V'Atah Tetzaveh—Part 1

Okay. All right. Mar chashvan, we are live. Gut voch. Um just very briefly ever so briefly It's uh Gimel Tammuz. We are not in the dalet amos, but we measured it's 254 amos, I believe from the aisle. And uh we're going to learn Viati Titave. This is the last maamer that the Rebbe distributed very uh close to the uh the last time when the Rebbe publicly spoke, Chof Sivan Adar. So, this was just uh couple of weeks before that, Purim Katan. Uh the the maamer was delivered originally taf shin mem alef, uh 1981, but uh was edited and printed and more importantly personally distributed by the Rebbe by by the Rebbe's own holy hand. Um right before uh the aforementioned uh incident. So, this is in many ways like the marching orders that we're left with, similar to what the Rebbe said about the maamer of Basi Legani of the Frieder K'Rebbe that uh the last maamer or the maamer that was written and released, published for the publication uh in co- coinciding with the the yahrtzeit of of the Frieder K'Rebbe closer to the Yeah. That that that we should study the Basi Legani the Frieder K'Rebbe's Basi Legani on Yud Shvat on the Frieder K'Rebbe's yahrtzeit and that it should be reviewed in three parts, once after each tfila, maariv, shachris, and mincha. So, similarly, it's been it's become customary to do the same with the Rebbe's Viati Titave uh three times throughout uh the day. After once in the evening and then again in the morning and then in the afternoon. We're going to do I see all after hey, one through five. And tomorrow I'm going to show them 11 11:00 a.m. we'll do valve through test. And then 7:00 p.m. we'll do you'd through you'd base to the end. And also we want to thank for the uh text of the memory we want to thank Kohos publication society as well as Lahak Hanochis for the vowelized text to make it so pleasant and easy and readable and we made it a large size so it's easy on the eyes. Okay. I mentioned before we we start the memory um this is not a farbrengen I'm not here to really I don't want to share hergashim or anything. I just just want to learn the memory but I will point out that the cavias the way that the date falls out as far as the yard site this year um Motzei Shabbos is the same as uh and uh it's interesting the significance of a yahrzeit that falls on a Motzei Shabbos. The Alter Rebbe, the miyased of Chassidus Chabad was nistalek on a Motzei Shabbos. And the Rebbe actually points out that when the Tzemach Tzedek, the Alter Rebbe's grandson describes that date he refers to it as as as as a Motzei Shabbos and the Rebbe asks, why does he specifically refer to it with that phrase when we know the Gemara tells us that someone who passes away at of Shabbos siman yofa lai, it's a good sign for him but if he passes away on a Motzei Shabbos, going out of Shabbos, siman ra lai, it's a bad sign for him, for the person who passed away. The I would uh suggest maybe the tzaddik could have avoided underscoring the Motzei Shabbos histalkus. He could have called it or layain rishoin, you know, the eve of the first day of the week. You don't have to You don't have to emphasize it's coming out of Shabbos. When we know from the Gemara siman ra loi that's a bad sign for the person who passes away then. So, the Rebbe answers and says, I'm saying this very much b'kitzur, but we know that the time the ace histalkus the time when a tzaddik finishes his mission in this world is a time where an incredible power is released in the world. Which goes to all of those who were close to him and and really to the whole world and it has this uplifting effect. Um, it's a boost for all of us. It's a sad event, obviously, but at the same time there's this incredible spiritual energy that is released at that moment. So, the toughest moment of the week that's why we have the besamim at Havdalah to revive the soul. The toughest moment of the week is Motzei Shabbos. You're coming from Shabbos. Shabbos, I mean it's a neshama yeseira. You have additional spiritual energy. You're sort of experiencing uh a respite from the from the busyness of the world and then you're going back into the work week. I mean, that's why we say many people say al tira ya uh avdi Yaakov, they uh don't do not fear my servant Jacob because it's it is scary to leave Shabbos and go into the week. So, that's the time when we're the most vulnerable. So, the tzaddik looks at what time, if I have to be If that If that If I have to leave this world, but I know the time I leave this world it's going to give a big boost to everybody. What's the exact time, the precise moment when people need that boost the most? Motzei Shabbos. And the Rebbi is medayek in the loshon of siman rosh l'oy. It take it is hard for the person who passes away coming out of Shabbos. It's much better for the person who's passing away, for him it's much better he should pass away going into Shabbos cuz he goes into restfulness. But since when does the tzaddik look at what's good for him? So even at the moment of his histalkus the Rebbi is putting us first. The Rebbi is thinking about what can I do that will benefit others even to my own detriment. So I just wanted to share that. Okay. Beside the dishmaya Shabbos parshas Tetzaveh Yud Adar Rishon Tof Shin Mem Alef, as I said this was originally state delivered in 1981. The os Tetzaveh and we're we're going to we're not going to learn this overly uh laboriously. You could spend uh many many many hours. We'll go through it at a reasonable pace. Ve'atah tetzaveh es Bnei Yisrael ve'ikchu eilecha shemen zayis zach kasis l'maor l'haalos ner tamid. That's the posuk. That's the verse. From parshas Tetzaveh. Beginning posuk. And you, speaking to Moshe Rabbeinu, Hashem is speaking to Moshe Rabbeinu, you should command Bnei Yisrael, the Yidden, that they should take to you uh pure uh pure olive oil crushed for the luminary to raise up a constant light. Fine. Yedu'im ha'dyukim b'zeh, it's known the various various dyukim, questions that are raised on this on the wording of this verse. D'vechol ha'tzivuyim she'ba'Torah ne'emar "Tzav es Bnei Yisrael" ve'chaitzei v'zeh, we We have many times in Torah where Hashem is telling Moshe Rabbeinu to command the Yidden. And he'll say, for instance, Tzav es Bnei Yisrael. The codename of Vi'ata Tetzeveh es Bnei Yisrael. But here, it adds that word Vi'ata, you. You should command the Jewish people. Meaning, you don't have In an imperative statement, you don't have to have that pronoun you. It's understood. It's you understood. But here, the you is spelled out, Vi'ata. Okay, that's one question. And now, here's a question that goes beyond just the grammar, beyond just the word. There's also something in the in the in the content here of the message. When it says you should command, Hashem tells Moshe, you should command. Who's the commander? Who's giving this command? It's Hashem's mitzvah. Hashem is giving the command. But here, it's it's it's saying Hashem is telling Moshe, Moshe should give the command, as if Moshe is the one who from whom the the the mitzvah originates. It's all from Hashem. Moshe is the emissary to carry out, to deliver Hashem's commandment. Why would it never be Vi'ata Tetzeveh? Why does it say you should command, as if Come on in. Why does it say you should command, as if Moshe is the one whom who made up the commandment? Second question. Okay, now this Right? So, first of all, why does it even say Vi'ata? Why does it have