[1]

During the year 5552 [1792] a resident of Zamut named Shimon arrived in Vilna. He had studied science and mathematics, and Hebrew grammar under students of the leading maskilim. His knowledge of Tanach was outstanding, and he met with the approval of the Gaon Rav Eliyahu's brother Reb Yissachar, and his son Reb Avraham. They became very close to him, and appointed him the general supervisor of all Tanach teachers in Vilna.

Since this Shimon pretended to be a rabbinic scholar and G-d-fearing person, the Gaon Rav Eliyahu invited him to write a review of his own work on grammar. No one imagined that Shimon was secretly a member of the maskilim. But the truth was that his sole aim was to gain converts to the Haskalah Movement.

He separated the elementary school pupils into classes according to their abilities. Among the students who had graduated to study Gemara in yeshivah, he chose those with the best aptitudes, and arranged for them a program of study in Tanach with additional commentaries besides Rashi. And when he was satisfied that he had already poisoned their minds, he would send them away to various cities in Germany. His pretext was that he was sending them to one of the yeshivos in Minsk, Slutzk, Smorgon, or Brysk.

He assisted the most outstanding young students financially, giving them huge stipends. Thus, he pursued his work energetically and in orderly fashion. Most of the students whom he chose to send away came from poor families. Once they were gone, they were quickly forgotten, and no one spoke of them again.

Shimon, the secret corrupter of minds, worked for four years capturing souls for the Haskalah Movement. Twice a year, he would select some of the best students and send them away to schools that were under the influence of the maskilim in Galicia and Poland. He managed this under the pretext that [the students were fulfilling the advice of the Sages], "Exile yourself to a place of Torah."[2] Besides Yosef Peseles (who was secretly one of the maskilim, and supported the maskilim with large sums of money) no one knew - or even suspected - that Shimon held heretical views.

During the years that Shimon lived in Vilna, he sought to deceive the leaders of the chassidim through flattery. In community affairs, there were sometimes differences of opinion between the community officials who were misnagdim and those who were chassidim. Since he was neither a chassid nor a misnaged, Shimon's opinion was often the deciding factor.

His most clever achievement was to deceive those who stood at the head of the chassidic community, Reb Baruch Mordechai and Reb Moshe Meisels. Since they were masters of Hebrew grammar and enthusiasts of the Holy Tongue, they were very friendly to him. Reb Moshe Meisels had a weakness for writing poetry, and so he gave honor to Reb Shimon, who was an expert at rhyming.

As mentioned, by this time the Alter Rebbe's text of the prayers had already been disseminated in handwritten form among the chassidim. Some of them wrote his revisions into [the margins of] the Siddur Shaar HaShamayim[3] of the Shaloh,[4] for this text was closer to the Alter Rebbe's text. But most of them wrote the Alter Rebbe's revisions into the margins of the ordinary Siddurim of the Ashkenazic liturgy from which they prayed.

Now it is true that the idea of a special prayer text for the chassidim aroused the anger of the misnagdim against the chassidim. Nevertheless, without exception, they acknowledged that the exact wording of the text of the Alter Rebbe's Siddur had been polished to absolute perfection. Even in the passages where he had made no changes in the wording, the Alter Rebbe had edited the vowel points to comply with the rules of grammar and syntax. This amazed even the expert grammarians.

Shimon, continuing to hide his true intentions, praised and extolled the Alter Rebbe's Siddur. He would often say, "I can offer no opinion about the wording of the text or the order of the prayers, for I have never studied mysticism. But where the grammar is concerned, I say in all sincerity that I have never seen anything that so exactly accorded with the science of grammar." He would also express wonder at the fact that the chassidim did not study grammar and linguistics.

The chassidim of Galicia were the first to suffer from the campaigns and oppressions of the maskilim. Next, came the chassidim of Vohlynia and Poland. The Chabad Chassidim were the last of all. The reason for this was that some of the Berlin maskilim happened to meet the elite Chabad Chassidim at the fairs in Leipzig; these were the geonim Reb Yosef Kalbo, Reb Pinchas Schick, Reb Binyamin Kletzker, and other chassidim from Shklov. They discovered that the Chabad Chassidim possessed broad knowledge of theology and the mystic aspects of the Torah. Additionally, they engaged in the avodah of the heart and in refining their middos. Thus, people of unusually great aptitude would be needed to defeat them.

The maskilim labored for five years, 5551-5556 [1791-1796], in battle against the chassidim of Lita and the Ukraine. They sent special agents to the places where chassidim lived, to stimulate them to study the Hebrew language and grammar. But wherever these agents went, the chassidim distanced themselves from them. Even when they came to shul, they would not be called up to the Torah for an aliyah, and when one of them had to recite Kaddish, the chassidim would not answer Amein. Often, they would literally expel them from the chassidic shuls.

The centers of the Haskalah Movement received reports from these secret agents who had been sent to the Chabad chassidic communities to capture souls for Haskalah. They described the troubles they had encountered on the way, the abuse and humiliation they had endured, and the actual expulsions. Not only had they accomplished nothing with the chassidim, but they had even become objects of ridicule among those misnagdim who wrote books on grammar!

Because of the opposition of the chassidim, and the publication of the shocking story of the events in Ponievitch,[5] the agents resigned from their posts, and no longer worked for the Haskalah Movement. The campaign committee in the Haskalah center then assigned Shimon the task of visiting the chassidic communities, including their leader's capital city of Liozna. At the end of his journey, he was to submit a report, with suggestions about how they could battle the chassidim and overcome them.

Shimon was well acquainted with chassidic attitudes, for he had often engaged the chassidim of Vilna in intellectual debate. He therefore took it for granted that he was the appropriate agent for this task, and expected to succeed at it. Thus, he accepted the commission of the campaign committee. With the pretext that he had to attend to some "family business," he took a three-month leave of absence from his employment - until the end of the semester. He then made his way to the chassidic communities, and their capital city.

About the month of Elul, the geonim and chassidim Reb Baruch Mordechai and Reb Moshe Meisels received a letter from Liozna. It was written in the name of the Alter Rebbe, and referred to this Shimon, whom they had described as a G-d-fearing person who loved the Alter Rebbe's Siddur and praised it expansively. The letter warned them that he was really a secret member and agent of the maskilim, sent to capture souls and convert them to the idolatry of Haskalah. They were instructed to keep him under surveillance, to spy on him, and to follow his every step. And when they succeeded in catching him red-handed, they were to expose him for what he was.

The success of the Vilna chassidim in electing two additional community officers who were chassidim lifted their spirits - not only in Vilna itself, but in the entire district. Through the efforts of these chassidic officers, the income of the community treasury increased. After only one month, impressive sums were coming into the treasury - substantially more than before. But this only served to upset the more fanatic misnagdim, and their hatred grew very strong. Defamation and slander added fuel to the fire, so that the feud (which had been dormant for the past three years) was now resurrected.

The chassidim decided to post spies in the council of those who fought against them. Especially, they wished to spy on Mr. Yosef Peseles, for the leaders of the dispute used to meet in his home.

