Watch: Chai Elul Farbrengen With R’ Yoel Kahan

By Zalmen Hertz

On Chai Elul, 5760, R’ Yoel Kahan obm led a chassidishe farbrengen. His legendary geonus and the depth of his hiskashrus were on full display as he farbrenged through the night. The farbrengen can be seen on the “Reb Yoel Kahn Farbreigens” YouTube channel.

Here are some highlights of R’ Yoel’s words.

0.37 — The Frierdiker Rebbe related that R’ Saadya Gaon possessed the lofty level of tikkun hamochin — intellectual completion — and Rashag possessed tikkun hamidos — emotional completion. He was totally devoted emotionally; dedicated to the truth, not to himself. These were different types of people, but they were given over to the emes; they were not given over to themselves.

1:58 — R’ Mendel Futerfas related the following story: there was once a poor man who went to meet some wealthy people. The poor man wanted to show that he, too, can blend in with the elite, so when they asked him, “Who are you?” instead of answering he replied, “Do you know so-and-so, the gvir?” “Of course,” the wealthy people replied. “But who are you?” Again he didn’t answer, instead bringing up another gvir. “Do you know such-and-such, the gvir?” he deflected. And so it went, with the poor man not answering who he was. In the end the gvirim prevailed. “But what is your name?” He said, “My name is Shayke Feifer.” [I.e. I am a nobody.]

R’ Yoel concluded: It can be easy to speak about other chassidim, and to speak about the Rebbe — but who are you?

7:23 — The Rebbe quoted the Gemra that says, “Rabbi Simlai taught: There were 613 mitzvos stated to Moshe in the Torah, consisting of 365 prohibitions corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, and 248 positive mitzvos corresponding to the number of a person’s limbs. Rav Hamnuna said: What is the passuk that alludes to this? It is written: “Moshe commanded to us the Torah, an inheritance of the congregation of Yaakov” (Devarim 33:4). The word Torah, in terms of its numerical value [gematriya], is 611, the number of mitzvos that were received and taught by Moshe our teacher. In addition, there are two mitzvos: “I am Hashem your God” and: “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:2, 3), the first two of the Ten Commandments, that we heard from the mouth of the Almighty, for a total of 613.” (Makost 23b, 24a)

The Rebbe goes on to say, “When a Jew is at the level of Torah — of the 611 mitzvos — but is missing the two mitzvos that we heard from Hashem — “I am Hashem your G-d,” and “You shall have no other gods” — what should he do? He is missing the most essential part of the Torah!

He should learn the “Torah that is commanded to us by Moshe.” — The Rebbe’s Torah. He should be connected to Moshe Rabbeinu; to the Rebbe — and the Rebbe will take him out of his difficult situation.

12:20 — niggun.

20:00 — Our sages teach (Sifri, Seitzei 24:19.) “If someone drops a sela [in the street] and it was found by a poor person … the one who lost the money has performed the mitzvah of tzedakah.” This is true even though the one who lost it is upset that they lost it, and, if given the choice, would not have given the money away.

The Rebbe explains why. The person who lost the money has a neshama. The neshama has a yechida. And the yechida wants to give tzedakah. So it prevailed over the person and caused the money to fall from the pocket, so that the tzedakah would be given.

R’ Yoel related: Such an explanation — only the Rebbe can give.

VIDEO