the word? Second of all, is Moshe Taka? Is he the one from whom the commandment originates, or isn't it Hashem's commandment? Third question. Gam Tzarich Lehavin Masha Nemar Vayikchu Lecha. Why does it say, they should bring to you, meaning to Moshe, the oil sheyaviu Since we know technically who actually used that oil was Aaron was Moses brother the kind God why we bringing it to Moses why is the oil being brought to him fourth question gone why does it say oil crushed for the luminary it should say oil for illumination but it says oil for the luminary gone was his fifth question the very next from night until from night until morning and here it says constant okay so we have a bunch of questions ice base and more you should know this minor of the rabbit is mostly based on a minor of the rabbit form cotton tough fresh pay Zion not to give a whole history but just understand what talking about in the very well there were many many intense years of persecution these are the Stalin years and spying and informers and all that stuff but we're talking about really when the pressure was getting extremely intense this is right before actually ultimately the was arrested and we'll talk more about that which is the from that incarceration I mean it's a sham will have an event which will talk about later for you and basically come with Thomas. But at any rate, so there's a minor from the figure about during those really intense years in Russia. And the theme of the minor is a lot about Messiah Nafish about self-sacrifice which is understandable because that's basically what the Siddim were living with. And uh the minor speaks about the Messiah we'll we'll get we'll get more into it as we go on but the minor speaks about the Messiah of the Eden in the times of Purim in the story of Esther. Um and there are many details of that minor that the Rebbe examines and analyzes in this minor. Okay. So in the figure of the Rebbe's minor the Titzaveh Hutzav it mentions over there the concept that the commandment the word Titzaveh means commandment it's related to the word Titzaveh connection. Connection that's originally that's um a concept from uh from the Torah from the from the altar Rebbe. So commandment doesn't just mean commandment also means commandment but it's a connection. The Zot Titzaveh Bnei Yisrael and therefore we could understand a little bit better what does it mean and you Moshe should command command Yisrael Moshe who Yisrael Bnei Yisrael in of it means not only Moshe should command but he should it means that Moshe should connect. He should connect the Eden to the infinite to the infinite light. Like you say Moshe Bnei Yisrael Yisrael in of it is then Yisrael Moshe. And through Moshe connecting the Eden to the of this actually brings about some enhancement some addition in Moshe himself. That Moshe serving as this catalyst of this process benefits Moshe. Brings Moshe to a higher level. Brackets, the Moshiach of Yisrael is like the head the relationship between Moshiach and the Yidden is like a head and a and the feet. As it says like it says we had this couple weeks ago the parsha sheish me'ois elef ragliha amasha neish bekirbi Moshiach refers to being I'm standing in the midst of 600,000 feet. He's talking about the Yidden referring to them as feet pairs of feet 600,000 pairs of feet. The whole Yisrael are like the Moshiach. The Yidden are the feet of Moshiach and Moshiach who are like the head and conversely Moshiach is their head. Just like the feet bring the head to a place where the the head cannot go a bodyless head cannot travel anywhere. So even though the brain is the one who tells the feet where to go the brain is the one who knows where to go why to go what we're going to do when we get there and yet it can't do any of that without the feet. So the head needs the feet just as much as the feet need the head maybe you know even more so like the Moshiach. So too with Moshiach of Yisrael and the Yidden shall you Yisrael are like the Moshiach of Moshiach. That even though we're speaking about feet don't think the feet don't have a symbiotic relationship. Don't think it's not a two-way street. It's very much mutually beneficial. So we have this concept of Moshiach himself serving as the Moshiach of Yisrael serving as the connector of Yidden and the Ain Sof Moshiach himself is experiencing some type of benefit from this. As it says Moshiach elef ragliha amasha neish bekirbi. In fact that's why the verse says when Moshiach is his relationship as the head to the feet, and he's That's how he's describing his relationship with with Yidden, he says, "I nochi, shall you dare ugly on him shall I give you the nochi be careful by shall Moshiach." A nochi is the the the the the first person pronoun, I. It means the essence, higher than names. When we speak about when Hashem, for instance, at Har Sinai says, "I nochi Hashem Kacha as I had to see him at the mid-time." So, Hashem is a level, Kacha is a level. A nochi is not a level. A nochi is just the the essence. It's It's who he is. A nochi means who I am. So, the essence of Moshiach, the nochi of Moshiach, is brought out when he connects Yidden to the Aibishter. Is there who were added to the service of equal Hashem and Zion is going to all you days of Moshiach and Kacha and Israel in itself. All you days of Yidden and Israel and Zion and Zion and Moshiach and Kacha and Zion and taste of oil and Moshiach. And that's what it means they should bring the oil to him. It means that by Moshiach being the mitzvah, Yidden are bringing Moshiach something of benefit. They're bringing something to him that makes him, if I could say this, sounds funny to say it, but it makes Moshiach more Moshiach. Whatever Moshiach is on his own, but when he serves as the connector between Yidden and Hashem, it makes him even more of himself. His His a nochi, his essence, is brought out through that relationship specifically. Okay. Gimmel. Lavara is a Martin behind my mission Moshiach and you could have a man. Now, we have this term to explain what we've been talking about, this relationship between Moshiach and the Yidden. We have to look at this term, but I am a Hamna. Ra'aya Meheimna is Aramaic. Ra'aya Na'aman in Hebrew. And it's a it's a term from it's in Aramaic because it's from Zohar. Zohar is in Aramaic. How do you translate Ra'aya Meheimna? Okay, so there's a couple of couple of meanings and depending on the meaning there's two different ways to translate it. Dishnei peirushim b'zeh. Shu Ra'aya Na'aman shel Yisrael. One interpretation is he is the Ra'aya Na'aman. He is the faithful shepherd. What does that mean? There are different types of shepherds. Some shepherds are more reliable than others. A Ra'aya Na'aman is a very reliable shepherd. Meaning this What does it mean a reliable shepherd? Whatever it is the shepherd's supposed to do, you can count on him to do it and that's called Ra'aya Na'aman and that's one way to translate Ra'aya Meheimna. And that's the more simple and straightforward way to to interpret it. And then there's another way to interpret it. V'shehu zonim af ein anas es Yisrael b'inyan emunah. It means he's a shepherd of faith. Not he's a faithful shepherd. He's a shepherd of faith. We have to break that down a little bit. Like a shepherd takes care of sheep. But what does he do? He makes sure that the sheep gets fed. So a shepherd who's a shepherd of Eden he makes sure that the Eden get fed. Get fed with