The Kuntres printed for Hey Teves (ה’ טבת) in the year 5752 is a Chassidic Discourse the Rebbe said on parshas Vayigash, 5732, edited for publication under the supervision of the Rebbe himself. The discourse explains some deep concepts in Chassidus, which we will not attempt to explain here; rather, we will take one point in the discourse.
The parsha begins with Yehuda approaching Yosef. As is known, Yosef was dressed as an Egyptian, his brothers had no idea that this was their brother that they had sold into slavery so many years earlier. This “Egyptian” was demanding that their brother Binyomin remain with him as a slave, because of the “theft” of his goblet (which Yosef himself orchestrated). Yehuda fearlessly approaches Yosef and asks — and even demands — that the “Egyptian” let Binyomin return to his father (of whom he says “his soul is bound up with his soul”) and enslave one of the other brothers in his place.
This act of selflessness on the part of Yehuda represents the rectification of the original sale of Yosef, as is known. But as explained according to Chassidus, there are even loftier things occurring here.
The lofty level of the Chanukah lights, as explained in the teachings of Chassidus, is connected with the self-sacrifice of the Maccabees, and through this they succeeded to impact and “light up” the public domain (reshus harabim). We see this in the mitzvah of Chanukah candles, which are intended to publicize the miracle specifically in the public domain. (The reason that the custom is to light inside the home, not in the public domain, is beyond the scope of this post.)
But why is this only by Chanukah, and not by Purim? The miracle of Purim, also, was brought about by self-sacrifice. Furthermore, Chanukah came about through the self-sacrifice of only a small number of Jews — Mattisyahu and his children; but by Purim the entire Jewish people head self-sacrifice! So why don’t the mitzvas of Purim impact the public domain?
This maamor, originally spoken on Yud Tes Kislev 5726, is based on the familiar posuk “Podah v’sholom nafshi“, but it provides a completely different perspective than the maamor released a week earlier (for 10-14 Kislev, 5752). Here, the Rebbe explains according to the words of our Sages that Hashem states: “whoever labors in Torah and in acts of Kindness (Gemilus Chassodim) and davens with the community, I consider it as though he redeemed me and my children from the nations of the world.”
Firstly, the Rebbe groups them as two: Torah and Gemilus Chassodim drawing down from Above, and Tefillah rising from below to Above. The Rebbe describes the difference between Brocha (drawn down from Above) and Tefillah (from below), based on the verse “Your Chassidim will bless you” חסידיך יברכוך as explained by the Rebbe Rashab: that specifically Chassidim have the power to draw down brocha in a way that the Divine light illuminates Malchus (the lowest level, which “possesses nothing of its own”).
The advantage of a brocha (generally given by Tzaddikim) is that it Continue reading →
Famous are the numerous maamorim over the years explaining the posuk “Padoh v’sholom nafshi“, the posuk which the Alter Rebbe was reading when he was notified of his release from Russian prison on Yud-Tes Kislev, 5559. This posuk is also relevant to the release of his son, the Mitteler Rebbe, from arrest on Yud Kislev some 28 years later. The maamor in this kuntres was said on Yud Kislev 5722 (the 3rd maamor of that farbrengen!) and edited and printed in 5752 in honor of that date (and also in honor of Yud-Daled Kislev, the Rebbe’s wedding anniversary).
The verse states: “He redeemed my soul with peace from the battle that came upon me, because the many were with me.”
The common thread in almost all of the maamorim, beginning with the maamor of the Mitteler Rebbe, focuses on the concept of being redeemed from battle in a way of peace, which is seemingly an oxymoron — if there is peace there is no battle! The explanation is that in fact there is a battle: a battle between the nefesh Elokis (our G-dly soul) and the nefesh habahamis (our animal soul). One may attempt to overcome his nefesh habahamis using his intellect (the lower levels of his nefesh Elokis: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshoma), or overpowering it with force of will, ratzon (from the level of Chaya), but in all these cases the nefesh habahamis can fight back with its own intellect and force of will — a battle. Only when one reveals his yechida, the highest level of his soul, can he nullify the struggle of the nefesh habahamis and thus win the battle “in peace” — “Padoh v’sholom”.
