הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק אָמַר בְּסִיּוּם סִפּוּר הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל (כ' אֲדָר שֵׁנִי): זְקֵנִי — רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן — הוּא מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ דְּתוֹרַת חֲסִידוּת חַבַּ"ד. בְּמֹשֶׁה אָמְרוּ רַזַ"ל שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה נִתְּנָה לוֹ, אֶלָּא שֶׁנָּהַג בָּהּ טוּב עַיִן. אֵשׁ תָּמִיד הָאֱלֹקִי הַנּוֹגֵעַ לְתוֹרַת חֲסִידוּת חַבַּ"ד נָתַן הָרַב הַמַּגִּיד לִזְקֵנִי, וּזְקֵנִי נָהַג בָּהּ טוּב עַיִן וַיִּתְּנָהּ לְכָל הָעוֹסְקִים בְּתוֹרַת הַחֲסִידוּת. בָּרוּר לִי אֲשֶׁר כָּל הַלּוֹמֵד עִם חֲבֵרוֹ וּמְעוֹרֵר בּוֹ אֶת הָאֵשׁ תָּמִיד הָאֱלֹקִי, הִנֵּה שְׂכָרוֹ אִתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר זְכוּתוֹ זֶה לֹא תִכְבֶּה לָעַד.

After relaying the narration that appears in the entry for 20 Adar II above, the Tzemach Tzedek said: “My grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, was the Moshe Rabbeinu of the teachings of Chabad Chassidus. With regard to Moshe, our Sages said:1 ‘The Torah was given to him, but he was generous [and gave it to the entire Jewish people].’ The Maggid [of Mezritch] gave my grandfather the constant Divine fire of the teachings of Chassidus Chabad. My grandfather was generous with it and gave it to all those whose study Chassidus.

“It is clear to me that whoever teaches a fellow Jew and arouses in him the constant G‑dly fire will receive his just reward; his merit will never be extinguished.”

Peering Over the Horizon

During the farbrengen at which he formally accepted the mantle of leadership,2 the Rebbe explained that Moshe could have constructed the entire Sanctuary himself. He refrained from doing so, however, in order to allow the entire Jewish people to participate in the endeavor. Similarly, the Rebbe continued, the Rebbeim of past generations did not want to make the campaign to bring Mashiach their private endeavor; rather, they desired that it should be the shared undertaking of the Jewish people as a whole, and of each individual in particular.