Rav Aharon Perlow of Karlin zt"l
הרב אהרן בן אשר פרלוב זצ"ל
Sivan 17 , 5632
Stories of Rav Aharon Perlow of Karlin zt"l
It was Erev Shabbos and Rav Aharon of Karlin was reciting the Song of Songs, “Shir HaShirim asher l’Sholomo! Yeshakaynu minishokus pihi, ki tovim dodaycha miyayin--Your kisses, Hashem, are zissa-- sweeter than wine!”
Deep in dveykus, the Karliner directed his niggun heavenward. He was suddenly interrupted by knocks on the door. “The Maggid requests that you please stop,” came the voice of one of the disciples. “Your Shir HaShirim is making such a commotion in the heavenly world that it is disturbing the Maggid’s erev Shabbos nap.”
Think how holy the Shir HaShirim of Rav Aharon Karliner must have been and think just how holy the Maggid’s erev Shabbos nap was to take precedence over it!
After the passing of Rav Shlomo of Karlin, his talmidim, Rav Mordechai of Lechovitch and Rav Osher of Stolin, used to travel together to Rav Boruch of Mezhibuzh. One time, when they were together with Rav Boruch, he sent them home after a few days and on Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan Rav Osher’s wife gave birth to a baby boy. At the bris, Rav Mordechai of Lechovitch was honored with reciting the berochos and kerias hashem and he named the newborn baby Moreh Moreinu HaRav Rav Aharon! – Our Master, the Rebbe Rav Aharon, after his illustrious grandfather, Rav Aharon HaGodol of Karlin, mechaber of Kah Echsof and talmid of the Maggid and the Ba’al Shem. He then placed his hands on the baby’s head and blessed him with a threefold berocha: “Du zolst zich nisht naren, un G-tt nisht naren, un leiten nisht naren – You should never fool anyone [you should be true to your name], not yourself, not G-d and not others!” (Me’orei Aish p. 199–200)
Rav Osher used to relate that he and his wife traveled to many Tzaddikim to be blessed until they merited their one and only son, Rav Aharon, and testified that he drew Rav Aharon’s neshoma from the root source on high of the mitzva of Sukka and the four species. It was well known that Rav Aharon’s kedusha and avoda were all his life, and he was always full of simcha [as is known that Sukkos is Zeman Simchoseinu]. (Me’orei Aish p. 200)
A yungerman, a Chassid of Rav Aharon, used to travel from town to town earning his living as a merchant. Before his travels he used to come to Rav Aharon to receive his berocha. One time, he came in as usual and before he received his parting berocha, Rav Aharon asked him what he had taken with him on his trip. Puzzled by the unusual question, he began listing all his personal effects: clothing, tools, luggage, food and the wares that he had sold. After listing a lengthy list of all his travel gear and clothing, Rav Aharon persisted and inquired further, “And what about tachrichim – funeral shrouds?”
Hearing this, the poor yungerman understood that the Rebbe was hinting to him about his imminent passing. He was dumbstruck with shock and fear and stood stock still, unable to utter a sound.
“Do not worry and do not fear. When you travel, you need to make sure to take with you whatever you will need for your upcoming journey,” explained the Rebbe.
Rav Aharon then took a pen and paper and wrote a letter, folded it, placed it in an envelope, addressed it and placed it in another blank envelope and sealed it, so that the address remained hidden. “Take this letter with you and ask that it be placed together with you on your final journey.”
The yungerman traveled and when he reached the town of Kriminchik, he fell deathly ill. There he was met by Rav Yitzchok, a fellow Karliner Chassid, who collected the Maamados, the monthly stipends the Chassidim donated for the upkeep of the Rebbe’s court and household. Rav Yitzchok, who later related this tale, heard of a fellow Chassid lying on his deathbed and went to visit the sick yungerman.
“How are you faring?” asked Rav Yitzchok.
“You see my state,” answered the sick merchant. “Soon I shall be gone.”
When the sick yungerman told Rav Yitzchok about the letter, Rav Yitzchok asked to see it. He removed it from the outer concealing envelope and saw that it was addressed to Rav Osher of Stolin, the Rebbe’s father, who had since passed away and was in the Olom HaEmes. Rav Yitzchok was greatly distressed and realized that the meaning of this letter being given to the sick man before him to deliver to the Rebbe’s father in the Olom HaEmes could mean only one thing: the Rebbe knew that this yungerman would soon go on his final journey and be able to deliver the letter!
Rav Yitzchok declared, “Give me this letter to deliver for you, and I shall lie down and take your place!”
The sick yungerman argued and stood his ground. “If the Rebbe gave me this letter to deliver, then it is my job to see it through and no one else’s! Please stay with me and don’t leave me alone and make sure the Chevra Kadisha places the letter in my hand on my final journey!”
“I promise you this on two conditions: that you come back to me and relate your final journey and what occurred to you after leaving this world, and that you make sure to deliver the letter to whom it is addressed and give it over to no one else, no matter what!”