In this maamor the Rebbe explains that there are two aspects of “sholom” (בשלום — ב’ שלום): from Above to below, and from below to Above. When there is a revelation of Ohr from Above which Continue reading →
This maamor begins with the words of the haftorah (“Vayomar lo Yehonoson“) recited on Shabbos Erev Rosh Chodesh. The attentive student will recall that a maamor on the very same verse was distributed as Kuntres Erev Rosh Chodesh Iyar, 5751 (seven months earlier), but the content differs significantly. The maamar quotes the haftorah: “Tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh and you will be remembered (nifkadta) because you are missing from your place (ki yipakedmoshavecha).”
Erev Rosh Chodesh is when the moon completely disappears from sight. It represents the bittul of the Yidden. Through this bittul they draw down a new revelation that was never in the world before, which manifests as the birth of the new moon on Rosh Chodesh, the level of “nifkadta” (“remembered”). This new light — “Ohrchodosh” — is from a level that is completely above the world, drawn down through the avoidah of bittul. In contrast, avoidah connected with the existence of the individual (קשורה עם המציאות שלו) only draws down Ohr on a level that has a connection with the world.
This maamor was edited and printed in honor of the birthday of the Rebbe Rashab, and it was handed out personally by the Rebbe in 770.*. It discusses deep inyonim of Chassidus, and demands attentive learning. But here, we will focus only on one point from the maamor, which is overtly relevant to the concepts of Moshiach and Geuloh found in Dvar Malchus.
The Rebbe discusses here the concept of the Divine Light (Ohr) that preceded the tzimtzum (Tzimtzum being the contraction of light by which it becomes possible to create limited, finite worlds). This Ohr that existed prior to the tzimtzum possessed two dimensions: unlimited and limited. These dimensions became the source for the two kinds of Divine revelation that exist now: Sovev (surrounding light, which cannot be grasped and thus is not revealed in the world), and Memaleh (filling light, which is limited and can this be grasped by the lower creatures).
Additionally: through the mitzvos we perform now, there will be the revelation of a new light in the time to come, an Ohr Chodosh. This Ohr Chodosh will bring about a new heavens and a new Earth (as stated by the novi Yeshaya).
The Rebbe clarifies: if we are referring to the revelation of the unlimited light that illumined before the tzimtzum (which is presently not revealed in the worlds), this is not truly new (אין זה חידוש אמיתי) — this Ohr was already revealed before the Tzimtzum, and afterwards was concealed from the world. Thus, when this Ohr will return and be revealed again, it will not truly be something new. The truly new Ohr Chodosh, which will generate a new heavens and a new Earth, is Ohr that is drawn down by our fulfilling Torah and Mitzvos now, an Ohr that didn’t exist even before the Tzimtzum!
In these words the Rebbe is giving us a small glimpse at the great significantly of the avoidah of a Yid in performing Torah and Mitzvos — it is a complete chiddush, and draws down an Ohr Chodosh that never existed previously! Here, in the oisios of Chassidus, the Rebbe is explaining the famous words of 28 Nissan (“I’ve done all that I can do, now you must do all that you can do to bring the Geuloh…”) — because it is the avoidah of a Yid, davka, to make this lowest world a “dira b’tachtonim” that draws down the Ohr Chodosh, which is the revelation of the Geuloh.
(Note that in the kuntres published for Rosh Chodesh Kislev of this year, the Rebbe will elaborate further on this subject, bringing out the point that the avoidah of the Yid is even greater than the Ohr Chodosh that comes from his avoidah!)
* Some want to suggest that perhaps the timing of the distribution of this maamor by the Rebbe served as a “distraction”, so to speak, from the amazing revelations found in the Sicha “Beis Rabbeinu sh’b’Bovel”, which was printed the same week. (Chassidim had in their hands a maamor given to them personally by the Rebbe and a second kuntres dropped off unceremoniously in 770 — it is obvious which a chosid would learn first.)
