388 —שלשה סוגי תריסים בקיום התורה ומשמעותם הרוחנית

B"H, 25 Menachem Av, 5708.

Haraha"ch vavac"h iy"a nu"m etc. Maharach"h

Ha'avelin.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

My letter from last week (whose main point was that for now nothing should be done regarding Reb Sheina) has surely reached you. You have also certainly received by now the booklet for the Festival of Redemption. Surely the yahrzeit of my father, of blessed memory, was observed properly.

I kindly ask that you give from our fund on my account to Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, to Kollel Chabad, and to the World Tehillim Society—three litas to each—and I will reimburse you when you notify me.

To conclude with words of Torah: During the farbrengen on the day of the yahrzeit, I explained what seemed to me to be allusions in Mishnah Kelim chapter 24 according to Chassidus, and I will summarize briefly:

There are three shields—Torah and mitzvos are crowns, etc., and there are three types in how they are fulfilled: The bent shield is when one fulfills them because he wants Torah and mitzvos to protect him from all trouble; moreover, he lies upon it in battle—meaning he is engaged in the battle with the yetzer hara (evil inclination), yet still lies down—his head and feet are equal. His service is not from intellect itself—standing. Nor is it from intellectual awe and love—sitting, lowering the head to the feet. Rather, it is from natural awe and love or only from hidden love which includes awe. Therefore, even though this is how service begins (see Rambam at the end of Hilchos Teshuvah), since for now "he serves himself," and not because of a deeper spiritual reason, there is nothing preventing him from becoming a "scoundrel within the bounds of Torah," so he can become impure even with impurity of midras—that is, not only sinning due to his nature but also becoming coarse and sunk in materialism even without passionate desire (zivah—from a dead limb; see Or HaTorah p. 246b). This is measure for measure: just as his service lacks vitality—mind or self-motivation (lying or sitting), so too his fall is into a dead limb.

The second type: A shield used in games (konfon)—it does not relate to lying or sitting because his fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos comes through intellectual work itself (not by humbling emotions)—standing—in contemplation on the goodness of G-dliness. But he is still in battle, and it is possible that his friend (see notes by my father printed in Sefer Torah Or p. 230a on "Love your fellow as yourself") may strike him down from his level—but only through battle with passionate desire. Therefore, although there is no place here for impurity of a dead limb, he can still become impure with other impurities—and certainly with impurity caused by contact with death (the result of the serpent's sin).

The third type: The Arab's shield—it is not a vessel for use at all because he is an Arab—in holiness—bowing to dust; "my soul like dust," self-nullification. Therefore this shield is very small—as Rabbi Ovadiah Bartenura writes—it has no independent existence at all except to bring satisfaction and joy above; his master's pleasure is his own pleasure. Thus even in battle he does not exist as an entity—for he is only an emissary—and there can be no battle against him because "like wax they melt," so he remains pure from everything.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that our approach to Torah observance shapes our spiritual state: whether motivated by self-interest, intellect, or true self-nullification determines our level of purity and connection above. Striving for selflessness leads to ultimate spiritual refinement.