Divrei Hesped V’chizuk

In Honor of the Yahrtzeit of
Reb Noson

Based on a Lecture Given by Rav Mota
Frank

On the Yahrtzeit of Reb Noson
(5573-2012)

On Shabbos Chanukah, 2 Teves, 5564 (Dec. 17, 1803), Rebbe
Nachman said lesson 14 in Lekutey Moharan<![if !supportFootnotes]>[2]<![endif]>.
This was shortly after the passing of the great Rabbi Gedaliah of Linitz<![if !supportFootnotes]>[3]<![endif]>. Rabbi Gedaliah was a major kiruv
activist, bringing Jews closer to God. He would take Jews who had nothing what
to do with Judaism<![if !supportFootnotes]>[4]<![endif]>
or God and bring them closer to Judaism and God, and teach them what Judaism is
all about. It is written in Sichos HaRan<![if !supportFootnotes]>[5]<![endif]>
(132) that in this teaching of Rebbe Nachman (lesson 14), Rebbe Nachman is
actually eulogizing Rabbi Gedaliah.

It is written in Lekutey Moharan (lesson 14) “The
essence of glory (the glory of god), as brought in the ‘Zohar’<![if !supportFootnotes]>[6]<![endif]>
“when other nations come and praise God, then Gods glory is exalted above
and below. As happened when Yisro came and said, “Now I know that God (of the
Jews) is greater than all other gods”, than Gods name was elevated and
exalted”. We can derive from this that his glory is when people who are ‘outside’
the realm of holiness bring themselves ‘inside’ of holiness. This not only
applies to converts, but also applies to repentant Jews, who are also
‘outside’, and when they bring themselves closer and enter within, this is Gods
glory”.

This idea is a little hard to understand. Why is it that
the glory of God is elevated and exalted specifically when people who are
‘outside’ the realm of holiness bring themselves ‘inside’ the realm of
holiness, and not exalted when Jews serve God and do Mitzvot. Regarding
Yisro, why was the glory of God elevated and exalted specifically when Yisro
came from ‘outside’ the realm of holiness ‘inside’ the realm of holiness, and
not elevated or exalted when the Jews sang ‘The Song at the Sea’ upon the
exodus of Eygpt?

The simple understanding is that the glory of God is
elevated and exalted when Jews serve God and do Mitzvot. However the
essence of God’s glory is elevated and exalted when people who are ‘outside’
the realm of holiness are brought ‘inside’ the realm of holiness. When the Jews
sang ‘The Song at the Sea’ Gods glory was certainly elevated and exalted, but
the essence of Gods glory wasn’t elevated or exalted until Yisro who was
‘outside’ the realm of holiness was brought ‘inside’ the realm of holiness.

Reb Noson in ‘Sichos Haran’<![if !supportFootnotes]>[7]<![endif]>
writes “In this lesson, the Rebbe is actually eulogizing Rabbi Gedaliah.
This is the reason why it includes the fact that we do not eulogize on Chanuka<![if !supportFootnotes]>[8]<![endif]>”. Reb Noson writes at the end
of lesson 14, “When the Rebbe gave this lesson, he cited the statement of our
sages, “we do not eulogize on Chanuka”, but I cannot recall how he explained
it. Perhaps, though, in my humble opinion, the Rebbe meant that eulogy is in
order to rectify the disappearance of glory, which was blemished by the demise
of the Tzadik who made the many righteous, which causes glory to shine.
As our sages said<![if !supportFootnotes]>[9]<![endif]>,
“Eulogy is an honor to the living and an honor to the deceased”. Therefore we
do not eulogize on Chanuka, for the Chanuka candle causes glory to shine.

Reb Noson in many places in ‘Likutey Halachos’<![if !supportFootnotes]>[10]<![endif]>  writes the following idea. That a person
that does KIruv<![if !supportFootnotes]>[11]<![endif]>,
Kiruv doesn’t necessarily mean searching on the streets for someone who
appears to be distant from Judaism and God. Kiruv is also when people
that appear to be connected to Judaism and God are really very distant. A
person can also do Kiruv to himself, when a person himself feels he is
distant from Judaism and God, they must try to return and come closer to
Judaism and God. This elevates and exalts the essence glory of God, when people
who are distant from himself brought close to him.

There are times when
feels ‘inside’ of holiness. He feels good from doing Mitzvot and serving
God. This being a good spiritual feeling, it is a feeling of closeness to God.
It is written in the introduction of ‘Igley Tal’, that many people
mistakenly think that when one derives pleasure from learning Torah, it is Lo
Leshma<![if !supportFootnotes]>[12]<![endif]>.
The opposite is true, that the essence of learning Torah is to derive
pleasure from learning Torah. After one derives pleasure from learning
Torah he is drawn closer to God. Rebbe Nachman says in ‘Likutey Moharan’<![if !supportFootnotes]>[13]<![endif]>
“Fortunate is he who merits experiencing the bliss of Torah. For there is
bliss in the Torah, and that is the most important thing to be able to
experience that bliss that is in the Torah”. Part of serving God is in order to
experience the bliss that there is in serving God.

