Late one afternoon, just before the Minchah prayer, I was standing before the Rebbe. He was looking out of the window with a look of deep longing in his eyes. He began speaking to me of how quickly the day passes and is gone.
He said, “Vas ich hab tzu tuhn in dem oilom! – What do I have to do in this world! But behold, the day passes and is soon gone.” The Rebbe meant that what he had to do was beyond measure.
פַּעַם אַחַת עָמַדְתִּי לְפָנָיו לְעֵת עֶרֶב סָמוּךְ לִתְפִלַּת הַמִּנְחָה, וְהָיָה מִסְתַּכֵּל בַּחַלּוֹן בְּדֶרֶךְ הִשְׁתּוֹקְקוּת נִמְרָץ וְכִלְיוֹן עֵינַיִם וְדִבֵּר עִמִּי מֵעִנְיַן הַיּוֹם שֶׁחוֹלֵף וְעוֹבֵר מְהֵרָה.
Late one afternoon, just before the Minchah prayer, I was standing before the Rebbe. He was looking out of the window with a look of deep longing in his eyes. He began speaking to me of how quickly the day passes and is gone.
עָנָה וְאָמַר: "מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ לִי לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם!! (וְאָמַר זֹאת בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְלָגָה, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְשַׁעֵר) וְהִנֵּה הַיּוֹם חוֹלֵף וְעוֹבֵר מְהֵרָה". (וְאָמַר בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז בְּזֶה הַלָּשׁוֹן: וָואס אִיךְ הָאבּ צוּ טהוּן אִין דֶּעם עוֹלָם).
He said, “Vas ich hab tzu tuhn in dem oilom! – What do I have to do in this world! But behold, the day passes and is soon gone.” The Rebbe meant that what he had to do was beyond measure.