As a small child, the Rebbe decided that he would detach himself completely from this world. He wanted to break the desire to eat, but because he was young, he thought it would be impossible to forgo his regular meals. He decided that he would swallow his food without chewing it. In this way, he would not derive any pleasure from the food. He continued doing this until his throat became completely swollen.
2
וְאָמַר: שֶׁהָיָה אָז רַק בֶּן שִׁשָּׁה שָׁנִים.
When the Rebbe recounted this, he mentioned that he was only six years old at the time.
We once heard of a great tzaddik who swallowed his food without chewing it, and this was considered very unique. The Rebbe did this when he was just a child.
בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בִּימֵי קַטְנוּתוֹ בָּא עַל דַּעְתּוֹ לִפְרֹשׁ מֵהָעוֹלָם, וְרָצָה לְשַׁבֵּר תַּאֲוַת אֲכִילָה. אַךְ עֲדַיִן הָיָה בְּשֵׂכֶל קָטָן, וְנִדְמָה לוֹ שֶׁזֶּה אִי־אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיַּנִּיחַ מֵאֲכִילָתוֹ כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁהָיָה רָגִיל לֶאֱכֹל בַּבֹּקֶר וּבַצָּהֲרַיִם וְכוּ'. עַל־כֵּן יִשֵּׁב עַצְמוֹ; שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בּוֹלֵעַ כָּל מַה שֶּׁיֹּאכַל, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לוֹעֵס מַה שֶּׁיֹּאכַל רַק יִבְלַע כְּמוֹת שֶׁהוּא, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַרְגִּישׁ שׁוּם טַעַם בַּאֲכִילָתוֹ. וְעָשָׂה כֵּן, וְעָלָה נְפִיחוּת בְּצַוָּארוֹ (שֶׁקּוֹרִין גִישְׁוָואלִין).
As a small child, the Rebbe decided that he would detach himself completely from this world. He wanted to break the desire to eat, but because he was young, he thought it would be impossible to forgo his regular meals. He decided that he would swallow his food without chewing it. In this way, he would not derive any pleasure from the food. He continued doing this until his throat became completely swollen.
וְאָמַר: שֶׁהָיָה אָז רַק בֶּן שִׁשָּׁה שָׁנִים.
When the Rebbe recounted this, he mentioned that he was only six years old at the time.
וְהַנְהָגָה זוֹ שָׁמַעְתִּי לְדָבָר גָּדוֹל מִצַּדִּיק גָּדוֹל מְאֹד מְאֹד שֶׁנָּהַג כָּךְ – שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹלֵעַ אֲכִילָתוֹ בְּלִי לְעִיסָה, אַךְ הוּא ז"ל נָהַג כָּךְ בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בֶּן שִׁשָּׁה שָׁנִים.
We once heard of a great tzaddik who swallowed his food without chewing it, and this was considered very unique. The Rebbe did this when he was just a child.