With Light and With Might

W i t h L i g h t and w i t h M i g h t
Two Chassidic Discourses by

Rabbi Sholom DovBer Schneersohn
of Lubavitch
With Light and with Might

Two Chassidic Discourses by
Rabbi Sholom DovBer Schneersohn
of Lubavitch
Tanu Rabbanan: Ner Chanukah, 5643
and
Kol HaYotzei LeMilchemes Beis David, 5661

W i t h an Appendix by
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn
of Lubavitch

Translated by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger & U r i Kaploun

Edited by U r i Kaploun
/0'igg \
||
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Kehot Publication Society
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5753 1993

With Light and with Might

Published and Copyrighted by
"KEHOT" PUBLICATION SOCIETY

770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11213
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ISBN 0-8266-0533-8
5753 1993
Table of Contents
Preface
vii
Tanu Rabbanan: Ner Chanukah, 5643

( ;1882)
Publisher's Foreword
The Maamar of the Rebbe Rashab
xi
1
Kol HaYotzei LeMilchemes Beis David, 5661

( ;1900)
The Sichah of the Rebbe Rashab
Historical Background by the Rebbe Rayatz,
5702 ( ;1942)
59
61
85
Founders of Chassidism and Leaders of

Chabad-Lubavitch
107
Glossary
109
vii
Preface
I n this volume, two classic discourses of the Rebbe
Rashab complement each other. The maamar
entitled Tanu Rabbanan: Ner Chanukah, 5643 (;
1882), celebrates the m i g h t of spiritual light, w h i c h
like the rays of the Chanukah lamp reaches out to
illuminate a dark world; the sichah entitled Kol
HaYotzei LeMilchemes Beis David, 5661 ( 1 9 0 0 ;),
celebrates the light that is generated w h e n an
individual musters the self-sacrificing m i g h t to "go out
to the battles of the House of David," and to prepare
himself and his environment for the coming of
Mashiach.
The historical and conceptual background to the
latter discourse is richly depicted i n this volume by an
appendix w h i c h records the opening remarks of the
Rebbe Rayatz at the 45th anniversary celebration of
the foundation of the Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah i n
Lubavitch i n 5657 ( 1 8 9 7;),held on Erev Rosh
Chodesh Tammuz, 5702 ( 1 9 4 2;).I n addition, each
of the two discourses of the Rebbe Rashab is preceded
by a Publisher's Foreword.
The maamar entitled Tanu Rabbanan: Ner Chanukah
first appeared i n English on the eve of Chanukah,
5751, translated i n full by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger and
edited by U r i Kaploun. The sichah of the Rebbe Rashab
entitled Kol HaYotzei LeMilchemes Beis David, together
w i t h its accompanying text by the Rebbe Rayatz,
appeared i n English on the eve of Rosh HaShanah,
5750, i n an abbreviated adaptation by Rabbi Eliyahu
Touger. I t appears i n full for the first t i m e i n the
present volume (together w i t h the text by the Rebbe
Rayatz) i n a new translation by U r i Kaploun, w h i c h
makes liberal use of the previous version and its
footnotes, and w h i c h adds further annotation.
viii
The two discourses of the Rebbe Rashab are a

century old. Nevertheless, as today's reader works his
way through them, he w i l l no doubt be struck by the
sheer eternity of the Torah, for their messages as
outlined i n their respective Publisher's Forewords
are so strikingly contemporary.
Sichos I n English
2 Nissan, 5753 (1993)
The Anniversary of the Passing
of the Rebbe Rashab
Tanu Rabbanan: Ner Chanukah
xi
The Rebbe Rashab had just turned twenty-two
w h e n he delivered this maamar, late i n 1882. His
father, the Rebbe Maharash , had passed away only
two months beforehand, on Yud-Gimmel Tishrei, and,
as afterwards recorded b y his son, the Rebbe Rayatz
, a long time was yet to pass before he w o u l d
recover from the blow.
I n later years the chassidim of those days
reverently recalled the first delivery of this maamar,
and the impact of its message. For this maamar, one of
the first fruits of a prolific lifetime harvest of such
discourses, clarifies some of the most basic seminal
concepts i n Chabad thinking, such as: the u n i t y of the
Creator; infinite revelation as perceived b y finite
mortals; the symbiosis of Torah and mitzvos; the
dynamics of self-refinement through the joyful service
of G-d; and man's ongoing task of l i g h t i n g up the dark
w o r l d outside.
When this maamar first appeared on the eve of
Chanukah two years ago, we wrote:
The last-mentioned task makes this maamar
especially timely. We are l i v i n g i n a year i n
w h i c h the Rebbe Shlita is r e m i n d i n g us that the
four Hebrew letters indicating the date
(5751) are the initials of the words,
" This w i l l be a year i n w h i c h ' I shall
show you wonders.'" (The latter phrase echoes
the prophecy of the future redemption, "As i n
the days of your Exodus from Egypt, I w i l l show
you wonders."*) There are times w h e n the
hushed workings of Divine Providence operate
*
Michah 7:15.
xii
behind the scenes incognito, so that "the person

to w h o m a miracle occurs does not recognize the
miracle that has happened to h i m . " Niflaos
("wonders"), by contrast, are events that cannot
pass unseen. These promised manifestations of
the Creator's involvement i n the w o r l d w i l l be
so visible that He w i l l show them to us.
W i t h the advantage of hindsight, the rest of the
w o r l d soon witnessed what the Rebbe Shlita had
predicted: the formidable threat of the Gulf War came
and went, leaving the Holy Land, exactly as the Rebbe
Shlita had promised, "the safest place i n the world."
This year has been similarly designated by the
Rebbe Shlita: the four Hebrew letters indicating the
date5753) ) are the initials of the words,
" This w i l l be a year of great wonders."
Together w i t h the entire House of Israel, we and our
readers are w a i t i n g and praying to see h o w those
wonders, too, w i l l soon become manifest, as the Rebbe
Shlita is immediately restored to robust health, and
brings the w o r l d to the sublime fulfillment of its
cosmic role. For wonders, as explained above, are
manifestations of Divinity i n this w o r l d .
*
As a foretaste of those manifestations, equally

visible for all to see, are the lights of Chanukah. Their
classic position is at the door of one's home, facing
outward, for they have two functions to tell passersby of the wonders that they commemorate, and to
light up the dark w o r l d outside. The present discourse
of Chassidus gives the reader an insight into the deepseated meanings of the Chanukah lights. Moreover, i t
shows h i m h o w he, too, through i m p l e m e n t i n g these
concepts i n his daily life, can light up the dark w o r l d
outside.
Sichos I n English
*
Niddah 31a.
T A N U RABBANAN: N E R CHANUKAH, 5 6 4 3 / 1
The Maamar of the Rebbe Rashab
Tanu Rabbanan: Ner Chanukah

I.
"Our Sages taught: 'It is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lights at the outside of the entrance to one's
house' '( Shabbos 21b). Tosafos explains that this de
scribes an instance where the entrance of the house
opens [directly] to the public domain. If, however, the
house opens to a courtyard, the Chanukah lights should
be placed at the entrance of the courtyard [that opens to
the public domain].
1
Rashi, however, writes: " 'At the outside' i n order

to publicize the miracle. [The Chanukah lights] need
not be placed i n the public domain, but i n one's
courtyard [i.e., at one's own doorway. Why, then, d i d
our Sages later mention a courtyard? Because i n Talmudic times,] the homes would open to a courtyard."
2
The Beis Yosef (Orach Chayim 671) quotes the opin

ion of Rashi that [the Chanukah lights] need not be
placed i n the public domain. The Tur and the Shulchan
Aruch, however, follow the r u l i n g of Tosafos and require
that they be placed i n the public domain.
The Talmud further states (ibid., 22a): "Where should
they be placed?... The law is that they should be placed
at the left [of the doorway], so that the mezuzah w i l l be
on the right and the Chanukah lights on the left."
The Tur quotes the Avi HaEzri as saying that i f there
is no mezuzah i n the doorway (i.e., we are speaking
about an entrance that does not require a mezuzah
and defining this situation is problematic), the
[Chanukah lights] should be placed on the right.
1.
2.
I n the original Heb., .