what? Faith. So Ra'aya Meheimna means the one who's responsible for making sure that Eden are getting nourished with faith. Now the obvious the question comes up if you learned any siddhis, especially the Rebbe's siddhis, you would say to yourself, well, Yidden, everything I know from siddhis, especially the Rebbe's siddhis by Yidden, Yidden are faith personified. Why they need to be fed something that they already embody? Okay, fine. So, let's This is what we're going to talk about. The emunah, yeah. The emunah she ashknavis ramitsan achsma. The faith that Yidden have intrinsically, Yisrael hema amina benei amina, the term that we use is they are believers, the sons of believers. After she tiya biginas makif. Sometimes it could be in a state of makif. What is makif? Makif literally means encompassing. Now, we're not talking about a physical object, so don't picture encompassing in spatial terms of like something that's outside or around or whatever. And metaphorically, yeah. But what we mean when we say that the emunah is biginas makif, we mean it's not internalized. Well, what does internalized mean? Also, not spatially like, you know, you have outside, inside. Means like this. Doesn't use it this term here, but siddhis it often talks about the concept of originally concept from the Gemara ganva pumachta d'rachmana kaya. There's a ganef who's digging a tunnel to bust into a house. And before he enters the tunnel, he davens. He says, "Hashem, help me be successful in this caper." Now, the question is, is he a ma'amin? Is he a believer or is he not a believer? Well, clearly he's a believer, he's davening. Yeah, but he's violating Hashem's law. So, how could he be a believer? And the answer is, well, faith is not binary. It's not either you believe or you don't. There are degrees of faith, degrees of how internalized the faith is. So, in the abstract, yeah, of course he believes in Hashem. He's davening. But when it gets really personal, meaning when he has to feed his family and he's nervous he's not going to be able to do so, that faith doesn't help him to be able to relax and remember that he can keep Hashem's law and feed his family at the same time. And something breaks down and he goes and he does what he shouldn't do. So, in the abstract, of course Hashem runs the world, but when it really counts, it's not internalized enough emotionally for me to to live with it. So, it could be that even though Yidden are ma'aminim bnei ma'aminim, we have this faith baked in, but it could be in the abstract. We're not feeling it things. We're still getting nervous, freaking out from our day-to-day lives, and we need somebody to help nourish us with with our own faith. It's our own faith. It's our own faith. We're going to speak about it more. Where does this faith come from? Cuz there's two levels where it might come from, but it's our own faith. But we need somebody who can help us to actually integrate it so it affects our consciousness and therefore our decision-making, that we make the right choices, we make choices that are based on faith rather than choices that are based on the fears of the of the ego, the animal soul. Okay. So, that's what that's what the Ra'aya Meheimna means. What does it mean that Moshe is a shepherd of faith? It means that he makes sure that the faith doesn't remain makif. It should become integrated. higher form of emunah will be nourished, fed through you. Through whom? Through Mashiach. What does it mean that Mashiach feeds us or nourishes us with faith? It means that he catalyzes the process of our integration of the faith. I hate to tell old rabbi jokes that everybody knows, but I'm going to do it anyway. You know this story? The rabbi, he raised a bunch of money to do a building campaign, and they did the whole building over, and then the last thing in the building was the parking lot. And on the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the mayor's going to be there and everything, and um just before everyone shows up, these little kids come out of shul, and they run around into the wet cement, and they track it up. And the rabbi screams at these kids, loses his cool, just screams at these kids. As the rabbi's screaming at the kids, one of their fathers shows up to shul and sees the rabbi screaming, says, "Rabbi, didn't you teach us kol hakoyach ki ilu oved avoda zara? Anyone who gets angry, it's like he worships idols." Rabbi says, "Yes, but that was in the abstract. This is in the concrete." So, the emunah in the abstract, yeah, Hashem runs the world, of course, of course. But when it comes down to something that really affects me personally, just can't do it. Can't can't get myself to feel it. Okay, so for that, Mashiach to be no comes, and he facilitates that that emunah should actually affect your everyday consciousness. Oh, my And in the Rebbe's memory, he goes on to explain that when it says that Moshiach is that I am a Hamna, it doesn't just mean Moshiach that was the last time it ever happened. No, no. It's the concept in Zohar of is past two dimensions. That in every generation there's an extension There are Moshiach-like figures who provide the same function. K'may Here is an archetypical example. This is connected to the Rebbe's memory, which very much focuses on the Purim story. Mordecai Shachah Yos Bish You're right. K'may Maran Zohar, Shem Mordecai B'day Roy K'may Shebday Roy. Mordecai in this in the Purim story was the Moshiach-like figure of his generation. That even at a time like the decrees of Haman when gathering to learn Torah was connected with putting your life at risk nevertheless he gathered groups in public to strengthen their faith in Hashem and to learn Torah and to do mitzvahs. So what was what's the point? That Mordecai was brave? No, that's not the point. The point was that at a time when it was very scary to be Jewish and to show up and show that you were Jewish Mordecai had that that effect on Yidden that they were able to tap into their emunah and to do something really scary without that emunah, promise you you would not do. But Mordecai was able to help Yidden to to connect with that part of themselves and that it shouldn't just be that they believe in the abstract in you know, the quiet of their own home, but they should be proud and public about it. And it should be fearless. That's what it means that the the emunah is integrated. So you see, that's a classic example of a of a Moshe-like figure. Now, in the figure of Reb Myer after he explains this concept, you have a Moshe-like figure who helps Yidden get in touch with their own emunah to internalize their own emunah in every generation. And after that concept in a deal then the figure of explains of another question we had in Isaiah why does it say in the verse crushed for the luminary, the olives are crushed for the luminary. It should say crushed to illuminate, meaning crush the olives, turn them into oil that will then illuminate. Why does it crushed for the luminary? Crushes that in the time of galus when everyone is crushed, so now we're not talking about crushed olives anymore. Now we're talking about crushed feelings. That when we feel crushed because of the hardship of galus through that we reach the the luminary. What's the luminary? Parentheses, atzum, the essence from what from whence the light emanates. In other words, we're going to speak about this more in the minor, but the point is that through being crushed by galus