This decision proved very useful to the chassidim. A particularly successful spy was Betzalel Baruch "the Dwarf," who was in fact related to Mrs. Peseles. Outwardly, he appeared to be a simpleton; he had a hunchback and he stuttered, he was half blind and half deaf, with bushy eyebrows and a pronounced limp. But in fact, he was clever and perceptive. He would appear at crucial moments, as if by accident. Thus, he was able to overhear everything, and to read the correspondence addressed to Mr. Peseles, while spying for the chassidim.

The first key to unlocking Shimon's secret was obtaining a copy of a letter he had sent to Mr. Peseles. In this letter, he wrote that he was now in Krakow, delivering a report of his visit to the towns where the chassidim lived. He reported that he had also visited the capital city of the chassidim.

After he had been there for about a week (he had been sick for a few days) he had been granted an audience with their leader. But eventually, he had been found out. Perhaps (he suggested jokingly), he had been detected by his smell. The holy Zohar tells of a youngster who could detect people who had not recited the Shema, by their smell.[6] He, in fact, had not put on tefillin that day, but the Rebbe had not detected that; he had merely detected that he was an agent of the maskilim. He had departed that same night.

While traveling through the towns of White Russia, he had seen that the chassidim there were in a very strong position. Thus, it appeared doubtful that he would succeed in penetrating their defenses. He and his colleagues were now exploring ways and strategies to overcome the chassidim. He wrote:

We are all of the opinion that "He was not, He is not, and He shall never be."[7] It is all the same to us whether they say Nakdishach and Keser[8] or they say Nekadeish and Na'aritzecha.[9] All of them follow obsolete practices, and it is up to us to enlighten them.

You did not hear what the agents reported to me, and you did not see all that I saw. If you had, you would know that all the oppressions and persecutions by the Vilna council against the members of this movement do not constitute even a small fraction of what ought to be done against the chassidim of the Liozna Rebbe. When I arrive in Vilna, I will report everything at length.

Reb Baruch Mordechai and Reb Moshe Meisels were shocked when they read this letter. They instructed Betzalel Baruch to be careful not to tell anyone about it, or even to speak of it. He should henceforth pursue his assignment with much thought and careful planning, and with great patience.

Reb Baruch Mordechai and Reb Moshe Meisels had very often heard Shimon utter the praises of his relative, Reb Aizik'l Frumales, who lived in Polotzk. His knowledge of Hebrew grammar was both broad and deep, but he had married into chassidic families, and he davened in their beis hamedrash. Thus, he had persuaded the chassidim to teach their children Hebrew grammar and the Hebrew language. He was a wealthy businessman, and had dealings in several towns in the vicinity of Polotzk. Wherever he went, he managed to influence them to adopt his ideas.

Reb Baruch Mordechai and Reb Moshe Meisels suggested that one of the chassidim should disguise himself, and visit Reb Shimon at his home, pretending to be a relative of the businessman Reb Aizik'l Frumales. Then he should search any possible hiding places, to find all of Shimon's letters and bring them to them. For this mission, they chose the chassid Reb Zalman Leib of Szventzian, known as "Reb Zelmele the Tinsmith."

Reb Zalman Leib succeeded in his mission, bringing back many bundles of manuscripts, letters, notes, copies of letters Shimon had written to his friends and acquaintances, and letters he had received from them. He also found books of Haskalah, written in Hebrew, German, Italian, French, and Greek. In short, Reb Zalman Leib brought to Reb Baruch Mordechai and Reb Moshe Meisels everything that had been secreted in Shimon's hiding place.

They found much correspondence between him and several named individuals who were leading figures of the Haskalah Movement. This demonstrated that Shimon was one of the leaders of the Haskalah, and that he had taken upon himself the task of running the campaign to capture souls for Haskalah from among the best students of the yeshivos and Torah academies of Vilna. Among these papers they found:

1. A list of the young men whom Shimon had sent to study in the schools run by the maskilim. [In Poland,] the city of Warsaw; in Galicia, the city Krakow; in Germany, the cities of Berlin, Breslau, Dessau, and Königsberg;

2. Copies of certificates he had given to each student, describing their special aptitudes, reporting what subjects they had studied under him, and suggesting programs for their future study;

3. An accounting of the money delivered to him by messenger from Berlin and Königsberg, the amounts he had received from their honored comrade, Lord Peseles, and the amounts he had spent;

4. Detailed information on the status of each student. Correspondence between him and the students' teachers, suggesting that they be taught to read French and Greek; thus, they would advance in the study of classic works of philosophy in the original;

5. A list of books they should read; these included books that ridiculed religion and the belief in angels, the evil eye, demons, and evil spirits; so that they would purge their minds of all the foolishness that their ignorant teachers had previously taught them.

All this material clearly demonstrated Shimon's true identity - he was one of the leading maskilim, an atheist who denied the existence of G-d, did not believe in the Torah and mitzvos, and mocked the words of the Sages. He possessed an exceptional talent for capturing innocent souls, corrupting and subverting them to the idolatry of Haskalah.

Reb Baruch Mordechai and Reb Moshe Meisels arranged these papers in order. They copied the most important ones in a format suitable for publication when the opportunity would present itself. The presentation was arranged so that Shimon would be completely unable to offer any defense, to attempt to deny the charges, or even to offer some rationalization. Mr. Peseles would also be implicated, and this would besmirch his honor (which was very important to him).

On Tzom Gedaliah, Betzalel Baruch informed Reb Baruch Mordechai that Shimon had returned from his travels on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. Shimon and Peseles had conferred during the days of Rosh Hashanah and Tzom Gedaliah, and Reb Betzalel Baruch transmitted everything he had overheard.

Shimon had reported to Peseles about his visit to the capital city of the chassidim, and that he had been granted an audience with the Alter Rebbe. He had also described his conversations with the princes - the Alter Rebbe's sons and his brothers; the teachings the Rebbe had delivered, his manner of prayer and his customs; the customs of the elder chassidim, their prayer, their study, and their casual conversation; the lifestyles of the younger chassidim; their love for one another and their brotherhood; and their strict discipline in following the program that was set for them.

When he arrived in Vitebsk, a distance of thirty or forty kilometers from the chassidic capital [of Liozna], Shimon already heard much news of what was happening in the "Citadel of the King"; [as the Sages say,][10] "King" refers to the rabbis. He was amazed by the respect reverence that the chassidim displayed when speaking of the sons or brother of their prince. The brother was called "the gaon Maharil" [Moreinu HaRav Yehudah Leib]. The sons were also called "Moreinu," and an abbreviated form of their names; the full names were never pronounced. Thus, the eldest was called "Maharad" (Moreinu HaRav Dov Ber); the second was called "Maharcha'a" (Moreinu HaRav Chayim Avraham); the third was called "Maharam" (Moreinu HaRav Moshe). Even the Nasi's grandson,[11] who was then a child of six or seven, was called "Ramam" (Rav Menachem Mendel), and they would speak highly of him as a young genius with outstanding abilities.

During the three weeks he spent in Vitebsk, he visited many shuls and study houses. There, he discovered groups of people sitting and studying unbound printed booklets [of Chassidus]. They argued among themselves in scholarly debate, with the excitement that Torah study generates. The elders sat, while the younger ones stood crowded together, all occupied with their study.

