Rav Yisroel Friedman zt"l
הרב ישראל בן שלום שכנא פרידמאן זצ"ל
Cheshvan 3 , 5611
Rav Yisroel Friedman zt"l
Yichud with each breath - The Divrei Chaim Of Sanz said about the holy Rizhiner that “he cannot even breathe one single breath without making a Yichud Hashem.” (Ner Yisroel IV p. 144)
The holy Rizhiner testified about himself that his mind and thoughts were so strongly bound to Hashem that had he been alone, stranded on a desert island with no seforim, he would still never have forgotten about Hashem for even one single instant. (Shevet MiYisrael - volume I, page 5)
Stories of Rav Yisroel Friedman zt"l
The holy Rizhiner made every effort to attach himself to all of Klal Yisrael, even to the simplest people – and even to sinners – so he could benefit them and uplift them to serve Hashem. Once the holy Rizhiner arrived in town and the crowd of those people seeking his advice and blessings or just to glimpse the visage of the tzaddik grew so large that there was simply no room in the shul for them all. The heads of the congregation decided not to let in any simple Jews, only allowing the important and honored citizens to enter the shul. When the Rizhiner heard this he turned to them and remarked, “Azoy, really? You won’t let any simple Jews enter? Well, you should know that I am a simple Jew, my father was a simple Jew and my grandfather was a simple Jew,” and with that remark he too refused to enter the shul. (Shevet MeYisrael II p. 21)
When the holy Rizhiner was still young he attended a wedding where many great tzaddikim and Chassidic Rebbes were present. During the chasuna, his gartel, the sash worn around the waist, fell off. The holy Apta Rav, recognized as one of the elders and leaders of Chassidus at the time, himself bent down to gird and retie the gartel of the Rizhiner. When many of the crowd expressed shock that such an elder Rebbe had bent down and humbled himself before such a young tzaddik, the Apta Rav remarked: What do they want? I just fulfilled a mitzva, I was doing gelila and retying a Sefer Torah!” (Tiferes Yisrael)
The Tshortkover once told how a Jew came before the holy Rizhiner and complained that he only felt that the light and shine of the Torah gave him vitality when he was actively engaged in study. Once he finished and closed the sefer, however, he felt nothing. The Rizhiner answered him, explaining with a mashal: When a person walks in the dark night during a storm, each blitz of lightning lights up the night sky and illuminates his surroundings for but a fleeting moment; once it’s done the light is gone and the darkness returns. However, if a person carries a candle or a torch, it illuminates the night and banishes the darkness for the entire journey. Similarly, it all depends on how you study and learn Torah. If your Torah study is fleeting, momentary, fragmented and by rote, it can only give you light and life so long as you are actively engaged in study. If, however, your Torah study is with proper kavana to the point where it fulfills the pasuk “Your Torah is in my innards” (Tehillim 40:9), then your body will be purified and sanctified and you will feel the Torah constantly. (Yismach Yisrael, Chanuka)
The Rizhiner told that during the lifetime of the holy Berditchever Rav when a Jew would leave his home, tallis and tefillin under arm, Rav Levi Yitzchak would raise his hands heavenward and beseech Hashem advocating for Klal Yisrael saying, “Ribbono Shel Olam – Master of the World – how can You have any complaints against Your Yidden? Here a Jew leaves behind all his affairs for You and goes to shul to daven!”
The holy Rizhiner added, “If the holy Berditchever would see a Jew going to shul nowadays he would say, ‘Here goes a Jew leaving behind his family home, struggling in poverty, with not a penny to his name, not a crumb or a morsel of bread in the house, and his heart full of fear that the snatchers not grab and steal his children to conscript them! Still, he goes to shul…’ And I” concluded the Rizhiner, “I say that nowadays any Jew who dons tallis and tefillin and goes to shul to daven, is just as important and chashuv as the Baal Shem Tov and my grandfather the Mezritcher Maggid were in their days!” (Beis Yisrael p. 15:28)
As told to me by one of my great teachers, the Holy Sulitzer Rebbe, Rav Shmelka Rubin of Far Rockaway, New York.
During one of his travels, the Heilige Rizhiner, Rav Yisrael Freidman, was once challenged by two Misnagdim (opponents of Chassidus):
"It is very difficult for us to understand the ways of you so-called Chassidim. We arise well before daybreak and daven Shacharis at netz (sunrise). After we finish davening, we stay in the shul. Still wearing tallis and tefillin, we study Mishnayos.