And so it was. Rav Yitzchok stayed with the sick yungerman until he breathed his last. The Chevra Kadisha prepared his body and as they buried him, they placed the letter in his hands. Again Rav Yitzchok repeated the warning as they buried the yungerman, “No matter what – deliver the letter only to the addressee and to no one else!”
After some time, the deceased appeared to Rav Yitzchok in a dream and related how he had felt no pain and was approached by an angel asking if he had a letter addressed to Rav Osher of Stolin. The yungerman replied that he did but he was obliged to deliver the letter to Rav Osher himself. “The angel took me further through several heavenly chambers and supernal realms and we were greeted by a new group of angels. Here the angel turned back and said he was not allowed further and neither was I. These angels demanded that I hand them the letter and I refused, stating emphatically that I must deliver the letter to Rav Osher myself. They took me through several heavenly worlds, where again we stopped and were greeted by another new group of angels. This scenario repeated itself several times; each time the former angels said they could not continue and neither could I and the new angels commanded me to hand over the letter, but I stood my ground, remembering your warning and I said I would only deliver the letter to Rav Osher myself. Finally, we entered Rav Osher Stoliner’s supernal chamber. More than this I am forbidden to reveal to you!” (Me’orei Aish p. 228–230)
On Motzo’ei Shabbos, Parshas Behaalosecha, in Sivan 5632, the Chassid Rav Ze’ev Pinsker, who lived in the Old City of Jerusalem, and who had basked in Rav Aharon’s presence before moving to Eretz Yisrael, slept and dreamed that the streets were filled with Yidden. The old city streets were overflowing with Jews accompanying a funeral bier. The levaya passed him and he joined the throngs of Jews accompanying the niftar on his final journey. They finally stopped on Har HaZeisim and there beside the tziun of the Ohr HaChaim HaKodosh, they buried the niftar.
After the levaya, Rav Ze’ev asked people who had passed away. They told him it was the Rebbe Rav Aharon of Karlin. Rav Ze’ev woke with a start, his heart beating madly, and in the morning, when he related his dream in shul, his fellow worshippers discounted it out of hand and refused to believe it – until the sad news reached them that on Motzo’ei Shabbos Rav Aharon had indeed left this world. (Me’orei Aish p. 292)
Divrei Torah of Rav Aharon Perlow of Karlin zt"l
the attributes of moshiach
Last week the Ohr HaChaim said that Moshiach’s name is Chaim. Rav Aharon of Karlin, in his sefer Beis Aharon, discusses the meaning of this in a maamar for the 22nd of Tammuz, the Hillula of Rav Shlomo Karliner. There he writes that “Hashem sends Tzadddikim in each generation who, according to His knowledge, are appropriate for that generation. This is because each Tzaddik suits his generation and each generation suits its respective Tzaddik”.
But when Tzaddikim are reincarnated in this world, it is not, Heaven forbid, because they failed to fulfill something and therefore they come back to rectify this failing – heavens, no! Rather, every Tzaddik rectifies those middos and madreigos, those attributes and spiritual levels that correspond with his reason for having come to this world.
Based on the Tzaddik’s actions and devotion, Moshiach could have come. It is Hashem Who is holding back Moshiach from coming because He alone knows that not all the attributes and levels have yet been completed. When, im yirtzeh Hashem (G-d willing), all the necessary attributes will indeed be completed, surely Moshiach will come. However, it is clearly true that each Tzaddik must fulfill his respective corresponding attributes that it is his duty to rectify.
We find therefore that each Tzaddik possesses a portion of Moshiach based on the attribute he is mesaken.
This can explain the Gemora’s meaning, that Chizkiya said that Moshiach’s name is Chizkiya, while Rav Yannai said that Moshiach’s name is Yannai, whereas Menachem said he is named Menachem. Based on our explanation, this all makes sense.
It is known that a person’s name attests to the true essence of his soul and the reason why he came into this world and what his mission here is to rectify. This is clear to those who know these secrets, and is the meaning behind the pasuk that Odom named the animals living souls, and so was their name.
The Amoro’im in the above Gemora each knew the reason why they came into this world, what their mission here was and what they came to rectify. They each fully completed their missions and rectified their respective portions; each one was mesaken his portion of Moshiach. One of them rectified the portion of Moshiach named Chizkiya, the other rectified the portion named Yannai and the other Menachem. Therefore, each said that Moshiach would be known by that name – and all of them are the correct words of the living G-d; elu ve’elu divrei Elokim chaim. This is the reason why the true, complete Tzaddik, mechaber of the Ohr HaChaim HaKodosh, said that Moshiach’s name is Chaim. It is all as we explained. A different Tzaddik once said that Chaim is an acrostic of the roshei teivos ches, yud, yud, mem – Chizkiya, Yanun, Yannai, Moshiach or Menachem.