TIME TO CHANGE LOCATION

Just as the Beis HaMikdash was a place that was not governed by nature – as was reflected in the ten constant miracles that were witnessed there – so too in the Mikdash Me’at, Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel, there is no subjugation to the laws of nature.

A family of Iranians were living in Eretz Yisroel, and their daughter experienced the following miracle.

The doctors revealed a tumor in the girl’s brain, r”l. At the time that it was discovered, it was already at a very advanced stage, and there was very little that could be done. The parents were informed that there was one very risky surgery that might be done, that had a small chance of helping her. However, the surgery itself was so dangerous that there was a 60% chance of her not surviving the surgery. On the other hand, if nothing was done she didn’t have more than a few months left.

The parents were burdened with the dilemma of making this impossible decision. A family member was connected with Lubavitch, and it was arranged that the father should get a yechidus with the Rebbe, to get the Rebbe’s advice. The yechidus took place in the month of Adar.

When he entered the Rebbe’s room, he was overwhelmed by the magnitude of his problem, and he burst into tears. The Rebbe looked at him very seriously and exclaimed: “Ir Vilt Areinbrengen Ah Mora Sh’chora In Di Daled Amos In Chodesh Adar?! Ess Iz Duch HaChodesh Asher Nehepach!” [(Why) are you trying to bring sadness into this room in this month of Adar? This is the month that was transformed!]

The Jew was very moved by the Rebbe’s words. The next thing he knew, his yechidus had ended and he was outside of the Rebbe’s room. Only then did he realize, belatedly, that he had not received any answer to his question, the reason for which he had come. He immediately approached the mazkirim and requested to be allowed to go back in. He was told, however, that it would be impossible, and that if he has further questions then he should write them in a letter. He did so, and the Rebbe immediately responded: “Kvar Anisi Lo B’Yechidus.” [I have already answered him during his yechidus.]

The person was perplexed. It was a very inspiring yechidus, undeniably, but there was no discussion of the issue facing him. He approached the secretaries again, and was told to write again, which he did, receiving the same response.

Not knowing what to do further, he returned home, and they decided – with a heavy heart – to give their consent for the operation. When the doctors opened up the girls head, they were shocked. There was no sign of the tumor! It was a miracle!

However, every operation carries a risk that the patient will not awaken from the anesthesia, which threatened to be the outcome of this surgery. There was much worry, and the relative in NY asked the Rebbe for a bracha, after which she awoke.

The family recognized that they needed to thank the Rebbe for his bracha. On Pesach the father visited Crown Heights for this purpose. On Acharon shel Pesach he was at the Rebbe’s farbrengen, and he approached the Rebbe to thank him. The Rebbe handed him a piece of matza saying, “Dos Iz Duch Michla D’Asvoso.” [This is the bread of healing.] Then the Rebbe handed him a second piece, saying, “Dos Iz Duch Michla D’Hemnusa.” [This is the bread of emuna.]

Then the Rebbe said, “When there is emuna, there is no need for refua, but the child shouldn’t have to suffer because the parent is lacking in emuna.”

Indeed, in the Daled Amos of the Rebbe there is no place for worry or fear. Not only because of the brachos that the Rebbe gives there, but even more so because that is where the cause for the worry doesn’t exist in the first place. Just as the Beis HaMikdash was a place that was not governed by nature – as was reflected in the ten constant miracles that were witnessed there – so too in the Mikdash Me’at, Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel, there is no subjugation to the laws of nature.

When Avrohom expressed his concern about his inability to have children, and the Eibeshter reassured him, the Pasuk says “ויוצא אותו החוצה” – the Eibeshter removed him from the governance of his stargazers, or removed him from the area of the world altogether (see Rashi there). Undoubtedly the Eibeshter had the ability to fulfill the desires of Avrohom regardless of what the stars would foretell. But perhaps the message here is the same as above: through being removed from the previous world, through entering a new area – a new Daled Amos – the previous natural limitations cease to exist automatically.

Don’t bring in Mora Sh’chora here, the Rebbe demanded of the Jew; instead realize the power of this place, strengthen your emuna, and you can be genuinely b’simcha, because you will have nothing to worry about to begin with.

Perhaps this might shed some light on a point in the story of the Megilla. When Mordechai heard about the terrible decree against the Jews, he ripped his clothing and donned sackcloth and ashes. When Esther heard about this, she was much shaken, and she sent fresh clothing for Mordechai to be dressed in.

