Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac HaLevi Epstein was born in 5540 (1780) to his father, Rabbi Mordechai. During the opposition to Chasidut, Rabbi Isaac left his home to study under the Alter Rebbe, Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi. In 5565 (1805), he was appointed as Rabbi, Head of the Beit Din, and Rosh Yeshiva in the city of Homel, where he served until his passing. After the Alter Rebbe's passing, Rabbi Isaac became connected to his son Rabbi DovBer (the Mitteler Rebbe). After Rabbi DovBer's passing, some of the leading chasidim approached Rabbi Isaac to accept the leadership. Rabbi Isaac initially agreed but ultimately changed his mind and persuaded the Tzemach Tzedek to accept the leadership. Rabbi Isaac was one of the few chasidim who regularly wrote chasidic essays, and his writings (ten volumes of essays on various topics as well as a volume of essays on the Torah titled Channah Ariel) are among the deepest in Chabad philosophy. He passed away on the 26th of Iyar, the day of yesod shebeyesod, 5617 (1857) and was buried in Homel.
The mashpia Rabbi Shmuel Levitan related that once the Rebbe Rayatz was unwilling to receive him for yechidut (private audience) due to health concerns. Rabbi Levitan wrote notes and a letter, but to no avail, until finally he was admitted. Rabbi Levitan then told the Rebbe two stories, the first of which was about Rabbi Isaac:
Once, the Mitteler Rebbe was unwilling to receive Rabbi Isaac for yechidut, and Rabbi Isaac was greatly distressed by this. The reason was that the Mitteler Rebbe wanted to travel to the Land of Israel, and Rabbi Isaac from Homel said to him, “Who will you leave us with?” The Mitteler Rebbe replied, “My son-in-law, Rabbi Mendel,” referring to the Tzemach Tzedek. Rabbi Isaac said, "But he is merely a young man!" The Mitteler Rebbe was displeased and said, “As many curls as you have in your beard, you have even more kelipot (spiritual husks),” and he would not allow him to enter.
Wherever the Rebbe traveled, Rabbi Isaac followed him to try and gain entry to see the Rebbe. Finally, Rabbi Leib the Rebbe’s attendant, told him he would arrange for him to enter. What did Rabbi Leib do? As is known, the Mitteler Rebbe was unfamiliar with monetary matters. Rabbi Leib told the Rebbe they couldn't travel further because their money had run out. But there was a wealthy woman who wanted to see the Rebbe (and would give money for this). The Rebbe did not want a woman to enter, but Rabbi Leib did not leave the Rebbe alone until he agreed. When the door opened, and instead of a woman, Rabbi Isaac entered, the Mitteler Rebbe began to laugh (and was pleased with this).
Rabbi Isaac was only connected to the Tzemach Tzedek, but was not his chasid, i.e., his follower.
Once, the Tzemach Tzedek delivered a ma'amar (essay) when Rabbi Isaac was in Lubavitch, after returning from a mission in Petersburg for the Tzemach Tzedek. The ma'amar began with “And you shall eat and be satisfied and bless God.” It explained the saying of the sages, “Whomever derives benefit without a blessing, it is as if he stole.” After the ma'amar, Rabbi Isaac asked the Tzemach Tzedek: “What is the meaning of stealing (gezel in Hebrew)?” The Tzemach Tzedek replied: “As it is written in Samuel, ‘And he took away (vayigzol in Hebrew) the spear.’” The Tzemach Tzedek's sons did not understand what was asked or what their father answered.
When they parted, they rested their heads on each other. The Tzemach Tzedek placed his head on Rabbi Isaac's shoulder, and Rabbi Isaac placed his head on the Tzemach Tzedek's shoulder. For no less than twenty minutes and no more than half an hour, they stood thus with bowed heads, and it was seen how "two spirits conversed with each other." Afterwards, Rabbi Isaac said: "Be well, for we shall not see each other again unless Mashiach comes," and the Tzemach Tzedek accompanied him and raised his holy hands, saying: "Travel in peace, travel in peace."
The question and answer in the story are indeed wondrous and obscure, but we will offer an explanation here that relates to the general theme of both stories: the unique close relationship between Rabbi Isaac of Homel and the Tzemach Tzedek.
In such a reading, "Whoever derives benefit without a blessing" refers to a person who hears a chasidic essay without completely nullifying himself to the Rebbe who delivers it. The discourse, which is meant to create a deep connection between the speaker and the listener, is 'stolen' and becomes part of the listener's wisdom but without truly connecting to the one who delivered it. And why is the stolen discourse called here a "spear" (chanit)? Because it is part of the Torah of chen (חֵן, hidden wisdom) even in comparison to the chen of the previous tzaddikim, his Torah is a small 'chanit' (חֲנִית, spear).
Why, then, did Rabbi Isaac not become a chasid of the Tzemach Tzedek? The answer to this lies in the first story. When the attendant tries to convince the Mitteler Rebbe to receive Rabbi Isaac for a private audience, he presents him as a "wealthy woman." At first glance, this is just a ploy. But beyond that, there is a deep statement here.
The relationship between a chasid and a Rebbe is compared in Chasidut to the relationship between a husband and wife. Rabbi Isaac once expressed that "if King Solomon were a chasid, he would have written the Song of Songs about a chasid and his Rebbe and not about a young bride and her beloved!" It is not surprising, then, to hear him presented as a woman when it comes to entering the Rebbe's presence [and specifically a 'wealthy woman', alluding to "There is no wealth except in knowledge"—a woman with very broad knowledge in both revealed and chasidic teachings]. Based on the same principle, we can say that Rabbi Isaac was like a woman whose two husbands had died: his two previous Rebbes had passed away, and it was not possible for him to connect a third time to another Rebbe.
Nevertheless, despite Rabbi Isaac's hesitations, a significant connection was eventually formed between him and the Tzemach Tzedek. Not a connection of unification, as exists between husband and wife or chasid and Rebbe, but a connection of love and closeness similar to two brothers (Rabbi Isaac was significantly older than the Tzemach Tzedek). The connection of unification appears in Kabbalah in relation to the sefirot of yesod and malchut, and only in this connection do procreation and complete unification between the parties exist. But also the connection of brotherhood, which belongs to the six emotional attributes, is a connection of togetherness and mutual influence on each other—a connection that in some respects surpasses the usual connection of giver and receiver. (We see an example of this influence in the intentions of the Counting the Omer, when each attribute is included with its companions and connects to them: chesed within gevurah, tiferet within yesod, etc.).
Evidence of this connection can be found in the parting described in the last story. When both knew they would not see each other again, their farewell was long, full of mystery and longing. There is also great significance in resting the head on the shoulder: head (רֹאשׁ) plus shoulder (כָּתֵף) together equal 1001, which equals "fear of Heaven" (יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם) and also 13 times "mazal" (מַזָּל). This is the secret of the 13 mazalot of the Dikna Kadisha (holy beard), the 13 attributes of mercy. Moreover, the secret of the shoulder belongs, in the writings of the Arizal, to the unification of remembrance. When they placed their heads thus, the two tzaddikim engraved the memory of each other in their heads and together aroused great mercy for the people of Israel.
