See the Rebbe Before You

Rav Shneur often cited a Yerushalmi (Shkalim 2:5): whoever repeats a shmuah (saying) from his Rebbe should concentrate and picture his Rebbe standing before him. He explained that it is not enough to say it over in his name. Words are not separate from the one who speaks them, but are part of his life and his very essence. The saying and the one who said it are one, so a saying can only be truly understood and received by seeing the person behind it. Without the speaker there are no sayings, and from the sayings one learns about the speaker, appreciating the lofty spiritual level on which the baal hashmuah stood. Studying a Rebbe's sayings leads to unprecedented growth, approaching his level, in the spirit of the words, "When will my actions reach those of my fathers?"