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Vol 27.04 - Beit Nissan               Spanish French Audio  Video

Hebrew Text:

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Summary:

(5746) Saying of the Rebbe Rashab before his histalkus (passing): “I am going to heaven, and (my) writings I leave for you.”  Preciseness of the word "loz" ( "leave" and not the word "give" like that of Tal Shabbat 105a) and the connection to his innovations in revealing Torat HaChassidut  

Translation:

1. It is known that the Rebbe Rashab said a few hours before his Histalkus:

“I am going to heaven; the writings I leave for you . . . ,” (a reference to his Chassidic manuscripts)

We have already spoken many times that one could say the explanation in this is that through the” writings”, one has him, ( and moreover – we have him the way he is found in Heaven)

For, “Tzaddikim . . are similar to their Creator”. Therefore just as G-d enclothed himself (areingegangen), as it were, in the Torah –

This is like the explanation of the well-known saying of the Sages:

“Ana Nafshi Ketavit Yehavit” ("I (G-d) wrote (expressed the essence of) My soul and gave it over (to you, the Jewish people in the Torah) - (Shab. 105a)", meaning that G-d Himself (”My soul”) is written in (“areingeshriben”) and placed in (“areingegeben”) in Torah, which is why through Torah, “one takes G-d” (oti atem lokchim).

The same is regarding the Tzaddikim, in which they “give of themselves into the aspects of Torah that they have learned (and especially - in the aspects where they have had innovations). Therefore, by learning their torah, one becomes attached to the Tzaddikim himself.

2. However in comparing the wording of the Rebbe Rashab with the aforementioned saying of the Sages (regarding MT) – one finds a difference.

  • In the saying of the Sages, the wording is “yehavit” (a word expressing giving/nesina) .
  • Whereas the Rebbe said: “I leave (loz) for you”.

 

One could say that the reason, seemingly, is because this is in conjunction with the situation then (six hours before his demise), in which the term “leave/loz” is appropriate. (as we find in Halacha regarding the gift of a sheciv mera (one whose death is immanent) the term “I bestow/ ani meineach”) .

However, as has been mentioned many times regarding the precision in the sayings of our Rebbes –

that the precision is not just in the general topic, but rather also that each word is precise –

that is it logical to say that the precise word “I leave for you”,

(is not just because of a secondary reason – because of the condition, in which the words were said - but rather it)

concerns the main subject (tochein haInyan) that the Rebbe wanted to impart in the saying. (that through learning his writings - one “takes/nemt” his himself, as aforementioned” ).

3. The difference between the two phases: “yehavit/giving” and “loz /leave” is:

  • Giving emphasizes that the object comes to recipient from the power of the donor. No action is required on the side of the recipient to receive the gift.
  • “Leaving”, however, means the donor just enables to donor to take the object. However, in order for it to actually come into the other’s possession (reshus) – it must be taken by the recipient (through his actions).

An example of these two methods: “giving” and “leaving” – is found in Torah study:

The Sages state: “In the beginning (the Torah) is called by the name of G-d (as the verse states: his desire is in G-d’s Torah), yet at the end it is called by the name of the person (of the student - as the conclusion of verse states: “And in his Torah he strives”.

For when one learns Torah just superficially (l’migras) the Torah is “called G-d’s Torah”. It is connected to the Giver of Torah.

However, when one “strives” (delves deeply) in Torah then the words of Torah becomes his (the person’s) (since he “took it/nemen” through his striving etc.).”It is his Torah”.

Accordingly, we can understand why the Rebbe was precise in saying: “the writings I leave for you” because this fits with his innovation in the method of revealing Torat HaChassidut. For he accomplished that the understanding of Pnimiyut HaTorah be (completely) due to the power of the (intellect of the) student, who “takes” the concepts learned, as will be discussed.

4. One of the many innovations od the Rebbe, was the establishment of the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva. The innovation of this yeshiva was that a discipline/seder of studying Chassidut was introduced in the curriculum of the yeshiva.

What is the innovation of learning Chassidut in the “confines/misgeret” of a yeshiva?

The purpose of a yeshiva is Torah study in a manner of collegiate study and sharp analysis (pilpul) by the students etc. For through the debate etc. one clarifies and elucidates the section/sugya which one is studying until all its aspects are clear.

The Rebbe, applied this, similarly, to the study of Torat HaChassidut – that Chassidut should be taught in a “yeshivish” manner. He said that he wanted that the study of Chassidut be: “like the study of the revealed exoteric/galya parts of Torah”, so much so that “one understands Chassidut just as one understands a topic in Nigla (the exoteric part of Torah)”

That is why he introduced the discipline of the study of Chassidut in the curriculum of the yeshiva - so that one studies in groups, where each group learns the same topic (“sugya”) in Chassidut, so that they discuss etc. the topic until it becomes clear - in all its aspects, to the students – similar to the study of the exoteric parts of Torah.

And such a manner in the study of Chassidut is considered a major innovation compared to the periods before this.

5. In previous times, there was a major difference between the study of Nigla of Torah compared to the esoteric (Pnimiyut) part of Torah:

Nigla of Torah was given in such a way that a person’s rational intellect (sechel enushi) can grasp the concepts and intellect of the Torah. For even though Torah is G-d’s wisdom , and none can fathom it, nevertheless G-d, lowered His wisdom in a manner that enabled rational thought to grasp it (so much so that it is “called by the person’s name”. It becomes “Torato/his Torah” – “his own Torah”).

