1. When Jews meet together and then part, each to return to his own place, it is important to know that only their bodies part while their souls, feelings and thought, remain united always, just as they were united when physically together.

The lofty nature of the unity engendered when Jews are together for a period of time is self-understood. It is only natural that when people who were previously separated meet in one place for a common purpose, the feeling of closeness and unity that occurs is much greater than that between people who are constantly together. Such unity is strengthened when during their stay together they meet in a synagogue and study-hall, a place where Jews pray to the “one G‑d” and learn the “one Torah.”

To ensure that the unity acquired during their stay together remains intact (and even increases) when each person is back at his home, it is necessary to strengthen and to increase in the concept of unity at the time of parting. This, as noted above, is accomplished by realizing that they part only physically, whereas their souls remain united always. Indeed, because each person resides in a different place solely to fulfill the common mission of all Jews — to make this world a dwelling place for G‑d — their separateness not only does not affect unity but unites them in their common goal, which each works at in his own place of residence.

The above is expressed by giving each of you a mission of tzedakah (as, please G‑d, I will give each of you a dollar to be given to tzedakah in your place of residence). Everyone is thereby united in this tzedakah-mission, especially since tzedakah is the idea of peace and unity — for by giving tzedakah, peace, friendship and unity is engendered between the giver and receiver of the tzedakah

Most importantly, each of you in your place of residence should increase in all aspects of the dissemination of Torah and mitzvos, particularly in tzedakah and deeds of loving kindness — both financially and with friendly encouragement. The friendly encouragement a Jew should extend to his fellow should be particularly in the reinforcement of the hope and certainty felt by every Jew that we are now in the last days of exile and we shall very soon leave exile to greet our righteous Mashiach. At that time Jews will be totally united, as written (Yirmeyahu 31:7), “A great congregation shall return here” — meaning, Jews will be assembled from all the corners of the world and will be united into a single entity (“congregation”).

Unity is emphasized particularly now, the period right after the 12th-13th of Tammuz, the days when the previous Rebbe was liberated from imprisonment. In a letter to the first celebration of the 12th-13th of Tammuz, the previous Rebbe writes: “G‑d did not redeem only me on the 12th of Tammuz, but also all those who hold our holy Torah dear, the observers of mitzvos, and also he who is a Jew but in name.” That is, the liberation of the previous Rebbe unites all Jews, for it was not just his individual liberation but that of all Jewry, even one who is a Jew only in name.

It should be noted, however, that there was only one liberation. There weren’t several liberations - one for the previous Rebbe, another for “those who hold our holy Torah dear, the observers of mitzvos,” and yet another for “he who is a Jew but in name.” Instead, there was one liberation for all: The previous Rebbe’s liberation was the liberation of every Jew.

Every year, on the 12th-13th of Tammuz, the original event is renewed and re-enacted with yet stronger enthusiasm, to be extended throughout the year. The unity between the previous Rebbe and every Jew should be recognized and felt on every day of the year, particularly the concept of liberation — meaning, one should help every Jew to be liberated from his personal exile (worries, etc.), from which we proceed to the general liberation of all Jews.

By Divine Providence we are gathered together on Monday of parshas Matos. The Alter Rebbe taught that Jews should “live” according to the lessons derived from the weekly parshah. It thus behooves us to derive a lesson from the section of the parshah learned today — the second section of parshas Matos — which stresses the idea of love and unity between Jews.

Chapter 31, verse 3 states: “Arm from among yourselves men ... to execute the vengeance of the L‑rd on Midian.” The Alter Rebbe explains (and the Rebbeim who succeeded him elaborate) that “Midian” derives from the roots “Riv U’Madon,” which means quarrel and strife — i.e., contention and divisions between Jews, instead of unity.

He explains further that quarrel and strife is the source of evil, and permits deficiencies in Torah and mitzvos — the antithesis of the true, inner dimension of a Jew which is that “he wants to observe all the mitzvos.”

The command, “Arm from among yourselves men ... to execute the vengeance of the L‑rd on Midian” means that every Jew must do everything in his power to abolish the idea of “Midian” and to bring about true love and unity between Jews — the basis of the whole Torah.

War against Midian, the abolition of strife and controversy between Jews, is important not just for Jews, but for G‑d too, for it is “the vengeance of the L‑rd on Midian.” When a Jew works to get rid of controversy and to bring peace and unity he thereby fulfills G‑d’s mission of “to execute the vengeance of the L‑rd on Midian.”

