The Rebbe’s lodgings in Uman overlooked the old cemetery (Tzaddik #114) and he could hear the people who customarily came to cry and pray at their parents’ graves.
The Rebbe’s daughter was standing next to him at the time and he remarked to her, “This woman is crying, 'Father! Father!’ with the best of intentions, but her father is not there at all.”
The Rebbe explained, “When you visit your parents’ graves, it is best to ask those who are buried nearby to inform your parents that you are there. [Though most souls depart to their destiny,] not all souls ascend to their intended place and many remain near their graves. Therefore, it is best to tell these other souls to inform your parents.
“But when you visit a tzaddik, you need not worry that he is not there. For the death of a tzaddik is like going from one room to another.”265The Baal Shem Tov made exactly the same statement (Shevachey HaBaal Shem Tov, p. 161).
The Rebbe then told his daughter, “Take me as an example. Right now I am in this room. I can then go to the next room and close the door. If you stand by the door and cry, 'Father! Father!’ will I not hear you?”
We heard similar things from the Rebbe’s holy lips many times. He suggested to each one of us in many ways the great importance of visiting his grave. He promised that he would certainly hear what we said and save us in any way possible.
It was the Rebbe’s holy way to speak with such wondrous wisdom that often we did not immediately grasp the full meaning of his words. Often it would be a long time before we understood their significance. This was especially true of his wish for us to visit his grave. He alluded to this many times and also spoke of it openly, as, for example, when he set aside two witnesses (see “His Wisdom” #141; Yemey Moharnat #67).
כְּשֶׁהָיָה בְּאוּמַאן, שָׁמַע בְּבֵיתוֹ קוֹל שֶׁל הַצּוֹעֲקִים עַל הַבֵּית עָלְמִין עַל קִבְרֵי אֲבוֹתָם שֶׁדַּרְכָּם לִצְעֹק וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל שָׁם בְּקוֹל מַר כַּנָּהוּג.
The Rebbe’s lodgings in Uman overlooked the old cemetery (Tzaddik #114) and he could hear the people who customarily came to cry and pray at their parents’ graves.
וּפַעַם אַחַת שָׁמַע אִשָּׁה אַחַת שֶׁהָיְתָה צוֹעֶקֶת שָׁם עַל קֶבֶר אָבִיהָ: "אָבִי, אָבִי", בְּקוֹל מַר מְאֹד.
Once he heard a woman standing by her father’s grave and crying in a bitter voice, “Father! Father!”
וּבִתּוֹ (תִּחְיֶה) הָיְתָה עוֹמֶדֶת אֶצְלוֹ אָז. עָנָה וְאָמַר לָהּ: "הָאִשָּׁה הַזֹּאת צוֹעֶקֶת בְּכַוָּנָה הֵיטֵב 'אָבִי אָבִי', אֲבָל אָבִיהָ אֵינוֹ בְּכָאן כְּלָל".
The Rebbe’s daughter was standing next to him at the time and he remarked to her, “This woman is crying, 'Father! Father!’ with the best of intentions, but her father is not there at all.”
וְאָמַר אָז: שֶׁטּוֹב כְּשֶׁבָּאִים עַל קִבְרֵי אָבוֹת לוֹמַר לְהַמֵּתִים הַשּׁוֹכְנִים סָבִיב סָבִיב לְקֶבֶר אֲבִיהֶם וְאִמָּם וְכַיּוֹצֵא שֶׁבָּאִים אֵלָיו, לְבַקֵּשׁ מֵהֶם שֶׁיּוֹדִיעוּ לוֹ שֶׁבָּא בְּנָם אוֹ בִּתָּם אֵלָיו. כִּי בְּוַדַּאי לֹא כָּל הַמֵּתִים נִסְתַּלְּקִים מִמְּקוֹם קְבוּרָתָם לְמָקוֹם שֶׁנִּטְרָדִים, כִּי הַרְבֵּה שְׁרוּיִים עַל קִבְרָם. עַל כֵּן טוֹב לְהוֹדִיעָם כְּדֵי שֶׁהֵם יוֹדִיעוּ לַאֲבִיהֶם וְכוּ'.
The Rebbe explained, “When you visit your parents’ graves, it is best to ask those who are buried nearby to inform your parents that you are there. [Though most souls depart to their destiny,] not all souls ascend to their intended place and many remain near their graves. Therefore, it is best to tell these other souls to inform your parents.
וְאָמַר אָז: אֲבָל אֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיק אֵין צְרִיכִים לַחֲשֹׁשׁ עַל זֶה שֶׁמָּא אֵינוֹ שָׁם. כִּי מִיתַת הַצַּדִּיק הוּא רַק כְּמוֹ מִי שֶׁיּוֹצֵא מֵחֶדֶר לְחֶדֶר אַחֵר.
“But when you visit a tzaddik, you need not worry that he is not there. For the death of a tzaddik is like going from one room to another.”265The Baal Shem Tov made exactly the same statement (Shevachey HaBaal Shem Tov, p. 161).
וְהִמְשִׁיל אָז לְבִתּוֹ עַל עַצְמוֹ: "כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֲנִי עַתָּה בְּחֶדֶר זֶה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ אֲנִי יוֹצֵא מֵחֶדֶר זֶה וְנִכְנָס לַחֶדֶר הַשֵּׁנִי וְסוֹגֵר הַדֶּלֶת אַחֲרַי. אִם אַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֵצֶל הַדֶּלֶת וְתִצְעַק 'אָבִי אָבִי' וְכוּ' לֹא אֶשְׁמַע דְּבָרֶיךָ?!"
The Rebbe then told his daughter, “Take me as an example. Right now I am in this room. I can then go to the next room and close the door. If you stand by the door and cry, 'Father! Father!’ will I not hear you?”
כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה נִשְׁמַע מִפִּיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים, שֶׁרָמַז לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד כַּמָּה גְּדוֹלָה הַמַּעֲלָה שֶׁל מִי שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לָבוֹא עַל קִבְרוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְהַנּוֹרָא. כִּי בְּוַדַּאי יִשְׁמַע דְּבָרָיו וְיַעֲזֹר וְיוֹשִׁיעַ לוֹ בְּכָל מַה דְּאֶפְשָׁר.
We heard similar things from the Rebbe’s holy lips many times. He suggested to each one of us in many ways the great importance of visiting his grave. He promised that he would certainly hear what we said and save us in any way possible.
וּכְבָר נִרְשְׁמוּ אֵיזֶה שִׂיחוֹת לְעֵיל, כִּי כֵן הָיָה דַּרְכּוֹ בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, לָשִׂיחַ וּלְדַבֵּר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ הַנִּפְלָאָה וּבִשְׁעַת הַשִּׂיחָה לֹא הֵבִינוּ כַּוָּנָתוֹ, וְאַחַר־כָּךְ הֵבִינוּ לְמַפְרֵעַ כַּוָּנָתוֹ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה. בִּפְרָט בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, לָבוֹא עַל קִבְרוֹ, שֶׁדִּבֵּר הַרְבֵּה מִזֶּה בְּפֵרוּשׁ וּבְרֶמֶז כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים, וּכְבָר מְבֹאָר מַה שֶּׁיִּחֵד שְׁנֵי עֵדִים וכנ"ל.
It was the Rebbe’s holy way to speak with such wondrous wisdom that often we did not immediately grasp the full meaning of his words. Often it would be a long time before we understood their significance. This was especially true of his wish for us to visit his grave. He alluded to this many times and also spoke of it openly, as, for example, when he set aside two witnesses (see “His Wisdom” #141; Yemey Moharnat #67).