I n the original Heb./Aram., .
2 / W I T H L I G H T AND WITH M I G H T
The following question would appear to present

itself: Why is i t a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lights
specifically outside [our homes], and facing the public
domain? For the intent of the expression, "at the
entrance to one's home," is not that [the lights] be
[placed] necessarily at the entrance. (By way of contrast:
The commandment regarding the mezuzah requires
that "you shall write them upon the doorposts of your
home." The mezuzah is thus associated w i t h the house,
inasmuch as i t is the house which is required to have a
mezuzah. I n the case at hand, however, there is no
intrinsic relationship between the Chanukah lights and
the entrance of the house.) Rather, the intent of placing
[the lights] there is that they should illuminate the
public domain. This is reflected i n the [abovementioned] r u l i n g of Tosafos, that i f the house is
situated i n a courtyard, they must be placed at the
entrance [from the public domain] to the courtyard.
3
I n fact even according to Rashi, who rules that they

need not be placed i n the public domain but i n one's
own courtyard, the context makes i t clear that placing
them at the entrance of one's home is not the crucial
requirement. (Note the comment of the Tur i n the
above-mentioned reference.)
Thus, we must understand: What is the connection
of the Chanukah lights to the public domain?
Another question: Why [are the Chanukah lights
placed] on the left side?
Furthermore: The statement, "so that the mezuzah
w i l l be on the right and the Chanukah lights on the
left," implies that there is an interrelation between
them, [and therefore,] when the mezuzah is affixed to
the right side, i t is possible to place the Chanukah lights
on the left; i f not, i t is impossible for the Chanukah
lights to be on the left side; and for this reason, the Avi
3.
Devarim 6:9.
TANU RABBANAN: NER CHANUKAH, 5643 / 3
HaEzri maintains that i f there is no mezuzah i n the

doorway, the [Chanukah lights] should be placed on the
right side. This, then, calls for an explanation: What is
the connection between the Chanukah lights and the
mezuzah, and w h y is i t that the mezuzah must be placed
on the right side and the Chanukah lights on the left?
*
* *
I n brief, the concept can be explained as follows:

The Greek kingdom desired "to make [the Jews] forget
Your Torah and make them violate the decrees of Your
w i l l . " After the Hasmonean royal family overpowered
and defeated the Greeks, they ordained that the
Chanukah lights be l i t at the left of one's entrance i n
order to correct the "left side," [the source of the
potential for evil i n the universe]. A n d this is w h y the
[lights] should be placed i n the public domain so that
they w i l l refine and spiritualize even the domain of
multiplicity, the "mountains of separation," [the
divisive self-assertion of this material world].
4
* *
Let us understand this concept. It is written (Mishlei

6:23): "For a mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light,
and the reproofs of instruction are the path of life." I.e.,
a lamp is used as a metaphor for mitzvos; light, being
luminous, is used as a metaphor for the Torah. Now the
w o r d ner (rendered above as "lamp") has two meanings:
4.
5.
6.
The prayer, al hanissim.

I n the Kabbalah, the left side signifies the quality of Gevurah ("stern
justice" or "might"). This attribute is the source from which, after an
extensive process of Divine self-limitation, the forces of evil can derive
their nurture.
The Zohar (I, 158a) uses the t e r m "mountains of separation" to describe
the Sefiros of Tohu w h i c h are the ultimate source for the existence of
the material nature of this world. G-dliness is characterized by unity,
and "separation" describes the materiality w h i c h conceals it. See
Tanya, end of ch. 22 and end of ch. 33, and Torah Or, Parshas Miketz,
pp. 42c and 43d.
(a) the receptacle which contains the oil and the wick;
thus Rashi (in Shabbos 22b) defines the neros [atop the
seven branches of the Menorah i n the Beis HaMikdash]
as "luces of gold i n which the oil and the wick were
placed"; (b) the oil and the wick which retain the light.
Both these meanings share one intent, that i t is the
ner which maintains the light. Without oil, the light
given off would be neither lasting nor clear; i t is the oil
that allows i t to be pure and to last. Even according to
the first interpretation, where the w o r d ner refers to the
receptacle which contains the oil, the lamp is still
necessary for the light; without it, i t could not
illuminate at all. Similarly i n the analogue: to make i t
possible that "the Torah" be a "light", there must first
be the m e d i u m of "a mitzvah is a lamp." Unless "a
mitzvah is a lamp," "the Torah" w i l l not be a "light".
7
* *
Let us understand this concept further. A l l the

[practical] mitzvos are enclothed i n material entities: the
tzitzis i n wool, the tefillin i n parchment, the Four
Species of the lulav i n the various plants, the mezuzah i n
parchment. A l l other [practical] mitzvos, such as the
separation of terumah and tithes, similarly [involve
material entities].
The existence of all material things comes into being
through the m e d i u m of the Divine Name Elokim. This
is implied by the verse, "The heavens were made
8
7.
8.
Medieval French for "lamps" (HaMetargem, Shabbos; and see Rashi on

Shmos 35:14).
There are several different names used for G-d. I n this context Shmos
Rabbah 3:6 teaches, " I am called according to M y deeds"; i.e., each
name is a m e d i u m w h i c h is the source for a particular type of activity.
The above maamar contrasts two of these names (a) ---, the
Name of G-d w h i c h may not be pronounced, and is referred to (by
reading the letters i n altered order) as Havayah, and (b) ,
pronounced Elokim and explains the different manifestations of
G-dliness they reflect.
through the speech of Havayah." [This teaches us that,

although the Divine Name Havayah is the source for
creation, its creative power passes through the m e d i u m
of] speech, w h i c h is identified w i t h the Sefirah of
Malchus and the Name Elokim. Hence the Torah states,
" I n the beginning, Elokim created...," and, i n the
account of creation, the Name Elokim appears 32
times.
10
11
The Name Elokim limits and conceals the Name

Havayah, as it is written, "Havayah and Elokim are [like]
the sun and its shield." Just as the shield veils the light
of the sun, similarly the Name Elokim limits and
conceals the light of the Name Havayah. The process of
contraction and concealment is so manifold that
material entities have come into being, any one of
which appears to be a yesh, a completely self-sufficient
entity.
12
The ultimate intent, however, of the creation of yesh

from its source i n ayin
is that the yesh become
nullified to the ayin. This is achieved through medi
tating upon the greatness of the Infinite One, meditat
ing how " I , G-d, have not changed," i.e., that there is
no difference between His existence before the creation
and after it; as we say, "You were [the same] before the
13
14
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Tehillim 33:6.
Bereishis 1:1.
Zohar Chadash 112b.
Tehillim 84:12; see Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, chs. 4 and 5.
As discussed i n classical Rabbinic sources, the universe came into
being as yesh me'ayin () , lit., "something from nothing." I.e., our
material w o r l d (yesh "something") was brought into existence by the
Creator from absolute void (ayin "nothing").
Chassidic thought uses these same terms to describe two of the
spiritual states of man. Yesh refers to a person who is ego-conscious
and self-concerned, while ayin refers to a person who transcends his
feelings of self and commits himself to G-d's service.
14. Malachi 3:6.
world was created; You are [the same] since the world
has been created."
On the surface, this is difficult to understand. How
can we say, " I , G-d, have not changed"? After all, the
extent to which G-dliness is revealed varies from world
to world. The Four Worlds of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah
and Asiyah all differ from each other. I n Atzilus,
G-dliness is [openly] revealed, for "He and His lifegiving energy are one; He and His causations [lit.,
'organs'] are one." I n Beriah, by contrast, G-dliness is
not as openly revealed.
15
16
Furthermore, w i t h i n the World of Atzilus itself there

are different levels. I n the Sefiros of Keser
and
Chochmah (lit., "wisdom"), the infinite light of G-dliness
illuminates at close range. I n the Sefirah of Binah (lit.,
"understanding"), its revelation is more distant.
17
18
These terms do not i m p l y a conception of physical

space, but rather [refer to an abstract sense of closeness
and distance]; i.e., i n Keser and i n Chochmah there is an
intense revelation of G-dliness, while i n Binah the
revelation is more muted.
[As the process of Divine self-limitation continues,]
i n Ze'er Anpin G-dliness shines "through a w i n d o w , "
i.e., i t is contracted even further, and i n Malchus (lit.,
"kingship") G-dliness shines "through a hole," which
is an even greater limitation.
Nevertheless, as a whole, Atzilus is characterized by
Divine revelation. It is called the revelation of
19
20
21
22
15.
16.
17.
The m o r n i n g prayers (Siddur, p. 17).