We learn a further lesson from the fact that in the war against Midian, “not a single man was lost” (31:49). Although the Jews were victorious in the other wars they waged, there were some casualties. In the war against Midian all Jewish soldiers returned safely. For this was a special war, “to execute the vengeance of the L‑rd on Midian,” led by “Pinchas the son of Elazor HaKohen,” who had began to exact vengeance against Midian even earlier [by killing Cozbi the daughter of Tzur, a chieftain of Midian — see Rashi, 31:6.] He blazed the path of how a Jew should be ready to sacrifice himself for the good of Jewry.

We learn from this that when a Jew wars against Midian spiritually — abolishing controversy and effecting love and unity between Jews — he is granted special strength to fully carry out this mission with joy and gladness, and is given the assurance that he shall return whole (in body, soul and even financially) from this spiritual war — “not a single man was lost.”

Since the idea of “Arm from among yourselves men ... to execute the vengeance of the L‑rd on Midian” is a command and halachah concerning love and unity between Jews, all that we have said about it may serve as “a matter of halachah,” consonant to our Sages’ directive, “A man should part from his fellow only with a matter of halachah.”

Moreover, this halachah is “a great principle in Torah,” and even more, “It is the whole Torah and the rest of it is its interpretation; go and learn.” That is, everything a person does in deed, speech and thought (according to Torah), becomes the “interpretation” of the command to love and unite with one’s fellow Jew.

When, therefore, Jews part one from another with this matter of halachah, strength is granted for each Jew’s service in all aspects of Torah and mitzvos — which in general are love and unity between Jews.

Since love of a fellow Jew is the whole Torah, increasing in love and unity to another Jew face to face effects an increase in all aspects of Torah and mitzvos, — in general, the closeness between Jews and G‑d, face to face. Through this we merit that “The L‑rd make His countenance shine upon you” — meaning, G‑d’s countenance shines upon all Jews, until He brings the true and complete redemption through our righteous Mashiach. Then all Jews shall leave exile, “with our youth and our elders, with our sons and our daughters,” — the whole people — taking with them the mitzvah of love and unity between Jews, and all other aspects of Torah and mitzvos — the whole Torah — and enter our Holy Land, “the land which the eyes of the L‑rd your G‑d are continually upon it from the beginning of the year until the end of the year” — the whole land, including that “the L‑rd your G‑d will broaden your borders.”

Yechidus to Bar Mitzvah Boys & Their Parents

2. May the Al-mighty grant blessings and success from His full, open, holy and ample hand to each of the Bar Mitzvah celebrants, and to all of them together, amidst all Israel, with all blessings for all necessities — necessities consonant to G‑d’s will. Foremost, that each of you may resolve to accept upon himself the yoke of Torah and the yoke of mitzvos, with joy and a good heart. This very resolution, undertaken with the utmost firmness, especially on the auspicious day of your Bar Mitzvah, enlarges and broadens the ability and opportunity for proper and full service to G‑d. And G‑d will certainly aid you to find complete success in this endeavor.

Consonant to the command, “Love your fellow as yourself;” may you also be a “lamp to illumine,” — a living example for everyone in your surroundings, children and adults, of how to serve G‑d — with joy and a good heart, increasing in service from day to day and from hour to hour. This is particularly so in the light of that noted previously (in the general yechidus), that the section of the weekly parshah read today emphasizes the concepts of love and unity between Jews. It talks of the mission given to each Jew to “execute the vengeance of the L‑rd on Midian” — to totally abolish strife and division between Jews and to increase in true love of a Jew, extending to unity between Jews which is connected with the “one Torah” given by the “one G‑d.”

Love of a Jew is emphasized particularly in the case of a Bar Mitzvah. When a child turns Bar Mitzvah, he becomes obligated to observe all the Torah’s mitzvos. Since love of a Jew is the whole Torah, special attention must be paid to this mitzvah at the time of Bar Mitzvah.

It is when all Jews are united, that G‑d’s blessings are bestowed upon us — “Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your countenance,” and “The L‑rd make His countenance shine upon you” — upon each and every one of the Bar Mitzvah celebrants, their parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, all the members of their family, amidst all Israel — in all their needs, extending to the principal blessing: the abolition of the exile and the meriting of the true and complete redemption through our righteous Mashiach.

It is a good custom for the Bar Mitzvah celebrant, on the day of his Bar Mitzvah, to give tzedakah from his own money. If the Bar Mitzvah is on Shabbos, he should give tzedakah on erev Shabbos and on the day after Shabbos. It is also a good thing for the parents of the Bar Mitzvah celebrant, and those close to them, to give tzedakah in the Bar Mitzvah celebrant’s merit.

