By Yochanan Gordon

The events of the 28th of Nissan will forever be etched into the hearts and minds of Chabad chassidim the world over, until the malady that compelled those words spoken by the late Lubavitcher Rebbe on that day in 1991 is cured.

On Thursday evening, as the 27th of Nissan gave way to the 28th with the conclusion of Ma’ariv, the Rebbe stood at his lectern and began a sichah. At the outset there was nothing specific that distinguished this particular address from thousands of other sichos that the Rebbe delivered throughout the course of his 43-year tenure. The Rebbe discussed the heightened redemptive energy associated with that year and specifically that day, presumably to arouse excitement and activism among his followers to do what was necessary to herald the redemption and bring the curtains down on nearly two thousand years of exile.

At a certain point, the scholarly discourse came to an end and the Rebbe began to speak in much more personal and direct undertones, addressing those assembled there at the time. There was a palpable existential angst in his words and overall mannerisms, as if to convey that his incessant calls to activate a collective sense of urgency amongst his followers to demand that G‑d bring an end to the exile seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Perhaps the most painful statement that he made was when he said that his inability to herald the coming of Mashiach signaled that all his efforts were in vain. He then uttered words that no one ever imagined they’d hear from his holy mouth: “I have done everything I could to bring Mashiach, and I am passing along the task for you to complete. Do all you can to see to it that G‑d delivers us from this exile.”

The Rebbe’s quest to herald the redemption was fueled by a passion that he had felt since his formative years. In recorded conversations from his youth he once remarked that visions of the future redemption regularly pervaded his imagination. This is an important testimony since it falls in line with the Rebbe’s role as a world Jewish leader on the level of Moshe Rabbeinu, who is the paradigm of all Jewish leaders.

The truth is that the notion of the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu reappearing time and again throughout history is found in the Zohar; he writes: “Ispashtusa d’Moshe b’chol dara v’dara.” When the servitude of the Jews in Egypt reached a boiling point and Moshe’s regular appointments to ready the Jews for redemption against his will seemed to cause the servitude to intensify, Moshe challenged G‑d, asking pointedly why He continued to inflict pain on the Jewish people and specifically at a time when he was sent to set the wheels of redemption in motion. Furthermore, when G‑d suggested that he destroy the Jewish people and start the world over again from Moshe, Moshe opted to have his name removed from the Torah in protest of the mere suggestion that the Jewish people be annihilated. A true Jewish leader is vitally connected to his people; without them he ceases to exist.

Like Moshe Rabbeinu, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zy’a, lived for the Jewish people; our suffering was his suffering and our joys were his joys, and if he felt that G‑d was being too harsh on us he let Him know that. It’s not irreverence or disobedience, but rather part and parcel of what it means to be a Jewish leader. This explains the Rebbe’s obstinacy when it came to pushing for the coming of the redemption. No one felt the pain of the Jewish people more than he did, and no one could relate to the hurt of Shechinta b’galusa more than he could, and so he pushed and complained towards that end. And at the end we were still here and, at best, nothing changed.

Nothing changed because it seems that we didn’t quite understand the role of a Jewish leader. However, the Rebbe understood. So on the 28th of Nissan, when he sensed that heaven wasn’t going to allow him much more time, he conveyed this idea that the redemption was meant to be heralded by the people and not by the leader. I think this emerges clearly in the fact that G‑d informed Moshe that he would not lead the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael since that would be the job of Yehoshua. The sefarim liken Moshe to the sun and Yehoshua to the moon; the Jewish people are similarly likened to the moon and could therefore be seen as corresponding to Yehoshua and ultimately the ones responsible to herald the redemption.

In thinking through the events of 28 Nissan with the understanding that the Rebbe was the leader who possessed the soul spark of Moshe Rabbeinu, it’s interesting to note the similarities in the Rebbe’s words and the way the Torah records the events which lead to Moshe’s passing. The Torah tells us that old age did not play a role in Moshe’s passing. His eyesight was precise and his vigor was fresh. His passing was attributed to a Divine commandment that he ascend the mountain, essentially a death caused by the kiss of heaven. Despite this, however, in recording Moshe’s parting words to the Jewish nation the Torah says, “I am one hundred and twenty years old today; I can no longer go out and come in for Hashem has said to me ‘You shall not cross this Jordan.’”

