|
Break
Through
By
Rabbi Yekusiel Menachem Rapp
Chaf-Ches
Nissan, seven years ago,
the Rebbe informed us that we have to make the preparations for
the final Redemption. We became active partners in the realization
of the prophecies about the Era of Moshiach. Simultaneously, the
Rebbe gave us the recipe with which to carry out this task: oros
d’tohu b’keilim d’tikkun (i.e., the harnessing and
control of tremendous energy and enthusiasm).
In
discussing the latter concept most people emphasize the second
half of the recipe, keilim d’tikkun, control and order,
but the chiddush (innovation) is actually in the first
half, energy and enthusiasm. Indeed, keilim d’tikkun is a
given amongst Chabad Chassidim, who traditionally personified
intellectualism. Now we must adopt a whole new strategy and
approach the matter in an entirely different light, the oros
of tohu.
When we read
the story of Peretz, whose descendent became the father of royalty
until Moshiach, we find that he also acted somewhat tohu’dik.
When Peretz was about to be born, he burst forth past his brother,
who was expected to be born first. The midwife reacted in shock,
“ma paratzta alecha paretz?” (Why have you made such a
breach for yourself?)
Here we see
the nature of those who want the Redemption. Since Peretz’s
birth has to do with the ultimate coming of Moshiach, he had no
time to stand on ceremony. He bursts forth. He teaches us that in
anything having to do with Redemption we must act in a way of
“bursting forth.”
It does seem
a bit strange, it seems to go beyond the bounds of good taste, but
this is the way to do it. And this is the chiddush in the
work of preparing to greet Moshiach. Within us must burn the fire
of oros d’tohu, and our job is to draw these oros down
into keilim of tikkun so that they too can accept
these oros.
***
When we
examine the birth of the first Peretz and then the subsequent
generations, we discover that this trait was passed along,
starting with Nachshon ben Aminadav, Chur the son of Kaleiv, Dovid
HaMelech, and finally the Rebbe MH”M.
A few
moments before the sea split, one of Peretz’s descendents did
something that went down in history. Nachshon jumped into the
water, confident that Hashem would take care of him. His deed is
used as a symbol of uncalculated pritza (breaking through).
He didn’t take logical consequences into account, not the fact
that greater people than he were there who didn’t dare do what
he did, not even the simple fact that he could drown. He made no
such calculations because the nature to burst forth was inherited
from Peretz.
Chur, the
son of Kaleiv and Miriam, did not act rationally during the
creation of the golden calf. Logic could have convinced people not
to refuse the throngs who wanted to form a calf, but not Chur. He
descended from Peretz (as it states in Divrei HaYamim I) and was
raised on Divine service that is above reason. He refused their
demands and was killed.
Aharon
HaKohen, on the other hand, the symbol of peace, tried to appease
the people until Moshe would return, and the Golden Calf was the
result. Indeed, there are times when peace can engender a Golden
Calf! There is no question that being a lover of peace is
positive, but there are critical times for the Jewish people when
what’s needed is pritza.
Under these
circumstances, when belief in Moshe Rabbeinu lies in the balance,
we must come through with self-sacrifice, as Chur did.
Dovid
HaMelech, who descended from Peretz (as it says at the end
of Rus), brought the aron for the first time to
Yerushalayim. He believed that bringing the aron was a
suitable preparation for the building of the Mikdash, and if they
were found to be worth, this Mikdash would exist eternally and
would usher in the final Redemption. For this reason he danced
before the aron.
Of course,
this was not the regular conduct of a king. In fact, his own wife,
Michal, daughter of King Shaul, was embarrassed by his conduct and
told him so. She said that Dovid “was exposed today before his
subjects as one of the emptyheaded.”
What did
Dovid say in reply? “I rejoiced before Hashem, and I shall
behave even more humbly than this, and I shall be lowly in my
eyes. And among the maids of whom you spoke, I will be honored
among them.”
He did not
try to explain the logic of his actions. He also did not attempt
to convince her that it wasn’t so bad. No! He knew that he
hadn’t behaved in a manner that befits a king, but when it
involved preparing for the Redemption, he did not make
calculations. He reverted back to the behavior he inherited from
his great grandfather, and broke through the limitations of
intellect into the realm of tohu.
