Every Chossid has heard the moshol: the King leaves His palace and enters the field, accessible to each of us, greeting us b’sever panim yafos. It’s one of the most beloved images in Chassidus, repeated each Elul in classrooms, farbrengens, and derashos.
But as familiar as it is, how many of us have ever truly learned it?
That’s the premise behind the upcoming zman at Kollel L’Lomdei Dach of Merkos 302’s Merkos Torah. Beginning 10 Tammuz, the Kollel will dedicate over two months to diving deep into Melech Basadeh, exploring how the Rebbe took a few lines from the Alter Rebbe and turned them into an entire approach to Elul and the Yomim Nora’im.
Rabbi Levi Paltiel, menahel of the Kollel, explains, “On one hand, Melech Basadeh is classical. It’s the first moshol many of us ever heard in Chassidus. But in another way, it was never really learned in depth. This zman is a chance to finally understand what the Rebbe revealed in it: not as a story, but as a guide for how a Chossid prepares for the Yomim Nora’im.”
“The Rebbe constantly emphasised kvius ittim in learning Chassidus. Our mission to share the maayanos, begins with staying connected to the maayan ourselves,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302. “There’s something powerful about learning in a structured, serious group; it brings a level of consistency that’s hard to find alone. That’s the vision behind Merkos Torah: creating frameworks that support real growth and connection together.”
The learning will focus on foundational maamarim and sichos such as Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li 5726 and Ani L’dodi 5748, with each week building on the last. Far from a theoretical exercise, the curriculum is structured to lead participants on a personal journey of avodah, hisbonenus, and growth: from the field to the palace, so to speak.
“The Alter Rebbe presents Melech Basadeh in just a few lines. But the Rebbe turned it into an entire system of avodah” said Rabbi Osher Farkash, who will be guiding the learning alongside Rabbi Yosef Klyne, “there are dozens of sichos and maamarim, each one developing the moshol further. Some emphasize the kiruv of Elul, others the yirah that comes from being in the King’s presence: and still others challenge us to act on that knowledge and truly greet Him. It’s nuanced.”
The uniqueness of this zman lies in how it gradually develops: from the basic framework of the moshol to successive layers of chiddushim. “Someone told me, ‘You’re spending two and a half months just on Melech Basadeh?’” shares Rabbi Paltiel. “I told him, much more than that. Two and a half months is barely scratching the surface.”
Adding to the experience will be a lineup of guest mashpi’im, including Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, a shliach and the author of a detailed kuntres on Melech Basadeh, who will be joining the faculty for this zman.
This zman is the tenth of a 30-part curriculum designed to help Chassidim a serious and immersive learning program covering fundemental Chassidus ideas. The goal is not only to understand Elul better, but to live it more fully.
As Rabbi Klyne put it, “The Rebbe didn’t just retell the moshol. He used it to show us what Elul is meant to be. That’s what this zman is about: transforming our preparation for the Yomim Nora’im into something real.”
Registration is now open for Kollel Dach. To take part in this serious, structured journey into Melech Basadeh: and join a growing community of Chassidim seeking depth in their avodah: visit kolleldach.com
