Chapter 9

1. Our present era1 recalls the era that made R. Akiva laugh with joy. The Gemara relates at the end of Tractate Makkos2 that when he and his colleagues caught sight of Jerusalem [after the Roman destruction], they [rent their garments and] wept over the state of the Land of Israel and the People of Israel. R. Akiva, however, laughed.

When his colleagues asked him why he was so happy, he asked them, “Why are you weeping?” He went on to say that the explanation for their tears was the very explanation for his joy – for just as the prophecy concerning the Destruction had indeed been fulfilled,3 he could now rest assured that the prophecy concerning the future Redemption would likewise be fulfilled.4

So, too, in our era. Just as we see the current destruction, so too we may be certain of the future Redemption.

* * *

In the course of the two generations that preceded my great-grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek, Chassidus had already been widely disseminated. Nevertheless, in his early years as the third Rebbe of Chabad, there were still various regions that it had not yet reached.

In those days, chassidim were not merely called chassidim: they were chassidim through and through. True, there were some who had to cope with various obstacles, but their chassidic identity remained close to their hearts. In those days, making the distance to visit the Rebbe in Lubavitch was a tough undertaking. Some came all the way on foot; others managed to travel by wagon from one town to another, and would then walk the rest of the way.

In the days when visitors used to be received at yechidus in groups, a group of Lithuanian Jews once arrived in Lubavitch. When they met the Tzemach Tzedek, they said: “We want to draw close [to Chassidus], but we have obstacles; we have unanswered queries.”

When the Tzemach Tzedek invited them to ask, they said that they had seen a certain chassid of stature crying on Simchas Torah and singing on Tish’ah BeAv! They concluded [piously, with a free paraphrase]:5 “And surely something that is relayed to a person’s mentor is not considered slanderous...”

The Tzemach Tzedek replied: “For a chassid, the niggun doesn’t indicate joy, and the tears don’t indicate sadness. His weeping springs from merirus, from remorse. When he brings to mind how the light of the Torah is revealed on Simchas Torah, and how the Torah is rejoicing with him on that day, and when he then contemplates how far his spiritual standing is from where it should be, he experiences remorse. And on Tish’ah BeAv, when he considers that the Destruction in fact took place, yet ‘in every sadness there is a profit,’6 he believes that the Divine promise of the Ultimate Redemption will indeed be fulfilled, so he sings. His song thus expresses his delight in G‑d!”7

That was all in the time of the Tzemach Tzedek. At that time, chassidim lived in Lubavitch, where the very mud was chassidishe mud. But now we are in America, where the mud is plain muddy, so the situation today is very sad. When the situation in the visible aspects of the world is considered, especially the state of those who are “outside the camp,”8 tears are shed Above. However, since it’s Purim today, we ought to sing a niggun, a niggun with inner meaning – and let us hope that the chassidishe avodah-niggunim will dry up all the mud.

2. Tuesday, the ninth of Adar Sheni, was the third anniversary of the day on which Divine Providence brought me here, to America. This is neither the time nor the place for a long discussion of my adverse experiences, and this one I perceive as my tenth exile.9

I had no desire to come to America, but “it is by G‑d that a man’s steps are directed,” and we must pray that “He will be happy with his path.”10

It was by order of Divine Providence that I came here. As to relaying what I experienced on my way here, especially during the thirteen days by ship, it is said that no man can verbalize what transpires in the inner chambers of his heart.11 However, my main request of G‑d was that in the merit of my holy forbears, I should not be overwhelmed by the surging waves of American materialism.

Since that time, three years have passed. Now, when the Torah records that Avraham Avinu was old,12 the words used – בָּא בַּיָמִים – literally mean that he “came with days,”13 and in these words a well-known interpretation perceives a message: every day of one’s life should accomplish something.14 So now, after three years, it can now be said, thank G‑d, that “the buds can [already] be seen in the land”15 – I am able to speak to the temimim of today just as my father spoke, forty years ago.

