6791 —פירוש ה"דברי חיים" ב"האומר סלע זו לצדקה", וששים רבוא פירושים בדרש

B"H, 29 Adar II^[1], 5719
Brooklyn.

The Rabbi and Gaon, the veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, etc.^[2],
Reb Eliezer Yerucham, may he live long^[3]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

We acknowledge receipt of your honor's note of Monday^[4], a reference to the words of the Divrei Chaim on the Torah^[5], on the explanation of the saying of our Sages, "One who says, 'This sela is for charity, etc.,' is a complete tzaddik"^[6].

"A garment is precious to those who wear it"^[7]; and indeed there are six hundred thousand interpretations in derush, as explained in Shaar HaGilgulim, Introduction 17^[8].

With respect and with blessings for a kosher and joyous Pesach.

Publisher's notes

Reb Eliezer Yerucham (מו"ה אליעזר ירוחם): Halberstam, Brooklyn.

A reference to the words of the Divrei Chaim (ציון לדברי הד"ח): Continuing what was said in the sicha of Yud Shevat 5719 (Likkutei Sichos vol. 1, p. 153) on the saying of our Sages, "One who says, 'This sela is for charity so that my son may live,' is a complete tzaddik", which Rashi explains: "if he is accustomed to this".

And in Divrei Chaim on the Torah he cites, in the name of his teacher of Lublin, of blessed memory, that the intent of Chazal in Rashi's explanation is that if he is accustomed to this, out of [doing it] not for its own sake he will come to [do it] for its own sake, and therefore he is a complete tzaddik.

Notes

1. 29 Adar II (כ"ט אד"ש): אד"ש = אדר שני, Adar II: 29 Adar II, Wednesday, Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan.

2. The Rabbi and Gaon, the veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored (הרה"ג וו"ח אי"א נו"נ): הרה"ג = הרב הגאון, "the Rabbi and Gaon"; וו"ח = ותיק וחסיד, "the veteran and Chassid"; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים, "a G‑d-fearing man"; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד, "distinguished and honored".

3. Reb Eliezer Yerucham (מו"ה אליעזר ירוחם שי'): Halberstam, Brooklyn (as in the publisher's note).

4. Your honor's note of Monday (הפתקא דכת"ר מיום השני): הפתקא = (Aramaic) "the note"; דכת"ר = דכבוד תורתו, "of your honor"; מיום השני, "of the second day of the week", Monday.

5. The Divrei Chaim on the Torah (הד"ח על התורה): הד"ח = the "Divrei Chaim", the name by which R. Chaim Halberstam of Sanz (1793–1876) is known, after his works; "Divrei Chaim on the Torah" is his work on the Chumash.

6. "One who says, 'This sela is for charity, etc.,' is a complete tzaddik" (האומר סלע זה לצדקה וכו' ה"ז צדיק גמור): רז"ל = רבותינו זכרונם לברכה, "our Sages"; ה"ז = הרי זה. The Gemara, Rosh Hashanah 4a: והתניא האומר סלע זו לצדקה בשביל שיחיו בני ובשביל שאזכה בה לחיי העולם הבא הרי זה צדיק גמור, "It was taught: one who says, 'This sela is for charity so that my children may live and so that I may merit the life of the World to Come', is a complete tzaddik"; and Rashi: הרי זה צדיק גמור – אם רגיל בכך, "is a complete tzaddik – if he is accustomed to this". In the sicha of Yud Shevat 5719 (Likkutei Sichos vol. 1, the sicha for Parshas Yisro) the Rebbe cited this saying and Rashi's "if he is accustomed to this", and explained that even when he is accustomed to it, since it is for the sake of something else, this is not the ultimate purpose; the purpose is that even bodily matters be for the sake of serving G‑d, "In all your ways, know Him." On this the recipient sent a reference to the Divrei Chaim, who cites in the name of his teacher of Lublin that Rashi means: if he is accustomed to this, "out of not for its own sake he will come to for its own sake, and therefore he is a complete tzaddik" (as in the publisher's note).

7. "A garment is precious to those who wear it" (ומלתא אלבישייהו יקירא): After Shabbos 10b: א"ל, היינו דאמר רב, "מילתא, אלבישייהו יקירא", "He said to him: this is what Rav said: 'A garment is precious to those who wear it'"; and Rashi there: מעיל דמיו יקרים למי שרגיל ללובשו. כלומר לפי שאתה תלמידו של רב ורגיל בשמועותיו אתה מחזר אחריהם, "a cloak is precious to one accustomed to wear it; that is, because you are Rav's disciple and accustomed to his teachings, you seek them out." Just as the garment is precious to its wearer, so the words of the Divrei Chaim are dear to one accustomed to them.

8. Shaar HaGilgulim, Introduction 17 (שער הגלגולים הקדמה י"ז): דע, כי כללות כל הנשמות הם ס' רבוא ולא יותר. והנה התורה היא שרש נשמות ישראל... ולכן יש בתורה ס' רבוא פירושים, וכלם כפי הפשט. וס' רבוא ברמז. וס' רבוא בדרש. וס' רבוא בסוד, "Know that all the souls together are six hundred thousand and no more. The Torah is the root of the souls of Israel… therefore the Torah has six hundred thousand interpretations, all according to the plain meaning; and six hundred thousand by allusion, six hundred thousand in derush, and six hundred thousand in sod." The Divrei Chaim's interpretation and the Rebbe's in the sicha do not contradict each other, for there are six hundred thousand interpretations in derush.

Summary

Acknowledging a note referring him to the Divrei Chaim's interpretation of "One who says, 'This sela is for charity'", which the Rebbe had discussed at the Yud Shevat farbrengen, the Rebbe welcomes it: a garment is precious to those who wear it, and the Torah has six hundred thousand interpretations in derush (Shaar HaGilgulim), so both explanations stand.