The 18th day of the Hebrew month of Elul, Chai Elul, commemorates the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov, Founder of Chasidism, in 1698; and of the Alter Rebbe, Reb Schneur Zalman of Lyadi, founder of Chabad, in 1745.
It is celebrated around the world as a Jewish festival.
On Sept 20th 2016, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Kalmenson addressed a group of Yale students at the Shabtai Penthouse in celebration of Chai Elul. Professors Dov Samet, Alexander Lubotzky and YLS Dean Anthony Kronman and his wife Nancy Greenberg YC ‘78 ,YLS ‘83 were in attendance.
Rabbi Kalmenson was born in Montmorency, a suburb of Paris, and currently resides with his family in New Haven. He serves as Dean of Yeshiva Beis Dovid Shlomo in New Haven, Ct and is recognized among the world’s greatest Talmudic Scholars of our time.
This film has been dedicated by Nicolo YLS ‘11 and Chaya Nourafchan.
The Birth of Hasidism | Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Kalmenson
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YLS Professor Tony Kronman: At this stage, the main thrust of the program conducted by the Baal Shem Tov, his colleagues and his followers, was the uplifting of the crushed spirit of Jewry. The terrible years of 54 08,09 (1648,49), with their loss of tens of thousands of Jewish lives and almost all Jewish possessions, forced the frightened Jews of Eastern Europe to abandon the villages for the comparative safety of the larger cities. But overcrowding brought unemployment and all the curses of poverty. Before revealing himself to the world the Baal Shem Tov, together with his company, devoted himself to improving the economic lot of the simple Jew and giving him new hope in life. The time had not yet come for Hasidim to confront the Torah scholars of Israel. Only after his revelation did Hasidus finally develop fully with the aid of the original Hasidim and the tzadikim and nistorim who loyally continued to follow their master just as they had done during his days of concealment.
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: One more Professor Kronman, please do one more for us. We're actually listening when you read
YLS Professor Tony Kronman: His revelation was dramatically dictated by Heaven on his 26th birthday He discerned a heavenly call to renounce on his 36. 36. What did I say? 26. There's got to be something significant about that.
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: There is there is. 26. 26 is the numerical value of God's name. Yes. Yes. Yeah.
YLS Professor Tony Kronman: I knew that. On his 36th birthday, he discerned a heavenly call to renounce his anonymity as a Tzadik Nistar
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: Hidden, a hidden Tzadik.
YLS Professor Tony Kronman: Hidden Tzadik, and to boldly proclaim his message of Hasidus to the Jewish world. But he felt himself unequaled in the monumental task of reviving the spirit of Jewry, and he begged to be excused from this responsibility. Together with his wife, he fasted three days and nights until an unequivocal demand was issued from heaven that he reveal himself to a world desperately in need of him. He then accepted this new challenge of leadership in order to do the Almighty's will.
Nancy Greenberg: Now Chassidus assumed a dynamic pace of growth and influence. An elite group of gifted and dedicated men joined the Baal Shem Tov in a widespread effort to bring Jews into closer contact with their God through the light of Chassidus. With his home base in Podolia. The Baal Shem Tov traveled throughout Eastern Europe with the fabric of Jewish religious life rapidly disintegrating. In only a few years, the pressures from oppressive European governments would destroy the Council of Four Lands, which had guided Jewish communal life in Eastern Europe for two centuries. A new social framework was imperative, and Chassidus quickly began to fill the vacuum. The Baal Shem Tov visited hundreds of cities and towns, and soon Chassidus had cast its imprint on the personal and communal lives of all the Jews in entire regions of Russia and Poland.
Rabbi Kalmenson: Lchaim, Lchaim. Speak in French or in English? I'm from, i was born in France. Then I came here. Reb Shmuel said that I have talmidim all over. Reminds me. Students, one of the students here that was in yeshiva, he became the Shliach in Vilna. Rabbi Shalom Ber Krinsky is the rabbi, Chabad rabbi and rabbi at the time.
Professor Lubotsky: My son has been there last week, Reb Shalom Ber Krinsky. I'm sure he met him, he wrote me that he had been there
Rabbi Kalmenson: He made over there at a mikveh and everything.
Professor Lubotsky: They went there last week. I mean, my family is from Vilna, and my son went there last week, and he got the kosher food from the Chabad, and I think he even told me the correspondence. Here is the connection.
Rabbi Kalmenson: The connection!
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: See, I told you.