we connect to our own essence, our deepest selves. That's what the Fiddler Cup is my man says. And that's what Ma'ar means. But the but now that I've asked a new question, how shy is and by the way, who says they have to connect to the Rebbe? Always If you know the Rebbe's style, everything connects, everything is relevant, nothing is random. There's always one theme and always is consistent, it's always There's a There's a There's a thread that goes through everything. So, the Rebbe asked a question. What is the shy is the because it's the Ma'ar and the Ma'ar is past the Ma'ar and the Ma'ar is the Ma'ar. There was taking two concepts to understand. Two concepts in the Fiddler Cup is my man and insisting that they are connected and asking what's the connection. So, if two concepts, one concept is that through causes, through being crushed by galus, we reach this higher level called Ma'ar, the essence, whatever that means, which we'll explain. That's one concept and then another concept is this concept that Ma'ar and his representative or embodiment in every single generation serves as the one who brings you in touch with their faith. What is the connection? What's the connection between those two concepts? Okay? The causes the Ma'ar and the Ma'ar These two concepts. All right. Daled. Moving too fast is a good pace, right? Right? Just slightly slower than the guys standing around the bema. But not too slow. Okay. I'm I'm gauging from the live See, here's the thing. We have the people watching online who are at home, they have time. Although, I'm suspicious that maybe there are people who are in the car. Don't look at the screen if you're driving, but I'm thinking, I'm hoping that there are people who are in the car watching this as they're driving to the aisle. So, we want to give a shout out to all those who are driving to the aisle right now. And when you get here, come by and say hello. And if you're driving somewhere else other than the aisle, you have a GPS, put in Ohel Chabad, Cambria Heights, and come to the aisle. Where else? Yeah. The two different Lashon That I don't know. You ever heard anything the two different Lashon is? Yeah, I don't know. I mean they're both used to describe what he calls this process of internalization. That it should be an Apnimius. It shouldn't be a Makif. It should be an Apnimius. Yeah. Okay. Let's do Dalet. We're We're doing We're doing through Hey tonight. And tomorrow Hashem, you want to join us for Shachris. Uh we're going to daven. Schedule's on the back of this beautiful Kuntres here. So tomorrow, 9:30 Shachris, 11:00 um we'll continue the Maimer. Tonight we're doing uh Aleph through Hey. Okay, we're on Dalet now. Okay. Where'd my drink go? Chaim. Okay, Dalet. The Apnimius of Kiblu Yehudim as I say hey Lashon who Shiklu Masha Heyklo b'azman the Matan Torah. The Rebbe is taking us back again to the Fiddler Kober's Maimer. That the explanation of this Posuk Viati Titzaveh comes in part as a part of explaining something that the Fiddler Kober was addressing earlier, which is what does it mean in the in the Megillah when it says that the Jews accepted upon themselves what they had begun? It means they they accepted in the times of Esther that which they only began to accept at the times of Matan Torah. What does that mean? Okay, explains. At the time of Matan Torah, Har Sinai, it was the beginning. But in the times of Achashverosh, specifically in the harshest times of Haman's decrees, that's when they actually accepted they accepted it. It's a funny thing because uh what we're going to explain Matan Torah and the story of Purim were very very very different settings and yet Matan Torah is only the beginning and Purim is the full acceptance. What does it mean that they established, confirmed, and accepted? Means they confirmed what they had already begun to accept. When they said na'aseh v'nishma, we will do and then we will listen, meaning we are agreeing to accept Torah mitzvahs before understanding it, we'll do it with kabbalas oil. When they said that prior to receiving the Torah, that was only the beginning. They didn't truly affirm it until the times of Esther. of a palate. Now, the Friediker Rebbe is one who points out that this is very strange. Why is it strange? At the time of mountain time of the you didn't run a very exalted spiritual level of there was a lot of divine revelation. Right, we're talking about mountain time of itself was miraculous. And you taste me try him in the market miraculous and curious young all these miracles surrounded by miracles. The nation was actually going to mountain time of the English baby Jesus baby Jesus of in English mountain time of the English baby Jesus. So, they were experiencing all these miracles from the time they were leaving Egypt until the time they were standing at Sinai incredible revelation. And then contrast that with the poem story of the make a Swedish. I used to have a taco suit very spiritually low time. And we know that Esther is Malaysian Hester. Concealment Hashem is concealed. The name of Hashem doesn't appear in the Megillah. Time of divine concealment. First of all, any gallus is a time of Helen the Hester. I remember when you didn't we're standing at her Sinai this is right after Google. They're in a state of Google of redemption. When they're in in the days of high Swedish they're in gallus. And any gallus is a time of Helen. Like it says when you didn't win in the meantime they couldn't even listen to measure because of the shortness of breath and the difficult labor. So, any any gallus is like me trying what's me trying you You think straight You can't You just I'm thinking to myself last week Eric Adams came here to the Soul Words house. And we're sitting down in the basement. And that's where the We're not playing pool in the There's not a billiards uh in the basement. There's a podcast studio in the basement. So, I'm saying we're sitting with Eric Adams in the basement. We're recording a podcast in the state-of-the-art podcast studio in the basement. And he was talking about breathing. Breathwork. Breathing is important. And we want to bring breathwork into the schools, which gave me an opportunity to say moment of silence, you know, that I ever said we should be Cuz he said children that you know, you can't just teach them reading, writing, arithmetic. You have to give them tools for handling life. And I was like, "Yeah, exactly." And the Rebbe said that there should be a moment of silence in public schools and should be non-sectarian, meaning the teacher shouldn't bring in any religious messages, but the children should ask their parents what to think about. At any rate, so he was like talking about the breathwork. And he's like, "Breathing, if you don't breathe, you can't think. You can't manage." And I said to him, I said, "You know, when Moses went to take the children of Israel out of Egypt, Torah tells us in the book of Exodus that they could not even hear him because of the koitzer ruach, which means the shortness of breath." He liked that. But at any rate, golus is a time of concealment. Koitzer ruach. It's not You're not thinking straight. You're not yourself. Yeah. Al derech zeh hu begoyim golus. And And it's not just Mitzrayim, it's every golus. She yeshnam kamonist yeinish bekim mitzvot. It's just difficult. There are many challenges against doing what you got to do, against Torah mitzvot. Okay. So, again, we're bringing out this