‫לקוטי שיחות‬
kcab 2
basics
Where Are You?
‫י״ט כסלו חג הגאולה‬
Yud Tes Kislev
‫י"ט כסלו‬
‫ב‬
Concepts
1. The Frierdiker Rebbe
shared the following story, that took place during
the time that the Alter
Rebbe was sitting in jail.
After the Alter Rebbe had
been arrested, a high
ranking minister entered
the Alter Rebbe’s cell in
order to interrogate him.
Interestingly, this minister
was very knowledgeable
regarding the Jewish religion and was fluent in
the Tanach. One of the
questions
which
he
posed to the Alter Rebbe
was as follows: The
Possuk writes that after
Adam had sinned, Hashem called out to him
and said "‫ "איכה‬- “where
are you?”. “Could it be”,
the minister asked, “that
Hashem was unaware of
Adam’s whereabouts that
he needed to ask where
he was?” The Alter Rebbe
proceeded to explain this
Possuk according to
Rashi, who answers that
Hashem was merely trying to open a conversation with Adam. The minister continued “I am already aware of Rashi’s
explanation;
I
want to hear
how the Rebbe
himself
explains this
‫ג‬
‫טייטש'ן‬
Translations
‫טייטש‬
‫ווארט‬
‫טייטש‬
‫ווארט‬
Do you know
‫צי ווייסטו‬
‫אויף וואס דו‬
‫ביסט באשאפן‬
‫געווארן‬
The Frierdiker
Rebbe
‫כ"ק מו"ח‬
‫אדמו"ר‬
-‫נשמה‬
‫אויסגאנג‬
Substitute
Smallest
‫קלענסטן‬
Saying at the time
‫זאגנדיק דערביי‬
According to his
essence
‫לויט זיין מהות‬
Exact amount of
years
‫גענויע צאל יארן‬
Demands
‫מאנט מען‬
Where are you
‫וואו ביסטו‬
For what you
were created
Told over
‫האט דערציילט‬
‫געזעסן אין‬
Sat in captivity
Must do
(jail)
‫תפיסה‬
‫דארפסט טאן‬
(accomplish)
Interrogated
‫אויסגעפארשט‬
Have done
‫האסט געטאן‬
-‫טאוואריטש‬
(accomplished)
Deputy minister
‫מיניסטער‬
Accomplished
‫אויסגעפירט‬
‫דאס הייסט‬
Saved
‫אפגעראטעוועט‬
.‫ה‬.‫ד‬
this means
His Neshomo
leaving (his
body)
Because
Had from this
Thought to
himself
Accomplished
Remain down
here
Carry out
For which
Came down
Happened
Told over to us
Gave over
Through them
Must know
Constantly
Greatest
‫פארטרעטער‬
‫וועלכער איז‬
Which was fluent
‫געווען בקי‬
‫ווארום‬
Learned
‫א געלערנטער‬
‫דערפון געהאט‬
One of
‫איינע פון‬
‫האט זיך‬
‫באטראכט‬
‫ער האט‬
He
presented
‫געשטעלט‬
‫אויפגעטאן‬
Where are you
‫איכה‬
‫בלייבן למטה‬
Is it so
‫צי דען‬
‫דורכפירן‬
Didn’t know
‫ניט געוואוסט‬
‫צוליב וועלכע‬
Was found
‫געפינט זיך‬
‫אראפקומען‬
Asked
‫געפרעגט‬
‫פאסירט‬
Answered
‫געענטפערט‬
‫ אונז דערציילט‬I know alone (on
‫ווייס איך אליין‬
my own)
‫איבערגעגעבן‬
‫איך וויל אבער‬
‫דורך זיי‬
But I want to hear
‫הערן‬
‫דארף וויסן‬
Old
‫אלט‬
‫שטענדיק‬
Specific amount
‫אזוי פיל יאר‬
‫גרעסטן‬
of years
‫לקוטי‬
‫י"ט כסלו‬
‫שיחות‬
‫דאס האט אראפגענומען אלע הג ‪-‬‬
‫בלות‪ ,‬ווארום ווען מען טוט עס ניט‬
‫אליין נאר מען טוט עס בשליחותו (של‬
‫מקום) און מיט'ן כוח פון דעם וואס‬
‫רופט "איכה"‪ ,‬וואס דאס איז עצמות ‪-‬‬
‫נמנע הנמנעות ‪ )4 3‬ונושא הכפיים‪,‬‬
‫טראגט מען אראפ אויך סתים דאו ‪-‬‬
‫רייתא אז עס זאל קומען בגילוי‪ ,‬וואס‬
‫ד‬
‫טייטש'ן‬
Concepts
Possuk.” To which the
Alter Rebbe responded:
“When a person is a certain amount of years old
(stating the exact age of
the minister), Hashem
comes to him and asks
him ‘Where are you? Do
you know why you were
placed onto this world?
