There is a well-known Hasidic teaching that during the month Elul God is out in the fields instead of in Her palace, creating a unique opportunity for unhindered and unmediated connection between humans and the Divine. This teaching is usually attributed to R Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Habad, but its origins are earlier, and I think it is actually an interesting example of the life Torah takes on in transmission. It seems the Maggid of Mezeritch taught something, which was then transmitted by different students in somewhat different ways…
Here for example is a version of a teaching as printed in Maggid Devarav L’Yaakov (Shatz edition, section 49) which was edited by the Maggid’s student R Shlomo of Lutzk:
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דהנה היום בזמן הגלות הוא בקל להשיג רוח הקודש יותר מבזמן הבית. כמשל המלך כשהוא בבית מלכותו אי אפשר להתקרב אליו כל כך כמו שהוא בדרך, שאז יוכל להתקרב אליו כל מי שירצה. אפילו בן כפר שאינו הגון לבא לפני המלך בבית מלכותו, ובדרך בפונדק שלו יכול לבוא לפניו ולדבר עמו. כך היום בגלות, כשהאדם מחשב בדביקות הש"י ב"ה אזי מיד שורה עמו ושוכן אצלו. בכן ראוי לאדם שיתרחק עצמו מן התאות ומחשבות זרות בכדי שלא יפרד ממנו ית', רק יעשה כל מעשיו לשמו ית'. וזהו הרחק משכן, ר"ל ממי ששוכן אצלך, הרחק הרע |
Nowadays, in the time of exile, it is easier to acquire Ru’ah HaKodesh (Holy Spirit, inspiration for prophecy) than it was in the time of the Temple.
This is like a king – it is more difficult to approach the king when he is in his palace than when he is on the road. On the road, anyone who wants to can approach him. Even a villager who would not be considered worthy to approach the king in his palace, can come before the king and talk to him when he is traveling, staying at a temporary lodging.
Our situation in exile is similar – As soon as you focus on your connection to the blessed One, the blessed One abides and dwells with you.
This is why you should avoid evil thoughts and desires – they will cause the blessed One to leave you! Rather, everything you do should be for the sake of God’s blessed name.
This is a meaning of the teaching (Avot 1:7) – “distance yourself from an evil neighbor (shakhen)” - keep evil away from the One who dwells (shokhen) with you.
This form of the teaching is easily connected to earlier kabbalistic tropes. It says nothing about the year cycle but is rather about historical time. The king on the road is the Shekhinah in exile, the loving mother who would not leave her children, and is understandingly more accessible to them in the difficulty they share together - בכל צרתם לו צר (Isaiah 63:9).
A similar version of the teaching is presented by another student of the Maggid, the No’am Elimelech (Vayeshev, on the name Zevulun). However, this version leads to a significantly different conclusion:
ע"ד ששמעתי משל מתוק מפי אדומ"ו הרב המגיד דק"ק ראווני זלה"ה, והוא שאנו רואים שכעת אשר אנחנו בגלות המר, יש בני אדם שזוכים לרוח הקודש בקל יותר מבימי הנביאים, שהיו צריכין השבעות והתבודדות רב כידוע כדי שישיגו הנבואה ורוה"ק, ואמר משל נפלא ומתוק, למשל המלך שהוא במקום כבודו בביתו בחצירו בפלטין שלו, ויבוא איזה אוהב המלך וירצה להזמינו לסעודתו לביתו, אזי בוודאי יכעוס עליו המלך, כי אין זה כבוד של מלך לצאת מפלטין שלו לבית אחרים גם אם יהיה הסעודה גדולה עד למאוד, ובלתי אפשרי שיזמין את המלך לביתו עד שיכין כל הכנות ויעמיד מליצים ופרקליטין גדולים שימצא חן בעיני המלך שיבוא לסעודתו, אבל כשהמלך נוסע בדרך ורוצה ללון בדרך, אזי כאשר ימצא מקום נקי באכסניא נקיה, אף אם בית המלון הוא בכפר, אם הוא רק נקי, אזי זה בית מלונו ללון שם. והנמשל מובן ממילא, בזמן שבית המקדש קיים והיתה שכינת כבודו בבית קדשי הקדשים, אזי אם היה אדם רוצה לשאוב רוה"ק או נביאות, היה צריך עבודה גדולה, כמו שמצינו בשמחת בית השואבה ששם היו שואבים רוה"ק, אבל עתה בגלות המר, שגם השכינה הקדושה גלתה עמנו ובעו"ה היא נע ונד בארץ, ותשוקתה מאוד למצוא מקום דירה לשכון בה, ואם מצאה מנוח מקום נקי, אדם שהוא רק נקי מעבירות וחטאים, אזי שם היא דירתה, ודפח"ח.