"You so-called Chassidim, on the other hand, daven Shacharis late and then after your tefilla, you bring out mezonos and bronfen (cake and brandy) and sit together around the table eating, drinking and singing and wishing each other 'L’Chayim!' Everyone calls you people Chassidim ('pious ones') while we're labeled Misnagdim? It should be the other way around!"
The gabbai (attendant) of the Heilige Rizhiner could not restrain himself. He called out, "Of course! Your entire Avodas Hashem is performed with no heart, in such a cold, calculated, lifeless manner. It is no wonder that you study Mishnayos afterwards – in keeping with the minhag (custom) to study Mishnayos in memory of those who have passed away. We Chassidim–our davening and Avodas Hashem is alive! We are aflame and full of excitement! Well, doesn't a living man on fire need a 'L’Chayim'–a sip of strong brandy to match his fiery devotion?!"
"I am sure you realize that he is incorrect," said the Heilige Rizhiner. The Rebbe continued, "I will explain the real reason for our way of davening and why we recite berochos and wish each other L’Chayim' after davening.
"Since the destruction of the Bais HaMikdosh, our tefillos take the place of the korbonos (sacrifices). When a person davens before his Maker, the yetzer hora (evil inclination) wants nothing more than to confuse him and introduce all manner of foreign thoughts into his head. This causes the korban to be pigul, for a foreign thought renders a korbon ineligible for the mizbei’ach and ruins the chances of our tefillos succeeding. Then the yetzer hora prosecutes against these prayers and proves them unworthy of being answered or fulfilled. However, we Chassidim discovered a way to solve this problem, and battle against the yetzer hara.
"After davening, the Chassidim sit together, raise their glasses in a toast and wish each other 'L’Chayim,' while blessing one another with life, health, happiness, parnossa, nachas, children and much more. The yetzer hora sees them eating and drinking and concludes that they have finished davening and does not bother to prosecute them or their tefillos and berochos.
"Tefilla can be said in any language, and so, when Yidden come together and say 'L’Chayim' and they begin to bless one another from the depths of their hearts, the yetzer hora leaves them alone. At that point all their tefillos and berochos ascend On High and are immediately answered and accepted."
Once, Rav Uri Strelisker and Rav Yisrael Rizhiner met. Sitting opposite one another, their conversation centered around the price of wheat, barley and other grains at the current going rates on the market. Rav Eliezer of Taprov, a Chassid of Rav Uri (who later became a Rizhiner Chassid when Rav Uri passed away), sat dumbfounded as he listened in to this seemingly mundane talk. This is what these two great Tzaddikim were discussing?! And not only that, Rav Uri asked the current going rate for grain and the Rizhiner’s reply was wrong!
“Sorry,” interrupted the Chassid, Rav Eliezer, “but that price is a mistake – that’s not the current going rate.”
Hearing this interruption, the heilige Rizhiner lifted his eyes and pierced the Chassid with a cold stare, as he thundered, “If you have no idea what we are talking about, don’t interrupt!”
They then ordered all those present to leave so that they could continue their conversation without further interruption. The Chassidim realized that whatever they were discussing was clothed and hidden by these seemingly mundane conversations. Afterward, each sent the other his tefillin straps as a gift! Who can fathom the ways of such great Tzaddikim or their hidden intentions? (Yehuda Lekadsho Stretin)
The Rizhiner once sat on Sukkos and burst out in a peal of laughter! Such an outburst of mirth was quite uncharacteristic for him and his close followers were very surprised. The Rizhiner explained that just then in Shomayim there was laughter and joy, for a simpleton had just awakened great simcha in the supernal realms by his sincere action.
This simple Jew was hungry but there was no sukka in sight. What was he to do? How could he eat outside the sukka? Just then he had a brilliant idea! He promptly removed his hat and turned it upside down so that the hole would be on top and the sides of the hat’s brim would serve as the walls. He then gathered some straw to serve as s’chach for the roof of his makeshift sukka. Thus he sat down to eat with a sukka on his head. This simple act of devotion was so comical, yet so great, that in Shomayim they laughed in delight – and so did the Tzaddik. (Yalkut Mishnas HaRegel Pninei HaChag - page 13)
As told to me by one of my great teachers, the Holy Sulitzer Rebbe, Rav Shmelka Rubin of Far Rockaway, New York.
