Would R’ Zalman Kleinman Have Painted This Picture?

Recently, a well-known painting by R’ Zalman Kleinman of Avodas HaTefillah was recreated with chassidim davening while distractedly scrolling on their phones. R’ Zalman Kleinman certainly could have chosen to paint chassidim in a less-than-ideal spiritual state. But that wasn’t his reality; it wasn’t what he saw.

By Rabbi Mendy Majesky

After leaving Russia, the Frierdiker Rebbe settled first in Riga, Latvia, before moving to Poland. While in Latvia, two chassidim from the same town came for a private audience (yechidus).

The first chossid described the state of Jewish observance in their city: a well-attended minyan, a morning Chassidus shiur, and growing interest in Chassidus among the wider community. Hearing this positive report, the Frierdiker Rebbe handed him a few rubles, expressing his desire to participate in this important work.

When this chossid left, he told his friend what happened. The friend remarked, “You whitewashed the truth! Had you been honest about the situation, the Rebbe surely would have given you much more.”

The second chossid then entered for his yechidus and painted a starkly different picture. He reported that their city was far from a Chassidic environment; many residents had moved there specifically to escape that lifestyle, filling the town with secular distractions. While a minyan technically existed, he admitted, it was sparsely attended.

The Rebbe thanked him for the information but offered no financial support. Surprised, the chossid asked, “Why did my friend receive money for painting a rosy picture, while I received nothing for telling the hard truth?”

The Frierdiker Rebbe replied, “Did you think I needed you to inform me about the state of your city? I know exactly what is happening there, and in countless others like it. What I wanted to understand was your perspective—where do you stand within that reality? Which version of the city reflects your focus?”

We are taught, “ידיעת המחלה חצי רפואה” – properly diagnosing the illness is half the cure. This principle is central to the Chassidic path of self-refinement (avodah). “לשנות טבע מידותיו” – to transform one’s innate character traits. We must be rigorously honest with ourselves, possessing a true understanding of our own character: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

What better time to focus on introspection and self-improvement than Sefiras HaOmer? During these days, beyond simply counting, we actively work on refining every aspect of our character (Middos). Each week highlights a different Midah, and each day delves into a specific facet of that week’s attribute.

Simultaneously, this period marks our mourning for the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva, who perished during this time because they lacked sufficient respect for one another (they possessed love, as they were taught by Rabbi Akiva, but lacked adequate respect). It is no coincidence, therefore, that these two powerful themes—self-refinement and respect for others—converge now.

This resonates with the prayer in Shmonah Esrei: “נפשי כעפר לכל תהיה” (May my soul be humble like dust before all). The Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya that true humility requires us to feel lowly even before those we might perceive as inferior, people who are obviously less observant than us,  because we can never fully know the intensity of another person’s struggles (their Yetzer Hara) or the hidden battles they fight. Perhaps they are achieving great victories over their unique challenges, while we might be faltering in ours.

While striving to judge others favorably is crucial, we often reserve our harshest criticism for those grappling with challenges we believe we have already overcome. Consider someone who successfully improves their health, finally getting in shape after a long struggle – they might suddenly become zealous in advising others, sometimes lacking the humility born from remembering their own past difficulties. During Sefiras Ha’Omer, as we prepare to receive the Torah, both qualities are essential: dedicated self-improvement, coupled with profound humility, a respect for our fellow Jew, who may be at a different place of their journey. This reflects the prayer following “ונפשי כעפר לכל תהיה”: “פתח לבי בתורתך” (Open my heart to Your Torah), suggesting humility is the key that unlocks the heart to Hashem’s Torah.

The Rebbe had zero tolerance for negative speech about fellow Jews. In 1990, following a public statement critical of the community, the Rebbe addressed it sharply at a Shabbos Farbrengen. He passionately insisted that every Jew is part of Hashem’s nation, concerning whom Hashem declares, “עם זו יצרתי לי תהלתי יספרו” (This nation I formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise). They are Hashem’s people, and harming a Jew, even verbally, is akin to harming the apple of G-d’s eye.

The Rebbe explained, Even the great prophet Yeshaya was admonished for speaking negatively about the Jewish people. When he described them using the phrase “כי איש טמא שפתים אנכי ובתוך עם טמא שפתים אנכי יושב” (For I am a man of impure lips, and I dwell among a people of impure lips), the Pessukim that follow describe how an angel purified his lips with a coal from the Mizbeiach. The Medrish explains that this act specifically atoned for his negative portrayal of the nation. Yeshaya wasn’t lying, Chas V’shalom; he accurately described the external reality he observed. However, Hashem, in His deep love for His children, cannot allow negativity directed towards them.

No modern Jewish leader was more devoted to refining the Jewish people and bringing them closer to Hashem than the Rebbe. He possessed absolute clarity about the challenges and worked tirelessly to inspire change. Yet, his fundamental perspective on Klal Yisroel never wavered: he saw them solely as Hashem’s precious and beautiful nation.

As the Rebbe’s chassidim, our mission is to draw every Jew closer to Yiddishkeit, fully acknowledging imperfections and areas needing growth. However, we were trained never to let these flaws define any individual Jew, let alone the entirety of Klal Yisroel. The Jewish people are ultimately defined not by their struggles, but by their moments of truth when their Neshama shines through.

Recently, an artist recreated a well-known painting by Zalman Kleinman depicting chassidim engrossed in davening and hisbonenus in a Chabad shul. In this new version, however, the scene of Avodas HaTefillah was replaced by chassidim davening while distractedly scrolling on their phones. The stated intent was to highlight a need for renewed focus in Tefilla, a valid concern, as Tefilla is central to Chabad Chassidus, and improvement is always possible.

Yet, in my humble opinion, this revised depiction misses the point entirely.

Art differs fundamentally from photography. An artist doesn’t just capture images; they translate emotions and perspectives into a tangible form, offering a window into their reality. Zalman Kleinman certainly could have chosen to paint chassidim in a less-than-ideal spiritual state. But that wasn’t his reality; it wasn’t what he saw. Not because imperfections didn’t exist, but because his overarching experience, his chosen perspective, was one of profound beauty: a Shul filled with chassidim, each serving Hashem in their unique way. If you look around your shul and the picture you see is: “Where is the rest of the community?” or “Why are people on their phones instead of focusing on davening?”. It might be the perspective of the town you choose to live in that needs to change. Only then can you work to have a positive effect on the people around you.

Choose to put on positive lenses and see the deeper truth. View your fellow Jew as Hashem sees them.