The Chossid Whose Love for Another Yid Knew No Bounds

A devout oved, Reb Chanoch Hendel Kugel was known for his heartfelt ahavas Yisroel and midos tovos. When R’ Chonye Marozov was released from draft service, Reb Hendel could not contain his joy, and when a fire burned some homes in Lubavitch, Reb Hendel cried bitterly until he could not contain it anymore.

Reb Chanoch Hendel Kugel lived in Lubavitch and was a “ben bayis” in the Rebbeim’s home for close to forty years.

The Frierdiker Rebbe describes him as follows, “Reb Chanoch Hendel came to Lubavitch, to the Tzemach Tzeddek, for the first time in the year 5603 (1843). He had prepared himself for ten years before coming to the Rebbe. His heart burned with a fire of ahavas yisroel and he had unparalleled midos tovos. His ahavas yisroel and midos tovos were a product of much work and toil, and not so much from thinking and meditation. It is impossible to describe the love he had for another Yid; he would literally go on mesirus nefesh for every individual.”

When the yeshiva Tomchei Temimim opened, he was appointed by Rebbe Rashab as the leading mashpia. He passed away on the 19^th of Teves, 5660 (1900).

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Before he became a chossid, Reb Hendel went to the chossid Reb Zishke of Kurenitz to watch the way he conducts himself. He saw that throughout the entire day, Reb Zishke was occupied with his rabbonus, and had no time to learn himself. Once, at a late hour of the night, when Reb Hendel was preparing to go to sleep, he saw Reb Zishke get up for Tikun Chatzos and then watched as he sat and learned for a few hours. The Rov then went to the mikva and started preparing for davening. Seeing this, Reb Hendel was impressed, but he began doubting his desire to become a chossid, perhaps it would be too difficult.

Later, he saw a woman come to Reb Zishke, telling him about a very seriously ill person, and as she was speaking, he saw tears streaming down Reb Zishka’s face. Sometime afterward, he witnessed the Rov going out of his way to request a favor for another yid.

Finally, Reb Hendel decided to become a chossid, and he went to Reb Zishka to tell him his decision. “Good,” said Reb Zishke. Reb Hendel asked, “But how do I do this? Please don’t make it too hard!” “It’s very simple,” said the Rov. “The very first thing in Chassidus is ahavas yisrael.” He explained the idea of true ahavas yisrael, and then said, “You are also a Yid and you must love yourself, but first you must banish the “goy” that is within you…”

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The Frierdiker Rebbe fondly described the elder chossid, Reb Hendel, as a man with a good heart and good middos that he had refined by toiling in the avoda of kabbolas ol. He recounted what Reb Hendel had once said at a farbrengen: “As long as a metzora still suffered from tzoraas, he would not visit the Beis HaMikdosh. So, too, a yungerman who has not yet been healed of his negative middos is not allowed to go to Lubavitch and chas veshalom be metameh the heichal HaShem, where the Rebbe is.

“For ten years,” continued Reb Hendel, “I studied Reishis Chochma, Chareidim, Shaarei Teshuva, and Pokeiach Ivrim. I reviewed Iggeres HaTeshuva dozens of times, as well as chapters of Derech Chayim, in order to eradicate my negative middos and rid myself of the body’s natural behaviors. Only then, with the approval of eltere chassidim, did I finally make my first trek to Lubavitch.”

Relating this, the Frierdiker Rebbe concluded: “Listen, yungeleit, to what an elterer chossid is telling you about how he became a chossid! For ten years, a yungerman toils to attain middos tovos, and during all that time, he does not travel to Lubavitch, to the Tzemach Tzedek, because he is embarrassed to have the Rebbe see his ruchniyusdiker essence. That is a proper preparation to becoming a chossid.”

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The Tzemach Tzedek told Reb Hendel in yechidus, “Zohar uplifts the soul, Midrash arouses the heart, and Tehillim recited with tears washes out the keili (bodily vessel).”

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The Frierdiker Rebbe related, “As a child, my greatest pleasure was to hear Reb Hendel tell of his childhood days spent amongst the previous chassidim. From every story or minhag that Reb Hendel would relate about them, he would learn a lesson and a good middah. For him, ahavas yisroel was one of the greatest qualities. He would speak from the heart, with a chassidishe ‘brenn’ (excitement), using soft words that would penetrate the heart.

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When the news came to Lubavitch that the chossid Reb Chonye Marozov was released from his draft service, Reb Hendel began dancing in the yard of the Rebbe, chanting “Chonye has gone out!” He went into the Rebbe Rashab’s room, told him the news, and started dancing in the room. The Rebbe Rashab got up, put his hand on Reb Hendel’s shoulder, and went around with him three times. Afterwards, he said, “For this, I will say Chassidus for you.”

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One storekeeper in the town of Lubavitch would close his shop every Monday and Thursday morning so that he could go and hear the elder chossid Reb Hendel saying VeHu Rachum through his tears.

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Reb Hendel was renowned for his love of another Yid. His greatest pleasure was to invest tremendous effort in helping someone.

When his fellow chossid Reb Shraga Feivish Zalmanov fell ill and was instructed to drink fresh milk daily, Reb Hendel would rise before dawn, make the long trip to acquire a small jug of milk, return home and boil it, and then deliver it to the patient.

And when a fire once broke out in Lubavitch, Reb Hendel stood on the side and cried bitterly, saying, Yiddishe gelt brent… –“Yiddishe money is burning.” He was so pained by this loss that he became ill and soon afterwards passed away.

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For sources, visit TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com