Yud
Shvat: The Tenth Will Be Holy
Sichos
in English
Shabbos
Parshas Shmos; 23rd Day of Teives, 5750
1. Today
is the Shabbos on which the month of Shvat is blessed. Thus,
blessing is also conveyed upon the special day, the tenth of
Shvat, the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe Rayatz, when “all of
his deeds, Torah, and service, are revealed and shine in
revelation from above to below...and bring about salvation in the
depths of the earth.”
Since
the Rebbe Rayatz is a nasi, his yahrtzeit is
relevant to every Jew. Everyone, men, women, and children, should
strengthen their commitment to follow the paths the Rebbe Rayatz
showed us.
A yahrtzeit
represents an increase and an elevation. This year, the fortieth
anniversary of the Rebbe Rayatz’s passing, is associated with
receiving “a knowing heart, eyes that see, and ears that
hear,” regarding the Rebbe Rayatz’s teachings. As our Sages
taught: “After forty years, one attains [full grasp] of one’s
teacher’s knowledge.”
The
fundamental lesson of the Rebbe Rayatz’s yahrtzeit is
connected with the date, the tenth of Shvat. The Torah states,
“The tenth will be holy, consecrated unto G-d.” Holiness has
two dimensions. On the one hand, it implies an aspect of
separation, as the Zohar states, “‘Holy’ is a word to
itself.” Conversely, it also spreads to other entities. Thus,
regarding certain holy articles, the Torah states, “Everything
that touches them shall become consecrated.”
This
concept is also reflected in the Yud, which is numerically
equivalent to ten. The Yud is only a point, without any
form or particular dimensions. It reflects the essential point
that transcends everything. Nevertheless, this point also is
associated with the point of concentration, which includes
everything.
To view
the concept in spiritual terms: The letter Yud is the first
letter of (and stands for) the name Havaya, referring to
G-d who is utterly transcendent. Simultaneously, “from the truth
of His Being, all existence came into being.” This is reflected
in the soul of a Jew (which also is alluded to by the letter Yud,
representing the quality of chochma) and also in the Divine
spark which brings into being and grants life to each creation.
Within a
Jew’s soul, the letter Yud refers to the essence of the
Jewish soul, the Pintele Yid, which is beyond all form,
yet, at the same time, permeates through all levels of the soul.
Similarly,
in each creation, the Divine spark is separate and holy, yet it
grants life to the creation, reflecting that entity’s true
being.
Based on
the above, we can understand why the Messianic redemption is
associated with the number ten. The Messianic redemption will be
the “true and complete redemption,” the era when the quality
of truth will be revealed. Similarly, the truth of every entity,
the Divine spark which maintains its existence, will be revealed.
This is connected with the quality of completeness also associated
with the number ten. In that age, there will be a complete
revelation of G-dliness in all matters.
In this
context, we can understand the application of the concept of
“ten” in our service of G-d. The purpose of creation is that a
Jew should reveal the aspect of “ten” within his soul, his
Jewish spark. He should then proceed to reveal the aspect of
“ten,” the spark of G-dliness, in the world at large, by
spreading holiness — “the tenth will be holy” — throughout
the world. The ultimate completion of this service will come in
the Messianic age when, “the glory of the L-rd will be revealed
and, together, all flesh will see that the mouth of L-rd has
spoken.”
The two
seemingly contradictory aspects of ten — that it is “holy,”
above and beyond the other qualities, yet it simultaneously
permeates them all — also applies in regard to a nasi.
The word “nasi” has its source in the word “nasa”
(uplifted), as personified in King Shaul’s being “from his
shoulders upward, higher than the entire nation.”
Conversely,
“the nasi is the entire people”; a king is
described as being “the heart of the entire congregation of
Israel.” Just as the heart is the source of each individual
person’s life energy, the king is the source of the life-energy
of the entire people.
These
qualities apply regarding all nesiim. Since the Rebbe
Rayatz is the nasi in the generation directly preceding the
coming of Moshiach, when we “taste” the revelations of the
Messianic age, these qualities were revealed to a greater extent
in him. Accordingly, his yahrtzeit, the day on which “all
of his service is revealed,” falls on the tenth of the month.
A unique
potential to carry out the service of “ten,” to reveal the
soul of every Jew and to reveal the “soul” — the Divine
life-energy — of the world at large, was granted by the
revelation of the teachings of Chassidus. Thus, we are able to
establish a dwelling for G-d in this world, which will be brought
about through the service of spreading the wellsprings of
Chassidus outward and realized with the coming of Moshiach.
