Ep. 43: A Yud Aleph Nissan Farbrengen with Rabbi Shais Taub

So, it's not that the Rebbe has this incredible bakiyus and he's the answer man. You can ask him any question and he can pull out an answer. Not the point. Point is that anybody can ask the Rebbe, "Hey, this is what's going on in my life." And the Rebbe cares. And has insight. Like, that's the mind-blowing thing. This episode is brought to you by Machaneh Israel. As Yud Aleph Nissan comes and we prepare to write panim to the Rebbe, there's another integral component to a panim, which is called the maypanim. If you want to learn more about what this is, stay tuned later in the episode. I'm Yossi Chaim welcome to Among Chassidim by Their Hair, an ongoing fabrengen about life as a Chassid, our vibrant connection with the Rebbe, and inspired living shaped by the way he teaches us each and every day. Shalom aleichem, Rabbi Taub. How are you? I was waiting to hear those magic words. You're famous for it. Okay, here you got it. Okay, do you really We want to know how I am? Or the short version, yeah. >> Short version, okay. I'm thrilled to be here talking with you. I was wondering when my chance would come. Okay. So much that I've been holding back and I've been waiting for some pirsum rishon. Exactly. Okay, so Thank you so much and we're actually sitting in in your studio. >> Yes. Yes. So, thank you for hosting me. >> not my podcast, this is your podcast. >> Okay, excellent. I'm your guest. So, this is a special recording [sighs] in a special podcast that we're doing that's going to be released on Yud Aleph Nissan. So, that's when people are listening to this. Mhm. And Yud Aleph Nissan is obviously a day when every Chassid and everyone is looking to connect to the Rebbe. I think that's what we'll talk about. Okay. And I would like to begin. I know there's a You don't always talk about connecting to the Rebbe. What else do you talk about? Yeah, but you know, now we're actually addressing addressing it. How to do it, yeah. Um there's a special project that you have been involved in and working on and teaching, which is I think it's called 30 Letters 30 Days. 30 Letters in 30 Days, yeah. >> Which is about learning the Rebbe's Igros, which is obviously we're talking about the Rebbe, let's talk about >> Yeah. I think let's talk about that. Yeah. Okay. So, first of all, 30 days, there's a concept of shloshim yom lifnei hachag, right? The concept of 30 days before any yom tov, you start to prep for the yom tov. So, you don't just go in and expect everything's going to happen automatically, you have to put in your work. So, we came up with this concept a number of years ago to prepare properly for Yud Aleph Nissan. Now, when it comes to Yud Aleph Nissan, we know the Rebbe expressed pretty clearly what his wishes were as far as birthday gifts. Um gifts of Torah, Torah study. So, any any Torah is beautiful. You can learn a ma'amar, you can learn a mesechta. But, obviously learning the Rebbe's Torah itself has a special chashivus, special importance. And then I had a an agenda, which was specifically learning the Rebbe's Igros, because I felt that it was something that had been undervalued. People, of course, the whole world knows about the Rebbe's Torah. The world, I mean, think today, I'm saying today. Um because in the past maybe people knew more about other aspects of the Rebbe. Um the obvious Israel, shlichus, um even even mofsim, miracles. Today, baruch Hashem, the the Rebbe's Torah is very well known. Obviously, could it be even more well known? But, mostly the sichos and the ma'amarim. What I felt was undervalued and under-recognized was the Igros as a form of actual learning. Um I mean, you you get around, you talk to a lot of people. Have you found that to be the case? You told me before we started that you're going to be quiet and ask me questions and I warned you, I said, "I'm going to get you to say interesting stuff." What have you found? Do you find people are aware that Igros is a real, serious limud, something to learn? You might be Yeah, I think you're right. Generally, it's not seen that way. Could be the circles that I hung out in. That wasn't There wasn't emphasis on that. I mean, I personally have read many many many Igros. You know, I'll say there. Actually, whenever I bring people to the Ohel, that's what I do them. Before we go in, we want to learn something from the Rebbe. That's what I You read a letter. I always I learn a lot from the Rebbe always. Any letter or you have certain letters you like to go to? No, anything. It's beautiful. Yeah. Um when I started 30 Letters in 30 Days, there were people I mean, I mean like when is it? Like Chabad were like, "What are you going to learn? What are you going to Shalom u'vracha Brooklyn, New York? Like ma'aneh hamachtiv? Like what what are you going to cuz they're thinking of it like unfortunately um a formality kind of like, "Okay, like the you read the letter under the chuppah, you read the letter read a bris, right?" And so, it's a nosach. Which by the way, even those letters, it's not just a nosach, everything everything there is exact and precise. But, there's a special connection to the Rebbe's worldview that really in some ways you can only get through Igros. What I mean by by that is this. In the sichos, you see lomdus, you see the Rebbe's depth as far as Torah scholarship. Ma'amarim is obviously more pnimiyus haTorah. The the the chassidus, [snorts] you know, the the mystical concepts. And every everything the Rebbe teaches always is, you know, heiro. Like, Torah Torah um l'shma heiro, right? Everything is practical. But, in Igros, you actually see the practical. Like, you see the practical on a whole other level because the Rebbe is writing to a real person with a real situation. The Rebbe is spelling it out how it's going to look in this person's life. And it's the same Rebbe. It's the same Rebbe who says the ma'amarim in the sichos. But, now you're seeing how that Rebbe spells it out and applies it to a real person's situation. And there's something really really powerful in that. Um the the Rebbe spoke about about um the Gemara like "Inisha da'ita d'Rabba ad d'vei mishne." Right? It takes 40 years to you really learn what the master was talking about. And the Rebbe made several diyukim about that. But, one of the diyukim is what does it mean "l'koyach inisha da'ita d'Rabba"? He stands up, he becomes sufficient, he becomes um not just repeating words that he heard, but he can pick it up and run with it. Also, in a in a similar vein, uh da'ita. It's not just the de'os. It's not just, "Oh, what was the Rebbe's opinion about this? What was the Rebbe's opinion about that?" Da'ita means the same mind, the same worldview that arrived at this concept, [snorts] you can use to understand all concepts. So, if the goal of a Chassid is not not just to know what the Rebbe said, but to understand the how did the Rebbe arrive at it? What are the values that the Rebbe is teaching us as tools to apply to understanding different situations? If it's not just about knowing the Rebbe said this, the Rebbe said that, and then you know, which is very important. Um obviously, having uh familiar familiarity with the with the different subjects that the Rebbe spoke about and when the Rebbe spoke about in the One of the things De Herer does beautifully, by the way, I mean, does many things beautifully. One of the things I love about De Herer is charting the historically the the evolution of a concept. The That's one of the things I love. Where we'll show like how the Rebbe took a theme and developed it over years. Like, I love that. Um But, when when you see it in a letter to a person about a life, a woman who's a mother with children, or a teacher who's working with with with youth, or like a a businessman who's worried about he's not going to have food to feed his family. And you someone who's getting going in for an operation, like real life issues. All of that approach that that the zugang, you know, the the the way of looking at life, how to look at something, how to approach something, and you're seeing it in real life, that's [clears throat] when for me, at least, it becomes so real. And uh yeah, that's to me one of the things about Igros that makes the connection to the Rebbe through Torah. Obviously, the famous letter the Rebbe said that the the iker hiskashrus is through limud, right? What's the that uh goydl ha'chushk hiskashrus, right? The great yearning for hiskashrus. First, maybe we have to back up and say, "How do you get the chushk?" But, >> [laughter] >> but let's say that you do have the chushk, that "Eini eini yachol lasbia you can't satiate it except by learning the Torah." Right? So, the iker hiskashrus through Torah. But, yeah, the Igros is a it's a whole other level, yeah. But, I think you're saying, I understand, is that >> Yeah. in general, people have a dilemma in life where they're trying to figure out what should what their next move should be. Yeah. Something like that. So, people might be in the dark like what would the Rebbe tell them? >> Right. Right. Now, if you're educated and you educate yourself through the Rebbe's state of Bachur, and specifically through the Igris you're able to approach many in life and by the way, advise others with the Rebbe's the Rebbe's book Right. >> And And it's not one letter, it's something that you picked up over many letters that you learned. Correct. >> And that's something that you're talking about Koin and Shidduch with the Rebbe, that's something that you can gain. In the Rebbe's state of Bachur and specifically through Igris, that that that type of clarity. Right. How would the Rebbe look at something? Meaning not theoretically, how I mean based on what the Rebbe taught, what the Rebbe put out there. And you're only getting that through learning in the Igris. And I I don't think a lot of people know also that it was the Rebbe himself who pushed So, actually people don't know yet. I mean, people know about this, but there will be a future podcast where I interviewed Rabbi Bar 11. Oh, wow. And in that interview he spells out and talks about specifically how the Rebbe instructed him to publish the Rebbe's Igris. It was not his idea. Right. >> He had no He had never thought of doing that. He was doing the previous Rebbeim. He thought, you know, they're printing the Sicha. What does that have to do with what his work with the Igris Kodesh. Igris Kodesh of the previous Rebbeim. And it came straight from the Rebbe. Right. >> The Rebbe sent him a stack of letters. Start with this. See if there's anything to print. And that's how the whole project began. Right. And there's also a story. I don't know if it's a true story. Apparently, the Rebbe asked if people are learning it. You know, you you familiar with the >> the story. Yeah, but yeah, if if if they're learning the the Igris. Right. And I think it was the Rebbe Groner, right? Is that Is that what correct? >> It could also be I heard something Rabbi Simpson was was involved. >> the story in a speech in 1970. Correct. Yeah, that I told the Rebbe that in Morristown there's a sayder Right. Right. In Tiferes there was a sayder at which let's just pause here a second. Between you and me, I mean, no one's listening to this, I'm sure, right? But the fact that the [clears throat] Rebbe's asking are people learning Igris and the one report is that they're learning in one Yeshiva. I [laughter] mean, it's I don't want to, you know, say negative, but What did the Rebbe say? What did the Rebbe say? Remind me. If I remember correctly, the fact that the Bachurim are doing it, okay, but what about the Baal Habatim? Aha, right. So, clearly it was the Rebbe said right there that it wasn't enough. Correct. Yeah. Yeah, but you know, it's never too late and we could always catch up. That's one of the things you learn from the Rebbe that even if you messed up in the past, don't don't wallow in that. Just get to work and do it do things right in the future. So, what are you doing now? So, you're learning the Igris. What What is this project? So, we learn a letter every night, 30 letters in 30 days. Kibbutz like that's what the name is. That's what we do. Um how do we pick them? We're You know what? There was a whole big discussion when we started the first year. I should When I say we, Becher, I mean Levi Shemtov West Bloomfield, who was the main push. And he's someone who went through the entire Igris. I'm not saying he's the only one who's ever gone through, but he made a Siyum recently on the whole Igris. Um and we had a discussion, should we try to pick like famous letters, let's say letters to famous people, letters that bring out like a really big worldview? And the conclusion was no. Let's not try to pick big letters. Let's just go through a year cuz the letters are chronological. Pause for a second. I just want to say why they're chronological cuz this also adds to what we're saying before that the Rebbe is the one who initiated and pushed continued pushing pushing urging urging more thought block him should come out. Um when Rabbi 11, I don't know if you asked him this question or if you brought this up, but when he asked the Rebbe how should we organize the Igris? Should we do it thematically or should we do it chronologically? Did you speak about that with him? >> Right. So, what the Rebbe told him, whatever can come out faster. Okay. So, he said chronological is easier to do. I guess cuz it's like simple. You already have just go in order. Thematically, you got to you know, I guess there's more uh Shikla daas, there's more organization that takes place. But at any rate, so it's all chronological. So, what happens is you're getting a year and we're going in order. So, you know, you start Tishrei, you go to Cheshvan and you're going through a year. Um what happens is you get a slice of life. So, some letters are famous like we already have picked out the letters we're going through. So, for instance, the letter that we're going to finish off, the 30th letter, on Yud Aleph Nissan. >> On Yud Aleph Nissan. On Yud Aleph Nissan, right. And we're going to do an event in the Soul Words House. Uh our our our opening event of the Soul Words House was a year ago on Yud Aleph Nissan. It was the 30th letter of last year's 30 letters. So, I'm going to do the doing same thing again this year. This year, the the 30th letter happens