6124 —הקשר הפנימי בין משל ונמשל במחשבת חב"ד

B"H, 20 Adar, 5718.

Brooklyn, NY.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your two books: Yalkut Meshalim ^[1] etc. for the people and youth, and Gan HaChassidus ^[2]. Thank you for your attention in sending them here, and I trust you will do the same with your future publications. The books sent to you from here have surely reached you ^[3].

I read with interest your introduction to your book Yalkut for the people and youth regarding parables. At this moment I do not recall if your books present the Chabad perspective on parables in Torah and Chabad literature in general. This is important, since Torah includes the Oral Torah until the end of generations—all that a diligent student will innovate based on tradition ascending in holiness up to Moshe Rabbeinu. The matter of a mashal (parable) in Torah is that it is impossible for a mashal not to have a connection to its nimshal (lesson), from which it is derived. For example: a parable about a mortal king—how much more so regarding the King, meaning the Holy One Blessed be He—the strength of the mashal comes because "the kingdom of earth is rooted in the kingdom of heaven." Similarly with all parables and examples in Torah. This is also precise in a brief saying at the beginning of Tanya chapter 3 discussing the human soul and explaining that nefesh-ruach-neshamah are comprised of ten faculties corresponding to ten supernal sefirot, adding "for they are derived from them." And so it is with all parables.

This core idea is explained in several places; for example, in Torah Or Parshas Miketz (42b) explaining what is said about Shlomo HaMelech: "He spoke three thousand parables," meaning three thousand levels one above another within that very concept—just as Zohar says: "this mind for this one and this shell for that one," and as Torah Or there: "the nimshal—the spirituality of the lowest level—from it descends the physicality of the highest level," etc.

Upon careful consideration, it becomes necessary to explain what is said about parables according to the view that nothing happens by chance in this world; rather, there is an owner to this palace who oversees every detail. Therefore, it cannot be that by coincidence or without an inner connection one can draw a parable from one matter to another.

This may explain why there are so few parables in Chassidus Chabad—for its purpose is to explain G‑dliness and how there is nothing besides Him. Thus, the mashal or example comes from "from my flesh I perceive..."—the body—and even more so from the teachings about the soul in all its details. Since G‑dliness exists within everything and Chabad's aim is to reveal this, it follows that we find examples and parables within soul teachings themselves; other types are unnecessary.

With honor and blessing.

I will at least add one personal comment—and if you wish, this too is a general point—regarding the section "From Chassidim's Mouths" (in your Yalkut), page Shin: A story about a great Chabad chassidic merchant who made his annual balance sheet and under the bottom line wrote as total: Ein Od Milvado (there is nothing besides Him). By tradition among chassidim, this refers to Reb Binyamin of Kletzk, disciple of our master the Alter Rebbe. The point emphasized by chassidim is that after writing out all account details—without calculation or reckoning—when he reached 'total,' he wrote Ein Od Milvado—not through contemplation but simply; whatever one's total may be—it remains Ein Od Milvado.

In continuation: It is told about him that once he was asked how Chassidus requires "in all your ways"—even during eating/drinking/business—to know Him; as explained regarding daas in Chassidus—that it means deep understanding until penetrating recognition throughout one's being. He answered: We see tangibly that during prayer—even at its central point at Shemoneh Esrei—thoughts fall about the Leipzig fair; so why be surprised if during business at Leipzig thoughts fall about Ein Od Milvado?

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that every mashal must be intrinsically connected to its nimshal; in Chabad thought, revealing G‑dliness within ourselves provides all necessary examples without resorting to external analogies.