Rabbi Kalmenson: Usually we have our convention of Shluchim from the Rebbe, emissaries, once a year. So over there I see a lot of the talmidim the students. So when I saw when I see a Rabbi Sholem Ber Krinsky, I tell him I'm so proud that I could say that the Vilna Gaon is my student at all. I'm sure you are the biggest Gaon (Genius) in Vilna. Before everybody said how, everybody said how they feel so happy to be here at this celebration. So actually, that reminds me, , once by the Rebbe, the late Lubavitcher Rebbe was a Rav from Jerusalem, a rabbi, a very big Askan. doing a lot. an activist from Jerusalem, Neturei Kartah And the Rebbe asked him that he should see to spread the learning of Chasidus. We need today in order to be able to serve Hashem in such a. It's called Ikvasah Demeshicha,Before Moshiach is coming we have so many obstacles it's hard to serve Hashem. So in order that we should be able to serve Hashem, we need to learn Chasidus. So he told them, I have my teachers Rabbanim big rabbis in Jerusalem and they were okay with it. They didn't learn Chasidus and they were Yirei Shomayim fearing God, and very righteous people. So the Rebbe thought a minute and told him, but Simcha Shel Mitzvah to do a mitzvah with joy, real,real joy that without Chasidus, it's missing. In Chasidus it explains the greatness of Hashem and how through a mitzvah the Neshama,
Rabbi Kalmenson: The soul is getting connected with Hashem. Actually, I wrote a book about Reb Velvel from Brisk people who know, he is, he was like he passed away already. 50 years. He passed away. But he was like a giant in the world of Torah in Israel. Reb Velvele Brisker. So I wrote somebody wrote his biography, so over there he told a story that during the Second World War Reb Velvele Brisker was in Warsaw in Poland in the beginning. Then, then he got saved and it was Sukkos, the holiday of Sukkos and only he, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, was also in Warsaw, and he, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, had the four Minnim, the four, the lulav and etrog, the four species that we need to do the mitzvah and Velvele also had. The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe sent him one of the Minnim,(species) he tells about it, and so many people wanted to do the mitzvah. So they came to Reb Velvele in his home to to to do the blessing. And that was already in the middle of the bombarding of the Germans. People got killed. Then one Jew came and he asked ask also he blessed the Lulav and the Esrog, and after it he went with such a dance, with such happiness he danced that he was fulfilling the Mitzvah of Daled Minnim. Then in Warsaw to do the mitzvah was a real... To fulfill the commandment, the commandment of gathering the 4 species during the festival of Sukkos was such a great joy.
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: Then he started to dance.
Rabbi Kalmenson: After when he was dancing, the people told Rebbe Velvele, that that Jew came from the other side of town, and his wife and his children got killed through a bombardment before a week. And still he was so happy to do the mitzvah. So it says in the book, Reb Velvele said that that is what Chassidus accomplished. He was a Gerrer Chosid, So we see even a Velvele also said that that reminds you and everybody said here that they're happy to be here because that's actually connected with the revelation of Chassidus. Reb Shmuel, Poschin B'brocho thank you for inviting me to talk here. Called me i shall come and speak. Say something about the Alter Rebbe. So by Hashgacha Protis Sefer Tanya Kadisha, by divine providence the Sefer Tanya Kadisha that is the Sefer from the Alter Rebbe one of the Seforim but that is the main with explaining the ways of serving Hashem. With Ahava, love and with fear. The whole Sefer is built, the book is built how we shall be able to serve Hashem, with Simcha and Yirah
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: Serve God with joy and with fear
Rabbi Kalmenson: So in the in the beginning of the Sefer, the Alter Rebbe didn't want to print that until he got a Haskamah. How we say Haskamah? Approbation. Approbation has come from two big Rabbis who were also. They were his friends, and they were talmidim. They were students of the Mezrticher Magid. Their name was Reb Zushe Anipoler. The people Anipoler was one of the very great. And the other one name is Rabbi Yehudah Leib Hacohen, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Hacohen. Both of them lived in Anipoli. So the the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe tells a story tells that when the Alter Rebbe sent the book that was written with, It wasn't printed. They should look it over and they should say if he should print it or not. So here we have the Haskomahs that they should print it. When the shluchim from the Alter Rebbe came with Tanya, the emissaries came. So Zushe of Anipol looked on it and he said, with that book, the Jewish people will go to be Mekabel Pnei Moshiach Tzidkeinu to receive the Moshiach and Rabbi Yehudah Leib Hacohen said that the Tanya that is a Ketores, it's a medicine for all Mageifos that are going to be in the time before Moshiach comes. All the plagues, a remedy, a remedy, all the spiritual remedy. So the Tanya that is Ketores is like in Beit Hamikdosh Yeah it's like a that is the antidote to say good the remedy.
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: Yeah
Rabbi Kalmenson: That's what they said. And they hinted in the, in the Haskomah after Reb Zushe is giving his approbation that he's writing Yom Gimmel Shehuchpal Bo Ki Tov Parsha Tavo Shnas Peduseinu both of them signed the Haskomah today. That Yom Gimmel is Tuesday and the Parsha Ki Tavo. This weeks Torah Portion Yeah. So I thought that I'll try maybe to explain a little bit about the Haskamah it just happened. Then, Taf Kuf Nun Vov, 221 years, 220 years, just 220 years, Tuesday, the Parsha Tavo, that is the parsha that we read in the Torah. so Reb Zushe is saying Shnas Peduseinu. he want to say the year 400 156 according to the Jewish calendar. So he is putting it Peduseinu. He Used the letters.