to be um from the same Chelek we've been going through. It was Chelek Yud Beis. A letter the Rebbe wrote on Yud Aleph Nissan Tafshin Tes Zayin, which happens to be a famous letter to the president of Israel. Yom Holed L'Chaim. Right. So, that's famous cuz that's the Rebbe giving a very His holy Right, the unusual glimpse. Yeah. Yeah, like it started to take form in my mind. But, that's uh that's that's famous because first of all, it's unusual that the Rebbe is giving such a personal glimpse into his personal life. Um it's famous because it's it's very strong on Mashiach and it's also emotionally very compelling. It has to be. I'm going to thank Hashem for all the >> And it's a famous person. And it's a famous person. There's a lot about it that's famous. But, that's not what we're doing. We're doing it because we're just going through that volume. But, the point is when you go through a volume and you're going through the year and some letters are to famous people uh some letters like to people who Like we had a letter a few nights ago to Eliezer Steinman. Now, to me, I'm an American boy, that's not a famous name. But, anyone who's Israeli he's one of like the big authors of modern Hebrew and he was a very influential person. And uh you know, so he's a famous person. Then there are letters to like just uh Bachurim. Like Like so Can you imagine that? Some Bachur is struggling with keeping Seder. And he's writing to the Nasi Ador and he's getting an answer. Like to me, that itself is mind-blowing. I've been reading a lot of the English letters recently. It's a whole 'nother world. Yes. Uh we don't We don't really do the English letters cuz we're going through Igris. >> Right. So, happened to Right. But, I love English letters. Yeah. >> see the same recipient getting letters continuously. And they're very I mean, they're about They're trivial. I mean, Right. They're quite trivial. trivial, right. I mean, I mean, they're things that the guy could have asked his Mashpia. Right. Right. And the Rebbe is having a whole correspondence and guiding this guy, you know, through, you know, Yeshiva, through through through whatever it is. And it's just fascinating to see that Yeah, the Nasi Ador is doing that. And also, I I want to just bring this out because I tried to bring it out on my on my live stream and I don't know if it if I made the point that I was trying to make. I think some people misunderstood it. I think they were getting from me the opposite of what I was trying to say. Letters to women. Not just to women, adult women, but girls. Single girls. Like a girl who's who's who's teaching. I don't know how old she was, if she was 18, 19, 20, whatever. The point is who else in the history of the Jewish people was What I mean, even setting aside all the Siddur ways of special dimension of being a Bachur. You know, like I'm just saying Gedolei Yisrael spending time in correspondence with literally everyone. Like it to to the point where some single girl is asking advice about her teaching job and she's getting like lengthy answers. I'll tell you something. This is nice. Okay, this is a personal mission. I have to be very careful how I say this. I was once speaking to a young lady. Uh single girl from a I I mean, I can I can I guess I can say from a Litvish background. And very very intelligent very well read. She had >> [snorts] >> She was not ignorant about Lubavitch. She She had done her research. >> [snorts] >> She said to me, she said, "I saw a thing from Tzivos Hashem bothered me. It said something about take the kids make make the Rebbe proud. Give the Rebbe Nachas." Something like that. So, she says, "This is very weird to me." "Cuz these kids are all born after 1994. You know, they're they're born after Gimel Tammuz. And you're telling them that they should these kids should have like a feeling of some type of a relationship with the Rebbe where like they're they're trying to make the Rebbe proud. Like make your mommy proud, make your Tati proud, make your teacher proud, like the Rebbe proud." So, she said, "That's weird to me. I'm just telling you it's weird to me." So, she says, um "Like for instance I believe, and here's where I'm going to be super careful so-and-so is the Gadol Hador." She named a particular figure who I think many many many people would agree would give him that title Gadol Hador. Like that's not the controversial part. "I believe so-and-so is the Gadol Hador." And this was a living person. It's a living person at the time. She says, "I don't think he knows who I am. I don't think he cares who I am." And I would certainly not be motivated if someone told me to do something because it'll make him happy. I really don't think he's keeping track of what I do. I don't remember what I answered her. I remember afterwards unpacking that. Cuz it it affected me very, very deeply. It was like it was like a reality check. It was a reminder of something that we take for granted. Cuz for you and me, the Godol HaDor means, I mean, what's what's the Rebbe? Reish Bnei Yisrael, Rosh Bnei Yisrael, right? Like the head of the body and it feels even what's going on in the toe and like for us, what's the definition? Who who's the Nasi? A Nasi who right? Who is the leader of Klal Yisrael? Is the one who's connected to every Jew, even even children, everybody, right? And she's coming to me and she's got an entirely different definition of of the Godol HaDor. To the extent that that's not even part of his requirements. It's not even And then I was thinking to myself, like then what makes because it's so funny, it's like shows my my bias here cuz I'm thinking to myself, I actually have to stop and think to myself, why is she calling this particular person Godol HaDor when she not only is she saying he doesn't know me, HE DOESN'T EVEN CARE TO KNOW AND THAT SHE FREELY BESTOWS upon him the title of Godol HaDor. So, I realized that the the the the distinction that by them or maybe by most of the the Torah world, the Godol HaDor is defined by what he knows. The guy who knows the most, he is the Godol HaDor. He knows the most. So, it's defined by what he knows. >> [laughter] >> And by us, Godol HaDor is defined by who he knows. It's the he knows every Jew, he cares about every Jew. That's the Godol HaDor. It's a completely different definition. But getting back to Igros, so it's not that the Rebbe has this incredible and he's the answer man. You can ask him any question and he can pull out an answer. Not the point. Point is that anybody can ask the Rebbe, "Hey, this is what's going on in my life." And the Rebbe cares. And has insight. Like that's the mind-blowing thing. That the Rebbe is answering people and he has what to answer and and and he's relating to them and he's he's pushing them, but he's also encouraging them and he's he's gentle, but he's firm. It's like you know, like the the the the the classic discussion, you know, if you had a Rebbe and maybe this is not a 3:00 a.m. conversation, but more like a 1:00 a.m. conversation. You know, there's levels. Like 9:00 p.m. which you know You would skip. Yeah, you skip that. You don't show up at 9:00 p.m. That's to get the formal, you know, formalities out of the way. Now, 11:00 p.m. you might get like a little bit of and then 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Okay. So, this is like a 1:00 a.m. discussion. Like the Rebbe. Melech or Tatta? Right? Avinu Malkeinu. Okay, so they're both, right? Is a Chossid eved or ben? You know, like talks about in Shaar HaKollel. Um >> [sighs] >> And then, you know, obviously like like every discussion in Torah, divrei Elokim Chaim, you know, there's there's truth in both. But melech means, you know, hisnasus. He's he's up there on his throne and he's running the whole malchus. He's got this massive operation. The whole weight of the world on his shoulders and that's all true, right? And that's there's a certain hispa'alus you can have just thinking about that, right? But then there's there's Tatta. There's the Rebbe as a caring father who knows about your life, wants to hear about your life. To me, the craziest thing in the Holy Igros, and it's in probably thousands of times and every time I see it, it blows my mind, is the Rebbe is not only telling people, "I'm happy to have received it." Normally, it's it's pleasant for me to receive your letter cuz I'm like every time I have a new email pop up, I'm like, "Please, I I have I have 20,000 unread emails. Don't Not only is that, but the the but the Rebbe is saying, "Why don't you write me more?" >> [laughter] >> Remind the Rebbe. Right? It's so long. I'm thinking to myself, "Rebbe, please. They might take you seriously. They're going to buy Like don't ask. But the Rebbe is like, "No, I want to hear from you more." That's the wild thing. I one time was at a Sheva Brachos of a relative, not Lubavitch. There was a Sheva Brachos in Manhattan, the Carlebach Shul. This is 25 years ago. I I wasn't married. I was still a bochur. So, this is 26 years ago. Remember I took the subway. I was in 770. I took the subway from Crown Heights. I went to Manhattan and the Sheva Brachos for my for my cousin. So, I was the only Lubavitcher there. And there was [snorts] a guy, an older guy, who was older than This is in the '90s. He was, you know, older than I don't know if he's still with us, but he turns to me and he says to me, "Lubavitch?" I was the only Lubavitcher there. So, he says, "I want to tell you something. I used to have Yechidus with the Rebbe quite often." He says, "I used to do business in Jamaica and whenever By the way, I told this story once at a Gimmel Tammuz fabrengen and the shliach there in Jamaica now, Raskin, said he was driving and he heard this like punk right at that moment. He said he was like going to some far-flung place and he was thinking, "This I don't have time for this." And then he heard that and he was like, "Ah, I got to go. Okay." So, um the guy is telling me, "Yeah, I used to have a lot of Yechidus with the Rebbe because I would go to Jamaica on business. This is like in the '50s. And whenever I would come back, I I would come to 770. I would say I have reports about the Jewish community. Who's the Jewish community in Jamaica? Maybe 150 to 200 Jews who were a lot of them intermarried, very assimilated. It wasn't like you know, very I mean, I don't know how to say it in a nice way, so I just won't say it. But you can imagine the situation there. So, he said he would come back from Jamaica and he would report what's going on with the Jews there and the Rebbe would always like fast-track him in. And I said So, I said to him, "Now I look back how silly this was." I said to him, "And I said, you're not a Lubavitcher. So, why did you go to the Lubavitcher Rebbe to tell the Rebbe about these things?" He looks at me like shocked. Then he laughs and he says, "Who else would care?" >> [laughter] >> And I stop and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, that's right." Like who else would care? Like you could go to some Rosh Yeshiva and be like, "I I need to tell you about 150 intermarried people in the Caribbean." Like This is This is what you have you have to tell me. Like we're running a Yeshiva over here, right? The reality check. It's a reminder. Yeah. It reminds you that there's a group of the famous group of uh Lubavitcher Chassidim that used to be Satmar Chassidim. They became Lubavitch Right. >> '50s. So, I heard from one of I didn't hear from them. This is secondhand. But someone told me that he heard from one of them that after the whole controversy and after he became Lubavitcher many years later, you know, after the Gimmel Tammuz, his father says, "Hey, by the way, I was in Yechidus with the Rebbe." And he's like, "What? You never told me that that after all these years?" He's like, "Yeah, what do you mean? We We all everyone used to go Right. Like like like who who like who cares? Who else, right? Who else would who would care? [laughter] Who would want to see us? I just met someone Someone in Stamford just told me that his father in the '50s was with a bunch of Litvishe bochurim. They came to New York. They went to the Rebbe. Mhm. [clears throat] His mother she said it you you you you dollars and the base and they they just just to speak to the Rebbe in learning. And the Rebbe the Rebbe I mean, the Rebbe took them. I just want to say that though that you know, back to the point about that that that person that was comparing the Rebbe, you know, the You know, that girl. >> Yeah, that girl. Yeah, so first of all, there's a Chaim Yankel that talks about what's the difference between the Rosh Yeshiva and the Ram. And that before before the the Rosh Yeshiva was alone and the Ram was alone and now >> Right. And now we're not alone. I think it's that I think that's that concept that there's a there's a connection Right. >> between the Chassidim and the Rebbe, but but also um that that point of um that connection that that the Rebbe has with the people. So, there's this conversation that you speak to people that were, you know, bochurim in the '50s. And they'll tell you that there was a raid. There's a question that some people would ask. They would consider like a The shvache would ask, "Does the Rebbe know me?" Right. That's a whole dilemma. Like how could you even wonder? >> the world was growing and there weren't Igros. Like that's that's not. There weren't letters like this. Right. >> And and there's a much bigger crowd and that became a dilemma. Does the Rebbe know me? That was like Right. >> Today we talk about how can we connect to the Rebbe after Gimmel Tammuz. So, then there those who like to ask the questions that how can we connect to the Rebbe? Right. >> the whole question is assuming that the Rebbe has to have this personal connection with you and and you know, that's a foreign concept to someone else. But but So, that guy is saying >> that even asking that question shows that that's part of your assumption, of course. >> not said it what's the But it But it is interesting to me that the Rebbe there was a shift First of all, you know, after the Rebbe spoke about what to do when you can't ask the Rebbe when he was alive. Right. That's a thing. Um but there's also there's a thing where the Rebbe says, "Why is everyone looking to ask questions?" The Rebbe like pushed back a little bit on that. I think in the later years the Rebbe