this funny paradox that in the time of Mount Sinai, when everything was spiritually exalted, that's only the beginning of the Jewish acceptance of Torah. But, in the time of Ahasuerus, when it was really really difficult to function, we were in a really deep galus. Oh, that's when they really accepted it. It seems counterintuitive. This is what the Friediker So, it wasn't just galus, but in time of Esther, it was it was an exacerbated galus. But, after picking and then nevertheless, surprisingly, Mount Sinai was only the beginning. But, in the time of Haman's harsh decree, when they were on a very low level, that's when they completed the acceptance of what they only began to accept at Mount Sinai. It's a strange thing. So, he explains. Friediker explains. Okay, you want to understand it? There's an explanation. The time of Purim, everything they did Jewishly required self-sacrifice. Required self-sacrifice. Brackets. So, first of all, what does it mean self-sacrifice? First of all, the self-sacrifice that they did not assimilate because the Alter Rebbe explains that if they would have, God forbid, converted, Haman would have accepted that. That would have been an escape. And yet nobody had that thought. So, that's the first mesiras nefesh, that they said, "We're going to die for being Jews, and we could change that by just stop, you know, stop identifying as Jews, but we're not we're not going to stop identifying as Jews." So, that's the first example of mesiras nefesh. Hoyle mesiras nefesh gam kimase de mesos, but then also in specific it their practice of Judaism, continuing to learn Torah and do mitzvahs, was a specific expression of mesiras nefesh. The achi kilu kilais, here's a very specific example. Beravam, they they they gathered like we mentioned, Mordecai gathered the Jews in public leel may Torah to study Torah with mesiras nefesh, which was putting their life at risk, and it was great it was great self-sacrifice. Okay, so what what's what's the point? Okay, so the Friediker Rebbe explains, "The sayders of mesiras nefesh aleihem hoisa ayidei Mordecai hayehudi meshibadai like we said before, their having that strength to do something that put their lives at risk. Who facilitated that? Who gave them that push that they should be in touch with that strength, that moral courage? Mordecai, who was the the Mosha. Vizehu bikivlei Yehudei mesasharei lasais, the matan Torah hoisa akas Haman bizman gzeiras Haman hoisa kabala. Now we understand what it means, that matan Torah was only beginning, but gzeiras Haman time was the acceptance. Ki ayidei she Hoy Elokim os mesiras nefesh bepial al tei de mitzvahs, because being in a state of mesiras nefesh, what did that do to them? Nisalu, it elevated them beinyan zeh, lemedreige naalis yesh mikasheh hoiy bizman matan Torah. Counterintuitive, but it actually was more of a spiritual boost for them to be in a terrible situation where their Yiddishkeit was threatened, that actually pushed them to a higher spiritual level than all of the miracles that they experienced at matan Torah. That's why that mountain is only the beginning but the real affirmation the real acceptance was at that low point and ironically the low point was the high point. That's why specifically in the time of that later that persecution that's when they accepted it. That's this is all what the explains and again I mentioned earlier is my mirror is doing the real harsh decrees not just against Judaism in general but specifically aimed at the as an individual this is in in the days leading up to his his arrest and uh it was a the literally a dangerous time and obviously the minor has eternal relevance but I'm saying also at the time when it was delivered had very immediate relevance to everyone to whom he was speaking that they were in that type of a Exodus common situation where everything is telling us and the was telling them that actually being in a state of that fish in an ironic way can lift you to a higher level okay. He's saying why don't we find so Mordecai is the should be the right but where where do we find that does this the you're saying? It's an interesting question you already have an answer to this okay I have a thought. The question was so Mordecai was obviously in a situation where he could inspire you to cuz it was an opportunity for that fish there was a real threat. Where do we find that does this? So Benji saying well maybe just wasn't opportunity for it cuz there was so much Giluyim, was so much divine revelation. Like, there was no threat. It's an interesting question. Okay. Can I make something up? And I'll just float it out there. It's worth whatever it's worth. And I'll say it quickly and we'll move on. Perek Chof Hey of Tanya. The whole inyan of mesiras nefesh starts with the hemshech of mesiras nefesh Yud Chof through Chof Hey. Basically, this idea similar to Yud Nun Mem Yud Nun Mem Yud Nun Mem, the idea of avo mesitaris, every Yid has in his DNA that the ability to give up give up everything for Hashem. And it just has to be triggered. And you have to remove the ruach stos that that rationalizes that you can do what you want and it won't hurt you. And then you realize it's not true. You can't do what you want. You have to do what Hashem wants. Okay. So, at the end of perek Chof Hey, the Alter Rebbe says, "This is why Moshe Rabbeinu taught people, his people, to say Shema twice a day." Shema is martyrdom. Like, unfortunately, we have millions of examples throughout history of Yidden who gave their lives and the last words from their mouths was was was Shema Yisrael. We know that Neilah, when we say Shema Yisrael at the end of Neilah, when the with the Aron open and it's supposed to be this climactic moment, so there's there's a concept to have in mind the kavana of mesiras nefesh. Shema Yisrael is not just a theological statement of Hashem's oneness. It's a It's a proclamation of, you know, surrender. I'm ready to give it all up. So, what do you say? Soul words. Soul words? So, the words of the soul. Yeah. I'm ready to give it all to Hashem. So, the Alter Rebbe asks the question says, "Why is Moshe telling them like why is he teaching them the martyr's prayer? Their generation was going to rock. They were just going to everything they're going to conquer everyone. There was going to be no resistance. So, why why are you prepping yourself for the prayer you say when you're the underdog, when you're getting persecuted? So, he says And this is in context of the whole Hamshach of Yud Kest to Chof Hey, that basically in order to be a frum a Yud, to to keep Torah and Mitzvos on a day-to-day basis, sometimes you're going to need the Mesiras Nefesh cuz sometimes you're not going to feel like it. You need you're going to need to tap into that feeling of I'll do anything. I'll get tortured. I'll get killed. Well, no, you don't have to get tortured and killed. You just have to not give in to your taiva, which is uncomfortable, but it's not as painful as getting tortured and killed, right? So, the the Alter Rebbe says that Moshe Rabbeinu was giving them a basic tool. That Mesiras Nefesh isn't just martyrdom. Mesiras Nefesh can mean just living according to Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. That's Mesiras Nefesh. Which can be harder cuz yeah, yeah. Something you do constantly, something you do once. So, at any rate, even with Moshe Rabbeinu, he did teach them to have Mesiras Nefesh. They didn't have the kind