At the conclusion of his maamar,1 the Rebbe Rayatz explainsוְהִנֵּה בְּסִיּוּם הַמַּאֲמָר מְבָאֵר,
that since “the essence of the Shechinah was manifest in the lower realms,”אֲשֶׁר לִהְיוֹת כִּי מַה שֶּׁעִיקַּר שְׁכִינָה בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים,
the Beis HaMikdash was the principal place wherein the Shechinah was revealed. Although the Divine Presence was manifest in the world as a whole, it was in the Beis HaMikdash that His Presence was primarily revealed.הִנֵּה עִיקַּר הַגִּלּוּי מִזֶּה הָיָה בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ,
For this reason, the Sanctuary in the desert was made of acacia wood.הִנֵּה זֶהוּ הַטַּעַם שֶׁהַמִּשְׁכָּן הָיָה מֵעֲצֵי שִׁטִּים דַּוְקָא,
Shittim, “acacia,” shares the same root letters as the word shtus, “folly.” Since the dwelling for G‑d established in this world is fashioned through the transformation of darkness into light, that motif also had to feature in the Beis HaMikdash and in the Sanctuary, for it was the place where the Shechinah was primarily revealed.
For the goal of our Divine service is to transform the folly of unholiness,מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַכַּוָּנָה הוּא לַהֲפֹךְ הַשְּׁטוּת דִּלְעֻמַּת זֶה
and the fire of the animal soul, a folly that is lower than reason –אוּן דֶעם קָאךְ פוּן נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית
The folly of unholiness really does not require much explanation. We are all familiar with situations in which we act in a manner that we recognize as foolish because we are driven by certain desires. In particular, the folly of unholiness can be associated with our Sages’ statement,2 “A person will not violate a transgression unless a spirit of folly takes hold of him.” Such folly must be transformed
into the folly of holiness (shtus dikedushah).לִשְׁטוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה,
To exemplify this concept, the Rebbe refers to the narrative cited by the Rebbe Rayatz in sec. 5 of his maamar Basi LeGani. The Talmud3 relates an example of such conduct:
[When] Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak would dance [at a marriage celebration], he would juggle three (“twigs of myrtle,” Rashi). Rabbi Zeira [reproved him]: “The venerable sage is embarrassing us” (i.e., “making light of the respect due to Torah scholars through his undignified behavior,” Rashi).
When Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak passed away, “a pillar of fire appeared, separating him from all those who were near him.”
Rabbi Zeira thereupon retracted his previous remark and commented:4
“The venerable Sage has been well served by his folly,” i.e., he recognized the positive nature of Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak’s conduct – that it representedוּכְמַאֲמָרָם זַ"ל אַהַנְיָה לֵיהּ שְׁטוּתֵיהּ לְסָבָא,
Divine service and bittul which transcended the limits of intellect.עֲבוֹדָה וּבִטּוּל שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מִטַּעַם וְדַעַת.
King David describes his intense love for G‑d with the verse,5 “I was foolish and unknowing; I was animal-like with You.” “No thought can grasp G‑d,”6 for G‑d is utterly boundless without any limitations whatsoever and even the most abstract peaks of thought have limits. Hence, our relationship with Him cannot be bound by the limits of intellect, but rather reaches complete expression through “the foolishness of holiness,” committing oneself to G‑d beyond the restraints of logic.
Though this is an extremely lofty level of Divine service, we are granted assistance from the Rebbeim to attain it, for
whatever my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz – and all the Rebbeim – demanded of us, they demanded of themselves. And their service makes it easier for us to emulate them. וְהִנֵּה כָּל הָעִנְיָנִים שֶׁתָּבַע מֵאִתָּנוּ כ"ק מו"ח אַדְמוֹ"ר וּכְמוֹ כֵן שְׁאָר הַנְּשִׂיאִים קִיְּמוּ זֶה בְּעַצְמָם,
This motif follows our Sages’ interpretation of the verse,7 “He relates His words to Yaakov, His statutes and judgments to Yisrael.”וְהוּא עַל דֶּרֶךְ דְּרָשַׁת רַזַ"ל עַל הַפָּסוּק "מַגִּיד דְּבָרָיו לְיַעֲקֹב חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל"
Our Sages comment: “That which He does, He tells the Jewish people to do and observe.”8מַה שֶּׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה הוּא אוֹמֵר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת וְלִשְׁמֹר,
So, too, that which He commands the Jewish people to do, He Himself does.וְכֵן מַה שֶּׁהוּא מְצַוֶּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא עוֹשֶׂה,
G‑d’s commanding the Jewish people to emulate “that which He does” constitutes an “arousal from Above” that precedes the “arousal from below,” the Jewish people’s observance of the mitzvos. This concept is alluded to by the words of the blessing recited before the observance of a mitzvah: “He has sanctified us with His commandments,” i.e., the mitzvos that He observes.