says that, you know, you you go to the Mashpia There's a thing It's on video. You go to the Mashpia to ask what to ask. Right. [laughter] Mhm. So like the Rebbe pushed back on that a little bit. And I'm wondering if that connects to our time today. I don't know what What do you think about that? >> But yeah, well, you know, asking questions just to ask. So every I think every teacher every educator has this frustration. It's like you're asking questions just cuz you want to have a question, right? But there's something in the Igros you see fairly often. We had it twice in the the past uh the 30 letters in 30 days that we're doing. It's a Gemara from Rosh Hashanah. It's a Machlokes Tanaim about the shape of the Shofar. So one says you should have a straight Shofar. One says you have you should have bent. Straight shows you're straightening your ways. Bent shows you're subjugating your yourself to Hashem. So one says the straight one should be Rosh Hashanah. The curved one should be Yom Kippur. The one says "Curved on Rosh Hashanah, straight on Yom Kippur." But the the the Loshon there is Kol DePashut Ma'alit. Whatever straight goes better. And the immediate context there is talking about the shape of a Shofar or the or even if you say it's not talking about literally about a Shofar. I mean, it's also talking literally about a Shofar, but it's speaking about in terms of Avodah. You're saying, "What should be the approach on Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur?" But the Rebbe generalizes it and says it's it's a it's a it's a general rule. Like Kol DePashut Ma'alit basically. That if you're trying to figure out how to live, what to do, you're you're doubtful, you have questions, Kol DePashut Ma'alit. Whatever's simpler. Just simplify it. Don't complicate. Keep it simple. And it And it's not that, you know, we're not thoughtful people. I said this is Chabad, you know. It's Chochma Bina Da'as. It's all It's Havana Va'asaga. We're very thoughtful people. And we learn and we think and we're Misbonen. But that's about thinking about Hashem to deepen our connection to Hashem. When it comes to life, don't make problems. Just look in front of you, you know, see what you need to do and just do it and and don't complicate it by by by wondering should you be doing something different. Just do the thing in front of you. Repetition, routine. Um so I I think that maybe that's a little bit of what that is. Like why you making up questions. Why are you trying to make yourself confused? Yeah. But I think it also highlights what you the first point that you're saying. What? To learn the Igros. The Rebbe published the Igros. I think the Rebbe wants a Chossid to build a world view based on the based on the Rebbe. Yeah, no question. >> I think that's the message. That's really the message over here. Well, there's a certain assumption that the Rebbe has that his Chassidim have certain amount of clarity. Chassidei Chabad. You're not just a Chossid in that, you know, the I don't know whatever else. You're a Chossid. You learn how to think like a Chossid. There's a certain world view. So it's not just Ma'amorim and Sichos. It's a it's it's day-to-day life. There's a certain way of thinking. So yeah, there will be questions. And like you say, you know, there was that Tkufa where the Rebbe started speaking about if you need guidance and a Shailas Chochom. Um that was like, you know, a big thing. But just connecting that also with Igros. You mentioned I don't know if uh Rabbi Leven told you this, but he said a speech in 770 that was at the Siyum of one of the Chalakim. I don't remember which one it was, but I believe that following that speech the Rebbe asked to put a Ma'amar in Chelek Yud Aleph. Now I'm not remembering. That he's He he was putting a Ma'amar >> He wrote He wrote yeah. for the earlier Chalakim because there was more like history that was context like historical context. Then after you start getting into the first few years of the Nisi'us like he didn't feel there was new historical context to give, so he stopped writing the Ma'amar the the call it the the intro. And then he gave this certain speech in 770 and the Rebbe told him you should write the Ma'amar again. Um and so he put that speech into the Ma'amar. What did he say? He said a He said something that if he had said it on his own, it would still be Gishmak, but you would say who knows. But the fact that this became the Ma'amar of a Chelek of Igros, now it has like canonical uh verification, validation. He said a word like this. That just like Okay, so first of all, Shailas Chochom. The Rebbe said you should have a Mashpia. But also in conjunction with that, the Rebbe was putting out the Igros. Why? Because just like the Alter Rebbe wrote Tanya. And he writes in Hakdamas Ma'amar. Did Rabbi Leven tell you this? He didn't say it, but it's printed in his book. That's the whole thing. Just like the Alter Rebbe had a Tanya. And he writes in Hakdamas Ma'amar Leket, the purpose of the Tanya. You don't have to wonder why he wrote the book. He tells you why he wrote it. He says that these are the conversations that I've had with people in Yechidus. It's not Shayach that I should have everyone come to me one-on-one. He says first of all, people forget what I told them. So, you know, I'm telling them multiple times. Um but now we're going to record it. And if you're not able to figure out where to find your answer. Every answer is in here. If you don't know, you ask your local Mashpia. He's going to help you to find it. So Rabbi Leven said just like the Alter Rebbe had Tanya, the Rebbe has the Igros. Now, again, if a if a Chossid said that on his own initiative, it would still be Gishmak and it would be something worthy of repeating. The fact that it is in the Ma'amar of the Rebbe's Igros, where the Rebbe Shar Blatt, you know, the Rebbe accepted this concept that the Igros are the Rebbe's Tanya. How many people know that? That the Igros are the Rebbe's Tanya. I I don't think that's known. I think people Are we allowed to talk Can we Can we be real here? Um You can edit it out if it's going to work. I think a lot of people know about Igros about randomly opening a page. And I I I don't I don't have an opinion on that, honestly. Um randomly opening a page in order to get an answer. >> [sighs] >> We don't have to guess why the Rebbe wanted Igros printed. The Rebbe was very vocal about it. First of all, we don't have to guess if the Rebbe wanted the Igros printed. The Rebbe was the one who made the whole thing happen. But secondly, we don't have to guess why the Rebbe wanted The Rebbe wanted us to learn it. What does learning it mean? It means and I want to be careful how I say this. You know, Ger Lo Groh and Ashkocha Protis and all those things. And if that's how somebody wants to But how about this? How about this The Rebbe gave us a window how to look at almost every practical issue that a person could face in life at every phase of life. And gave us hundreds of examples of each of these things. Whether it's making a living or it's health or it's raising kids or it's or it's marriage or or spiritual issues or whatever it is. And if you'll just learn these letters, it will train you how to think. Just like if you'll learn enough of the Rebbe's Sichos, like Nigleh Sichos. Let's say Rashi Sichos. I'll give an example. Like if you learn 20 Rashi Sichos, it'll change the way you learn Chumash Rashi. There's no question, right? You'll you'll Maybe you won't be an expert in the methodology. Although the Rebbe wanted that. The Rebbe would always ask, "Where are the Chiddushim? Where are the the the articles from the Chassidim? Like I'm teaching you the Klalim." Like In fact, the Rebbe I I saw at least a few times where the Rebbe said, "Last week I taught a certain Klal. And then this week it came up in Chitas. And I thought I would have pouring in people found finding that and asking that question. Nobody did it." So the Rebbe was like, "I'm teaching a methodology over here. What do you think you're just supposed to memorize what I what what what I said? Don't tell me what I said. I know what I said. Use the methodology to to figure out things that I didn't say." So even if you learn Rashi Sichos, you will look at Rashi completely differently. You will learn because you'll you'll you'll Oh, what what's bothering Rashi here? What What is he answering? Why is he saying Why is he mentioning the the Why is he using those words particularly? Well, why does he say um the name of of the of the Tanna? Or whatever. There's different things you learn from the Rebbe's Klalim. Well, would you think that a Chossid should say, "I don't know how to learn Chumash the way Chumash Rashi the way the Rebbe taught, but I can repeat to you Rashi Sichos Shavuos B'al Peh." I would say that's beautiful, but you think you think you've gone all the way with it, right? So to simplify it, it's not just what did the Rebbe say. It's how did the Rebbe say it? It's not just the what. Don't just repeat to me what the Rebbe said. Tell me how did the Rebbe say it? And I don't And by that, I don't just mean the the the the sign and the the the tone, which also I'm saying that as well. But I'm saying like the process. How did the Rebbe arrive at it? You don't think you can learn a derech halimud? You don't think the Rebbe has a distinct learnable derech halimud in nigleh chassidus and day-to-day life? I mean, it's very open and charted and and and my makoymes, everything you can look up source to make it so simple. And my taygus, everything is so just systematized in order to learn how to approach learning and life and anything else that could come up, there's a way to look at it as informed by the Rebbe's approach. As we're getting ready for Yud Aleph Nissan, I know most of us will be writing a pan to the Rebbe. I want to mention something that's a big part of this process but that sometimes is forgotten, and that is the dmei pan, the money that we give with the pan. If you're wondering why we give money with a pan, we can actually find the explanation in Tanya and Iggeres Hakodesh. The Alter Rebbe explains that our livelihood, our parnassa, is where our energy is invested, the chayei nafshi, as he refers to it. When we give dmei pan, we're giving a piece of our physical essence. That's what creates the vessel and the keili to receive the brachos and this connection and hiskashrus we're asking for in our pan. It's a long-standing tradition from the times of the chassidim of the Alter Rebbe. By giving this tzedaka together with our pan, we're making the request real in the physical world. So, when you send your pan this year, make sure to include dmei pan. You can do this through magbis.org and through clicking on the tab for dmei pan, which ensures that these funds will go to the same place that the Rebbe would deposit the money that he received in the panim, which is the Rebbe's institutions. It's a small step that makes a huge difference in how we prepare for Yud Aleph Nissan. Can I Is it considered on the podcast? Is it considered um good content when the guest complains about something? Cuz people like that. >> I don't know if it's controversial or not. That's right. >> Okay, let's try. >> that afterwards. >> Okay. >> [sighs] >> I think a lot of times that we I'm including myself here. Sometimes because of I'll I'll I'll say a limud kodesh, because of our reverence for the Rebbe and every holy word that the Rebbe said, sometimes we become intellectually lazy. In other words, we're satisfied just to quote, here's what the Rebbe said. But the Rebbe wasn't asking to be quoted. The Rebbe was teaching you how to think. How to apply it. How to apply it and also how to be mechadesh. Mechadesh is not a dirty word. We think of it we we laugh. Oh, a chiddush, you have a chiddush. What are you a snogid? You have a chiddush. The Rebbe wanted chassidim should be creative. I I I I'll I'll I'm you I'm sure you know this story, but I heard it directly from uh Rabbi Shapiro from from Miami. He said when he was a bochur, he went to a Yud Tes Kislev farbrengen in Boston and uh Rabbi Soloveitchik was there that time. And he said uh that the the Rav spoke for I think he said he spoke for two hours. Like his drasha was like two hours. And then afterwards they sat down to farbreng. And they wrote up a doch the bochurim. So, he was a little shver. He was a bochur at the time. So, wrote up a doch. And uh Soloveitchik was very into uh I'm saying Brisk, into Rambam, especially Hilchos Teshuva. And so, the Rebbe was saying sichos at those times about uh Iggeres Teshuva. And so, he wrote in the doch that the the the bochurim spoke with We're talking about J.B. Soloveitchik. About uh the uh about the the the Rebbe's sichos about uh about Teshuva and Iggeres Teshuva. So, the Rebbe wrote wrote back on the You heard this before? No. Okay, so wrote back on the on the doch. I You can ask him uh Rabbi Shapiro for the exact words. It was something like v'vadai lo uh lo lo medubar rak b'inyan rak v'vadai lo shakl v'tari b' b'inyan medubar b' rak b' medubar rak b'hisvadus. Certainly they didn't just do do a shakl v'tari back and forth. B'inyan uh medubar rak b'hisvadus. Only content that was already given over in the in the farbrengen. Um ela b'inyan shel ahem. But their own their own concepts. Okay, pause. A bochur. First of all, just to think that a bochur, even a talented bochur, a future rosh yeshiva, should speak in front of, you know, J.B. Soloveitchik. Like you know, like you'd have the confidence to speak, to to hold your own, to speak in learning. That that's that's that's already a a darga. But the Rebbe is saying, I hope you didn't just chazer my my my sichos. I hope you said your your your own ideas. I think I'm I think I Recently I spoke for a few minutes and someone came over to me and said, "That's a very good It was amazing. Sounded exactly what, you know, like Chabad like was perfect." I told them, "Yeah, that's cuz I didn't make it up." Okay. I was repeating something I listened to in a farbrengen. Okay, that's safe. You're saying it's not it's not good content. >> It's good. That's the beginning. There's this there's this concept that I think I mentioned in one of the podcasts that chassidim, I think it was I think from previous generations, they would say "M'zalkanen dem Rebben akurat." There's like idea There's like a