The Rebbe spoke this sicha on the 50th anniversary of his arriving safely to the shores of America (together with the Rebbetzin) from war-torn Europe in 5701 (1941).  America is identified in Chassidus as a place where Matan Torah did not take place (in a revealed way), and is referred to as the “lower half of the world” (חצי כדור התחתון).  It is, in this regard, the lowliest place.  But specifically from the lowest place one can elevate everything (like a lever  positioned under a building, which can lift up the entire building).

Here, in the lower half of the world, the Previous Rebbe settled in 5700 (1940), joined by the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin a year later.  The (now-famous) building at 770 Eastern Parkway was acquired as the home, shul, and study-hall of the Previous Rebbe, and the Rebbe explains the significance of this number.  (This sicha is one of the talks that would be compiled into the unprecedented sicha of “Beis Rabbeinu sh’b’Bavel“.)

As is know, there are 7 sefiros, from Chesed to Malchus.  The state of perfection is represented by 10, so the ultimate perfection of 70 is 700, and of 7 is 70, both of which combine to make 770.  The completion of the task of refining the sefiros.  This is not just number-play, as the Rebbe goes on to explain:

And from this place the Geuloh begins, and the building of the Beis Hamikdosh, “the Sanctuary of G-d, which Your hands established” (מקדש אדנ”י כוננו ידיך)… Even though its place is in the Holy Land, in Yerushalayim, on the Holy Mountain, [but the work of achieving this] is done via our avoidah in the time of golus, so we have in this place, specifically in this place, the entire preparation for the “Sanctuary of G-d”…until in this place will be the revelation of “the Sanctuary of G-d”, in this place (770).

The Rebbe continues to say that this refers to the entire building (of the Beis Hamikdosh), including the roof, as the Midrash states “Melech Hamoshiach stands on the roof of the Beis Hamikdosh and announces to Yisroel: the time of your redemption has arrived”.

Immediately, all Jews will find themselves standing (איבערגעשטעלט) in our Holy Land together with the third Beis Hamikdosh WHICH WE HAVE HERE (וואס מ’האט דא)…

Those words have been translated in capital letters to draw attention to their significance.  In this and other sichos, one could arrive at the mistaken understanding that 770 is merely the “small sanctuary in the time of golus” where, “at some point in the future”, the 3rd Beis Hamikdosh will be revealed first (see Kuntres “Beis Rabbeinu sh’b’Bavel”).

It is correct that 770 is that place where the 3rd Beis Hamikdosh will be revealed first.  But only the revelation to you and me is in the future; because the essential presence of the 3rd Beis Hamikdosh we have here מ’האט דא (present tense)!  This is a critical point to grasp, which enables many things to be understood.  For example: the Rebbe’s assertion (parshas Vayakhel) that the ingathering of the Exiles has begun.  This is something which comes about, as the Rebbe himself explains elsewhere, through the 3rd Beis Hamikdosh (and not merely the “small sanctuary in the time of golus”)!  We have it here!

The Rebbe continues and says that Eybershter agrees to the words and requests of Yidden, revealing His love for them down below in this low world, that everything in the world is working for Geuloh.  And further: the 28th of Sivan leads into the 29th, which is Erev Rosh Chodesh, when the moon is not visible.  This aspect of “your place will be empty” (יפקד מושבך) brings to “you are remembered” (see Kuntres Beis Iyar for more explanation), a term which also refers to the intimacy of husband and wife — the unification with the Eybershter, becoming “one reality”, “one flesh”.

Finally, the Rebbe makes a statement that, if understood, resolves all of the difficulties as to whether the Rebbe is really saying (here and elsewhere) that the Geuloh is here, which is contrary to what we see, or if we have to bring it.  The Rebbe states that:

The Eybershter “needs” (so to speak) the partnership of every Yid, specifically as soul in a body; and through our deeds and avoidah comes the Geuloh.  The Yid must come to agree that not only the time of your redemption has arrived, but more than that: the Geuloh b’pashtus is already here…Geuloh from the root that means revelation (through the avoidah of a Yid in Golus)…

Reading this closely, we note that the Rebbe is saying that what is needed in order to BRING the redemption (in the future, even if only the next moment) is that a Jew who is still in GOLUS (present tense, meaning that he has not yet experienced the Geuloh) nonetheless will AGREE and PROCLAIM that the Geuloh is ALREADY here “b’pashtus”!  To agree, and to go so far as to proclaim, that the Geuloh is already here while you yourself are still in golus — this what brings the Geuloh.

Furthermore, we can note the Rebbe’s exacting choice of words: “agree” (מסכים), which has a different meaning than “acknowledge” (מודה).  Agree means that the Yid, with his own level of understanding, comes to the same conclusion — agrees — with what the Rebbe is saying.  This is the “partnership” with the Eybershter the Rebbe is speaking about.  Because if we did not need to reach this through our own intellect and understanding, if it would be sufficient to simply to believe what the Rebbe is saying (that the Geuloh is already here b’pashtus), or to accept it unconditionally as a loyal Chosid, then the Rebbe would not have chosen the word “agree” (מסכים).  To reach the level of “agreement”, one has to learn and understand and on his level reach the same conclusion — much like a Rov who must rule according to his own understanding and not because he has unconditional acceptance of one who is greater than him.  (As the Gemara* tells about Rebbe Meir — that in his generation he was acknowledged as being uniquely great, but the sages did not rule the halacha according to his opinion because they could not understand the depth of his reasoning.)

We can readily grasp how the direct path to our “agreement” is learning about the subject of Moshiach and Geuloh, especially in the Rebbe’s teachings.  Only in this way can we do more than merely acknowledge the Rebbe’s words — we will be able to truly agree!

* Eruvin 13b:

גלוי וידוע לפני מי שאמר והיה העולם שאין בדורו כמותו. ומפני מה לא קבעו הלכה כמוהו? שלא יכלו חבריו לעמוד על סוף דעתו