Thereafter commences the converse dynamic, as reflected by our Sages’ teaching:9 “Whenever one sits and studies..., G‑d studies opposite him.” Similarly, wearing tzitzis arouses tzitzis as they exist Above, drawing forth an additional measure of Divine light, i.e., an “arousal from below” that awakens an “arousal from Above.” This second stage is alluded to by the words, “So, too, that which He commands the Jewish people to do, He Himself does.”10
The same is true regarding the directives of our Rebbeim:וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה הוּא בְּהוֹרָאוֹת נְשִׂיאֵינוּ
Whatever they demanded of their chassidim and followers, they themselves fulfilled as well.שֶׁמַּה שֶּׁתָּבְעוּ מֵהַמְּקֻשָּׁרִים וְשַׁיָּכִים אֲלֵיהֶם הִנֵּה הֵם בְּעַצְמָם קִיְּמוּ וְעָשׂוּ כֵן.
The reason they revealed to us that they, too, carried out these directivesוּמַה שֶּׁגִּלּוּ לָנוּ שֶׁקִּיְּמוּ זֶה,
was to make it easier for us to perform them.הוּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָנוּ יוֹתֵר נָקֵל לְקַיְּמָם.
For example, regarding ahavas Yisrael, the love of a fellow Jew:וּכְמוֹ בְּהָעִנְיָן דְּאַהֲבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל
It is fitting that the Rebbe chose this example because ahavas Yisrael is a mitzvah of general scope which lies at the foundation of the chassidic way of life.
There are many stories involving each of the Rebbeim which express the importance of this mitzvah.שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּזֶה כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה סִפּוּרִים מִכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵהַנְּשִׂיאִים.
For example,11 the Alter Rebbe once interrupted his prayers on Kol Nidrei nightוּלְדֻגְמָא מִכ"ק אַדְמוֹ"ר הַזָּקֵן שֶׁהִפְסִיק בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ
and went and chopped wood, cooked a soup, and fed it to a woman who had just given birth,וְהָלַךְ וְקָצַץ עֵצִים וּבִשֵּׁל מָרָק וְהֶאֱכִיל בְּעַצְמוֹ לְיוֹלֶדֶת,
because there was no one else at home.מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ אֲנָשִׁים שָׁם בַּבַּיִת.
What is unique about this story is not that the Alter Rebbe performed this act. After all, the life of a Jew was at stake and a threat to life supersedes all the Torah’s prohibitions.12 Nor is it a wonder that he performed the act himself rather than instructing others to do so. Concerning the violation of a commandment to save a life, it is stated:64 “The mitzvah is that a person of stature should do so.” What is remarkable is that despite it being Yom Kippur, when the Alter Rebbe was involved in the deepest spiritual meditation, his love for his fellow Jews was so great that he sensed the woman’s need.13
Similarly, with regard to the Mitteler Rebbe, it is related that14מִכ"ק אַדְמוֹ"ר הָאֶמְצָעִי,
once, at yechidus, a certain young man lamented about those things that young men lament about.אֵיךְ שֶׁנִּכְנַס אֵלָיו אֶחָד לִיחִידוּת וְהִתְאוֹנֵן עַל הָעִנְיָנִים שֶׁאַבְרֵכִים מִתְאוֹנְנִים עֲלֵיהֶם.
