Speaking of the unique quality of Jews, the Zohar says:1 “Three [entities] are bound with each other – Israel [i.e., the Jewish people] are bound to the Torah, and the Torah is bound to the Holy One, blessed be He.” Now, although two things are bound together, they are still two entities. Indeed, even if two things are tightly stuck together, it is still apparent that they are two entities. Yet whether they are bound together or even stuck together, they only appear to be one.
By contrast, the components of the tripartite bond – Israel, the Torah, and the Holy One, blessed be He – are in truth one entity. As the Zohar expresses it elsewhere, Israel, the Torah, and the Holy One, blessed be He, are all one. This means that they are not only so closely bound that they appear to be one, but in fact they are all one and the same. And “they are all one” means that there is no difference between one component of the tripartite bond and another.
We can gain some inkling of the deeper meaning of “they are all one” from a narrative in the Gemara.2 A gentile asks Hillel the Elder to convert him to Judaism on condition that he should [first] explain him the content of the G‑d-given Torah and the mitzvos while he stood on one foot. Hillel answered, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your friend.” By saying this, Hillel explained to him that the most fundamental principle is the commandment to “love your fellow as yourself.”3
In that brief answer, which states that this mitzvah is the very nucleus of the G‑d-given Torah and the mitzvos, we see how “they are all one” truly relates to the components of the tripartite bond between Israel, the Torah, and the Holy One, blessed be He.
Now, when this gentile approached Hillel with the idea that he wanted to convert, he already wanted to become a Jew, a servant of G‑d – except that first he wanted to know what was the most fundamental principle of the Torah of the Jews. So surely Hillel should have told him that the most fundamental principle of the Torah is the commandment to “love the L‑rd your G‑d,”4 because being a servant of G‑d out of love is superior to being a servant of G‑d out of fear, or awe. Why, then, did Hillel tell him that the most basic principle is the commandment to “love your fellow as yourself?” The answer is that here we see that “they are all one” means that Israel, the Torah, and the Holy One, blessed be He, are in fact one and the same.
A love of G‑d and a love of one’s fellow are one and the same. Whoever has a love of G‑d also has ahavas Yisrael, a love of his fellow Jew, and whoever toils to acquire ahavas Yisrael is privileged to upgrade his present level of ahavas HaShem. As the Rebbe5 (whose soul is in Eden) teaches, observing the commandment to “love your fellow as yourself” is a means to attain a fulfillment of the commandment to “love the L‑rd your G‑d.”6
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Particularly during these days of Adar, when joy should prevail, I find it painful to disturb the powerful impact of today’s welcoming reception at which, as prescribed by the halachah, we recited the blessing of Shehecheyanu. However, my heart grieves over the lot of our brethren. The destruction of religious observance, and the tough and bitter life of our brothers in the land of our birth and in Poland, give me no rest. Never forgetting, I relive the Psalmist’s oath to unceasingly raise the destruction of Jerusalem over my highest joy.7 At every moment I recall the shattered lives of our brothers in those lands.
We Jews have the wonderful quality of being “one nation in the world.”8 This achdus, this unity, means that all Jews are one entity. We cannot and we dare not forget the dire predicament of our brothers overseas. We must do everything possible to give them support so that they will have whatever they need while they are there, and to enable them to emigrate from those countries to places in which, with G‑d’s help, they will be able to settle well.
From that truly luminous first day on which G‑d brought us to Mount Sinai and gave us His holy Torah and told us, “I am the L‑rd your G‑d,”9 a simple faith has been engraved in Jews – that whatever happens to Jews in any country takes place by specific Divine Providence.10 Indeed, the holy Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov, taught that even the motion of a leaf that is overturned by a gust of wind is directed by Divine Providence, for a particular purpose known to G‑d.11
G‑d says,12 “Like the four winds of heaven I have spread you out.” Jews are dispersed throughout the entire globe, for a spiritual purpose. And this is the meaning of “one nation in the world:” all Jews constitute one entity and must help each other in this harsh era.
