Ki Seitze Insight: Mouths Filled with Laughter — the Future is Now!

Near the end of the sicha (ois 15) the Rebbe makes an astonishing statement that demands our attention.  The verse in Tehillim (126b) states “then our mouths will be filled with laughter” (אז ימלא שחוק פינו), upon which the gemara (Brochos 31a) comments:

Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: One is forbidden to fill his mouth with mirth in this world, [= as long as we are in exile (in the name of the Ge’onim)], as it is stated: “then will our mouths fill with laughter and our lips with song” (Tehillim 126:2). When will that joyous era arrive? When “they will say among nations, the Lord has done great things with these” (Tehillim 126:2).

The emphasis is that “then” is referring to the time of the future Geuloh (and thus it is explained throughout Torah, including Toras HaChassidus of all of the Rebbeim, including the Rebbe).  The time to “fill our mouths with laughter” is at the time of the Geuloh.  Now comes the amazing chiddush of the Rebbe:

“Then (in the time to come, l’asid lavo) we will fill our mouths with laughter.”, which, in our generation, the Nossi of the generation, my father-in-law the Rebbe, whose second name is Yitzchok, from the root meaning laughter and joy, and he is the 8th Nossi from the Baal Shem Tov (8 being the gematria of “then” in our posuk אז), the inyan of “we will fill our mouths with laughter” is done (not in the future tense, “then”, but rather) in the present tense.

A verse that is universally explained to be referring to the time of the Geuloh, some time in the future, is now explained by the Rebbe to be something that is occurring (or can occur) now!  To understand better what this means (in addition to the clear implication that this aspect of Geuloh is no longer something reserved for the future) let us take the Rebbe’s own description of what it means to “fill our mouths with laughter”.

If we look at the maamor “Ani L’Dodi” printed as a Kuntres in Elul, 5750 (one year before our sicha), we will find that the Rebbe offers us the following definition of our posuk:

A smiling countenance [referring to the moshol of the King in the field] — this is the essential pleasure תענוג עצמי (which the Holy One, blessed be He, takes in Yidden), the inyan of the circus קניגיא [which Hashem will make in the times of Geuloh for the pleasure of the Tzaddikim] when we will see in a revealed way that all the war of good and evil (in this world) is only for laughter and pleasure, “then we will fill our mouths with laughter”.

This means that during Golus we are unable to properly realize that our struggle with evil is really a staged battle from which Hashem takes great pleasure and from which we ourselves will take great pleasure, and therefore we cannot “fill our mouths with laughter” because our battle against evil seems very real, the existence of the evil is an ever-present danger.  But the time of Geuloh brings with it a new revelation: that this is all part of the Divine plan for Divine pleasure, and realizing this properly allows us to “fill our mouths with laughter” despite our struggles with the evil inclination.  Evil is no longer real, but simply part of the “game” of this world (as the Rebbe explains earlier in this sicha regarding “when you go out to war ‘on’ your enemies” — higher than and above your enemies (to the point that they don’t have a real existence)).  Thus, when the Rebbe says that we can already fill our mouths with laughter, it means that we are capable of properly grasping and internalizing the true nature of our struggle with our “enemies”.  When one realizes this, he will not have any fear but rather renewed motivation to overcome these “enemies”, since he can fully recognize that this is all a Divinely ordained “circus” and not a real battle at all.

“Then” is “now”, and we can truly live Geuloh!

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Ki Seitze: Tasting the Reward Now

Two parshas are read this Shabbos: Ki Seitze (“when you go out to war on your enemy”) in the morning, and in the afternoon the first section of “Ki Savo” (“when you will enter the land to inherit it and to settle it…”).  Thus, on one single Shabbos, we have two seemingly opposite lessons from the Torah: going to war against an enemy (the avodah of golus), and settling the land (the reward of the Messianic Era).

Since everything is guided by Divine Providence, we have to learn from this combination: that we can be a situation of doing the avodah of making a war on the enemy in the time of golus and yet at the same time be in a completely “settled” state, which is the reward for this avodah.

How can we accomplish this?