Unfortunately there are times when a person feels
‘outside’ the realm of holiness. Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson teach us though
that the essence glory of God is elevated and exalted when a person that is
‘outside’ the realm of holiness is brought ‘inside’ the realm of holiness.
These are great words of encouragement for a person that is ‘outside’ the realm
of holiness. A person that is ‘outside’ the realm of holiness should put great
effort into repenting and entering ‘within’ the realm of holiness, because that
is when the essence glory of God is elevated and exalted.

Reb Noson in ‘Likutey Halachos’<![if !supportFootnotes]>[14]<![endif]>
stresses one of the points that Rebbe Nachman teaches us in Lesson 14. Rebbe
Nachman writes “The glory of god is currently debased under gentile dominion…
the glory of god will only be revealed with the coming of Moshiach, about
whom we are taught<![if !supportFootnotes]>[15]<![endif]>, when asked, “When will the
master appear?” Moshiach answered, “Today!” alluding to the verse<![if !supportFootnotes]>[16]<![endif]> “Today, if you obey his
voice”.  Thus, the glory of god is ready
to leave debasement any day. Reb Noson stresses the point of “Today!” teaching
us that when a person is ‘outside’ the realm of holiness, he can ‘enter’
holiness “Today!” if he repents.

Rebbe Nachman teaches us how to bring a person to repent,
“It is impossible to be inspired to repent other than by the way of the Torah,
which shines upon them into the place they are at. This is because the Torah
contains 600,000 letters, corresponding to the 600,000 souls, and all souls are
rooted in Gods thought. The Jewish sinner is grounded and rooted in the Supernal
Thought. Through the above illumination, the root of his soul is also
illuminated among all the other roots, and an illumination reaches the Jewish
sinner from the root of his soul, as a result of which he repents.”

Rebbe Nachman continues “This union causes ‘a parsah and
a half,’ parsah alluding to drawing down souls into ones children. This
is a whole parsah, but the illumination of souls that shines into and
arouses the Jewish sinners to repent is referred to as ‘half a parsah’.
This is because they are still very far from holiness and they may yet endure
many obstacles. They will have to invest great effort in order to remove from
themselves the ‘filthy garments’<![if !supportFootnotes]>[17]<![endif]> they have donned, as the
verse says<![if !supportFootnotes]>[18]<![endif]>,
“Remove your filthy garments”. These ‘filthy garments’ are obstacles in a
person’s returning to god and are obstructions just like a river obstructs,
making it impossible to continue in that direction. One must thus remove ones
‘filthy garments’. By taking off and casting away their ‘filthy garments’ all
obstacles and obstructions separating them from holiness are removed.”

We learn from this Lesson of Rebbe Nachman that the
essence glory of God is elevated and exalted when a person that is ‘outside’
the realm of holiness brings themselves ‘inside’ the realm of holiness. Reb
Noson stresses the point that this can be done at all times! The study of Torah
is what causes people that are far from Judaism to repent. One must constantly
toil to rid himself of ‘filthy garments’ which prevents a person from being
able to repent. The essence glory of God is when one that was far from Judaism
rids himself from his ‘filthy garments’ and attaches himself to the Torah which
will enable him to repent and become closer to god.

As we stated above this lesson was a eulogy of Rabbi
Gedaliah of Linitz. Rebbe Nachman teaches that throught the Chanuka candle Gods
glory is elevated and exalted. Rebbe Nachman explains how every specific law
regarding the Chanuka candle is in order to elevate and exalt Gods glory. Just
like the great Tzadikim which their main objective in this world is to
exalt and elevate Gods glory. Therefore our sages teach us that “Eulogy is an
honor to the living and an honor to the deceased.” The greatest honor one can
give to a Tzadik is to elevate and exalt Gods glory. On Chanuka we don’t
eulogize, because Gods glory is elevated and exalted through the Chanuka candles.

On the Yahrtzeit of Reb Noson it is appropriate
that we eulogize Reb Noson. Truth being told is that Reb Noson doesn’t need our
eulogy, or any honor from us. What we can do in order to give Reb Noson the
appropriate honor is to learn from him how to elevate and exalt Gods glory. Reb
Noson did so by spreading the teachings of Rebbe Nachman. Rebbe Nachman once
said “If not for Reb Noson we wouldn’t have a word of Geniza<![if !supportFootnotes]>[19]<![endif]>”.
The honor we can give Reb Nosson is to study on a consistent basis and
spread the teachings of Rebbe Nachman, which in turn will cause people who are
‘outside’ the realm of holiness to find their way ‘inside’ to the realm of
holiness gods glory to be elevated and exalted.

Yehi Ratzon may it be the will of
God that we should be able to return to ‘inside’ the realm of holiness quickly
and easily, and to bring others that are ‘outside’ the realm of holiness
‘inside’ the realm of holiness quickly and easily. Through this Gods glory will
be elevated and exalted. Yehi Ratzon may it be the will of God that we
merit the coming of Mosiach speedily in our days.

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