I heard a sweet parable from my master and teacher, the Rabbi-Maggid of the holy community of Rovno.
We see that in our times, in this bitter exile, there are people who acquire Ru’ah HaKodesh with greater ease than was possible in the time of the prophets. In those days achieving prophecy and Ru’ah HaKodesh required extensive practices of isolation and administering various oaths.
He told a wonderful, sweet parable about this matter:
When the king is in his place of glory – his home, his court, his palace, if some friend would invite the king to a meal in his (the friend’s) home, the king would most certainly be angry at him. It is not appropriate for the king to leave his house to go to another’s home, regardless of how large the banquet is.
You cannot invite the king into your home without a great deal of preparation, and without retaining advocates and great lobbyists to convince the king to come to your banquet.
But when the king is traveling and needs a place to sleep, wherever he finds a clean place, a clean guest house, even if it is a small motel in the village, as long as it is clean, that is where he will sleep for the night.
The implications of this story are self-evident. When the temple still stood, and the Divine glory rested in the Holy of Holies, drawing out Ru’ah HaKodesh and prophecy required tremendous work. The Temple celebration of water drawing is an example of that. But nowadays, we are in bitter exile which the Shekhinah shares with us, and for our sins She wanders the earth. Her desire for a dwelling place to reside in is so great, that if she finds a resting place, a clean place, a person who is clean of sin and wrongdoing, that is where she dwells. The words of the wise are beautiful (Kohelet 10:12).
Like R Shlomo of Lutzk, the No’am Elimelech heard a teaching that applied to the ease of accessing Ru’ah Hakodesh, relative to the time of the prophets, which is connected to the Shekhinah being in exile. However, in the version of RS Lutsk, the proximity of the king is reason to be even more careful not to allow any “other thoughts”, lust or greed into your mind as this would be offensive to the one who dwells (shakhen) within you. The NE’s version has a very different tone - because the king is desperate for a place to put his head, as long as a place or a soul is basically clean, it will be good enough for God to dwell in. No need for fancy acts of kedusha that the king might expect at home… So while one student hears the story of the king’s proximity as a call for greater spiritual strictness, the other hears it as a message of acceptance.
The next version of this teaching comes from the Maggid of Koznitz (Avodat Yisrael, beginning of Parashat Masei, citing the Maggid of Mezeritch) who was first a student of the Maggid and then a student of the Noam Elimelech:
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וכבר הקדים לנו אדומו"ר ז"ל הנ"ל רמז בפסוק כל רודפיה השיגוה בין המצרים, דהיינו כל מי שרודף להמליך את הבורא יוכל להשיג יותר דוקא בימים אלו בין המצרים, למשל כי כשהשר יושב בביתו אז אימתו מוטלת אשר לא כל איש ואיש יכול לבא פנימה, מה שאין כן אם השר עובר בשוקים וברחובות חוץ לפלטרין שלו אז הוא קרוב לכל קוראיו ויאזין שועת כל הקוראים בשמו. וכן הנמשל לדעת כי בזמן הזה כי כצפור נודדת מקנה וגו', לכן הרשות נתונה לכל אדם להתקרב אל מלכו של עולם והוא עונה אליהם עכ"ל. |
Our master and teacher of blessed memory taught us that the verse “her pursuers caught up with her in the straits” (Eicha 1:3) teaches that for those who pursue the Creator’s rule, it is more accessible in this time of “in the straits” (17th Tamuz – 9th Av).
When a ruler is at home, their power is inhibiting, and not every person can enter. But that is not the case when the ruler leaves the palace, walking through the markets or the streets. Then, the ruler is close to those who call out to him and will listen to the cries of those who call his name.
Similarly, in our time the Divine presence is like a bird who has lost her nest (Mishlei 27:8). This is why any person can approach the ruler of the world and She will respond. These were his words.
Here, for the first time, we have the teaching associated with the year cycle. It is however still a story about God’s exile creating proximity, and therefore the time span it addresses is the three weeks leading up to Tisha b’av. These weeks are the “time vessel” that holds God’s exile and shared suffering with us, and therefore offer a unique opportunity for closeness and intimacy.
