Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin – "Pri Tzadik"

"Pri Tzadik" – Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin - Rabbi Tzadok bar Yaakov HaKohen Rabinowitz (1823-1900) — a Chassidic mentor. Yahrzeit - 9 Elul Resting place - Lublin, Poland He was born on 22 Shevat 1823. At the age of one, he learned to speak and would recite a blessing before drinking milk from his mother's breast. (Gedolei HaDorot) Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen is one of the most influential thinkers of the Chassidic movement. He was born into a family of rabbis. His father was Rabbi Yaakov HaKohen, rabbi of Krisberg. Even as a young man he was recognized as an iluy (child prodigy), a brilliant Talmudist, and as a result he received complex halachic inquiries (she'elot) from everywhere and corresponded with such luminaries as Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor of Kovno. In addition to writing numerous Talmudic works, he also wrote scholarly essays on astronomy, geometry, and algebra. For the first 24 years of his life he studied only nigleh, the revealed part of the Torah, which includes the Talmud and Halacha. The year 1847 became a turning point in his life, and from that time until the end of his life his writings were devoted only to nistar, the hidden part of the Torah – kabbalistic and mystical subjects. Despite difficulties in many communities, Rabbi Tzadok refused to accept a rabbinical position for most of his life. He made ends meet by keeping a small secondhand shop. Rabbi Tzadok was a Chassid of Izbica and a close friend of Yehuda Leib Eiger. After Rabbi Eiger's passing in 1888, he agreed to take over the leadership of his Chassidim. Rabbi Tzadok wrote "Pri Tzadik" (reflections on the Torah and holidays), "Resisei Layla", "Kedushat Shabbat", "Machshevot", "Dover Tzedek", and other works. Segula Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen had no children, so anyone who gives tzedakah in his honor, lights a candle, and reads something from his teachings on the day of his yahrzeit is considered as if they were his child, and the Tzadik will intercede before Heaven for such a person, that Ha-Shem grant him yeshuot and brachot.   Never Give Up "A Jew must never give up, neither in material matters nor in spiritual ones. Even if you are stuck in a swamp of despair, do not lose heart and do not think that you will never be able to pull yourself out. For a Jew, there is no such thing as despair. G-d has countless ways of helping you. In fact, the entire Jewish people was founded in a seemingly hopeless situation. Abraham and Sarah lived for years without believing they would have children. Sarah — who believed this was surely beyond G-d's power — doubted the angel who announced the birth of a child. Indeed, G-d could have given them a son earlier. Why did He perform an unnecessary miracle? It was G-d's plan that the Jewish people be founded on the affirmation of "faith in the impossible," that a Jew never despairs, that G-d always helps, that nothing is too difficult for G-d". (Divrei Sofrim 16) Cheshvan – Descent for the Sake of Ascent In the month of Cheshvan, the waters of the great flood poured down upon the Earth. The judgment of the generation of the flood began, which had multiplied its sins by defying the Creator. "And they said to the Almighty: turn away from us, for we do not wish to know Your ways. Who is G-d, that we should serve Him, and what use is it to us to pray to Him?" (Job, 31:14). The trace of this formidable judgment remained in the world until King Shlomo completed the building of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The Midrash (Tanchuma, Parshat Noach, 11) relates that every year in the month of Cheshvan, the Earth was flooded by rains lasting 40 days, similar to the rain that fell in the days of the flood. Therefore, in the Book of Kings (Melachim I, 6:38), the month of Cheshvan is called Bul: "Upon the completion of the building of the Temple in the month of Bul," since bul alludes to mabul (flood). The absence of the first letter מ (mem) hints that when the Temple was built, these torrential rains ceased. The number מ = 40 in gematria is a sign that the formidable judgment of the generation of the flood no longer hung over the world. What is the connection between these two events? The purpose of Creation was to reveal Divinity in the world, in the words of the Midrash: "That the Shechinah should have a dwelling place in the lower worlds." However, due to the sins of the generation of the flood and the generation of the Tower of Babel, the Shechinah departed from the world. But when the Temple was built, the Shechinah returned to the world once again. For in the Temple the Shechinah dwelled continuously, and for this reason Yaakov prophetically called the place of the future Temple "the House of G-d" (Bereishit, 28:19), that is, the place designated for the permanent presence of the Creator's presence there. And from there, awe of Him goes out into the world, as it is said: "And you shall eat there before G-d, in the place which He shall choose, so that you may learn to fear G-d." (Devarim, 14:23). And this is not referring to fear of punishment, but to the elevated awe that overtakes a person in a place where the Shechinah is revealed, as we mention in the Passover Haggadah: "With great awe" – this is the revelation of the Shechinah. And it is not by chance that the Shulchan Aruch, the code that defines the conduct of the Jewish person in this world, begins precisely with this idea: "A person should, from the moment of waking, picture in his heart that the King of kings, the blessed Creator, stands before him and sees all his deeds. And then, immediately, awe and humility from the elevated fear of Him will come upon him." The ancient kabbalistic book Sefer Yetzirah states that the month of Cheshvan corresponds to the letter נ (nun) of the Hebrew alphabet. Interestingly, in the prayer Ashrei (Psalm 145), in which each successive verse begins with the next letter of the alphabet, the letter נ (nun) is missing. The Talmud (Berachot, 4b) explains this by the fact that this letter begins the word nefilah (falling). However, the verse that begins with the letter following נ (nun), samech, hints at the correction of this fall: "Somech (supports) is the Creator of all the noflim (fallen)". And King Shlomo speaks of the same thing: "Seven times the righteous man falls and rises." (Mishlei, 24:16) Each month has its own special spiritual work. The inner work of the month of Cheshvan is to strengthen oneself and rise from all falls, drawing to oneself holiness and awe before the Creator.   May the merit of the Tzadik Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin protect us all, Amen.   (https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/225-Rabbi-Tzadok-HaKohen-of-Lublin)