The Introduction to Tikkunei Zohar, 3b.
The highest Sefirah, w h i c h is paralleled w i t h i n our spiritual personali
ties by the faculties of pleasure and w i l l .
18. See Etz Chayim, Shaar 42, ch. 1.
19. The level of G-dliness w h i c h corresponds to our emotive attributes.
20. See Etz Chayim, loc. cit.
21. Ibid.
22. See Torah Or, Mishpatim 76b.
concealed G-dliness; [i.e., the spiritual qualities that are

too sublime to be revealed i n the realms above Atzilus
come into revelation]. [As such, i t is at one w i t h G-d and
is an expression of His attributes.] I n the World of
Beriah, by contrast, G-dliness is not openly revealed.
Indeed, the very name Beriah, which means "creation",
implies something coming into being from nothing,
[the beginning of seemingly independent existence].
I n the World of Yetzirah there is an even greater
concealment [of the Divine light that animates it], and
i n the World of Asiyah (as explained elsewhere) there is
a still further concealment u n t i l [this progressive
process of Divine self-limitation brings into being] our
physical world, a place of redoubled darkness, utter
hiddenness and concealment.
Since the Divine light is thus revealed i n so many
distinct gradations, how can we understand the above
verse that says that no change has taken place?
To resolve this paradox: All the above distinctions
[in the Divine influence] exist only insofar as they are
perceived from the perspective of its recipients.
Because the World of Atzilus and its Sefiros have been
refined, they have the potential to apprehend a greater
revelation of G-dliness. The World of Beriah, being less
refined, cannot receive the same degree of G-dly
revelation. A n d so on w i t h the realms of Yetzirah and
Asiyah u n t i l i n this material world, which has not yet
been refined, there is no possibility of receiving Divine
light.
These distinctions thus relate only to the recipients
[of Divine influence], who receive i t i n varying
measure. The Ein Sof, however, is found equally below
and above, as i t is written, "Darkness is as light [for
You]." G-d exists w i t h i n a place of darkness just as He
23
24
23. I.e., "the Infinite One," a t e r m used by the Kabbalists for G-d.
24. Tehillim 139:12.
exists w i t h i n a place of light, for darkness conceals

nothing from H i m .
[The process of concealment does not affect H i m
because] the source for the darkness and concealment
i n the lower realms which brings yesh (seemingly
independent existence) into being, stems from the
Name Elokim. This Name conceals and veils [Divine
revelation] u n t i l [seemingly] independent existence is
possible. Yet only as perceived by us does G-d appear to
l i m i t and conceal Himself, i n order that yesh (i.e.,
seemingly independent existence) should come into
being. However, from the perspective of the Being and
Essence of the Ein Sof, the concepts of limitation and
concealment are irrelevant. This is illustrated by the
verses, " I fill the heavens and the earth," and "The
entire earth is full of His glory."
25
26
27
28
Concealment is possible only when one entity

covers another. A single entity cannot, however, conceal
itself. [This is reflected i n Torah law.] A person cannot
cover himself w i t h himself. Thus, i n regard to covering
one's head, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 91:4)
rules that placing one's hand on one's head is not
acceptable because an entity cannot cover itself.
[To return to the analogue:] I n the spiritual realms,
nothing exists apart from G-d. "Havayah and Elokim are
all one," as explained elsewhere. Thus, i t is not
possible for anything to conceal G-d, nor is i t possible to
say that the Name Elokim could conceal H i m . For the
Name Elokim, w h i c h is identified w i t h the level of
Malchus, is itself [an attribute of] G-dliness; i t is
29
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
30
The corresponding terms i n the original are respectively tzimtzum and

hester.
The corresponding terms i n the original are respectively Atzmus and
Mahus.
Yirmeyahu 23:24.
Yeshayahu 6:3.
See Zohar, Vol. I I , 26b. See also Devarim 4:39.
See Sefer HaMaamarim 5657, p. 45ff.
absolutely one w i t h the Ein Sof. Thus, i t is impossible

that i t cause any concealment of [G-d's Essence], nor
even that i t conceal the ray of creative light from the
Name Havayah which brings the worlds into being.
Thus, the concealment is apparent only to the
recipients of Divine influence; objectively, i t does not
affect the light. Therefore, the statement that " I have
not changed" is true even i n regard to the ray from the
infinite Divine light (the Or Ein Sof) [which is the source
of creation], and surely, i t is true i n regard to G-d's very
Being, where the concept of concealment does not
apply at all.
I n truth, this [process which causes created beings to
perceive G-d as i f concealed] makes possible the
fulfillment of the intent which arose i n G-d's simple
w i l l regarding [the creation of all] the worlds. [The
worlds came into being to fulfill G-d's desire] "that I
rule," [which requires the existence of beings on a
lower level, because] "There can be no k i n g without a
people." Thus, [the world] was created through the
attribute of Malchus i n order that there exist entities
which perceive themselves to be i n a state of yesh [and
that this yesh recognize G-d and submit itself to Him].
31
32
This is the ultimate intention, for G-d "desired to

have a dwelling i n the lower realms," and i t is through
the creation of such a realm that His w i l l is fulfilled.
Thus Malchus, [the m e d i u m through which this process
is accomplished,] is [a dimension of] the Ein Sof. Hence
it is impossible that i t should cause any concealment of
the Or Ein Sof.
33
Quite the contrary: just as the Or Ein Sof exists i n the

higher realms, i t exists i n the lower realms; i n fact, i t is
to be found here to a superior degree; its very essence is
31. Idra Rabbah.
32. Emek HaMelech, Shaar I , ch. 1.
33. Midrash Tanchuma, Naso 16; see also Tanya, ch. 36.
to be found here, for it is here that the essential intent

[of creation is realized]. (Thus the maamar beginning
Pasach Eliyahu i n Torah Or, Parshas Vayeira, states that
"[in this world,] moreover, the source of light itself is
revealed.")
34
See also the explanation of the maamar beginning

Yaviu Levush Malchus (s.v. UBiur HaHefresh) i n Torah
Or, w h i c h points out that the whole reason for the
creation of the upper, infinite realms was so that
through a downward progression of thousands and
myriads of levels and through a multitude of contrac
tions [of the Divine light], the existence of yesh could be
brought into being. Were it not for this downward
progression [of different levels] and these many con
tractions, it w o u l d be [so to speak] impossible that there
exist a yesh w h i c h to all appearances enjoys an existence
independent [of its Creator].
35
I n order for yesh to exist, it was thus first necessary

that the higher, infinite worlds should exist. They,
however, do not represent [G-d's] fundamental intent.
The basic intent that arose i n the w i l l of the very Being
and Essence of the Ein Sof regarding [the creation of]
the worlds is that this material w o r l d should be brought
into being. I f so, the very Being and Essence of the Ein
Sof exists i n the lower realms, i.e., i n this material
world, for it is this, and not the higher spiritual realms,
that fulfills G-d's intent.
Nevertheless, this [difference i n intent] does not
reflect, heaven forbid, any change i n regard to H i m .
This can be explained w i t h i n the context of the above
statements themselves. I n truth, G-d's essential intent is
to b r i n g into being this [material] world. Nevertheless,
since it is impossible for this world to exist without the
higher spiritual realms existing first, there is also an
34. P. 14b.
35. P. 92b.
essential intent that these realms exist; i.e., i n order that

they serve as the m e d i u m for the creation of this world.
(Thus, the essence of the Ein Sof exists w i t h i n them;
they, too, [relate to the desire] which arose i n His will.)
Still, the ultimate intent is the existence of the lower
realms, that the created beings of this material world
become vessels for the very Being and Essence of the
Ein Sof.
36
(Thus the maamar beginning Vayigash, 5633,

explains that i n the Messianic era, the framework of
being described as Tikkun w i l l continue to exist. [Tikkun,
which characterizes our present existence, is thus not
merely a temporary phase, necessary for us to earn the
ultimate reward, but rather, i t itself reflects the ultimate
and most desirable state.J See also Torah Or, Parshas
Vayishlach, which teaches that Yaakov desired to draw
down the transcendent lights of Tohu into the vessels of
Tikkun. The same discourse also explains what this
concept entails i n terms of our own service of G-d. I n
fact the whole of the spiritual task discussed here can
be accomplished only through the endeavors of mortal
man.)
37
We can thus understand how, i n truth, G-d has not

changed. Although i t is not evident to us, the essence of
the Or Ein Sof actually exists i n this lowly world. The
seeming change is apparent only from the perspective
of the recipients [of Divine influence], who do not
apprehend revealed light. I n regard to the Or Ein Sof,
however, there is no change at all: the Infinite One is
unequivocally present at the very lowest levels.
*
* *
Synopsis
The following questions were raised: Why must the
Chanukah candles be placed at the entrance to our
36. This maamar has not been published to date.
37. 24a ff.
homes on the outside, i n the public domain or i n a