During one of his travels, the Heilige Rizhiner, Rav Yisrael Freidman, was once challenged by two Misnagdim (opponents of Chassidus):
“It is very difficult for us to understand the ways of you so-called Chassidim. We arise well before daybreak and daven Shacharis at netz (sunrise). After we finish davening, we stay in the shul. Still wearing tallis and tefillin, we study Mishnayos.
“You so-called Chassidim, on the other hand, daven Shacharis late and then after your tefilla, you bring out mezonos and bronfen (cake and brandy) and sit together around the table eating, drinking and singing and wishing each other ‘L’Chayim!’ Everyone calls you people Chassidim (‘pious ones’) while we’re labeled Misnagdim? It should be the other way around!”
The gabbai (attendant) of the Heilige Rizhiner could not restrain himself. He called out, “Of course! Your entire Avodas Hashem is performed with no heart, in such a cold, calculated, lifeless manner. It is no wonder that you study Mishnayos afterwards – in keeping with the minhag (custom) to study Mishnayos in memory of those who have passed away. We Chassidim – our davening and Avodas Hashem is alive! We are aflame and full of excitement! Well, doesn’t a living man on fire need a ‘L’Chayim’ – a sip of strong brandy to match his fiery devotion?!”
“I am sure you realize that he is incorrect,” said the Heilige Rizhiner. The Rebbe continued, “I will explain the real reason for our way of davening and why we recite berochos and wish each other ‘L’Chayim’ after davening.
“Since the destruction of the Bais HaMikdosh, our tefillos take the place of the korbonos (sacrifices). When a person davens before his Maker, the yetzer hora (evil inclination) wants nothing more than to confuse him and introduce all manner of foreign thoughts into his head. This causes the korban to be pigul, for a foreign thought renders a korbon ineligible for the mizbei’ach and ruins the chances of our tefillos succeeding. Then the yetzer hora prosecutes against these prayers and proves them unworthy of being answered or fulfilled. However, we Chassidim discovered a way to solve this problem, and battle against the yetzer hara.
“After davening, the Chassidim sit together, raise their glasses in a toast and wish each other ‘L’Chayim,’ while blessing one another with life, health, happiness, parnossa, nachas, children and much more. The yetzer hora sees them eating and drinking and concludes that they have finished davening and does not bother to prosecute them or their tefillos and berochos.
“Tefilla can be said in any language, and so, when Yidden come together and say ‘L’Chayim’ and they begin to bless one another from the depths of their hearts, the yetzer hora leaves them alone. At that point all their tefillos and berochos ascend On High and are immediately answered and accepted.”
The mere mention of the word ”Ruzhin” is enough to conjure up stories of fabulous wealth and undreamed-of treasures. Indeed, the Rebbe of Ruzhin was already a legend in his own lifetime. All of his personal belongings, even his everyday cutlery, were made of the most expensive materials. The buttons on his bekeshes were made of solid gold, studded with diamonds, and his pillowcase was woven from pure gold thread. Even though the reasons for the Rebbe’s conduct were not understood by most people, he was regarded as one of the greatest Tzaddikim of his time.
Many were the praises heaped on him by the Gedolim of his era: the Szanzer Rav, the Divrei Chaim, said he could testify that the Rebbe of Ruzhin was constantly moser nefesh for Hashem, every second of the day. Rav Moshe Kobrine exclaimed that even in the times of the Tanno’im and Amoro’im the Rebbe would have been considered a special person and that even when he blinked his eyes it was only lesheim shomayim. The Chiddushei HaRim spent three weeks traveling to the Rebbe in order to speak to him, and he later declared that during the half hour they had spent together, the Rebbe had taken him through half the Torah! Similar sentiments were echoed by the Apter Rav who used to say that he had never seen anybody as well versed in the Torah as the Ruzhiner.
The Rebbe was born to Rav Sholom, the Rebbe of Prohibisht (who was a son of Rav Avrohom HaMaloch, the son of the Maggid of Mezritch) and his wife, Chava, a day after Rosh HaShana in the year 1797. Even before he was born they knew that their child was destined for greatness. When Rebbetzin Chava was pregnant she went to see the Apter Rav to ask for his berocha. He stood up for her as she came into the room, telling her that he was standing up for the Sefer Torah she was carrying inside her. As a small child his phenomenal level of kedusha was noticeable. When he was only a few years old he would often cry bitter tears but would refuse to disclose the reason for his crying. When his father told him that as a father he had the right to decree that his son tell him the reason for his tears, he answered, “I am thinking to myself how many times I have lifted up my hands today shelo lesheim shomayim (not for the sake of Heaven).”
