לקוטי שיחות חלק לט - תבא

1. Rabbi Yochanan said, "There are three keys in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, that were not entrusted to a messenger. These are the key of rain, the key of childbirth, and the key of the resurrection of the dead. The key of rain, as it is written, 'The L‑rd will open for you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season.' In the West, they say there is also the key of sustenance, as it is written, 'You open Your hand, etc.' And why does Rabbi Yochanan not count this? He would say, 'Rain is also sustenance.'

At first glance, it seems that Rabbi Yochanan is speaking in general terms, and in a general sense, "rain is also sustenance," as Rashi explains, "for seeds and fruits grow from them (from rain) for the sustenance of the world." In the West, they specify more, and therefore they count "sustenance" as a separate key. Although generally rain is the source of the world's sustenance, nevertheless, in detail, there is sustenance that does not come through rain (and conversely, there is rain that does not directly affect sustenance, as it does not fall in the proper measure for seeds and fruits to grow from it), therefore they consider "sustenance" as a separate key.

However, this does not seem to be the implication from the style of the Gemara's words, "And why does Rabbi Yochanan not count this? He would say, etc.," as the simple language indicates that there is a dispute here, and these are two opinions on the matter.

2. We can explain the reasoning behind the dispute by first addressing the question raised by the commentators on Rabbi Yochanan's statement, "He would say, 'Rain is also sustenance,'" for Rabbi Yochanan himself later says, "Rain is for an individual, sustenance is for the many. Rain is for an individual, as it is written, 'The L‑rd will open for you His good treasure to give the rain of your land,' sustenance is for the many, as it is written, 'Behold, I will rain bread for you.'" Thus, even according to Rabbi Yochanan, rain and sustenance are two separate matters.

We can say, based on Rashi's explanation of the Gemara's words there, "Rain is for an individual, for if rain is needed only for one person, such as if he sowed after the time of others or lives in a city of non-Jews and needs rain, it comes in his merit. Sustenance, abundant goodness that sustains the whole world, does not come in the merit of one individual but for the many. If many need abundance, that blessing is sent into the produce if they are deserving. But for an individual who needs his produce to be blessed, G‑d does not change the decree of the year for him, only according to His blessings. Although He may send rain for an individual to improve his produce so it is not inferior to others, He does not make his field like a field of abundance."

Accordingly, the term "sustenance" there refers to a special abundance in a manner of satiation, and thus it is understood that only in this manner are rain and sustenance two separate matters.

The Maharsha in his commentary explains, "Rain, which is only necessary for sustenance and is given naturally from the heavens if there is a need for an individual, is given in his merit. But sustenance itself, in a manner that it comes from the heavens, such as the manna and the well, is a miraculous matter and comes only for the many."

Based on this, we could explain the difference between Rabbi Yochanan's opinion and that of those in the West. Rabbi Yochanan, who says "Rain is also sustenance," speaks of regular sustenance, not in a manner of special satiation, nor sustenance that comes openly from above. In contrast, those in the West, who consider sustenance as a separate key, refer to sustenance as a special influence from the Holy One, blessed be He, which comes only for the many.

However, according to this, the Gemara's question remains difficult: "And why does Rabbi Yochanan not count this?" That is, why does Rabbi Yochanan only consider sustenance included in rain (and thus there are only three keys), and not also count this key of sustenance that is not included in "rain," which is a separate key that comes from G‑d and was not entrusted to a messenger?

3. Therefore, it seems to me that Rabbi Yochanan and those in the West are both speaking about the same type of "sustenance," but they disagree on whether "sustenance" requires a special "key," or if it is included in the "key" of rain.

And the explanation of the matter is:

4. "Rain" and "sustenance" generally refer to the influence of food and human needs, with the distinction between them being that "rain" indicates the influence of sustenance from above, as in "And I will give your rains in their season." In contrast, the term "sustenance" typically describes the reception of this influence, where a person is sustained and nourished by it. This is also straightforward, as "rain" comes from above and causes growth, etc., whereas "sustenance" comes through human work and effort, such as plowing, sowing, and reaping.

