אַז מעֶן געֶהט אִין גאַס אוּן מעֶן טְראַכְט מִשְׁנָיוֹת תַּנְיָא, אוּן מְ'זִיצְט אִין קְראָם (סְטאָר) מִיט אַ חוּמָשׁ, אַ תְּהִלִּים, אִיז אִיצְט אִיז דאָס טַייעֶרעֶר, וִוי אִין דעֶר צַייט, וועֶן אִין גאַס (סְטרִיט) אִיז געֶוועֶן לִיכְטִיג בְּאוֹר תּוֹרָה. מְ'טאָר נִיט געֶהן אִין גאַס אַלִבָּא רֵקָנְיָא, מעֶן דאַרף האָבּעֶן תּוֹרָה, מִיט וואָס צוּ געֶהן אִין גאַס.

When a person walks down the street and mentally reviews passages from Mishnayos or Tanya, or sits in his store with a Chumash or a Tehillim, this is more cherished [Above] than [in previous ages], when the street shone with the light of Torah. One must not go out in the street emptyhanded. One must be equipped with words of Torah with which one can walk in the street.1

To Fill In the Background

This passage was taken from a sichah delivered in 5695 (1935), in which the Rebbe Rayatz, speaking of former yeshivah students who were now fending for themselves, lamented their preoccupation with material affairs: “Certainly, one must have an occupation, but why pursue it so wholeheartedly? … Why take pleasure in it? … While walking in the street, people don’t think about what they should. Most likely, they are far removed from thinking about what they shouldn’t, but they don’t think about what they should. We go about empty…. We don’t watch our time vigilantly. But the moments are precious. It’s Friday, just before nightfall!”2