longing or like a strive that a chossid is supposed to have to know the Rebbe accurately. >> Yeah. I think what I think what it means is first of all, have the knowledge, but like you're saying, to to know how to apply it to every scenario and how to maneuver that how to how that applies to the particular situation with with you're dealing with. Which cannot always be quoted. You know, the Rebbe said "kach v'kach" and it it needs It needs to be applied to the situation. >> younger man, a Lubavitcher younger man, who told you um listening to the news and hearing what's going on in Yisrael, and um Let let's take like a real slam dunk e- easy one. Um I but I don't know what the Rebbe would say about land for peace. You'd be shocked, right? Like why would you be shocked? Cuz the Rebbe addressed it thousands of times. >> Right. So, it'd be weird to you >> [snorts] >> that he wouldn't know. And he would say to you, "I I I know I I think the Rebbe said it a bunch of times, but I'm not sure how it would apply in this situation. Maybe it's different." You'd be like, "How can you not be sure how to apply that when it's the Rebbe gave you hundreds of examples of it. Mil sub a time, it's not like the Rebbe said "gzer gzerah". The Rebbe gave the logic behind it, right?" So, it's very transparent, especially in the in the in the farbrengens. So, I'm saying maybe some stuff like that, like political stuff, you [snorts] wouldn't know so clearly if you only learn Likutei Sichos. But, you know, certainly if you learn farbrengens from that time, um and if someone would say to you, "I I don't I don't know. I don't know what the Rebbe would say about it. I don't know. We can't ask the Rebbe. So, how how could we know?" It'd be weird, right? Okay. So, what I'm telling you is to me, it's equally as weird if somebody would say Not that they don't know. Okay, it's not a crime to not know. But like, I don't know. We can't know. How would we know? How would we know what the Rebbe would say about this? How would you know? Cuz the Rebbe didn't have to spend his entire life teaching his worldview. He didn't have to do that. The Rebbe clearly spent not just time, but like energy to make it very transparent how we look at things. Whether it's land for peace or whether it's chinuch or shalom bayis or the role of women or how to learn Rashi. Like Don't tell me I don't know. Tell me maybe I have to think about it more. I have to digest it more. But it's all laid out there. If there's a a comprehensive worldview contained within the Rebbe's Torah. There's nothing in life that we couldn't figure out based on the information that we already have. That's That's At least that's how I feel. >> I mean, to me it's always been a clear thing that the nasi hador already addressed everything. Right. That's another way of saying it. >> For the Rebbe. Right. Right. If it's going to come up for anyone in this generation, then it has to be that the nasi of that generation covered it. Oh, where did he cover it? Quote it for me. Okay, it's like Torah shebiksav Torah shebaal peh. You know, it's like Moshe Rabbeinu says, "Why why was the Torah given to me? It should be given to Rabbi Akiva." then then Rebbe Akiva says l'Moshe miSinai." it's all there. So 25 years ago when the world was a closer in time when the Rebbe said it, it might have been you have to you might have to in certain scenarios have to think less to apply it because it was a extremely diamond whatever was the Rebbe spoke about. So now >> The world was more similar. >> So now you might have to like have more dots and understanding in order to in order to apply it, but >> Right. Yes. >> it's all there. Right. The difference between the world >> in certain things it's the opposite. Certain certain things that the Rebbe said it and people know and understood and now it's so clear to everyone. I mean >> [clears throat] >> I mean it's all a good example. >> Yeah, it's all a good example. Look at the polling. How many people think they should give away land? It's it's an extreme minority. Yeah, there's definitely stuff like that where it's like did the Rebbe say this in 2026 cuz it sounds like and you're like did the Rebbe say this in the 50s? How did people even know what that meant in the 50s? This makes more sense than [laughter] that. A good example is there's a sicha I think it's acharon shel Pesach. And the Rebbe speaking about levels of cheirus. So you know cuz you have two days. So you have shvi'i shel Pesach acharon shel Pesach. So the Rebbe says that's not redundant, they're two different levels. One is freedom on the level of freedom from Mitzrayim, the other is freedom from from this galus of Mashiach. So two different levels of cheirus. So the Rebbe is describing like what does it mean to be free? Well, we know who's a ben chorin? Person learns Torah is called ben chorin. Okay. So one level. It sounds like 2026. One level ben chorin is somebody he's learning and the phone rings. Yeah. You know? And he won't answer it cuz he's learning right now. That's one level. That's only the first level. The second level, higher level Mashiach'dike level is he's learning and the phone rings and the sound of the ringing is irrelevant. It It he doesn't process it. He says it's as meaningful to him as the sound of a fork falling on the floor. It's just noise. Like one level I hear it. I know it's a phone ringing. I'm even maybe even thinking who's calling me, but no, I won't do it. That's one level of freedom. You know, you're not a connect to the phone. You don't have to answer it. Then there's I'm learning. What What's a phone? >> [laughter] >> It It doesn't It doesn't It's not part of my reality right now. You talk about that today when we're all so hyper connected and we're The Rebbe speaking about when there was a payphone in the in in the hallway. >> [laughter] >> There's a payphone down the hall. All right. Right. So I mentioned I think Benji mentioned that when the Rebbe said it they took out the payphone from 770. Oh, no. What did he say? That Benji Pearson mentioned it in the podcast that The what? I think it was him. And when the when the Rebbe said that sicha, that's when they removed the payphone from >> Oh, really? from the hallway. Uh-huh. But you're saying you're saying that whatever the Rebbe was saying then now it's like on steroids. Right. As actually last yesterday I was learning a farbrengen taf shin mem beis and the Rebbe says very very like interesting. The Rebbe speaking about a father being mechanech his child Mhm. and you're telling them one thing and then they see that you come home Shabbos afternoon and they you undo your situk and you're having tea and you're you're busy you're busy with the flies in the flies and the of the of the world. You for sure don't need to take take the mind of chassidus from the from the shelf and the Rebbe earlier speaking about a grandfather is telling his grandchild how to behave, but then he sees how does he behave? He's sitting on the telephone talking not very much, but still he's talking on the telephone. Wow. >> And when I was reading this I'm like oh my gosh, the Rebbe is talking about >> Today. us the father that's supposed to be learning chassidus Right. >> his kids to learn chassidus. Meanwhile, what is what's the father doing? >> the phone. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. It You know what it reminds me of? It's like you know the famous sicha parshas Noach about the Zohar about the industrial revolution. So the Rebbe says there's certain things that until the technology existed it was very abstract for people. Like I and Rebbe wasn't sure right? So that was just an example, right? Like the famous maaseh with um Uh two chassidim whose names they take It was a story. They were learning chassidus there's more >> [laughter] >> But there's more water than land. >> than land. He says I was in I was in Samarkand and I was in here >> Right. And every place all I see is land. It must be emunah. Uh-huh. >> in it. >> Some things you have to take on emunah. >> Yeah. Yeah. The Alter Rebbe says that 2/3 of the world Look at the Torah. Alter Rebbe says we know that 2/3 of the world is water and he says well I don't I don't understand. Every I've lived in different countries. Everywhere I go it's all land. You know water. Uh some things you have to take on emunah. >> [laughter] >> Um Yeah. So certain things were very abstract and then as the technology existed it was like oh, this is a real thing. And I think Alter Rebbe said in a similar vein certain things the Rebbe was speaking to chassidim in the 50s and the 60s. And of course the Rebbe was saying it's holy, you take it seriously. But I don't think they could imagine that the Rebbe is speaking about our time. You know, and it you know you you call it nevu'ah. Like to me it's not nevu'ah. Like like the Rashba said like the Rebbe needs to have ruach hakodesh as ruach hakodesh. He doesn't need like it's not to me like a checklist. But is it nevu'ah to me? You know, chacham adif minavi. A general concept, right? A chacham is greater than a navi. Why? I mean it's like it's like it's a it's a concept in chassidus. Um because a navi doesn't really understand what he's seeing. I mean that's his that's his ma'alah too. He's a He's a conduit. He's just telling he's reporting. He's a faithful reporter. But he doesn't understand it. He doesn't need to understand it. A chacham understands it. So that's where the chacham is greater than than the navi. So in the Rebbe's Torah it's like you start seeing how the reality that the Rebbe was speaking to doesn't become less relevant. Doesn't become oh, it's dated, you know, that was for then. It's more prescient. It's more um ahead of its time even if it were nevu'ah. I mean the Rebbe said the Perek Kinyan was a navi shoftim, right? The famous sicha about the navi shibedrei noan. So but that to me that's not I don't get impressed with nevu'ah cuz I don't know I don't really relate to it. But I don't know if I ever had nevu'ah, but I know that I've understood a concept before. Maybe on a very low level. I mean I'm not such a genius, [snorts] but I've learned a concept. I've understood a concept. So then you know, that impresses me. That excites me. That you can have someone teaching a chachma that doesn't become less applicable as the time goes on, but it becomes more obviously applicable as the time goes on. And that that's wild. And it's exciting. It's inspiring. Like if you want a clear understanding of life just learn the Rebbe's Torah. Just go learn what the Rebbe is saying about life and you will have a better understanding of your life. >> [sighs] >> That like type type of thing that people should be thinking about on Yom Tov and this and that. This account is chassidus? Is that in your mind or And too abstract? >> If there The question is how do they how do they be able to do that? Oh, we said geulah choka. How do you get the choka? >> [laughter] >> Yeah. We should explain that question. The famous letter the Rebbe wrote after Yud Shvat. Yeah. >> anybody that learns the Rebbe's Torah [cough and clears throat] Uh-huh. is uplifted. Yes. 100% and it's any element of the Rebbe's Torah. It's a letter, it's learning a farbrengen, learning a maamer, learning a sicha. And if you if you're reading the hair, you you taamu u re'u ki tov Hashem. You're always going to be You get uplifted. Exactly. >> question. The question is on a random Tuesday Right. how do you gravitate towards the Rebbe? If you're involved in heavily in olam and you're busy and you're busy with your family and uh So I have an answer. It may be grub but it's an answer. And you know some of us are grub, so maybe a grub answer is better. >> Never met anyone. You never met such guys? Cuz you do not on this podcast cuz you have all the All all all the daily material. There's there's a you know, kuntres inyan shel Pesach chassidus, right? So the Rebbe there speaks about that uh the Gemara says that uh Hashem says barasi yetzer hara, I created the yetzer hara. But the good news is barasi also created Torah tavlin. I created Torah as Tavlin means spices, but you know, like it means medicine. That's why like medicine is also on Shabbos cuz you grind spices, right? Okay. So the Rebbe says like this. Dovid Hamelech was punished for calling Torah as me'us. It's Gemara in Sota. It's also in Iggeres Hakodesh from the Alter Rebbe, but the original thing is Gemara in Sota. Not a talmid chacham, but Sota, you know, Sota. You have to Yeah. >> [laughter] >> Okay. Um >> Never mind the mocking. Yeah. I don't remember which daf, but you know, whatever. It's uh somewhere there. One of the 49 pages. At any rate, so David Hamel was punished. Did he call Torah Zimiras? So, is it Zimiras means I mean it means songs, but it means like it's a it's a pleasant, uplifting distraction. You know, like somebody is like sad and they put on uh some music and it makes them feel better. So, it's David Hamel said with all his, you know, he had problems. I know we're we're we're Lubavitchers don't learn Nach because that's for the Maskilim learn Nach. >> relegate to Lubavitch? Right. The whole from world, yeah, because to to show the Maskilim By Maskilim, I don't mean like Maskilim Ovid. I mean like the Haskalah movement, right? We have to show them that we don't, you know, they didn't win. So, we don't learn Nach. But there there was this person named David Hamel. >> The Rebbe said in Yem Yem that sitting in the garden Yeah. How do they do that? Cuz I saw someone at 770 with a broken arm. Okay. >> He's struggling to wrap his tefillin. Okay. I asked him, "Do you want me to help you or are you going to Are you finishing Nach? Cuz it's it's so hard for you to do it." >> [laughter] [gasps] >> So, um David Hamel had a had had a lot of problems in life. And he took refuge in Torah. He found it soothing. That when he had, you know, Josh Gordon all of a sudden when he was doing Rambam Shiurim for Chabad.org, I was in touch with him regularly. And by the way, cover Josh, I just want to say I made a bracha earlier. Yeah. Every time I drink in the podcast and I don't say that cuz I drank earlier, [clears throat] I think I think like, you know, I should look into why he always does that. I know why he does it. Cuz somebody told him that he should say it so no one should be choshesh that he didn't make a bracha earlier. >> I'm saying it. And