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: To correspond to the years because every letter has a numerical value. You can take letters and you put the numerical value here. You can actually spell a word and add up each letter of the word and you get to an actual amount.
Rabbi Kalmenson: So he wrote down Peduseinu, Peduseinu means our redemption because he wanted to hint that with the Sefer, of Tanya we will go to the redemption, Moshiach. Now Reb Yehuda Leib Hakohen is Writing, Hachosem L'kovod Hatorah, Hayom Yom Gimmel Parshas Tavo Tof Kuf Nun Vov the tov makes tof kuf nun vav is the Kuf is. Ketores, Ketores is like incense Yeah, but it's like a Refuah, a remedy for the Neshama V'ruach. So that is what the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe said. I just want to add a little bit on that. How we could explain the two things. What they are writing about the Sefer HaTanya. YTah. In simple terms. First of all, There is known the question if Chassidus was so important for the Jewish people, why was revealed the teachings of Chassidus only 300 years ago? Why not before? And actually, the Arizal says that in the time of the Gemara the Talmud, it was very hidden to learn the esoteric and the inner part of the Torah. Zohar, only Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai Big Tannoim learnt but the Arizal was like 400 years ago. He said already that in our time is a mitzvah to reveal everybody should learn also the Sodos Hatorah, The essence of Torah. What is the reason? So there is two explanations that are given. Why now we got that present that we got the Toras Hachassidus revelation we started the Torah of. One reason is, like the Alter Rebbe himself said, when he was by the Mezritcher Maggid by his teacher. So his teacher started already to reveal the secrets of of the Torah. And then was a big tzadik, Reb Pinchas Koritzer, he was called and he was a Makpid. He was careful.
Rabbi Kalmenson: Okay. He taught that it's not right to reveal the secrets of Torah. Such high secrets are revealed for everybody. And once Reb Pinchas Koritzer was by the Mezritcher Maggid he was in the court. And he. And he saw in the mud he find two pieces of paper that had that was written the secrets of the Torah, the teaching of the Mezritcher Maggid. And he was very upset. He said, take a look what he's doing. Such secrets. And it's in the mud. And Alter Rebbe was over there, and he saw that he's really upset by the Mezritcher Maggid. So he told him, I'll tell you a Moshol. A Moshol is a parable. There was a king, a very big king. And he had a son, and he had a son that he loved very much. And the son got very ill, and the doctors couldn't find anything to heal him, till one of the doctors said that if we take a diamond, a special diamond, and we grind it to little powder, and we'll take and put it in water, and we'll give a drop to the to the son of the king that would help him. But such a diamond was only one diamond, and it was in the crown of the king. That was the whole beauty of the crown was with that diamond. So they hesitated to do it. And then the the son got really really sick. He was almost dying. So the king said, let's take the diamond and let's grind it and we'll give a drop, maybe that will help to save my child. Why do I need my my whole crown and everything if he's going to lose his child.
Rabbi Kalmenson: What he wanted to say is that now, now we're getting closer to Moshiach and the Jewish people are so to say, like sick in order to be able to overcome the hardship and everything that we have now. So God is accepting even we"ll take Pnimiyus Hatorah that's called Secrets of Torah. It's very high, but God is Maskim as long that will help the Jewish people. So Reb Pinchas Koritzer said, oh, that's a very good explanation. So that is one reason. Then there is another reason that why we got revealed now the Inyan Of Pnimius Hatorah is because we're getting closer to the time that Moshiach is going to come. Now, when Moshiach is going to come. The idea is that Moshiach will teach all the Jewish people. even to Moshe Rabeinu and Avraham Avinu he will teach us Pnimius Hatorah, the inner part of Torah. So since we are getting closer to it so God gave us a little taste from the Torah that we're going to learn when Moshiach is going to come. Like there is a law. Erev Shabbos before Shabbos, we have to taste the Toameha Chaim Zachu. We should taste a little bit from the the Maacholim, the Shabbos food. So same thing since. Since at the time the world is going to be 6000 years. So now we're the sixth in the in the sixth thousand. That is Friday and we're after Chatzos. After half a day, we are already close to the time of Moshiach. So that's why the it was given to us. The Zchus. The merit. We shall have the Inyan. The little taste of Inyan of Pnimius Hatorah.
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: When counting from creation we are in the Friday afternoon of the millennium.