In
particular, the Rebbe Rayatz brought about an increase in this
service by:
a)
Translating the teachings of Chassidus into other languages.
b)
Disseminating Chassidus in America, “the lower half of the
world,” where these efforts were broadened and expanded in a
manner incomparably surpassing the efforts of the previous
generations.
The Rebbe
Rayatz’s name itself alludes to such activities. His first name,
Yosef, is connected with the service of, “May G-d add on to me
another son;” i.e., transforming a person who is an “other,”
estranged and cut off from his Jewish heritage, into a “son.”
This involves revealing the Yud, the spark of holiness,
within the person.
His
second name, Yitzchok, is connected with the service of spreading
happiness and joy, as it says, “Whoever hears will laugh (yitzachak)
with me.” True joy comes when the happiness permeates an
individual’s entire personality and spreads to his surrounding
environment. This involves not only the joy of the soul, but also
the joy of the body; not only joy connected with Torah and mitzvos,
but joy in every aspect of a person’s life.
2. The
blessing and sanctification of the new month have to be reflected
in the service of every Jew and motivate him to express new
blessing and new holiness. Each month, his service must be renewed
according to the particular nature of the month. Since the Rebbe
Rayatz’s yahrtzeit is the most significant day of the
coming month, the service of Shvat is connected with the concept
of “ten.” A Jew must reveal the aspect of “ten” in his
soul and in the world at large. This will cause, as we declare in
the monthly blessings, “the Holy One, blessed be He, to renew”
the month for blessing.
We
conclude those blessings by stating, “Let us say Amen.”
“Amen” expresses the quality of completion and reflects how
the quality of Yud will permeate through the totality of
existence. The effect will be all-encompassing, influencing even
the lowest levels, which is shown by the omission of the prayer Av
HaRachamim (connected with undesirable events). We proceed
directly to Ashrei, “Happy are those who dwell in Your
house,” connected with the Messianic Beis HaMikdash, the
ultimate expression of “G-d’s house.”
Shvat is
blessed in the month of Teives, the tenth month. Thus, the service
of “ten” connected with Yud Shvat receives its blessing from
the tenth month. This month also reflects the two contrasting
expressions of ten. On the one hand, it is connected with the
service of “the tenth will be holy,” which emphasizes
separation and transcendence. On the other hand, there is also an
emphasis that this quality permeate through all existence. To this
end, the month is described as “the month when the body derives
pleasure from the body.” The term “body” can be interpreted,
in a spiritual context, to refer to G-d’s essence. Thus, the
latter phrase can be interpreted to mean that Teives is the month
when G-d’s essence derives pleasure from the Divine service that
we carry out with our bodies.
This
year, Rosh Chodesh Shvat falls on Shabbos. Shabbos grants us
greater potential to reveal holiness and to have that holiness
permeate every aspect of the world (the two aspects of “ten”
mentioned above). In an ultimate sense, these qualities will be
realized in “the era that is all Shabbos and rest for
eternity,” the Messianic age.
Similarly,
added influence is brought about by this week’s Torah portion, Parshas
Shmos, which begins with the words: “These are the names
of the children of Israel who came into Egypt together with
Yaakov. Each man came with his household.”
Egypt,
associated with boundaries and limitations, is symbolic of exile.
Nevertheless, there, “the names of the children of Israel” are
revealed. This refers to “the names of the children of Israel”
on the earthly plane, for throughout the duration of the Egyptian
exile, the Jews “did not change their names.” It also refers
to the sublime spiritual names — including the name Havaya
— revealed in the
names of the Jewish people.
The Jews
came “with Yaakov.” “Yaakov” can be broken up into “Yud
eikev,” i.e., the source of the soul, the Yud (the
reflection of the name Havaya), is drawn down throughout the
totality of an individual’s personality, until it effects even
his heel (eikev).
“Each
man came with his household.” This led to the perpetuation of
the Jewish people. Because they came as families, they “were
fruitful, became prolific, and multiplied very much.” They
raised children to proceed to “Torah, chupa, and good
deeds,” encouraging them to build Jewish homes of their own.
The
conclusion of the Torah portion is also connected with the above
themes: Moshe protested to G-d, “From the time I came...to speak
in Your name, this people’s situation has deteriorated. You have
not [yet] saved Your people.” G-d replied, “I revealed Myself
to the Patriarchs...” Furthermore, it prompted the revelation of
the name Havaya (to which the Patriarchs were not
privileged) within the boundaries and limitations of the world
(Egypt), ultimately, leading to the redemption from Egypt and the
giving of the Torah.
Similarly,
each Jew possesses an attribute of Moshe within his soul that
protests to G-d. “From the time...I [began] speaking in Your
name... (i.e., practicing Torah and mitzvos, which reveal
‘G-d’s names’ within the world), You have not saved Your
people.”