Through the knowledge that in essence a Jew is completely above the existence of any opposition — Hashem “consulted” with the souls of the Jewish people before creating the world, showing that we are in fact one with Hashem and above the world.  If so, then why would we agree to the creation of a world that contains “enemies” whom we will have to overcome in war? Because Hashem did not want to give us “bread of shame” (unearned reward), and therefore He created a world for us to earn the reward.  And our neshomos agreed.  In order to realize Hashem’s desire for a dwelling place in the lower realms, there must be lower realms where there is the possibility of war.  But the truth of the matter is: a Jew in his source, and even as he is enclothed in a physical body in this world — remains higher than the concept of any opposition.

When a Jew is aware that this is the true reality, then even his “going out to war against the enemy” is infused with the aspect of “settling the land”.  “Settling the land” implies Eretz Yisroel, a land which “desired (רצתה) to do perform the will of her Creator” — where there is no longer a “war” to fulfill Torah and Mitzvos, but rather one overcomes his evil inclination with ease.

The Rebbe adds that:

“the main thing –that the avodah is amidst ease and comfort in the simple sense, ease of the soul and ease of the body, which is achieved through the Holy One, blessed be He, giving to every single Jew all that he needs materially and spiritually, and with abundance.”

This includes all that a Jew needs in order to do the avodah itself, and after that as a reward for the avodah that he performs.  And this material (and spiritual) reward is a sampling of the physical reward that will be in the Messianic Era.  Not only that, but the Rebbe makes a revolutionary statement, that the verse “then their mouths will be filled with laughter” (explained by Chazal and Chassidic discourses as referring to the Time to Come) is applicable now!  “Then” is “now” in the present tense.  The rewards of the Time to Come, the Messianic Age, are available to us now.  Although they are “locked in a box”, every Jew can open the box whenever he wants.  How?  By performing one more mitzvah.  As the saying goes “the future is now” — but by the Rebbe this is not merely a slogan, it is the reality!

All this receives greater emphasis since the year the sicha was said was 5751 (תנש”א), the letters of which spell out the command “you will be exalted”, referring to Moshiach:

…both as regards the revelation and coming of Moshiach [the distinction between these to concepts will be explained separately, G-d willing] and as regards the wedding of Knesses Yisroel and the Holy One, blessed be He in the Messianic Era, and in the words of the [midrash] Yalkut Shimoni: ‘the year Melech HaMoshiach is revealed in him…he stands on the roof of the Beis Hamikdash …and says humble ones, the time of your redemption has arrived’.

The Rebbe adds in the footnote the continuation of this Midrash:

And if you don’t believe, see via my light…at the same time the Holy One, blessed be He, shines the light of Melech Hamoshiach and of Yisroel and they all go to the light of Melech Hamoshiach and of Yisroel, and they [the nations of the world] come and lick the dust from beneath the feet of Melech Hamoshiach…

We will make a divergence from the main body of the sicha in order to understand this.  It is important to note what the Midrash is telling us: that there will come a time following the initial revelation of Moshiach (“Moshiach is revealed in him” means the revelation of the soul of Moshiach in the one who has been anointed by Hashem to be Moshiach, explained in our post on Parshas Naso) when nonetheless the Jewish people will not be prepared to believe him when he says that indeed the time of their redemption has arrived.  How do they get out of their own lack of confidence in themselves and in the words of Moshiach?  The Midrash says “see via my light” (ראו באורי שזרח עליכם), that through Moshiach’s light, meaning wisdom — the Torah that Moshiach teaches — they will be able to see the reality that Moshiach is describing to them.

Through our effort to learn and understand the Torah that Moshiach is revealing to us, we will merit to see the reality that he is describing to us: the reality that “the time of your redemption has arrived”!

Dvar Malchus Shoftim: A Closer Look
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Dvar Malchus Shoftim: A Closer Look

It is known that the Rebbe, in the early years of his leadership, spoke of the importance of learning the most recent sichos in a very exacting way  (“If only Anash, and particularly the Tmimim, would be exacting in my father-in-law the Rebbe’s words, especially his sichos of 5710 and the year before.”).  Let us do just that with two easily overlooked matters in the sicha of parshas Shoftim.

WHO IS THE NOVI?  WHO ARE THE STUDENTS?