courtyard? Why must they be placed on the left side?
And w h y when there is a mezuzah on the right side, is i t
possible to place the Chanukah lights on the left side,
but i f not, i t is impossible for the Chanukah lights to be
placed there (and the Avi HaEzri maintains that they
should be placed at the right)?
To explain the concept: It is written: "For a mitzvah
is a lamp and the Torah is light." I n order to make i t
possible that "the Torah" serve as "light", there must
first be the m e d i u m of "a mitzvah is a lamp." The
mitzvos are enclothed i n material entities, the Divine
intent being that through their actual performance, the
yesh [the existence of self] w i l l be nullified to ayin
[selflessness].
This is made possible through meditation on the
concept that " I , G-d, have not changed," [and realizing]
that the seeming changes [ i n the manifestation of
G-dliness] appear as changes only to the recipients [of
Divine influence]. Although they cannot receive [the
full measure of] Divine light, the Ein Sof exists i n the
lower realms as He exists i n the higher realms, for there
is nothing separate from H i m and there can be no
concealment from [G-d's] essence.
This includes also the darkness [i.e., the limitation
and concealment] that has its source i n the Name
Elokim. This Divine Name is one w i t h the Or Ein Sof,
and i t is through this Name that G-d's desire for a
dwelling i n the lower worlds is fulfilled. The Name
Elokim conceals only insofar as we perceive i t to do so,
for "these are His expressions of might." I n regard to
the Ein Sof, however, the concept of concealment does
not apply: He is present below exactly as above. Indeed,
it is i n the lower realms that "the light is i n revelation,"
i.e., that He is present. I n this connection, see the
38
38.
Tanya, Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, the conclusion of ch. 4.
maamar beginning VaYomer HaShem: Hein Am Echad,

5643.
39
II.
Nevertheless, there is still a need for explanation. As
discussed above, the different degrees i n the revelation
of the Divine light do not produce any change w i t h i n
G-d, for nothing can conceal Him; He is present i n the
lower realms as i n the higher realms. There remains,
however, [a basic question]: Does not the very existence
of the worlds represent a change? Before [creation]
there were no worlds, and creation brought into being
many worlds. On the surface, this would appear to
constitute a change.
This concept can be explained as follows: Were the
worlds, i n truth, to have a separate and independent
existence, i t would be possible to say that [their
creation] produces a change i n the One who brought
them into being, heaven forbid. Nevertheless, although
[the created beings of] this world appear as separate,
individual entities, this is not the case. I n truth, each
created being is totally nullified to G-dliness. We may
see i t as a yesh, but i n t r u t h i t is totally nullified to
G-dliness and is not a yesh at all. Hence, the existence of
the worlds does not produce any change w i t h i n H i m .
To elaborate: It is written, "The heavens were made
through the speech of Havayah." I.e., the heavens were
brought into being through the m e d i u m of the
statement, "Let there be heavens." [G-d's use of this
m e d i u m is not only a matter of past history. On the
contrary:] It is written, "Forever, O G-d, Your w o r d
stands w i t h i n the heavens." [This statement conveys a
9
40
41
39. Sefer HaMaamarim 5643, p. 3ff.

40. Bereishis 1:6.
41. Tehillim 119:89, and see Midrash Tehillim on this verse.
1 4 / W I T H L I G H T AND WITH M I G H T
deep message:] It is necessary that G-d's word remain

w i t h i n the heavens continuously. I f [G-d's speech] were
to withdraw, the heavens would immediately return to
emptiness and void, ceasing to exist.
The same applies to each and every created entity.
The Divine power, the letters of [G-d's] speech which
b r i n g i t into being, must constantly be enclothed w i t h i n
each created thing. If, heaven forbid, [this power] would
withdraw, the created t h i n g would become nothingness
and void.
42
To illustrate [the latter point]: The manner i n which

the worlds are brought into being from the Or Ein Sof
does not resemble the fashioning of an article by a
craftsman. When the craftsman completes his work and
the article leaves his hands, i t continues to exist. This is
so because the craftsman d i d not effect a change i n the
article's fundamental existence when he determined its
current form. Beforehand i t existed as raw material,
and afterwards i t was made into a [useful] article. This
process d i d not effect a fundamental change [ i n the
substance of the article itself]. Even i f [the craftsman]
had added another material to the gold or silver [he was
using], he merely added another entity that already
existed. The article that was fashioned can exist without
the craftsman because i t was an entity even before he
made i t into an article.
I n contrast, G-d's creation of the world involves
bringing something into being from
absolute
nothingness. The existence of entities which are yesh is
an absolutely novel occurrence.
[This contrast can be clarified by a comparison
between] (a) a series of causes and effects, and (b)
creation ex nihilo. [In both cases, a new entity is brought
into being from a source.] There is, however, a
difference between the two. I n a chain of cause and
42.
See Tanya, Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch. 1.
effect, the revelation of the effect does not represent the

emergence of an entirely new entity. It existed
previously w i t h i n its source, and its emergence as an
independent entity is merely a process of revealing that
which was hidden, [actualizing an already existent
potential].
[The relationship between] intellect and emotion
[provides us w i t h an example of this process]. The
emotion existed w i t h i n the intellect [ i n a potential state,
although] its existence was not felt as powerfully [as
when it emerged as an emotion w i t h i n the heart]. Thus,
the emergence of this feeling w i t h i n the heart is a
revelation of something hidden. What had already
existed w i t h i n one's m i n d , now becomes revealed
w i t h i n one's heart. Thus, this does not reflect an
entirely new entity coming into being.
I n contrast, i n the process of creation ex nihilo, the
existence of [the created being as a] yesh represents a
fundamentally new phenomenon. A l l metaphysicians
agree that there is no greater example of creation ex
nihilo than bringing into existence a material [world]
from [its] spiritual [source]. It represents bringing into
being existence from nothingness.
43
Existence and nothingness are polar opposites: it is

impossible that existence should ever result from
nothingness. If so, the fact that existence came into
being from nothingness represents an entirely new
occurrence for w h i c h there was no potential originally.
[An example is] the growth of grain or fruit (after the
seed has degenerated) from the latent power of growth
w i t h i n the earth. This represents a totally new state of
affairs. The existence of a physical fruit or physical
grain d i d not exist w i t h i n the earth's vegetative
property. Even though this property produced [such a
growth], the fruit as it exists i n a physical form did not
43. See Sefer Halkkarim, maamar 1, ch. 23.
exist w i t h i n it: the growth of the fruit represents

something coming into being from nothing. Similarly,
[on a larger scale,] bringing the worlds into existence ex
nihilo represents the emergence of an entirely new
entity.
It is indeed unquestionable that everything that has
ever come into being was originally included w i t h i n its
source: that w h i c h was not potential cannot become
actual; therefore, the fact that the worlds have come
into being, implies that they [existed] beforehand [and]
were included i n their source.
[This does not, however, pose a difficulty to the
above explanation of the uniqueness of the creation of
the universe ex nihilo.] For though created beings were
previously included i n their source, this does not refer
to the actual form of yesh i n w h i c h they exist. It was
merely the spiritual dimension of the created worlds
that was incorporated w i t h i n their source. [Their
material form, their yesh, is a totally new development.]
When a person builds a house, by way of analogy,
[the actual work is preceded by several preliminary
stages]. At first his w i l l is stirred to b u i l d a house.
Afterwards he plans exactly how to b u i l d it, and only
later does the actual construction take place. Now it is
true that without the desire and the thought, the actual
construction of the house w o u l d never have come
about. Nevertheless, the wood, stones and cement,
which constitute the substance of the house, d i d not
exist w i t h i n the person's m i n d at all. Although he
considered these aspects too, [ i n his m i n d , he
conceived] only the abstract form of the house. Its
actual physical existence did not exist previously.
A similar principle applies regarding the existence
of the worlds i n their source. What exists there is only
their spiritual blueprint. Their material state did not
exist previously, and when this [material state] comes
into being, i t represents an utterly new entity. Indeed,
for that reason we use the expression, "bringing the

worlds into being."
This expression implies a gap, i.e., a radical dif
ference between two incomparable levels between
the One who brings existence into being and the exis
tence which He creates. [Here also we see a contrast to a
cause-and-effect relationship.] A cause and the effect i t
produces share a commonalty (and therefore one can
be incorporated i n the other, as explained above). Thus,
such a series progresses i n an ordered manner and at
an even pace. I n contrast, yesh and ayin, the physical
and the spiritual, [are drastic opposites,] for the physical
is not at all at the level of the spiritual. Therefore,
bringing the physical into being from the spiritual does
not represent an ordered progression, but rather a
momentous leap.
44
45
Based on the above, we can understand w h y the