This
prompts a twofold reply from G-d:
a) “I
revealed Myself to the patriarchs...” This revelation is not
only an event of the past, but is a present factor. The Patriarchs
endowed their spiritual heritage to their descendants. Thus,
G-d’s revelation to the Patriarchs is an active force
influencing our own behavior.
b) He
promises the revelation of the name, Havaya, which will
come in the Messianic redemption. Then, we will be redeemed from
exile (Egypt) and merit the revelation of “the new Torah that
will emerge from Me.”
3. This
Shabbos is also unique in that it follows the yahrtzeit of
the Rambam on the 20th of Teives, and precedes the yahrtzeit
of the Alter Rebbe, on Motzaei Shabbos, the 24th of Teives. The
Alter Rebbe, the founder of Chabad Chassidism, opened a new path
which allowed the teachings of the inner dimension of the Torah,
which were previously hidden, to be comprehended through the
powers of understanding and thus, reveal G-dliness within the
material world.
This
quality is alluded to in his name, Schneur, which can be divided
into two Hebrew words, “Shnei Ohr,”
meaning “two lights,” an allusion to the light of Nigla
and the light of Chassidus. The Alter Rebbe’s second name,
Zalman, shares the same letters as the word “l’zman”
and is connected with the concept of time. Furthermore, since this
name is not Lashon HaKodesh, it relates to the gentile
nations. The combination of the two names implies that the two
lights of Nigla and Chassidus will be drawn down into our world.
After the
Alter Rebbe opened this path of service, it was continued by the
Rebbeim who succeeded him and thus, is also alluded to in their
names. The Mitteler Rebbe’s name, Dov Ber, fuses both the Hebrew
and Yiddish words for bear. Our Sages describe a bear as
“overladen with meat.” The Mitteler Rebbe’s name implies
drawing down the revelation of G-dliness to even this lowly,
material level.
This
service was continued by the other Rebbeim. The Rebbe Rashab’s
name is Shalom Dov Ber. In addition to the fusion of Dov and Ber,
the concept of shalom (peace) was introduced.
The Rebbe
Rayatz carried this service further. As explained earlier, his
first name, Yosef, refers to the transformation of a person who is
estranged into a “son.” His second name, Yitzchok, refers to
an all-encompassing joy, a happiness that affects both the body
and the soul.
The power
to carry out these services was derived from the Alter Rebbe, who
revealed how to connect G-dliness to the world through Torah. He
fused the teachings of Nigla (which involve the refinement of
worldly matters) to the teachings of Chassidus (“the Tree of
Life [which has no connection] to the forces of evil”).
The
concept of establishing a connection between G-dliness and the
world is also expressed in the opening phrase of the Alter
Rebbe’s two major works, the Tanya and the Shulchan
Aruch. The Tanya is based on the verse, “It
(referring to the full scope of Torah) is very close to you.”
Similarly, the Shulchan Aruch begins, “Yehuda ben Taima
declares...” The name Yehuda contains the name Havaya.
This attribute becomes “ben Taima,” which refers to a constant
revelation; a person constantly expresses the G-dliness within
him.
A similar
concept can be explained in connection with the Rambam. He begins
the Mishneh Torah with the letter Yud and states
that, “The foundation of all foundations and the pillar of
wisdom is to know that there is a Primary Being and that all the
entities...came into being from the truth of His Being.”
The
latter concept is connected with the date of his yahrtzeit,
the 20th of Teives, for twenty is twice ten. Twenty is also
(numerically equivalent to and thus) connected with the level of kesser,
a level which transcends the world entirely, yet is revealed in a
manner which “brings about salvation in the midst of the
earth.”
The yahrzeits
of these teachers should inspire us to establish fixed programs of
study that focus on their works; in particular, strengthening the
commitment to the daily study of the Mishneh Torah
(preferably three chapters a day) and establishing a fixed program
of study in the Tanya and the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan
Aruch. (It was a custom of the Chassidim of previous
generations to study a chapter of Tanya every day before davening
Shacharis.)
This
service should prepare us to proceed to Yud Shvat with renewed
energy, establishing a connection with the Rebbe Rayatz by
studying his teachings and following his directives to spread
Yiddishkeit and Chassidus outward. In particular, added potential
to carry out this service is granted in this fortieth year after
his passing, when we receive, “a knowing heart and eyes that
see...” and it is possible to “attain a [full grasp] of
one’s teacher’s knowledge.”
This
service will hasten the coming of the Messianic redemption and the
advent of the era when “Those that lie in the dust (including
the Rambam, the Alter Rebbe, and the Rebbe Rayatz) will arise and
rejoice.” May it come now, in the immediate future.
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