In this sicha the Rebbe states clearly that the Rebbeim are the prophets (Novi) of our generation, including the Rebbe himself.  The phrasing, however, demands a closer look.  In section 11 the Rebbe states:

A Novi about whom another Novi testifies about him that he is a prophet — as this relates to the Leader of our generation, and which is continued in the generation after him via his students etc. — he is presumed to be a prophet and this second one does not require investigation [as to whether he really is a Novi or not]…

The Rebbe mentions here a Novi (who benefits from testimony about his prophetic abilities) and another Novi (an established Novi who provides the testimony).  This relates to “the Leader of our generation”, and continued in the generation after him via his students.  We could suggest the following interpretation: “a Novi (the Rebbe Rayatz) about whom another Novi (the Rebbe Rashab) testifies about him that he is a prophet…and is continued in the generation after him via his students (the Rebbe himself)….”  This seemingly fits with the Rebbe’s generally expressed view that the Rebbe Rayatz is the Leader of our generation, and the Rebbe is a continuation of the Rebbe Rayatz.

However, from our perspective the Rebbe Rayatz was the leader of the previous generation whereas the leader of our generation is the Rebbe himself.  According to this perspective, we could suggest an alternative interpretation: “a Novi (the Rebbe himself) about whom another Novi (the Rebbe Rayatz) testifies about him that he is a prophet…and is continued in the generation after him via his students (the Chassidim)….”  The first part fits well, as well as the plural “students” fitting “Chassidim” better than just the Rebbe alone.  But we can surely challenge as to how the Chassidim are to be considered continuing the prophecy — who among us Chassidim holds of himself that he is a prophet?!

To this we can answer that it is stated in Chassidus that in the ultimate future all of Israel will possess prophecy, and although it may presently be concealed from most (or all) of us, we are destined for it (as the first generation of Geuloh).  Furthermore, there might be a hint in section 12, where the Rebbe mentions the Geuloh and interjects the words “the end of the deed was first in thought” (סוף מעשה במחשבה תחילה).  These words might bring the diligent student to recall the Kuntres which the Rebbe distributed earlier this year, on Beis Nissan 5751.  In that Kuntres, the Rebbe brings a moshol of giving tzedoko to a poor man: “the end of the deed” which was “first in thought” is not the actual giving of the tzedoko, but rather that the poor man should accept the gift and use it beneficially and happily.  We might suggest that this supports our second interpretation, hinting that we have been giving tremendous spiritual gifts, including even prophecy!  But it is not enough that this is given to us — we must accept it.  And until we properly accept it, it remains concealed.

[As to the expression “the generation after him”, this is not problematic since more than once the Rebbe expressed himself that there is a 7th Nosi (counting from the Alter Rebbe, or, alternatively, the 9th Nosi counting from the Baal Shem Tov) and the 8th Nosi (or the 10th from the Baal Shem Tov) will be Moshiach.]

THE FOUNDATION STONE CANNOT BE HIDDEN AWAY

In section 12 the Rebbe addresses the eternity of prophets and the Leaders of the generation by likening them to the eternality of the “Foundation stone” (the “even ha’shesiya“) upon which the entire world stands and which is not subject to change:

“…I will provide for you a Novi, etc., like you”, the Leader of the Generation who “is everything” “Tzaddik, foundation of the world”, along the lines of the even hashesiya (Foundation Stone) — which is found in a specific place in this physical world, and exists eternally without change (not even the change of being hidden away (“geniza“), as occurred with the Aron which was hidden away, or anything similar to that), in the way that a judge and a Novi exists (eternally) in every generation….

There are those who like to see this passage as expressing the concept that the Rebbe remains alive (“chai v’kayam”) even after what appeared to happen on Gimmel Tammuz, 5754.   This would seemingly preclude being “hidden away” (even in a state of “chai v’kayam“) in a gravesite, or the like.  [There are other, even more clear, sources from the Rebbe which explain why it is necessary for the Nosi Hador to be physically alive, and the concept is not built from this passage in our sicha].

However, as we proceed to section 13, we find something that seems to challenge our initial understanding:

…the Beis Hamikdash itself (which is built and prepared Above) will descend from Above to below, together with the Kodesh Hakodashim and the Foundation Stone that is in it, from which the entire world is supported.

First the Rebbe tells us that the Foundation Stone is found in a specific place in this physical world, and is so eternal that it can’t even be hidden away.  Then the Rebbe presents us with a challenge: how would this not be a contradiction to the fact that this very Foundation Stone (which is in this physical world) is located in the Kodesh Hakodeshim Above and we need it to descend from Above to below?!  And all the more so we are challenged to understand this “contradiction” in light of the fact that this was given as an example of the eternality of the Novi, the Leader of the generation!