As farmers know, even after buds have bloomed into blossoms, ongoing toil is still needed until fruit appears. Bees, even though they are of benefit, sometimes suck up the entire blossom, and there is also the problem of vermin. Nevertheless, buds have sprouted.

These buds, today’s temimim, have accomplished something. Their work is not yet completed: that would be the production of ripe fruit. Their work resembles the work that is demanded by a vineyard, unlike the work that is required by a vegetable patch.16

So let me now give my blessing of Yishar ko’ach! – which is [not only an encouraging expression of approval, but also] a dose of empowerment – to the young men and young women who work as educational counselors. By virtue of their devotion, may the One Above prosper their efforts in Torah study and in avodah, particularly with regard to the awe of Heaven, and may they be granted truly Jewish success, both materially and spiritually.

3. One’s practical avodah on Purim ought to be evident throughout the coming year.

It is written, “And Amalek came,17 and fought against Israel at Refidim.”18 Encoded in the letters that spell that name (רְפִידִים), the Sages perceive a subtext: רָפוּ יְדֵיהֶם, which means that “their hands loosened their hold [on the words of the Torah].”19 Now, would it not be more appropriate to say that their hearts and their heads loosened their hold [on the words of the Torah]? After all, do people study Torah with their hands?! The wording used, however, is intentional. The message of the verse is that Amalek weakens the Torah’s hands, namely, the practical application of the Torah in the attributes of one’s character, the middos, which need to be kept in step with the spirit of the Torah.

Amalek tackles specifically Israel, a title which [here] alludes to the Torah scholars.20 Now, the characteristic kelipah of Amalek is frigidity; it cools down the ardor of hands that want to serve their Maker. A hint of this concept may be found in the verse that says of Amalek, אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ.21 The plain meaning of these words is that Amalek “encountered you” on your way out of Egypt. However, on the non-literal level of interpretation known as derush, the root of the verb also allows an additional meaning: Amalek cooled your ardor. This kelipah manifests itself in a variety of ways, and at a variety of levels. Thus, it can cause a person to remain frigidly unresponsive to miracles22 (by arguing, “Isn’t G‑d able to do anything?”23). Beyond that, it can even cool a person’s ardor at the level of practical observance.

The deplorable root of this problem is the faithless rabbis, the treife Talmud-Torah schools, and the unkosher teachers who desecrate Shabbos. It is they that are ruining Jewish souls. Every individual ought to exert himself to rescue children from such Talmud-Torah schools. When speaking to people about this, one ought to use polite and respectable language – but what is the use of politeness? If the listener doesn’t feel the knife [of treife education] that has been jabbed into his heart, it’s no longer a heart. It’s fossilized!24

How does one counter an attack by [the kelipah of] Amalek?

The Torah records that in the course of Israel’s counter-offensive, “When Moshe raised his arm, Israel prevailed, [and when he lowered his arm, Amalek prevailed.]”25 On this the Mishnah asks:26 “Did the arms of Moshe wage war?!” And the Mishnah answers its own question: “As long as the Children of Israel looked aloft and made their hearts subservient to their Father in Heaven, they prevailed; when they did not do so, they faltered.” Jews ought to look up heavenwards, to the Torah that comes from Heaven. In the above phrase, “Moshe raised his arm,” Moshe personifies the Torah’s worldview. And to heighten the impact of this worldview, one must seek out people who resemble Moshe. This is implied in the verse in which Moshe begins his directive to Yehoshua: “Choose men for us, and go out and wage war against Amalek.”27

The passage goes on to say that Aharon and Hur brought a stone for Moshe to sit on as he sought Heaven’s mercies.28 One must be as unbending as a stone, and never budge from the principles of the Torah. It is only then that the Children of Israel prevailed. [When confronting an unobservant rabbi or teacher employed by one of the schools described above,] one should not be impressed by a person who merely knows the Torah, but only by a person who observesits laws.