ayin, [the spiritual source,] which brings into being the
yesh, [the material,] must constantly be invested w i t h i n
it. Since the existence of yesh represents a new entity
that did not exist previously, i t is impossible for i t to
continue to exist unless its source is constantly invested
w i t h i n it. Were this source to withdraw, heaven forbid,
the yesh would cease to exist and become void and
nothingness.
To portray this concept w i t h an example: The nature
of a stone is to fall downward. When a stone is t h r o w n
downward, i t w i l l thus continue to proceed on its own
accord without stopping unless there is something
which prevents i t from falling. I n contrast, when a
stone is t h r o w n upward, i t falls downward almost
immediately afterwards.
[How is this difference explained? The stone's] up
ward progress counters its nature; i t is a new devel44.
45.
I n the original, .
I n the original, ( lit., "a leap").
opment caused by the person who threw it. Conse

quently, as long as the power of the person who threw
the stone encompasses i t and propels i t upwards, i t w i l l
continue to ascend. As soon as this force which caused
this new development ceases, however, i t reverts to its
basic nature and falls downward.
A similar concept can be understood i n regard to
[the existence of] the worlds: Their existence i n the
form of yesh is a new development, the opposite of the
manner i n which they exist w i t h i n their source, for, as
explained above, they existed w i t h i n their source on the
level of potential, as spiritual entities. Therefore, i t is
necessary that the source which causes the change [in
their form of existence] be invested w i t h i n them at all
times; [only] then can their existence be maintained. I f
[the source] would withdraw, heaven forbid, this new
development would cease and they would become
nothingness and void as they were before they were
created.
This is the concept conveyed by the verse, "Forever,
O G-d, Your word stands w i t h i n the heavens." The word
of G-d must constantly be w i t h i n the heavens [to
maintain their existence]. The same applies likewise to
all created things. Were this not to be the case, they
would return to being nothingness and void, heaven
forbid.
The fact that the essential existence of each created
entity is the w o r d of G-d which brings i t into being,
should lead us to a deeper concept to comprehend
that the essence of the created entity throughout the
entire time that i t exists is the w o r d of G-d that main
tains its existence. Were this Divine influence to with
draw, the created entity would become nothingness
and void and would cease to exist entirely. Even at
present, therefore, while i t does exist, the totality of its
existence is G-d's speech, i.e., [His] light and radiance.
This is the total existence of all created beings; they are

not independent entities as they appear to us.
For example, the existence of a physical tree stems
from the Divine statement, "[Let the earth give forth... ]
fruit-bearing trees." This statement brings a tree into
being. At all times, i t is invested w i t h i n a tree to grant i t
life and b r i n g i t into being from ayin to yesh. If this
creative utterance would withdraw momentarily, [the
tree] would become nothingness and void and would
not exist at all, precisely as was the case before creation.
Thus, at present, while the tree exists, its true existence
is merely this Divine statement, and not the state of
yesh alone.
46
Were our eyes given permission to see, they would

observe how the existence of each entity is nullified
entirely, i.e, how its entire existence is the w o r d of
G-d, as explained above. It is only because we have eyes
of flesh that we cannot perceive this i n actual sight.
(This is the w i l l of G-d, that [we be created] i n this
manner, [to exist as a yesh and] for that yesh to nullify
itself to the ayin.) Nevertheless, w i t h the eye of the
m i n d , we should perceive how every physical entity
which we see is not [merely] a material entity, but is [an
expression of] Divine speech. This should be perceived
and felt as powerfully as i f one actually saw i t w i t h
one's eyes. (Note the maamar beginning Vayehi Li Shor
VaChamor, 5643. )
47
48
I n truth, there is a deeper level at which one can

understand the nature of the bittul [of created beings],
their self-effacement to the point that they lose any
independent identity. As explained above, the essence
of the Ein Sof is present i n the lower realms as i n the
higher realms, as i t is written, " I fill the heavens and the
46. Bereishis 1:11.

47. See Tanya, Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch. 3.
48. This maamar is presently unavailable.
49
earth"; so, too, "There is no place devoid of H i m . "

[G-d's presence] is merely concealed from us and is not
revealed openly. [This state has a positive intent.] Were
the radiance [of His presence] to be manifest, [the entire
universe] would become nothingness and void.
Nevertheless, i n a hidden manner, [His essence] is
present i n the lower realms, just as i t is i n the higher
realms. Moreover, as is discussed above, a ray and
reflection from i t is drawn down into each created
being to give i t life.
Thus, i n each and every place where the Name
Havayah extends to give life to a created being, i n that
selfsame place is to be found the very Being and
Essence of the Or Ein Sof, the source of this [life-giving]
light and radiance. It is therefore clear that each created
being is completely and utterly batel (i.e., i n a state of
self-nullification) w i t h i n the essence of the Ein Sof, just
as the rays of the sun which shine to the earth and its
inhabitants are utterly batel [as long as they are still]
w i t h i n the sun itself. There, [this radiance] cannot be
conceived of as a separate entity and cannot even be
called light or rays. Rather, they are utterly batel [in
their source] and have no independent existence at all.
It is only when they radiate outward from the sun that
they can be referred to as independent rays, because
here their source, the orb of the sun, is not present.
While the rays are still w i t h i n their source, however, as
stated above, their identity is so utterly nullified that i t
is inappropriate to describe them as rays at all.
50
To explain the spiritual parallel to this concept:

Since the Being and Essence of the Ein Sof is present i n
this lowly plane, i n each and every place, and "there is
no place devoid of H i m , " the light and radiance from
the Ein Sof which extends into each creation is thus batel
49. Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 57.
50. These statements are based on Tanya, Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch.
3.
to the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof, just as the
rays of the sun [cannot be identified as a separate
element] w i t h i n the orb of the sun; there they have no
[independent] existence at all.
I n the analogy: Only when the rays have extended
beyond the sun is it possible to refer to them as
independent entities, because they are far from their
source. [In contrast,] the very Being and Essence of the
Ein Sof is found i n each and every place where its
radiance extends. The radiance [of the Ein Sof] is thus
always w i t h i n its source, for wherever it is, its source,
the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof, is also
present. Thus, it so utterly batel that it cannot be
referred to as a ray at all.
It has been explained above that the entire existence
of each created being is the light and life-energy which
extends from the Ein Sof, and the creation is not an
independent entity at all. Thus, since the ray [of the Ein
Sof] is batel [to the Ein Sof], the created being is also batel,
for, as explained above, its entire existence is the Divine
radiance [that brings it into being].
Thus, that entire created being is utterly batel to the
Essence of the Ein Sof and merely appears to us as a
yesh (and this, w i t h the intent that the yesh become batel
to the ayin). I n truth, i t is not a separate entity at all but
is utterly and completely batel to the Essence of the Ein
Sof.
(This is particularly true i n light of the explanation
i n the maamar beginning Eileh Toldos Noach, 5637,
which explains that the material form of the creations
emanates from the Ein Sof w h i c h "encompasses all the
worlds" (sovev kol almin). See also the
maamar
beginning Mi Chamocha. )
51
52
51. This maamar has not been published to date.

52. See Sefer HaMaamarim 5629, p. 143.
Synopsis
Though created beings appear to be yesh, entities of
independent existence, this is not the case. I n t r u t h they
are utterly batel, nullified to the point that they retain
no independent identity. Their existence stems from a
Divine statement. Thus, [for example,] i t is written,
"Forever, O G-d, Your word stands w i t h i n the heavens."
[So, too, i t is a Divine creative utterance] which
continuously infuses every created being w i t h lifeenergy and constantly brings i t into being ex nihilo.
The rationale for this statement is that the existence
[of the created thing] as a yesh is a novel state of being,
and every such novelty must have its innovative force
continuously invested w i t h i n it. This is what is meant
by the phrase, " I n His kindness, He continuously
renews each day [the w o r k of creation]."
If [this Divine influence] would momentarily with
draw, [the creation] would return to nothingness and
void as i t was before i t was created. Thus, even at
present, while i t exists as an entity, its entire existence
is a ray the w o r d of G-d [which maintains it]. (See the
maamar beginning Mi Chamocha cited above.)
53
The bittul of all created beings can be understood on

a deeper level. (According to what was explained
previously, the [true] existence of each creation is not its
state of yesh, but rather, the [Divine] radiance [that
animates it]. Nevertheless, [from this perspective,] i t is
still appropriate to use the term radiance. However,
[according to the deeper conception of bittul,] i t is not
appropriate to use the t e r m radiance.) For, as explained
above, the Essence of the Ein Sof is to be found i n the
lower realms as i n the higher realms, and i t is a
reflection and radiance from i t which extends w i t h i n
each created being to grant i t life. Thus, wherever the
radiance extends, there is to be found the Essence of the
53.
The daily prayers (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 44).
Ein Sof, the source of this light and radiance. This

