Spreading the Wellsprings (Hafatzat HaMayanot)

Spreading the Wellsprings (Hafatzos Hamayanos) is a fundamental concept in Chabad Chassidism, teaching that the coming of Redemption depends on spreading and studying Chassidic teachings, according to the moshiach's promise to the Baal Shem Tov.

The Source[edit | edit source]

In Rosh Hashanah of the year 5507 (1746), the Baal Shem Tov performed an ascent of the soul and reached the chamber of the King Mashiach. About this soul ascent, he relates in his letter to his brother-in-law, Rabbi Gershon of Kitov, known as the "Letter of Redemption":

"And I asked Mashiach: 'When will the Master come?' And he answered me: 'By this you shall know: when your teachings become famous and revealed in the world, and your wellsprings spread outward—what I have taught you and what you have comprehended—and they too will be able to perform unifications and ascents as you do, then all the kelipot will be destroyed and it will be a time of favor and salvation.'"

Since then, throughout all generations, the leaders of Chabad Chassidut have passionately worked to spread Chassidut to each and every person, even to the smallest of the small—something that before the revelation of the Baal Shem Tov was not found at all, and only the great tzaddikim who were then concealed would study the secrets of Torah in the inner part of Torah.

The Importance of Spreading the Wellsprings of Chassidut[edit | edit source]

Despite spreading the teachings of Chassidut being a very lofty matter, there is no concern about it being publicized and spread even to simple people who might not relate to it properly, because the main thing is that something from this teaching penetrates the heart of one of them.

This matter was explained by the Alter Rebbe when Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz approached him after finding Chassidic writings scattered in the streets, which displeased him. The Alter Rebbe told him that it's preferable for this to happen and explained it through a parable of a king's son who fell gravely ill, and no cure was found until the king's physician discovered a remedy. However, to prepare this remedy, it was necessary to use a precious diamond from the king's crown, grind it up, and put it into his son's mouth—provided that just one drop enters his mouth, he would be saved. Just as the king is willing to give up the diamond and have it ground and crushed as long as his son recovers, so too the Holy One, Blessed be He, is willing to give up the secrets that until then were preserved only for tzaddikim, in order to heal the world from the deep darkness into which it entered in the time of the later generations, even though this means that Chassidic writings will be scattered in the streets.

In this way, the Alter Rebbe effectively nullified a prosecution that had already existed in the time of the Maggid.

The Special Aspect of Chassidus[edit | edit source]

A question could seemingly be asked - if learning Chassidus is so necessary, then why wasn't it present throughout all generations? And if people were able to manage without Chassidus throughout the generations, isn't that proof that it's not essential?

To answer this, the Rebbe first explains that many phenomena that exist in physical illness and healing also exist in spiritual illness and healing, and therefore we can learn from one to understand the other.

In physical illness, a disease occurs when part of the body is missing or defective. However, there is a disease (may we be protected) where nothing is missing from the body, but rather there is a growth and addition to the body that is sometimes more severe than when something is missing from the body. Just as this disease differs from other diseases, so too its remedy is different. The way to heal a person in such a condition is to destroy the additional part attached to the body. The medicine for this disease was invented a few generations ago, and research about the use of this treatment still continues.

In the past, this disease was not as prevalent and visible as it is now, and therefore no cure was sought (and from Heaven, no remedy was provided) for it. When the disease became more widespread (Heaven forbid), the Holy One, blessed be He, prepared the remedy before the affliction and provided the cure.

According to the above, it is self-evident that someone who does not want to use this remedy because it wasn't used in the past, and doesn't think he should listen to the new doctors and therefore will behave as they did in the past - is mistaken. This is because one needs to strengthen only the healthy part of the body and not the part that has been added to the body, which sometimes is even harmful, and therefore it must be destroyed.

Everything we see in the physical world stems from its spiritual root. Similarly, the above-mentioned disease and cure that came in recent generations is because its spiritual counterpart only came in recent generations.

Immediately upon the Redemption, there will be "an end to darkness," therefore now, in the time preceding the Redemption, the kelipah (forces of impurity) are strengthening, [bringing] arrogance and self-centeredness without reason. In the past, there was also pride and self-centeredness, but not in such a coarse measure as now - thus it manifested physically in a reality that has no reason, which drains the body's strength as if it were the main reality. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, prepared the remedy before the affliction and revealed the teachings of Chassidus, which creates destruction and ruin in the diseased part of self-centered existence, thereby subduing the kelipah before the coming of the Redemption.

The Opposition to Dissemination[edit | edit source]

In the year 5559 (1799), the Alter Rebbe was imprisoned by the Russian authorities following denunciations from opponents, but the true reason for his imprisonment was a result of his dissemination of the wellsprings of Chassidus, which caused a great accusation in heaven (greater than the accusation that existed in the time of the Maggid, which the Alter Rebbe nullified through providing the parable mentioned above). The accusation was that he was revealing secrets and mysteries to such an extent that a death sentence was decreed upon him from Above. However, in the end he was released and received clear approval from his teachers, the Maggid of Mezritch and the Baal Shem Tov themselves, who appeared to him during his imprisonment and instructed him that upon his release, he should continue with even greater strength and vigor in the study and dissemination of Chassidus.

The Dissemination in the Seventh Generation[edit | edit source]

In the seventh generation, the Rebbe transformed the concept of spreading the wellsprings into the work of the seventh generation, and even expressed several times that this is the most general concept in our generation, the special mitzvah in which the people of our generation need to be careful. For this purpose, the Rebbe established the network of shluchim (emissaries) and Chabad Houses, and instituted the Ten Mitzvah Campaigns that brought Chassidus to every place.

The Rebbe expressed that spreading the wellsprings takes precedence over spreading Judaism in general, since it falls under the category of "a mitzvah that cannot be performed by others," and especially since generally, spreading the wellsprings automatically leads to a change in the world of those who study it, also in matters of Torah observance and mitzvos.

In recent years, the Rebbe announced that the work of spreading the wellsprings has been completed, and there is no longer anything preventing the coming of the Redemption; we only need to prepare the people of the generation and the world to receive Moshiach.

The "Shturem" of Spreading the Wellsprings in Chabad[edit | edit source]

On 5 Adar 5727 (February 15, 1967), two yeshiva students entered for a private audience (yechidus) with the Rebbe. Among other things, they asked why Chabad Chassidus took upon itself a special "storm" (shturem) to spread the wellsprings (of Chassidus) (unlike various other Chassidic groups that don't engage in this), and what is special about spreading the wellsprings of Chassidic teachings.

The Rebbe first responded that regarding the first question, one needs to ask the various Chassidic groups why they don't engage in this. The Rebbe added that because the Maggid had many students, and each one received his teachings in a different approach. The Alter Rebbe took it in a manner of expansion and dissemination, while the Maggid's other students indeed took it in a manner of depth, but not in a manner of expansion. Since they did not "take" it in a form of expansion - the following generations cannot spread them.

The Rebbe gives an example of this, similar to the difference between a person who studies Gemara and various commentaries, who indeed learns in depth, but is limited to the realm of simple meaning. But learning with the Tosafos commentary in a manner of questions and answers, proofs, etc. - is in a manner of expansion. However, the Rebbe clarifies that there is no doubt that both Tosafos and Rashi are studied in the best possible way.