Do you know what you
are meant to accomplish?
Do you know what you
have already accomplished?”
Translations
‫טייטש‬
‫ווארט‬
‫טייטש‬
‫ווארט‬
Gave permission
‫געגעבן רשות‬
‫אפהאלטן זיך‬
Reveal
But how could
this be
‫אנטפלעקן‬
‫אויך‬
‫ווי קען דאס‬
‫אבער זיין‬
Hold himself
back
Take /
understand
‫נעמען‬
In a settled
manner
‫בהתיישבות‬
He understood/
felt
‫דערהערט‬
Also
To make
‫צו מאכן‬
‫ווי זיי זיינען‬
‫במציאותם‬
‫אראפגענומען‬
‫אלע הגבלות‬
‫פון דעם וואס‬
‫רופט‬
‫נמנע הנמנעות‬
‫טראגט מען‬
‫אראפ‬
‫ווי זי איז‬
‫פארבונדן‬
Not to engage
Completely fall
Should
strengthen
himself
‫ניט אריינלאזן‬
‫אראפפאלן‬
‫אינגאנצן‬
‫זאל זיך‬
‫שטארקן‬
This demand
‫דער מאנען‬-‫אט‬
‫קען מען אפשר‬
Can possibly say
‫זאגן‬
Came
‫געקומען‬
The decree
‫דעם קטרוג‬
Then
‫דעמאלט‬
2. The Frierdiker Rebbe
As they are in
their
existence
continued to explain that
Secrets of the
this very episode with the
Took away all
‫רזין דאורייתא‬
Torah
minister actually saved
limitations
the Alter Rebbe himself
Revealed
‫מגלה געווען‬
From the one
from having ‫כלות הנפש‬
that calls out
Publicized
‫מפרסם געווען‬
(his Neshomo leaving his
‫האט זיי‬
Brought them
body). The pleasure that
down
‫אראפגעטראגן‬
the Alter Rebbe had from
Draw down
Until
‫ביז‬
the awareness that he
had merited to sit in jail
Reach
‫דערנעמען‬
The way it is
connected
and give his life for the
Permeate
‫דורכנעמען‬
teachings of the Baal
Shem Tov and the Maggid was tremendous. So
much so, that it would have led him to such a high spiritual
state, that his soul would no longer be contained in his body. When he was asked the question
about Adam and he gave the answer to the minister regarding the awareness of why people
were put on this world and the importance of fulfilling ones mission, he came to the realization
that he must remain on this physical world and continue to fulfill the task he was charged with.
3. Any story which occurred with the Rebbeim, and was given over to us by one of the Rebbeim,
serves as a lesson for our daily lives. Every Jew must be aware that he is constantly being
asked “Where are you?” From the greatest to the smallest, every person is asked this
question according to his own level. For some, the question may be demanding from
him to refrain from the spiritual elevation the Alter Rebbe had desired and the call to
remain down here in this physical world. For others, the question may be a reminder that he must take every precaution in distancing himself from worldly desires
‫ה‬
a selected section of the Sicha
‫חלק פרטי מהשיחה עם תרגום ליניארי‬
with a linear translation
Started
‫ו‬
‫טייטש'ן‬
Translations
‫טייטש‬
‫ווארט‬
‫א מענטש איז‬
‫אלט אזוי פיל‬
‫יאר‬
for example…
,‫למשל‬
- thereby saying ‫ זאגנדיק דערביי‬the exact amount ‫די גענויע צאל‬
of years
‫יארן‬
‫פון דעם‬
of the
Minister - ‫מיניסטער‬
‫פרעגט אים דער‬
Hashem
asks him
:‫אויבעשטער‬
,"‫"איכה‬
,"‫"איכה‬
Where are you?
?‫וואו ביסטו‬
Do you know
‫צי ווייסטו‬
for what (purpose)
‫אויף וואס‬
‫דו ביזט באשאפן‬
you were
created
‫געווארן‬
on this world?
‫אויף דער וועלט‬
What you must ‫וואס דו דארפסט‬
do/accomplish,
‫טאן‬
and what
‫און וואס‬
“A person is a
certain amount of
years old,
‫טייטש‬
‫ווארט‬
‫טייטש‬
‫ווארט‬
asked him
‫האט אים‬
‫געפרעגט‬
One of the
questions
‘Where are
you?’”.
