1054 —ביאור דברי הרבי על תפקידו הרוחני של הכהן הגדול

B"H, 17 Sivan, 5711.

Brooklyn.

Haraha"g vaharaha"ch vavac"h iy"a nu"m etc. Rami Friedman

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Your letter with your comment regarding what I wrote in Kuntres Chag HaShavuos 5711, page 278: "With the Kohen Gadol, the Rebbe makes him," and I left it in my note there as somewhat unresolved as to its intent. You wish to explain this according to what is written in Avodat Yisrael (by the Maggid of Kozhnitz) in his discourse for Yom Kippur, that the tzaddikim elevate with their holiness the Kohen Gadol and the shaliach tzibbur (prayer leader). It does not seem correct to me, since nowadays we do not have a Kohen Gadol; and if he means the shaliach tzibbur, then an essential part is missing from the explanation.

According to my humble opinion, the intent is that all forms of service were explained by my revered father-in-law (the Rebbe Rashab), of blessed memory—what they are now in terms of a person’s inner spiritual work. When he reached matters relating to the Kohen Gadol, he said that attaining even a semblance of the Kohen Gadol’s level regarding these spiritual labors—this is accomplished by the Rebbe. Only afterward can a person who has been thus affected perform the service of the Kohen Gadol spiritually.

If this is indeed the intent, then there are two opposite innovations here: a) that everyone is obligated in the service of the Kohen Gadol—obviously in a spiritual sense (see Iggeres HaKodesh section 29: except for mitzvos dependent on a king, and he does not count [the service of] the Kohen Gadol; see also Shaar HaGilgulim introduction 11 and 16; Shnei Luchot HaBrit section Torah Shebichtav at its beginning; Toldot Yaakov Yosef introduction). b) That it is impossible for him to begin this service until first he is assisted to become like a Kohen Gadol—and this requires further contemplation.

With blessings for a speedy recovery.

Summary

The Rebbe explains that every individual has an aspect of serving as a Kohen Gadol spiritually but requires help from above—through connection with a tzaddik—to reach this level before beginning such service. This highlights both personal responsibility and dependence on spiritual guidance.