He discovered that these unbound booklets were sections of their Nasi's text, which had only recently gone to press in Slavuta. So great was the chassidim's desire and thirst for their Rebbe's teachings, that they contracted with the printer to send them individual signatures, as soon as they came off the press. About five thousand such unbound booklets had already arrived in the city and the surrounding area. In fact, he had already seen such booklets in Vilna, before his departure.

He entered one of the shuls at about five in the afternoon, and found a group of chassidim who had just finished Minchah and were now preparing a feast in honor of a mitzvah. A towel had been spread over the table at the southern wall, and on it lay a loaf of bread, some salt, two herrings, a few cucumbers, a bottle of whiskey, and some cups.

[Here is the story as Shimon himself reported it]:

One of the elder chassidim was named Reb Nachman. He had a wide forehead and a serious expression on his face, and appeared to be the leader of the group. He washed his hands first, after which the rest of the company did likewise, and they sat down at the table. When they noticed me sitting on a bench at the northern wall and looking into a sefer, they invited me to join them at the table. I replied that I was fasting because it was my father's yartzeit,[12] and so I was unable to partake of their food. However, with their permission, I agreed to join their celebration, and I sat down at the end of the table.

One of the younger chassidim filled the cups. Reb Nachman then stood up; all the participants did likewise, and I too got up from my seat. He then declared:

LeChayim! to our Lord, our Master, our Rebbe, and to the entire family of our Rebbe's court. May G-d (blessed be He) fulfill all the desires of our Rebbe's most holy heart. May he succeed in everything he undertakes. May G-d (blessed be He) help us and all our fellow chassidim to adhere to the teachings of our Rebbe, so that we may observe, fulfill, and keep them. May we be wholly dedicated and devoted to the will of our Lord, Master, and Rebbe, for it is the will of G-d.

To this, everyone answered Amein! They wished one another LeChayim, and that G-d would fulfill the blessing Reb Nachman had just spoken. Then, they began to sing. When the niggun ended, Reb Nachman began to relate the latest news of the chassidic capital. Because of the great success of the chassidim in Shklov - and especially the two "great luminaries," Reb Pinchas Reizes and Reb Binyamin Kletzker - many new people had been attracted to the teachings of Chassidus. Many of these converts had come from the foremost young scholars, and the most prestigious families of the misnagdim. Reb Nachman then declared:

When our Lord, Master, and Rebbe was still at the court of his own Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezritch, he would study together with the holy Malach,[13] the Maggid's son. Once, when our Rebbe was about to depart for home, his colleague the Malach went along to see him on his way. When the coachman arrived with his carriage to transport our Rebbe, the holy Malach and our Rebbe went outside.

The holy Malach then turned to the coachman and said, "Whip the horses until they cease to be horses!"

When the Rebbe heard the holy Malach's words, he turned back and remained in Mezritch for some time longer. He explained that the holy Malach's instructions to the coachman, "Whip the horses until they cease to be horses," opened up for him an entirely new approach to serving G-d.

When Reb Nachman finished speaking, all present continued looking at him. His face shone as he began to sing. Those present joined their voices with his for quite some time. Apparently, they were all familiar with this niggun. When they finished singing, Reb Nachman said that he would now explain this new path that the Alter Rebbe had learned from the Malach's words to the coachman, thirty-five years earlier, in Mezritch:

[Reb Nachman's speech, as quoted in Shimon's report]:

It is written:[14] "A whip for a horse, a bridle strap for a donkey, and a stick for the back of fools." Ibn Ezra[15] explains that these are the three who deserve to be beaten.

Who are these three? The "horse" refers to the misnagdim who oppose the teachings of Chassidus. The "donkey" refers to the hedonists who indulge in the pleasures of this world. The "fools" are the maskilim, the polluted offspring of Mendelssohn and company, the original source of uncleanness.

The order in which these three (the horse, the donkey, and the fools) are listed is deliberate. Someone who refuses to study Chassidus is a horse (especially, those who oppose the teachings of Chassidus are like horses). Why are they like horses? Because a horse never sees the heavens. He never lifts up his head to notice that there is a Heaven above him.[16] So too, these misnagdim have no desire to know that there is a Heaven above their heads.

Two additional categories are derived from these horses. One is the category of donkeys, who gorge themselves on the pleasures of this world. At first, they partake only of things that are permitted. But as the Rebbe writes in his kuntresim,[17] even things which are permitted are totally evil if they are done through lust. Later, they graduate from doing permitted things to forbidden things. They operate on the principle that [in a state of doubt] a ruling which advocates leniency is favored [over one that advocates stringency].[18] What the Shulchan Aruch rules as acceptable only after the fact, becomes their first choice.

The second category is the maskilim - the fools and heretics, may their name and memory be erased forever.

The Torah teaches us how to deal with these three, to bring them back to the correct path: "A whip for a horse" - the horse must be beaten with a whip until he becomes aware that he is only a horse. That is the old way of looking at it. But the holy Malach discovered a new way of looking at it. The horse must be beaten until he ceases to be a horse, that is, he ceases to behave like a horse.

These are the two ways of dealing with the misnagdim who oppose the teachings of Chassidus. The first way is to demonstrate to them that without studying Chassidus they remain horses. But the new way that the Alter Rebbe learned from the Malach's holy words to the coachman is that we must explain to the misnagdim the teachings of the Torah and the ways of worshiping G-d, until they quit their boorish ways.

"A strap for a donkey" - for those who follow the lust of their desires, we must put a bridle strap and harness on them, to muzzle their desires so that they behave as required by the Torah, without looking for ways to permit things, or to be lenient with the law.

Now these two categories, the misnagdim and the people with the lusts, still have hope of being refined, through the whip and the bridle strap. On the other hand, the "fools," meaning the accursed maskilim (may their name be erased) have no hope of refinement. They are like an earthenware utensil that has absorbed something non-kosher. There is no way of repairing such a utensil except to break it. This also applies to the maskilim, who have been poisoned by the venom of heresy. There is no way to repair this; only breaking them and removing them from this world will repair this. This is the "stick," a staff made from a strong wooden branch, for the back of these fools. They must be beaten and expelled from the midst of the Jewish nation.

[This Ends Reb Nachman's speech. Shimon's report now continues]:

The chassidim began to sing. But my blood began to boil, and my heart burst at hearing the words of Reb Nachman.

For a moment, my impulse was to stand up and do battle with them. I would shower them with sayings that are the opposite of their teachings, and with statements of the philosophers that totally disprove their fantasies of a G-d in Heaven who creates and rules the world. I assumed that they were intellectually weak, and would be unable to debate me rationally. I imagined that even religious philosophy such as Moreh Nevuchim[19] and Kuzari[20] were foreign to them. But I immediately changed my mind, remembering that my most important mission here was to gain first-hand knowledge of this company of our mortal enemies. Thus, I overcame my impulse and forced myself to remain silent. Instead, I bent my ear to listen to every word that escaped the mouths of these ignorant folk, and to scrutinize carefully their way of life and their customs. When they finished singing, Reb Nachman resumed speaking:

"We beat the horses among us according to the first way, informing them that they are horses. We lack the skill to follow the second way,[21] because we do not adequately engage in Torah study and avodah of the heart. On the other hand, the chassidim of Shklov do occupy themselves with diligent study of Chassidus, and with the avodah of praying at length. Especially, Reb Pinchas Reizes, of whom the Alter Rebbe says that he is 'a cemented cistern that does not lose a drop';[22] and Reb Binyamin Kletzker, of whom the Alter Rebbe says that he is dedicated to public service, and very incisive. Their avodah is of the second kind, for they can extricate horses from their horse-like natures."

