Rebbes and Chassidim

The Talmud states that wholehearted repentance takes place when the same circumstances repeat themselves and the person does not succumb to temptation (Yoma 86b). However, similar circumstances do not always recur. What is proper repentance then? R' Sholom Shachna states that if the person's remorse is of the same intensity as the emotion that was involved in the sin, that is proper repentance. This is how we must read the verse in Psalms. When the prophet Nathan reprimanded him, David's remorse was as he had come to Bathsheba. In other words, the depth of his regret was as intense as the passion which was involved in the transgression.

Chabad chassidim say that it is better to emphasize the soul than to deemphasize the body. The human being is a composite of body and soul. The body is essentially animal in nature. The distinction of the human being is that he has a soul. Clearly, a person should be most concerned about promoting that which makes him unique: his soul.

Chassidim say that on Judgment Day one will not be judged according to the rung one is standing upon on the ladder of spirituality, but according to whether one was on the way up or on the way down.

"False piety," said R' Mendel of Kotzk, "is characterized by exaggerating the importance of trivia and minimizing the importance of principles."

It does not require great intelligence to walk down the center. Horses can do that. Maimonides is telling us, says R' Mendel, to use our discretion to determine just where the desirable mean between two extremes is located.

"You shall eat, you shall be satisfied, and you shall thank G-d" (Deuteronomy 8:10). The Rebbe of Rizhin said, "Most people read the first two phrases together. 'You shall eat and be satisfied. You shall thank G-d.' The correct version is, 'You shall eat. You shall be satisfied when you thank G-d.'"

The Tzemach Tzedek said, “It is not a sin to say ‘I want.' However, to say 'I need' is a lack of faith.”

R' Uri of Strelisk said, "It is well known that every Jew is represented by a letter in the Torah. If any letter in the Torah is missing or damaged, that Torah is unusable until the letter is restored. Similarly, if any single Jew is missing from the Jewish nation, he must be restored." R' Uri then asked, "We know that if any letter in the Torah touches another letter, it must be separated. But why is this so? Since the letters of the Torah represent the Jewish people, there should not be any problem if one adheres to the second." R' Uri continued, "Yes, togetherness is of vital importance, but not to the degree that a person loses his individuality. Every person should be a distinct entity. Every person should take time during the day to meditate upon who he is and what his mission on earth is. If one does not do so, he may lose his identity and fail to actualize his potential."

"I see your father's face, and it does not appear to me as in the past" (Genesis 31:5). This verse is generally understood to mean that Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him had changed for the worse. Jacob, therefore, said that it was time to leave before Laban harmed him. Chassidic masters interpreted this verse differently. Jacob said, "In the past, when I looked at Laban, I saw him as evil and I was repelled by him. Now when I see him he does not appear to me to be so evil. If I have become indifferent to evil, he has had a bad influence on me and I must leave."

The Midrash states that when Jacob sent a message to his brother, Esau, he said, "I lived with the wicked Laban and I observed all the mitzvos. I did not learn from his evil ways" (Rashi, Genesis, 32:5). R' Meir Shapiro of Lublin remarked, "It is not characteristic of the humble Patriarch to be vain. Why did Jacob boast about his observing the mitzvos?" R' Meir explained that Jacob was not boasting. To the contrary, Jacob was castigating himself. What Jacob said was, "I saw how Laban was passionate in committing sins. I should have had similar passion in doing mitzvos. If Laban could invest himself so thoroughly in doing sins, how much more should I have devoted myself in doing mitzvos! I failed to learn from Laban how one should be totally absorbed in what one does."