Keeping It Whole
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The Yahrzeit of Reb Avraham Yaakov Friedman of Sadigora z‘l (1819-1883) is commemorated on the 11th of Elul. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)
He Z‘l About Himself
The Tzaddik / Rebbe is like the tree-foundation and the hasidim are like branches. Just as when a single branch stops growing it hurts the foundation, so it is if one [hasid] from this Tzaddik stops traveling to another one. And all this [is applicable, too,] with other Tzaddikim, specifically as e.g., with the Tzaddik of Apta and with my beloved, the Tzaddik of Chernobyl.
However, as far as I’m concerned, “If it were to happen to me that a Hasid should tear himself off from the community,” [it would not really make a difference] because I am the name YHVH which comprises in it twelve permutations of YHVH as its organization.
(From House of Israel, subject of Messianic end)