From Shabbat Bi-shabbato Re-eh 5775
A young Torah scholar came to see the Rebbe of Biala. He was bothered by many things, and he could not find any rest. He could not calm himself when he was together with the Rebbe, and at night the young student could not sleep. Late at night, he went where his feet took him, and found himself in the Rebbe's room. To his surprise, the Rebbe was awake in the room, reading Tehillim.
When he noticed the man, the Rebbe of Biala stopped reading and looked at him. After a short pause, the Rebbe said to his visitor:
"I see that you are suffering. Let me tell you something that happened to me with regard to this matter. Twenty years ago, I was still young and my soul had not found rest. One night I rose from my bed, just as you did now, and I went to the room of my teacher. He looked deep into my eyes, and he recited a verse from Tehillim: "The depths call out to the depths, at the sound of your channels" [42:8]. The Rebbe said to me, "The 'depths' refers to the Jewish soul, which suffers in its pain. The soul can find great comfort when it suddenly encounters another 'depth,' a person who can understand its pain. Such a person can speak to his colleague and comfort him with the words at the end of the verse: 'All the breakers and waves swept over me.' I have also passed through the depths, I am also familiar with the crises of a damaged soul."
And the Rebbe of Biala continued, "Now see here, young man. I happen to be reading just that chapter of Tehillim right now." The man looked and indeed saw that his rabbi's book of Tehillim was open to Chapter 42. And the student saw the words of King David jump out at him: "The depths call out to the depths, at the sound of your channels. All your breakers and waves have passed over me."
