Eve of Simchas Torah, 5752(1991)

1. Our Sages interpret the verse “Do not touch My anointed (Mishichoi)” as referring to young children who study Torah. Therefore, it is proper — and doing so will hasten Mashiach’s coming — for all the children to say LeChaim. There is a connection between children, for Mashiach in addition to being a king, will also be a teacher. May both these qualities of his be revealed at the very next moment.

Thus in the next moment that follows, we will already be able to in the Third Beis HaMikdash. This Beis HaMikdash will include within it the services of the previous two Batei Mikdashos1 and indeed, include them on a higher and more complete level.

The advent of the Era of the Redemption is associated with the redemption from Egypt as reflected in the verse, “As in the days of your exodus from Egypt, I will show you wonders.” The Hebrew word for “wonders” niflaos (נפלאות) can be divided into נ פלאות, “50 wonders.” The number 50 is described by our Sages as “an eternity;” i.e., it includes the totality of time. Similarly, fifty is associated with the Yovel, the Jubilee Year.

The Yovel was observed only when the entire Jewish people lived in Eretz Yisrael. Thus it relates to Eretz Yisrael in its complete state, when it is inhabited by the Jewish people as a whole. This was fulfilled after the exodus from Egypt when Yehoshua led the entire Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael.

Similarly, it will be realized in the Era of the Redemption. At that time, in addition to all the Jews of that era, Eretz Yisrael will also contain all the Jews of all the previous eras. This will include Moshe, our teacher, and his generation who have been waiting for this redemption to enter Eretz Yisrael.2

Together with the Jewish people will be gathered to Eretz Yisrael all the synagogues, houses of study, and houses of good deeds in the Diaspora. Surely, this will include the synagogue, house of study, and house of good deeds in which we are gathered at present.

The above is particularly relevant in the present year, shnas niflaos bah, “a year which is imbued with wonders,” and niflaos bakol, “wonders in all things,” in a manner reflecting the threefold expression of blessing to our Patriarchs bakol mikol kol. As mentioned on other occasions, this expression is numerically equivalent to the word kabetz (קבץ), meaning “gather,” referring to the gathering in of all Jews to Eretz Yisrael. This will be hastened by our service in “Making this place Eretz Yisrael,” transforming our homes — and for children, their rooms — into a place which is representative of Eretz Yisrael.

This will bring about — as reflected in the verse “Out of Zion will come forth the Torah” — the revelation of “The new [dimensions of the] Torah which will emerge from Me” with the coming of the Redemption. Then we will celebrate Hakkafos together with G‑d Himself as our Sages relate, “In the Future, G‑d will make a dance for the righteous.”

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2. Our Sages declared, “When one comes to a city, one should follow its practices.”3 We find that in this country, there is a great emphasis placed on chinuch, “education.” Therefore, the positive dimensions of those educational practices should be followed and applied by Torah educators in the realm of holiness.

Jewish children are referred to with the name Tzivos Hashem. All those educators and teachers involved with Tzivos Hashem should now say LeChaim and together with the children, they should sing a niggun associated with Tzivos Hashem.4 This will serve as a preparation for the time when as in the exodus from Egypt, G‑d took out Tzivos Hashem, the entire Jewish people from exile. “With our youth and with our elders... with our sons and with our daughters,” we will proceed to the redemption and “As in the days of your exodus from Egypt, I will show you wonders.” As then, the redemption began with the young, similarly, in the ultimate redemption, the children will be first.

As mentioned above, Jewish children are referred to as Mishichoi. In particular, this has a connection to those who study in Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, for as the Rebbe Rashab explained, they are “soldiers of the House of David,”5 dedicated to bringing the Redemption.

We will soon proceed to hold Hakkafos together with G‑d Himself and we will dance in the Beis HaMikdash. This will be hastened by each person making his house — and by each child making his room — “a sanctuary in microcosm.”6

And then when “As in the days of your exodus from Egypt, I will show you wonders,” it will be revealed how “G‑d will rule forever and ever” with the coming of the complete Redemption. May this take place in the immediate future.

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3. Before Hakkafos, our Rabbis ordained that we recite seventeen verses from the Tanach beginning with the verse Atah Horaisa, “You have been shown so that you will know that G‑d is the L‑rd; there is nothing else aside from Him.” This verse refers to the giving of the Torah and not to the creation, for it was at the giving of the Torah when “G‑d split the heavens” and revealed Himself, allowing the Jews to see7 that “there is nothing else aside from Him.”

Similarly, this revelation allows the Jews to “know that G‑d is the L‑rd.” “The L‑rd” (Elokim) refers to G‑d as He is “the master of power and potential.” The ultimate purpose of all these potentials — and thus of all existence, spiritual and physical — is to reveal G‑d (Havayah).

The revelation at the giving of the Torah facilitates our service in preparing the world for the Future Redemption. Since, as the Tanya explains, the revelation of the giving of the Torah reflected the revelation of the Era of the Redemption, because that revelation was experienced previously, it will be easier for it to be experienced a second time.8

This is particularly true in the present era, when more than half the sixth millennia has passed. Similarly, many of the “appointed times for Mashiach’s coming” mentioned by our Rabbis have passed. Indeed as the Talmud states, “All the appointed times for Mashiach’s coming have passed.” The Talmud continues, “And the manner is dependent on teshuvah alone.” The Jewish people, however, have already completed the service of teshuvah. Indeed, they have completed all the services necessary for the Redemption to come, having — to borrow an expression of the Previous Rebbe — “polished the buttons” as it were.