When Rav Yisrael was six years old he met Rav Shneur Zalman, the Ba’al HaTanya. Rav Shneur Zalman later related how deeply impressed he had been with a question the six-year-old child had asked him. The Rebbe had asked about an apparent contradiction in Krias Shema. When a person says the pasuk of Shema Yisrael, he must totally annul himself until he comes to appreciate that Hashem is One and that he and everything else cease to exist in comparison. If so, how is it immediately possible to fulfill the next pasuk of loving Hashem, having just totally annulled all personal feelings? In reply, the Ba’al HaTanya told him a very deep explanation which took a few hours to relate, and the Rebbe understood every word.
Divrei Torah of Rav Yisroel Friedman zt"l
precious avoda
Adam said (to Hashem): “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid” (Bereishis 3:10).
The holy heilige Rizhiner explained this pasuk with a mashal:
The czar was sick and delusional. He suffered from extreme psychological problems, foremost of which was a phobia of pursuers chasing him, spying on him and always lying in wait for him. In short: he was paranoid to the extreme and his paranoia reached such a height that he stationed guards to protect him along each route that he walked and traveled, in order to guard him from danger. His suspicion and distrust knew no bounds and all the guards stationed knew better than to do anything other than stand there for hours guarding against non-existent dangers.
One guard was stationed near the river. The day was hot and the sun beat down, the cool waters of the river beckoned, and the guard’s parched throat constricted as he stood waiting, waiting for the czar’s entourage that was seemingly never coming, guarding the paranoid czar from non-existent foes.
He abandoned his post, disrobed, dived into the cool, crisp waters and drank his fill. Suddenly his ears perked up and his head jerked in alarm. What was that? The sound of horses and coach wagon wheels! The czar’s entourage! Quickly, wasting no time, sparing no moment, he ran to his post and jumped standing to attention . . .in his shorts, dripping wet!
Needless to say, the czar noticed that the guard stationed was standing at his point in only his underwear, sopping wet and dripping from head to toe.
“What is the meaning of this?!” bellowed the angry czar, his enraged beet-red face inches away from the terrified soldier.
The guard did not lose his wits and recovered himself enough to salute and answer, “Your highness is right but I could not delay his majesty in order to get dressed – nor could I desert my post and give up my duty to the king!”
The czar was satisfied with his answer and let him be.
The Rizhiner explained: Adam Harishon sinned against Hashem. When he realized he had sinned and was ashamed of his nakedness, he hid.
Hashem asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
Hashem challenged him back, “Who told you you were naked?!”
The Rizhiner explained this as follows: Adam said to Hashem, “I sinned – and now that my sin has disrobed me of all merits and I cannot stand before you, naked – I hid away and gave up.”
Hashem challenged him back, “Who told you you were naked? Who sold you a pack of lies and told you that just because you sinned against Me, now you have no merit left? Who lied and said you are naked and exempted you from avodas Hashem? Who lied and tricked you into making you believe that I would forsake you? Even if you are naked of any merit, of any Torah or mitzvah at all – still I value you and your avoda before Me – forever.“
a diamond in the rough
“But for all of Bnei Yisrael there was light in their dwellings (settings)” (10:23).
What was this dirty, shapeless mass? Yankel was exasperated. He had been digging and mining for weeks. Day after day he had made his way to the mines, donned heavy work clothes and lowered himself to the seemingly bottomless pit. There, the excavations proceeded in the pitch dark, a darkness of never-ending night. One thing held him: the promises that this mine had yielded diamonds worth a fortune. He had toiled and labored in grime and dust, and at the end of each disappointing day dragged his weary aching muscles back, scrubbed off the muck and grime and filth, vowing that the next day would bring the treasure. Now his pickaxe struck something hard and he dislodged an unwilling dark, hard mass. What was it? Could it be? He washed off the clinging mud and dirt and shouted out, “Eureka! I have it!”
The other miners gathered around. “Uh, what do you have there, Yankel?” asked Moish. Moish was a bit slow. Yankel showed him the rough, uncut stone.
“What? This hunk of rock? This piece of stone? What’s so special about it?”