Reb Nachman then delivered a lengthy dissertation on how one evolves from being a misnaged to being one who indulges in pleasures. He reported several incidents, some of which are undoubtedly lies, the result of the chassidim's overactive imaginations. Some of them were quite comical, causing us all to laugh so hard that our faces became wet. Even those who told the stories admitted that they were meant to ridicule; indeed, the rule is that all jesting speech is forbidden, except that which mocks idol worship. Then, they drank LeChayim again, and resumed their singing. I must admit that their niggunim captured the heart.

When the niggun ended, Reb Nachman turned to one of the company and said, "Peretz, give us your yarmulke." Raising his hat and removing the yarmulke from his head, Reb Peretz set it upside-down on the table.

Reb Nachman next turned to another member of the company and said, "Betzalel Chayim, you write the list." Turning to one of the young scholars, he said, "Eliyah Moshe, bring paper and ink."

He then turned to Reb Betzalel Chayim again, saying, "Be careful to write clearly, with no extraneous thoughts while writing. This list will be sent in to the most holy chamber, to be read by the Holy of Holies, our Lord, Master, and Rebbe."

When the young scholar Reb Eliyah Moshe brought the paper and the writing implements, Reb Betzalel Chayim stood up from his place at the table, went over to the wash basin, washed his hands, rubbed them together and dried them. Then, he adjusted his gartel and his hat and returned to his seat. After some further preparation, he wrote about two lines. I was unable to see what he was writing, but his face had a very serious expression, and his color went from pale white to deep red, as he looked at Reb Nachman.

Reb Nachman removed a linen cloth from his pocket, and a sheet of paper with writing on it. From this paper, he read the names of a number of people, along with the amounts they had contributed - it came to more than a thousand gold florins! The gold coins were placed into the yarmulke, while Reb Betzalel Chayim copied the names of the contributors.

When Reb Nachman finished reading his list of contributors, four or five other men did likewise: they read their own lists of contributors and the amounts they had contributed. They deposited the coins in the yarmulke, while Reb Betzalel wrote everything down. The final list filled four or five sheets of paper.

When they finished reading the lists, Reb Nachman produced a gold coin and put it in the yarmulke, while Reb Betzalel Chayim recorded his name. Afterwards, the others did the same. Most of them gave not less than three coins, and a few even gave five or nine gold coins. One of them amazed me very much - when his turn came, he took out a linen kerchief, removed a large stack of gold coins and gave them to Reb Nachman, who counted them twice. Reb Nachman then declared to Reb Chayim, "Chayim Zundel ben Beila bas Reb Yochanan donates seventy-two gold florins." This Reb Chayim Zundel was dressed in plain clothes that were obviously very old, and wore torn shoes. I looked in wonder at this person who was so poor, and yet contributed so large a sum.

When the entire collection was finished, they emptied the coins from the yarmulke and put them into a cloth sack. This was given to one of the assembly, Reb Shlomo Eliezer. They then drew lots to determine who would have the privilege of transporting the collected sum. The winners were Reb Chayim Zundel, and one of the elders, Reb Nachum Moshe.

Next, Shimon reported on his visit to Liozna:

I arrived in Liozna on a Monday, about two o'clock in the afternoon. I entered the shul in their leader's house, and in the side-room I discovered people still wearing their tallis and tefillin. They were still davening in melodious voices - one saying Pesukei DeZimra,[23] another reciting the blessings of Kerias Shema. All of them were singing with pleasant voices, and snapping their fingers to the rhythm.

It took three hours for all of them to finish their prayers. After the davening, some recited chapters of Tehillim, others studied Mishnah or Gemara, and still others recited chapters of the Prophets or the Holy Scriptures by heart. When all was finished, some went home; those who remained washed their hands, ate some black bread dipped in salt, drank some water, and recited the Grace after Meals. They then lay down on the benches for an afternoon nap.

In the second side-room (the large shul of the Rebbe's court has three side-rooms) I found a group of young scholars busy studying Gemara in depth. The Nasi's brother, Maharil, sat at the head of the table and explained the subject matter to them, displaying broad knowledge of Gemara, Rambam, Rashba,[24] and many works of the Acharonim. This group numbered about thirty young scholars.

In the third side-room sat another group of young scholars, about twenty-three in number. They were studying the same unbound booklets I had seen people studying in the shuls of Vitebsk. When I entered, a young man with a glowing face and a very serious expression sat at the head of the table. All those who sat or stood there paid close attention to what he was saying.

He was discussing the subject that they were studying in Chapter 8 of their Nasi's text. It concerns one who inadvertently eats some forbidden food, intending it for the sake of Heaven - through the nourishment obtained from that food, he intends to serve G-d by Torah study and prayer. Nevertheless, the life-force of that food is not integrated into the letters of his Torah study and prayer. The evil inclination that causes one to lust after forbidden things is a demon - one of the "gentile demons."

The young scholar then gave a lengthy explanation of the difference between the impurity resulting from the sins of indulgence, foolishness, arrogance, and idle chatter, and the impurity resulting from the sin of studying non-Jewish philosophies. The former merely defile the heart, while the latter defile the brain. He then went on to defend the Rambam and Ramban, who did study these subjects, for they knew how to use them in serving the Creator.

I will not deny that his words had their effect on the audience. For the most part, his explanations and interpretations were logical. I later learned that this young scholar was their Nasi's eldest son. He had a regularly-scheduled session twice a week, to study with two of the classes. Each class had about twenty-five men in it.

That same day, I purchased the first three booklets, which began with Chapter 1, and ended on page 12, at the beginning of Chapter 10. During the next three days, I perused them very carefully (as much as I was able to understand). Several elders also assisted me in understanding, though some concepts were beyond my comprehension.

A few of the subjects, such as the descriptions of the supernal sefiros, the unifications [of the sefiros] caused by Torah study and prayer, and the punishments of the Gehennom of fire and of snow, made me laugh to myself. Nevertheless, the rich metaphor, the lucid phraseology, the polished style, the flawless syntax, and the very concise language, all made a powerful impression on me.

During these three days, I also managed to become acquainted with their Nasi's other sons. They sat in the beis hamedrash, each studying by himself. But occasionally, one of the elders or the young scholars would approach them at their seats.

The middle son, Maharcha'a, seemed to prefer being alone. While studying, he would think in depth more than he spoke. On the other hand, his younger brother Maharam, a lad of fourteen or fifteen, is a lively and handsome youth. His face radiates wisdom and self-awareness, and he loves to speak and to debate. They say of him that he knows the entire Talmud thoroughly, has an excellent knowledge of philosophy. He already knows Moreh Nevuchim, Kuzari, and Ikkarim[25] by heart, for he has an incomparably quick grasp and memory. When I asked him whether he knows Hebrew grammar, he replied that it is a branch of the Torah, so how can one not study it? Without it, one does not know the meaning of the words of Tanach, nor can one have the proper intention during the prayers.

