Yud Shevat
1. The holy letter of the Baal Shem Tov is well known,1 in which he relates the question he asked Moshiach: "אימתי קא אתי מר" ("When will the Master come?") — when will Moshiach come? And Moshiach's answer: "לכשיפוצו מעינותיך חוצה" ("When your wellsprings will be spread outward") — that he will come when the wellsprings of Chassidus will be disseminated outward.
All matters are, after all, alluded to in the Torah.2 The Targum says on the verse3 "ובני ישראל יוצאים ביד רמה" ("And the Children of Israel were going out with an upraised hand") — "בריש גלי" ("with head uncovered," i.e., openly). It is stated in sefarim that the word "בריש" alludes to the Baal Shem Tov: בריש is an acronym of "R' Yisrael ben Sarah," and also of "R' Yisrael Baal Shem."4
It is also stated in sefarim that the word "בריש" alludes to the Rashbi: בריש is an acronym of "R' Shimon bar Yochai."4 And also to the Arizal: "R' Yitzchak ben Shlomo." For through the Torah of the Rashbi and the Arizal5 the Redemption will come — "And the Children of Israel were going out with an upraised hand." As it says in the Zohar:6 "האי ספר הזהר יפקון בי׳ מן גלותא ברחמים" ("With this book, the Zohar, they will go out of exile with mercy"). Now, the Rashbi and also the Arizal revealed the inner dimension of the Torah only to select individuals, and that too with limitations, whereas the coming of Moshiach will take place only when the inner dimension of the Torah will be revealed specifically in a manner of dissemination,7 everywhere, even reaching "outward." This began with the Baal Shem Tov, who began revealing Chassidus to everyone, without limitations.
2. In the Torah everything is precise. So it is also precise that the allusion to the Rashbi, the Arizal and the Baal Shem Tov is not in the wording of the verse itself, but in the Targum.
The plain meaning of the verse speaks of the Exodus from Egypt. But since the exile of Egypt is the root of all the exiles,8 and the Exodus from Egypt is the root of all the redemptions, this verse about the Exodus from Egypt also alludes to the future Redemption through Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
In the Targum, however, the future Redemption is alluded to more openly. The translation of the Torah from the Holy Tongue into a language of exile, in the Targum, came about because in the time of exile not everyone understood the Holy Tongue. This means that through the Targum, Torah and the Holy Tongue were drawn down also into a secular language, so that the mundane, too, should become holy.9 And this is a preparation for the future Redemption.
At the Redemption from Egypt, evil remained in its full strength, which is why the Jews had to flee from the evil10 — "כי ברח העם" ("for the people had fled"). It will be different at the future Redemption, concerning which it is written:11 "ואת רוח הטומאה אעביר מן הארץ" ("And I will remove the spirit of impurity from the land"); evil and impurity will then disappear entirely. Therefore, at the future Redemption there will be no need to flee — "כי לא בחפזון תצאו ובמנוסה לא תלכון" ("For you shall not go out in haste, nor shall you go in flight"),12 but rather "וראו כל בשר יחדיו" ("and all flesh together shall see"),13 meaning that even the physical flesh here below will perceive G‑dliness tangibly.
And this is why it is specifically in the Targum that the names of the Rashbi, the Arizal and the Baal Shem Tov are alluded to: because their Torah must be in a manner of "your wellsprings will be spread outward" (not fleeing from the "outside," but on the contrary, spreading the wellsprings of the inner dimension of the Torah there), just as the Targum brings the Holy Tongue and Torah into the mundane and into the "outside" — through which the future Redemption will come about.
3. A Jew wrote to me in a letter that the word "בריש" also alludes to the Rebbe whose hilula [we are marking]: ר' — Rebbe; י' — Yosef Yitzchak; ב' — ben (son of); ש' — Sholom (Dovber), and also Shterna Sarah (the Rebbe's mother).
Although, as a rule, it is not the way to devise one's own acronyms and allusions, nevertheless, regarding matters which in themselves are clear and correct, there is room to speak of an allusion to them as well. Every conduct and path in the world is more appealing if one finds its parallel (at least a distant parallel) in matters of Torah. In our case one can say that this is similar to what the Rambam says in his introduction to the Commentary on the Mishnah, regarding the esrog, the hadas, etc., which the Gemara derives from verses: it is not that without these derivations people would not have known what "פרי עץ הדר" ("the fruit of a beautiful tree") etc. means. Rather, Jews in every generation knew, by tradition from Moshe Rabbeinu, generation after generation, what the four kinds are; but since everything is alluded to in the Torah, the Sages searched for and found an allusion to it, too, in the verses of the Torah.
4. As mentioned earlier, the beginning of revealing Chassidus to everyone, without any limitations, started with the Baal Shem Tov. As is known, the Baal Shem Tov went from city to city and from village to village and spoke matters of the teachings of Chassidus even to the very simplest people. However, so that the simple people should be able to grasp it, the Baal Shem Tov brought the matters of Chassidus down to their level, in stories, short Torah sayings and the like, and within these were secrets and secrets of secrets.
The conduct of the Maggid of Mezritch — the disciple and successor of the Baal Shem Tov — was to speak Chassidus openly (not clothed in the garments of stories and the like), but this was only for his disciples and great Torah scholars, not for everyone.