[In the metaphorical language of Shir HaShirim there is a verse that says:] “I am a rampart and my breasts are like towers.”29 The Sages teach that the former metaphor alludes to the Torah, while the latter metaphor alludes to Torah sages.30 A Torah sage, a talmid chacham, is not merely someone who has authored even a hundred scholarly works, all bristling with subtle distinctions and impressive argumentation. That is all irrelevant. When a true Torah sage, a talmid chacham, walks down the street, he should be prominently recognizable as such, like a tower. By his beard and peyos and tzitzis, let by-passers see that this is a ben Torah, a Torah scholar.

[By way of illustration:] When one of the works of the Mitteler Rebbe was being prepared for press, the publishers asked the Tzemach Tzedek how the author should be characterized on the title page. The answer was that they should use the noun עָנָו, which means “a humble man,”31 and not the noun שָׁפָל, which describes a person who is lowly in his own estimation – because an anav stands firmly by his views.

It is true that the first stage in the avodah [of challenging the above-described educators] should be friendly,32 even to the extent demonstrated by Moshe Rabbeinu when Korach first uttered his rebellious words: “Moshe heard, and he fell on his face.”33 Later, however, [after his repeated efforts at conciliation were rejected,] Moshe uttered the warning which begins: “But if G‑d will create a novel phenomenon [and an earthquake will swallow the rebels and their property and cast them down, alive, to the doom of Sheol, then you will know that those men angered G‑d].” So, too, the education that the above-described educators call “life-giving” is in fact lethal: it sentences its students “alive, to the doom of Sheol.”

In conclusion: Purim is characterized by the avodah of mesirus nefesh, self-sacrifice34 – and this should find practical application in one’s avodah throughout the year.

4. When one encounters a G‑d-fearing melamed one should relate to him with more love than is usual.We should of course love every fellow Jew,in accordance with the command to “love your fellow as yourself.”35 Nevertheless, such a melamed ought to be loved even more, because people like him are raising up entire generations in the spirit of the Torah and the awe of Heaven.

In every area there is both a positive commandment and a prohibitive commandment.36 Thus, when one sees a melamed who stands in awe of G‑d, the positive mitzvah is to love him even more than one loves others. And the sight of a melamed who desecrates Shabbos or doesn’t put on tefillin ought to be a stab in the heart.

The fact that the prominent rabbis who head Agudas HaRabbonim37 stand aside coolly in the face of this situation is utterly incomprehensible. Indeed, they are to be pitied.

It is written, “You who love G‑d, hate evil!”38 – because from those faithless schools there will sprout entire generations of apostates and disbelievers. True, the son of a rasha can be a tzaddik,39 but those are individual cases. As a rule, however, the treife Talmud Torah schools, whose unbelieving teachers do not observe the mitzvos of tefillin or Shabbos – and likewise the faithless “rabbis”40 – poison the minds and hearts of their young pupils.

I am criticized [by prominent rabbanim] for publicly using such explicitly harsh and impolite language. That is because they have no idea of what I am suffering as a result of the present situation. They have no idea of what is raging in the public arena.41 A time is sure to come when those leaders and opinion setters of the Agudas HaRabbanim will realize that their bitter slumber made them miss their opportunity. A time will come when the deplorable situation will wake them up, to their deep regret.

The clear cause of their bitter slumber is that no one is taking the current situation to heart. Everyone, great and small, is busy and preoccupied with “making a living.” True, that kind of living needs to be made – but concern for the spiritual state of the Jewish people is being drowned in the pursuit of making one’s personal, material living. One’s personal spiritual state becomes a minor consideration, and the spiritual state of the Jewish people at large is not even a minor consideration.

Concerning Mordechai, it is written that he relayed to Esther “all that had happened to him.”42 He was so affected by the impending calamity that threatened the people at large that “he put on sackcloth and ashes… and cried out with a loud and bitter cry.”43 Now surely, instead of that, he should have put on a top hat and white gloves and tried his hand at lobbying in the royal palace, in the style of today’s rabbinic lobbyists. So why did he defy the conventional norms, and put on sackcloth and ashes? – Because the public woes “happened to him,” unlike today’s lobbyists, who are not shaken up personally by the fate of the public: the public is outside their range of interest. Mordechai, however, “sat at the king’s gate,” and he knew44 that the only way to annul the edict was to seek mercy from the only power that could do so – namely, the One Who issued that edict.