Michal heard
what he said, but remained unconvinced; she looked down at him in
her heart. Why? Didn’t she understand the loftiness of the
moment?
The Rebbe
explains (Likkutei Sichos vol. 1 p. 228) that Michal, the daughter
of Shaul, inherited her father’s intellectual approach, the
insistence of finding reasons for things. Chazal say that Shaul
followed reason, and that neither he nor his children could
operate on a level beyond reason, even if reason itself would
dictate the need to go beyond reason.
The Sages
say that Michal put on tefillin. The Rebbe says that since
the Sages pointed this fact out to us, this indicates that she was
of the spiritual stature to do so. She had achieved perfection in
that which tefillin are meant to accomplish, the
subservience of the mind and heart. But it was all done logically.
This perhaps can be seen hinted at in her name, “Michal,”
meaning kli ha’machil (a containing vessel). If you
rearrange the letters of “Michal” it spells “keilim.”
She had keilim d’tikkun, but lacked oros d’tohu.
[The
numerical equivalent of “Michal” is 100,
which indicates perfection. Chassidus explains that 100
expresses the spiritual perfection of the midos as they are
in nature, but the perfection of being beyond nature has not yet
been achieved. The concept of being beyond nature is expressed by
the number 101. “Michoel,” the angel of chesed (kindness),
has the numerical equivalent of 101. The additional letter Alef,
which equals one, refers to the Alufo Shel Olam, Hashem,
the Master of the Universe, as He is beyond nature].
Michal did
not understand, but Dovid did. To honor the Torah, to honor
Hashem, and in honor of the Redemption, unbounded joy is needed,
joy that might jeopardize our honorable appearance, for this is
the only way to bring Moshiach, as it says about Moshiach, “the poreitz
rose up before them.”
The fact is
that Michal, who did not relate to Dovid HaMelech’s behavior,
and even dared to mock it, was punished: “she had no child until
the day she died.” The simple meaning of this outcome is that
even when our nature does not allow us to digest such conduct, and
even if the fact that the king himself acts in this way still does
not convince us, there is no excuse to mock another Jew who does
act in this way; if they are ridiculed, the punishment is
barrenness.
The ability
to give birth symbolizes the continuity of the human race, and
Michal’s punishment teaches us that the future of the Jewish
people is predicated upon behavior that defies nature. This is
especially so when we are talking about Michal the wife of Dovid,
who — if not for this flaw— might very well have given birth
to a son from whom Moshiach would descend.
Based on the
above we can understand the conduct of the Rebbeim, who stem from
Beis Dovid, who always acted according to the principle of “l’chatchila
aribber” (the total transcendence of obstacles). This, of
course, is especially true of the Rebbe MH”M, whose entire modus
operandi is based on “l’chatchila aribber.” Starting
with the vigorous motions the Rebbe used to encourage singing —
not only on Simchas Torah or the like, but on weekdays as well —
then the Rebbe’s demanding his shiluchim to act “l’chatchila
aribber” in all Mivtzo’im, and then, of course, in
the task of receiving Moshiach. We received directives which can
easily be categorized as belonging to the realm of tohu —
from utter joy in connection with the imminent coming of Moshiach,
to the arranging of celebrations to greet Moshiach. Dozens of big
projects in hafatzas besuras ha’Geula merited the
Rebbe’s blessings because the Rebbe demands that we act with oros
d’tohu.
I’ll take
this opportunity to remind people about the dancing that was
organized from time to time by the “Matteh Shira v’Zimra
l’Kabbolas Pnei Moshiach,” established in response to the
Rebbe’s saying that the task today is to achieve “pure joy
connected with the coming of Moshiach and the Redemption.” When
Jews rejoice about the imminent Redemption, Hashem has no choice,
so to speak, but to bring the Redemption — so it won’t be the
expression of joy in vain (like the story of the boy who made the
blessing “borei pri ha’eitz” so that his father would
have to give him an apple).
Dr. Rosen
told at the large kinus at 770 on 3 Av, 5754, that he heard
the Rebbe say the words “shira v’zimra” repeatedly
after 27 Adar. May we merit the full revelation with joy and
dancing, and dance together with him in the Beis HaMikdash now!
|