I know who told him to say it. Oh, okay. Okay. At any rate, um I made a bracha earlier. Time, time. It's not Mashke. So, Josh told me and he Look, he was very private about his health issues. So, I don't know to what extent he knew about his health issues at that time. Um but he certainly had a lot of responsibilities. Fundraising, ran a huge operation. I mean, he had a lot of responsibilities. And so he was teaching Perek Gachol. He was teaching, you know, one one chapter a day Rambam. And he would teach it right after Shacharis. So, when when it would he prepare it, he would get up at like 4:30 or 5:00 and he would learn the the the the chapter of Rambam. And then he would go to Shacharis and then after Shacharis he would teach it. So, he told me that >> [snorts] >> this is my Rambam therapy. Did he call it Rambam therapy? That when life is stressful and have all this stuff going on, I'll learn my Rambam 5:00 in the morning all by myself and it just go into that. That's it's my Rambam therapy. Yeah. So, David Hamel says that Torah is is is soothing. It's an escape. It's a It's a It's refuge. And he was punished for it. Punished for it. He forgot the the Aron is supposed to be carried on shoulders. He put it on a cart. The whole thing. Okay. Now, the Rebbe explains why dafka that was the Doesn't matter. I mean, not neged to this. It does matter, but not neged to this. What's neged to this is the the Rebbe's question. That if David Hamel was punished for even saying that Torah was soothing, that it was an escape from his worldly troubles, how does the Gemara come and say, "You know what Torah is? It's a remedy to worldly problems." And not just regular stam klipus noiga, yetzer hara. >> [laughter] >> The worst of the worst. That's what you're reducing Torah You're taking Torah and you're reducing it to a solution for your sick problems, for your struggles with your your sick yetzer hara. And that's what you're turning Torah into? People have this complaint a lot about the way sometimes people learn Chassidus today. They say, "Why can't you just learn about seder hishtalshelus and and that itself the the haflah of it? You just get away from your your sick life for a while and just be moved by the the grandeur of it. Why does everything have to be applied to your your your personal struggles and your doubts and your your problems?" Okay. So, at any rate, Kuntres Inyan HaShita HaChassidus, the Rebbe says, "What kind of a compliment is this to Torah to call it Torah Tavlin? That this is the remedy for the yetzer hara." And the conclusion is that you know, the whole the theme of of Kuntres Inyan HaShita is is atzum. What's atzum? Atzum means something that's indivisible. Something that just is what it is. From the highest level to the lowest level and it's unchanging. It That's what it is. Essence. So, the Rebbe says like this, "Where do you see the essence of Torah?" And dafka on the lowest levels. That if something can be translated even to not just this world, but the lowest parts of living in this world, meaning having a yetzer hara. That shows how Torah is atzmus. That it's relevant on the highest levels and it's relevant on the lowest levels. Okay. So, backtracking. We're discussing before we got into this. >> Discussing how to get into Okay. So, I told you I have a a way of doing it's grub. But some of us that's our language. By the way, you mentioned earlier about English letters of the Rebbe. My nefesh bahamis speaks English. So, if I want to learn nefesh elokis, nefesh sichlis, you know, that's Igros. But if I want to speak to my nefesh bahamis, definitely English letters. Cuz that's that's that's what what When my nefesh bahamis comes and bothers me, speaks to me English. No question. So, that's like how you fight fire with fire. But here's here's the deal. We all have problems. Everyone has problems. How do I know everyone has problems? Well, first of all, because in my personal life as Shea Taub, everyone decides to write me with their problems cuz I write this this Ami column, which I've said hundreds of times is a poor imitation of Igros Kodesh. And there's a famous uh clip that our friend Ben Shimon sent around where I said at his Chof Av event a one-liner, "My My Ami column is a poor imitation of Igros Kodesh." He took that clip and he sent it around. And it was I stand by it. It's true. Because Rabbi Frankfurter asked me write an advice column. Like, I don't even know what an advice column is. He's like, "You'll figure it out." So, I was like, "Okay, I'll imitate Igros." But at any rate, so I know that everyone has problems. >> Imitated What? >> sense? Imitate the style. Style. The style. The the approach. At least a lot of klalim that I picked up from Igros. How to validate people, what especially when you disagree with them. You can't agree with somebody's premise cuz they're they're wrong. Their whole problem is based on a misunderstanding. But you have to validate them. You can't just be mevatal. You can't just negate them. Validate them first. First first. You validate them. And how to encourage somebody, but but but also not but demand and not let them off the hook. Um Yeah. How to how to empower them. Like, what's it Let's say they're complaining about something that's not their bechira chofshis. It's It's yener. They're complaining about some other guy. So, you how to put it back put the onus back on them where they have power. Like, these are things that I picked up from Igros. Anyway, we can come back to this if you want, but so here's the deal. I I know that everyone has problems. There's a saying, "There are two kinds of people in the world. There's normal people and people that you really know." Cuz if you'll know anyone, you'll find out that everyone's crazy. So, when people, you know, when it comes to shidduchim, you know, they're they're they're Oh, that family's no good. They're crazy. Oh, that one from Australia. They're good. >> Yeah, no one knows them. >> [laughter] >> Cuz from Australia, you think they're normal. They're just as crazy as everyone. Okay. At any rate, so I know everyone has problems. But also, you don't have to be me. You don't have to borrow my email inbox. Just look at the Igros. All these people have problems. Okay? By the way, there's many Igros that are not published. Oh, very good point. And that's what was fit for publication. Mhm. How much of it was not or or dot dot dot redacted? >> Mhm. A lot of sections of And that was all the Rebbe said that cuz it's too per- too personal to yeah. Right. Yeah. Right. That's the tip of the iceberg. That was what was published. Right. Or people have asked me like, "Where did the Rebbe speak about whatever, let's say a very personal uh very um intimate issue. Did the Rebbe ever speak about it?" I said, "I think he spoke about it thousands of times." "Where?" And I say, "Look in the Igros." And when he talks about hasaga das, what is he talking about over there? What is What do you think he's speaking about? I mean, just use a little What was most devastating to me, the person that asked me this was a mashpia bachur. Which to me, the number one qualification you have to have to be a mashpia bachur is to know that 99% of the time that the Rebbe is saying hasaga das is about these things. But whatever. It was disappointing to yeah. Okay, it was disappointing to yeah. Okay. But Add that to the list. Okay. Okay. Well, add that to the list. Okay. But let's talk about this. The grub way to get the chuka going. Okay. So, we all have problems. We're in galus. Okay? We have problems. So, would it be better perhaps and maybe I could I could even argue the opposite actually. But would it be better to pick up a mind or just because I just want to connect to the rabbit. Yeah, I guess that's beautiful. It's very clean. It's very pure. But at the very least let's just say you have problems in life and you have doubts and you don't know how to deal with it. So at the very least the the grab of the ulterior motive selfish reason just open up the open up and just start reading. Just have some clue how to deal with your crazy life. You asking how to start if you if you start learning everyone always enjoys it. They always enjoy. But how to get started if if you you need the initial motivation. So I'm saying when you're trying to deal with your life and go and you're dealing with all your problems and you're dealing with it. This will give you clarity. It'll give you soothing. It'll give you peace of mind. So it's about identifying when you're running on empty which very often people are. Sure. It's just about identifying that the there and the is the address. And therefore go go access like go do it. You know what >> Your motivation should be your empty tank. But right. We the motivation is there. But you know what the problem is? Ah. >> [sighs] >> There's a There's a letter that I learned recently. But it's a motif that you find all the time. One of the things I told you that I learned certain column in the letters. One of them is the problem is the solution. Always. The problem is it's true in learning. Like the bigger the the more you're going to arrive at, right? So also in life the bigger the problem I can see this the bigger the the bigger the the That's the approach when he asks questions in learning. In learning, right? >> The answer The bigger the question the bigger the answer or in terms of it's The answer is in the question. The bigger the the bigger the that ensues. But in life also you see in the the bigger the conundrum the person is facing the more clarity they're about to to come into. Receive. Right. And it's not just the the it's also the the manner of it because the answer is embedded in the question. The the famous simple example of it is Jonathan Sacks writes to the should I become the next chief rabbi I should. Right. I should. Made the transposition editing marks. Turns should I into I should, right? You're asking it as a question. I'm telling you you're saying it as an answer. Or a mold of the right the vine dub story, right? Famous. Okay. We have many such illustrations of this. Let me side note. Yeah. You go back. Just hold your thought but >> Yeah. One of the most parts of that story that Sacks they saw I think it's a I think it's a gem or video where he's describing how he wrote to the that he should become the chief rabbi and he got that answer. He told his wife, "Okay, I'm going to write to the but are you ready? Because whatever the is going to say I'm going to do." Right. So it was like a very uh Right. I don't know if I should write. You want me to write? Yeah. So the answer is in the question. A guy writes to the and he He says, "I can't do because I don't have time and I don't have concentration. I'm thinking all day long about other things and I just I can't do it. I can't think about him." So the writes him back and I'm paraphrasing but it's like oh good good news. So you do have time and concentration. You're just using it for the wrong thing. Using it for the wrong thing. Like I was afraid that maybe you're going to tell me you can't think. You don't have Some people just can't think. Nope. Clearly you can think. You can concentrate. Good news. You're just thinking about the wrong things. Okay. So that's an example of the problem is the solution, right? Question is in the answer or the answer is in the question. But what I was saying before about So we have problems in life and we're in pain. Different degrees of pain. It could be like massive massive pain or it could just be general discomfort. Right. Okay. And we know that we we need clarity. We need some way to frame this some way to to look at this so we can get through the day. And then what do we do? And I you know I'll include myself. I'm not I'm I'm not perfect here. I Look for for for look for answers in other sources. And that to me is the tragedy. Because it's just satisfying enough that it delays the need to search further. It feels like >> Those are the those other sources. Yeah. Those other sources. Yeah. So you know, podcasts and books and whatever other sources. Some are and some are you know lower but the point is that Someone sent me I believe I mentioned this also somewhere in another podcast but the will have to forgive me if I'm repeating myself. Okay. But someone sent me a um a meme that is a new discovery that if you help others then it actually helps with your happiness. >> Okay. Right. And I was like, "Good morning." Like well welcome to what is anybody writing about they don't want to and they want to go be involved in the youth and help Right. And it's like, "Okay, so you got so you're so you're saying you're delaying somebody but you're going to you have to go go further and you're going to get the the the the real source anyways." By the way, this is a story story that I told. I was told a story that the the the the the the says that he was at a the So it's I think it was. And there was someone there at the I think from the of And this person was listening to podcasts. So I guess in the 80s and 90s they didn't have podcasts. It must have been a must have been a book. I don't know what it was. Bigger, yeah. How was the clip That [laughter] was the podcast of the That was the podcast. So the guy says, "Hey, Still talk about this still talk about bigger. Bigger, yeah. So he says that professors found out that when you look up it helps you remember and when you look down it's starting to look at the of the And when you look down it helps you to concentrate because there's a vein in the brain and it brings blood to different parts of the brain that do different functions. And the guy you know he said he was all excited by thought it was very interesting. And after afterwards the went and got a a mind of the of the of the And he showed him and say that it's the the has a is from the the of of uh of of of of of And then that's why sorry in a person that he when he he's the person is also made that way and when he wants to remember he looks up when he when he wants to concentrate he looks down. So the tells this story as an illustration that everything is in the and this guy he had to get excited that he heard it on a podcast or he read it in a book or whatever it is. It's in this. Okay. So going back to what I was saying about grab a yes. Is that So I have that you want to be controversial? Yeah. Oh yeah. Amongst them is brought to you by their hair. We live in a chaotic world. A world where for us is a later we do not have the ability to hear and see the on a daily basis. Yet we know that the is very much with us and the is alive and thriving more than ever before. One needs to only tap into it. The of the hair provides you and your family with the tools necessary to tap into all of this. Whether it's the monthly magazine the way it all began. Whether it's the hair books, the hair online content and so much more. Men, women and children throughout the world benefit and use these tools on a daily basis. 