AVODA OF THE WEEK – Reconnect to the source

  Connect back to the source

[For Halachos of Biyur Chametz – see HALACHA OF THE WEEK – March 25/09 ;For Halachos of Eating Matzah and Maror at the Seder – see HALACHA OF THE WEEK – April 2/09.] ————–
 

The Message of the Sun is the Message of the Seder
The sun's coming back to its original point of starting – exactly on the day of Erev Pesach in this unique hashgacha that Hashem has given our generation – holds for us an amazing message. In actuality the message of the sun's returning to its point of origin, is really the same message that we want to give over at the seder. At the seder, we seek to impart the tenets of all our most basic beliefs to our children. It's that special time that the Torah itself has designated to give over the story of our heritage to the next generation. And Chazal through their ordinances, have added the entire dimention that they knew would be the most conducive to planting the seed of Jewish faith into the pure hearts of Jewish children.
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The 21st of Adar – Yurtzeit of the holy Noam Elimelech zy”a

The Tzion of the heilege Noam Elimelech

The minhag of the Noam Elimelech zt"l was to say Torah at Shalosh Seudos on the Parsha and after completing the divrei Torah he would speak about what would take place during the generation when Moshiach will come. On occasion he said the following three things:

1 – Whoever will be a Yirei Shomayim ¹  in those days will be stepped and tread upon so strongly, that if it would be one of the talmidei HaBaal Shem zy"a who were alive in those times, they would not be able to continue to live from the intense pain and hurt. So HaKadosh Baruch Hu will bring down neshamos of katnus, those who feel less, and neshamos that are more physically inclined to this world in the generation of Moshiach, who will have the ability to undergo this pain and hurt and still stay alive.

2 – HaKadosh Baruch Hu (c’viyuchol) will stretch a rope throughout all the places of galus and everyone will grab on to it. Then HaKadosh Baruch Hu will take hold of the rope and will shake it strongly. The people who are superficial will let go of the rope, because they’ll say "It seems that G-d doesn’t want us to hold on to this rope".[But the people who have belief and trust in Hashem will continue to hold on].

3 – HaKadosh Baruch Hu (c’viyuchol) will sift the entire world, like one who sifts flour in a sifter. The nature of sifting is that all the flour gets hit and banged by the sides of the sifter – even the good and select flour gets hit. Afterwards, the good and select flour falls down with a large thump, and the residue remains above in the sifter. At that point the residue will say to the good and select flour: "Not only didn’t I fall with a thump like you, but I’m also the one who remained on top". But the residue doesn’t realize that once the refining process is complete, whatever remains in the sifter will fall in such a way that it will become totally expelled and nullified"².

May his words be a chizuk for us throughout all our challenges at the end of days, and may he be a Mailitz Yosher, a constant positive advocator Above for the benefit of all of Klal Yisrael, until we actually merit the coming of Moshiach Tzidkenu, through rachamim, b’mheira v’yamenu, Amen.

Sipurei Tzaddikim

"It is a good siman for a person, if at the time he hears stories of the attributes of tzaddikim and their holy service to Hashem Yisborach with truth and sincerity, his heart is kindled and he also feels a strong desire to service Hashem Yisborach with truth and sincerity, it is a good siman that Hashem is with him" (Sefer Noam Elimelech, Parshas Shmos, paragraph beginning "Vayomer").

Telling stories of tzaddikim has always been an invaluable tool to enhance spiritual growth. It is in the Navi, in the Gemora and Midrashim, and its source is really in the Torah itself. Sefer Bereishis is called  "Sefer Hayashar", because it details the holy actions of the Avos who were "Yashar"³ – straight and in the middle path – so that we can emulate them as preparation for receiving the mitzvos by Kabolas HaTorah that comes afterwards in Sefer Shmos.

Nowadays, Sipurei Tzaddikim can often be a "double edged sword". On the one hand they can be a cutting-edge tool for a young and blossoming Talmid Chacham to grow, because his heart has been kindled to aspire to emulate the tzaddikim. On the other hand, it can also be a source of "cutting down" one’s enthusiasm and aspiration, if the message that he receives when hearing what to aspire for is clearly beyond his abilities and is unattainable.

Therefore, as with all parts of Torah, it is necessary to impart even Sipurei Tzaddikim - the tales of their lives – with a balance. The specific "masiyos" that we share and experience together on a "Freitig tzu nacht", on a Motzei Shabbos or at a simcha, need to be such that will bring the specific tzibur who is listening to a place of encouragement and yearning to grow, rather than to discouragement.

With this in mind I have tryed to choose certain specific maamorim and descriptions of the helige Noam Elimelech that are especially relatable to us in our dor. It is my hope that by your hearing and learning about this tzaddik, you too will become better equipped to inspire others through citing the greatness of this tzaddik. The stories of the Noam Elimelech give us strength and encouragment in regard to our own Avodas Hashem, and by learning them we can come to appreciate why Chassidim have coined the description of the helige Noam Elimelech: "a Rebbe of Rebbes".

Early Years

The Rebbe Reb Elimelech zy"a was born in 5477 to his father Rav Eliezer Lipman z"l in a small town near Tiktin⁴. His brother Reb Zusha zy"a was fifteen years older than him. He learned by the renowned Gaon Mahara"m Tiktin zy"a, and he married the daughter of Harav Ahron Rokeach zy"a, a brother of Harav Elazar Rokeach, author of the holy Sefer Maase Rokeach.

The Baal Shem Tov zy"a

In the context of Jewish history, those years specifically were a very unique time. When Reb Elimelech was seventeen, the greatness of the Baal Shem Tov began to become revealed⁵ . When Reb Elimelech was twenty three years old, the Baal Shem Tov came to Mezibuz and began to teach talmidim openly. But Reb Elimelech never saw the Baal Shem Tov⁶. He was involved in growing in Torah and Avodah, and when the initial rumors regarding the awesome levels of the Baal Shem Tov were circulated, he was not moved to make a personal visit, since he was not moved by the performance of miracles⁷.

