by Reb Akiva at Mystical Paths
A man once came to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and said, "I think I want to become your chossid, but I don't have a hat or black coat." The Rebbe responded, "If you learn my Torah, and follow my goals and path, you will be more a chossid of mine than many who wear a black hat and black coat."
The Rebbe HaRayatz, the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe, was queried by chassidim who could not get to him (during the upheavals of Bolshevik Russia) how to stay connected to him. He responded, "If you learn my maamarim (deep Torah thoughts), you will be connected to me."
The Rebbe emphasized the chassidic lesson that every Jew has a nefesh elokus, a G-dly soul and connection to Hashem. This essential spark of holiness is of unmeasurable value and can be connected to in every Jew. We cannot say we are better than another Jew, for every Jew has this essential holiness, and all are directly connected to our Father in Heaven.
The legacy of the Rebbe is tens of books of talks, tens of books of letters, and tens of books of maamarim - deep Torah lessons. The Rebbe directed his chassidim to have mesiras nefesh, self sacrifice, for their fellow Jew. To reach out to every Jew, in love, to teach him or remind him of Torah and Hashem.
And by doing so, we will bring Moshiach and the Geulah in kindness and mercy.
On this 14th Gimmel Tammuz, the 14th year without the Rebbe's physical presence among us, let us remember that we have the instructions. We don't need to find new paths or do wild new things, we don't need to shout at our fellow or make strange new slogans. Ahavas Yisroel, Torah and Mitzvot, Chesed and Tzedakah, Mesiras Nefesh for our fellow and to elevate all Klal Yisroel, one Jew, one positive act at a time. This is the way of the Rebbe.
And it is as valid today, perhaps even more so, than it was 14 years ago.
Photo of the Rebbe at dollars, 18 years ago. Photo of 770 a few years ago. Photo of Ohel, the resting place of Lubavitcher Rebbe's in the US, one year ago.
