לקוטי שיחות חלק יד - עקב - כ' מנחם אב

Although the Luchos themselves possessed holiness, through becoming united with the “writing of G‑d,” they were elevated to an even higher level. When they descended from that higher level, it was considered such a profound decline that they were described as having “no substance.”

From the juxtaposition of the breaking of the Luchos with the passing of Aharon, our Sages derived that “the passing of the righteous is as grievous as the breaking of the Luchos.”

Although the breaking of the Luchos was “grievous,” we nevertheless find that it also possessed a positive quality. When the Jewish people went out to war, they took with them the Aron that contained the broken pieces of the Luchos. We must therefore say that the broken Luchos possessed a unique advantage.

This can be understood by first considering the Midrash which relates that when Moshe saw the letters fly from the Luchos, he said, “How can I give them to the Jewish people? They have no substance.”

This requires explanation. Even though the “writing of G‑d”—the letters—had flown away, how could it be said that the Luchos themselves, which were “the work of G‑d,” had no substance?

The explanation is that although the Luchos themselves possessed holiness, when they became united—“engraved”—with the “writing of G‑d,” they were elevated to a much higher level. When they descended from that higher level, this was considered such a profound decline that they were described as having “no substance.”

This is also the connection to “the passing of the righteous.” The body itself possesses holiness. However, through its union with the soul, the body is elevated to a higher level. When this elevation is withdrawn, it constitutes an exceedingly great descent.

Accordingly, we can understand why the broken Luchos were taken out to war. They awakened the Jewish people to recognize that they could not be satisfied with the qualities and levels they had already attained. Rather, they must continually strive to rise to even higher levels.

This is also connected with the passing of the righteous, for “Torah scholars have no rest, as it is stated: ‘They shall go from strength to strength.’”

The purpose of the descent is that there should afterward be an incomparably greater ascent in Gan Eden. As is well known, in order to rise to a level that is entirely beyond one’s previous state, the previous level must first be nullified. This process is reawakened each year on the day of the tzaddik’s passing.

From this we can understand the significance of the yahrzeit of my revered father, who passed away in exile. His passing in exile represents a descent, but through that descent there is an incomparably greater ascent. This elevation is renewed and repeated each year on the day of his yahrzeit.