304 —חשיבות ביקור אצל הרבי ברגלים וביטול פנימי

B"H, 24 Tishrei 5708.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I have said before that, as in every year, you should come here for Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah so we can meet and speak together. Apparently, for various reasons, you were prevented from making this trip. It is a pity, for as our Sages say (Rosh Hashanah 16b), one is obligated to greet his teacher during the festival. See Kesef Mishneh on Rambam Hilchos Talmud Torah 5:7.

Now, even though nowadays people are lenient regarding this matter, and several reasons have been given for this leniency, there is yet another point to consider. It is based on the well-known question about why we say "and we are unable to go up and appear and bow before You." While it is understandable that going up and appearing is impossible due to external circumstances, bowing could be done anywhere before Him, as in "Va'anachnu kor'im u'mishtachavim" (and we bow down and prostrate ourselves), so why does this require specifically the Beis HaMikdash?

The answer is that there are two levels of bowing: (a) External bowing—bowing with one's body or, on a higher level within external bowing, performing an actual physical act so that one's body does not rebel against the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He; (b) Inner bowing—nullifying one's will because of G-d's will so that he has no other desire or wish at all; this is the bowing of the soul. This inner bowing was attained by Israel through seeing (the Divine Presence) during the festival in the Beis HaMikdash. Since its destruction, although we cannot truly bow in this way anymore, at least a small measure of this sanctity has spread into our miniature sanctuaries—the synagogue and study hall—especially during prayer (see Likkutei Torah Parshas Berachah, first Maamar "Mizmor Shir," ch. 2 at length).

We see clearly that reaching the level of nullifying your will—your intellect and all your soul powers—without assistance is very difficult: for when one recognizes his own worth, he cannot find sufficient reason to completely nullify his own will. On the contrary: if he comes to recognize and decide that he must nullify his own will, such a person is already G-d-fearing at a significant level; if so, it becomes unclear why he should not rely on his own decisions and desires.

The best advice is to seek help from someone whom you acknowledge stands above your own level and who has no personal interests in these matters; then you will certainly listen to his instructions regarding serving G-d. The most auspicious time for this is during the three festivals—similar to how it was when the Beis HaMikdash stood. There is no need to elaborate further.

May it be G-d's will that my letter conveys at least some of what can be transmitted in writing from my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe shlita—and even more so until you meet him face-to-face.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that visiting one's Rebbe during festivals enables deeper spiritual growth through both external action and inner self-nullification. When striving for true bittul proves difficult alone, seeking guidance from someone spiritually higher helps one advance in serving G-d.