Now we get to the well-known teaching of Rashaz Liadi, one of the youngest of the Maggid’s disciples (Likutei Torah, Re’eh 32b):
אך הנה יובן ע"פ משל למלך שקודם בואו לעיר יוצאין אנשי העיר לקראתו ומקבלין פניו בשדה ואז רשאין כל מי שרוצה לצאת להקביל פניו הוא מקבל את כולם בסבר פנים יפות ומראה פנים שוחקות לכולם. ובלכתו העירה הרי הם הולכים אחריו. ואח"כ בבואו להיכל מלכותו אין נכנסים כ"א ברשות ואף גם זאת המובחרים שבעם ויחידי סגולה. וכך הענין עד"מ בחודש אלול יוצאין להקביל אור פניו ית' בשדה, כי הנה כתיב יאר ה' פניו אליך שהוא ענין הארת י"ג מדות שיהי' פנים בפנים דהיינו שיאיר גילוי פנימיות רצונו ית' למקור נש"י ע"י שיהיה עיקר פנימיות רצונו אליו ית' לדבקה בו בלב ונפש מעומקא דליבא במסירת נפש כמ"ש במ"א
…This can be understood by resorting to a parable: Before the king enters the city, all the inhabitants of the city go out to greet him in the field. Anyone who wants to go greet the king can do so, and the king accepts them all graciously and smiles at everyone. But later, when the king enters his palace, you need special permission to enter, and this permission is given only to special, chosen people. Similarly, in the month of Elul, we all go out to welcome and receive the light of the King’s face in the field, as it says – “May God’s face shine upon you” (Bamidbar 6:25). |
Here again we have a connection to the year cycle, but no connection to the King suffering in exile. This is rather a King who is coming to town for his coronation (Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur) and whose court is accessible for all during the process of entering the town (the month of Elul) but closed once he reaches the palace. This version of the teaching, may have derived some inspiration from a similar story about a king in Midrash Tanhuma (Ha’azinu 4):
דרשו ה' בהמצאו
א"ר שמואל בר נחמני מלה"ד למלך שהיה דר במדינה והיו בני המדינה מכעיסין אותו כעס המלך ויצא מתוכה כמו עשרה מילין ועמד לו, ראהו אדם, אמר לבני המדינה דעו שהמלך עמכם בכעס והוא מבקש לשלוח לגיונותיו על העיר להחריבה צאו ופייסוהו ויחזור אצלכם עד שלא ירחיק מכם, פקח אחד היה שם אמר להם שוטים עד שהיה אצלכם לא בקשתם לפייסו ועכשיו קודם שיתרחק צאו אצלו אולי יקבל אתכם, לכך כתיב דרשו ה' בהמצאו אלו עשרת ימי תשובה שהוא שרוי ביניכם שכן יחזקאל אומר והקיר ביני וביניכם (יחזקאל מג) הוי קראוהו בהיותו קרוב יעזב רשע דרכו ואיש און מחשבותיו וישוב אל ה' וירחמהו וגו'.
“Seek God when God is there” (Isaiah 55:6) R Shemuel bar Nahmani said: This is like the case of a king who lived in a country whose inhabitants angered him. The king left the country in his anger, traveled about 10 mil, and stopped there. A person who saw this went and said to the country’s inhabitants – you should know that the king is angry at you, and will send his legions to the city to destroy it. Go and placate him so that he returns to dwell with you before he is too far away. And one wise man said to them: Fools, when the king was amongst you, you did not think to placate him. At least now, before he has gone too far, run after him, perhaps he will accept you. Thus, “Seek God when God is there”, in the ten days of teshuvah when God is amongst you, as Yehezkel says: “there is only a wall between Me and them” (Yehezkel 43:8). “Call out when God is close. Let the wicked give up their ways, the sinful, their plans; Let each one turn back to GOD so as to be pardoned; to our God, who freely forgives”. |
Like in the Tanhuma, in Rashaz Liadi’s teaching the people are exhorted to take advantage of the opportunity before it is too late. However, I think that his is still primarily a version of the Maggid’s story because unlike the Tanhuma which describes the last chance before the king leaves town forever, his teaching describes the last chance before the King comes home to town (and offers, if I am reading this correctly, a different form of forgiveness on Yom Kippur).