of Mesiras Nefesh that Yidden in the times of Achashverosh were forced to have. That's Mesiras Nefesh is sort of like externally imposed. And by the way, we're going to I don't want to get into a discussion of it now cuz it's going to become a theme of the maamar, which is a question of does Mesiras Nefesh have to be a response to an external condition? Like, do you need to be persecuted in order to Cuz we know what Mesiras Nefesh does. The Frierdiker Rebbe explained the level that it brings you to. Do you need to be put in a Do you need to be subjected to an outward threat in order to access that? We'll we'll talk about it. Okay. Let's continue. The Rebbe asks a question of "Chai Yishlama." "Shall Pirus be Koses be Koses L'ma'ar Sh'al Yidei Koses Nishparnike Megiyem L'ha'amar Hu Bi'ur Al Zeh Sheb'zman Gezeiroh Davka." So so Our explanation of causes Lamar was not the hours getting crushed but we're getting crushed. And that brings us to the mother, the essence, the the deepest level. That is actually an explanation of the idea that in a time of persecution you'll come to a higher level. Where do we get the capacity from a citizen office from? Where does that come from? It comes from a time in the shower and get a little bit of which is in other words known as mother from men and men not the light but the source of the light, the luminary. There's a higher and it's my birthday higher and half of seven. And it says that you have different son office starting from and down which correspond to the spheres. So you have and you have this. But the essence of a year was can reveal when up from course that he does he he he doesn't want and in fact he's not even capable of becoming torn away from God. That's from the essence. That's higher than higher than this. So the capacity to give up everything that actually runs counter to say this. It comes from a deeper place than say this. It comes from essence. So when you are in a position to outwardly manifest your capacity from a citizen office it connects you to a deeper place within yourself. Who you really are. It's a good zone. In other words, there are layers, there are levels to our identity. And uh there's there's always the possibility on various different levels of being sort of in a state of self-betrayal, where you're not true to yourself. In other words, you can do things that you really shouldn't do. And you could even like things that you shouldn't like, and dislike things that you should like. And even your brain can be wired to look at things in a way that really you shouldn't look at them. It's not the way you should be thinking. And all that's possible because on these levels we can get away from the truth. And then there's the essence that never gets away from the truth. Now, when does that come out? Well, one time we know it comes out as is in a time of mesiras nefesh because at that time, you have to be ready to throw away everything else about yourself. Everything that you do and you feel and you think, everything that you identified with, all of a sudden becomes unimportant. The only thing that's important is Hashem. And that's that connection with the with the deepest self. See where we're headed. We have this concept of mother, which is the deepest self. We already began this concept. It might should have been I don't want to like give away too much, but they have already alluded to this concept that why do we need a ray of emunah, someone who to help us to to to have faith when when we have faith built in. So we explain. He's not giving you extraneous faith from somewhere else. It's your faith that you already have, but you're not in touch with it. Okay? So we know this phenomenon of mesirus nefesh has a similar effect. Where there's an underlying faith, but you weren't in touch with it. But push comes to shove, and then that comes out. And then everything else falls away. So basically we're talking about this idea of returning to our most basic truest to like factory settings. Deleting everything, getting rid of all the the malware, getting back to factory settings. Okay. So being in a state of mesirus nefesh brought them brought out in them their essence, their deepest selves. However, the Rebbe wants to say this. In the of his mind this concept how mesirus nefesh brings out your essence comes after this explanation of Ra'aya Meheimna. Comes after the concept of Ra'aya Meheimna. Mashma, so that implies not that the video grab it connects the concept, but the fact that they're both mentioned in the mind and and they're mentioned in that order. So that that says that implies if you're taking it seriously the Indian these two concepts are related. They're related concepts. The concept that Macy's not fish brings out your essence and the concept that my should be no connects you with your own faith that you were out of touch with those are connected concepts. How are they connected? I don't know, but the says they must be connected. And we could already feel how they're similar concepts. Right the closest the mother that it's him that the other comes from getting in touch with your truest self and also that I am him now. He's feeding the faith, but it's not like he goes to the store and brings faith home. It's a it's your faith, but you weren't accessing your faith. And he helps you to internalize your faith. So we see how they're related concepts. All right, hey, we're going to do hey and then what are we doing? We're doing with all through hate tonight, right? That's the plan. We're going to stick with the plan. What's our part here? We haven't described it really. Yeah. See what's your active role here? Like what are you doing here? Yeah. I mean so far it doesn't really sound like there's an active role. I mean it's just describing something that happens. Um and it's it's almost like the opposite of active role. It's like we're talking about the fish the way we're describing it's like it happens to you. It's like this wave that's like powerful. It just picks you up. To the extent that you didn't in the time of Martin because they didn't have those conditions. They weren't able to reach that deep, and that's why it's only the beginning. They weren't able to really confirm it. Yeah. So, at this point yeah, it doesn't really Don't worry. If you want some of it, it's it's coming. The mind is going to come from you. Don't worry. You're not going to be off the hook. But at this point, it's just describing, I think, certain realities. Hasn't really told us anything I don't see that it's told us to do anything yet. Yet. But trust me, we'll have plenty of work before before we're done. Okay. Hey. It's a known concept. That was just a known concept. It's It's from iron base. If you If it's not known to you yet, you better get it known to you. This might have a commercial. You can go learn iron base. It It It It comes up, I think, in a couple of places in iron base. It's a known concept. The The concept of Israel being my meaning with a moon of shelter without the need for proof. You don't have to I mean, by By this is one of the core concepts of Hasidus. Like I don't want to get into a side point, but like why don't we do like these seminars where they prove to you the divinity of the Torah or there has to be a creator and intelligent design, like all that stuff which is, you know, We have plenty in Hakira, you know, from the from the from the generations. We have plenty of Jewish philosophy where