Weekly Chasidic Story #762 (s5772-41 / 12 Tammuz 5772) Magnetic Attraction When the Rebbe Rashab was finished sorting the Kherson archive, he sent it to his son, the Rebbe Rayatz, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Shneersohn. Connection: Seasonal - Yud-Beit (12th) Tammuz is the anniversary of the birthday (1880) and Liberation Day (in 1927) of the Rebbe Rayatz.
Magnetic AttractionPassed down from the Baal Shem Tov and inherited by Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin was a treasure trove of writings and objects that belonged to the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples known as the Kherson Archive. Among the objects in this precious archive were the Baal Shem Tov's sidur (prayer book) and his menorah (Chanukah candelabra). After the Ruzhiner passed away, a very wealthy man bought the archive. Rabbi Shmuel Gur-aryeh, one of the Chabad chasidim, bought the archive and gave it as a present to Rabbi Sholom Dovber Shneersohn, the Rebbe Rashab of Lubavitch. To this day, the Baal Shem Tov's sidur is in the Lubavitcher Rebbe's library in Brooklyn and after immersing in the mikveh (ritual bath), some young men were given the opportunity to see it. In the pages of the Amidah, there appear the names of the Baal Shem Tov's disciples for whom he prayed, and the sidur is stained through and through with the tears of the Baal Shem Tov. In any case, when Rabbi Gur-Aryeh brought the archive to the Rashab, the Rashab sifted through it, letter by letter, object by object. There were hundreds if not thousands of these and about each one, the Rashab declared whether it was authentically from the Baal Shem Tov or not. He thus sorted the entire archive. The whole while, the chasid quietly watched with amazement, wondering how the Rebbe knew what was authentic and what was not. When the Rashab was finished sorting the archive, he gave everything back to the chasid and told him to go to his son [and subsequent successor, the Rebbe Rayatz], Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Shneersohn, and show him the archive. The chasid brought the archive to the Rayatz and to his continuing astonishment the Rayatz started doing exactly what his father had done. He sorted through the entire archive similarly proclaiming what was authentic and what was not. Amazingly, he sorted the archive exactly as did his father. Even though the wealthy chasid who bought the archive did not dare ask the father, he asked the son (who was not yet a Rebbe): "How do you know what is authentic and what is not? These are all very precious letters and objects and not anyone could tell the difference." The Rayatz replied that in every Jew, even a child, there is holiness (deriving from the Divine soul, but the Rayatz did not use this term). And, he said, holiness attracts holiness. If an object really belonged to the Baal Shem Tov, and if a letter is an authentic document from him or his disciples, then they too are imbued with holiness. Just as metal is attracted by a magnet, every Jew is attracted to holiness. The Rayatz did not say that this ability to detect holiness is limited to a Rebbe, to a spiritual master, but rather that every Jew has holiness. If he nurtures it by studying Torah and Chassidut it will be revealed in his heart. Then, whatever he encounters in his life, he will immediately sense if it is imbued with holiness or not. We too have to be sensitive to holiness. Only a Jew can truly become sensitive to holiness, but to achieve this he has to nurture the holiness within. What
is more, the fact that this story about inner holiness that attracts and is attracted
to external holiness is told concerning the ability to discern what belonged to
the Baal Shem Tov, illustrates another important point. The Baal Shem Tov began
enlightening the world with the holy light of the Mashiach. He set out to reveal
the Mashiach, to bring the redemption, through loving-kindness and compassion.
For this reason, the Baal Shem Tov's own holiness, the light of holiness with
which he himself was seen by others and affected his surroundings, was the holiness
of the Mashiach. The holiness in a Jew is attracted to the holiness of the Mashiach
and therefore is similarly attracted to the holiness of the Baal Shem Tov.
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