By COLlive reporter
Gems from the Rebbe‘s public letters for the New Year have been added to a new edition of Advice for Life: Daily Life, a 120 page book published by Hasidic Archives.
Culled from tens of letters of the Rebbe, the uplifting messages are presented in a brief, easy-to-digest format that was compiled by the archive’s director Dovid Zaklikowski.
“We do not celebrate the creation of the world on the first day of its creation,” reads one, “we celebrate on Rosh Hashanah, the day of man’s creation. For the ultimate purpose of the heavens, the earth and all worldly creations is the human being.”
Like the rest of the Advice for Life series, the new Daily Life is illustrated with striking art and photos many of which were taken by photographer Marc Asnin. Stories of the Rebbe are sprinkled throughout.
Another quote reads, “The human being is not just superior to G-d’s earlier creations of earth, vegetation and animals; there is a wide chasm between them. Humans have the capacity to recognize the Creator, and this recognition is the purpose of creation.”
One story in the book tells how the Rebbe went out of his way to assist another Rebbe:
“As the procession following the casket of Rabbi Shlomo Horenstein, a relative of the Rebbe and a respected rabbinical figure, passed Lubavitch World Headquarters, the Rebbe inquired about his elderly widow’s well-being. He was told she was feeling sickly. The Rebbe instructed her that she need not continue on to the cemetery.
“The Rebbe followed the hearse partially by foot and then by car to the Manhattan home of Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Friedman, leader of the Boyaner Chassidic dynasty, of whom Rabbi Horenstein had been a follower. There the Rebbe exited the car and waited for Rabbi Friedman to descend the stairs.
“Rabbi Friedman was frail, and walked down the stairs slowly. There was a large crowd of mourners in attendance, and the Rebbe feared for the elderly leader’s safety. The Rebbe asked Rabbi Friedman’s aides if it is respectful in their circles to assist the elderly rabbi, and they responded in the affirmative. The Rebbe placed his hand under Rabbi’s Friedman’s arm and protected him from the crowd.
“The two esteemed figures spoke briefly, and when they had walked some six feet, the Rebbe told the elderly rabbi that they had accompanied the hearse for the appropriate distance. They returned to Rabbi Friedman’s home, where the Rebbe wished him a sweet new year, and waited until Rabbi Friedman was safely inside before departing.”
The new edition of Daily Life is dedicated to the memory of Rabbi Mottel Sharfstein, whose life encapsulated every lesson the book aims to teach. Honest and humble, filled with love for family and all people, dedicated to Torah and Mitzvahs, he embraced life and made every moment count.
The new book is available on Amazon.com and in bulk from [email protected].
this was in Elul 5726 (1965).
There is a photo of the Rebbe holding the Boyaner Rebbe under his arm. however i doubt it was to “protect” from the crowd, probably to assist him with walking.
in my recollection i think the Rebbe went by car to Williamsburg (not manhattan).
ve’tzorich birur.
What a great book. Thanks fir bringing to our attention
Written very accurately and beautifully,
Thank you
Can I have the year this took place?
I seem to recall being a bochur in 770 at the time.
I remember very clearly that the rov said to the Rebbe in yiddish ‘it is good we meet’ to which the Rebbe responded ‘ but not on such occasions’
On page 120 in the article it says 10,000 pages of Talmud! Most likely should read 1,000 since there are only 2,711 pages to the talmud! Perhaps it means to get others to learn as well & the total will be 10,000. If someone can clarify that can be helpful.