The chassidim have numerous ceremonies and a special lexicon of their own. For example: anyone who comes for an audience with their Rebbe must undergo an advance preparation lasting no less than three days. Some of them even prepare themselves for a week or longer. This preparation consists chiefly of taking stock of one's spiritual status, and purifying one's thoughts. During the day of their audience, a few hours in advance, they gather in one of the rooms of the beis hamedrash and study Torah. Another principal feature of their preparation is reciting Tikkun Chatzos with great bitterness of heart. They then daven with intense concentration, and recite chapters of Tehillim with tears and lamentation stemming from the depths of the heart.

Another distinctive practice of the chassidim: whenever someone who has had the privilege of a yechidus (that is what they call this audience) emerges from the yechidus, they begin a dance called the "yechidus dance," or the "dance of purity." They have a special niggun just for this dance. The person who had the yechidus begins to dance, while the others sing and clap their hands together.

The chassidim love music, and they sing special songs at various occasions. There are niggunim for prayer, niggunim for Torah study, niggunim for mealtimes, and niggunim for farbrengens. Generally, each niggun is appropriate for the occasion when it is sung, and makes an impression on the listener. I was especially impressed by three of the niggunim. These were: the farbrengen niggun they call the "Brotherly Love Niggun"; the meditation niggun they call the "Teshuvah Niggun"; and the yechidus niggun they call the "Niggun of the Sanctuary."

I first heard the Brotherly Love Niggun in Vitebsk. It has five stanzas, each evoking the image of [two friends] embracing, kissing, and hugging; it is very lyrical and lively, and gladdens the soul. The joy increases from stanza to stanza, and along with it, the spiritual emotions are lifted.

The Teshuvah Niggun has three stanzas. The first stanza is a sound that arouses one to abandon the physical body and concentrate his thought process. The second stanza is a sound that arouses the conscience, with powerful sadness. The third stanza is a sound that arouses deep remorse, supplication for mercy, longing for comfort and closeness [with the Divine] through heartfelt entreaties.

The Yechidus Niggun has five stanzas. The first two stanzas are slow and drawn out, arousing one to meditate deeply. The third and fourth stanzas express thanksgiving and hope, with a soft, yet reassuring sound. The fifth stanza expresses strength of spirit with a lively and sound, arousing one's feelings and while prompting one to move his feet and wave his arms to the rhythm of the music.

The chassidim are in the habit of remaining awake two nights a week: Thursday night, and Motzoei Shabbos. They study Torah during this time. Before midnight, they usually study Gemara and Poskim, and sometimes they hold a farbrengen, during which they toast one another with LeChayim over a cup of whiskey, accompanied by some cake, or cucumbers and cheese. After the Tikkun Chatzos service, they study their lessons in Chassidus until it is time for davening.

I entered the large shul in the Rebbe's court Thursday afternoon at six o'clock. There, I found a group of men standing in a circle, from the middle of which there emerged the sound of a clear voice, speaking with great excitement, leading the study group.

I too bent my ear to listen, and heard the voice of a young boy, explaining the subject of a square exceeding a circle by one fourth.[26] Tosafos agrees with Rashi's explanation of the subject, concerning both the perimeter and the ratio.[27] However, concerning the diagonal of a square being equal to one and two-fifths the length of each side,[28] Tosafos disagrees with Rashi's explanation in the first chapter of Sukkos, dealing with the subject of a circular sukkah. Rashi states that the diagonal exceeds the side of a square by exactly two-fifths, while Tosafos maintains that this ratio is not exact.[29] The young lad explained:

"My holy grandfather the Rebbe taught me this subject, and he rescued Rashi from Tosafos' criticism. Tosafos calculates according to the rules of mathematics and geometry, as they demonstrate by means of the figure drawn there. But Rashi maintains that since the Sages rounded it off to seven-fifths, the commandment that forbids us to depart from the words of the Sages[30] obligates us to regard this number as if it was exact."[31]

When his pilpul was finished, I finally caught sight of him, and saw a young boy, of average height for his age. He was Ramam [the future Tzemach Tzedek], their leader's grandson. The young scholars had promised to take him for a walk and show him the place where his grandfather, the Rebbe, had been born. But first, they stipulated that he had to review in public the last subject he had studied that week. Therefore, he had been reviewing the subject of surveying the boundaries of cities, in Eiruvin, Chapter Keitzad Me'arvin.[32]

The Rebbe's residence is called the Heichal.[33] It stands in a large courtyard, with rows of trees and a vegetable garden. There are also several other buildings in the courtyard. The Heichal is about thirty-eight feet long and eighteen feet wide. It has an upper story about thirty feet long, and the same width as the lower story.

The lower story is divided into two apartments, separated by the entrance foyer. The apartment on the right is the Rebbe's private residence, and the one on the left is the small shul that the chassidim call the "Lower Gan Eden." That is where people wait for their turn to enter for yechidus. The upper story also has two apartments separated by a foyer. One is the room where the Rebbe secludes himself, and the other is where the Rebbe receives people for yechidus. The chassidim call this room the "Upper Gan Eden."

During the week I was unable to see the Rebbe. I was informed that It is possible to see him only during the Torah reading (he himself usually reads from the Torah),[34] while he delivers his Torah teachings in the Lower Gan Eden, or on Fridays, on his way to the mikveh.

I waited for the next Friday. Unfortunately, when I awoke Friday morning I came down with a fever. I remained sick and confined to bed for the next three days and nights. It was only on the following Monday (the fourth day of my illness), that I managed to get out of bed. Even this was due solely to the efforts of the landlord, who gave me various medicines to take, massaged my body with vinegar, and covered me with blankets and quilts to make me sweat. At first, I was so weak that I was unable to stand on my feet. On Wednesday, my turn arrived to be received by the Rebbe for yechidus in the Upper Gan Eden.

When I entered the Rebbe's chamber, I was struck with fear and awe by his appearance of his face, his powerful and penetrating glance, and his mighty and deliberate voice, inquiring, "What can I do for you?" But I immediately recovered and calmed myself.

I said, "I am an elementary school teacher in my hometown, and I teach my pupils according to the rules of Hebrew grammar. But my fellow teachers oppose me and slander me for it, saying [with sarcasm], 'Why don't you teach the pupils the science of linguistics as well!'

"When I offered - as evidence [that a knowledge of grammar is important] - the Rebbe's new text of the Siddur, which follows exactly the rules of grammar, they had nothing to reply. For the public benefit, I request that you give me a letter of reference, which I can use to demonstrate that it is good to teach young children according to the rules of grammar, to accustom them to read correctly, and to teach them Tanach."

The Rebbe leaned on his forearms for about five minutes. Then, he raised his head, opened his eyes, and said, "You are correct - the hymns and Psalms in the prayers, and especially Kerias Shema, must be recited with great care, following the rules of grammar. But as for teaching grammar and linguistics as academic subjects, one must be very cautious about doing such a thing.