If we thought we had to find a rabbinic source for the Maggid’s story, for every version except that of Rashaz, I would say it probably draws its inspiration from the Mashal in Bamidbar Rabbah 15:8. More than anything else that midrash is a beautiful story about feelings of shame and inadequacy getting in the way of love. But the love, intimacy and shared experiences that are only possible on the road, as they appear in this midrash are the roots (along with the kabbalist tradition I mentioned in the beginning) of the Maggid’s story:
(ח) דָּבָר אַחֵר, בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ, זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים קלט, יב): גַּם חשֶׁךְ לֹא יַחְשִׁיךְ מִמֶּךָּ וְלַיְלָה כַּיּוֹם יָאִיר כַּחֲשֵׁיכָה כָּאוֹרָה, וְלָנוּ אוֹמֵר בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ, לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ אוֹהֵב, אָמַר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ תֵּדַע שֶׁאֶצְלְךָ אֲנִי סוֹעֵד, אֶלָּא לֵךְ וְתַקֵּן לִי. הָלַךְ אוֹהֲבוֹ וְהִתְקִין מִטָּה שֶׁל הֶדְיוֹט, מְנוֹרָה שֶׁל הֶדְיוֹט, וְשֻׁלְחָן שֶׁל הֶדְיוֹט. כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּאוּ עִמּוֹ שַׁמָּשִׁין סִבְּבוּ מִכָּן וּמִכָּן מְנוֹרָה שֶׁל זָהָב לְפָנָיו, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה אוֹהֲבוֹ אֶת כָּל הַכָּבוֹד הִתְבַּיֵּשׁ וְהִטְמִין אֶת כָּל מַה שֶּׁהִתְקִין לוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הַכֹּל הֶדְיוֹטוֹת, אָמַר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְךָ שֶׁאֶצְלְךָ אֲנִי סוֹעֵד, לָמָּה לֹא הִתְקַנְתָּ לִי כְּלוּם. אָמַר לוֹ אוֹהֲבוֹ רָאִיתִי אֶת כָּל הַכָּבוֹד הַזֶּה שֶׁבָּא עִמְּךָ, וְנִתְבַּיַּשְׁתִּי וְהִטְמַנְתִּי כָּל מַה שֶּׁהִתְקַנְתִּי לְךָ שֶׁהָיוּ כְּלֵי הֶדְיוֹטוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֲנִי פּוֹסֵל אֶת כָּל כֵּלַי שֶׁהֵבֵאתִי וּבִשְׁבִיל אַהֲבָתְךָ אֵינִי מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁלָּךְ. וְכֵן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כֻּלּוֹ אוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל ב, כב): וּנְהוֹרָא עִמֵּהּ שְׁרֵא, וְהוּא אָמַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הַתְקִינוּ לִי מְנוֹרָה וְנֵרוֹת, מַה כְּתִיב שָׁם (שמות כה, ח): וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם, (שמות כה, לא): וְעָשִׂיתָ מְנֹרַת זָהָב טָהוֹר, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָשׂוּ בָּאת שְׁכִינָה, מַה כְּתִיב שָׁם (שמות מ, לה): וְלֹא יָכֹל משֶׁה לָבוֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, מִיָּד קָרָא לְמשֶׁה (במדבר ז, פט): וּבְבֹא משֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת הַקּוֹל מִדַּבֵּר, מַה דִּבֵּר אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת.
(8) Another matter, “when you kindle” – that is what the verse said: “Even darkness does not darken for You, and night, like day, illuminates. Darkness and light are the same” (Psalms 139:12), and to us, He says: “When you kindle”? To what is the matter comparable? It is to a king who had a beloved one. The king said to him: ‘Know that I will be dining with you; go and prepare for me.’ His beloved went and prepared a common bed, a common lamp, and a common table. When the king came, his attendants came with him, they encircled him from this side and that side, with a golden lamp before him. When his beloved saw all the grandeur, he was ashamed, and hid everything that he had prepared for him, as it was all for commoners. The king said to him: ‘Did I not say to you that I am dining with you? Why did you not prepare anything for me?’ His beloved said to him: ‘I saw all this grandeur that came with you, and I was ashamed and hid everything that I had prepared, as they were common vessels.’ The king said: ‘As you live, I reject everything that I brought, and due to my love for you, I will use only yours.’ Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He is all light, as it is stated: “And the light rests with Him” (Daniel 2:22). He said to Israel: ‘Prepare for Me a candelabrum and lamps.’ What is written there? “They shall craft a Sanctuary for Me and I will dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8). “You shall craft a candelabrum of pure gold” (Exodus 25:31).When they crafted it, the Divine Presence came. What is written there? “Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting” (Exodus 40:35). Immediately, He called to Moses: “When Moses came into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard the Voice speaking with him” (Numbers 7:89). What did He speak with him? “When you kindle the lamps.”