5. The Jews, whom Haman wanted to annihilate (G‑d forbid), are called throughout the Megillah neither Bnei Yaakov nor Bnei Yisrael, but Yehudim (יְהוּדִים). In six of those cases, the last syllable of that word is spelled unusually, with a doubled yud (יהודיים).45

It has [also] been pointed out that in six places in the Torah,46 the name Yaakov (יַעֲקֹב) is spelled unusually with a superfluous letter vav (יַעֲקוֹב), and in six places in the Torah, the name Eliyahu (אֵלִיָהוּ) is spelled without its final letter vav (אֵלִיָה). Why? It is written that Yaakov took those letters from Eliyahu and holds them as a pawn – to ensure that Eliyahu will indeed arrive and bring the news of the Redemption to Yaakov’s descendants.

As to the doubled yud in יהודיים, this recalls what is taught in Chassidus47 on the phrase, “the shekel equaled twenty gerah,”48 where the number twenty alludes to the ten faculties of the Divine soul49 plus the ten faculties of the natural soul.50 Even by virtue of his natural soul alone, a Jew can be a receptor for Elokus,51 and a believer in Elokus, and can fulfill the mitzvos even to the point of mesirus nefesh. However, in addition to the above avodah that is empowered by his natural soul, a Jew has a level of avodah that is empowered by his Divine soul. That level of avodah is alluded to by the doubled letter yud, and that is the level of avodah that Haman sought to destroy, because he knew full well that by merely seeking to impose apostasy upon them,52 he would achieve nothing.

6. The Midrash teaches that when the nations of the world asked Bilam to advise them on how best to do away with the Jews, he suggested, “Let us go and pair up with them.”53 Nowadays, likewise, people have thought up a way to pair up with those around us, namely, the public schools and the high schools. Here, now, in this country, we are being faced by an evil decree: it seeks to require Jewish pupils to attend school on Shabbos. This proposal would be a deathblow to the observance of Shabbos, which is weak even as things stand today.

All Jews, even those who attend a shul – or even a temple – only once a year, should cry out in protest that such a proposal should never be allowed to materialize. Such a decree, G‑d forbid, would invite bombs. (An impassioned moment can sometimes allow a drastic expression to surface.) Fellow Jews, this challenge is yours. Don’t rely on the rabbanim and the rebbeim: you’ve got to deal with it yourselves.

7. It is written, “They shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell within them.”54The Sages55 note that instead of the expected conclusion (“…and I will dwell within it”), the verse in fact concludes, “and I will dwell within them.” This wording implies that “I will dwell within each and every one of them,” of the Jewish people.56

The Beis HaMikdash within every Jew is his Jewish nucleus.57 Every Jew who was conceived in purity58 believes in the One Above, but thatJewish nucleus needs to be aroused – and the time for that arousal is Purim.

It’s high time to drop all the nonsense, and no longer to allow oneself to be led by blind guides who themselves say that they don’t know the path. The Jewish people shall not be led by men who smoke cigarettes on Shabbos! We should be hearing a loud and bitter outcry. And if people make fun of that outcry, so what? People made fun of Mordechai, too, when he wore his sackcloth and ashes and uttered a loud and bitter outcry.

I didn’t come to this country to ask you for money, not even for my yeshivos. Money you should be donating of your own accord. I don’t need your money. At my age, and after all that I have been through (May the One Above grant everyone long life!), “for what and for whom am I here?”59 For me, everything is as valueless as a mere garlic-skin. I didn’t want to come here, because I wanted to be over there, where I felt that “I dwell in the midst of my people.”60 These dear children, [and at this point, with a motion of his holy hand, the Rebbe indicated the yeshivah students who were present at the farbrengen,] these give me vitality. In fact I find it difficult to leave this gathering.

May G‑d grant that we should soon go out to greet Mashiach.

