מִסִּפּוּרֵי אַאַזְמוּ"ר

The 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 גו

But 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 כְּתַּרְגּוּמוֹ

explaining the verse according to the interpretation of Rashi and not according to the Targum, 

אָז הוֹסִיף הַתֵּבוֹת "וְכוּלֵי הַאי — הַפָּנִים וְגוֹ

he 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 טוֹבוֹת

And 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 קָטֹנְתִּי

to the epistle beginning Katonti

וואָלט עֶר געֶהאַט נאָךְ פוּפְצִיג טוֹיזעֶנט חֲסִידִים

he would have had another 50,000 chassidim. 

אָבּעֶר דעֶר רֶבִּי מאָנט מִדַּת אֱמֶת

But the Alter Rebbe demands the attribute of truth!

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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