The words that sent shockwaves through the Chassidim, uttered by the Rebbe that evening, were, “I have done all I could to bring Mashiach.” There is nothing more uncharacteristic of the Rebbe to say than those words. This is a Rebbe who hadn’t taken a single day off for 44 years, who never slept more than two hours a night, and who was dedicated to his Chassidim which itself was a demanding task. Aside from that he was corresponding with world leaders, heads of state and industries, and lending his advice and blessings to people from all walks of life both Jewish and non-Jewish. In forty-plus years of doing this, he never once complained about his workload. That is why this statement is so extraordinary coming from the Rebbe, and could not be due to old age or a desire to cut back in any way. It seems the Rebbe was saying that heaven would not allow him to go any further than he already has, similar to the statement of Moshe Rabbeinu, “I am no longer able to go out and come in,” but at the same time unhindered by the effects of old age.

Additionally, there is an irony at play which was addressed briefly above, in that Moshe seemed to challenge G‑d regarding his treatment of the Jewish people, more than one time, and although he was reprimanded still he is described at his passing as eved Hashem, which is a term that connotes obedience. Similarly, the Rebbe’s obstinacy regarding the coming of Mashiach was an expression of the depth of his care and concern of the Jewish people. But in light of his statement, “I have done everything I could to bring Mashiach,” we see the unbelievable obedience in the Rebbe resigning himself to being unable to finish the job that he lived every day for. And this seemingly went against his very nature, as he never said anything of the sort at any other point during his life.

It’s interesting to note the significance of the day that this sichah occurred, which was the 28th day of Nissan. Of course, the letters ×›×´×— spell “koach,” which represents the height of the redemptive nature that exists in the month of Nissan, which is why the Rebbe spoke about this on that day specifically. But there is perhaps further significance in the fact that while most Chassidim were despondent as a result of those words, ultimately they were meant to empower the people and propel us forward in completing the work that the Rebbe lived every day to accomplish.

In this also lies another similarity to Moshe Rabbeinu, about whom it says that after the Rambam completed his magnum opus, the Yad HaChazakah, Moshe Rabbeinu visited him in a dream and thanked him for completing the work that he was meant to accomplish during his lifetime.

However, a postscript to this story is seen in a video that went around this week which took place on the heels of that sichah. A woman approaches the Rebbe and says, “We have been counting on you all these years to bring Mashiach and now you are leaving us hanging? The sack is too heavy for us! It’s impossible! We want Mashiach!” And then she could no longer hold back her tears when she implores: “I want my son!” The Rebbe then responds: “If you say it is impossible for the entire Jewish people to accomplish this, how do you expect me, only one person, to accomplish it?” The woman, giving way to a greater flow of tears responds, “You are right! But you are the person. You are our father! No way! I want Mashiach, I want my son now!”

The Rebbe responded again: “If I am a Rebbe, then I have spoken clearly that it must be done by all of Klal Yisrael, you included, this person included, and this person included” [pointing to the people standing around, witnessing the encounter]. The woman responds: “You are right, but we are still counting on you; we are still counting on you.” The Rebbe responded with greater force: “If you are counting on me as a rabbi then you have received my answer clearly, that it must be done by you, and by you and by you” [again motioning to the people on the periphery]. The Rebbe concludes the encounter by wishing the woman well with besuros tovos.

There has been a common understanding that leaders are meant to lead people who are below them. It seems, however, that the true role of a leader is not to amass followers who remain followers, but to teach the masses how to lead. This again seems pretty clear in the fact that only Yehoshua/Klal Yisrael were meant to cross the Jordan, without the aid of Moshe Rabbeinu.

This is what has set Chabad apart in many ways–the ability of the shluchim to go out to the most G‑d-forsaken places and spread Yiddishkeit in the way the Rebbe had instructed them and continues to guide them through his extensive written legacy. Despite this, it seems that there was always a reliance upon the Rebbe to deliver the Jewish people from exile. The sudden, stark realization that it wouldn’t happen in that manner was a wakeup call that the Chassidim had to intensify their efforts to succeed in bringing closure to the Rebbe’s life work as a token of their love and reverence for him.

This is an important message for our generation, at the end of a long and storied history, to stop looking to be led and to start leading together. I think of Moshe standing at the Yam Suf with Jews complaining about his reckless leadership. Moshe then turned to G‑d for answers, to which G‑d responded: “Stop praying and start moving.” The Rebbe was telling us on that day to start moving.

 Comments are welcome at ygordon@5tjt.com.

 

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