According to this, the difference between Rabbi Yochanan and those in the West is that Rabbi Yochanan speaks about the "keys" of things as they come from the Holy One, blessed be He, the giver. Therefore, he considers only "rain" and not sustenance (since sustenance is not the influence of the Holy One, blessed be He, by itself, but rather it is the work of man that the influence of the Holy One, blessed be He, is received by him). However, those in the West also speak from the perspective of the recipient, as the influence of food becomes "sustenance," and therefore they also consider "sustenance."

[According to this explanation, the alignment with the number of keys is also understood. For Rabbi Yochanan, there are three keys, and for those in the West, there are four: the difference between the letter ג and the letter ד is — "Gomel Dalim," meaning that the letter ג indicates the source of influence, the "bestower of kindness," and the letter ד indicates the "poor," the recipients of the influence. From this, it is also understood regarding the gematria of these letters — the number ג and the number ד, that the number ג indicates giving, as it is from the perspective of the giver ("gomel"), whereas ד indicates as it is from the perspective of the recipient (the "poor").]

5. However, further explanation is needed, for the content explained in this sugya is about "keys in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, that were not entrusted to a messenger," meaning that the nature of these "keys" is that they all come from the Holy One, blessed be He, without an intermediary. If so, what is the meaning of "in the West they say even the key of sustenance," considering "sustenance" as a separate key because sustenance is something dependent on and related to human effort (and therefore is not a detail in the key of "rain") — according to this, how can it be said that this is a "key" that is only in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He?

This can be explained by prefacing with what our Sages explained regarding the descent of rain from above, that one of the reasons for this is so that "everyone should look upward." That is, the fact that the sustenance of creatures depends on rain coming from above and not on something that is within human capacity to do (as in the land of Egypt, where the watering of fields is "with your foot"), instills in them the proper recognition that all their sustenance and life (and not just the rain) is by the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself.

[This is also the advantage of the Land of Israel over other lands, that "the Holy One, blessed be He, waters it Himself, and the entire world through a messenger," that in the Land of Israel it is openly recognized that all the influence of life from above is solely by the Holy One, blessed be He, whereas outside the Land, one might mistakenly think that there is a place for a "messenger," and also for human talents and virtues, etc.]

From this, it is also understood regarding our matter, that the fact that the key of rain was not entrusted to a messenger (and "rain is also sustenance") means that truly all human sustenance is only from the Holy One, blessed be He, in a manner that leaves no room for anything outside of Him, not even for the natural garments that a person makes so that through them he can receive his sustenance from the Holy One, blessed be He. The fact that "a person goes out to his work and to his labor until evening" in the pursuit of sustenance is only to fulfill the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, "And the L‑rd your G‑d will bless you in all that you do," "Six days you shall labor and do all your work."

4. Furthermore, not only does a person know that the essence of the influence comes only from above, "The blessing of the L‑rd, it makes rich," and all his actions are merely "vessels of reception" for the blessing of G‑d (similar to the oil vessels in the miracle of Elisha, whose entire purpose was only to contain the miraculous oil), but even more so, the "vessels" themselves have no significance even as "vessels" (and garments) to contain the blessing of G‑d. He does them only because of the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, and thus they are completely secondary to the blessing of G‑d, which is a blessing entirely beyond the natural order.

5. However, this recognition itself can be in two ways:

a) The actions of a person and the garments of nature have no significance at all. Just as in a miraculous conduct it is visibly and openly apparent that the laws of nature have no existence at all, so too is it in the same manner when the influence from the Holy One, blessed be He, comes through the garments of nature, like the manna that descended from heaven.

b) Even though the actions of a person and the vessel he makes have no standing on their own and he does it only because of the command of G‑d, nevertheless, due to the command of G‑d itself, they have significance, for through them the will of the Blessed One is fulfilled.

