In an incisive message delivered before a gathering of his
Chassidim, the Vishnitzer Rebbe dwelt at length on the
immutable principles in preserving the impressions of
kedusha gained during the past month of Tishrei. He spoke of
the duty of guarding the foundations of pure chinuch as
preserved throughout Jewish history without outside
intervention.
He opened his words by noting, "Simchas Torah is actually a
renewal of the receiving of Torah where we are told: `And
you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; these
are the words you shall say to Bnei Yisroel.' Rashi there
comments, `No less and no more.' Thus, we are commanded to
accept the yoke of Torah, to be a holy nation and to
subjugate ourselves to the sovereignty of Hashem and the
Torah, and not to any other factor in the world.
"In recent times, attempts have been made to sway the G-d-
fearing away from Hashem and His word. They come daily with
new proposals and temptations: Civil service, matriculation
studies, Core curricula and the like, assuring us that this
is for the benefit of Torah scholars so that they can make a
better living.
"You can be sure that their intention is not for our benefit
but reflects a desire to entice the chareidi public, to
infiltrate into our holy camp and uproot Torah study and our
pure chinuch. I am familiar with many instances where those
very [external] studies and supplementary courses caused a
downward spiritual spiral, resulting in a terrible apathy
towards kedushoh.
"If they make their support conditional on submission to
their dictates regarding education, we have no desire for
it, and trust that the Guardian of Israel will surely stand
us by. Our holy people are called upon to give, and they do
give, for the sake of pure chinuch, the core of our being,
and we will mobilize as much funds as are necessary.
"I remember that in my childhood, my grandfather, the Imrei
Chaim, was approached with the proposal that the secular
studies taught in our cheder should be taught in Hebrew,
rather than Yiddish. In exchange, we would receive much
larger subsidies. My grandfather vehemently opposed this.
`They must not interfere with our studies,' he said, `And if
they refuse to help support us, I can manage without
them.'
"This is how he interpreted the posuk in Tehillim, `Insolent
sinners derided me greatly': Some come openly to fight
against Torah and its scholars — `But from Your Torah
I did not veer' — I do not fear them. But `Burning
indignation gripped me from the wicked who abandon Your
Torah,' from those wicked ones who serve themselves [ozvei -
from `azov taazov'] through our Torah, pretending to `help'
Torah scholars. One must stand vigil against those very
ones."
