The
50th Gate
By
Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Ginsberg
This
Yud Shvat marked fifty years of the Rebbe MH”M shlita’s
leadership, which began immediately after the histalkus (passing)
of the Rebbe Rayatz, for the world cannot exist even for a moment
without a Rebbe in a physical body in this physical world. At the
same time, we are entering the yovel year of the eleventh
day of the eleventh month in which the Rebbe officially accepted
the Chabad leadership in the eleventh year (11 Shvat 5711).
The
50th year reminds us of the 50th gate, which far surpasses the
other 49 gates. Although one can attain the 49th gate through
one’s own efforts (as we count during Sfira), the 50th
gate cannot be reached by any worldly effort. It is above all
limitations; no action or avoda can reach it. It is the
essence that is beyond all revelations, which is why nothing can
grasp it.
That
is why “choleh” (a sick person) is numerically
equivalent to 49 (as it is explained in Kuntres Purim Katan 5752),
like someone who has achieved 49 gates and lacks “only” the
50th. Why is such a person sick? Why aren’t 49 gates enough? So
what if he has one gate less?
The
answer is that the 50th gate is not just another gate. It is the
essential point of it all. If I lack the G-dly essence, of what
use are all the revelations? I may have all the king’s
treasures, but where is the king himself? Everything may be ready
for the wedding, but of what use is it when I don’t see the chasan
himself?
The
Baal Shem Tov explains the verse in Tehillim, “Tefilla
l’ani ki yaatof, v’lifnei Hashem yishpoch sicho” (“a
prayer of the pauper, he pours out his speech before Hashem”)
that it is specifically the pauper who has no requests
other than wanting the king himself (“he pours out his talk
before Hashem”). The rich man can be distracted by the treasures
he sees on the way into the king’s chamber. Some people stop in
the outer courtyard, eyeing the precious possessions, and lose
interest in proceeding further. That’s where they stay. Others
go further, yet they remain in the inner court where they see even
more dazzling treasures. Some manage to enter the palace, but are
left breathless by the sights they see there, and go no further.
Some go even further inside to the chamber where the king himself
sits, but all the pomp and majesty surrounding the king distract
them from the king himself. That is why the prayer of the rich man
is not always directed to the king himself. The pauper, however,
cannot be distracted. He knows nothing about the value of
treasures, therefore they do not interest him. He wants only the
king himself.
Those
who are rich in the spiritual sense may be distracted by the
precious treasures they encounter en route to the king’s
chamber. Upon encountering all the revelations of the seventh
generation — the wisdom and depth of the Rebbe’s maamarim
and sichos, the wonders of the Igros Kodesh, the
excitement of mivtzaim, and even the self-sacrifice
involved in shlichus — the rich man runs the risk of
forgetting about the essential point itself and remaining
satisfied with all the precious treasures surrounding him.
The
term “pauper” here is not meant in the positive sense, such as
one who has great bittul. Rather, it refers to one who is
lacking. It refers to those of us who do not study or daven
properly, or those of us who do not succeed in our shlichus
as expected. On account of our great deficiencies and the fact
that our standing is not quite optimal, we paupers cannot be
mollified with revelations, as glorious as they might be.
Naturally,
this should not be taken the wrong way, ch’v. I certainly
do not minimize the importance of those holy things mentioned
above, which we do unceasingly. Indeed, they are the only means to
connect with the Rebbe (just as one cannot connect to Hashem
without Torah and mitzvos). We must learn Nigla and
Chassidus, especially the Rebbe’s teachings. It is impossible to
be mekushar to the Rebbe without fulfilling his directives.
Going out on shlichus is the mission that characterizes the
unique role of the seventh generation. The love and caring for
every Jew is the foundation and pillar of everything we do. And we
must have the avoda of tefilla and tikkun
ha’midos, etc.
Relative
to the essence, however, all the above are called
revelations. They are the means by which we reach the essence, but
they themselves are not the essence. The Rebbe states (Likkutei
Sichos, Vol. 1, p. 226) that without hiskashrus to the
Rebbe, a person can learn, daven, do mitzvos, and
even go beyond the letter of the law, yet still be sunk in the
abyss, r’l. Despite the importance of these actions, and
the fact that through them one connects with the Rebbe, they are
merely revelations relative to the essence itself.
Thus,
we paupers cannot consider delving into anything that will attempt
to distract our attention from the essential point and focus. No
substitute, as wonderful as it might be, interests us, nor can it
begin to satisfy us and our soul’s desire. We have but one
desire, and that is to see our king now, revealed to all and
bringing us all to the final and complete Redemption, bringing us
to the essence.
We
cannot think we can continue with the style of hiskashrus prevalent
years ago, which was also the “seventh generation,” and scream
“Rebbe” without emphasizing the matter the Rebbe
demands of us now. The Rebbe clarifies how we can become
sanctified to the nasi ha’dor as follows: “…through
being permeated with fulfilling the mission of the nasi
ha’dor, Moshe Rabbeinu of the generation, the first and
final redeemer, whose main task is to actually ‘bring about the
days of Moshiach.’” In other words, only through fulfilling
the mission the Rebbe asks of us now, “to actually bring the
days of Moshiach,” only through this do we become “kadosh [sanctified]
to the nasi ha’dor.” When we try to add our
explanations, as true and correct as they may be, and even scream
out “etzem” [essence] without fulfilling this shlichus,
it is impossible, ch’v, to be (openly) “kadosh
to the nasi ha’dor.”
And
the Rebbe adds, “The knowledge that the Rebbe, my father-in-law,
nasi ha’dor, will immediately enter...and look at every
one of the Chassidim and mekusharim to examine their
standing and situation, etc., inspires and moves us to finish and
perfect all our work.”
Since
the essence is beyond everything, only the essence can dictate how
it is still possible to connect and be battul and attain
it.
One
of the main directives concerning this avoda has to do with
bringing the “wellsprings,” the source itself, to the
“outside.” The Rebbe tells us that it is appropriate on the
days following the yahrtzeit, especially the Shabbos after
Yud Shvat, to explain the Rebbe Rayatz’s mission to our family.
He said to visit shuls and places where youth congregate
and talk about the Rebbe Rayatz’s Torah, and describe his ahavas
Yisroel. He said to explain his takanos of saying
Tehillim and Chumash with Rashi, and where appropriate, Tanya,
and to convey the Rebbe’s confidence in youth, etc.
All
publicity relating to the work of the Rebbe Rayatz must be
presented as it has manifested in our generation. As the Rebbe
says in the very same Dvar Malchus, this era is “the
continuation of his nesiyus after his histalkus
(beginning from the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in the
eleventh year [5711]).”
Yes,
it is true, we all feel the cry welling up in the very depths of
our soul, yet this is not sufficient. We must direct all our
energies to the realm of action. We must go out into the streets
and proclaim, in every possible manner, that the Rebbe is alive
and every Jew has the privilege and responsibility to connect to
him. The most obvious way to do so, which will appeal to all Jews,
is through the Igros Kodesh. This way you are not asking
for anything, but rather offering assistance and the opportunity
for each individual to experience a personal salvation in the
areas of life most important to them. We must reach every single
Jew in all four corners of the world. That is how we express our
anguished cry of ad masai?! That is how we will merit to
celebrate the ultimate coronation of Melech HaMoshiach. We will
all sing before him the song we have already begun to sing in
these final moments of darkness: |