The Secret of the Kohen Gadol: The Power of the Tzaddik Who Sees the Entire Year in Advance
Lesson No. 72 | Motzaei Shabbos Shemini Atzeret, the eve of the 23rd of Tishrei 5757 - Melaveh Malkah (post-Shabbos meal) at the Yeshiva - 2 Lessons (Continued in No. 73)
On Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) sees in the smoke of the ketores (incense) everything that will happen to the Jewish people in the coming year. The Chozeh of Lublin reveals that there are tzaddikim in our generation who possess this spiritual level, and they have the ability to sweeten the judgments for every Jew who draws close to them. This is an article about the power of the tzaddik to foresee the future and bring salvation from every trouble.
The Vision of the Kohen Gadol in the Holy of Holies
On Yom Kippur, when the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies, he pours the ketores onto the glowing coals. The smoke of the incense rises to the ceiling and spreads until the entire Holy of Holies is filled with smoke, and he cannot see a thing. Usually, his service there takes only a few minutes, but in those brief minutes—he is shown everything within the smoke.
The Kohen Gadol sees in the smoke of the ketores everything that is destined to happen in the coming year, down to the finest details. He sees where there will be a war, which gentile nation is plotting to cause us trouble, and what the fate of every single Jew will be. There, in the Holy of Holies, he sweetens the judgments and prays for each and every person to have daas (spiritual awareness). Therefore, if, God forbid, a tragedy occurs or there is a murderer, a complaint is brought against the Kohen Gadol: "Why didn't you pray about this? After all, you were shown everything!"
Regarding this, the Chozeh of Lublin asks: This is the Kohen Gadol, but what about us? In the Hoshanos prayers of the holiday of Sukkos, we say in the liturgical poem 'E-l L'Moshaos' (God of Salvations):
"Those who are attached to You turn to You. Those who know how to discern the times. Those who bow to You in supplication."
The Chozeh of Lublin explains that there are tzaddikim who are on the spiritual level of the Kohen Gadol, to whom everything that is destined to happen throughout the entire year is revealed on Rosh Hashanah. This is the secret of our holy Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. Rebbe Nachman said: "Come to me! I see everything that will happen to you all year. Where are you traveling? Where are you going? I already know what will be this year, so come to me."
The Greatest Lawyer in the World
To understand the power of the tzaddik, I will tell you about a Jew I knew who owed an enormous sum of about 800,000 dollars. He had signed as a guarantor on mortgages for other people and became deeply entangled in debt. He had orders preventing him from leaving the country from three or four different creditors, and he had absolutely no money. His trial was scheduled to take place in the month of Cheshvan, and he faced the danger of a lengthy stay in prison.
I told him, "Listen, only one person can help you—and that is our holy Rebbe." He answered me, "Okay, I believe in the Rebbe, but how can I travel? I have massive debts and orders preventing me from leaving the country." I told him, "You are traveling to the greatest lawyer in the world! I am not just talking to you about traveling to a tzaddik to receive a blessing; we are talking here about the greatest lawyer in the world who can absolutely get you out of this trial."
I explained to him that people are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to lawyers to be saved from such debts, and here, for a trip to Rebbe Nachman that costs a relatively tiny amount, he is hesitating? "Take a loan, get the money for the trip. This lawyer will surely save you from the trial, there is no question about it at all!"
He went to consult with his wife. She told him, "If they are speaking with such confidence and such emunah (faith), I am also starting to believe that there is such a lawyer. Travel to the Rebbe, and he will find a way to help." He went to all the creditors, managed to convince them to lift the travel bans, and he traveled.
On the 26th of Cheshvan, the trial took place. The prosecutors came, shouted, and demanded their money. But the judge looked at that Jew—a kollel student, a father of three children living in a rented apartment who had absolutely nothing—and turned to the plaintiffs: "What do you want from his life? Why are you picking on this poor man? You are all wealthy and will manage, and he has nothing!"
To everyone's surprise, the judge ruled that he only had to pay a symbolic sum of 500 shekels a month. Instead of sitting in prison for years, he was completely saved. This is the power of the tzaddik who says, "I see what will happen to you all year." The Rebbe knows what will happen every second, and he calls us to come to him in order to sweeten all the judgments from upon us.
Those Who Discern the Times: The Leadership of the Tzaddikim
The Chozeh of Lublin continues and explains: There are tzaddikim who are on the level of the Kohen Gadol, who are shown on Rosh Hashanah everything that will happen with every single Jew. Whoever merits to draw close to such a tzaddik will certainly experience salvation all year long, because the tzaddik performs tikkunim (spiritual rectifications) for each and every person, every single second. We have no comprehension of these matters. We do not know what will happen in the next moment, but the tzaddik knows everything and knows how to sweeten the judgments for a person's entire life.
On the other hand, there are other tzaddikim who are in the category of "those who know how to discern the times." They are not shown the entire year in advance on Rosh Hashanah; rather, they are shown hour by hour what is destined to happen. Because of this, the Chozeh of Lublin himself told his chassidim: "I do not command you to come to me on Rosh Hashanah. Come to me on Pesach, on Chanukah, on Shavuos."
These tzaddikim, who are 'those who discern the times,' see from one end of the world to the other anew every single hour. When people come to them to pray to be blessed with children or for salvations, it is revealed to them at that exact hour what needs to be done, what advice to offer to a specific person, and how to sweeten the decree from upon him.
Part 1 of 2 — Lesson No. 72
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