radiance is thus always w i t h i n its source. Hence, i t can
be compared to the radiance of the sun insofar as i t
exists w i t h i n the orb of the sun, which at that stage
cannot be referred to as radiance at all.
Similarly, the radiance [of the Ein Sof] cannot be
referred to as radiance at all. Since the true existence of
all created beings is this radiance, they are utterly batel
w i t h i n the Being and Essence of the Ein Sof and cannot
be considered to have any independent existence
whatever.
III.
[The intellectual awareness of the concepts ex
plained above should affect our feelings.] I n truth, the
infinite Divine light (the Or Ein Sof) is present w i t h i n
the lower realms exactly as w i t h i n the higher realms. I n
truth, moreover, each and every created being is totally
batel to the Or Ein Sof to the extent that i t has no
genuine existence. Only from our perspective does i t
appear as a yesh; i n t r u t h i t is utterly batel to the Or Ein
Sof. This reflects the greatness of G-d [and the ex
pression of that greatness] i n bringing [the worlds] into
being. Despite the different levels of revelation and
despite the [creation of a variety of different] worlds, He
has not changed: He exists alone after creation as He
existed before. (See Tanya, ch. 20.)
When a person conceives and meditates on the
above concepts, his soul w i l l become faint w i t h longing
to cleave to G-d and he w i l l exult i n H i m w i t h great
love, a love characterized by delight, as i t is written,
"Whom do I have i n heaven [but You]? A n d there is
none upon earth that I desire besides You." Con54
54.
Tehillim 73:25.
templating this, he w i l l not desire the Higher Gan Eden,

nor the Lower Gan Eden, nor even the World to Come,
for these are not the essence of the Or Ein Sof. Even
less w i l l he have any desire for the pleasures of this
world. Instead, he w i l l have only one desire G-dliness.
This means that he w i l l desire that just as i n t r u t h
every created being is batel to G-dliness since it is only
our conception that appreciates it as a yesh so should
we be granted the possibility to see w i t h our mortal
eyes how every created being is G-dliness and not a yesh
at all.
This is what is meant by [the command to love G-d]
" w i t h all your might." [The Hebrew] [ is related to
the w o r d stn, w h i c h means "very", signifying that]
which exceeds the limits of a vessel. The vesselmetaphor represents our existence as a yesh. A person
has an innate w i l l and desire to exceed those limits, to
have the yesh i n its material form become batel to G-d,
so that w i t h our own eyes we can see every being i n its
true state an actual embodiment of G-dliness.
55
56
I n the h u m a n sphere, this bittul has two levels, for

[the yeshus of] a person is expressed w i t h i n both the
body and the animal soul. The body is a material entity
which is tangibly felt as a yesh. The animal soul is also a
yesh, except that its yeshus is not tangible or material i n
nature. Rather, [the animal soul] is a spiritual force, but
is called a yesh because it is not batel to G-dliness as is
the G-dly soul. [For the latter soul,] being utterly batel,
has no desire for anything but G-dliness. (See the
maamar beginning VeHinei Anachnu Me'almim, and the
maamar beginning Vayehi Li Shor VaChamor, 5643. )
57
[This bittul is of fundamental importance because]

the Or Ein Sof w i l l rest only upon an entity w h i c h is
55. See Likkutei Torah, Tazria 20a; Derech Mitzvosecha 138a.
56. Devarim 6:5.
57. These maamarim are presently unavailable.
58
batel to i t . I n contrast, the totality of the animal soul's

w i l l and desire is focused on the cravings and pleasures
of this world. (This includes even the desire for
permitted things. )
It is therefore categorized as a yesh, for, having other
desires, i t is not batel to G-dliness. Were i t to be batel
bimetzius, i.e., were i t to have utterly effaced its o w n
independent identity out of submission to the w i l l of
the Creator, i t would have no other desire but to cleave
to H i m . Since, however, the animal soul does have a
w i l l of its own, i t is considered as a yesh, a separate
entity. (This is the meaning of sitra achra, literally, "the
other side," signifying that which has a desire for some
t h i n g other than G-dliness. ([Thus the natural instinct of
the animal soul is to say,] " I want that thing"; i.e., i t is
characterized by material craving, and thus has a desire
that is not oriented toward G-d.)
59
Since the Or Ein Sof w i l l only rest upon that which is

batel to it, i.e., upon that which has no desire for
anything except G-dliness, the animal soul receives its
life-giving spiritual influence only from the hinder
reaches of holiness. [G-d grants i t influence] like a
person who [grudgingly] throws something [to his en
emy] over his shoulder. For this reason [too] i t is called
the sitra achra, "the other side," i.e., [an entity which is
not included w i t h i n ] the side of holiness, as explained
i n Tanya, ch. 6.)
60
Thus, as stated above, there are two levels of yesh

the body, which is a tangible material entity, and the
animal soul, which is a spiritual faculty, but is consid
ered as a yesh because i t has an independent w i l l and
58.
59.
60.
Tanya, ch. 6.
This parenthetical remark underscores the fact that the animal soul
does not necessarily desire to sin. Instead, what causes i t to be
categorized as a yesh is its self-concern, its preoccupation w i t h its o w n
desires, even w h e n they do not directly conflict w i t h Torah law.
See Tanya, ch. 22.
does not [by nature] desire G-dliness. Correspondingly,

the bittul described above must encompass both these
entities.
The first level involves the bittul of the yesh of the
animal soul, so that it should not present itself as a yesh.
(It could well be said that this reflects the true situation
for, i n essence, it is not an independent entity. [This is
implied by our Sages' statement, that] "The intent of
Satan and of Peninah was for the sake of heaven." )
Rather, [even the animal soul] should be batel bimetzius,
every vestige of self-assertion giving way to the very
Being and Essence of the Ein Sof, so that it desires noth
ing but G-dliness.
61
The individual concerned w i l l thus find evil

repugnant. He w i l l heed to the utmost [the exhortation
of Tehillim], "Hate evil!" He w i l l despise evil, as well as
everything that derives from the sitra achra. (This w i l l
include even the material things w h i c h are permitted,
for even the most inconsequential physical t h i n g has its
source i n the chambers of the sitra achra.) I n this
context it is w r i t t e n , " I hate them w i t h a consummate
hatred" (as explained i n Tanya, ch. 6 ).
62
63
64
The individual w i l l desire to be batel to G-d at all

times, to cleave to H i m , and to exult i n G-d w i t h an
abounding love (ahavah rabbah) and w i t h a love char
acterized by delight (ahavah betaanugim). This is the
meaning of being utterly batel bimetzius not to have
any desire or source of pleasure except for one's desire
61.
Bava Basra 16a. See also Likkutei Torah, Chukas 62a, w h i c h explains
that the innermost desire of every created being is to carry out G-d's
will.
62. Tehillim 97:10.
63. Ibid. 139:22.
64. Although ch. 6 of Tanya describes the sitra achra, the concept of hating
evil is discussed i n the context of the service of a tzaddik i n ch. 10.
Perhaps a p r i n t i n g error crept into the text of our maamar and a vav (=
6) was substituted for the yud (= 10).
and delight i n G-d. This is the level of bittul [which

should be attained by] the animal soul.
[In contrast,] the bittul [which should be attained by]
the body is referred to as bittul hayesh. [In an ultimate
state,] this implies that the physical body should
become a vessel for G-dliness and should derive its
nurture from the radiance of the Divine Presence
without the need of physical food or drink.
This reflects the true reality. I n truth, every physical
entity [our] h u m a n bodies and similarly the
corporeality of every other physical entity is [an
expression of] the Ein Sof w h i c h encompasses all the
worlds, as explained i n the maamar beginning Eleh
Toldos Noach mentioned above. It merely appears to us
as a yesh.
65
[The body's level of bittul means that one] wants and

desires to actually see how the body is an expression of
the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof w h i c h
encompasses all the worlds, and how it is a vessel for
the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof w h i c h is
present w i t h i n the lower realms exactly as i t is present
i n the higher realms; indeed, as explained above, [the
Ein Sof is present w i t h i n the lower realms] to a greater
degree. Thus, the body w i l l derive its sustenance from
G-d's Presence and w i l l not require material food and
drink. This state is what the person w i l l become faint
w i t h longing for, that the ultimate t r u t h should be
actually revealed i n both expressions of bittul spoken of
above.
The question, however, remains: How can a person
satisfy his yearning that the yesh of both [the animal
soul and the body] should be utterly batel, when, as
explained above, their nature remains yesh? The reso
lution to this difficulty comes about through a con
nection to the Torah and [its] mitzvos.
65.
See ch. 2 of that maamar.
The Torah is G-d's w i l l and His wisdom. He and His

