Day 46 of the Omer

אָנָּא בְּכֹחַ — דְּקַבָּלַת שַׁבָּת — אוֹמְרִים בְּלַחַשׁ. וּפְרוֹשׂ עָלֵינוּ כו' — בְּקַבָּלַת שַׁבָּת — בַּעֲמִידָה.

In [Friday evening’s welcoming] Kabbalas Shabbos service, the passage beginning Ana Becho’ach1 is said in a whisper.

In [Friday evening’s welcoming] Kabbalas Shabbos service, one stands when one reaches the words u’fros aleinu.2

בִּשְׁנַת תקפ"ט חָל שַׁבָּת פָּרָשַׁת בַּמִּדְבָּר ה' בְּסִיוָן. קוֹדֶם הַדְלָקַת נֵרוֹת שֶׁל שַׁבָּת אָמַר הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק מַאֲמָר שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ גוֹ' אֲבוֹתָם. פֵּרוּשׁ שְׂאוּ כְּפֵרוּשׁ הָרַב אַבְרָהָם בֶּן עֶזְרָא מֵעִנְיַן כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ. וּבֵאוּר הָעִנְיָן שֶׁעַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת הֲאָרַת הַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁבַּגּוּף, נַעֲשָׂה עֲלִיָה בְּרֹאשׁ וְעֶצֶם הַנְּשָׁמָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִיא לְמַעְלָה וְהִסְבִּיר כַּמָּה פְּסוּקִים וּמַאֲמָרֵי זֹהַר וּמִדְרָשׁ. בְּשַׁבָּת בַּצָּהֳרַיִם אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ הַדְּרוּשׁ וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי לְעוֹלָם וּבֵאוּרוֹ שֶׁנִּדְפְּסוּ בְּלִקּוּטֵי תּוֹרָה. בְּיוֹם א דְּחַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ אֶת הַדְּרוּשׁ וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם וּבֵאוּרוֹ — שֶׁנִּדְפְּסוּ בְּלִקוּטֵי תּוֹרָה. בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי דְּחַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת בִּסְעוּדַּת יוֹם טוֹב אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ אֶת הַדְּרוּשׁ וְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא, וְהוּא בֵּאוּר הַשֵּׁנִי בְּעִנְיַן תִּסְפְּרוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם הַנִּדְפָס בְּלִקּוּטֵי תּוֹרָה.

In the year 5589 (1829), the Shabbos of Parshas Bamidbar fell on the fifth of Sivan.3 Before candle-lighting, the Tzemach Tzedek delivered a maamar on the phrase,4 Se’u es rosh, interpreting its first word in the spirit of Ibn Ezra’s comment on the verse,5 Ki sisa es rosh. He explained that through the Divine service carried out by the ray of the soul that is enclothed in the body, the apex and essence of the soul as it exists in the spiritual realms is elevated. [In this context,] he explained several verses and statements of the Zohar and the Midrash.

At midday on Shabbos, he delivered a maamar on the verse beginning Ve’eirastich li leolam,6 together with an explanation that appears with it in Likkutei Torah.7 On the first day of Shavuos he delivered a maamar on the verse beginning U’Sfartem lachem,8 together with an explanation that is appended to it in Likkutei Torah.9 On the second day of Shavuos, during the festive meal, he delivered the maamar that begins, Vehachochmah me’ayin timatzei.10 This appears in Likkutei Torah11 as the “second explanation” of the concept of counting fifty days.12

To Fill In the Background

When a Rebbe delivers a maamar on Shabbos or on a festival,it is obviously impossible for the chassidim to transcribe it. What then do they do? They spend the rest of the day in small groups, jointly reconstructing the maamar from memory, delving into all of its intricacies, with each participant adding to another’s recollection.13

How rich the above-described Shavuosmust have been! The chassidim of the Tzemach Tzedek must have spent the entire festival living with the four maamarim that they heard.