?‫איכה‬
which he
presented (to)
The Alter Rebbe
answered him
‫האט אים דער‬
‫דער אלטער רבי‬
,‫געענטפערט‬
according to
Rashi’s
explanation,
‫לויט פירוש‬
.‫רש"י‬
the minister told
him
‫זאגט אים דער‬
:‫מיניסטער‬
‫איינע פון די‬
‫שאלות‬
‫וואס ער האט‬
‫געשטעלט‬
‫דעם אלטן‬
‫רבי'ן‬
‫איז געווען‬
‫וועגן דעם‬
‫פשט‬
:‫פון פסוק‬
'‫"ויקרא ה‬
‫אלקים אל‬
‫האדם‬
“This that Rashi
says,
The Alter
Rebbe
was
regarding the
explanation
of the Possuk
“And Hashem
called to Adam
‫ וואס רש"י זאגט‬And he said to
I know on my
own
,‫ווייס איך אליין‬
but I want
to hear
‫איך וויל אבער‬
‫הערן‬
him “where are
you?”.
“Is it so
‫ויאמר לו‬
,"‫איכה‬
‫צי דען‬
‫האט דער‬
(that) Hashem
‫אויבעשטער‬
didn’t know
‫ניט געוואוסט‬
an explanation ‫א פשט פון דעם‬
from the Rebbe”.
.‫רבי'ן‬
‫וואו אדם‬
where Adam
‫הראשון‬
‫האט אים דער‬
was found
The Alter Rebbe
‫זיך‬
‫געפינט‬
‫אלטער רבי‬
you have already
answered
him
?‫דו האסט געטאן‬
that he
:‫געענטפערט‬
‫וואס ער‬
accomplished?
‫ז‬
ur Knowledge!
4. What lesson does this story contain for every person?
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5. Why was the Alter Rebbe put in jail?
______________________________________________________________
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6. How does the story of the minister help us understand why the Later
Rebbe was freed from jail?
______________________________________________________________
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5. A simple question is posed; How could it be that the deepest secrets of the Torah should be
revealed to such an extent that they can even be comprehended by a physical mind? It would
seem that these lofty ideas are intended to create a feeling of such spiritual longing, that the
soul can no longer tolerate being contained within the body.
6.This is the inner connection between the story of the minister and the Alter Rebbe’s arrest.
When the Alter Rebbe was at such a high spiritual state that his soul was even ready to leave his
body, he came to the realization that the purpose of him being created was to remain on this
world as a physical being, and bring light to this physical world. This contrast of two extreme
opposites, the ultimate spiritual high and the awareness of the importance of physicality,
launched the power to transform the actual physical world into a place of spirituality. This took
down the limitations and created the opportunity to bring the deepest secrets into a physical
understanding. For when one fulfills his mission with the awareness that he is doing it as a messenger of Hashem, Who can put opposites together, he has the power to draw down the loftiest
secrets into a revealed state. And, through this, he reveals the hidden parts of his Neshomo, enabling it to shine forth brightly.
‫ח‬
Show Off You
1. What was the question of the minister to the Alter Rebbe?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What was the Alter Rebbe’s novel explanation?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How did this answer end up saving the Alter Rebbe?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
and strengthening his observance of Torah and Mitzvos. Regardless of where a person is holding, Hashem constantly asks
him “Are you fulfilling the purpose for which you were placed
on this world?” Additionally, the very question which Hashem
asks every person actually gives him the strength to be able to carry out his mission happily.
Concepts
4. Besides for the fact that the story with this minister happened while the Alter Rebbe was sitting in jail, there is yet a deeper connection between the two occurrences. As is well known, the
physical arrest of the Alter Rebbe was in actuality a manifestation of a heavenly decree against
the Alter Rebbe’s approach to disseminating the secrets of the Torah i.e. Chassidus. The Alter
Rebbe initiated a new approach to spreading Chassidus in which the highest loftiest secrets of
the Torah were brought down to a level allowing them to be understood and felt by
the physical mind. This novel path in spreading Chassidus caused a heavenly uproar,
which was the root of the physical arrest of the Alter Rebbe. Similarly, the liberation of
the Alter Rebbe was a clear sign of Divine approval of his method of spreading
Chasidus.
‫ט‬
Notes:
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‫י‬
Notes:
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‫יא‬
‫לזכות הבחור התמים‬
‫מנחם מענדל שי׳ פוזנר‬
‫והבחור התמים‬
‫ארי׳ ליב שי' קרינסקי‬
‫שיראה הצלחה רבה‬
‫בעבודתם הקודש‬
‫ויגרום נחת רוח רב‬
‫לכ"ק אדמו"ר נשיא דורנו‬
Seeing the Parsha the
way the Rebbe does
© B2B Sichos Cover: Leibel Krinsky ‫ & טייטש'ן‬Concepts: Dovid Rachmani Layout: Menachem Aron
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