6273 —חכמת משה, לימוד תורה לעומת גמילות חסדים, ולימוד חסידות

B"H, 25 Iyar, 5718.

Brooklyn.

The young scholar Hillel.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letter from the thirty-ninth day of the Omer, in which you ask: A) Regarding what is explained in Iggeres HaKodesh by our master the Alter Rebbe, section 19, on the saying of our Sages "a sage is preferable to a prophet," that prophecy is a matter of vision—like seeing with physical eyes—whereas wisdom is a matter of comprehension: Did Moshe Rabbeinu, aside from his prophetic vision, also comprehend those levels attained by the Arizal? The answer is yes. Even though it might seem possible to say otherwise—and all the more so regarding Nigleh of Torah—as told by our Sages (Menachos 29b), nevertheless the truth is that he attained these aforementioned levels. As written in Kabbalistic works and explained in Chassidus, Moshe Rabbeinu's level was that of Chochmah d'Atzilus—that is, he attained an extremely lofty level due to wisdom. However, there is room for further inquiry regarding Moshiach; see Rambam Hilchos Teshuvah chapter 9 halachah 2; Tanchuma Toldos 20; Yalkut Shimoni to Yeshayahu 52:13; this is not the place for full discussion.

B) Regarding what is written there in Iggeres HaKodesh section 9 about the saying "Torah study equals all acts of kindness," but not so in Ikvesa d'Meshicha—you ask how the essential importance changed. It is similar to the difference between a mitzvah whose time will pass and a mitzvah that cannot be done by others; it is understood that when time is running out or there are no others available, the importance of the mitzvah changes.

Although you did not mention this: I hope you have set times for studying Chassidus frequently. May it be Hashem's will that your commitment follows the teaching of our master the Alter Rebbe—author of Tanya (the authority in mystical Torah) and Shulchan Aruch (the authority in revealed Torah)—not only as a fixed time but also as a fixed aspect within your soul; this is most important. Surely you know about the three well-known daily lessons—Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya—and at least from now on you should keep them.

With blessing,
In the name of His Honor the Rebbe shlit"a
Secretary

Summary

The Rebbe clarifies Moshe Rabbeinu's spiritual achievements and distinctions between Torah study and acts of kindness. He urges setting regular times for learning Chassidus with true inner dedication and maintaining daily study routines.