"In the Heavenly Yeshivah, there are separate halls for each kind of study. And right between the hall of grammar study and the hall of linguistics study stands the hall of those who deliberately misinterpret Scripture.

"Now when one's soul ascends to Heaven each night to renew its life spirit, the soul rises to the study hall that corresponds to the subject he studied during the day. But occasionally, one may enter the wrong hall by mistake. Instead of entering the hall of grammar or the hall of linguistics, he may enter the hall of those who deliberately misinterpret Scripture. Therefore, one must be very cautious about studying the subjects of grammar and linguistics."

When he finished speaking, he again leaned on his forearms, as before. Then, he raised his head, opened his eyes, and asked me how I explain to my pupils the verse,[35] "And Yitzchak was seized with very great trembling."

"I explain it according to the first interpretation of Rashi, that it means he was astounded," I replied.

"And why don't you explain it to your pupils according to the second interpretation of Rashi, quoting the Midrash, that he saw Gehennom opened up beneath him?" he asked.

"In my opinion," I replied, "one shouldn't fill the pupils' delicate minds with Aggadah in general, and especially with things that might frighten them, such as Gehennom and the like. Even less, should one teach small children things that they can't even imagine. The pupil will wonder how the large and wide opening of Gehennom could enter into Yitzchak's small room. And how could its fires, which have been constantly blazing for 5,555 years, enter the room, and yet Eisav and his father Yitzchak remained alive and were not burned to a crisp?"

"And how does the Midrash know that he saw Gehennom opened up beneath him?" he asked further.

I remained silent, making no reply. Obviously, I had no answer. Indeed, is this the first gross exaggeration found in the Midrash and Talmud?

When he saw that I remained silent, the Rebbe said, "When Eisav entered Yitzchak's room, Yitzchak asked him, 'Who are you?' To this, Eisav replied, 'I am Eisav, your firstborn son.' But this was a lie, for he had already sold the birthright to Yaakov, in a legal sale with all the required formalities. Now Yitzchak knew this, and thus he was very frightened by this lie designed to annul something that is valid under Torah law. This caused him to tremble, for telling such a lie resulted in Gehennom's opening up beneath him"

When the Rebbe finished speaking, he leaned on his forearms as he had done before. Then, he raised his head and opened his eyes. It is customary that whenever he receives people, even during the daytime, there are two lit candles, a Chumash, and a Zohar on the table. He now lifted one of the two candles and scrutinized me, after which he said:

You come here from Vilna, but you claim to come from Zamut; you convert little children to the idolatry of Haskalah, but you claim that you are a melamed. [Because of these lies,] Gehennom opens up beneath you. How many souls have you already destroyed? Yet, you continue to rebel. Yes, it's true: you are a heretic, and anyone who goes down that road will never return.

I quickly fled his chamber - the Upper Gan Eden - intending to rush back to my lodgings, and then leave town. I realized that I had fallen into the trap, and feared that I might share the fate of several of our agents [who were caught]: the chassidim stretched them out on a table, pulled down their trousers, and whipped them the way a melamed would spank his pupils.

As I passed through the small shul - the one they call the Lower Gan Eden - five or six young men surrounded me. They dragged me to the shul that stands in the courtyard, to begin dancing the Yechidus Dance. I don't have to tell you how frightened and agitated I was. Moreover, I was still weak from my recent bout of fever. I tried to get myself out of the circle two or three times, but my companions held me fast. One of them kept slapping me on my back to the beat of the niggun, in friendly fashion. He even kicked me from behind with his leg a few times. This too was meant as a sign of affection.

When the dance ended, I returned to my lodgings, almost crawling on all fours. With fear and trembling, I awaited the dawn. I placed a few coins on the table as a tip for the landlord (I had already paid the bill), took my belongings, and departed for the next village, about a kilometer away. There, I hired a carriage, grateful to have escaped in one piece.

I spent about six weeks traveling through the counties of Mohilev, Minsk, and Chernigov. After that, I hurried to Lvov, where I met with our comrades and gave them a detailed report. I informed them that the chassidic community already stands on a very firm foundation. And, they are using their brilliant strategy and methodical agenda to add the remaining villages to their conquest. Masses of Jews are joining them in huge numbers.

Our comrades decided that the first thing we must do is to reinstate the cheirem, and to make it stronger than before. The main thrust of this cheirem should be against those who join them or have anything to do with them. Such a cheirem will strike fear in the masses, and they will thus refrain from even associating with the chassidim.

It was also decided to send representatives to the Imperial Capital, to denounce the chassidim to the government. The charges would be that their leader is collecting huge sums of money and sending it abroad, to the Moslem countries.[36] His plan was that when he amassed a sufficient sum, he would be proclaimed King of the Jews, just as the followers of Shabbatai Tzvi and Yaakov Frank had done.

Our comrades would also claim to have evidence that the leader of the chassidim has many influential people planted in Government circles, especially among the counts and dukes. They would point out that we still hope to succeed in overcoming their influence, by using our own influence with some of the French professors and educators who are employed by the households of the nobility and the government ministers.

[This ends Shimon's report]

Betzalel Baruch now informed Reb Baruch Moshe that - as he understood it - Shimon had already prepared the text of the cheirem, and it only awaited the Gaon Rav Eliyahu's signature. There was no doubt that Peseles and the Committee to Combat the Chassidim would soon attend to the matter.

On Motzoei Shabbos Teshuvah Reb Baruch Moshe and Reb Moshe Meisels convened a meeting of the elite chassidim who headed the defense committee. They reported everything they knew about the business of Shimon the Heretic. It was then decided that on Chol HaMoed Sukkos the committee would convene a mass meeting, where they would publicly expose everything they had found in the documents. Shimon would thus be unmasked, and all would know that he was converting Jewish children to the idolatry of Haskalah.

On Thursday, the day after Yom Kippur 5557 [October 14, 1796], the news spread like lightening that the Gaon Rav Eliyahu had proclaimed a cheirem against the chassidim and their leader. Under the terms of the cheirem, the Gaon Rav Eliyahu gave permission (in fact, he commanded it) to commit any and all acts against the chassidim. It was forbidden for any person to have pity on them or to do any kind act for them. Anyone having anything to do with them would be tied to the pillory and flogged.

This proclamation shocked not only the chassidim of Vilna, but also the more reasonable misnagdim. On the same day, a rumor spread that the cheirem had been proclaimed without the Gaon Rav Eliyahu's knowledge. Because of his age - seventy and a half - the fast of Yom Kippur had weakened him exceedingly. It was alleged that the Committee to Combat the Chassidim, headed by Mr. Peseles and Shimon the Grammarian, had done it on their own. That was why the cheirem had been proclaimed at the crack of dawn, in the presence of only a privileged few.

On Friday, 12 Tishrei 5557, the day after the cheirem was proclaimed, the Community Chairman for that month - the chassid Reb Meir Raphael's - made the following proclamation to all Jews living in Vilna and its suburbs:

1. The cheirem against the chassidim had been issued without the approval of the rabbinical court. They refused to give their approval, since it was not clear that it had come from the Gaon Rav Eliyahu himself.

2. On Wednesday, the first day of Chol HaMoed Sukkos, there would be a public assembly. By order of the communal officials, attendance at this meeting was mandatory for all men, women, and children over the age of bar mitzvah.

