26) You Cannot Teach Someone How To Serve G-d:

After the plague of darkness, Moshe says to Pharaoh; “...we cannot know how to serve G-d until we come there (to the dessert)”[1].

The Kotzker takes this verse out of its historical context and explains it existentially; “You can never know how to serve G-d until you have been there”.[2]

No matter what you have been taught or how much you know, serving G-d cannot be learned, taught, described or legislated - it has to be authentically experienced by the unemcompassed individual.

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[1] Shemot 10,26:  ‘Va’anachnu lo nedah mah na’avod et Hashem ad asher bo‘enu shama’.

[2] Amud HaEmet p. 42, par. 2

25) Inspiration Not Trepidation:

The Torah says that G-d became angry at Moshe when he appeared to be reluctant to act as the spokesperson for the Jewish people.

 The English translation reads; “The wrath of Hashem burned against Moses...”[1]

The Kotzker has a different understanding of this issue of G-d’s ‘anger’.

 He says; “...The same fire that burned in G-d, burned in Moshe...”[2] Here the expression ‘wrath’ is understood to indicate a sense of fire and inspiration, rather than simply rage and fury.

The best way to influence another is through inspiration not trepidation.

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[1] Shemot 4,14 (The Stone Edition)

[2] Amud HaEmet  p. 40 par. 3

24) Reach Beyond your Grasp:

Many people resign themselves to lives of mediocrity, secure in the belief that being risk averse is the safest option. 

No one should ever be reckless, but it is good to reach somewhat beyond the ordinary.

The Kotzker Rebbe said; “If a person sets their sights on a certain goal, they should not focus on the inevitable obstacles that lie in the way, but rather extend their reach beyond their grasp.”[1]

If one can have positive anticipation and energetic planning ahead for some future dream, then one’s reality has already changed.

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[1] Amud HaEmet p. 39, par. 3

23) Subjugating the Subjugator:

The Torah records that; “...Jacob blessed Pharaoh.”[1]

Years later Pharaoh tried to subjugate Jacob’s descendants by making them slaves, but eventually freedom prevailed.

The Kotzker Rebbe explained that the reason why Pharaoh could not enslave the Jews for perpetuity was because; “...once a person receives something from another, he (can try but) will not be able to (totally) subjugate the benefactor.”[2]

As long as a potential subject can give, bless, teach, influence or bestow something intangible upon the perpetrator, there can never be absolute subservience or subjugation.

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[1] Ber. 47,7

[2] Amud HaEmet p.37, par. 6

22) Oppression Incubates the Seeds of Emancipation:

The Medrash says that each of the names of the twelve tribes of Israel alluded to some aspect of the future redemption from Egypt[1]. So even before the slavery had begun, the ‘potential’ for deliverance was there. 

The Slavery became an incubator for Freedom.

It’s sometimes hard, but the Kotzker urges us to remember that; “...as soon as the exile takes hold, the seeds of redemption are simultaneously sown.”[2]

With discomfort, an individual is forced to face new circumstances (and opportunities for growth) he or she would never have been exposed to before. 

It’s not magic, it’s not automatic and it doesn’t happen every time, but it’s nice to know a seed is there.

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[1] The name Shimon, for example, alluded to VaYishma Elokim (‘...and G-d heard’).

[2] Amud HaEmet p.38, par, 3

21) Secular and Spiritual?

When Jacob was told that his son Joseph was still alive, he could not believe it because he thought his son was long dead. 

That’s the popular version of the story. 

The Kotzker, however, adds a different dimension. What Jacob really couldn’t comprehend was how his son managed to become a leader in secular Egypt and still remain spiritually righteous.

He says; “Jacob couldn’t believe that Joseph managed to be simultaneously righteous and a leader over Egypt – since the two seemed mutually exclusive.”[1]

From that moment on, it appears as if the gene had been implanted within the Jewish people to master both the religious and secular realms without fear that one would diminish the other.

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[1] Amud HaEmet p.36, par 3

20) No Need To Change:

So many people seem to undergo a degree of ‘character change’ after a religious encounter. They no longer keep their old friends and sometimes become unrecognizable even to family members.

