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hides his humility in a ‘filthy place’ –
in arrogance!”
In this vein, Rav Menachem Mendel
would sign his letters with the ‘title’ of
ת ֶמ ֱא ֶּ ב ל ֵפ ָ ּׁ ש ַה, “the truly lowly.” Though
his royal demeanor and humility
appear to us as a contradiction, it is
not so in Chassidic thought. The truly
humble Jew is not someone who
considers himself to be worthless but
rather one who fully understands his
own worth but at the same time does
not attribute his virtues to himself.
The prototype of “lowly royalty” is
King David, who did not consider it
beneath his dignity to leap and dance The Kever of Rav Menachem Mendel
before the holy Ark as it was brought
to Jerusalem, and said about himself: Among the tzaddikim who later Some say the Vilna Gaon left the city to
avoid meeting Rav Menachem Mendel,
administered the fund were the
“Before Hashem, Who chose me… to
appoint me prince over Israel, the Rebbes of Ruzhin and Rav Schneur while others say that he ordered his
associates to bar Rav Menachem
Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad
people of G-d, before Hashem will I
dance, and dishonor myself even more, and a student of both the Maggid of Mendel from entering his home. Those
Mezeritch and Rav Menachem Mendel.
who propound the second version add
and be low in my own eyes!” (Shmuel
II 6:21–22) When Rav Menachem Mendel made that Rav Menachem Mendel later said:
Aliyah together with hundreds of his “It’s chaval (unfortunate) that I didn’t
Before leaving for Eretz Yisrael, Rav Chassidim, these funds were critical for break down the door…” Even after
Menachem Mendel made great efforts their economic support. making Aliyah, Rav Menachem Mendel
on behalf of both the land and the Before leaving for Israel, Rav refused to give up hope, sending letters
people of Israel. He played a critical Menachem Mendel also made bold urging peace and reconciliation to
role in founding a charity fund to efforts to bring peace between the leaders of both the Chassidim and
help support the Jews of Eretz Yisrael, Chassidim and their opponents, the mitnagdim.
which later became known as the mitnagdim. During the years he served Rav Menachem Mendel believed
Kupat Rebbe Meir Ba’al HaNeis. Many as a Rebbe in Europe the opposition deeply in Jewish unity, and fulfilled
people are familiar with the Jewish to the Chassidim reached its zenith. those beliefs in practice. Though
National Fund’s iconic blue tzedakah In nearby Lithuania, the great Rav it is now common for Ashkenazi
box, used by Jews throughout the Eliyahu of Vilna, the Vilna Gaon, led and Sephardic Jews to marry one
the Diaspora to support the Zionist a fierce opposition to the Chassidim, another, it was nearly unheard of in
chalutzim (pioneers), but don’t realize signing several letters formally the 18th century. But Rav Menachem
that this box was inspired by the fund excommunicating them. As Chassidim Mendel did not hesitate in choosing
established by Rav Menachem Mendel were harassed in towns and cities a Sephardic bride for his son, Rav
of Vitebsk. Every Friday, just before throughout the region, Rav Menachem Moshe – a revolutionary decision in
candle lighting, poor Jews throughout Mendel decided to do everything in that generation.
Europe would set aside a few pennies his power to seek peace at all costs.
from their meager possessions as Together with Rav Schneur Zalman Rav Menachem Mendel led thousands
a gift of love to the early settlers of of Chassidim in Russian until 1777,
Eretz Yisrael. They considered the brave of Liadi, he traveled to Vilna to speak when he left to move to the Land of
with the Gaon.
few who settled in Eretz Yisrael to be Israel. It is important to recognize
their shluchim, their messengers, and As is well known, their efforts did not the great tzaddikim who overcame
desired to bear a part of the heavy succeed, and they never met with the hardships to move to the Land: Rav
burden these settlers had taken upon Gaon. There are different traditions Menachem Mendel of Premishlan,
themselves. describing how the events unfolded. Rav Nachman of Horodenka and Rav

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