In other words: his faith is with absolute certainty that everything comes only from the Holy One, blessed be He, and consequently, he has complete trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, that He will provide him with everything from His full, open, holy, and expansive hand. But also this matter, that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that he should act within nature, he knows that this too is with a specific intention, namely, to know and recognize that even nature itself and the actions of man in it come from Him, besides the essence of the influence that comes from the Holy One, blessed be He.

And it can be said that these are the two ways whether the key of sustenance is considered a separate key, or if it is included in the key of rain:

According to Rabbi Yochanan, "Rain (also) means sustenance," because all the garments of nature and also the actions of man in this have no standing at all — and this teaches us that regarding the matter of sustenance, all his actions in this are a detail in the influence of the Holy One, blessed be He, to man;

And "in the West they say even sustenance, as it is written, 'You open Your hand, etc.,'" meaning that even the actions of man in this come from the Holy One, blessed be He, and it is a matter in itself. And this also pertains to the knowledge and recognition of man, that the garments of nature and the actions of man are not just something that has no existence on its own, but this itself comes from the Holy One, blessed be He.

6. According to this, the connection to the disputants is also explained:

Our Sages said, "One who sees Yochanan in a dream, miracles upon miracles will be performed for him" (for a name that has one 'Nun' indicates a miracle, and a name that has more than one 'Nun' indicates many miracles). Therefore, Rabbi Yochanan holds that sustenance is included in rain, because from his level, "miracles upon miracles," he sees in every matter in the world only the miracle within it. This is the concept of "miracles upon miracles," that the miracle is not only in something where the disruption of the natural order is openly visible, but also in the conduct of nature, from Rabbi Yochanan's level, it is inwardly only a miracle coming from above.

However, "in the West they say" that the key of rain is a separate key, for "the West" refers to a specific place in the world, and our Sages said that the Divine Presence is in the West. This means that although "the whole earth is full of His glory" and our Sages said there is no place devoid of Him, that the entire existence of the place is nullified to Him, nevertheless, "the Divine Presence is in the West," that this "place" has a special indwelling, to the extent that the existence of the place itself is G‑dliness. Therefore, the people of "the West" hold that even the garments of nature, "sustenance," are a matter in itself that is in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He.

7. The 18th of Elul — the birthday of the two great luminaries, the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe — usually falls in the week (or on Shabbat) of Parshas Tavo. The essence of these two birthday celebrants corresponds to the two types of Divine service mentioned above: through the Baal Shem Tov in the teachings of general Chassidus; and through the Alter Rebbe in the teachings of Chabad Chassidus:

The innovation revealed by the Baal Shem Tov in the teachings of general Chassidus is an overall increase in vitality in the observance of Torah and mitzvos. Therefore, one of the matters emphasized in the teachings of general Chassidus is

8. the concept of faith, "And the righteous shall live by his faith." This faith is general and in the aspect of makif (encompassing). This means that even when faith is not in a completely encompassing manner (where it has no effect on the person — as in the case of a thief who calls upon G‑d at the entrance of a tunnel), but rather it infuses vitality into all his matters, and even influences his actual conduct, all his faculties are not an independent matter but rather a detail in the revelation of faith.

The Alter Rebbe, in revealing the teachings of Chabad Chassidus, innovated (following the revelation of the general teachings of Chassidus by the Baal Shem Tov) that not only should the point of faith be felt in Chabad, etc., but it also becomes an independent matter. The entire existence of Chabad (intellect) within his soul is that it comprehends G‑dliness. Similarly, the emotions in the heart are not just a place for the revelation of the point of faith (a detail in the revelation of faith), but this is their very essence — love of G‑d and fear of G‑d.