(The use of the latter expression is significant, for the purpose of buttons is to establish unity, to join together to parts of a garment which would otherwise be separate.9 )

The actual coming of the Redemption will be hastened by the activities of Jewish children who are called Mishichoi. Some explain that this title was given to them because it was customary to anoint them as part of their introduction to Torah study. Without minimizing the importance of this custom — on the contrary, there are similar customs carried out today in connection with a child’s first stages of study — the ultimate reason why children are referred to as Mishichoi is because Mashiach is their only concern. This is evident when looking at the children who were educated in the previous year and will surely be evident in the conduct of the children to be educated in the present year.

And this year will truly be “a year imbued with wonders” including the ultimate wonder, the coming of the Redemption. This will be hastened by studying about the Redemption. (Herein there is a connection to the study of the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah — which concludes with the description of the Era of the Redemption as an age when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d10 as the waters fill up the ocean bed” — which will be completed in the near future.) This precipitates the time when “the Torah shall go forth from Zion,” with the coming of the Redemption. May it take place in the immediate future.

Afterwards, the Rebbe Shlita delivered two sichos in which he explained the connection between each of the seventeen verses of the Atah Horaisa with the ultimate Redemption. At the conclusion of the last sichah, he mentioned that it was Chabad custom to add the verse Bereishis 28:14 which contains the phrase Uforatzto at the end of the Atah Horaisa. He then recited that verse three times with the Chassidim answering him responsively.

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The Eve of Shemini Atzeres, 5752 (1991)

The Night Following Simchas Torah, 5752 (1991)

Footnotes

It is necessary for it to include both the services of the First and the Second Beis HaMikdash, for from a certain perspective, the service of the Second Beis HaMikdash surpassed that of the First. This is reflected in the fact that the Second Beis HaMikdash was larger and lasted longer than the First. In the era of the Second Beis HaMikdash, the Jews were able to occupy themselves in the study of Torah — particularly Pnimiyus HaTorah — and the observance of the mitzvos in the Beis HaMikdash for ten additional years.

Although it is stated that “the generation of the desert does not possess a portion in the World to Come,” this refers to the spiritual world of the souls and not to the Era of the Resurrection.

Furthermore, even in regard to the world of the souls, the statement that they do not possess a portion has to be understood in a positive context. Their service was so great that “a portion of the World to Come,” indeed, even the entire “World to Come,” could not be sufficient reward for them. It is only in this world, in the Era of the Resurrection when the souls will again descend to the material realm, that they can receive a full reward.

The obligation to follow this pattern is derived from Moshe our teacher who did not eat or drink for the forty days in which he was in the heavens. There are certain opinions who also cite the conduct of the angels who ate and drank when they visited Avraham. This, however, is not adequate proof. For the Jewish people possess an advantage over the angels and also, it is here in this world that the Torah must be observed. Accordingly, the proof of the above concept cannot be taken from the conduct of the angels. Instead, it must be derived from the conduct of Torah leaders like Moshe.

If the educators are presently involved with the celebration of Hakkafos, their assistants should say LeChaim on their behalf.

Herein there is a connection to Simchas Torah, for the sichah which gave the students of the Yeshivah this title was recited then.

This applies to even young children whose room is transformed into a place of holiness by hanging a Shir HaMaalos there. Herein, there is also a connection to the exodus from Egypt when young children, and indeed even fetuses in their mothers’ womb, joined in reciting songs of praise to G‑d.

Furthermore, their sight was in a perfect and complete manner which had an effect upon them. There are times when a person sees something, and yet the sight does not affect him at all. On other occasions, e.g., Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah which have a unique potential for qualities to be internalized, sight can have a powerful effect.

In particular, there will be a difference between the revelation at Mount Sinai and the revelation in the Era of the Redemption, for in the realm of holiness, there is no concept of mere repetition. Similarly, in the Era of the Redemption itself, there will be many different levels of revelation.

We see a similar process of joining in the curtains which served as a roof for the Sanctuary. There were three sets of curtains, the uppermost being the curtains of tachash hide. These curtains were unique, for the tachash existed at that time only.

This serves as a lesson in our service of G‑d. To explain: In regard to gold, our Sages said, “Gold was created for the sake of the Beis HaMikdash.” Nevertheless, although this is the purpose of gold’s creation, in practice gold is used for many other purposes. In contrast, the tachash ceased to exist after its hides were used for the Sanctuary’s roof.

In our service of G‑d, this relates to the service of “All your deeds shall be for the sake of heaven.” Our service should not be only related to G‑dliness, but also directed to other objectives (like gold), but directed to G‑d alone with no other raison d’etre (like the tachash). Service of this type will remove all the obstacles standing in the way of the Redemption.

10.

Herein there is a connection to the beginning of the Mishneh Torah, “The foundation of all foundations and the pillar of knowledge is to know that there is a Primary Being.” The knowledge spoken of by the Rambam also relates to the knowledge of G‑d referred to in the verse, Atah Horaisa.

A letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson

A free translation from a talk of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.

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A letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson