Worth Being Embarrassed

R’ Hillel Paritcher, who was one of the renowned Chassidim of the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe and the Tzemach tzedek, used to travel around from place to place as a “shadar” (a shliach of the Rebbeim) to influence and inspire Chassidim.

One of the main subjects that R’ Hillel would address with his listeners was the subject of avodas hatefila. One of the focal points of chassidus (as is known, - the reason the Alter Rebbe chose to go to Mezeritch as opposed to Vilna was in order to learn about avodas hatefila), R’ Hillel would encourage and exhort the Chassidim to place more effort and attention into concentrating on their davening.

In one of the cities that he would visit, he came to them once, and they complained to him: ‘We’re working and working on our davening as you instructed us, ober ess geit nisht” [but it’s not going].

R’ Hillel listened to their concerns, and responded: “At least now you have what to be embarrassed about”!

Lubavitchers don't daven....

It used to be common for litvishe bochurim to check out Kfar Chabad by popping in there for a Shabbos. After one of such shabbosim, a litvishe bochur upon returning said that he found out that not only that lubavitchers don’t learn (a well-known concept), but that they don’t daven either. His conclusion was based on that that the mashpia farbrenged for five hours straight, repeating over and over, “we have to start davening”

Traveling to the Rebbe

R’ Hilel Paritcher was one of the renowned Chassidim of the Mitteler Rebbe and the Tzemach Tzedek (having not actually met the Alter Rebbe, despite his best efforts (as is known the story thereof). The Tzemach Tzedek once said that he has two and a half Chassidim, with R’ Hillel being counted as a half because he is half a Rebbe. The following is a story about R’ Hillel:

Once, in the middle of the week, R’ Hillel was suddenly overcome with a yearning to visit the Rebbe in Lubavitch for Shabbos. Now, the trip from Paritch to Lubavitch was a considerable one, and all of the wagon drivers that he approached to transport him there declined, on the grounds that he had decided to late in the week for this to be a viable option.

One of the wagon-drivers in town was a devoted disciple of R’ Hillel, who was prepared to do anything for the sake of R’ Hillel, his Rebbe. Thus, when R’ Hillel approached him, he calculated the viability and decided that, if he exerted himself and exceeded all speed limits, and they were further accompanied by the great merit of the tzaddik R’ Hillel, then he was prepared to make the attempt with the hope of arriving in Lubavitch in time for Shabbos. However, in order for there to be even the smallest chance of success, it would be necessary – in addition to him driving at the greatest speed ever attempted – it would be crucial that they not encounter any additional avoidable obstacles or delays. Therefore, he stipulated with R’ Hillel that he was prepared to take him on condition that the Rebbe (R’ Hillel) would not get carried away and start davening b’arichus en route; - something that he knew was a very real danger with R’ Hillel, and would completely remove any possibility of their reaching their objective.

R’ Hillel agreed to the condition, and the pair set out. The driver urged his horses to breakneck speeds, and it looked like, with Hashem’s help, this amazing feat would be realized.

But then disaster struck.

During a brief “rest area”, while the baal agoloh was giving the horses a much needed (and deserved) break and snack, R’ Hillel got off and went into a clearing in the woods to daven. Sure enough, he became completely immersed in his davening, and lost track of anything and everything going on around him. While the baal agoloh stood aside in consternation, the possibilities of them arriving at their destination in time for Shabbos – or even get back home – dwindled and disappeared entirely.

The wagon-driver was upset about this for R’ Hillel’s sake more than for his own. When his Rebbe finally finished his davening, the baal agoloh expressed his astonishment. “Rebbe”, he exclaimed, “What have you done? It was you who was so eager to arrive in Lubavitch for Shabbos. Now on account of your davening – in defiance of our agreement – there is no longer a chance of our achieving this?!”

“Come now”, R’ Hillel answered him, “I will answer you with a story:

There was once a businessman named Yankel, who had a stock of iPods that he wanted to sell. Since the biggest market was in Leipzig (since he didn’t believe in internet, as a matter of principle, and thus couldn’t sell it through ebay), he loaded up a wagon with them, and set out on the two-day journey to Leipzig.