There seems to be an obvious question here: It was extremely unusual for Mordechai to behave in such a manner (as we can understand from the fact that Esther was so shaken when she heard about it). Why then was the reaction of Esther to send him a new set of clothing? It was obvious that his problem did not stem from not having clothing (he didn’t put on the sackcloth because his suit was at the drycleaners). Shouldn’t she, rather, have sent the messenger to him first to inquire about the reason for his conduct (something she only seems to do after he rejects the clothing)?

The question is even stronger when we contemplate the following point: it would seem logical to assume that Esther, living as she did in the royal palace, was also privy to the news of the latest decrees (see both Rashi and Ibn Ezra on the Pasuk ומרדכי ידע את כל אשר נעשה, from where it is understood that Mordechai’s knowledge of the actual events was not something unique, although the midrash on the Pasuk שומר מצוה לא ידע דבר רע seems to imply that Esther was in fact unaware due to her preoccupation with the mitzvah of bi’ur chametz). Shouldn’t her main focus have been on the terrible danger they were facing, rather than on Mordechai’s sackcloth?

But perhaps it can be understood in light of the above. Maybe she was saying to him, “Don’t focus on the negative, on the evil decree and the worry it causes you. The decree can be annulled through emuna (which is expressed by not paying attention to the fear).”

Maybe she was saying (completely ignoring the reason for his worry, just as the Rebbe did in the above story): “Mordechai, it is Chodesh Adar, the Chodesh Asher Nehepach. This is not a time for Mora Sh’chora. You must accomplish through simcha (and Mordechai was, after all, in the Daled Amos of the Rebbe, as Chazal tell us that Mordechai was the Moshe of his generation)!”

הימים האלו נזכרים ונעשים – Today, too, when we are in the holy place, when we are in the Daled Amos of the Rebbe, we can be liberated from the difficulties that result from our being governed by the laws of nature. Through strengthening our emuna, our unmitigated faith in the Oneness of Hashem, we become the recipients of His exclusive care, and protected from any natural dangers.

Our charge now, therefore, is to bring ourselves into the Rebbe’s Daled Amos, a place where there is no room for our Mora Sh’chora, where our challenges and obstacles have no existence to begin with.

How do we remove ourselves from our own world and bring ourselves into the Rebbe’s Daled Amos? Certainly it’s first and foremost through renewing our commitment to follow his directives. Through accepting upon ourselves unconditionally the yoke of Heaven, we detach ourselves from our own sense of self, and place ourselves in a new world and reality.

Each of us has to seek and identify the areas of conflict between the aims and agendas of the self and the goals and objectives with which the Rebbe directs us. By putting aside the interests and intentions of our Guf and Nefesh Ha’bahamis, and dedicating ourselves instead to carrying out the Ratzon HaElyon, we are removing ourselves from being entrenched in our own world, and bringing ourselves closer to the Rebbe’s Daled Amos.

The Rebbe’s Daled Amos are, unquestionably, the Daled Amos of Torah and mitzvos, of Yiddishkait and chassidishkait, and specifically of the Torah that he imparted to us. We need to use this time to strengthen our total immersion in Torah and G-dliness. And we all need to increase our involvement in learning the Rebbe’s Torah.

It is not just to be able to mark off another line on our chassidishe checklist, but to actually Koch Zich in a maamer or sicha, delve into it, in a way that it becomes our world!

Perhaps when making a Cheshbon Ha’nefesh you discover a “growth,” some foreign matter growing in your brain – a machsheves chutz – that doesn’t belong there. Whether it’s (old fashioned) machshovos zoros, or worries about “tachlis,” how to survive in the world according to the laws of nature etc., these “growths” present a serious hazard to your spiritual health.

But never fear, there is a sure cure, and you don’t even need to heal these illnesses, because you can go to a place where they never existed in the first place! As we celebrate the month of Adar, the Chodesh Asher Nehepach, let’s take advantage of the opportunity to put in more effort to ensure that we are indeed in the Rebbe’s Daled Amos. Thus we can indeed transform all the negative aspects in the world and in the עולם קטן זה האדם into אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר in an open and revealed way both B’gashmius and B’ruchnius!!

L’chaim! May we all take advantage of the uniqueness of Chodesh Adar, the Chodesh Asher Nehepach, to transform all the negative aspects in our life into visible and revealed good, and may the Eibeshter, too, take advantage of this special opportunity to finally transform the darkness of Galus into infinite light and infinite simcha, through the immediate hisgalus of Moshiach Tzidkeinu Teikef U’miyad Mamash!

From a written farbrengen directed towards Alumni of Yeshivas Lubavitch Toronto