8. The Sages ask why a certain king of Judah was called Achaz, [from a root meaning “to grasp”]. And they answer: “Because he seized the synagogues and Houses of Study and did not allow the study of Torah.”61 He locked them up. (Today, too, there are synagogues that exist in order to disallow Torah study...)

At that time, when G‑d directed Yeshayahu to teach youths, the prophet wondered: “To whom would he impart knowledge, and who would understand a teaching of the Sages?”62 G‑d answered that if he would now teach little children, he would eventually have mature students.

My dear temimim! Even though you yourselves are still pupils who are receiving guidance, I am nevertheless addressing you as guides.

In the Shema it is written, veshinantam levanecha – “you shall teach [the words of G‑d] repeatedly to your children.”63 After that it is written, velimad’tem osam es bneichem – “you shall teach them to your children.”64 Now, the former verb (veshinantam) implies teaching by repetition, whereas the latter verb (velimad’tem) simply means teaching. One would therefore expect the latter verb to appear before the former verb, because first one teaches something, and only then does one have one’s students repeat it over and over [so that it will be firmly implanted]. Why, then, do the words appear in the opposite sequence?

To explain: Veshinantam appears first, in order to highlight the need to implant, by ongoing repetition, the firm faith that is encapsulated in Shema. Indeed, the very word שְׁמַע comprises the initials of the words, שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם – “Raise your eyes on high, and see Who created these [heavenly bodies].”65 The command “Veshinantam” highlights the primary obligation to implant in one’s children, by ongoing repetition, the need to recite berachos and to know their wording, and to inject the faith that is implied in Shema Yisrael into one’s “Torah tzivah [lanu Moshe],”66 that is, into one’s study of the Torah that was relayed to us by Moshe Rabbeinu. And only after that preparatory process comes velimad’tem – the straightforward obligation to teach one’s children Torah.

For various reasons, now is the time for me to share with you a teaching that I heard from my father 55 years ago.

On Simchas Torah, 5648 (1887), my father delivered a maamar67 based on the assurance of the Sages that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not confront his creatures with impossible expectations.68 That discourse, which spoke highly of the self-sacrifice of plain, ordinary Jews,69 was addressed to an audience of cobblers and tailors. (I am not, G‑d forbid, speaking disrespectfully of craftsmen, but simply noting that they were neither scholars nor intellectuals.)

It is written, Echad hayah Avraham – “Avraham was one alone.”70 He himself was an echad, in the sense that he was able to reveal Divinity, the Oneness of G‑d, in the world. Now, the word echad, [as in the verse beginning Shema Yisrael,71] comprises the letters alef, ches, daled. The letter alef, whose numerical value is 1, alludes to Alufo shel olam,72which means “Master of the universe.” The letter ches, whose numerical value is 8, alludes to the seven mitzvos that obligate all the descendants of No’ach plus the mitzvah of circumcision. And the letter daled, whose numerical value is 4, alludes to the four directions of the compass. Indeed, every Jew, [like Avraham,] is empowered to be an echad, in the sense that through him, too, Divinity can be experienced in the world, thus lighting it up.

9. On Simchas Torah, 5663 (1902), my father told me: “Via you, as the Director of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivah, I would like to speak to the temimim. Five years have passed since it was founded. The One Above wants me to address its students, and this will bring Him satisfaction.”

That was said when Lubavitch was based in the township of Lubavitch. There, every little corner was lit up with Chassidus, which by that time had been flowing freely for about 90 years, ever since the Mitteler Rebbe settled there on Chai Elul, 5573 (1812).73 Today, [by contrast,] this is the Lubavitch of Brooklyn. Nevertheless, it must be said that “the buds can be seen in the land”74: one can already speak to the temimim.

The temimim need to realize that avodah begins with working on oneself. Expectations [of spiritual refinement] ought to be addressed not to others, but to oneself. One needs to toil in the study of Chassidus just as one toils to grasp a Talmudic topic in the revealed levels of the Torah,75 studying it profoundly.

