Rabbi Moshe Pallier of Kobrin was born in Piesk near Kobrin to his father, Rabbi Yisrael Eliezer. He studied under Rabbi Moshe of Shershov and later under Rabbi Mordechai of Lechovitch. It is said that due to his devotion to this Rebbe, his father-in-law expelled him from his home. After his Rebbe's passing, he became attached to his son, Rabbi Noach of Lechovitch, and when he too passed away in 5593 (1833), most of the Lechovitch Chasidim appointed him as their successor, and he served as Rebbe in Kobrin. He passed away on the 29th of Nisan 5618 (1858), and after his passing, most of his Chasidim turned to Rabbi Avraham Weinberg, the founder of the Slonim Chasidut.
The holy Rabbi of Kobrin related that on the Shabbat before the new month of Elul, when he was six years old, he was playing mischievously as children do. His sister approached him and shouted: "Moshe! They've already blessed the month of Elul, and the fish in the water are trembling from the fear of judgment, and you're still playing with the children?" And the holy Rabbi said: "She was a righteous person, and her words entered my heart, and from then on I brought myself into the service of the Blessed Creator."
To understand his intention in the words "I brought myself into the service of the Blessed Creator," let us recall that he once said that in his youth he would sleep for one hour, but now he needs to sleep more – three hours… Indeed, his Rebbe, the holy Rabbi of Lechovitch, used to say about him: "I have thrown a bomb into Kobrin, it will glow until Mashiach comes."
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The holy Rabbi of Kobrin did not accept the leadership of the community immediately after the passing of the holy Rabbi Noach of Lechovitch. For about three years he still traveled to Koidanov and to other tzaddikim. (The Lechovitch Chasidim waited for him until he agreed to lead the community). He said that all his days he was in repentance for the three years he did not lead the community and did not bear the burden of the people.
Although the tzaddik mentioned these years as a missed opportunity, there is still something very special about them: Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin, who was known in his generation as a "man of truth" (which fits his name – "Moses is truth and his Torah is truth"), walked in God's way: Just as God loves the tzaddikim, so too he loved the tzaddikim. It is interesting to note that he traveled to various tzaddikim specifically after the passing of his primary Rebbe – as each period has its own purpose: Through one’s primary Rebbe, one connects to the "True One" – God's essence. When learning ways of divine service from many tzaddikim, it reveals a deep feeling of self-nullification. This is the inner meaning of the Mishnah "Who is wise? One who learns from every person" – from everyone who is at the level of a complete person, a tzaddik who has rectified his "image of God." In this, we also see Rabbi Moshe's humility – "And the man Moses was very humble, more than any person on the face of the earth." When truth and humility combine in the secret of "'Moses Moses' without a pause between them." (Furthermore – אמת ענוה [truth humility] complete to בך [22] times Havayah).
Also from the perspective of leading the community, those years of toil were, for Rabbi Moshe, a necessary preparation. It is told elsewhere that he said: "I did not settle on my seat of leadership until I was ready to sacrifice myself for the sake of the simplest Jew." (Rabbi Menachem Chaim of Slonim did not remember if he said "self-sacrifice" or a similar word in its meaning).
Despite all this, the tzaddik apparently felt that he could have reached this level earlier, through a Nachshon-like leap of self-sacrifice. Every Jew has the power of self-sacrifice, which only requires a 'reason' to reveal it – and there is no greater 'reason' for this than accepting leadership. Hence, the tzaddik felt that he should have fulfilled his mission immediately, without any delays.
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One of the young married men asked that he always be remembered in the Rebbe's heart, and the holy Rabbi said to him – "If you behave properly, that's good! And if not, God forbid, I will cast you out, as one casts out a foreign thought…"
We see from this that there is great significance in being in the Rebbe's thoughts, but one must be worthy of it. If one merits to be a good thought of the Rebbe, the sages' saying "A good thought, the Holy One, Blessed be He, combines with deed" is fulfilled in the chasid. If one does not merit this, then not… Alongside the sharpness of the demand towards the chasid, one can see here precisely the great humility of the Rebbe. It is known that the Ba’al Shem Tov spoke about elevating foreign thoughts, but in Tanya it is explained that this work belongs only to tzaddikim and not to intermediates. From the fact that Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin did not consider elevating the "foreign thought-chasid," it appears that he considered himself an intermediate, as the Tanya guides us.
The chasid Reb Shlomo Nalibaker was once a great wealthy man, but in his old age he lost his fortune and his family members supported and provided for him. Once he asked the Rebbe of Kobrin to restore him to his former status, and the holy Rebbe said to him, "What shall I do for you – I like you better now…"
A chasid from Poland came to Kobrin for Rosh Hashanah and was very impressed. When parting, he said to the holy Rebbe, "Next year I will bring you fifty thousand Chasidim…" The Rebbe replied: "Next year, they shouldn't come, and you shouldn't come either…"
As in other instances, a similarity between Kobrin and Chabad is revealed here: the division of the Chasidic world into "Chasidut of externality" associated with Poland, and "Chasidut of internality" associated with Lechovitch-Kobrin or Chabad – both Chasidic movements from the Russian area, branching from the disciples of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk.
In Lechovitch, they were connected to Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk, who was a friend of the Alter Rebbe – until a mountain arose between them due to the schemes of unworthy individuals who desired to cause strife between the tzaddikim. Interestingly, a very similar story is written about the Alter Rebbe: that "he could have brought close another 50,000 chasidim" if he had lowered the demand for truth in the "Katonti" epistle in Tanya (in the words "to lower their spirit and heart in the attribute of truth to Jacob"). Additionally, despite his general message of "bringing everyone close," there were those about whom the Lubavitcher Rebbe expressed 'not from them and not from their multitude.' It is important to emphasize that the keen demand for truth comes, as mentioned above, together with great humility – and also great love for every Jew:
Reb Yossel of Mohilna, a chasid of Lechovitch, first traveled to the holy Rebbe of Koidanov. Later, he came to the holy Rebbe of Kobrin and asked that he not be angry with him. The Rebbe said to him – "Would I be angry? It cost me a Kazan pot of blood not to have anger towards a Jew…"
[All stories are from the book 'Ma'amar Mordechai']