wisdom are one, and thus, "the Torah and the Holy
One, blessed be He, are truly one." Thus, when a
person connects himself to the Torah, his life-giving
soul which is rooted i n kelipas nogah and which
moreover receives its life energy from sources of
nourishment which derive from kelipas nogah
becomes connected to the essence of the Ein Sof, which
"no thought can grasp," and yet which is enclothed i n
the wisdom of the Torah. When a person connects
himself to the Torah, he becomes connected to the
essence of Ein Sof i n a wondrous u n i t y to which no
parallel or resemblance is found w i t h i n the world,
whereby he encompasses and is encompassed [by G-d's
wisdom]. Indeed, i t resembles embracing the king, as i n
the metaphor explained i n Tanya, chs. 4 and 5.
66
67
68
69
A similar concept applies to the performance of the

mitzvos, for they express G-d's innermost w i l l . When a
person performs a mitzvah i n the proper manner, he
connects himself to G-d totally. When he gives tzedakah,
for example, he is giving what he earned by using all
the powers of his life-giving soul, for he toiled hard
u n t i l he earned this money. Even i f he did not labor to
earn it, he could use the money to purchase something
which would grant pleasure to his whole body. Thus,
when he gives this money to tzedakah or as a loan, he
connects his entire soul to G-d and makes i t batel to
Him.
Furthermore, as explained above, the [practical]
mitzvos are enclothed i n material objects. Thus, when
one performs a mitzvah, everything becomes batel and
connected to G-dliness. [In this context, the meaning of
66.
67.
68.
69.
See Tanya, ch. 4.

Zohar I , 24a; I I , 60a.
Literally, "the kelipah w h i c h shines"; i.e., this kelipah still possesses a
ray of holiness.
See the introduction to Tikkunei Zohar.
70
the phrase,] "Your mitzvah is very broad," [can be

extended and interpreted to mean that the mitzvos]
transform [the material substance of the world] into
broad vessels that can receive the Supernal infinity
(), which is [truly] unlimited.
I n this context we can comprehend the expression
of the Zohar, [which describes a consummate tzaddik as]
"one who transforms darkness into light and bitter to
sweet." This refers to the transformation of the
bitterness of the body and the animal soul that desire
the pleasures of this world, which all receive their
nurture from kelipah and from the sitra achra. There is
not a single aspect of the pleasures of this world which
does not have its root and source i n the chambers of the
sitra achra. Even a matter of seemingly little
consequence, like arranging one's coiffure, has a source
i n the chambers of the sitra achra
and makes a
powerful [negative] impression on the soul.
71
72
[This concept is exemplified i n the narrative of Yosef

i n Egypt.] It is w r i t t e n , "And Yosef was handsome and
of pleasant appearance." Our Sages explain that he
spent time arranging his hair. As an immediate result,
"His master's wife cast her eyes [upon Yosef]..."; he
was punished for his [improper conduct] and spent
twelve years i n prison to expiate his sin. Thus, although
[such conduct] seems of little consequence, i t creates a
deep blemish and has manifold repercussions. It is
therefore described as bitter.
73
74
75
When a person restrains himself and does not

indulge i n the pleasures of this world, ([involving
himself] only [ i n those material activities] which are
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
Tehillim 119:96.
I , 4a.
See Tanya, Kuntreis Acharon, p. 318.
Bereishis 39:6.
Bereishis Rabbah 87:4.
Bereishis 39:7.
necessary, and these also are undertaken for the sake of

heaven,) he transforms [the capacity for pleasure] to
sweetness, thus allowing himself to delight i n G-d and
to feel a [rewarding] closeness to G-d. [He eats only so]
that he can study and pray w i t h the energy derived
from his food and his pleasure is directed to G-d. (See
the conclusion of ch. 14 of Tanya.)
76
This brings about the transformation of darkness to

light, allowing the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof
to shine upon the lowest levels. Even i n a place of
darkness i t w i l l shine i n open revelation, as i t is written,
"[Though] I sit i n darkness, G-d is a light for me." This
revelation of G-dliness w i l l shine below, w i t h i n the
body and the animal soul, and the world at large w i l l
not conceal [G-d's presence].
77
[Such an individual] w i l l not seek the desires and

pleasures of this world. On the contrary, he w i l l utterly
despise evil, [in the spirit of the verse,] "Hate evil!" (As
explained above, evil here does not mean only desires
for forbidden things, but even desires for permitted
things. Anything i n which one indulges for reasons
other than for the sake of heaven, i.e., what is necessary
for each individual according to his o w n needs i n order
to study and pray, is called evil. Such a person utterly
hates these things, being truly "a hater of evil.")
This fulfills his desire regarding the bittul of the
animal soul, that i t have no desire other than to cleave
to G-d and delight i n H i m . (Note Tanya, ch. 10, which
explains that there are two levels i n the divine service
of [the righteous, who are described as] "men of
ascendancy," and that the two levels are intrinsically
related.)
78
76.
77.
78.
See Tehillim 73:28.

Michah 7:8.
See Sukkah 45b.
(The second aspect of such a man's desire and w i l l

was that the body should be utterly batel, and that one
should be able to perceive how i t is [an expression of]
the Ein Sof w h i c h encompasses all the worlds and how
it w i l l be a vessel for G-dliness, not requiring any
[material] food or drink. This cannot possibly be re
vealed at present, but only i n the era of the Redemp
tion.) Ultimately, however, i t is our service of G-d at pre
sent, nullifying our yesh to the ayin, w h i c h w i l l b r i n g
about the fulfillment of the prophecy that i n that era
"the glory of G-d w i l l be revealed and all flesh w i l l
see."
At that time we w i l l perceive the revelation of
G-dliness i n this lowly realm w i t h actual sight, as it is
w r i t t e n , "For eye to eye shall they see [G-d returning
to Zion]." Our material eye w i l l be a m e d i u m [for the
vision of] the Sublime eye. The physicality [of our]
bodies w i l l be different from its present state. [It w i l l be
openly revealed how] the body is [an expression of] the
Ein Sof w h i c h encompasses all the worlds. It w i l l not
require [material] food or drink; instead, it too w i l l
derive its nurture from the Ein Sof w h i c h encompasses
all the worlds. (These concepts are explained at length
i n the above-mentioned maamar beginning Eleh Toldos
Noach.)
79
80
Thus, [in that era, both dimensions] of a person's

desire [for bittul] w i l l be completed i n a perfect manner.
Furthermore, i n microcosm, this [can be revealed] at
present. The world need not conceal [G-dliness] from
one and, on the contrary, can assist one i n his service of
G-d.
[To explain:] It is written, "It is only that your sins
have made a separation between you and your G-d." A
person's sins create a separating curtain w h i c h obscures
81
79. Yeshayahu 40:5.

80. Ibid. 52:8.
81. Ibid. 59:2.
G-dliness, as i t is written, " I w i l l clothe the heavens w i t h

black."
This [brings about] the trials which a person faces,
i n which [G-dliness is] hidden [from him]. Concerning
this i t is written, "Your evil w i l l chastise you." The evil
that a person does causes h i m suffering, by concealing
G-dliness. This is the source of all the evils that chastise
a man, heaven forbid, as i t is written, "Because m y G-d
is not i n m y midst, I have been visited by all [these
evils]."
The converse is also true. A person who serves G-d
refines the world to the extent that the world does not
hide [G-dliness] from h i m . On the contrary, i t assists
h i m i n his divine service, for i t is revealed to h i m how
the life energy and control of the world is [an
expression of] G-dliness. This is all accomplished by the
service of Torah and mitzvos i n the present era,
[bringing about] the bittul of the yesh to the ayin.
82
83
84
* *
I n the light of the above discussion we can more

fully understand the above-quoted verse, "For a mitzvah
is a lamp and the Torah is light." Through the service of
the "lamp" of "mitzvah", b y restraining oneself from
indulgence i n all the pleasures of this world and
performing mitzvos i n the proper manner, one connects
(a) one's life-giving soul (and also, as explained i n
Tanya, (b) one's body, which becomes "a chariot," [i.e.,
a vehicle of expression, for the mitzvos]), and likewise (c)
the material object w i t h which the mitzvah was
performed, so that they all become entirely batel and
connected to G-dliness, to the very Being and Essence of
the Ein Sof.
85
82.
83.
84.
85.
Ibid. 50:3.
Yirmeyahu 2:19.
Devarim 31:17.
Ch. 23.
Furthermore, performing a mitzvah i n the proper

