7536 —עסקים, הנחות בעלי בתים, ויציאה ממצרים הפרטית

Shalom u'Vrachah! [The Tenth Fast will soon be transformed to joy and happiness, 5721]

This reminds me of a saying from my father-in-law, the Rebbe—who related that when he began engaging in business matters, he requested—as a pidyon nefesh—from his father, the Rebbe, "that he should not have baalebatishe attitudes." He added in his story to me that baalebatishe attitudes are obviously coarse—though subtly so—since we are speaking of baalei batim who are fully observant of Torah and mitzvos. Yet, as explained in Chassidus, they remain in Mitzrayim—their own limitations and boundaries—for their entire lives; each day is like the previous one, and tomorrow is like today—even tomorrow after much time. Moreover, any aspiration for change is considered madness in their eyes—meaning it lies outside the framework of healthy intellect.

How illuminating are the words of the Alter Rebbe in his Tanya: when quoting the Mishnah that "in every generation a person must see himself as if he left Mitzrayim," the Alter Rebbe adds the words "and every single day." This was printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 12 p. 166.

Summary

The letter teaches that true spiritual growth requires breaking free from one's personal limitations and routines every day—not just once or occasionally—and warns against complacency even among those who observe Torah and mitzvos fully.