The Kotzker Rebbe encourages us to always be true to ourselves. Any personality that actively ‘changes’ can only be living a lie no matter how noble the cause, because real people don’t change.

The Kotzker explains; “After Aharon was made the High Priest (the most noble of causes), the Torah says; ‘He was Aharon’ – he remained exactly the same personality as before his elevation.”

And; "When Joseph was reunited with his brothers he said; 'I am Joseph' - he remained exactly the same personality as when his brothers sold him as a slave."[1]

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[1] Amud HaEmet p. 35, par 4

19) When Conformity Becomes Idolatry:

Many religious systems place quite a premium on conformity. Sometimes this conformity is taken to extremes.

The Kotzker Rebbe says; “If you copy my practices, convensions and actions – know that you would be practicing a form of idolatry. Any replication (without internalization) of another’s behavior is tantamount to idolatry.”[1]

Rav Kook wrote similarly; "Keep me not in cages of material or of spirit..."

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[1] Amud HaEmet p.34, par. 5

18) No One Is Above Work:

During the famine, when Josephs brothers came down to Egypt to purchase food, they said; “We... came down to buy food.”[1]

The Kotzker Rebbe interprets this as follows; “Because of the burden of having to make a living, we have to leave our elevated spiritual state...and descend (into reality) in order to acquire our bread.”[2]

No matter how spiritually lofty we may think we are, we still have an obligation to ‘come down to buy food’. We should never think we are so special that we are above work, even if it causes us to have to ‘descend’ a little.

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[1] Ber. 43,20

[2] Amud HaEmet, p.34, par. 5

17) Faith Out Of Weakness Is Not Real Faith:

In life, we either do something out of strength or out of weakness. 

In Kotzk, a noble deed performed out of weakness, fear or superstition, is a blemished act lacking honour. 

A person needs to evaluate the reasons why he or she chooses faith, because by common definition, faith is usually just  a crutch. 

But not in Kotzk!

The Kotzker said; “When someone finds himself in a difficult predicament and then turns to G-d – that is not necessarily commendable. Real faith is only possible when the believer has everything he needs, yet still turns to G-d.”[1]

Faith out of strength is validated faith.

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[1] Amud HaEmet p. 33, par. 5

16) Justification Is Never Justified:

When Yosef’s brothers planned his murder, Yehudah said; “What benefit is there in killing our brother and then hiding his blood?”[1]

The Kotzker Rebbe points out an interesting logic in Yehuda’s question; “If we have to hide something, it’s an indication that that something is not right.”[2]

We sometimes feel that we have to cover over or justify our actions. 

Anytime we have to be devious and make excuses for what we do, is an indication that we have not acted ethically and courageously.  

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[1] Ber. 37, 26

[2] Amud HaEmet, p.30, par. 3

15) The Stress Of Worrying:

We spend so much of our time worrying. Only in retrospect, do we realize that the time spent worrying was most unproductive.  

Worrying is only useful if it motivates us to attempt do something to alleviate the cause of the worry.

One thing, however, is certainly not useful – and that is worrying about a situation completely beyond our control.

To this end the Kotzker says; “This is a great wisdom – not to worry a worry that in not yours.”[1]

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[1] Amud Ha Emet p. 29, par. 1

14) Under The Banner Of Faith:

“And (Jacob) took from whatever came into his hand (and gave it as) a gift to Esau his brother.”[1]

Some people seem to think that it is a virtue to simply accept whatever they are told to believe, without the information passing through some form of intellectual filter. 

There is often a huge amount of pressure placed on the individual to be seen to conform to everything that gets presented under a ‘higher person’s’ definition of belief.

The Kotzker Rebbe said; “If someone takes from whatever comes into his hand (i.e. from whatever he has been led to believe), without first thinking whether this will be beneficial or not - then even if he thinks he is doing a mitzvah, he is instead offering a gift to Esau (who represents) the side of evil.”[2]

Not everything presented under the banner of belief is belief.

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[1] Ber. 32, 14.

[2] Amud HaEmet p.28 par. 2.