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And the Rebbe gave a very clear answer that only Torah and high tachana how does it come to a chasan with time for this? Okay. And I got pushed back. You know, it's out of context and there's other letters and you know, it's a serious thing. Okay. So, I mean, I love the criticism, no problem. But I mean, I just quoted the Rebbe. So, I don't know what you know, Right. But and I whatever the the head The magazine. Yes. It was actually like a WhatsApp that we sent out. Uh-huh. Um I remember that project. No, no, this is recently. Oh, this is a different You did another project. It was a project that happened to me. We have selections that we sent out. So, that was Monday. I was thinking to myself, okay, of the other niche, I mean, but you know, maybe the Rebbe's right. >> [laughter] >> Has anyone ever thought about it? >> Right. Right. By the way, in my own lifetime, I've seen like there's been a shift like people have gone that way and now people are like, you know, slowly shh. I'm not I don't know if I'm being clear. I mean, I'm intentionally being a little vague over here. I understand that you're being careful and the nature of trends is that they trend. Right. And that the understanding of things shifts and changes and evolves and there's pendulum swings and they go to one extreme and to another extreme. And what is considered conventional wisdom I mean, I'm not even that old, but in my lifetime, I've seen Not even pendulum swings. Back and forth and back and forth. I'm younger than you and in my adult life Right. seen Swinging it back and forth. Yeah. Yeah. >> [sighs and gasps] >> So, maybe the Rebbe knows what he's talking about. >> Or at the very least, could you admit that the Rebbe knew what he was talking about to that guy? Right. And that there's some value in hearing what [clears throat] the Rebbe told this person. Does it mean that you have to do exactly what it says there? See, where does that come from? That comes from that very shallow approach I was describing before when I said, "People who only think about what the Rebbe said, not how the Rebbe said it." >> [snorts] >> And then the Rebbe wrote can be first and then I want to answer the answers to one person and >> Right. The Rebbe will give two opposite answers to two different people. In fact, I know of cases where regarding a shidduch, two parties, the same shidduch, the Rebbe told one one thing, the other the other thing. It's good for you. It's not good for you. Okay. So, and and if you're learning Gemara, you don't have a problem with that. They love they love doing it. They came from >> generalizations. Like for example, but where >> Where does it come from the generalizations? Where does that shvachkai come from? It comes from this the the this shallow way of learning where I think that I just have to memorize all the things the Rebbe said and the quotes. They're just quotes. They're things And what was the Rebbe's opinion about what kind of car you should buy? The Rebbe said buy last year's model. Like like and that becomes like put that on the banner. That's a I can use what the Rebbe said. Yeah. I think he even says like a year ago. Like last year's model. >> I didn't see that. Okay. Sometimes I've said you Right. Whatever. The point is and they make that like that's like like that's a shif in Shulchan Aruch. Like that becomes like Like they now let at least cuz it's not a used car. Right. Right. Exactly. Okay. >> [sighs] >> There's an approach like it's it's it's a way of looking at things. So, yeah, is it is is it important to know Ois shia sedar to be able to quote and to yes, absolutely. And to know what did the Rebbe say? What words did the Rebbe use? Very important. It's very important. But that's the beginning. And I think what happens is people just get very hung up on what was the Rebbe's opinion about such and such? Well, it says in such and such shicha this is what the Rebbe said. Now, that's the answer. No, no, no, no, no. What was the context for it? You know, [laughter] this might be like a silly way to like make [clears throat] the point. But I'll be like coming up to someone saying, "What's the most important Yom Tov in the Jewish year?" Oh, I know. It's Rosh Hashanah. I just learned a shicha the Rebbe said Rosh Hashanah is the most important day. Right. Right. You know anything about the Rebbe, you know that whenever the Rebbe is speaking about, he'll explain how this is more important than anything else. Right? Right. But if the person just takes that one clip and that's it and now that's the whole binyan av, right? Katuv. Okay. Yeah. Exactly. You now have a source and that's it. We're going to make it on a poster and that's it. And it and it and it absolves me from from actually being a talmid. I think that's also another thing. It's connected to this whole discussion like the Rebbe's chiddush in the the the mussak of kabbalas oil. The Rebbe innovates the definition of the concept of kabbalas oil itself. Many places, but uh I think one approach to kabbalas oil is there's kabbalas oil and there's seichel. Like there's accepting the yoke and there's thinking. And there's a two different opposite worlds. They're antithetical. You have to choose one or the other. Nasseh or nishma. You got to do one or the other. And the Rebbe comes and says, "No, it's nasseh and it's nishma. You do both. There's a seder, obviously nasseh first then nishma. But don't say nasseh and then up, there it is. Kabbalas oil, now I don't Saying the yelishus aveda de koidem le shasha whatever could be the Rebbe's way. But that doesn't You have to have a a gishmak in the kabbalas oil for understanding it. Okay. Is that what you're saying? That's another thing. That's another thing. And by the way, in very interesting, a letter I saw the [snorts] Rebbe wrote to a mechaneches seems to be in Crown Heights Chabad. He told her she should tell the girls that even the chachmei at tevah uh of of umas ha'olam, I forget the exact lashon, but it was like non-Jewish scientists are also saying that you need to have kabbalas oil in order to have a happy life. And I was thinking to myself, it's sort of like we're saying before like why do you what's that from uncommontary podcast, right? And then I realized, you can't have kabbalas oil to kabbalas oil. You first have to get the person to agree that it's good for them. >> [clears throat] >> Cuz they're not there yet. They have to agree it's good for them. Then once they agree it's good for them, now they can have kabbalas oil. So, the beginning of it was explain to them even according to non-Jewish scientists, you have to have self-discipline in life. Okay, but getting back to this this other point about kabbalas oil the way the Rebbe explains it. Kabbalas oil is not you check your brain at the door and now you're not thinking anymore and now you're done. To the contrary. If you say kabbalas oil means I no longer have an obligation to think, what you're basically doing is you're telling Hashem, "My kabbalas oil only goes so deep. I can be mekabel oil on the level of maaseh, maybe even on the level of dibbur, but I cannot give you my machshava and therefore what I'll do instead, I'll shut it off. I'll shut it off. But I I can't I'm sorry. I can't think like a Jew. I just can't do it. So, you're holding out on Hashem. So, the Rebbe says kabbalas oil By the way, one of you say this is like a sicha on this is in in the the sicha in in chelek gimmel on on on on parshas Zachor. What Shaul and what does it mean? What was his mistake and what does it mean he didn't listen and that kabbalas oil doesn't mean you turn off your brain. It means that you accept that you're going to use your brain and you're going to train yourself to think like a Yid. That's what it means. So, I think a lot of times one of the issues we have culturally is as Lubavitchers I'm saying is like okay, how will I have kabbalas oil? I will just do whatever the Rebbe said. Tell me what the Rebbe said. Tell me what the Rebbe said. Tell me what the Rebbe says and I'll and I'll do it. Just tell me what the Rebbe said and I'll do it. And the Rebbe wants to tell me them. The Rebbe wants people who know how to think. The Rebbe is spending thousands of hours teaching you how to approach not just learning, but life. And you're refusing to do it. You're saying, "No, no, no. I just give me the quotes. Give me the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch and and that's it. Now, follow it." So, that's why like you're saying you got pushed back. Oh, the Rebbe told someone to get over their depression. Well, well, what does it What does that mean? Everyone should just get over their depression? When did ever occur to you because the Rebbe said something one time to one person that that is the binyan av, that it becomes the rule for every situation, every time There's an approach that that that that brings across. It But if you think about that in those terms, if your way of relating to the Rebbe's Torah is very um literal where you're just what did the Rebbe say and now then you do generalize and then you're afraid of words like that because you're like, "Oh, well, but but but that doesn't fit with what we know." What But it fits with the with that real human being reached out to the Rebbe in a time of weakness and the Rebbe as a loving father said it to that person. So, it has relevance at least on that level. Has truth at least on that level. But no, but we can't turn it into a a banner that we can we can say shachris mincha maariv. Well, who said anything is like that? But there but there is a general There is an approach. Like for the in this in this way that may not with some which some people may struggle with and find not conventional. But it's an approach and you have to know how to apply it. What is What is the approach? Well, generally, the Rebbe is very into minimizing people's problems. Not invalidating it. Not dismissing. Saying being dismissive is uh yeah, yeah, yeah. That's not You know, like Grow up. Grow up. Right. There's an expression, um, don't tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big God is. Okay, now that's my invert my version of of uh Moshe's done the You know, that the tell me that I'll show him I had to hear the Ukrainian wagon driver say it in the Können kannst du helfen mir dabei? Right. [clears throat] But the question is why did they have to hear it from the Ukrainian wagon driver? And then it was it was a teaching of the Bal Shem Tov. Okay, the point is sometimes it you hear it said in the the iciest of uh the Sfas Emes and it makes more sense to you. So there's there's a vort there. Don't tell God how big your problems are are tell tell your problems how big God is. The Rebbe's approach is is very much on the side of like this is manageable. I never saw the Rebbe say this is unmanageable. Like we're never going to be able to take care of this. This is too big. We can't deal with this. I never saw it. So, that's very different than dismissive. Dismissive is I don't even want to hear about it. Or it doesn't exist. >> Or it doesn't exist. It's not real. The Rebbe's like, yeah. >> You can do it. You can do it. Like it's real, but we can manage this. This is manageable. Now that's not to tell you that this is the binyan av that anyone who has depression that the answer is you can do it. Maybe that's not the answer or maybe that's not the entire answer. Maybe that's only part of the answer. >> [sighs] >> We love to generalize. I can get really controversial if you want. Okay, go ahead. >> [snorts] >> So the other day we're learning a letter, 30 letters in 30 days, and I noticed that it was the the date of the letter was Yud Aleph Shvat. Not Tashin Yud Aleph, but it was all the we're learning Chelek Gimmel Chelek Gimmel Bet, so all the letters are from Tashin Tet Shin Aleph. But it was it was Yud Aleph Shvat. So imagine Yud Aleph Shvat is the first day of Kabbalas Hanisius. And now it happened to be the day we're learning that letter was Beis Nissan. Which Beis Beis Nissan is the Hilula of the Rebbe Rashab. It's also Kabbalas Hanisius. Scholars and CS. Of the scholars and CS of of of the Friediker Rebbe. Not like with the Rebbe where there's a whole inter you know, period in between. Like the day of the Hilula was the day of uh the scholars and CS. So I mentioned, I said, it's interesting cuz Yud Aleph Shvat is the letter we just learned. That's the beginning of the Rebbe's Hanisius and Beis Nissan is the beginning of the Friediker Rebbe's Hanisius. Of course, on the Yom Haktara, which I said that term because that's the language the Rebbe used, is um the the beginning the the the coronation of the of of of of the Friediker Rebbe. And so you should say Yechi Hamelech to give life to the Nasi. So Yechi Hamelech it gives life to the Nasi. Beis Nissan Tashin Mem Ches, yeah. So, someone made a clip of it. They got all excited. Oh, the end of the Igros Kodesh where Shay said Yechi Hamelech. So, I was I was in Crown Heights for Shabbos. So a lot of people were coming over commenting on oh, yeah, he he said Yechi Hamelech. Yeah, I did. That is correct. Beis Nissan is the time to say Yechi Hamelech. I'm not telling you can't say it any other time. What I'm saying is the context of Yechi Hamelech is Beis Nissan. Now maybe if you want to generalize you could say for us it's Yud Aleph Shvat. And maybe Yud Aleph Shvat I'll say Yechi Hamelech will be an appropriate thing to say cuz that's the Kabbalas Hanisius, the Haktara, however you want to say it. But my point is I think people get really really hung up on this is the word. These are the words. This is the quote, okay? And now if it's good, let's just do it all the time. Like if the Rebbe said that Rosh Hashanah is the most important Yom Tov, that's