שַׁבָּת פָּרָשַׁת תֵּצֵא תּר"ג בְּשׁוּלְחַן קִדּוּשׁ הַיּוֹם הוֹאִיל הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק לֵאמֹר: עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הוּא עַלְמָא דְּשִׁיקְרָא, לָכֵן הִנֵּה גַם בְּהַטּוֹב מְעוֹרָב פְּסוֹלֶת, וְצָרִיךְ בֵּרוּר בְּדֶרֶךְ מִלְּמַטָּה לְמַעְלָה וּבְדֶרֶךְ מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה. הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא הוּא עַלְמָא דִקְשׁוֹט — הִנֵּה גַם הַדְּבָרִים בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה הַמְדַבְּרִים בְּעִנְיָנִים הַנִּרְאִים לְחִסָּרוֹן, הֲרֵי כְּמוֹ שֶׁלּוֹמְדִים אוֹתָם בְּגַן עֵדֶן הֵם מַעֲלָה. — וְהִתְחִיל לְנַגֵּן, וְהֶרְאָה בְּיָדוֹ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה לְאוֹת כִּי יְנַגְּנוּ אִתּוֹ. בְּנֵי הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק הִתְחִילוּ לְנַגֵּן וְאַחֲרֵיהֶם עָנוּ כָּל הַחֲסִידִים בְּקוֹל שִׁיר שֶׁהִלְהִיב הַלְּבָבוֹת. — כְּשֶׁגָּמַר לְנַגֵּן אָמַר הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק: בְּעַלְמָא דֵין אִיז דעֶר טַייטְשׁ פוּן דעֶם מַאֲמָר (סַנְהֶדְרִין צט. ב) הַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה לִפְרָקִים אַז עֶר לעֶרעֶנט תּוֹרָה צַייטעֶנוַוייז. אִין גַן עֵדֶן טַייטְשְׁט מעֶן דעֶם מַאֲמָר אַז עֶר לעֶרעֶנט תּוֹרָה אוּן דִי תּוֹרָה נעֶהמְט אִיהם פאַנאַדעֶר, דִי דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה דעֶרנעֶמעֶן אִיהְם.

On Shabbos Parshas [Ki] Seitzei, 5603 (1843),1 at the daytime Shabbos meal, the Tzemach Tzedek said: “This World is a world of falsehood. Therefore, even the good is mixed with dross and requires refinement — working upwards from below2 and working downwards from above.3 [By contrast,] the World to Come4 is the World of Truth. Thus, even when the Torah discusses issues that appear to be shortcomings, when studied in Gan Eden they are [understood as] positive qualities.”

He began to sing a niggun5 and motioned that those around him should join him. His sons began, and then all the chassidim joined in the heart-stirring melody.

When it came to an end, the Tzemach Tzedek said [by way of example]: “There is a Talmudic phrase, ‘One who studies Torah lifrakim’ (Sanhedrin 99b). In our material world, this phrase means ‘one who studies Torah from time to time.’ In Gan Eden, it is understood as referring to one who studies the Torah and the Torah takes him apart.6 The words of the Torah permeate his very being.”7

To Fill In the Background

Chassidim have always highlighted the spiritual growth that Torah study should inspire. In that vein, a story is told about a student who sought admission as a resident scholar in the village of Lubavitch. When he related to the Tzemach Tzedek the scope of his Torah knowledge — he had studied the Babylonian Talmud, theJerusalem Talmud, the Midrashim — the Rebbe responded: “Don’t tell me how muchTorah you have mastered. Tell me how much the Torah has mastered you.”

That is the message conveyed by the final point of the above teaching. But why the preface about the difference between This World and the next?

Perhaps the Tzemach Tzedek was intimating that our Divine service helps us navigate the transition from the falsehood of This World to the truth of the World to Come. That, however, is possible only when the Torah permeates our entire being and directs our conduct.