The conduct of the Alter Rebbe — the disciple and successor of the Maggid — and of the Rebbeim who succeeded him, was to clothe the matters of Chassidus in intellect, so that human intellect, too, should be able to grasp the teachings of Chassidus. And this is the achievement of Chabad Chassidus: to reveal Chassidus to all Jews, not only to select individuals who are connected to it by virtue of the greatness of their souls or by virtue of their Divine service. This was especially so after the Redemption of Yud-Tes Kislev.14
Through this, over the course of time, the circle of those who study the wellsprings of the teachings of Chassidus grew ever larger and wider — and great is study that leads to action — the Chassidic way of conduct.
Nevertheless, the teachings of Chassidus were still not so accessible to everyone, because only people of intellect could understand the teachings of Chassidus. The ways of Chassidus were for everyone, also for simple people, but the teachings of Chassidus could be understood only by people of intellect. Also with regard to publicizing Chassidus, there was a distinction between Chassidim and non-Chassidim. The circle of Chassidim indeed kept growing, but there still remained two circles: Chassidim and non-Chassidim.
The conduct of the Rebbe whose hilula [we are marking] was to speak Chassidus to everyone, without any limitations. Wherever the Rebbe came, he spoke Chassidus, without considering whether it was a Chassidic place or not. Moreover: the Rebbe made a special, great effort that even those who were still lacking in the observance of mitzvos should study the teachings of Chassidus. He brought Chassidus down and made it understandable also to those lacking in knowledge, to the point that even for those who understand neither the Holy Tongue nor even Yiddish, the Rebbe directed that Chassidus be translated for them into the language of the land.
And one can perhaps say that in this the conduct of the Rebbe resembles the conduct of the Baal Shem Tov: both of them spoke the teachings of Chassidus in a manner suited to everyone, also to simple people, and both of them also disseminated Chassidus in all circles — without limitations. Other Rebbeim made going and living in the ways of Chassidus accessible to everyone, also to simple people. The Baal Shem Tov and the Rebbe gave all Jews not only the ways of Chassidus but also the teachings of Chassidus.
5. The Baal Shem Tov, as said, brought Chassidus down and clothed it in stories and the like, and told them to simple people, and in short Torah sayings. Now, although within the Torah sayings and even within the stories there were indeed secrets of secrets, the simple people took from them, openly, only the stories or the short saying, and not the inner content, the secrets contained in the Torah saying or in the stories.
The Rebbe, however, revealed the teachings of Chassidus so that everyone would be able to understand it. He did indeed bring it down into simple matters, in plain letters, yet the recipients nevertheless grasped that it was Chassidus being spoken, and at the very least they too took from it some small fraction of the secrets.
That is to say: the position in the dissemination of the teachings of Chassidus, in the manner required as the close and truly immediate preparation for the coming of Moshiach — for Moshiach will come openly and openly to all Jews, and therefore the preparation for it, the dissemination of the teachings of Chassidus, must also reach all Jews in an open manner — this position was taken by the Rebbe.
The Rebbe was the one who took the precious stone in the king's crown, upon which the entire value of the crown depends, as in the well-known parable,15 and brought it down even into English and French, etc. It is thus understood that the Rebbe was the one who made the final, truly the final preparation for the Redemption, the true Redemption — which, as the Rambam clearly rules, [describing] how it will begin and the entire order in which the Redemption will proceed:16 [the text continues on the next page]
Notes
1) See above, p. 794, notes 29 and 30. For an explanation of the matter, see the sicha of Simchas Torah 5690 (Likkutei Dibburim, vol. 2, p. 572 ff.).
2) Zohar III, 221a. See also Bava Kamma 92a.
3) Shemos 14:8.
4) Cited in Degel Machaneh Ephraim, on this verse.
5) See the introduction to the sefer Kisei Melech, Mikdash Melech.
6) Zohar III, 124b. See also Iggeres HaKodesh, sec. 26.
7) As is precisely stated in Tikkunei Zohar (end of Tikkun 6), in the words of Eliyahu HaNavi, the herald of the Redemption from this exile of ours (to the Rashbi): "Many people below will be sustained by this work of yours when it will be revealed below in the last generation at the end of days, and on its account 'You shall proclaim liberty throughout the land' etc." And in Kisei Melech there, he explains and emphasizes: "Specifically 'in the last generation,' close to the days of Moshiach etc. (even though) it was revealed several hundred years ago etc. (for the study must be specifically in a manner of) 'they will be sustained' etc. — its profound statements will be explained through the introductions revealed by the Arizal etc., so that they will understand etc. For one who studies by mere recitation, although he has a good reward etc., nevertheless the special quality of 'on its account, You shall proclaim liberty' is when they will be sustained and study the explanations of the statements etc." See also the introduction of R. Chaim Vital to Shaar HaHakdamos.
8) See Vayikra Rabbah 13:5.
9) See above, Parshas Va'eira. Torah Or, Mishpatim, the maamar beginning "Vayiru... livnas hasapir."
10) Tanya, ch. 31.
11) Zechariah 13:2.
12) Yeshayahu 52:12. See also the Hemshech "V'kachah" 5637, at its end.
13) Ibid. 40:5.
14) See the sicha of Yud-Tes Kislev 5688 (Toras Shalom, p. 112 ff.).
15) [The text of this note is not on this page — OCR unclear / continues on the next page.]
16) [The text of this note is not on this page — OCR unclear / continues on the next page.]
Key Lesson
Moshiach comes when the wellsprings of Chassidus are spread "outward" — not fleeing the mundane world, but bringing the inner dimension of the Torah into it, as the Targum brought the Holy Tongue into a foreign language. The Previous Rebbe, like the Baal Shem Tov, gave the teachings of Chassidus to every Jew without limitation, making the final preparation for the Redemption; we continue this by spreading Chassidus everywhere and to everyone.