we can give logical proofs to believe in there's a creator, the mountain Torah. All these things we have in Yiddishkite plenty of these arguments. But you don't see in this that we do that approach. We kind of just skip that whole thing. We just start learning about Halachos. Okay, why? Because one of the axioms of Seder is that you didn't already believe and they don't need proofs and sometimes it's even counterproductive to get into the proofs cuz then it all almost like suggests this is for up to this is up for debate and whoever is smartest gets to have their you know whoever wins the debate, that's the truth. Well, you know, even if I lose the debate, Halachos is still the truth. So, where does this come from that we say that a Yid believes not because he logically concluded, but intrinsically he believes. Okay, so it's interesting. There are a couple of ways to look at this and what why we talk about this. Remember, we said that I already have faith baked in. It's already part of the operating system. And I lose touch with it, which we call that it's the beginning of Smachiv and then I need Moishe to come and help me is on my finest, which means get me back in touch with my Amona. Or another way we described it is getting in touch with the mall air with the essence of who I am. Okay, so we're going to talk about what is this essence of who I am? This Amona that's already intrinsic to me. I don't have to go somewhere and get it. I don't have to listen to a lecture. I don't have to read a book. Like it's already it's mine. It's already mine. Okay, so there are two explanations for that Amona. Who met such name time There are two reasons. They're both true. They're two different levels. One is Lafee Shamash Alayu Chazi. It's a lotion of Gamada. The his mazel saw. What's a mazel? The mazel malaysian nasal, the drip. The mazel means a higher level of consciousness. Usually in this this what we explain is that there are levels of the neshama which are mislabish bagoof, which are embodied. And then there's a level called mazel, which is so lofty that it's not embodied. And things that the mazel is aware of, you might call that the supra-consciousness. You know, like the the Freud subconscious. So, this is like the opposite. It's like supra-conscious. You're aware of it. It's It's higher than seichel. Um so, sometimes you're conscious of it. Sometimes you're not conscious of it. But it eventually, you know, like Reaganomics, trickle-down theory, eventually it'll drip down and it'll affect you. So, one way that we describe this intrinsic emunah is that the mazel sees. The haneshama shel amala ro'eh Elokus. Re'iyah shel amala meseichel. The mazel, the the level of the soul which is higher than embodiment sees godliness. And the Rebbe points out seeing, which is higher than intellect. You know what I mean seeing is higher than intellect? If I explain an idea to you, it has to make sense. But if I show you something, it doesn't have to make sense. Like I saw it. Like I don't understand it. I don't I don't know how that's possible, but I saw it. So, that's higher than seichel. So, there's a level of the soul that sees godliness. And that's the source, or at least one of the two explanations for the source of the intrinsic faith that the Jew has. This is that pile behind the shamash bagoof. Hormone of Allocos and then that affects the part of the soul that is in the body meaning I guess you call that your conscious self that it should also have faith. So there's the higher part of the soul that's above embodiment and sees godliness and its perceptions eventually have an influence on the conscious perception. So that's one explanation. But then there's another explanation. It's from the actual soul essence which is higher than mazel. So mazel is higher than the embodied soul levels but atsum is even higher than mazel. He is conscious of this the fact that the essence of the soul is connected to Hashem. It's essential connection. We'll explain what that means but in parenthesis it says it's not possible. It's not conditional. Not even this level of seeing which is above intellect. Okay, let me explain this. This one level called the mazel and it believes cuz it sees godliness. So of course it believes it sees godliness. But that's a cause and effect. It sees therefore it believes. Then there's a level called the atsum and ashama. Well, why does it believe? What happened to it? What does it see? Nothing happened to it. That's just what it is. It's not a cause and effect. It's not this, therefore. On the level of mazel, it is. In other words, if in theory the mazel wouldn't see, then it wouldn't have that belief. But the mazel does see, and therefore it does have that belief, and then it trickles down and affects the rest of the neshama that's in the body. But the level of atzum, which is higher than the than than the mazel, even higher than mazel, the atzum, it doesn't believe because of something. That's just what it is. We get uh What? Why is it that way? You mean what's the purpose for it being that way? You say what else I'm saying. The mazel part makes sense to you. Why does it make sense? Oh, you're saying it makes sense that there's this mazel that sees Elokus, because that it makes sense how that would eventually affect the rest of you. But why is there this atzum that believes just because that's what it is? That's its essence. Though yeah, we do use the word believe. That's what we say, emunah. It's different than the emunah that we experience. It's what is your reality? Sometimes I could say this we the way we explain it is like Elokus be pshitos velt be hiskashus, right? That in Atzilus the neshamos and the netzalim and malachim for them Elokus b'pshitus, the axiom is that God exists. Anything else is a construct, it's a theory. A world? I I guess I could imagine it, you know. In Olam Hazeh, in the physical world it's the exact opposite, the velt is b'pshitus. What do we take for granted? Of course there's a world. Get out of bed and you bump your toe on the nightstand, there's a world. Elokus? That's a novel idea, if you philosophize you could wrap your head around it. But it's b'hiskhad'shus, it's a chiddush. So what the when when So set aside the word emunah right now, just say what is your reality? So for the etzem and neshama, reality is Elokus. That's it. It's not a construct, it's not an idea, it's not a theory, it's not something that you have to imagine. That is the most concrete reality. Well, the reality is that it's it's He even uses the word here that it's mukshates, that it's connected to it. Which is a different than different than one with it, it's connected to it, so there's there's even levels within that. But the point is at this level of etzem it's chazakah, it's assumption of everything is God is real. Anything else? I don't know, you'd have to convince me to entertain it as as a reality. Now the question is why is there a part of us that's like that? I don't know. I could flip it on you and say, "Why is there any part of us that's not like that?" Like, why why are there soul levels that get plunged into a body and everything gets covered up and they lose touch with that reality? Okay, so then the your answer is behira. Okay, so for for that you answer, "Well, because if everything were so obvious, we would have no behira." And then you come then you flip it back on me flipping it back on you and you say, "So, why is there that level