or wrong. And promising G-d that I’ll do better and then there is a higher level of Teshuva. Mamash, I miss G-d so much, I miss Yiddishkeit. I miss the Torah so much. I miss being holy so much! Okay, the difference is very simple. If I do Teshuva because I did something wrong, then my whole approach is to make a list of all I did wrong, and then to make a list of how I can do better. It’s all very beautiful. But the Teshuva of coming home is that I miss it so much; I don’t make any excuses, I just come back.
How do I know if I am going to my own house or someone else’s? Very simple. If I knock at the door at somebody else’s at three in the morning, and I am dirty, filthy, drunk, disgusting, I have to make two million excuses why I’m late, why I’m even knocking at their door. My own house, I just open the door and I come back. I’m so glad I’m back. So the truth is, the highest Teshuva is “Hashiveinu Hashem Eilecho”. I say, “Ribono shel Olam”, please take me back to you.
I remember, there is a gevalt Torah. There is the Torah which is our Torah; and there is Toratecha, Torah that is G-d’s Torah. When we do Teshuva saying Hashiveinu Avinu leToratecha, its G-d’s Torah, Toratecha. My Torah says, l didn’t keep Shabbat, I ate salami on Yom Kippur and I didn’t put on first rate Tefillin. But when I say, “Ribono shel Olam, take me back to you”, this Torah is deeper than all the words. I’m just glad I’m back; I missed it so much.
And here I want to say the deepest Torah in the world. When Moshe Rabeinu went back to Mount Sinai, if you remember in the Aron in the Holy Ark, there are the Luchot with which Moshe came back and there are the broken Luchot. We were learning this summer what Moshe Rabeinu did. When he broke the tablets, the letters flew away and there were no more words. You know what Moshe Rabeinu did? He connected us to beyond words. We bless you to keep every word of your Torah. Let this connect you to G-d’s Torah.
Love, Shlomo
House of Love and Prayer, San Francisco, 5732
Transcribed by Donna Anderson Maimes
Edited by Chayim Aharon HaCohain
Reprinted from Holy Beggars’ Gazette
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