Chapter 2

The Alter Rebbe explained the Baal Shem Tov’ s service of making Jews meritorious by getting them to praise G-d in their daily lives, in their homes and work places, thanking Him for their children, health and sustenance. He explained it according to the verse:1 “You are beautiful, my friend.”

The Midrash2 on the verse:3 “I have compared you, my friend …. [in Hebrew rendered ry’osi]” comments: “What is the meaning of the word ry’osi ?4 [The Midrash answers:] G-d says: “[Jews are] My friends, My sustainers,5 for they provide My sustenance by means of the twice-daily sacrificial offerings of the tamid6 the morning tamid [which provides forgiveness] for sins committed during the past night, and the evening tamid for sins committed during the course of the day.”

[The Midrash continues:] “Another reason why they are called ry’osi is that G-d says: ‘They are the sustainers of My world, for they have accepted the Torah. Would they have not accepted the Torah, I would have returned the world to void and emptiness.’ ”

G-d’s Divine intent in creating the world was the Jewish people and Torah. All the other elements of creation serve merely as a means toward this end. What is of primary importance is that the Jewish people, through their study of Torah and performance of mitzvos as prescribed in the Torah, and their good character traits as outlined in the Torah, should spiritually illuminate this world of corporeal pleasures.

G-d intended that the spiritual refinement of the physical world be accomplished by the Jewish people with their own powers, and that this service be difficult. For this reason, G-d placed the evil inclination within man; an inclination which shows us the goodness [i.e. the delights] of this world, and draws our attention to all corporeal pleasures. By doing so, the evil inclination attempts to keep a person from being wholly dedicated to the purpose for which G-d created the world and the Jewish people, and for which reason He gave us Torah and mitzvos.

The Midrash comments on the verse:7 “In the beginning [rendered in Hebrew bereishis], G-d created heaven and earth,” and says:8 “bereishis” implies beis reishis9 there are two [the Hebrew letter beis being equivalent to two] reishis “firsts.” It is because of the Torah, which is called “first,” and because of the Jewish people who are called “first.” G-d created heaven and earth for the sake of the two “firsts,” Torah and the Jewish people, so that Jews, through Torah, might spiritually illuminate the world.

This is also the meaning of “My friends, My sustainers,” in line with the saying of our sages:10 “Jewish people sustain their Father in heaven.” We sustain Him through sacrificial offering in general, and more particularly through the morning and evening tamid offerings. This spiritual service [as opposed to the physical service, which was extant only as long as the Holy Temple existed] exists even now, during the time of exile.11

During the time the Holy Temple stood, the service of sacrificial offerings consisted of two parts: the offering of various animals such as oxen, sheep and goats, and the confession of the person who brought the offering, made [while laying his hands] upon the animal. Repentance, which was part and parcel of the confession, coupled with the actual offering, cleansed the individual of his iniquity and brought him closer to his Creator.

Spiritually, the service of offerings exists even now, for even while the Holy Temple was standing, the main aspect of sacrificial offering was not the offering itself, but the accompanying spiritual service, the confession and the thought process of the priest who brought the offering.12

This is also the meaning of the verse:13 “A person who will offer from amongst you an offering to G-d.” The Torah then goes on to explain the various laws dealing with sacrificial offerings.

It would seem that since we are dealing with a person bringing an offering, it would have been more appropriate for the verse to state: “A person from amongst you who will offer an offering to G-d,” [the words “from amongst you” preceding the mention of the offering,] rather than the way the verse is actually stated.

The Alter Rebbe explained:14 “A person who will offer [in Hebrew yakriv , which also means to draw close].” In other words, for an individual to draw close to G-d, and for his Torah, mitzvos and good character traits [to be favored by Him], an individual must make “from amongst you” an offering unto G-d. Which is to say, the offering must be of the person himself. This is why the verse states: “A person who will offer from amongst you an offering to G-d.”

The offerings “from amongst you” that refine a person and draw him closer to G-d and His Torah, mitzvos and moral virtues are the three types of animals oxen, sheep and goats. These allude to three distinct manifestations of the evil inclination, which is generally likened to a non-physical beast.

An ox,15 which is a tremendously strong animal, alludes to power and might.16 When the evil inclination desires something, it uses a tremendous amount of strength to influence a person [that he succumb to its blandishments].“Goat” refers to the trait of chutzpah,17 extreme temerity no one is his equal and he does exactly as he wills. “Sheep” refers to the attribute of mildness.18

The offerings transform these traits and use them positively in the service of Torah, mitzvos and moral virtues.

This too was the intent of the Baal Shem Tov: to make Jews meritorious; that in their daily lives, in their homes and work places, they should constantly praise G-d, thereby making them spiritually cleaner and closer to G-d. These too are the offerings of “ox,” “goat” and “sheep” representing the evil inclination, which [when transformed] strengthen the good inclination.

In summary: The Alter Rebbe comments on the spiritual path of the Baal Shem Tov, who sought to make Jewish men, women and children meritorious by getting them to praise and thank G-d for health and sustenance. G-d calls the Jews “My friends, My sustainers,” inasmuch as we accepted Torah and mitzvos, by dint of which the world continues to exist and becomes more spiritually refined. In their spiritual sense, the sacrificial offerings entail the transformation of the mighty powers of the evil inclination, [and their utilization] for strengthening the good inclination.