“Everyone now feels that there is something lacking in the world. There is a depressed mood everywhere. One person might feel it in his business, which no longer runs as smoothly as before. Another might feel it in his bones, which somehow seem displaced.” The Rebbe then gave several other examples.
“We find many things that change in the world when a tzaddik passes on. The Talmud tells us that when Rabbi Yosi passed away, the spouts of the city poured forth blood (Moed Katan 25b). In many other instances, the world was changed by the death of tzaddikim.”
Many had reported that flames had been seen rising from Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s bier (cf. Ketubot 17a, 77b). The Rebbe said, “The rumor does not seem probable, for the generation is not worthy. But the tzaddik himself was certainly worthy of a pillar of fire at the time of his death.
בְּעִנְיַן הַצַּדִּיק הַנַּ"ל (מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב רַבִּי לֵוִי יִצְחָק זצ"ל) שֶׁנִּפְטַר, אָמַר: שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט מְחֻיָּב לְהַרְגִּישׁ הַחִסָּרוֹן.
The Rebbe said that even the average individual should feel the loss of a tzaddik like Rabbi Levi Yitzchak.
כִּי בְּוַדַּאי כָּל אֶחָד מַרְגִּישׁ מַה שֶּׁנֶּחְסָר דָּבָר מִן הָעוֹלָם, אַךְ כָּל אֶחָד מַרְגִּישׁ הַחִסָּרוֹן בְּאֵיזֶה מָרָה שְׁחוֹרָה, כִּי זֶה מַרְגִּישׁ בְּהַפַּרְנָסָה שֶׁאֵין הַפַּרְנָסָה כְּסֵדֶר, וְזֶה מַרְגִּישׁ בַּעֲצָמָיו שֶׁאֵין הָעֲצָמוֹת מְיֻשָּׁבִים בּוֹ עַתָּה כְּסֵדֶר, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה (וְחָשַׁב לְדֻגְמָא כַּמָּה דְּבָרִים כָּאֵלּוּ מַה שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מַרְגִּישׁ הַחִסָּרוֹן בְּאֵיזֶה עִנְיָן מְשֻׁנֶּה).
“Everyone now feels that there is something lacking in the world. There is a depressed mood everywhere. One person might feel it in his business, which no longer runs as smoothly as before. Another might feel it in his bones, which somehow seem displaced.” The Rebbe then gave several other examples.
אֲבָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עֵינַיִם פְּקוּחוֹת, הוּא רוֹאֶה מַמָּשׁ שֶׁנִּכְבֶּה נֵר מִן הָעוֹלָם וְנַעֲשֶׂה חֹשֶׁךְ.
“If your eyes are truly open, you will see that the world has become dark – for a great light has been extinguished in the world.
וַהֲלֹא מָצִינוּ כַּמָּה שִׁנּוּיִים שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בָּעוֹלָם בְּעֵת הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַצַּדִּיקִים, (כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בַּגְּמָרָא מוֹעֵד קָטָן כ"ה:, שָׁכִיב וְכוּ' שָׁפְעוּ מַרְזְבֵי דָּמָא וְכוּ'. וְאִם כֵּן בִּמְקוֹמוֹת כָּאֵלּוּ נַעֲשׂוּ שִׁנּוּיִים מֵחֲמַת הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַצַּדִּיקִים).
“We find many things that change in the world when a tzaddik passes on. The Talmud tells us that when Rabbi Yosi passed away, the spouts of the city poured forth blood (Moed Katan 25b). In many other instances, the world was changed by the death of tzaddikim.”
וּמַה שֶּׁמְּסַפְּרִין שֶׁרָאוּ אֵשׁ, אַף שֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק קְצָת בְּעֵינַי מֵחֲמַת שֶׁעַכְשָׁו אֵין הַדּוֹר רָאוּי לְכָךְ לִרְאוֹת דְּבָרִים כָּאֵלּוּ, אֲבָל מִצַּד הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק בְּוַדַּאי יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עַמּוּדָא דְּנוּרָא (עמוד אש) בְּעֵת הִסְתַּלְּקוּתוֹ.
Many had reported that flames had been seen rising from Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s bier (cf. Ketubot 17a, 77b). The Rebbe said, “The rumor does not seem probable, for the generation is not worthy. But the tzaddik himself was certainly worthy of a pillar of fire at the time of his death.
כִּי נִסְתַּלֵּק רֹאשׁ כָּזֶה, רֹאשׁ בֶּאֱמֶת בִּפְרָט רֹאשׁ שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
A true leader has died. He was a leader of the Jewish people.
כִּי אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁמֵּת רֹאשׁ וְשַׂר שֶׁל אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, נַעֲשִׂין גַּם כֵּן שִׁנּוּיִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם בֵּין הַכּוֹכָבִים, מִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן רֹאשׁ שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
“Even when a non-Jewish leader or prince dies, it causes changes in the stars. How much more is this true of a leader of l the Jews.”