What If Your Problem Is Actually the Solution?

One of his letters, one of them is the problem is the solution. Always. The problem is it's true in learning. Like the bigger the kasha, the more of a hidush you're going to arrive at, right? So, also in life. The bigger the problem Or you could say this, the the bigger the helem, the bigger the giluy. >> That's the Rebbe's approach when he asks questions in learning. >> In learning, right. >> So, the bigger the question, the bigger the answer. Or in terms of chassidus, it's >> in the question. >> the helem, the bigger the giluy that ensues. But, in life also, and you see in Igros, the bigger the conundrum the person is facing, the more clarity they're about to to come into. >> Receive. >> Right. And it's not just the lefi erech, it's also the oifen, the manner of it. Because the answer is embedded in the question. The the famous simple example of it is Jonathan Sacks writes to the Rebbe, "Should I become the next Chief Rabbi of England?" "I should." Right. "I should." And then it took made the transposition editing marks. Turns "Should I" into "I should." Right? You're asking it as a question, I'm telling you you're saying it as an answer. Or a mold of red to zik, right? The vine dub story, right? Famous. Okay. We have many such illustrations of this. >> Now, side note. >> Yeah. >> You go back. Just hold your thought, but >> Yeah. >> one of the most gishmack parts of that story with Rabbi Sacks, they saw I think it's a I think it's a gem or video where he's describing how he wrote to the Rebbe about whether he should become the Chief Rabbi, and he got that answer. He told his wife, "Okay, I'm going to write to the Rebbe, but are you ready? >> [snorts] >> Because whatever the Rebbe's going to say, I'm going to do." >> Right. >> So, it was like a very chassidish >> Right. >> Like I don't know if I should write. You want me to write? >> Right. To commit. >> [laughter] >> Yeah. So, the answers in the questions. A guy writes to the Rebbe and he says, "I can't do hisbodedus because I don't have time and I don't have concentration. I'm thinking all day long about other things and I just I can't do it. I can't think about Hashem. So, the number writes him back. And I'm paraphrasing, but it's like, "Oh, good good news. So, you do have time and concentration." >> You're just using it for the wrong thing. >> Using it for the wrong thing. >> [gasps] >> Like, I was afraid that maybe you're going to tell me, "Pasha, you can't think. You don't have Some people just can't think." Nope, clearly you can think. You can concentrate. Good news. You're just thinking about the wrong things. Okay. So, that's an example of the problem is the solution, right? Question is in the answer, or the answer is in the question. But, what I was saying before about So, we have problems in life and we're in pain. Different degrees of pain. It could be like massive massive pain, or it could just be a general discomfort, right? Okay. And we know that we we need clarity. We need some way to frame this, some way to to look at this, so we can get through the day. And then, what do we do? And I you know, I'll include myself. I'm not I'm I'm not perfect here. I We look for for for look for answers in other sources. And that to me is the tragedy. Because it's just satisfying enough that it delays the need to search further. It feels like >> Those other those other sources. >> What? >> Those other sources. >> Yeah. So, you know, podcasts and books and whatever other sources. Some are clip schnitzel and some are you know, lower, but the point is that someone sent me >> I believe I mentioned this also somewhere in another podcast, but the alum will have to forgive me if I'm repeating myself. But >> someone sent me a um a meme that is a new discovery that if you help others, then actually helps with your happiness. >> Okay. Right? >> And I was like, "Good morning." >> [laughter] >> Like, "W- Welcome to What is the difference that anybody is writing about that they don't want to tick on and they want this to go be involved in the youth and help >> Right. >> And I was like, "Okay, so you got the So you got So you're saying you're delaying some of the But you're going to You have to go go further and you're going to get the the the real source anyways." >> By the way, this is a story momish story that I have been told. I have been told a story that the the the the the Rebbe Rashab says that uh he was at a seder. So it's Yom Tov, I think it was. And there was someone there at the seder, I think from Beis Rivka. And this person was listening to podcasts. So I guess in the 1890s they didn't have podcasts. It must have been a must have been a book. I don't know what it was. Bicher, yeah. >> That was the cliffhanger. That was the podcast of the day. >> That was the podcast. So the guy says, "Hey, >> My head is mashpia to pinya korif. He used to still talk about bicher. >> Bicher, yeah. So he says that the professors found out that when you look up, it helps you remember. And when you look down, >> It's a story in Likutei Sichos. >> And when you look down, it helps you to concentrate because there's a vein in the brain and it brings blood to different parts of the brain that do different functions. And the guy, you know, he said he was all excited about it. He thought it was very interesting. And afterwards, the Rebbe Rashab went and got a uh a maamar of the Mitteler Rebbe. And he showed him didn't say that a shtaust And uh then that's why sodiach sechel kayin a person that he when he he's the person is also made that way. And when he wants to remember, he looks up. When he Look when he wants to concentrate, he looks down. So, the Rebbe tells this story as an illustration that everything's in the Torah. And this guy, never he had to get excited that he heard it on a podcast or he read it in a book or whatever it is, it's in Seder.