Op-Ed: We Must Also Report Besuros Tovos To The Rebbe
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon: The special day of Yud Aleph Nissan — the birthday of the Rebbe — is fast approaching. Chassidim are thinking of gifts that they can give the Rebbe. One of the greatest gifts we can give is the steady reporting of good news to the Rebbe in a timely manner • Read More
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon, Rosh Yeshiva of Chabad Cincinnati
The special day of Yud Aleph Nissan — the birthday of the Rebbe — is fast approaching. Chassidim are thinking of gifts that they can give the Rebbe. One of the greatest gifts we can give is the steady reporting of good news to the Rebbe in a timely manner.
“A Shame You Delayed the Good News”
I recently saw the following letter that the Rebbe wrote to the famous Chassid Reb Nissan Nemenov of Brunoy on Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5714 (Igros Kodesh Vol. 9 p. 85; #2698): “I received your letter from 25 Iyar and it is a shame that you delayed in reporting the good news … I am referring to the farbrengen on Lag B’omer that you wrote about. If in all times one yearns to receive good news in all matters physical and spiritual, how much more so in our generation – the generation right before Moshiach in which there is no day [that is not worse off than the previous one].”
The story behind this letter is fascinating as well. It was told over by Rabbi Yeshuah a”h Hadad of Milan, Italy. He was a student in the Brunoy Yeshiva at the time (recorded by JEM):
“In addition to delving into advanced maamarei Chassidus, every Sunday we would travel to Paris to teach Jewish children there. These children studied in secular public schools all over Paris, but on Sundays, Rabbi Chaim Hillel Azimov, the Rebbe’s shliach in the city, would gather them together, and the yeshivah students would learn with them. One year, as part of the celebration of Lag B’Omer, we rented buses and brought about two hundred of these mostly-Sephardi children to spend a whole day in the yeshivah in Brunoy. The children prayed with us, ate with us and soaked up the spirit of the yeshivah.”
This was the good news that the Rebbe was not happy about it not being reported on time.
I ask that you, my dear readers, think about this letter of the Rebbe and keep in mind that in 5714 (1954) the Yom Tov of Lag B’omer was on a Friday. Reb Nissan only waited for one week (from 18 Iyar to 25 Iyar), which does not seem like a long time to write a report, and still the Rebbe was upset that the good news was not shared earlier!
The Lesson From Moshe and Hashem
This idea, of making sure to report to the Rebbe (and especially to share good news) was spoken about in a sicha on 4 Tishrei 5749 (1989). In that important sicha (which I urge all the readers to learn in its entirety), the Rebbe learns a lesson from a Mechlita that is quoted by Rashi in Parshas Yisro. The passuk (Shemos 19:8) tells us: “And all the people replied in unison and said, ‘All that Hashem has spoken we shall do!’ and Moshe took the words of the people back to Hashem.”
Rashi comments: “Did Moshe really have to bring back to Hashem an answer?” Hashem surely knew the people’s reply! Rather, the passuk comes to teach you derech eretz, etiquette, from Moshe: He did not say, “Since He Who sent me knows, I do not have to reply.”
The Rebbe elaborated and explained that we must learn from the behavior of Moshe, and be joyful of the ability to emulate yet another behavior of Moshe, that he did not make the calculation that certainly Hashem knows that he did the mission properly but actually reported that back to Hashem. Thus when we are given a mission, we should not say that certainly that one that sent us on the mission knows if and how the mission was done, rather we should gladly report back to the one that sent us.”
“Halevai Anash Would Notify Good News and Thus Avoid The Opposite”
The Rebbe really wants to hear good news from us. The Rebbe wrote to Rabbi Yaakov Orenstein (Igros Kodesh Vol. 13 p. 164; #4437): “Thank you for writing about the recent farbrengen, and certainly you will continue doing this in the future as well. This sharing of good news and making another person feel good is included in the special mitzvah of “loving a fellow Jew as yourself”. Of all the letters I receive, very few of them contain information that brings me pleasure, hence, any letter in this vein is very precious to me.
Let us finish with this very important letter of the Rebbe (Igros Kodesh, Vol. 14 p. 52; #4804): “I believe I’ve already told or written to you in the past that halevai [if only] Anash would be accustomed to notifying [me] when there is good news to report. This way, Hashem would minimize the need to report other things like the one in your letter [i.e. sad news].”
May we merit the ultimate good news: The revelation of the Rebbe MH”M now!
Please feel free to share your thoughts on the above with me by sending me a personal email: [email protected]
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