Shortly after he left town, he met his friend Shmerel, traveling down the same road. “Yankel”, Shmerel exclaimed, “Where are you headed?” n

“I’m on the way to Leipzig, to sell my stock of iPods”. “Why that wonderful”, exclaimed Shmerel, “it’s just what I’m looking for. You see, I’m starting a business of selling iPods to the bochurim who had them confiscated by the hanholoh. I’ll give you the same price you would get for them in the market, and I’ll relieve you of the whole load”.

“Do you think for a minute”, asked R’ Hillel, “that Yankel would say ‘I’m sorry I can’t sell them to you because I’m on the way to Leipzig’? Of course not! He is going to Leipzig for a purpose, and if he could achieve those results on the way, why, surely he would grab the opportunity with both hands!

“The same is true in my case”, concluded R’ Hillel. I’m going to the Rebbe with a purpose, that I should be able to daven, so obviously if those results are achieved on the way, ‘az es advent zich’, I won’t throw away this opportunity because I had initially been heading to Lubavitch!”

[According to one version, I heard that the ending was that they did indeed arrive in Lubavitch in time for Shabbos].

There might be a different way

In the relatively earlier years in 770, there was once a visitor. This visitor was a chosid, but when it came to davening, he davened in the manner of Chagat Chassidim; - jumping and gesticulating with his hands etc. Naturally, the bochurim found it strange, and some of them (who happen to be today from the ziknei hamashpi’im) began deriding him – ‘a chitzon’ etc.

R’ Mendel Morozov was there as well, and he was slightly older than the rest of them; old enough to have witnessed an earlier generation of Chassidim, and to know that there can be different expressions of avodas Hashem within the framework of Lubavith. He rebuked the bochurim, saying: “How do you know that it’s chitzoniyus? Why can’t there be another way of davening, even if it’s not your way?”.

Davening with the shtender

The Alter Rebbe once approached the Mitteler Rebbe after davening and asked him: “With what did you daven today?” The Mitteler Rebbe responded “With the idea of “Vechol Komah lefonecho tishtachave” thatkoma refers to ‘komah of AK’ – machshava hakedumah de’AK”.

[Once when the Rebbe told over the story, he was telling about how the Frierdige Rebbe related this story to a mekurav. The Rebbe paused and explained: the mekurav would not have been able to comprehend the terms ‘komah of AK’ – machshava hakedumah de’AK”, and the FR therefore used simpler terms when relating it to him].

The Mitteler Rebbe then asked the Alter Rebbe: “And with what did you daven today?” To which the Alter Rebbe responded “With the shtender!”, meaning that he davened by contemplating on the fact that even the shtender is being constantly renewed and recreated by the dvar Hashem.

Who is davening?

The Alter Rebbe was once travelling with a group of his Chassidim. Along the way, they encountered a chosid of R’ Chaim Chaikel of Amdur. R’ Chaim Chaikel was one of the foremost talmidim of the Mezeritcher Magid, who led a large group of Chassidim in Amdur (today called Indura, which is located in the northwestern corner of present-day Belarus, close to the borders of Lithuania and Poland).

Like many of the talmidim of the Magid, R’ Chaim Chaikel held the viewpoint “vetzadik be’emunosoi yichyeh – al tikri yichyeh elo yechayeh”, in other words that the Chassidim were not expected to learn and explore the concepts of chassidus and pnimiyus haTorah on their own; rather, they were dependent on the inspiration that was provided to them by the Tzadik.

As the Chassidim passed this particular Amdurer chosid, he was in the midst of davening. They observed how his davening was with extreme excitement and passion, to the extent that he was completely oblivious to the presence of the Alter Rebbe and his entourage. Being Chassidim, and chabad Chassidim at that, they were extremely honest with themselves, and they took note of the fact that this chosid’s level of davening surpassed their own. Although they didn’t comment, this caused them some consternation; if that was the case, then perhaps in fact the approach of the other talmidim of the Magid was more effective? If it enabled this chosid to daven in such a manner, then why were they working so hard on studying and understanding chassidus on their own, seemingly the approach of the other talmidei hamagid achieved better results?!

The Alter Rebbe recognized their concern, and told them: “In this case, it is not that chosid who is davening, it is, rather, R’ Chaim Chaikel who is davening. I want to achieve with my Chassidim (through chabad chassidus) that the chosid himself should daven (even though it won’t, then, be (necessarily) on the same level)”.