However, Pnimiyut HaTorah remains outwardly - G-d’s Torah. In previous generations, the majority of Bnei Yisroel accepted its aspects with faith (emunah). It was higher than man’s intellect – and not able to be grasped. (And one could say this is one of the explanations of the word “kabbalah” – that it was individually received”)

Even in the latter generations (after the AriZal) when the topics of Pnimiyut HaTorah, were explained in a manner that they could be “Yisparnesun,” – understood – (meaning) not just in a “plain superficial manner”) – nevertheless they were not brought down into rational intellect (sechel enushi) – so much so, that a person could grasp it. It remained G-dly intellect that could only be ’taken in’ with the G-dly soul’s intellect (Nefesh HaElokit) (which is a G-dly intellect of a G-dly soul and is able to grasp the spiritual aspects that are explained in Pnimiyut HaTorah).

(Therefore, one could say, that this is the reason that not everyone was able to understand the concepts. Except for those who possessed a loftier soul, and even then, only in those who refined themselves properly to be a receptacle to its revelation in the soul. However those individuals who were not “refined/mezuchachim” and did not possess a lofty soul – could not have an understanding in Pnimiyut HaTorah).

This is one of the explanations in the words of the Zohar that regarding Pnimiyut HaTorah: “there are no questions there” (les teiman lo kashya” etc. (not like in Nigla of Torah).

A question is an aspect of concealment and hiddenness, a cloaking of the truth of Torah. Therefore Nigla of Torah, which was enclothed in such a manner that a rational intellect (sechel enushi) could grasp it, has within it questions (kashiot).

(in other words the questions are a part of the Torah itself) The proof of this has been explained many times. For even when one learns just a question in Torah, he is required beforehand to make the blessings on Torah).

For rational intellect cannot immediately grasp the intellect of Torah (G-d’s Wisdom). Beforehand, the rational intellect must have questions etc. until the study refines his own intellect and so that can reach the truth of the Torah.

However, Pnimiyut HaTorah did not descend into rational intellect (enushi), but rather just resides in the intellect of the G-dly soul (Nefesh HaElokit) - and concerning the G-dly soul, the Torah shines and “there are no questions there” etc.

6. Moreover:

It is known that the innovation of the Alter Rebbe in Torat HaChassidut Chabad (and especially after his redemption on Yud-Tes Kislev) is in that he enclothed the aspects of Pnimiyut HaTorah in intellect (wisdom, understanding and knowledge – Chabad) in a manner that “Everyone – even those who are not “refined/mezuchachim” (“Chutza/outside”) – should be able to understand with their rational intellect.

Nevertheless, this was not in the same fashion as understanding Nigla of Torah. Rational thought, in itself, cannot attain a complete understanding of Pnimiyut HaTorah. Only when one explains the aspect of Pnimiyut HaTorah to the person, can he have a grasp of it.

(This is similar to a teacher (rav) that learns with a student a deep concept which is beyond the student’s capability of understanding it, of his own accord. For even after the teacher has explained it to him and he understands it – he cannot find, in his own words etc., how to explain the thought.)

And this was the innovation of the Rebbe Rashab. He brought down the aspects of Pnimiyut HaTorah in a manner that the understanding could be in the same manner as one understands Nigla of Torah. For just as Nigla of Torah is “accessible/galui” to rational thought, in a manner that he strives (horavet, to understand it),  just as with a physical (gashmiyut) thought – in the same manner his rational intellect should strive in Pnimiyut HaTorah.

(This is similar to a teacher (rav) that channels down (trogt aropg) a deep concept to a student in a manner that the student can afterwards strive with own his intellect (to understand it) and find his own words and ideas to convey the concept).

And as we see in his Chassidic discourses (maamorim), that the same concepts that were explained by the previous Chabad Rebbeim – are cited in his discourses with lengthy explanations etc. In addition – the presentation and explanation of the concepts is in a manner that a rational intellect can explain (in his own “otiot/words”) and grasp, similar to the way one grasps a concept in Nigla of Torah.

Therefore the Rebbe was precise when saying “the writings I leave for you” – for this is one of the innovations of his discourses (writings) that a person’s rational intellect be able to “take/nemen” them - so much so that they become “his Torah – called after his name”.

7. From this we have the lesson that:

There are those that indeed learn Pnimiyut HaTorah but are afraid to ask a question, when they do not understand the concept that they are learning. For how can one ask a question on Pnimiyut HaTorah? It states “there are no questions there”. True, he does not understand – yet it is sufficient that he believe with complete faith that everything that is stated in Pnimiyut HaTorah is true.

The answer to this is that the Rebbe opened a path that the words of Chassidut should be able to be grasped with rational intellect in the same fashion as in Nigla of Torah. This means (that one should learn it) with deep study (iyun) and in a ‘question and answer’ (shakla v’tarya) manner etc. And if one does not understand a concept - he must ask for "lo haBayshan lomed" (a shy person does not learn).

Certainly, even when one does not understand an aspect in Torah (even in Nigla of Torah) – one must (fulfill it and) place the “We will do/na’aseh” before the “we will hear/nishma”. He must not have any doubt, G-d forbid, regarding the veracity of the thing. But, on the other hand, he cannot fulfill/yotzei zein understanding/havanat the Torah with Kaballat Ol (mere acceptance). Completely understanding a concept means that – he understands with his own intellect how the question is resolved (even in Pnimiyut HaTorah).

And through the study of Pnimiyut HaTorah – which was revealed in these generations in Torat HaChassidut Chabad, in a manner of complete understanding and comprehension,

(just like the comprehension in Nigla of Torah)

this becomes an immanent preparation to “that era/oto HaZman” when  “the Jews will be great sages and know the hidden matters, grasping the knowledge of their Creator according to the full extent of human potential, as Isaiah 11:9 states: 'The world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the ocean bed."

m’Sichas Chof Marcheshvan 5746

 

 

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