it. Oh, but he said Sukkos is the most important Yom Tov. He said Shavuos is the most important Everything is context. There's a context for for saying Yechi Hamelech. There's a context for every every holy word the Rebbe said has an eternal context. Eternal doesn't mean that you should say that all the time. It means there will always be situations in which it is the most appropriate thing to say. Is that too nuanced? Is that like too I don't know what you Should we say it or not? You imagine somebody came to 770 for Slichos. And you're at Slichos and you're so excited and he's walking around in Cheder Shadar and he's saying the whole Shema Kol Nidrei >> [laughter] >> upon him. It's so moving. That's that's for Slichos. Like why are you saying that now? Like Everything has context. So going back It's the famous Rebbe. Yeah, yeah. V'ein tzachus umar Rebbe. Yeah, and people used to mock that. I remember clearly people mocking the v'ein tzachus v'ein tzachus umar Rebbe v'umar Rebbe. People used to mock that that that he he's not committing. He can't It's not that he's not committing. It's that I I I'll give you a very very simple example that if you don't grasp this you cannot learn Chassidus. The Alter Rebbe says in Torah Ohr that Mahus Hanefesh has no tziur. He says, but in Sefer Shel Beinonim I said that Mahus Hanefesh is koachus Hanefesh as a koachus seichel and middos. He says, yeah, cuz in Sefer Shel Beinonim we're talking about the avodah that you can control you must control your levush Hanefesh your your thought, speech, and action. You can't directly control your seichel and middos, your intellect and your emotions. So relative to the context of Sefer Shel Beinonim we call koachus Hanefesh Mahus Hanefesh in that text. But here in Torah Ohr Mahus Hanefesh means something beyond deeper even than than than koachus Hanefesh and has no tziur. But imagine somebody would insist that they they they learned or in the end of Perek Beis of Tanya he talks about a levush. Oiseh levush. Tzemach Tzedek says that that's the nefesh hasiklis. But in Perek Daled and then for the rest of Tanya levush is machshavah, dibbur, and maaseh. Thought, speech, and action. Imagine if you were forcing well, if levush means this it has to mean If that's what it means, two chapters later it has to mean it in this chapter as well. But that's not the context. So the word the same word has different meaning in different contexts. So I think a lot of the problem is that we get hung up on Did the Rebbe say it? Did the Rebbe said it? Now this becomes the simplified catchall phrase for every situation. And that I'm just saying when people said you can't print the Rebbe telling somebody to What was What was What was even the language? You don't have to be exactly precise. >> misquote, but it was it was a translation. The Rebbe said like vet hotza'ah after davening. Okay. Like a hot hotza'ah after davening. >> no time for depression. Right. Okay. I think I I believe that's what it was, if I remember correctly. And then it becomes well, that is dismissive of all depression and then because you're you're saying that that's how you should speak to anyone every time. Nobody said that. We're saying the Rebbe said it to this And by the way, let me let me go further. This is what the Rebbe said to this person this time. I don't know what the Rebbe told that person the very next day. It could have been different. Nuance. That's why it's so important to understand the approach. It's not what, it's how. So let me ask you another question. Forget about what the Rebbe wrote to people. What the Rebbe spoke publicly. So it's Yud Aleph Nissan. Mhm. And how you how are you mechazek your hiskashrus? Learning the Rebbe's Torah and doing what the Rebbe told us to do. Mhm. Kim had Eisav. Et cetera. So someone could struggle with some of the things that the Rebbe said to do that are hard. Someone reached out to me today. What does it mean to learn Shlosha Perakim in Tanya? It's very very hard to if you actually actually do it and not just retell it. >> hardest things in my life are Shabbos Mevorchim Tehillim and Shlosha Perakim. I don't have a problem with Tehillim. You know what my problem with it? Uh I don't know. I don't have a problem with that, but the Shlosha Perakim >> It's terrible. It's torture for me. Torture. Okay. And I'm saying it publicly because I want to normalize it that it may be torture for other people. And I want them to know Uh so so this is my question. Oh, yeah. So if it's hard, I'll give you let's do a a hard very hard example. Okay. The Rebbe had a campaign. And we published an extensive essay on it in the the head a number of years ago. The Rebbe had a campaign to have large families. Okay. The Rebbe very and I I read it often about having a large family. And I I read I I reread it the sichos and and and that article often and one of the chosson teachers told me he gives it out to the the chossonim. And the kallah teacher also. The Rebbe is very very clear. Yes. Yes. And also the Rebbe addresses spacing very clearly. And the Rebbe is very strong about the lack of the lack of it. >> Yes. So obviously there's the everything you already said before the nuance and and you know you know and and fine. There's that nuance. But then there's another thing that sometimes the Rebbe wants us to do something that is very hard. Yeah. >> And that's part of what it means to be a soldier. Right, even though it's hard you're going to do it. So, what do you say about all all of this? >> That's a very valid question. It's a very sensitive area. I mean, that's a super sensitive area. I know, that's why I'm bringing it up. >> Yeah, okay. That's I think the most controversial thing. It happens to be that I am passionate about it. And I feel like that it's a it's that particular area is something that gets written off very very quickly. Yeah. >> And I think that that was the whole point of the campaign was not to tell you that it's also or anything like that. Right. >> The Rebbe was trying to educate us how we Yes. And I think one of the Lashon Hakodesh that the Rebbe uses is the Rebbe is talking to women. The Rebbe says that you shouldn't go The Rebbe wants The The I'm saying the attitude. >> Obviously you could go to the Rebbe to get a heter. Right. And the Tzemach Tzedek, who's the posek for Chabad, writes about birth control. >> Right, but the Rebbe says And if you learn the Tzemach Tzedek Okay, so it exists. >> Rebbe is trying to And the Tzemach Tzedek knows how to give a heter. >> Right, but the Rebbe is trying to influence But the one the woman asks the Rebbe her attitude. Right. >> Exactly. Exactly. But people don't get these nuances. They talk about this, no? I'm giving you, you know? >> is not telling you what to do. I mean, I guess maybe some places you could say that the Rebbe is telling you what to do. I mean, that's we can we can talk about that. >> doesn't say what to do. The Rebbe teaches. But that's the thing. The Rebbe is teaching. You take with the family planning, clearly the Rebbe is not giving anyone an instructive, this is what you have to do. The Rebbe is giving you an approach to it. There's one very powerful sicha about family planning. The Rebbe talks about Breishis bara Elokim es hashamaim v'es ha'aretz. Audits means erdishe zach, in the worldly approach. And from the worldly approach, it's so overwhelming and how can I do it? But then you have to say, "Vos vet meine neshama zogen?" You remember this this Lashon? Beautiful. Beautiful. Like, "What would meine neshama say?" And it's like a thought process, a meditation a person is supposed to go through. Like, yeah, from a physical point of view, there there's no way I can make this work. But what would meine neshama say? That's not a that's not a gzeira chazal. It's not a that the Rebbe is making a decree, here's what you have to do. It's the Rebbe teaching. [laughter] >> So, my So, my question for you is when there's an inyan from the Rebbe that's hard. I mean, a lot of things are hard. Shlichus is very hard. Uh for some people wearing a sheitel is hard. I mean, there's there's a lot of things that are hard. How does a chossid What What's the mixture of kabalas oil, but also chinuch action? Not just do something kabalas oil, but actually Like, for example, if you if you struggle to have a large family, don't rely on the fact that 10 years ago you looked into it. Do it again. Right. >> However much you need it, every day, every week, every year, what whatever it is. Like, what what do you What do you What do you do to be a chossid to act like Yeah. The The The things that are hard for you, how do you just say, "I can't do it." Or or just have that kabalas oil with that without buying into it, but that's also a bad recipe. What What's the What's the balance? >> There's There's the famous story about Herman Wouk came to the Rebbe. And Herman Wouk had a very interesting unusual biography in that he grew up in America. I think he was from the Bronx. Uh shomer Shabbos his whole life, even when he was in the American army, and he was By the way, people think that everyone who ever was like on the radar of Lubavitch, like they exaggerate their their level of fame. >> How big they were? It's called the telethon syndrome. Like Lubavitcher bachurim think like Jan Peerce was like the biggest star of all cuz he was, you know, but uh Herman Wouk actually >> was. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, if you list like top five influential American authors of the 20th century, I think everyone's going to put him on the list, right? He He was very big. Anyways, the pillow was the guy was from his whole life. Okay? Now, he comes to the Rebbe. And the Rebbe is telling him about his plan. And he says, "With all due respect, Lubavitcher Rebbe, do you think you can tell American Jews to do anything? It's like, "I am an American Jew. I know these people." And he You have to understand, American Jewry, even Orthodox were not Orthodox. I mean, very few people very few people were able to to hold it together. >> You're talking like the the the pre-war Pre-war generation. Assimilation was super super rampant. They came over from the old country, and you know the stories of throwing the tfillin over the boats. I mean, these are real things. Like with shuckles. I mean, uh I don't have to give you examples to to prove it, but I can tell you at the level >> Jewry that you see. Right. And when the Fiddler on the Roof talked about American Yiddishkeit, it was not just for fun. It was that was a real issue. It was a crisis. Crisis. So, Herman Wouk is talking with someone who was frum. And he is from America, he gets that mentality. He says, "Lubavitcher Rebbe, do you think you can tell American Jews to do anything? Like, Americans are not Russians. Russians are very, you know, the folk, you know, soldier. But Americans like are cowboys. You don't tell Americans what to do. My freedoms! My freedoms! RIGHT? YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO, I'M GOING TO DO the opposite. So, he says, "Lubavitcher Rebbe, do you think you can tell American Jews to do anything?" The Rebbe says, "You No, you can't tell them to do anything. But you can teach them to do everything. At least that's how Herman Wouk reported it. Now, and I've heard Rabbi Feller repeat it before. I don't know if he told it directly to him. I know they were I think they went to Yitzchok Nissan together on a On a uh On a private plane. >> Private plane with Senator Ribicoff. Yeah, the whole story. Okay, you've heard that also, right? You think you can tell American Jews to do anything? No, you can't tell them to do anything, but you can teach them to do everything. Okay. So, here's what I think. There may be some things that the Rebbe did say in a manner of gzeira chazal. I'm not sure what they are, but I'd have to think about it. I would think most things though is the Rebbe teaching. And the Rebbe is spending time explaining things, why it's important, why we do it this way and not other ways. You know, like you mentioned sheitel. Like, that was something the Rebbe explained why this way, why not another way, why is it important. Any of these concepts, the Rebbe had enough authority in the eyes of chassidim at least, to say, "I'm This is the decree. This is what I'm saying. This is what you have to do." But the Rebbe educated and explained it. There are other kinds in that you have to they take attendance if you show up at the tisch or whatever. Right. >> never like that in Lubavitch. Right. Maybe the Rebbe took attendance, but it wasn't you weren't, you know, it wasn't you didn't feel that the the mandate. Right. And it's interesting that people were there because they felt that they should be there. Nobody had to be there. They wanted to be there. And I think that's the same with a lot of things. Like, no one is forcing you to do this. But the Rebbe gave you enough information and explanation that if you think about it for a little while, you'll want to do it. Just like l'havdil, you listen to your favorite podcast and your favorite you read your favorite author. And by the time you're done, you're all excited and you're motivated, you're going to do this, you can do that. Okay, can the Lubavitcher Rebbe have as much place in your mind, l'havdil, as as as those things? Do you think the Rebbe has the capacity to influence you? I would even just say it I'm I'm not trying to be sarcastic. I'm just saying it even as an innocent question. Try it out. Try it see what happens. See how influential it'll be. Go. Make it super easy. You don't even have to read. Go and pull up um Living Torah videos on on family planning, and just watch those videos. >> made a whole film on that. >> They made a whole thing on it. Yeah. Just just watch those. And just see. See if it has an effect on you. And I know certain of Yeah. that when he gets the question, maybe if it's the first time, he says, "Do me a favor. Watch the video." Then I took the shidduch just watch the I mean, maybe now he says read the the hair or no. But wa- watch the video. And then call me back. You did a whole thing in the hair about family planning. Was that what you got bashed for? Yeah, we got we got Yeah, the Rebbe Which did you get We got bashed because people It's not appropriate for bachurim. Yeah, it's not appropriate for bachurim. You know, the story uh Rabbi Doctor