Hayom Yom 10 Menachem Av - The Alter Rebbe would have had another 50,000 chassidim

מִסִּפּוּרֵי אַאַזְמוּ"רThe following traditions were handed down by my revered grandfather, the Rebbe [Maharash]:'"א) מִתְּחִלָּה הָיָה אִגֶּרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ קָטֹנְתִּי מְסַיֶּמֶת "וְרוּחַ נְכֵאָה כו(a) At first, the epistle beginning Katonti concluded with the words veruach neche’ah (“and with a restrained spirit”). וְאַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ הַגָּדוֹל שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים — בְּלִיאָזנָא — הַמַּאֲמָר כַּמַּיִם הַפָּנִים גוBut after the Alter Rebbe had delivered the maamar entitled Kamayim hapanim (“Just as water [reflects] one’s face”) three times in Liozna, כְּפֵרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י וְלֹא כְּתַּרְגּוּמוֹexplaining the verse according to the interpretation of Rashi and not according to the Targum, אָז הוֹסִיף הַתֵּבוֹת "וְכוּלֵי הַאי — הַפָּנִים וְגוֹhe appended [to the epistle beginning Katonti]the following words: “And through all that, perhaps G‑d will put [a conciliatory and loving response] into the hearts of their brethren, for ‘as water [reflects] one’s face, [so too does the heart of one man reflect the heart of another].’”וּבָזֶה נָטַע בְּהַחֲסִידִים מִדּוֹת טוֹבוֹתAnd by adding those words, the Alter Rebbe implanted positive middos, character traits, in his chassidim."ב) וועֶן דעֶר רֶבִּי וואָלְט נִיט געֶשׁטעֶלְט דִי דְרַיי וועֶרְטעֶר "בְּמִדַּת אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב(b) If the Alter Rebbe had not inserted in that letter the three [Hebrew] words that mean “according to the attribute of truth personified by Yaakov,” בְּאִגֶּרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ קָטֹנְתִּיto the epistle beginning Katontiוואָלט עֶר געֶהאַט נאָךְ פוּפְצִיג טוֹיזעֶנט חֲסִידִיםhe would have had another 50,000 chassidim. אָבּעֶר דעֶר רֶבִּי מאָנט מִדַּת אֱמֶתBut the Alter Rebbe demands the attribute of truth!Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in EnglishFor questions and follow-up: [email protected]