The Mitteler Rebbe bared his forearm and said: “Observe how ‘my skin clings to my bones....’15וְגִלָּה אַדְמוֹ"ר הָאֶמְצָעִי אֶת זְרוֹעוֹ וְאָמַר לוֹ הֲלֹא תִּרְאֶה שֶׁצָּפַד עוֹרִי עַל עַצְמִי גוֹ'
All this is from your ‘sins of youth.’”וְכָל זֶה הוּא מֵהַחַטֹּאת נְעוּרִים שֶׁלְּךָ.
The wondrous and lofty spiritual stature of the Mitteler Rebbe needs no describingאֲשֶׁר מוּבָן הַפְלָאַת וְרוֹמְמוּת מַעֲלַת כ"ק אַדְמוֹ"ר הָאֶמְצָעִי
by any standards, and all the more so in comparison to those who are subject to such things.בִּכְלָל וּבִפְרָט מֵאֵלּוּ שֶׁשַּׁיָּכִים לְעִנְיָנִים כָּאֵלּוּ,
Nevertheless, his spiritual bond with them was so strongוּמִכָּל מָקוֹם הָיָה הַהִתְקַשְּׁרוּת עִמָּהֶם כָּל כָּךְ
that their unsatisfactory spiritual state strongly affected his physical healthעַד שֶׁמִּצַּד הָעִנְיָנִים שֶׁלָּהֶם שֶׁהָיוּ שֶׁלֹּא כִּדְבָעֵי לְמֶהֱוֵי, פָּעַל עָלָיו חֲלִישׁוּת הַבְּרִיאוּת בְּיוֹתֵר,
to the extent that his skin shriveled and clung to his bones.עַד שֶׁצָּפַד עוֹרוֹ עַל עַצְמוֹ.
Similarly, it is told of the Tzemach Tzedek thatמִכ"ק אַדְמוֹ"ר הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק,
once, before his Morning Prayers, he went out of his way in order to lend money to a simple person who was in need of a loan for the sake of his livelihood.16אֵיךְ שֶׁהָלַךְ קֹדֶם הַתְּפִלָּה לִלְווֹת גְּמִילַת חֶסֶד לְאִישׁ פָּשׁוּט שֶׁהָיָה נוֹגֵעַ לוֹ בְּפַרְנָסָתוֹ.
And of the Rebbe Maharash, it is told17 thatמִכ"ק אַדְמוֹ"ר מהר"ש,
he once traveled from a healing-spa to Paris, solely for the purpose of meeting a young man.שֶׁפַּעַם נָסַע בְּיִחוּד מִקּוּהרְאָרְט לְפַארִיז וְנִפְגַּשׁ שָׁם עִם אַבְרֵךְ אֶחָד
He told him: “Young man, forbidden wine stupefies the mind and heart; become a practicing Jew.”וְאָמַר לוֹ: יוּנְגֶערְמַאן יֵין נֶסֶךְ אִיז מְטַמְטֵם הַמֹּחַ וְהַלֵּב, זַיי אַ אִיד.
The young man returned home and found no rest until he returned to the Rebbe Maharash and repented.וְהָלַךְ הָאַבְרֵךְ לְבֵיתוֹ, וְלֹא שָׁקַט עַד שֶׁבָּא לְכ"ק אַדְמוֹ"ר מהר"ש, חָזַר בִּתְשׁוּבָה,
Eventually, he became the head of a G‑d-fearing and observant family.וְיָצְאָה מִמֶּנּוּ מִשְׁפַּחַת יְרֵאִים וַחֲרֵדִים.
It is well known that time was extremely precious to the Rebbe Maharash,אֲשֶׁר יָדוּעַ שֶׁאֵצֶל כ"ק אַדְמוֹ"ר מהר"ש הָיָה הַזְּמַן יָקָר בִּמְאֹד,
to the extent that even his recital of maamarim was brief.עַד שֶׁגַּם אֲמִירַת הַחֲסִידוּת הָיָה בְּקִצּוּר,
There were times when at eight in the morning he had already concluded his prayers.וּבִזְמַנִּים יְדוּעִים הִנֵּה בַּשָּׁעָה הַשְּׁמִינִית בַּבֹּקֶר הָיָה כְּבָר אַחֲרֵי הַתְּפִלָּה,
Nonetheless, he traveled to a distant city and stayed there a considerable amount of time for the sake of one young man.וּבְכָל זֹאת נָסַע נְסִיעָה רְחוֹקָה וְשָׁהָה שָׁם מֶשֶׁךְ זְמַן בִּשְׁבִיל אַבְרֵךְ כוּ'.
