Reb Mendel of Kotzk grew up in a family that was antagonistic towards, chassidim, rebbes, and their customs. When Reb Mendel was fifteen years old he left home—without his father’s permission—and traveled to the Chassidic court of the Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horwitz, the Seer of Lublin.[1]
When his father discovered that he had become ensnared in the Chassidic “cult,” he quickly traveled to Lublin to hopefully convince his son to abandon his wayward path.
His father angrily asked the young Reb Mendel:
“Why did you desert the tradition of your father and become attached to the new Chassidic cult?”
Reb Mendel responded:
“I learned from the experience of Israel at the splitting of the sea. The verse (Shemot 15:2) initially states ‘this is my God, and I will make Him a habitation,” and only afterwards does it state ‘the G-d of my father, and I will ascribe to Him exaltation.”
While tradition is indeed tremendously important, we must ensure that our connection to G-d and His Torah is our own.
[1] Reb Mendlei Mkotzk. (Ehrlich) Pg. 13