At this point we will not attempt to offer an explanation, only to render a conclusion that seems to be a necessary outcome of the Rebbe’s words.  The conclusion is that there is no contradiction to being “in this physical world” and being “Above”.  If the way we understand those concepts presents a contradiction, then apparently our understanding is flawed.  Because to the Rebbe there is no contradiction, and he can even express this in a single sicha!

For a possible way of “expanding our vessels” and redefining these terms to fit the Rebbe’s usage, we suggest a look at the booklet “Eternal Life of a Soul in a Body” at our sister site MoshiachInDepth.wordpress.com.  The idea is that “this physical world” has various levels, including a dimension which cannot (presently) be discerned.  When we will sufficiently refine our physical bodies and the body’s senses, we will be able to discern these higher and more refined levels of physicality — as we labor to draw down the lofty concepts of Pnimiyus Hatorah into our human intellect through diligent study, this brings about that these higher levels will “descend” into our awareness.  We will perceive that there are aspects of “this physical world” which are “Above” other aspects, which cannot presently be perceived even though nothing is concealing them.

Shoftim: Prophecy Before the Geuloh
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Shoftim: Prophecy Before the Geuloh

The sicha of this week, parshas Shoftim, is unquestionably one of the most significant talks the Rebbe ever gave.

The Rebbe opens the sicha by reiterating that since we have already finished all the work that was required of us in the time exile, and we are “all standing ready” to greet Moshiach, we are now already holding at the time of the fulfillment of the prophetic promise “I will return your judges…and your advisers”.

Explaining the difference between them: a judge is higher than the one whom he is judging, and has no need to explain his rulings.  He issues a ruling and it must be obeyed.  (And if there is resistance to fulfilling the ruling of the judge, there are police forces to execute these judgments).  An adviser, however, is on the same level as the one he is advising, and his role is to explain the judge’s ruling in a way that makes sense to the person.  This way, the person can grasp how it is in his own best interest to fulfill the rulings of the judge, which brings about that he will fulfill them eagerly and willingly, with no need for police enforcement.  (In the terminology of Chassidus: one obeys the judge out of bittul and kabbalas ‘ol, in a manner of makif; whereas the adviser enables the person to obey the judge with his own understanding, so that it comes into pnimiyus.)

Since the combination of judges and advisers is part of the prophecy of the Messianic era (as opposed to judges and police, which is in the time of exile), we have to start preparing ourselves now by living in this manner already.  This makes us into a vessel to receive these revelations, and also Continue reading →

Re’eh: It’s All Good, Including the Curses!
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Re’eh: It’s All Good, Including the Curses!

Our parsha begins with the verse “Behold (re’eh), I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse.”  The Rebbe, very noticeably, does not include that last word (“curse”) when discussing the verse in our Sicha.  The point will become clear as we examine how the Rebbe illustrates this with a story from the gemora.

In tractate Moed Koton the gemora tells how Rebbi Shimon, the famous Rashbi, instructed his son Elazar to approach two sages they encountered and to request their blessings.  Elazar obeyed his father and asked them for their blessings.  The two sages were happy to oblige, but their blessings don’t sound like blessings at all!  Among their choice words: “You should sow but not reap… confusion should reign at your table…” — These are blessings?!

Elazar returned to his father and complained that not only didn’t these sages give him blessings, but their words left him disturbed!  Rashbi asked him Continue reading →

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Re’eh: Publicize Geuloh in Every Place

The name “Elul”, the month which begins in some years on Shabbos Parshas Re’eh (as it did in 5751 when this sicha was spoken), famously stands for “Ani L‘dodi V‘dodi Li”, “I am for my Beloved, and my Beloved is for me”.  The first part of this verse, “I am for my Beloved”, refers to the avodah from below to Above, the second part (“and my Beloved is for me”) reflects the awakening from Above which follows.  In other words, in Elul we serve Hashem from our own power (taking a spiritual accounting, repenting for what is lacking, and making spiritual improvements) and this generates the Awakening from Above which are the lofty revelations of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The Sheloh writes that there is a connection between every parsha and the days when it comes out, meaning in our case a connection between parshas Re’eh and the month of Elul.  But whereas the emphasis in Elul is the avodah from below to Above, the very first verse of our parsha is the opposite: “See I am giving you today blessing”, from Above to below.  These are completely opposite?!  The Rebbe explains this seeming contradiction by first pointing out that although Elul is a month of avodah from below, but the initial letters of Elul include both aspects–below to Above (“I am for my Beloved”) and Above to below (“my Beloved is for me”).  More than that, the avodah of Elul itself includes both.  It is explained in Chassidus that in the month of Elul “the King is in the field”, meaning that there is a lofty–but hidden–revelation from Above which gives the potential to each and every Jew to bring himself, through his own effort from below, to be suitable to enter the King’s royal chambers on Rosh Hashanah.  Thus, the avodah of Elul is inclusive of both inyonim.