of atzum?" And I guess the I mean, I don't I hope this is not a lazy answer, but like we're saying before, the atzum believes in Hashem not because of anything that's happening to it or any any experience it had, but because that's what it is. And that's kind of like the answer, because that's what it is. Like, why is it the way that it is? It's like that because that's the way that it is. It sounds like circular logic, but like that's what atzum means. Like, that's what it is. It's not emunah the way we talk we talk about emunah as something abstract. And the the atzum and neshama for it, emunah is the most concrete thing. Okay, but at any rate, in ein base it says the fact that we have this natural faith, it comes from somewhere. Where does it come from? Oh, glad you asked. Two places. And it's not mutually exclusive. They can both be true. They're levels. One place, which is the origin of the faith, is the mazel sees Elokus, therefore it believes, and because of what it sees and believes, that has a an effect eventually on the conscious person. Another explanation is there's an essence of the neshama, which is even higher than the mazel. It doesn't believe because of anything, that's just what it is. Now, we've alluded to this level before already when we spoke about muller and etsum. We already know there's that deepest part of ourselves. And we already know that my should have been always the one who reintroduces us to that truest part of ourselves. This we already know it if we're paying attention. Okay, let's keep moving. We're going to finish. Not the minor, we're going to finish what we set out to learn tonight, aleph through hey. Okay. Does that sound to me the same as you say something repeating a line backing up? Period. Now that everyone wants to say what's the difference between these two explanations? The kind of a muna that we end up getting from the fact that the mazel sees a locos that's the muna that's in a market like we said before. Doesn't stop you from stealing. Cuz that level of the soul is above embodiment and therefore the effect that it has on the soul never really becomes fully embodied. It doesn't really get into your kishkes and calm you down when you need to have real muna, practical muna. Not theoretical muna, practical muna. But if you want the faith to get internalized into your kishkes where you can actually feel it feel the muna that has to come from that level of etsum, higher than mazel. That's where that comes from. In other words, two of faith, two degrees of faith, two levels of internalization of faith coming from two different origins. Crazy concept. The essence of the soul is also the essence of the soul that's invested in the body. Even the soul that's invested in the body, its essence is this same essence. Cuz it sounds like the opposite. It's like the atsum is higher than hislabshus. Then you have the levels that are shiech to hislabshus. So, it's like saying, is Hashem physical or spiritual? Right? Oh, it's spiritual. No. Hashem is atsum. Atsmus higher than spiritual or physical. So, first you're thinking of it like, oh, atsum in the neshama. That's the spiritual of the spiritual. Then we say, no, no, no, if it's really atsum, then it's the essence also of the lowest level of the neshama. Now, on a conscious level, that's not how we experience the lowest level of the neshama. The conscious level, lowest level of the neshama is the one that's all able to get all this pull from things of this world and to get nervous and reactive. But if you dig deep enough, it's there. That's the That's the hard wiring of even the lowest level. In other words, if you want to really internalize the faith, you have to find that faith that's already there. Not a faith that was brought in from somewhere else. The fact that the mazel sees Elokus's faith that's brought in from somewhere else. It's It's due to something. It's due to an experience. It's not intrinsic. Okay. He atsum in the neshama. That's why since the faith of is intrinsic so therefore when it affects the levels of the soul that are in the body the ones that we're conscious of that's why it can actually accomplish something where you would internalize it which we said before means you would actually put your money where your mouth is and not just proclaim belief as a doctrine, as a dogma, but really really feel the faith on every level emotionally, even even physically, your body is calm feel like a person who's safe. Now according to this concept we're going to go back and we're going to tie up some loose ends in the free to give us my mirror. What's the connection between these two concepts? The concept of being crushed bringing us to the deepest level of self and the concept of being the one who gets us in touch with our faith. The idea that the one who connects us to our faith so that we can internalize it. at the moment summer that what does my share of anything do? My share of anything do connects us to the deepest self. In other words, how does my share give us deeper faith? He connects us to our deepest self. Which is in the terms of the minor more shall I my love may or what we're calling more as opposed to or. So, how does Moshiach do it? How does Moshiach get us to a deeper level of faith? He gets us in touch with ourselves, our true selves, our deepest self. Umashina cos is Lamar. Why does it crushed? Crushed in order to reach the deepest level of self. Mevorach Moshiach I give a more who I do the cos of my and like in the video games it says the way the path to getting to that level is persecution basically. Who? He equal to more who in the city she cut who my to the to the common. The main way that that truest self gets brought out is through self-sacrifice. Now, I don't want to spoil anything, but I'll just say like this. Until now we only know of one way to be in a state of nafish and that's to be in a Purim-like situation where there is some type of persecution. It is possible, let's find out. I don't know yet. We'll find out in the moment. Maybe there are other ways to bring out Mesirus Nefesh without some external persecution. Maybe even perhaps just putting together ideas that we already know about in the moment at this point. Moshiach is involved in that process. Maybe there's something that being in a high-intensity situation triggers in us that allows us to dig deep and get in touch with our deepest self. And that Moshiach is able to facilitate that type of self-discovery in other ways. Perhaps, maybe. I'm saying based on what we know at this point in the mind there's a strong indication that that's where we're headed. You understand we're marrying together a bunch of concepts thematically that they're they're one idea. So, anyway just to to recap we did the first five chapters here but bottom line there's a level of more air the luminary that's the truest self also known as the etsum the highest level the the the the the level of the Jew that has a moon and not because of anything not even because of a spiritual experience. Normally we get in touch with that in high intensity situations. Moshe Rabbeinu is the one who facilitates that in those high intensity situations. Perhaps Moshe Rabbeinu could also facilitate that in other types of situations. Perhaps. Okay. That's where we're up to. Like I said I'm going to show them tomorrow we'll dive in shachris at 9:30 and we'll learn um chapter 6 through 9 of the mind God willing at 11:00 a.m. Okay.