6803 —יום ההילולא של אדמו"ר מוהרש"ב: "די כתבים לאז איך אייך", וימי ניסן כולם כראש חודש

B"H, 7 Nissan, 5719
Brooklyn.

To the participants in the farbrengen of the day of the hilula
of the Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom DovBer, may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing,
leader of Israel^[1],
may G‑d be upon them, may they live

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter from the above auspicious day^[2], a letter of blessing.

"I have received [a charge] to bless," and I will return it^[3]: as it is written, "I will bless those who bless you"^[4], may each and every one of you be blessed with the blessing of the Holy One, blessed be He,

which has both qualities, the quality of blessing and the quality of prayer, as explained at length in the maamar beginning Amar Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, 5629^[5].

And "merit is brought about on meritorious days"^[6] – the days of the month of Nissan, all the days of which are in the category of Rosh Chodesh, as stated in the Shelah (Parshas Bo)^[7], cited in the maamar beginning HaChodesh hazeh lachem, 5626: the month and all the matters in it are those of which it is said, "This month shall be for you"^[8], which, in the words of our Sages, teaches that in this the Jewish people are distinguished – and it is easy to understand^[9].

And the merit of the one whose hilula it is, who said before his passing, "I am going up to heaven, and the writings I leave to you" (איך גיי אין הימעל און די כתבים לאז איך אייך) – which emphasizes that his writings of Chassidus are in exchange for, and fill the place of, his going up to heaven^[10];

and, as our Sages made known, that the righteous are like their Creator^[11], of whom it is said, "I wrote and gave Myself" (Shabbos 105a)^[12] [see Tanya, ch. 47, in the name of the holy Zohar^[13]] – may it stand by all who engage in his teachings, and "great is study that leads to action"^[14], going in his directives and ways, for an increased arousal of abundant mercy^[15] from the leader of Israel for whatever they need, "from soul to flesh"^[16].

With the blessing of a kosher and joyous Pesach, and for good news^[17] in all the above.

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 17, p. 423.

Notes

1. The Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom DovBer… (כ"ק אדמו"ר מוהרש"ב זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): כ"ק אדמו"ר מוהרש"ב = כבוד קדושת אדוננו מורנו ורבנו, מורנו הרב שלום דובער, the Rebbe Rashab; זצוקללה"ה = "may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = "his soul is in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = "may his merit protect us". His hilula (day of passing) is 2 Nissan: "The hilula of my revered father. He passed away on the eve of Sunday, 2 Nissan, 5680, in Rostov" (the Previous Rebbe in Hayom Yom, 2 Nissan). This year 2 Nissan fell on Friday, 10 April 1959.

2. From the above auspicious day (מיום סגולה הנ"ל): Their letter was written on the day of the hilula itself, and in it they blessed the Rebbe.

3. "I have received [a charge] to bless," and I will return it (וברך לקחתי ואשיבנו): From Bilam's words [Bamidbar 23:20]: "הנה ברך לקחתי וברך ולא אשיבנה", "Behold, I have received [a charge] to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it." The Rebbe changes "and I cannot reverse it" (ולא אשיבנה) to "and I will return it" (ואשיבנו): their blessing to him he returns to them.

4. I will bless those who bless you (ואברכה מברכיך): כמ"ש = כמו שכתוב; כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד; הקב"ה = הקדוש ברוך הוא. The verse [Bereishis 12:3]: "ואברכה מברכיך". Those who bless are blessed with the blessing of the Holy One, blessed be He.

5. The maamar beginning Amar Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, 5629 (ד"ה אריב"ל תרכ"ט): The maamar "Amar Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: every Kohen who blesses is blessed…" of the Rebbe Maharash, in Toras Shmuel 5629 (p. 1 ff.). It explains "the difference between prayer and blessing: blessing is what already exists in the source above… whereas prayer is in the category of 'may it be Your will', that a new will be drawn down", and that "the blessing of the Holy One, blessed be He… has in it also what is found in the quality of prayer". G‑d's blessing thus includes both qualities.

6. Merit is brought about on meritorious days (ומגלגלין זכות ליומין זכאין): From the Gemara [Taanis 29a]: "מגלגלין זכות ליום זכאי", "merit is brought about on a meritorious day"; the Rebbe puts it in the plural, "meritorious days" – all the days of Nissan.

7. The Shelah (Parshas Bo) (של"ה (פרשה בא)): של"ה = שני לוחות הברית; בחי' = בחינת, "category". The Shelah (Torah Shebichsav, Parshas Bo, Derech Chaim): "And this is also alluded to in what it says (Shemos 12:2), This month shall be for you the head of months… by way of allusion it teaches that the entire month is like Rosh Chodesh… this month in its entirety is like the heads of months; every day is like Rosh Chodesh."

8. This month shall be for you (החדש הזה לכם): The verse [Shemos 12:2]: "החדש הזה לכם ראש חדשים", "This month shall be for you the head of months." See Shemos Rabbah 15:23: "Another interpretation: This month shall be for you – as it is written, Let them be yours alone, and not for strangers with you… I gave the New Moons only to you, as it says: This month shall be for you."

9. It is easy to understand (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין. All the days of Nissan are like Rosh Chodesh and belong distinctively to the Jewish people; therefore merit is brought about on them.

10. His writings of Chassidus… fill the place of his going up to heaven (שכתבי דא"ח שלו... בחילוף וממלא): The one whose hilula it is: the Rebbe Rashab. דא"ח = דברי אלקים חיים, the teachings of Chassidus. His writings of Chassidus come "in exchange" – in his stead – and fill his place after he went up to heaven.

11. The righteous are like their Creator (צדיקים דומים לבוראם): After Bereishis Rabbah 67:8: "But the righteous have their hearts in their control… they are like their Creator"; and Ruth Rabbah 4:3: "'and his name was Boaz' – they are like their Creator".

12. I wrote and gave Myself (אנא נפשי כתבית יהבית): The Gemara there: "Rabbi Yochanan himself said: (Shemos 20) אנכי is an acronym: אנא נפשי כתיבת יהבית, I Myself wrote and gave [it]." Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Himself in the Torah He wrote, so the tzaddik, who is like his Creator, gives himself in his writings.

13. Tanya, ch. 47, in the name of the holy Zohar (תניא פרק מ"ז בשם זהר הק'): הק' = הקדוש. The Tanya there: "And this is as if He gave us Himself, so to speak, as written in the holy Zohar on the verse 'And they shall take for Me an offering' ['for Me' meaning 'Me'…]."

14. Great is study that leads to action (גדול תלמוד שמביא לידי מעשה): After the Gemara [Kiddushin 40b]: "They all answered and said: Study is greater, for study leads to action."

15. Abundant mercy (ר"ר): ר"ר = רחמים רבים; בהמצטרך = במה שנצרך, "in whatever is needed".

16. From soul to flesh (מנפש ועד בשר): The words of the verse [Yeshayahu 10:18]: "מנפש ועד בשר יכלה", "from soul to flesh it shall be consumed" (there, of punishment); the Rebbe uses the phrase as a blessing: in all their needs, spiritual and material.

17. Good news (בשו"ט): בשו"ט = בשורות טובות.

Summary

To those who farbrenged on the Rebbe Rashab's yahrzeit and sent him blessings, the Rebbe returns the blessing, G‑d's blessing that holds the qualities of both blessing and prayer. All of Nissan is like Rosh Chodesh, days of merit for the Jewish people; and since the Rebbe Rashab said "I am going to heaven, and the writings I leave to you", his merit stands by all who study his Chassidus and follow his directives.