T93 (Tinyana) PNC - The Machloikes Against Rabbeinu — "Devorim ha-Oimdim be-Rumoi shel Olam"

**"Shamati bi-shmo, she-amar le-inyan ha-machloikes she-hayu choilkim alav."** Reb Nosson heard *be-shem Rabbeinu* — Rabbeinu himself answered, regarding the *machloikes* that was fierce against him: *ki amru Chazal* (Berachos 6b) on the pasuk **"ke-rum zulus li-vnei adam"** (Tehillim 12:9): **"eilu devorim ha-oimdim be-rumoi shel olam u-vnei adam mezalzelin ba-hem — u-mai ni'hu, tefillah."** *These are the things that stand at the very height of the world — and human beings belittle them — and what are they? Tefillah.* **Al kein**, said Rabbeinu, **mei-chamas she-kol iskoi tefillah** — because *all* of his asak was tefillah, *al kein bnei adam mezalzelim bo u-mevazin oso ve-choilkim alav*. The structural law of the world is that *the highest things invite the most belittlement*. The very magnitude of his investment in tefillah was *predicting* the magnitude of the *zilzul* he received.

**"Ki be-inyan tefillah hayah marbeh le-dabber im anashav."** *Ki be-inyan tefillah hayah marbeh le-dabber im anashav, ve-hizhiram me'oid le-harboth bi-tefillah, ve-hisbodedus, ve-sichah beino le-vein konoi*, *ka-mevu'ar bi-sefarav ha-kedoishim*. **Ve-yoter mi-zeh** — Reb Nosson adds — **harbeih le-dabber imanu** (with us, the chassidim and bnei aliyah of his close circle) **ve-chizeik osanu be-his-chazkus bli shi'ur, le-harboth bi-tefillah ve-hisbodedus.** And it follows from the same drush: *al kein bnei adam mezalzelin bo, u-mevazin oso, ve-choilkim alav, ki kol iskoi hu tefillah, she-heim devorim ha-oimdim be-rumoi shel olam, u-vnei adam mezalzelin ba-hem*. **Ve-haveh** — and may the heart understand it. The hisbodedus, the *sichah beino le-vein konoi*, the unceasing pressure to *daven and to call out and to speak* — these were the *very rumoi shel olam* of Rabbeinu's avoidah, and the very reason for the zilzul. *Ein zeh kushyah al ha-emes — zeh siman al gedulas ha-emes.*