I do not recall the exact course of the discussion, but I do remember that the Rebbe ended by saying, “If people would only hold on to this ….” With his gestures, he emphasized how important “this” is — “this” meaning one's pleasure in and strong desire for a fellow Jew to succeed and excel in serving God, even if one himself is unable to, God forbid. This is quite a high level. [The Rebbe’s intent was that there is something to grasp hold of even if you cannot attain a high level yourself. You can still hope that others attain what is beyond your reach.]
I also remember that the Rebbe said he would be pleased that even if he is not worthy of serving God, then at least another Jew should serve Him. He said this is a very important thing to grasp. I heard this from the Rebbe’s own lips.
It seems obvious to me. Even though I may not be worthy, I still long for everyone to be truly righteous. I would like nothing better than for all my friends to be great tzaddikim. This would be my greatest expression of love and friendship.
This is how you must love your fellow man. You should want him to attain his true goal in life as ordained by God’s goodness. This is true Jewish love. It is explained in the Rebbe’s lesson on the verse, “For He who has mercy on them will lead them” (Isaiah 49:10; Likutey Moharan II, 7).
There are people who fall in their level of religious devotion or they can be snared by their evil temptations and literally be trapped in sin. Many such people hate those who are still religious. They provoke them, discouraging and degrading them in every way possible. They do everything in their power to drag them to their low level, proclaiming that these religious Jews will eventually fall away just as they have.
Many of our youth today have a strong desire to be truly religious. They spend much time in study and pray with all their heart, in great devotion. But those who have fallen ridicule and insult these young people. They discourage them by saying that all their devotion is really nothing.
This is nothing more than jealousy. They have fallen away and therefore want others to be just like them. But a true Jew must do the exact opposite. He should want others to serve God, even when he himself is unable to do so.
אֵינִי זוֹכֵר הֵיטֵב לְעִנְיַן מָה נִדְבַּר הָעִנְיָן, אֲבָל זֶה אֲנִי זוֹכֵר שֶׁבַּסּוֹף אָמַר: כְּשֶׁאוֹחֲזִין בָּזֶה וְכוּ', (וְהִפְלִיג בִּתְנוּעָתוֹ, לְמַעְלָה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד כְּשֶׁאוֹחֲזִין בָּזֶה) דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁאוֹחֲזִין בָּזֶה: שֶׁהוּא מְרֻצֶּה וְחָפֵץ וּמִשְׁתּוֹקֵק מְאֹד שֶׁחֲבֵרוֹ יִהְיֶה אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר וְצַדִּיק, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהוּא לֹא יִהְיֶה ח"ו, זֶהוּ מַעֲלָה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד.
I do not recall the exact course of the discussion, but I do remember that the Rebbe ended by saying, “If people would only hold on to this ….” With his gestures, he emphasized how important “this” is — “this” meaning one's pleasure in and strong desire for a fellow Jew to succeed and excel in serving God, even if one himself is unable to, God forbid. This is quite a high level. [The Rebbe’s intent was that there is something to grasp hold of even if you cannot attain a high level yourself. You can still hope that others attain what is beyond your reach.]
גַּם נִזְכַּרְתִּי שֶׁאָמַר אָז זֶה הַלָּשׁוֹן: שֶׁהוּא מְרֻצֶּה, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁאֲנִי אֵינִי זוֹכֶה ח"ו לַעֲבֹד אֶת ה' עַל־כָּל־פָּנִים יַעֲבֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל הַשֵּׁנִי אֶת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. זֶהוּ דָּבָר גָּדוֹל מְאֹד כְּשֶׁאוֹחֲזִין בָּזֶה. כָּךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפִּיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ.
I also remember that the Rebbe said he would be pleased that even if he is not worthy of serving God, then at least another Jew should serve Him. He said this is a very important thing to grasp. I heard this from the Rebbe’s own lips.
וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי נִדְמֶה לִי שֶׁזֶּהוּ דָּבָר פָּשׁוּט מְאֹד. כִּי בְּוַדַּאי אֲנִי רוֹצֶה וְחָפֵץ מְאֹד וּמִשְׁתּוֹקֵק וּמִתְגַּעְגֵּעַ מְאֹד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּשֵׁרִים וְצַדִּיקִים אֲמִתִּיִּים, אֲפִלּוּ אִם לֹא אֶזְכֶּה אֲנִי לָזֶה עַל־כָּל־פָּנִים יִהְיֶה חֲבֵרַי בְּנֵי גִּילִי וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל צַדִּיקִים נוֹרָאִים אֲמִתִּיִּים.