And of the Rebbe Rashab,18 it is told thatמִכ"ק אַדְמוֹ"ר נ"ע
in the initial years of his leadership, he was about to embark on a journey to Moscow because of a new anti-Semitic decree which he sought to nullify.בִּתְחִלַּת נְשִׂיאוּתוֹ, אֲשֶׁר גָּזְרוּ אָז גְּזֵרָה חֲדָשָׁה וְהָיָה צָרִיךְ לִנְסֹעַ עַל דָּבָר זֶה לְמוֹסְקְבָה.
His older brother, R. Zalman Aharon, known by his acronym as Raza, said to him:וְאָמַר לוֹ אָחִיו הַגָּדוֹל הרז"א נ"ע,
“Time is very precious to you and you do not speak the local language well.19הַזְּמַן יָקָר אֶצְלְךָ וְאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ הֵיטֵב שְׂפַת הַמְּדִינָה
(Raza was a linguist.)(הרז"א הָיָה מְלֻמָּד בְּשָׂפוֹת)
You also have to make the necessary acquaint-ances.וְגַם אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לְחַפֵּשׂ הֶכֵּרוּת,
I will travel to take care of this matter and will follow your instructions.”וְלָכֵן אֶסַּע בְּעִנְיָן זֶה כְּפִי הוֹרָאוֹתֶיךָ.
However, the Rebbe Rashab did not agree: he undertook the journey himself and was successful.אֲבָל כ"ק אַדְמוֹ"ר נ"ע לֹא הִסְכִּים עַל זֶה וְנָסַע בְּעַצְמוֹ וְהִצְלִיחַ.
Similarly, there are many stories of how my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz went out of his way to do material and spiritual favors, not only for the Jewish people as a whole, but also even for individuals.וְכֵן יֶשְׁנָם כַּמָּה סִפּוּרִים מִכ"ק מו"ח אַדְמוֹ"ר אוֹדוֹת הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹבָה וַאֲפִלּוּ לְאִישׁ פְּרָטִי, בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת אוֹ בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת.
He selflessly set himself aside in order to do so,וְהִנִּיחַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ עַל זֶה,
setting aside not only his physical concerns, but also his spiritual concerns,לֹא רַק הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת שֶׁלּוֹ כִּי אִם גַּם הָרוּחָנִיּוּת שֶׁלּוֹ,
even though the person to whom he was benevolent was not only not in the category of his “colleague in the Torah and its mitzvos,”20אַף שֶׁזֶּה שֶׁהָיָה מֵטִיב עִמּוֹ הִנֵּה לֹא זוֹ בִּלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה כְּלָל בְּסוּג שֶׁל חֲבֵרְךָ בְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת
but was of no comparison to him at all.אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיָה שֶׁלֹּא בְּעֶרְכּוֹ כְּלָל.

Summary

In his maamar, the Rebbe Rayatz explains that the Beis HaMikdash was the principal place of the revelation of the Shechinah. Since the dwelling for G‑d established in this world is fashioned through the transformation of darkness into light, that motif also had to feature in the Beis HaMikdash and in the Sanctuary, for it was the place where the Shechinah was primarily revealed. To highlight the transformation of darkness into light, the Sanctuary in the desert was made of acacia wood. Shittim, “acacia,” shares the same root letters as the word shtus, “folly.” The intent is that the folly of unholiness be transformed into the folly of holiness.
The folly of holiness refers to Divine service and bittul that transcends the limits of intellect. Though this is an extremely lofty level of Divine service, we are granted assistance from the Rebbeim to attain it, for whatever the Rebbeim demanded of us, they demanded of themselves. Their service makes it easier for us to emulate their example.
An example of this is the mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael, “the love for our fellow Jew.” Each of the Rebbeim served as exemplars of this quality and their efforts empower us to show similar love.