Reb Menachem Mendel of Horodok, author of “Pri Ha’aretz”, was a chossid of the Ba'al Shem Tov and later was among the first and most devoted Chassidim of the Maggid (The Maggid sent him to Vitebsk for the purpose of spreading chassidus and, while there, he was the one who advised the Alter Rebbe to travel to the Maggid in Mezeritch).
After the histalkus of the Maggid he began travelling to the Alter Rebbe and displayed the true bittul of a chossid to his Rebbe. In turn, the Alter Rebbe, before becoming Rebbe, had many talmidim and would travel together with them to Reb Mendele to hear chassidus from him (this was after the Alter Rebbe founded Chassidus Chabad in תק"ל).
It is therefore no wonder that chassidei chabad over the generations often sang the hishtapchus hanefesh niggun attributed to Reb Mendele. The words are:
וואלט איך האבען גילדענע פליגלען וואלט איך צו דיר געפליען.
וואלט איך האבן גילדענע רעדער וואלט איך צו דיר געפאהרן.
וואלט איך האבן פערד און זאטעל וואלט איך צו דיר געריטען.
וואלט איך האבן טינט און פעדער וואלט איך צו דיר געשריבען.
וואלט איך האבן א גילדענעם פינגערל וואלט איך צו דיר געגעבען.
If I would possess wings of gold, I would fly to you.
If I would possess wheels of gold, I would travel to you.
If I would possess a horse and buggy, I would ride to you.
If I would possess ink and a feather, I would write to you.
If I would possess a golden finger, I would give it to you.
“The words of the niggun are based on a Yiddish poem and the tune expresses an outpouring of the soul which represents the love and yearning yidden feel towards Hashem.
There are two niggunei chabad which are both very similar to the Niggun Hishtapchus Hanefesh: Niggun Kol Dodi attributed to the Alter Rebbe and the niggun "דער אויבערשטער וועט געבן געזונט און לעבן" which is attributed to the talmidim of Reb Mendele.
The reason for this is as follows:
As it is known, in the year תק"ל Reb Mendele decided to travel to Eretz Yisrael and he was accompanied by three hundred of his talmidim. The Alter Rebbe greatly desired to go with him but halfway into the journey his Chassidim prevailed upon him not to abandon them and he returned to Liozna. Many of Reb Mendeles’ talmidim remained as well and their longing for their Rebbe grew from day to day.
As mentioned earlier, the Alter Rebbe considered himself as being a chossid of Reb Mendele and he greatly desired to be with him. For two weeks the Alter Rebbe closed himself in his room caught up in deep meditation and tremendous yearning for his Rebbe.
Reb Zalman Leib Estulin once recounted a certain farbrengen in Moscow that took place during the period subsequent to the Frierdiker Rebbe leaving Russia, Reb Yeshaya Zusya Shubov, the chassidishe rav of Moscow, stood up and spoke about how following Reb Mendeles’ departure to Eretz Yisrael, the Alter Rebbe would often sing Reb Mendeles’ Niggun Hishtapchus and then would continue the niggun with the words “Kol Dodi”. Over the years the Alter Rebbe continued to sing the niggun Kol Dodi and apparently new pieces were added on by him.
The second niggun mentioned earlier was sung by Reb Mendeles’ talmidim who stayed behind in Russia, amidst a deep longing to their Rebbe. It seems that both the Alter Rebbe and Reb Mendeles’ talmidim based these niggunim on Reb Mendeles’ Niggun Hishtapchus.
One hundred and fifty years later, after the Frierdiker Rebbe left Russia, this was often sung by the Russian Chassidim, expressing their desire and hope to once again see their Rebbe.
Eli Marcus
Mordechai Brodsky & Doodi Hertz