316 —הפצת חסידות, קירוב הרחוקים, ולימודים משמן

B"H, 20 Kislev, 5708.

To the honored vavac"h iy"a nu"m etc. Mehorash Rein shochet u'bodek.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Enclosed is a kuntres for Yud-Tes Kislev that was brought yesterday from the Beit Din, and we have also sent it to his colleagues Mehoray and Mehoras shochet u'bodek. Certainly they will merit to benefit the many with it, including those who are still distant for now, and the merit of the many depends on them.

The Rebbe Rayatz shlita said in one of his talks that bringing close those who are distant must be done in a way that elevates them upward rather than descending (from one's own level in Torah and mitzvot and prayer) to them.

This can be connected to the approaching days of Chanukah: although the main miracle was the victory in battle, nevertheless they considered the main miracle to be with the oil (as explained in Torah Or and Shaarei Orah at "On the 25th of Kislev").

We find opposite qualities in oil: (a) It is produced specifically through crushing and pounding (Shemot Rabbah at the beginning of Tetzaveh; see also Menachot ch. 8 mishna 4), which indicates humility. (b) It permeates everything—which indicates closeness to all things. And its opposites: (c) It does not mix with other liquids (Shemot Rabbah there)—which indicates separation (see also Imrei Binah Shaar Kriat Shema chs. 54–56). (d) It rises above all other liquids (Shemot Rabbah there), which indicates exaltedness.

This should be our order of service when it is time to shine light even into courtyards and public spaces until "the feet of Tarmodians cease," whose letters spell "rebellious" (see "Tarmodians" in Niddah ch. 58 from year 5643 and elsewhere):

(a) The beginning of one's service must be kabbalat ol malchut shamayim—accepting the yoke of Heaven—and "let my soul be as dust to all." Then (b) "love your fellow as yourself." If one sees that his friend is not yet like oil (his body does not rise up and become consumed by the light of his soul which is G‑d's candle), he must permeate him. (c) Yet he himself does not descend or mix because of this; on the contrary, he rises higher through this work until finally (d) he attains exaltedness—not because he is anything on his own but because through his work he is an emissary of the King of kings, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and who can compare to him? For "a person's emissary is like himself," as our Sages say (Bava Batra 75b): In time to come, tzaddikim will be called by G‑d's Name.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that when spreading Chassidus and reaching out to others—especially those distant—we must uplift them without compromising our own spiritual standards. Like oil, we combine humility with influence while maintaining separation and elevation.