“I have more derech eretz for your Rebbe ztz”l, than to think that he would compare himself to the RBS”O or even to Moshe Rabbeinu, c”v. ”
You are missing the point. Every yid has the potential to live a life that shows that he is one with Hashem, and not a separate being with separate interests.
A tzadik (who has permanently conquered his yetzer hara) lives this reality all the time , which is our deepest potential revealed.
So he’s not comparing himself to Hashem as that would be ego / avoda zara. Rather he has reached the level where he has no more personal selfish interests other than what Hashem wants. And that is the deepest real us. We all live that reality sometimes but a tzadik lives it all the time. Basically his “self” is gone… Do you get it?
It might be hard to understand, but when you observe a tzadik in action you experience the concept so it’s crystal clear.
Just for example, if the Rebbe asks me to teach Jewish children in Timbuktu, I’d be stupid not to, because it’s not serving his personal interests – he doesn’t even have any. Rather, he is Hashem’s messenger telling me what my lifes mission is. A personal message from Hashem – relayed to me via his Roeh Neeman. And if that’s what I’m meant to do, that means this is what I was created for and given my set of talents for. And if course, fulfilling my mission will help me live life to the fullest.
Guess I should mention by the way that a Rebbe only gets his unique spiritual capabilities because of the regular Jew like you and I. As we saw by the first Rebbe, Moshe rabbeinu, when bnei Yisrael sinned, he was expelled from heaven because he was only asked there for their sake.
And during the 40 wandering years, Hashem didn’t talk to him for years and years although he never sinned with the Miraglim because he only has his position because of us.