Hayom Yom 25 Adar 2 - We worked on this challenge for 3 or 4 years

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

הֶחָסִיד ר' מָרְדְּכַי האָראָדאָקעֶר סִפֵּר

As an eminent chassid by the name of R. Mordechai of Horodok once recalled,

פִּתְגָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁשָּׁמַעְנוּ מֵרַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן כְּשֶׁבָּאנוּ לְלִיאָזנאָ הָיָה

“The first maxim we heard from the Alter Rebbe when we came to Liozna was this:

וואָס מעֶן טאָר נִיט טאָר מעֶן נִיט, אוּן וואָס מעֶן מעֶג דאַרף מעֶן נִיט

‘What is forbidden is forbidden. And what is permitted is dispensable.’

כְּשָׁלֹשׁ אַרְבַּע שָׁנִים עָבַדְנוּ בָּזֶה עַד שֶׁהֵבֵאנוּ אוֹפֶן זֶה בְּעִנְיָנֵי חַיֵּינוּ

We worked on this challenge for three or four years, until we internalized it in our own lives.

וְרַק אָז נִכְנַסְנוּ לִיחִידוּת לִשְׁאוֹל דֶּרֶךְ בָּעֲבוֹדָה

Only then did we enter the Rebbe’s study for yechidus, to request his guidance in choosing a personal path in our Divine service.”

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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