Thank G‑d, there are students [here, too,] who can be addressed in these terms, students of whom such demands can be made. One doesn’t [thus] speak to a fool, nor does one make demands of a pauper – but chassidim in general and temimim in particular are wise and rich. It is appropriate to ask temimim why more effort is not being invested in the avodah of tefillah in general, and in particular, why there is a lack of deep-seated sensitivity to a subtle teaching in the realm of avodah.76 Understanding concepts in Chassidus requires toil, and the reward for that toil is the ability to internalize them.

[At this point the Rebbe turned to the elder temimim {who had studied in the Old Country}, asked them to rise, and addressed them as follows:]

You temimim who were privileged to behold the holy countenance of my father, especially those who heard a maamar or a farbrengen from his mouth, and in particular those of you who were privileged to be received by him at yechidus – envisage that my holy father is now demanding of you: “Why are you so frigid, frozen hard like lumps of ice, parched dry of any zest in avodah? Where are all the people who should have been influenced by you?77 In what state is your environment, [which you should have ignited by now]?”

For chassidim at a chassidisher farbrengen or similar gathering, it ought to be axiomatic that the Rebbe of whom one is speaking is present at that farbrengen.78 You elder temimim ought to take that perspective to heart and envisage it, and ask yourselves: If my father, the Rebbe, was present here at this farbrengen, and addressed these demands of you, would you then, too, remain as frigid and as unfeeling as now?

Temimim in particular, and chassidim in general, should deeply consider the teaching of the Sages, that “Tzaddikim are [even] greater after their passing than during their lifetime.”79 They should repeat and relay whatever they heard and saw of the Rebbe [Rashab] – and then the A-mighty will no doubt grant that their lives and the lives of their families will be lit up.

10. [The Rebbe Rayatz now turned to address the student generation of temimim, as follows:]

By virtue of the Torah, by virtue of my holy forebears, by virtue of 200 years of mesirus nefesh by the Rebbeim, I give you my blessing that “G‑d increase you a thousandfold,”80 both materially and spiritually – materially, by the establishment of many more similar yeshivos, and spiritually, by each of you becoming ten thousand,81 for “the eyes of the entire Jewish people are focused on you.”82

One must not be fazed by Hamans – not by Haman min haTorah,83 nor by [any of the explicit appellations that appear in the Megillah, such as] “Haman the tormentor of the Jews” and “Haman the son of Hamdasa.” One must not be fazed by the outwardly nice Hamans. (Indeed, the numerical equivalent of אֲגָגִי, “the Agagite,”84 is טוֹב, which means “good.”) One must not be overawed by any of these. The young children must be saved from the hands of their frozen fathers and frigid mothers, from their cold sisters and from their benighted environment.

11. Moshe Rabbeinu concludes his parting address by saying, “Give this your heart’s attention.”85 Attention must be paid. One must keep in mind that Mordechai, Head of the Sanhedrin, knew that the annulment of the edict depended only on the One Who issued the edict, as it is said, “The heart of kings and ministers is in the Hand of G‑d.”86 So, too, today: people ought to realize that everything depends on Him Who issued the edict.

The salvation recorded in the Megillah did not come about by virtue of Mordechai or Esther, nor by virtue of the assemblage of all the Jews. It came about by virtue of the 22,000 children whom Mordechai assembled and taught Torah, a thousand children for each of the 22 letters of the alphabet of the Holy Tongue. He taught them alef-beis, thus: kometz-alef – o; kometz-beis – bo, for G‑d gave His people the Torah by means of the kometz-alef – o which is the initial letter of the first word of the Ten Commandments, אָנֹכִי – “I am [the L‑rd your G‑d].”87

12. [The Rebbe now asked the assembled chassidim to sing the niggun that his father used to sing quietly to himself in the course of his davenen, and then said:]

When a person takes his davenen seriouslyand toils in avodah, a niggun appears spontaneously. My father, through his davenen, purified and elevated the world. And in fact every Jew, even an ordinary Jew, is able, by means of his avodah, to purify the atmosphere of the world. Chassidus creates the receptive vessel that enables even a plain, ordinary Jew to light up the world.