Also, it is proper that on the day of his Bar Mitzvah each of the Bar Mitzvah celebrants learn the fourteenth psalm of Tehillim, the book of King David, the “Sweet Singer of Israel.” [Those that are already Bar Mitzvah should do the above (giving tzedakah and learning the 14th psalm) today or tomorrow.]

These acts, especially the mitzvah of tzedakah which is equal to all the mitzvos, act as extra blessings for everything associated with the Bar Mitzvah, to fulfill the celebrant’s resolution to be a chassid, a G‑d-fearing person and a scholar — as is G‑d’s wish — and in an ever-increasing manner.

As my participation in the above, I shall give each of the Bar Mitzvah celebrants and their relatives present, a dollar to be given to tzedakah. All these tzedakahs will combine to hasten the redemption, as our Sages have said (B. Basra 10a), “Great is Tzedakah for it hastens the redemption.”

Yechidus to Chassanim & Kallos

3. May the Al-mighty grant blessings and success to each and everyone of the grooms and brides, and all of you together, in all that is necessary. Particularly, that the preparations to the wedding be proper, in the spirit of Judaism and Chassidus, and with success. May the wedding itself be in a good and successful time — an everlasting edifice [built] upon the foundations of Torah and mitzvos.

As preparation to this, before the wedding the grooms and brides will surely increase in the dissemination of Judaism, Torah and mitzvos, and all worthy matters, with joy and a good heart. This is the appropriate preparation for their home to be an everlasting edifice, “a meeting place for Sages,” a home in which sons and daughters occupied in Torah and mitzvos will be raised; a home in which sages, knowing that it is a Jewish and Chassidic home, will gather in the wisdom of Torah. The greater the increase in those preparations appropriate to the blessings in which the grooms and brides desire to be blessed — in our case, an increase in the dissemination of Torah and Judaism appropriate to the blessing for an everlasting edifice and a home which is a meeting place for sages — the greater the increase in the blessings merited.

Our Sages have said (Kiddushin 40a), “G‑d joins a good thought to deed.” Chassidus explains (Tanya, ch. 16; Sefer HaMaamarim 5702, p. 87) that this means that G‑d arranges circumstances to ensure that the good thought which a Jew had [but which could not be carried out right away] be actually implemented in deed — and then the thought and deed are joined together to make a complete entity.

The mitzvah of tzedakah is “the cup of deliverance,” for through it we merit G‑d’s tzedakah for all one’s needs in full measure, from His full, open, holy and ample hand. Most particularly, when one is about to erect an everlasting edifice — which needs blessings in the broadest and deepest measure — it is proper that the groom and bride, on the morning of their wedding, give tzedakah from their own money. It is as well that their parents and all those who wish them well do likewise.

Together with giving tzedakah they should also resolve to increase in all aspects of Judaism, especially in the area of love and unity between Jews. The mitzvah of tzedakah itself is an act which expresses love of and unity between Jews, for tzedakah can be given to all people, even to a wealthy person — by helping him with good advice, and by influencing him to increase in matters of Judaism, with joy and a good heart.

All this will elicit extra blessings of success for yourselves and your families in all one’s needs, especially in those things associated with the wedding: the preparations to the wedding, the wedding itself, (may it be in a good and successful hour), and the seven days of rejoicing — for good and long days and years, with sons and daughters occupied in Torah and its mitzvos, raised to Torah, to marriage and to good deeds.

As participation in a joyful matter, particularly in the joy of a groom and bride which transcends all bounds — especially since this joy hastens the fulfillment of the promise, “There shall yet be heard ... in the cities of Yehudah and in the streets of Yerushalayim the sound of joy and the sound of happiness,” with the coming of our righteous Mashiach — I shall give each of you a dollar to be combined with the tzedakah you will give of your own money.

Our Sages have said (B. Basra 10a), “Great is Tzedakah for it hastens the redemption.” This applies to even one act of tzedakah, and certainly when a number of Jews give tzedakah, and most certainly so when a groom and bride give tzedakah, for Torah equates a groom and bride to a king and queen, who rule the whole country. Thus, all these tzedakahs will surely hasten the true and complete redemption, may it be speedily in our times.

Then we merit to go from one joy to another: From the joy of a wedding among Jews (starting with the joy connected with “the vengeance of the L‑rd on Midian,” meaning the abolition of all strife and controversy since there will be only “love friendship, harmony, and fellowship” between Jews) to the joy connected with the coming of our righteous Mashiach, when the marriage between G‑d and Jewry will take place — with joy and a good heart, may it be speedily in our days.