Rebbe Elimelech himself is quoted as saying “It is a wonder that the Rabbis saw through divine inspiration that the final generations would suffer so terribly and didn’t they know that Elimelech would come and nullify and sweeten the harsh decrees?” (Nesiv Mitzvosecha Emunah 4:8 also in Eser TzachTzachos #35)He and his brother Reb Zusha of Anipoli were two of the most unusual neshamoth that the Jewish nation has ever known. They asked their Rebbe, the Maggid of Mesritch once, "It is said that Adam HaRishon contained all the souls of everyone that will ever exist. If this is true, and we were a part of Adam, we never would have let him sin. So how did he sin?" The Maggid explained that, "before the sin, some of the souls left Adam HaRishon in order that he would be able to commit the sin, and you, Reb Zusha and Reb Elimelech were among those souls that departed Adam before the sin."
His sefer, the Noam Elimelech, is known as the Sefer HaTzaddikim. Click here to see all of the Torahs we've mentioned here at A Waxing Wellspring that include the Noam Elimelech's insights.
Last night I couldn't sleep, I'd been thinking about Gemara and Achronim on hilchot shabbath for hours, I had to sit down and learn some Chassidut to settle myself. I learned a large section of the Notzer Hesed, (Pirkei Avot 3:1) about the two kinds of Tzaddikim, those who serve HaShem through the Hesed of their Da'ath, through intense ahavath yisrael and yichudim, and those who sever HaShem through the Gevurah of their Da'ath, through intense personal suffering accepting always with great joy. It's my belief the Noam Elimelech was complete in his Da'ath and served HaShem always through both of these aspects, if such is even possible.
Update: I just realised that last night from about 12:00 till 2:00 am when I couldn't sleep, the passuk (Esther 6:1) בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא, נָדְדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ was circling in my head over and over again. I was thinking, how much ego I have to keep relating the King's inability to sleep to my own. I couldn't figure out why it was repeating in my head. But, now I know, the Noam Elimelech was often referred to as מלך - melech. My sleep, on the night of the hillulah of מלך was disturbed.
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