Pape told me about the uh Moshiach Times. You know about that? Tell me what. I'm sure you know it. Come on. Yossi, you know everything. The The cover of the The Michtavim, and they didn't want to write Taharas Hamishpacha. Yeah. Right? So, they wrote something The The Rebbe had a sicha about telling the truth. So, instead, ironically enough, telling the truth cuz they were like hiding the truth. And cuz they didn't want to write Taharas Hamishpacha. And the Rebbe wrote like The Rebbe was megaleh all the covers of the Moshiach Times. He says, "Like, one of the Michtavim is missing over here. Taharas Hamishpacha. Not appropriate for bachurim." The Rebbe wanted children should know what to think. I mean, first of all, I mean, whatever. I don't even want to get into >> No, go ahead. Oh, yeah, do. I mean, first of all, the Rebbe was speaking to a room packed with bachurim. Right. Right. Who was there? Even though I Even though I saw on a sicha that the Rebbe says that the iker crowd is baalei batim. I I'm addressing and I'm not about this, about something else. Right. Fine, but the pile I mean, second of all Um, when are they supposed to find out about how to think about life? Right. >> When it hits them in the face? Right. That's the first time they should And I'm not even getting into the outside influence on our culture today and how Baruch Hashem Right. >> people people the bachurim have Right. >> Right. Many of them know. It's called the dar de'ah. Exactly. I mean there's the famous joke. Someone has [clears throat] the parents sitting down with the child and he says we're going to have the talk. Talk about what? The talk. And the kid says, okay, no problem. What do you want to know? >> [laughter] >> Uh-huh. Maybe that we'll have to [snorts] cut out. No, no, it's fine. Leave it. It's good. >> [sighs] >> So why were people upset about it? I mean that was that was a reaction that that people had. I mean it was it was a there was a machlokes amongst various mashpi'im if there's any valid validity to that to that thing. I mean um I mean the pile of the people that I spoke to felt very strongly that um first of all the Rebbe saw to it to explain this and he even said in those sichos that I'm speaking about even those called nitznius. The Rebbe said in the sichos. Right. He said that. He addressed that issue. Number one. And the the Rebbe said nevertheless I'm going to address it. And b'klal whenever the Rebbe speaks about any of these things the Rebbe speaks about in such a elevated um edel. I I listened to to to to some shiurim from people from other kinds and they say whatever they want as long as it's in Hebrew. You know, as long as as long as they're using a halachic term for anything he put in his nitznius that they're talking about they just use it. You know, and and whenever the Rebbe spoke about anything like that the Rebbe always made sure to speak very very elevated kedusha dik manner of speech. That that's number one. I don't I don't know which number I'm holding me, but but but the main point is that the Rebbe was educating an oilam and who when do you get educated? When you're single, when you're a bachur, when you're when you're before you're married or you're a girl. Saying that is when you get anything in life. I mean I would say that most people them them most of their education their hanhagos come from from when they're bachurim. So anything that you need to hear you need to hear that. Okay, details? Yeah, there's an answer from the Rebbe. A bachur wrote was on I think Merkos Shlichus and he wrote he met somebody had a bunch of shailos in emunah. Like like like not shailos in emunah like halacha says this but the reality is that, you know, like Torah and science type of thing. The Rebbe gave it's a ma'amar. The Rebbe gave like a detailed answer. Two of them were like inyanim that were that you know, the inyan of tzni'us. Mhm. Like about like the biology. >> Right. And something in halacha it says and the biology is different. The Rebbe said like it's not appropriate like you're a you're a you're a bachur. Okay. Fine fine. So that was a limit. Yeah. You see when the Rebbe had to make a limit immediately or at least for that person. >> There are limits but but you can So fine, so that's why they only learn you know, taharas hamishpacha and the halachos when you're chasan. Okay, fine. By the way, how old does a bachur have to be to learn Rambam? Yeah, that's that's that's for sure, right, you know. Cuz you go through Rambam you're going to you're going to you're going to get an education. Correct. >> [sighs] >> Halevai everyone's context for their original exposure to everything in life should be from Torah. And I think that's the theme of what we're talking about here. That the Rebbe should be as much of a mandator in our lives as all the other sources l'havdil that we allow to have an influence on us. At least as much. And that there's no area of life where you can say, well, you know, the Rebbe can tell me how to daven. The Rebbe can tell me uh I don't know, shlichus. You know, in that poom, you know, if it has to do with avodah. But there's certain parts of life you know, I have to figure it out for myself. And and it's like uh so opposite of the way the Rebbe educates how to understand what a Rebbe is. What is a Rebbe? Is someone who is with you in all areas of your life. Famous sicha from the from the from the first uh you know, from the first sichos from the first farbrengens after Yud Shvat the Rebbe was talking about the the Gemara about Rabbenu Hakadosh Yehudah Hanasi Boni Chaim U'Zaina, I need my sons and he speaks about the the Rebbe says that I keep my my bed made and my my lamp lit and my um Neri yedaluk kemeni. And um what was the the the the third thing? >> mito mito. And the the the the my sons. My uh my table. So uh and the Rebbe talks about this of Boni Chaim U'Zaina that the the the the table is parnassah and the the the and that the mita is is children. You know. And um the lamp is you come to the Rebbe after the histalkus and you talk about ask the don't think the Rebbe is way up there and now he can't relate to your needs anymore of Boni Chaim U'Zaina the you your family issues and your parnassah issues and your health issues. The Rebbe still cares. And then the Rebbe goes even deeper. And says by the way, mita mita, you know, on the parve level mita But there's even lower. Mita can mean avodahs. Cuz first of all mita is when the head and the feet are on the same level. So you're not thinking. You know, in adam mevein davar m'toch davar Elokim nichnas b'ruchto. But say that. Right. Well, say that. Very good. Okay. >> [laughter] >> And uh That's like I'm in base now. Yeah, that's a I'm always holding still at that point. I'm still um But also the Rebbe says mita is avodah. So he says, yeah, of course. Cuz people are nishal in those those things. People struggle with that. Yeah. So mita means chotzei norem. And you can come listen to this. The Rebbe after the histalkus is high in in the Histalkus meaning elevation. Histalkus kodem l'kushya Histalkus kodem l'kushya. Yeah, bigulah olam. The Rebbe is on these high high high high levels. And you think to yourself what kind of a connection do I have? I'm I I I I I have I have issues. Real issues. And uh there's shame and there's there's there's And I didn't want to tell my mashpia. I should tell the Rebbe. And the Rebbe is saying, what do you think a Rebbe is? What do you think a Rebbe is? Who who who are you going to tell? Like the guy who came back from Jamaica. Who who else should I tell? And I think everybody should know that. It's like whatever you're struggling with in your life, whatever it is. Whatever it's I'm not saying if you don't have these problems go out and get those problems God forbid. But whatever it is that you are dealing with the Rebbe has answers for you and guidance. And and the Rebbe knows how to be gentle and the Rebbe knows how to also be firm. The Rebbe knows how to comfort you. The Rebbe knows how to push you. And it's all there. And there's nothing in your life that you have to keep private and separate from your relationship with the Rebbe. Cuz it's all there. Yeah. Um Okay. So this is this is the the Daled Nissan work. That whatever's going on in your life you should know the Rebbe has guidance for you. The Rebbe cares. It's relevant. You are relevant to the Rebbe. The Rebbe the Rebbe is relevant to you. Okay. So I think we should uh I think Daled Nissan is a day that um each day has different Yud Shvat and Yud Daled Nissan has different What is it What is the difference? I mean I mean What is What is the uniqueness of Yud Daled Nissan over that Yud Shvat? Right. Yud Shvat is [snorts] the beginning of the Rebbe's public life officially. Capacity of the official capacity of of nasi. You know, or or Gimmel Tammuz is the culmination of another level of the avodah the life's work of the Rebbe becoming more impactful in the world. >> [cough and clears throat] >> Or like Yud Daled Kislev the connections that they they connected. This Yeah, so what do you think what what's Yud Daled Nissan? What's the uniqueness of Yud Daled Nissan? Yud Daled Nissan is is gratitude. So we give a present to the Rebbe. We're grateful that the Rebbe was born. That's it. It's poshut it's it's gratitude. We're we're we're thankful that Hashem chose to send the Rebbe here to this world. We're doubly thankful the Rebbe was sent to this world for us in our time. And we're we're That's it. We're grateful. We want to celebrate. It's a day of celebration a birthday celebration. Um giving gifts to show our celebration our gratitude. That's what it is. We're grateful. I always tell my kids that the it's at least in some point in the mission going to be sunny. I don't know if you've ever heard of any of them, but sun always shines in the dolphin mission. Some point. Some point. And there's also the there's always a big question that I always had that I have been in the mission thanks those that sent brochos and wishes. Yeah. I was always wondering this is more as a buffer I was wondering a buffer Who are you to give the other brochos? >> I wish that right. Right. So I I recently I remember as a buffer a friend of mine told me that his grandfather in Suddock he asked him this question and he gave him the whole and I asked him recently I didn't remember what it was I I recently asked him what it was and he had no recollection of the whole thing. >> Oh, no. So what do you think? That we should send well wishes and brochos to the Rebbe? I mean I have a thought about it, but it's that it's really definitely not a a quote. It's more my personal thought. I mean I I guess I could share it. We won't quote you. Don't quote me. Yeah, exactly. I'm not quoting so don't quote me. We were speaking about the idea that the Rebbe educated us how to think. So don't just repeat the quotes. Learn how to learn how to think. And and think like the Rebbe. And a lot of them get nervous. Oh, you're going to think like the Rebbe? Who are you to think like the Rebbe? Same as the Rebbe's words. Who are you? Who are you? Well, who are you? Right. Who are you to think like the Rebbe? So my my only question to you my friend is then who would you like me to think like? Who would you like me to think like? And if your answer is don't think at all I'm going to go to Chabad this is Chabad I got to think. So who do you want me to think like? So the Rebbe gave this is just my unauthorized opinion the Rebbe gave Rebbe training. Rebbe training. The Rebbe took things that the Rebbe told him because that's what you tell a Rebbe in training. The Rebbe told us. Many such examples. Birthday is one of those examples by the way. The fact that the Rebbe made birthdays a thing for all that's a Rebbe thing. So a Rebbe should think birthdays. >> [sighs] >> And I think shlichus and I say is a literal thing in the Rebbe's world view. And I think that we are I mean the Rebbe said about the with the with the the Rebbe said no no the when he from the tool Admor right. Why? Because every son of the says Admor in the in the yes and I would have concluded from that also the same thing. No, I would have never come up with that, but the Rebbe taught it and once the Rebbe teaches it you start to realize oh, you start to extrapolate start to understand. Okay, so the Rebbe's saying >> [sighs and gasps] >> that there's a whole other level that them can be lifted to. And and this that it didn't happen before in history Okay, you could say the same thing about itself. Why didn't it exist before? And the Rebbe answered that question because it wasn't needed. When the more needed it is okay and that's why if the went to prison and he was already acquitted so why did the middle one have to go to prison? Because he pushed it further. Why did he push it further? Because it was needed more. Okay. I I do believe the Rebbe revealed something in them was never revealed before. I think the Rebbe bestowed things that normally would be nervous about and call it Rebbe's stuff. I think the Rebbe gave it to every kid. One of my big pet peeves by the way talking about just repeating what the Rebbe said about you look in the original year and 50 years ago and the Rebbe didn't say the kids should memorize the words the Rebbe said they should learn the concepts and teach them to other kids because the whole concept of is not to educate children but to turn children into educators. And that same year later Thomas the Rebbe said somebody wrote to me and said where did I get such a crazy idea of making children into educators? And I and I said well, you never heard the about my son of the whole title is going to be forgotten and went and he he took kids and he made them into one kid for each one kid for each say the and he restored the whole title through children. So yeah. I think that the Rebbe gave us or brought out in us extraordinary powers. And um I also think that when someone gives you a gift the polite thing is to use it. It's not nice if someone gave you a gift especially a gift that's connected with a lot of time and effort. So for the Rebbe to download all of that holy information and make it available and then to not use it it's not doesn't show sufficient appreciation. So yeah, I I I think that's part of it. Just my personal opinion. Okay. I should and a good Yom Tov. Yeah, Yom Tov. Happy birthday. Happy birthday.