The Rebbe brings out from a year where Rosh Hashana falls out on Monday and Tuesday an emphasis on the special value of the avodah of Yidden.  The world as it was first created was perfect, but it was a limited level of perfection.  Only through the avoidah of Yidden — an infinite neshoma enclothed in a limited physical body — can the world transcend itself and achieve a higher level of perfection.  This is the idea, discussed in other sichos, of 10 and 11: the number 10 represents original perfection, and the number 11 transcends that original perfection.

The Rebbe also returns to the concept mentioned in last weeks sicha: that a Jew’s connection to Hashem is intrinsic and not dependent on his performance of Torah and Mitzvos.  Torah and Mitzvos simply serve to reveal his intrinsic connection.  The Rebbe says that by emphasizing a Jew’s essential connection to Hashem this serves to in turn bring out a greater commitment to Torah and Mitzvos — because in truth a Jew really only does Torah and Mitzvos because this is an expression of his true nature.  In other words, we remove all aspects of fear of punishment and we find that he will do mitzvos even more enthusiastically!

And, as the Alter Rebbe said, that Moshiach’s arrival would be publicized in the newspapers, the Rebbe states:

May the Redemption come immediately, indeed, may it be that it has already come. For the newspapers have already written about Moshiach’s coming — may they continue to write more and may these articles be in the past tense for Moshiach’s coming will already be a reality.

Moshiach in the Newspapers (Photo: Marc Asnin)