The Rebbe notes that:

The avodah of the person from below to Above (“I am for my Beloved”) is (not on a lower level, as implied by it coming from “below”, which is limited by the limitations and state of the person, but rather it is actually) a higher level (“Above”) which is above all limitation.  This is because as regards the true inner state of the Jew, the neshoma of the Jew, which is “truly a piece of G-dliness Above”, the level of Yechida, is in fact in a perfect state of unity with the Holy One, blessed be He.

All he needs to do is to reveal his true reality, that he is one with the Holy One, blessed be He.  This is accomplished by serving Hashem in a way which transcends limitation, avodah which comes from the essence of his existence, which is that he is one with the Holy One, blessed be He.  And because this is the essence of the existence of every Jew, it is relevant even at the beginning of his avodah.

Having said all that, the Rebbe proceeds to give “standing orders”:

It is incumbent to publicize and awaken in every place the avodah of Elul and, with particular emphasis, the inyan of Geuloh, which in fact permeates all of this avodah.  All must be permeated and done with the spirit of the Geuloh (including, and especially, through learning Torah on the subjects of Geuloh and the Beis haMikdash), amidst anticipation and complete certainty that immediately we are seeing with fleshly eyes that “Behold, this one (Melech Hamoshiach) comes”.

Simply put: to proclaim and to publicize in every place — with words that come from the heart — that the Holy One, blessed be He says (through his servants the Prophets) to every single Jew “See, I am giving before you today blessing”, until that literally today mamash we see with fleshly eyes the blessing of the true and complete Geuloh.

[And we should add and emphasize that this declaring and publicizing of the above must be also via those who claim that they still didn’t completely “get it”, meaning completely grasping and understanding in a conscious manner.  Since they also are complete in their belief, they are able (and thus, they must) publicize these things to others, beginning with their families (for surely they need not “suffer” from the fact that this matter is still not sitting well with him intellectually), and also all those who are found around him, every single Jew, and certainly through the proper effort the words will be accepted and will bring about the desired effect, including also in the one who is proclaiming and publicizing, that by him it will be internalized properly, etc.].

I have to proclaim and publicize even if I’m not completely with it?  Yes, even one who is not completely with it.

Perhaps if all of us took these words of the Rebbe seriously and acted on them properly, we would already see it with fleshly eyes.  It’s still not too late — “Today, if you will heed his voice“.

12) Kuntres Chof Menachem Av: How to Add the “Alef”
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12) Kuntres Chof Menachem Av: How to Add the “Alef”

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.

The discourse discusses Continue reading →

Eikev: Awaken Hashem to Bring the Geuloh
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Eikev: Awaken Hashem to Bring the Geuloh

Many years Shabbos parshas Eikev blesses the upcoming month of Elul, which was the case in 5751.  This, in this sicha the Rebbe addresses the inyan of the month of Elul.

Elul is an acronym for “Ani leDodi v’Dodi Li“, which means “I am for my beloved, and my beloved is for me”.  First comes “I am for my beloved”, the effort that comes from below (from us towards Hashem), using our own powers (avoidah b’koach atzmo).

This is related to the fundamental concept of creation: Hashem wants to give us the opportunity to earn our reward, to avoid the embarrassment of receiving “bread of shame” (nahma d’kisufa).  This requires not only that we do what we are supposed to do, but that we do it in a way of yegia, exertion, using our own powers.  And more than that, to Continue reading →

11) Kuntres 15 Av, 5751: An End to Darkness
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11) Kuntres 15 Av, 5751: An End to Darkness

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 →

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Golus — Even While the Light of Geuloh is Shining?

 

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 →