“What’s so special?” yelled Yankel incredulously. “Just you wait till I have it cleaned, cut, polished and set in a golden setting! Then we will see!!!”
When a person first discovers a diamond, it looks like little more than a dark, black, grimy stone. It is dirty and does not shine from its place nested in the wall of the mine. First it has to be chipped away and removed from the wall. Even then it looks nothing like a diamond. Then it must be scrubbed and cleaned. Even then it bears no resemblance. One must have it cut and polished to reveal its sparkle. Even then its true splendor is not yet revealed, for only when it is set in the proper setting of gold or silver does it glow, allowing its beauty and splendor to truly shine through.
The holy Rizhiner, Rav Yisrael, explained our pasuk using the mashal of a precious stone as follows: “But for Bnei Yisrael there was light be’Moshavosam” – in their settings, just like a precious stone needs a proper setting, as any jeweler will tell you. Every Jewish soul is a diamond in the rough. It can be in a state of lowliness and suffering, living a dark and bleak life. But even in the darkest times a Jew must remember that he has a lofty soul, a diamond that can be cleaned and polished through Torah study and mitzvah observance. But a lot depends on the setting. A Yid must be in the proper setting, in a Jewish neighborhood, in a Yiddishe home, in the Beis Medrash, Yeshiva, seminary or kollel. Then, set in its proper setting, the Jewish soul will truly shine with an otherworldly brilliance.
There was once a city of fine, upstanding citizens who had the misfortune to live in close proximity to a tree that was a great nuisance. It was not that the tree bore no fruit; on the contrary, it produced the most beautiful apples. The problem was just that these apples were absolutely irresistible! Their appearance, their fragrance and – oh the taste!
So what’s wrong with an apple, you might ask? Well, these apples had a very serious downside: as soon as someone ate one of them, he simply lost his mind! In fact, he went completely insane and from then on would act in the most bizarre, outlandish fashion, parading down the city square, dancing, performing somersaults and other such gymnastics, singing at the top of his voice and carrying on as only the crazy can. The locals observed this horrifying phenomenon and tried to find a way to put a stop to it. They erected fences, gates and various boundaries round the tree. Nothing helped. The sight and scent of the fruit was so enticing that passersby would simply scale the fence and climb the gates to eat of the fruit and, of course, as soon as they ate from it, they would go insane. The situation grew so bad that at one point half the city was mad; then, a while later, three quarters had lost their minds, till one day only a minyan, a quorum of ten, were left sane, while the rest of the populace roamed the street as raving lunatics! The last ten decided that, come what may, they would not succumb to the lure of the forbidden fruit. They gave each other constant chizuk, pep talks and derashos – and it seemed to work – until one day, the unthinkable happened: two of the ten passed by the tree, temptation overtook them and they too succumbed and went crazy.
Finally just five were left – and then just two. The two did all they could to encourage each other and strengthen one another, until finally one of these two also ate and then . . .there was only one left. . .
One day, as he strolled down the main street watching the citizens acting like madmen, he had a frightening thought. What if . . .what if he were the one who was crazy – and all of the townspeople were the sane ones?! How could it be that all of them were insane and he alone was sane? Wasn’t it more likely that they were all normal and that he, the lone individual, was the crazy one? Maybe it was normal to sing, dance and do acrobatics all day in the streets?
Then he thought back to the past, and remembered clearly how all of them had once behaved. Once upon a time, they had all behaved like him. Normally. No one back then had sung, danced and done somersaults and cartwheels all day long in public. That is how he realized that he was the only sane one left.
The holy Rizhiner Rebbe concluded the lesson to be learned: When the times of Moshiach come at the end of days, the world will be tempted and will succumb to many evils and many forms of sin. The few righteous ones left might find themselves so alone that, despite the chizuk they give each other, even some of their own will chas veshalom, also succumb, leave the fold, taste the forbidden fruit and lose themselves. How will the Yidden at the times of Ikvisa DeMeshicha survive? The heilige Rizhiner answered, “They will look back to their Mesora, to their Darkei Avos, and remember how their zeidas and alte zeidas had conducted themselves – and that will save them, because if they have any doubts and ask themselves: “Perhaps the rest of the world is right and we, the minority, are wrong? How do we know our derech is emess (true)?” – all they need to do is look back to their forefathers, their Avos HaKedoshim and hold fast to them and their ways and they will be saved.