On the very day that the cheirem was issued against the chassidim, a flyer containing the essence of the first paragraph of this proclamation was sent by special messenger to the congregations of Brysk, Shklov, and Minsk. This was sent by the officials of the Vilna Community Council - which included several misnagdim - requesting that its contents be publicized.

They sent an additional proclamation to the chassidim of Minsk, Shklov, Szventzian, Vitebsk, and Mohilev. In it they stated that there was a Mr. Shimon, who claimed that the Gaon Rav Eliyahu had spoken highly of him, and had promoted him to the position of chief of all cheder teachers in Vilna because of his outstanding knowledge of grammar, logic, and Tanach. But they had recently learned - through documents and letters the aforementioned Mr. Shimon himself had written - that he was in fact a total heretic. He was an agent of the maskilim, sent to capture innocent souls, to persuade them to abandon Torah study, and instead to study Haskalah subjects. During the four years he had resided in Vilna, he had sent many youngsters away to the schools of the maskilim in Galicia and Germany. Most of these had come to a bad end.

The public assembly was held on Wednesday, the first day of Chol HaMoed Sukkos, as proclaimed by the Community Council. In the presence of the rabbinical court, the officers of the congregation, and the dignitaries of the community, two very imposing men stood up and stated in loud voices that they bore witness against the person commonly known as Shimon the Grammarian. They testified that he was an agent of the maskilim, sent to discourage the yeshivah students from studying Torah, and to persuade them instead to go away to study at the schools of the maskilim in Galicia and Germany.

They had in their possession a list of the pupils he had corrupted during the four years 5553-5557 [1793-1797], and the sums he had spent on them. The witnesses were prepared to swear a solemn oath that their testimony was the truth, and that everything they had reported was written and signed in Shimon the Corrupter's own handwriting, and that of his colleagues. They demanded that Mr. Peseles be questioned under solemn oath about what he knew of Shimon the Heretic's foul deeds.

Shimon was stunned by the revelation of these facts. As he turned from side to side in confusion, two of the community constables and several of the younger chassidim surrounded him - as much to prevent the assembly from stoning him to death as to prevent his escape. The uproar among the assembly grew from minute to minute.

Many of the pupils' parents had heard no word from their children since they had departed for the "yeshivos" (as Shimon the Corrupter had represented to them). Until now, they had consoled themselves with the reports of their children's academic successes that Shimon had submitted to them. They had expected eventually to see the children return complete with diplomas granting them the title of Moreinu, and rabbinic ordination. But now, discovering that their children had fallen into the trap of the maskilim - who were a poison to Judaism - they tore the hairs from their head. The women, mothers of these children, lamented their evil fate, causing the whole assembly to sound like the wailing at the cemetery.

Because of the fracas resulting from the affair of Shimon, the Heretic and Corrupter, everyone forgot all about the cheirem. For the next three weeks the rabbinical court was busy reading the letters and documents confiscated from Shimon's home. During this time, Shimon remained locked up under heavy guard in the community's jail. Lord Peseles tried to intercede in his behalf, but to no avail.

In the middle of MarCheshvan, the verdict was issued: he and his family were to be expelled from the city, led away in a humiliating procession, as was customary in those days. But first, he would be placed in the stocks for three hours a day over the next three days, while all passersby would spit in his face. On Thursday, 23 MarCheshvan [November 24, 1796], the sentence was carried out; Shimon the Heretic and his family were led out of town in a humiliating procession.

Shimon's misdeeds were an embarrassment to the misnagdim who had given him honor, and especially the gaon Reb Avraham, son of the Gaon Rav Eliyahu. They also left a black mark on the character of the wealthy activist Reb Yosef Peseles, exposing him as a member of the Berlin maskilim, who had become an abomination in Israel.

Meanwhile, the Gaon Rav Eliyahu's health had steadily deteriorated. During Sukkos 5557 he had been unable to sit in his sukkah. His closest disciples, led by the mighty gaon Reb Chayim of Volozhyn, took turns attending to his needs. After Sukkos, he remained mostly in bed. Nevertheless, he wore his tallis and tefillin most of the day. He had lost his eyesight, and was so weak that he did not trust himself to recite the prayers in the correct order. Therefore, he begged them to say the prayers with him, word by word.

Ignoring his grave illness, he did not cease his Torah study, following his entire regular schedule in the revealed Torah and Kabbalah, by heart. His foremost disciples maintained their holy vigil, each at the time slot assigned to him.

When the extent of the Gaon Rav Eliyahu's illness became public knowledge, the rabbinical court and the Community Council met to discuss the matter. They decided to issue an order that all shuls in Vilna and the vicinity should institute the public recital of Tehillim. All were to pray that G-d (blessed be He) should send a full recovery to the Gaon Rav Eliyahu, granting him long life.

The shuls of the Chabad Chassidim in Vilna and the vicinity also instituted the public recital of Tehillim, including prayer and supplication for the Gaon Rav Eliyahu's welfare. This greatly displeased the more fanatic misnagdim, especially members of the Committee to Combat the Chassidim.

One day, the gaon Reb Chayim of Volozhyn happened to be present at a feast in honor of a mitzvah celebrated by one of Reb Shlomo Dubna's disciples. During the affair, the host's father made a speech that the gaon Reb Chayim thought bordered on heresy. At the time, Reb Shlomo Dubna was already very old, and way past his prime. In his sermons, he would interpret sayings of the Sages according to principles of philosophy, partly contaminated with principles he had assimilated from the maskilim while he resided in Mendelssohn's home. Now Reb Chayim and his brother Reb Shlomo Zalman had been among those who had approved of Reb Shlomo's commentary [to Mendelssohn's translation], and had greatly praised it. This now caused Reb Chayim much distress.

The printing of Likkutei Amarim was completed on 20 Kislev 5557 [December 20, 1796]. At the beginning of Teves 5557, the sefer arrived in Vilna. This was a very joyous occasion for the Chabad Chassidim of Vilna, and they proclaimed it a day of festive celebration. It just happened that on that same evening the Gaon Rav Eliyahu fell unconscious twice, because of his grave illness. The next morning, when this became known, the Committee to Combat the Chassidim spread the lie that the feast of thanksgiving had been held to celebrate the Gaon Rav Eliyahu's illness. The greatest outcry in the city was made by the wealthy Yosef Peseles. He purchased several copies of Likkutei Amarim, and together with members of the committee he announced that the Gaon Rav Eliyahu had ordered the sefer to be burned publicly in the courtyard of the shul.

The members of the Vilna chassidic congregation suffered great anguish at seeing the holy sefer being burned. But ignoring their pain - at least in public - they made every effort to control themselves. They had been severely cautioned by their leaders and officers to overlook this heinous act, and this made a favorable impression on many of the misnagdim - especially Reb Chayim.

After the Alter Rebbe had succeeded (with G-d's help) in foiling the wicked plans of the evil Derzhavin, he had set up a special committee of chassidim to look after the public welfare. But Shimon of Zamut and his fellow maskilim were neither lazy nor idle. During the next full year, they planned a major offensive campaign against the chassidim.