This too is in accordance with the revelation of the unity of G‑d as revealed by the Baal Shem Tov and as continued and revealed by the Alter Rebbe:

Through the Baal Shem Tov, the concept of "there is none else besides Him" was revealed, that there is no existence besides His. This is also felt in the service of G‑d, where one's service does not take up space, but rather the entirety of it is the revelation of the point of faith within his soul, which exists in every Jew due to his soul, which is beyond the existence of the person.

Through the Alter Rebbe, the concept of the unity of G‑d was revealed also as it pertains to the world, that not only is the existence of the world not in contradiction to His unity, but through the world, the depth of "G‑d is One" is revealed, that the existence of the world is united with Him. This is explained at length in the Alter Rebbe's "Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah."

Similarly, in the service of man, not only are all his faculties in accordance with the point of faith in the One G‑d, but this is the entire essence of his intellect, that the intellect itself, by its nature, recognizes and feels the unity of G‑d due to its very existence, because the existence of the intellect itself is not a separate entity from Him. This applies to all the faculties of his soul.

This comes specifically through the effort and work of the person, work with one's own strength, to understand and grasp the unity of G‑d also in his intellect, and even in the intellect of his animal soul. Through contemplation, this extends also to his emotions, love of G‑d and fear of G‑d, in a manner that the love and fear are related to the essence of the emotions in the heart. This is true for all the faculties of his soul, where it is apparent and recognized that the true existence of every faculty in the soul is its essence in G‑dliness.

And through the spreading of your wellsprings (of the Baal Shem Tov) outward, which is primarily achieved through its extension into the Chabad of the soul in the teachings of Chabad Chassidus, and from there to the emotions, and "the heart divides to all the limbs," the master, King Moshiach, will come, immediately and without delay.

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42. To note, there are two approaches and levels in the unity of G‑d — "Hashem is One" from below to above and "Hashem is One" from above to below. From the perspective of "Hashem is One" from below to above, after their creation, the worlds are utterly nullified in existence just as they were before their creation. This means that the creations have no independent existence, and their true existence is as they are from above. "Hashem is One" from above to below, however, means as G‑dliness extends into every thing, implying that there is an existence, but the existence of the world itself is G‑dliness. This approach is on a higher level than the first approach. This level of unity leads to a service where one engages in worldly matters, and even derives pleasure from things in the world, but this very pleasure is G‑dliness.

43. A talk of the Rebbe, my father-in-law. It is noteworthy that the 18th of Elul 5505, the birthday of the Alter Rebbe, falls this year on Wednesday, Parshas Tavo.

44. And sometimes — on Monday after Parshas Tavo — which is blessed from it within three days.

45. In what follows, see at length in Likkutei Sichos for the 18th of Elul. See also in the aforementioned places regarding the connection of the 18th of Elul to "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" and the two sayings about this, and the connection to the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov regarding the first fruits, and more.

46. Habakkuk 2:4. See also the end of Makkos (24a). Tanya, Chapter 33 (42b). See also Likkutei Torah, Vol. 1, Kamma, 2.

47. Berachos 63a (according to the version of the Ayin Yaakov). See also Kad HaKemach, entry "Bitachon" (p. 74). Likkutei Torah, Va'eschanan 7a. Our Parsha, 42d, and more. See also the references in the sources for Likkutei Torah, Devarim 1a.

48. See also Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 9, p. 157 and onwards.

49. Va'eschanan 4:35.

50. The words of King Moshiach to the Baal Shem Tov — the well-known letter of the Baal Shem Tov (printed at the end of Ben Porat Yosef, at the beginning of the book Keser Shem Tov, and in various places).

51. See Zohar, Vol. 3, Shlach 161a-b, 221b. Iggeres HaKodesh, Section 31. Torah Or, Bereishis 7d, and more.

52. The words of King Moshiach to the Baal Shem Tov — the well-known letter of the Baal Shem Tov (printed at the end of Ben Porat Yosef, at the beginning of the book Keser Shem Tov, and in various places).