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: 5776 years from the story of Adam. So 5776, if each millennium is is a day of the week, it's Friday afternoon and Friday afternoon you're supposed to taste the food that you eat on the seventh day of the week, which is the Shabbos food. The Friday afternoon in the last centuries of the sixth millennium we start to taste the food of Shabbos. Shabbos is the days of the Moshiach. We're right before the coming of Moshiach. So chassidus the esoteric teachings of the Torah are supposed to teach us the secrets of the Torah, which prepare us for the seventh day, which is the seventh millennium.
Rabbi Kalmenson: So according to the first reason why we got revealed Hasidism, because we are lower. So to speak It's harder. We are like the child that is sick. According to the second explanation, it's because the greatness from the time that we're closer to Moshiach So we got a little taste. Actually, the Rebbe in this thought, he's explaining the two ways. And I'm not going to be Maarich in it. Al Kol Panim, what we could say that that is hinted in the two Haskomahs (approbations) from Reb Zushe Anipoler and Rabbi Yehudah Leib Hacohen. Rabbi Yehudah Leib Cahn said that the Tanya is like a Refuah for the sickness. That is like the reason, because the child is sick, and that's why he said Tanya. Tanya is Ketores, Ketores are the Refuah for the Neshama and Ruach. Reb Zushe Anipoler, he looked more on the the Redemption. That reason yeah. Yeah. He looked more on the. And the Maale Shebadovor the greatness. So he mentioned in his Haskoma the other reason that why we need the Inyan of Pnimius Hatorah because we're going to be Mekabel Moshiach Tzidkeinu and we're going to receive the Messiah and that's why Hashem and that's why he said the Inyan of Pduseinu. And actually Reb Meshulem Zushe Anipoler in everything he saw only good. There is a story that a Chosid that a disciple of the Mezritcher Maggid came to him once and he asked him, he said, The Gemara says, Chayov Adam Levorech Al Harah Kishem Shmevorech Al Hatova, a Jew. We have to we have to praise Hashem. A man has to praise Hashem, even when he's getting things that are not revealed good. Just like revealed good! That's what the Gemara said. It's a mishna in Brochos
Rabbi Shmully Hecht: The mishna say we must thank God for the for the non good. As good as as much as you thank God for the good.
Rabbi Kalmenson: But because really even not good we don't see it. It's good. But as I said, even not revealed good. We have to thank Hashem just like on the good. So he came to the Mezritcher Maggid and he said how could be, how could I come to that level? I mean, Hashem gives me good. I'm praising him. And when he, G-d forbid has a problem, it's not good. It's hard. So he told the him, go to my Talmid to my student Reb Zushe . He's in the other side of town. Go visit him and over there you'll get explanation on it. He went over there. He came to Reb Zushe, he was a poor man. He had a hut, he didn't have any furniture, there was a piece of wood. He looked around and he's staying. So Reb Zushe asked him, what are you staying here, he said. The Mezritcher Maggid sent me to you you should explain me the Mishnah that the Mishnah said the Mishnah is a part of the Talmud, that says that we have to bless Hashem for the bad just like the good. So Reb Zushe said, how could I explain it to you? I never had bad, I had i have only good. So he saw in everything. And then we say also, once he got, he got a ten ruble, a bill of ten rubles. he thought, for Reb Zushe ten rubles... So he thought to himself, where should I hide it? Nobody should take it away. So he went where was his books, and he took out a Chumash, Chumash, Vayikra, a Bible.
Rabbi Kalmenson: And he opened over there where the Parsha says, Lo Signovu, Don't Steal. And he put over there his bill of ten ruble. And he said, for sure if somebody will open and he says Lo Signovu he's not going to take it away. Then before Shabbos came Friday, he had to go his wife came she had to buy something for Shabbos. So he went over there to the Chumash, to the Bible, he's opening, the money is missing. But a few pages later, he opened, he saw that there was a bill of five rubles. And over there was said a Passuk Veahavta Lereacha Kamocha, you shall love your fellow like yourself. So he picked up his hand and said, "God, take a look. Zushe when he had the ten rubles he wanted everything for himself. And here we have a Jew who could get the ten rubles, and he left me five rubles". So he saw in everything Reb Zushe only saw the good. So Reb Zushe saw in the Tanya the Maala (advantage) of how the good, how is a preparation for Moshiach. Reb Yehuda Leib Hacohen gave that we can add. But the main thing is, thank G-d we got the present, the Matana that we have now, the learning Pnimius Hatorah the learning of Chassidus. So we shall use it and we shall be Zoiche that through learning Torah, Pnimius Hatorah, like Moshiach said to the Baal Shem Tov, Lcheshiyafutzu Mainosecha Chutzah, when your teachings will spread, then Moshiach will come and that shall be Bimhera Byameinu Mamesh. And we should have a Ksiva Vchasima Tovah. We shall be inscribed and sealed for a good Year.