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The Endless Quest
It was Simchat Torah, and the disciples of Rabbi Mendel of
Horodok, many of whom had journeyed for weeks to spend the
joyous festival with their Rebbe, were awaiting his entrance
to the synagogue for the recital of the Atah Hor’eisa
verses and the hakafot procession. Yet the Rebbe did
not appear. Hours passed, and still Rabbi Mendel was secluded
in his room.
Finally, they approached Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, who
had studied with Rabbi Mendel in Mezeritch under the tutelage
of the Great Maggid.[1]
Perhaps Rabbi Schneur Zalman, who was revered and loved by
Rabbi Mendel, would attempt what no other chassid would dare:
enter the Rebbe’s room and ask him to join his anxiously
awaiting followers.
When Rabbi Schneur Zalman entered Rabbi Mendel’s study,
he found the chassidic master deeply engrossed in his thoughts.
“The chassidim await you,” said Rabbi Schneur Zalman.
“Why don’t you join them for the hakafot?”
“There are a hundred meanings to the verse Atah Hor’eisa,”[2]
cried Rabbi Mendel, “And I do not yet fully understand
them all. I cannot possibly come out to recite the verse without
a proper comprehension of its significance!”
“Rebbe!” said Rabbi Schneur Zalman. “When
you will reach a full comprehension of the hundred meanings
of Atah Hor’eisa, you will discover another hundred
meanings you have yet to comprehend...”
“You are right,” said Rabbi Mendel, rising from
his seat. “Come, let us go to hakafot.”
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[1]. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok (also called
Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk) and Rabbi Schneur Zalman
of Liadi were both disciples of the Great Maggid, Rabbi
DovBer of Mezeritch, the second leader of the Chassidic
movement. Following the Maggid’s passing in 1772, Rabbi
Schneur Zalman regarded Rabbi Mendel as his master and mentor.
In 1777, Rabbi Mendel led a group of more than 300 chassidim
to settle in the Holy Land. Rabbi Schneur Zalman was originally
part of the group, but Rabbi Mendel convinced him to remain
behind and assume the leadership of the chassidic community
in White Russia and Lithuania.
[2]. Atah Horeisa (“You have been shown...”)
is the first of an anthology of seventeen verses recited
as an introduction to the hakafot (joyous procession
and dance with the Torah scrolls around the reading table)
of Simchat Torah. The verse (Deuteronomy 4:35) reads: “You
have been shown to know that Havayeh is Elokim,
there is none else beside Him.” Chassidic teaching
contains dozens of discourses and thousands of pages explaining
the concepts contained in this verse.
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