Prishus and Sigufim

Reb Elimelech grew in Torah, according to the sanctified ways of the mekubalim. When he began to teach Torah, he would act with exceptional prishus (separation from worldly pleasures).

Influenced from his older brother Reb Zusha, Reb Elimelech began to add further purity to his worship of Hashem through practicing various sigufim. At one point Reb Zusha impressed upon Reb Elimelech to undertake a galus with him.

The Galus of Tzaddikim

Reb Zusha had already worked on himself for a long time, to attempt to reach his lofty goal: to do a Mitzva that would give nachas ruach to Hashem. He asked many great and knowledgeable Talmidei Chachamim for advice on how to reach this level, and based upon their answers he spent much time putting effort into some specific areas. First he toiled to fulfill Mitzvas Bikur Cholim, then Tikun Chatzos, then he practiced yisurim. He eventually came to a level where he could look at someone and know what he was thinking . He decided to travel to his younger brother, in order to help him reach greater tikun. When he came to the Beis Medrash, he heard his brother learning in pilpul in Rambam and Tosfos. Just  then the people in the Beis Medrash stood up to daven, and after davening Reb Elimelech went over to his brother to say Shalom. Reb Zusha answered: "Go away from me, because the entire Shmoneh Esrei you were thinking about how to answer the Rambam and the Tosfos". Reb Elimelech was impressed at how his brother had reached such a level. After this incident, Reb Elimelech agreed to participate in a galus⁸.

From then on began a galus of the two brothers that spanned over nine years and much of Poland and Galicia. The amazing levels of purification through the sigufim, suffering and galus that the two brothers experienced, is described by tzaddikim as being a purification for all of Klal Yisroel, one that continues until today to assist in some spiritual way for any Yid who wants to do Tshuva until Moshiach comes. Zechusam Yagen Aleinu Amen.

Infusing Arousement of Tshuva among Yidden

The galus of the brothers was unique, in that its goal was not only for the personal growth of the tzaddikim themselves who undertook it. It was also not only for the purpose of affecting positive realities on an esoteric level. Its uniquness was that the brothers constantly had in mind to influence as many Yidden as possible to grow in Torah and to do Tshuva.

For example, upon coming to a certain lodging, the brothers (through their ability to grasp the spiritual level of others) became aware that the owner had a lacking in the fulfillment of mitzvas tefillin. While the owner was standing nearby, Reb Zusha began to remorsefully admit to his brother out loud, how terrible he is that he has never brought his tefillin for a checking. The owner started to think about himself and how he was guilty of this same issue. The owner then began to admit in front of the brothers that since the time of his Bar Mitzva he had never had his tefillin checked. They then opened up the tefillin and found that inside there were mere pieces of wood instead of parshiyos. The lodge owner began to cry bitterly realizing that he was already much older, and that he was now in the category of someone who had never fulfilled tefillin. Reb Elimelech then advised what to do and how it is possible to rectify even previous years.

The Maggid of Mezritch zy"a

It was during those years of galus that the brothers came to meet Harav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev zy"a, who later directed them to meet the Maggid of Mezritch zy"a. Subsequently the two brothers became an integral part of the Chevraya Kadisha (the core group of students) that was present by the Maggid, and eventually, after the petira of the Maggid in 5533, the Noam Elimelech became the major proliferator of Derech Hachassidus in all of Galicia.

Initially there was a hisnagdus to the Noam Elimelech, as was to many of the Talmidei HaBaal Shem. However, the Noam Elimelech merited that even during his lifetime the hisnagdus died down. This was largely because  all began to recognize the great Torah stature of the Noam Elimelech and his indisputable leadership against the waves of secularism that threatened to engulf all of Galicia’s Jewry⁹.

Refinement and Kedusha

The Noam Elimelech uniquely chose as the cornerstone of his approach to Avodah, physical refinement and kedusha¹⁰. This is what his entire life bespoke to his talmidim. Through their experiences, it became tangibly true to the talmidim the words that the Noam Elimelech would use himself on occassion to describe his own level: "Halevai (If only) people would have such a purely refined neshama, like my body"¹¹.

Sefer Noam Elimelech

The holy sefer Noam Elimelech is a compilation of the divrei Torah that the Noam Elimelech would say to guide and give chizuk to Jewish people (on Shabbos and other times). There is a qoute from R’ Elazar zy"a, son of the Noam Elimelech, that the sefer includes words of Torah that were imparted over a span of 22 years. There was a demand that the sefer be printed numerous years before it was actually printed, but the Noam Elimelech instructed his son that the sefer not be printed in his lifetime. And so the first printing of the sefer was in the year 5548, a year after the petira of the Noam Elimelech in 5547.

The awesome levels of Avodas Hashem that HaRav Reb Elimelech attained are apparent from his divrei Torah in the sefer. When one reads the "tzetel katan" and the "hanhagas ha’adam" (printed in the sefer Noam Elimelech) and sees the intent levels of avoda that the helige Noam Elimelech lived with constantly, it is not such a surprise that he merited such levels. His directives give us insight as to what to aspire toward in Avodas Hashem, even today.

The Siyata D’Shmaya and success of the Noam Elimelech in disseminating Derech Hachassidus has been from the most profound of influences of all time. Until today his approach in avodas Hashem continues to flourish. May the study of his divrei Torah and the review of the story of his life be a merit for his holy soul and for all of Klal Yisroel to merit the coming of Moshiach, b’mheira v’yamenu, Amen.