They decided that the Maskilim of Berlin and Königsberg should publish lengthy essays in German and French. They would describe the philosophy of the chassidim, and their strange customs, and incite the intellectuals of Germany and France to exert their influence in Russian government circles. Thus, the cult of the chassidim would be eradicated from the Jewish people.

Soon, the Chabad Chassidim in Petersburg began to notice that their acquaintances among the nobility and government ministers had changed their attitude toward them. They began to ask the chassidim many questions concerning the various parties and factions among the Jews. From this, the chassidim understood that there was some unknown force involved, working against them. But after a full year had passed, they still had no idea who it was and exactly what he was doing.

On Sunday, the second day of Chol HaMoed Sukkos, a group of chassidim sat in the sukkah of the president of the congregation, Reb Meir Raphael's, rejoicing in the Sukkos celebration. Since the Gaon Rav Eliyahu was now mortally ill, they had recited the Mi SheBeirach[37] prayer in public.

Just then, several members of the Committee to Combat the Chassidim burst in screaming. They announced that the Gaon Rav Eliyahu was breathing his last, and accused the chassidim of rejoicing in this fact (G-d forbid). They spread this rumor widely, and later - during the funeral - they spread shocking stories about the chassidim, and swore revenge. It took a full year for the fury to quiet down; meanwhile, Yosef Peseles and company enjoyed themselves immensely.[38]

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) A continuation of the collection of notes from which the previous two chapters were taken.

2. (Back to text) [Avos 4:14; Siddur, p. 223.]

3. (Back to text) [Lit., "Gate of Heaven."]

4. (Back to text) ["SheLoH", acronym for She'nei Luchos HaBris ("Two Tablets of the Covenant), Kabbalistic work by R. Yeshayah Horowitz, c. 1560-1630, who is often called by the name of his famous sefer.]

5. (Back to text) In Ponievitch they had established a cheder for studying Gemara in depth. One of the melamdim had come from Zalkve, and he taught them Tanach with various commentaries. After some time, he told the pupils to request their parents' permission to study in a local non-Jewish school, where the bishop was the dean of the faculty. When the pupils completed their course of study, the non-Jewish pupils received diplomas, while the Jewish pupils did not. Two of the pupils were unable to endure such a trial, and they converted. The story then spread throughout the district: it was because of the melamed from Zalkve, that the children had converted!

6. (Back to text) [Zohar III, 186a.]

7. (Back to text) By this, he meant that they denied the existence of the Creator (blessed be He). [The opposite of "He was, He is, and He shall always be," a quotation from the hymn Adon Olam ("L-rd of the Universe"; Siddur, p. 13).]

8. (Back to text) The opening words of the Kedushah in the custom of the Sephardim and the AriZal.

9. (Back to text) The opening words of the Kedushah in the custom of the Ashkenazim.

10. (Back to text) [Gittin 62a.]

11. (Back to text) [I.e., the future Tzemach Tzedek.]

12. (Back to text) [In many communities, it is customary for sons to fast on the yartzeits of their parents.]

13. (Back to text) [Lit., "Angel"; the Maggid's son Reb Avraham was called "the Malach" because of his ascetic ways.]

14. (Back to text) [Mishlei 26:3.]

15. (Back to text) [R. Avraham Ibn Ezra (c. 1089-1164), philosopher, poet, and author of one of the principle commentaries on the Bible.]

16. (Back to text) [See HaYom Yom, entry for 13 Shvat.]

17. (Back to text) [I.e., the manuscript copies of Tanya, that were circulated among the Chassidim. For discussion of this subject, see Tanya, Part 1, Ch. 7.]

18. (Back to text) [Berachos 60a; Beitza, 2b.]

19. (Back to text) [Guide for the Perplexed, Rambam's classic work on Jewish philosophy.]

20. (Back to text) [Book of the Khazars, Jewish philosophic work by R. Yehudah HaLevi (c. 1075-1140).]

21. (Back to text) [I.e., beating them until they cease to be horses.]

22. (Back to text) [I.e., he never forgets even the smallest detail of what he has learned. Cf. Avos 2:9; Siddur, p. 215.]]

23. (Back to text) [Lit., "Verses of Song"; a collection of Scriptural passages, mostly from Tehillim, recited during the early part of the Shacharis service (Siddur, p. 27ff.).]

24. (Back to text) ["Rashba", acronym for R. Shlomo ben Aderes (1235-1310), author of an important commentary on the Talmud and many Resoponsa.]

25. (Back to text) [Sefer HaIkkarim; lit., "Book of Principles," work on Jewish Philosophy critical of Rambam's formulation of the principles of Jewish belief, by R. Yosef Albo (d. c. 1420.]

26. (Back to text) [The Gemara (Eiruvin 14b; 76a, b; Sukkah 7a, b) discusses a square drawn around the outside of a circle, with the circle just touching the sides of the square. If the diameter of the circle is X, then the length of each side of the square is also X. If the ratio ( is rounded to 3, then the circumference of the circle is 3X, while the perimeter of the square is 4X. Thus, one fourth of the perimeter of the square is in excess of the circumference of the circle.

    Regarding the respective areas, the same ratios apply as to the perimeters. The area of the circle is ( multiplied by the square of the radius: ( (X/2)2 = 3/4X2. The Area of the square is X2. Thus, one fourth of the area of the square is in excess of the area of the circle.]

27. (Back to text) [All agree that - even though the ratio ( is slightly more than 3 - it may legitimately be rounded to exactly 3, because this value is supported by Scripture, I Melachim 7:23; II Divrei HaYamim 4:2.]

28. (Back to text) [If a square has sides equal to X, then according to the Theorem of Pythagorus, the diagonal of the square is X times the square root of two.]

29. (Back to text) [The Gemara uses 1.4 as the value of the square root of 2. Rashi maintains that this is exact, while Tosafos presents a diagram proving that it is actually slightly more than 1.4.]

30. (Back to text) [Devarim 17:11.]

31. (Back to text) [I.e., just as the value of 3 for ( is regarded as exact because of Scriptural support for it, Rashi maintains that the value 1.4 for the square root of 2 is to be regarded as exact, because the Sages instructed us to regard it as such, and Scripture forbids us to depart from the words of the Sages.]

32. (Back to text) [Lit., "How is the Eiruv Made?" Eiruvin, Ch. 7.]

33. (Back to text) [Lit., "palace"; the main Sanctuary of the Beis HaMikdash.]

34. (Back to text) [See Vol. 1 of this translation, p. 120.]

35. (Back to text) [Bereishis 27:33.]

36. (Back to text) [Eretz Yisrael was then under Turkish rule, and the Alter Rebbe supervised the collection of charity funds to be sent to the Rebbeim of the chassidim in the Holy Land (see Vol. 1 of this translation, "the Alter Rebbe's Adherents, and His Opponents.")]

37. (Back to text) [Lit., "May He Who blessed..."; a special prayer offered at the public Torah reading in behalf of the sick and others in need of blessing (*Siddur, pp. 186-187).]

38. (Back to text) [The conclusion of this collection of the Previous Rebbe's notes, including the stories of the Alter Rebbe's final triumph, appeared in Vol. 1 of this translation, Supplement E: "The Alter Rebbe's Later Years."]