Well known is the principle that the first luchos were given with a big “shturem”, but had to be shattered. The final luchos, to the contrary, were brought down without lightning, thunder, and the sound of the Shofar — but they were not shattered, they endure. In our case, Chassidim were so excited to learn a maamor that the Rebbe had handed to them personally, from his holy hand, that they didn’t have time to make a big deal overthe other kuntres (“Beis Rabbeinu…”)… (But what can a goat understand from gazing at the moon…?)
Released a few days in advance of Rosh Hashono, the discourse begins with the verse from the prophet Yeshaya: “On that day a great shofar will be sounded, and the ones who are lost in the land of Ashur and the ones who are pushed away in the land of Mitzrayim, will come and prostrate themselves to Hashem on the Holy Mountain in Yerushalayim.”
The Rebbe asks a few questions on this verse: What is special about a “great shofar”? Why does it say that the shofar “will be sounded” without specifying who will be sounding it — it seems as though it will be sounded on its own?
The shofar here is explained in spiritual terms: the cry of the innermost point in the heart which is above intellect. This cry draws down the corresponding level from Above, meaning the Supernal Will which transcends the level of Chochma (usually translated as “wisdom”).
There is a different verse that describes the shofar as being sounded by Hashem, but that verse refers only to a “shofar” and not a “great shofar”. But the “great shofar” of the future is sounded from a level higher than any of Hashem’s names!
At Matan Torah there was also the sound of a shofar, but not a “great shofar” — because the shofar of the future will be even greater than at Matan Torah. The reason (given in the name of the Mitteler Rebbe) is that at the time of Matan Torah the entire Jewish people were in a state of closeness with G-dliness קירוב לאלקות and therefore a “regular” shofar was sufficient to awaken their hearts. But the shofar of the future, of the true and complete Geuloh, has to reach the “lost” and the “pushed away”, who are far from G-dliness, and therefore in order to reach them requires the “great shofar”. This also explains why it seems that it will be sounded “by itself” — because in order to awaken those who are so far from any interest or recognition of G-dliness will require a cry from Above, by itself, without any awakening from below at all. Now, on every Rosh Hashono, we sound a regular shofar, meaning that through our effort we awaken and draw down from Above. But the great shofar of the future is drawn down by itself without any effort from below.
However, there is a question: we find that the great shofar of the future is likened to our own sounding of the shofar (by our own effort) on Rosh Hashono — they couldn’t be more different! The Rebbe explains Continue reading →
The Rebbe mentions numerous times in these talks that everything that is necessary for the Geuloh is already here, we simply need to add the letter “alef” to the word gola (which means exile), thereby transforming it to Geuloh. But what exactly does it mean to add an “alef” to the exile that we are in?
There are many levels to answering this question, three of which the Rebbe describes in the sicha of Parshas Emor. We find an even deeper and more comprehensive explanation in the Chassidic Discourse that was edited by the Rebbe and published in 1991 in honor of the Hillula (anniversary of the passing) of the Rebbe’s father, Levi Yitzchak Schneersohn.
In honor of the 15th of Av, 5751, the maamor “קץ שם לחושך” (“He imposed a limit to the darkness”) was released.
In many of the Dvar Malchus sichos the Rebbe addresses the need to draw the makif into the pnimi, meaning to internalize in the intellect (seichel) that which is above the intellect. For this there are two examples brought in this maamor: Will (ratzon) which is enlothed in intellect; and Faith (Emunah) which is enclothed in intellect. On their own, both Will and Faith, Ratzon and Emunah, are beyond the intellect, called in Chassidus “makif“. But the manner in which they are internalized (brought into the intellect) is quite different. Continue reading →
The human eye can perceive light. But only when it has a wavelength between approximately 380 nanometers (seen as violet) and 750 nanometers (seen as red). But these light rays are only a small fraction of the very broad spectrum of rays that exist, from 0.0001 nanometers in wavelength to a full meter. This covers Gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet, infrared, microwaves, and radio waves — none of which the human eye can perceive.
But this is not a science lesson — what does it have to do with Geuloh?
We will see that it is a basis for understanding how the Rebbe can say that the Geuloh is here, all the end times have passed, and yet we remain in golus. On the face of it, there is no logical basis to say that Continue reading →
Dvar Malchus 770 