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We ought to keep in mind that the luminous events of Purim took place at the bitter peak of Haman’s wicked plot to annihilate the Jewish people. At that time, G‑d provided His salvation by virtue of their self-sacrifice for the observance of the Torah and its mitzvos. It was that self-sacrifice that inspired the 22,000 pupils whom Mordechai taught.13
As soon as Haman’s vicious decrees became known, Mordechai pleaded with those pupils, “Children! Save your bodies from that evil tyrant!” But they answered him, “We are with you, for life or for death!”
It was that self-sacrifice that rescued the entire Jewish people. The tables were turned and they gained the upper hand over their foes.14
In plain words, the self-sacrifice of those pupils brought Haman to the gallows.
Jews should fortify Torah education – by founding chadarim, junior yeshivos and senior yeshivos – and by bolstering the awe of Heaven among their students. This is what will bring all the Hamans, and all those who persecute Jews, to the gallows, just as it happened in those days and in this season.
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When I was here ten years ago I met a variety of American Jews – veteran migrants from many countries, local-born citizens, people of all ages, yeshivah students and secular students, and businessmen. In the course of that visit, from 12 Elul 5689 till 20 Tammuz 5690,15 I filled almost 300 pages of my diary with various observations on the life of American Jews in general and of the youth in particular.
At the farbrengen of Yud-Beis Tammuz and at the farewell farbrengen on 20 Tammuz, I made the point that American Jewry in general, and its artless young people in particular, are fine Matter that is prepared to assume a fine Form. They are ready to be educated and guided to become a blessed and upright generation. I am certain that in these ten years, from 5690 to 5700 (1930 to1940), the spiritual standing of the yeshivah students, and of young people in general, has grown significantly.
The Sages taught: “On three things the world stands – on Torah study, on Divine service, and on acts of kindness.”16 In the course of the last decade, American Jews have become world Jewry’s crowning glory in the realm of tzedakah. The time has come for American Jews to assume their rightful place likewise in the realms of Torah and avodah.
American Jewry should, and must, support all the overseas Torah institutions, and at this time, support must be far more intense – a rescue project. In particular, I am requesting support for my yeshivos in Poland, to rescue them from there and bring them to peaceful places. At the same time, American Jewry must also support the existing yeshivos in this country, and found new chadarim and yeshivos as well.
My arrival here was made possible by the grace of G‑d, in order that I should continue my work in disseminating the study of Torah, the awe of Heaven, and Divine service, as well as activity for the benefit of the local Jewish community.
I appeal to young people and to the youth that they should attend the various famous yeshivos more frequently; that they should follow the directives of the heads and administrators of the respective yeshivos; and that they should campaign widely to promote Torah study, so that the Torah will light up Jewish streets and homes.
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I thank G‑d Who has preserved us in life and enabled us to reach this day. It is my pleasure today to share with you the news of a decision that was made at an exclusive meeting of eminent members of Anash that took place a few hours ago. It was there decided that with G‑d’s help, the Tomchei Temimim Lubavitcher Yeshivah of America will be opened tomorrow at the Oneg Shabbos Shul.
There is a verse that says, “Look upon the rock from which you were hewn.”17 Speaking in the name of G‑d, the Prophet Yeshayahu, who was one of the most outspoken prophets, here describes the Jewish people not simply as a stone, but as a hard rock – a flint stone. The distinctive quality of a flint stone is its potential for fire. No water can extinguish that hidden fire. Even if the stone lies in water for years on end, its inner fire remains intact.
Every Jew and Jewess, regardless of lineage or orientation, is called a flint stone, because they each possess that G‑dly fire. What is needed is only individuals who are able to summon forth that latent fire so that it flares into the overt fire of Torah and mitzvos and ahavas Yisrael.
I hope to G‑d that the learned rabbis, the Torah institutions, and the supporters of G‑d-fearing Torah study, with my beloved brethren of Anash at the helm, will help me continue my labors in the dissemination of Torah study and yiras Shamayim, as well as my other activities for the public good. In the merit of their cooperation, G‑d will surely grant the request of all our fellow Jews – by easing the birth pangs of Mashiach, sending the Righteous Redeemer to gather in our dispersed people from the four corners of the world, and leading us upright to our land, speedily, and in our own days, Amen.