It seems obvious to me. Even though I may not be worthy, I still long for everyone to be truly righteous. I would like nothing better than for all my friends to be great tzaddikim. This would be my greatest expression of love and friendship.
כִּי זֶה עִקַּר הָאַהֲבָה וְהָרַחֲמָנוּת שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְרַחֵם אֶחָד עַל חֲבֵרוֹ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לְתַכְלִית הָאֲמִתִּי לִהְיוֹת כִּרְצוֹנוֹ הַטּוֹב בֶּאֱמֶת שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִקַּר טוֹבָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. (וְכַמְבֹאָר בְּהַתּוֹרָה כִּי מְרַחֲמָם יְנַהֲגֵם וְכוּ' בְּסִימָן ז לק"ת עַיֵּן שָׁם).
This is how you must love your fellow man. You should want him to attain his true goal in life as ordained by God’s goodness. This is true Jewish love. It is explained in the Rebbe’s lesson on the verse, “For He who has mercy on them will lead them” (Isaiah 49:10; Likutey Moharan II, 7).
אֲבָל יָדַעְתִּי, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁכְּשֶׁהֵם נוֹפְלִים ח"ו, מֵעֲבוֹדַת ה', מִכָּל־שֶׁכֵּן וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אוֹתָן שֶׁנִּכְשָׁלִין בְּאֵיזֶה תַּאֲוָה רָעָה אוֹ בַּעֲבֵרָה ח"ו, הֵם שׂוֹנְאִים וּמִתְגָּרִים בְּמִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה', וְרוֹצִים לְהַפִּילוֹ ח"ו, וּמַחֲלִישִׁים אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ מְאֹד, וּמְבַזִּים אוֹתוֹ בְּכַמָּה לְשׁוֹנוֹת. וְגַם אוֹמְרִים לוֹ שֶׁגַּם הוּא יִפֹּל כְּמוֹ שֶׁנָּפַל הוּא רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן.
There are people who fall in their level of religious devotion or they can be snared by their evil temptations and literally be trapped in sin. Many such people hate those who are still religious. They provoke them, discouraging and degrading them in every way possible. They do everything in their power to drag them to their low level, proclaiming that these religious Jews will eventually fall away just as they have.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁרָאִיתִי כַּמָּה מֵהַחֲסִידִים שֶׁל עַכְשָׁו שֶׁלִּפְנֵי כַּמָּה שָׁנִים הִתְחִילוּ קְצָת בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה' וְאַחַר־כָּךְ נָפְלוּ לְמַה שֶּׁנָּפְלוּ כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי נְפִילָתוֹ רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן. וְאַחַר־כָּךְ כְּשֶׁרָאוּ בְּנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים הָרַכִּים בַּשָּׁנִים כְּשֶׁנִּתְעוֹרְרוּ בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה' וְהִתְחִילוּ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בְּהִתְלַהֲבוּת בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם וּלְהַתְמִיד בְּלִמּוּדוֹ וְכוּ', כַּאֲשֶׁר מָצוּי עַכְשָׁו כַּמָּה בְּנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים הַכְּשֵׁרִים הַמִּשְׁתּוֹקְקִים מְאֹד מְאֹד לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וּמַתְחִילִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בְּכָל לֵב בְּכַוָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה וְכוּ', וּכְשֶׁרוֹאִים אֵלּוּ הַחֲסִידִים הַנְּפוּלִים אוֹתָם, הֵם שׂוֹחֲקִים מְאֹד מֵהֶם וּמְבַזִּים אוֹתָם וּמַחֲלִישִׁים אֶת דַּעְתָּם מְאֹד מְאֹד וְאוֹמְרִים לָהֶם שֶׁאֵין מַמָּשׁ בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם וְכוּ'.
Many of our youth today have a strong desire to be truly religious. They spend much time in study and pray with all their heart, in great devotion. But those who have fallen ridicule and insult these young people. They discourage them by saying that all their devotion is really nothing.
כָּל זֶה מֵחֲמַת קִנְאָה. מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהֵם נָפְלוּ, הֵם רוֹצִים ח"ו, שֶׁגַּם הַשְּׁאָר יִהְיוּ כְּמוֹתָם רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן. וּבֶאֱמֶת צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּהֵפֶךְ כַּנַּ"ל.
This is nothing more than jealousy. They have fallen away and therefore want others to be just like them. But a true Jew must do the exact opposite. He should want others to serve God, even when he himself is unable to do so.