Anyone who suffices with the limitations that reality as is, might find themselves a realistically comfortable seat somewhere in the middle row, interjecting here and there and perhaps succeeding in making a few cosmetic changes. But, a tzadik who has a completely revolutionary vision, and has prepared an agenda to manifest it in reality, undermines the very foundations of the current course of history. Under such circumstances, the current leadership does all it can to stop him in his tracks, and repress his progress, even to the extent of incarcerating him in prison. The release of a righteous leader such as this from jail is direct proof that reality has matured enough to accept his teachings and follow his leadership to realize his mission. Then and Now: Jail—The Sure Sign of a Future Leader Rebbe Shneur Zalman, the Alter Rebbe, was thrown into jail on false accusations of rebelling against the Communist regime in Russia, supporting Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel (then occupied by the Turkish enemy of the Czar) and founding a “new religion. The only grain of truth in the claims against him is that the Alter Rebbe methodically formulated Chassidic teachings in his book, the Tanya (to the extent that the Tanya is considered the “written law” of Chassidut), thereby truly creating a new world order. His imprisonment was the Czar’s reaction to this new light, and in many ways, it spotlighted the Alter Rebbe as the leader of the Chassidic revolution. His release from prison proclaimed the beginning of a new era, in which the newly organized Chassidic methodology would now lead the way to genuine change.
These lines were written in the week when the “imprisonment” of the Od Yosef Chai yeshivah complex was extended for an additional six months (and to the tune of a demonstration against the activities of the Torat Hanefesh School of Jewish Psychology according the teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov, one of the most spectacular reflections of the applicability of Chassidic teachings today). Where does current leadership in Israel find the impetus to act so disproportionately – in ways that are not even used against those sworn enemies who attack us morning and eve – against those who ring out the clear and sober voice of the Torah?
It doesn’t take much contemplation to identify the fact that these acts come from a – perhaps unconscious – sense that the philosophy articulated by these institutions cannot be ignored; that this is an approach that challenges the situation and offers a new, different and genuinely Jewish agenda that is capable of rectifying it. In Hebrew, a leader is sometimes referred to as “the spokesperson” of the generation. His power is in his clear voice, which like the entire Chassidic revolution, issues forth with the power of love for the Jewish People, without using any force. However, this is the very same voice that the current leadership feels must either be suppressed—or else, the throne of leadership must be freed for it to be delivered unequivocally. Ironically, their actions indicate clearly where the future leadership is being nurtured, and they also demand that we continue to speak out louder, clearer and more precisely than before, as we disseminate the Torah’s directives and its inner dimension. It is only a matter of time before these very ideas, once freed from the confines that are erected to hinder them, will turn from prisoner to king.
In this spirit, we invite everyone to the Yat Kislev gala event, to feel for themselves the powerful joy of a true Chassidic revolution, and we wish you all: Gut yom tov! May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year in the study of Chassidut and the ways of Chassidut