manner brings great happiness to the soul. [This
happiness arises] through meditation on [what the
performance of a mitzvah can accomplish;] how one
thereby connects one's vitalizing soul and the material
object i n w h i c h the mitzvah was enclothed to the very
Being and Essence of the Ein Sof, the level of Ein Sof
described as "Master of the W i l l . "
86
Similarly, through the study of Torah, one connects

one's soul to the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof,
which "no thought can comprehend." [When a person
grasps this,] he w i l l rejoice immensely. [This is
extremely important for,] as is known, i t is vital that our
service of G-d be carried out w i t h joy. Thus i t is
w r i t t e n , "Because you d i d not serve G-d, your L-rd,
w i t h joy and gladness of heart " [The verse teaches
that the Jews] w i l l be punished, not because they did
not serve G-d, but because they d i d not serve H i m joy
fully.
This joy ought to be expressed i n one's divine serv
ice w i t h i n all of the three pillars "on which the world
stands Torah, divine service, and deeds of kindness." So too our Sages declared, "One should not
stand for prayer i n a spirit of sadness, i n a spirit of
laziness, or... i n a spirit of frivolity (i.e., a spirit of irre
sponsible mirth)... , but i n a spirit of happiness." "Rav
Yehudah said i n the name of Rav, 'The same applies i n
regard to the words of halachah.' " I.e., its [study] also
must be characterized by happiness.
87
88
89
9 0
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
The mitzvos are expressions of G-d's w i l l . Through their performance, a

connection can be established w i t h the dimension of G-dliness w h i c h
is termed Baal HaRatzon "Master of the Will."
Devarim 28:47. See the interpretation of this verse i n the Shelah, Asarah
Maamaros.
Avos 1:2.
Berachos 31a.
Pesachim 117a.
A similar concept is expressed by our Sages (Shabbos

63b) i n their interpretation of Koheles 11[:9]: "Rejoice,
young man, i n your childhood; let your heart gladden
you i n the days of your youth; [walk i n the ways of your
heart and the sight of] your eyes. [Know that for all of
these, G-d w i l l b r i n g you to judgment.]"
[Our Sages teach that the first portion of the verse
("Rejoice... your eyes") refers to Torah study. Rashi
explains there: " 'Rejoice i n your childhood' study
w i t h happiness and a glad heart." [The second portion
of the verse,] "Know...judgment," our Sages associate
w i t h good deeds. As Rashi explains, " 'Know that for all
these' i.e., for all that you have studied you w i l l be
held responsible i f you do not carry them out."
Curiously, i n his commentary on the verse i n the Book
of Koheles itself, Rashi follows neither the interpretation
of Rav Huna, [cited i n Tractate Shabbos, loc. cit.,], nor the
[above-quoted] interpretation of Resh Lakish.
Sforno interprets thus:
"Rejoice" i n the personal fulfillment that you
have achieved i n your childhood, when there are
no disturbances.
[In this context,] viytivcha, [rendered above
simply as "gladden",] can be interpreted as
"improve"; i.e., whatever you achieved i n your
childhood w i l l help you to comprehend and
proceed further i n your youth. As our Sages have
taught, " I f you have listened [repeatedly] to old
lessons, you w i l l listen to new ones."
91
"Know" I n the midst of introspection and

action, realize before W h o m you are toiling and
before W h o m you w i l l be required to give an
account.
91.
Berachos 40a.
The text entitled Taalumos Chochmah (written by [R.

Yaakov of Lissa,] the author of Chavas Daas) interprets
the above verse as follows:
"Rejoice... i n your childhood" Make sure that
you repent i n your youth for what you have
done i n your childhood. Do not wait u n t i l your
old age, so that...
Viytivcha libcha "Your heart w i l l be upright (i.e.,
i n your service of G-d) i n the days of your youth."
"Walk i n the ways of your heart" You w i l l then
proceed i n your old age and improve i n the ways
of your heart. (This conveys a message similar to
the teaching of the verse, "Educate a child
according to his way, so that even when he
becomes older, he w i l l not depart from i t . " )
92
This is not the place to [further] elaborate on the

[interpretation of this verse]. [What is important is to
appreciate that the happiness of youth is associated
w i t h Torah study.] Similarly, the performance of mitzvos the t h i r d of the pillars of the world, deeds of
kindness ought to be characterized by joy. As it is
written, "Let your heart not be despondent [when you
give charity]." From this negative warning, we can
infer positive directives that rejoicing i n the mitzvos is
vital, and that the happiness comes from the per
formance of the mitzvah itself.
93
The appreciation of two concepts w i l l allow one's

soul to rejoice greatly [when performing mitzvos]: (a)
Firstly, the awareness that one has fulfilled G-d's w i l l .
When a great man commands a simple person to per
form a particular task, the simple person w i l l be happy
that he has been privileged to carry out the w i l l of a
great man. How much more should one feel
92.
93.
Mishlei 22:6.
Cf. Devarim 15:10.
tremendous happiness when he contemplates [and thus

becomes aware of] the fact that through the
performance of a mitzvah, he is fulfilling the w i l l of the
King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. (b)
Secondly, his happiness w i l l be greatly increased when
he meditates on the fact that through the performance
of a mitzvah, his entire soul becomes bound to the very
Being and Essence of the Ein Sof, to the innermost
dimensions of His w i l l for, i n truth, the Ein Sof, the
Master of the Will, is enclothed i n this mitzvah (as
explained i n Tanya ).
The same applies to the study of Torah and to
prayer. They too ought to be infused w i t h a joy that
stems from meditation on the above concepts. Serving
G-d w i t h such happiness brings Him happiness, so to
speak, as i t is written, "Oil [libations] and incense
[offerings] gladden the heart." "The heart" is an allu
sion to the Holy One, blessed be He, [as our Sages comm e n t on the verse,] " 'And m y heart is awake.' [This
is a reference to the Holy One, blessed be He, as i t is
written,] 'The Rock of m y heart.' " The happiness of
the [Supernal] Heart is an illumination that is
diffused from the innermost reaches of the Or Ein Sof.
94
95
96
97
98
9 9
By way of analogy: When a k i n g is happy, he reveals

everything that is hidden w i t h i n his heart. When he is
happy, all [the inner feelings] which are [generally]
concealed are openly expressed. Similarly, i n relation to
G-d, happiness brings about revelation, i.e., the
innermost dimensions of the Or Ein Sof are manifest
and shine forth.
94. Chs. 34 and 35.

95. Mishlei 27:9.
96. Note Rashi's second interpretation of the above verse.
97. Shir HaShirim Rabbah.
98. Shir HaShirim 5:2.
99. Tehillim 73:26.
This is what is meant by the phrase, "And the Torah

is light": the light of the Torah shines forth just as it
exists i n its source. [This recalls the phrase,] meshal
hakadmoni "as is related i n the primeval analogy."
[An analogy is a means of revealing something to those
who cannot perceive it directly.] This phrase alludes to
the Torah, w h i c h is an "analogy" for the Ein Sof, Who
is k n o w n as Kadmono shel olam "the Primeval Being of
the w o r l d . " [This refers to that exalted dimension of
G-dliness] w h i c h exists from all time (mikedem), w h i c h
was never brought into being, and w h i c h transcends
Seder Hishtalshelus. [I.e., The diffusion of this light
transcends the normative Divine light that is
progressively screened as it descends level by level,
chainlike, to this world.] [Through the Torah,] this
exalted level of Divine light illumines the very lowliest
plane.
100
101
102
[The revelation of this aspect of Torah] is preceded

and brought about by [the divine service w h i c h is
k n o w n as] the "lamp" of "mitzvah", the bittul of the yesh
to the ayin, through w h i c h [a person] comes to cleave to
G-d. It is this service w h i c h brings about "the light of
Torah," whereby the Or Ein Sof is revealed i n a manifest
manner on this lowly plane.
This reflects a transformation of darkness into light,
as mentioned above. Now a change i n an entity's
essential nature can be brought about only by a light
which transcends the entity. Therefore, to transform
the darkness of the world into light, i t is necessary to
tap the above-mentioned Primeval potential (known as
kedem), the source of Torah, w h i c h transcends the world
entirely. The above words w i l l suffice for the
discerning.
100. IShmuel 24:14.

101. Rashi on Shmos 21:13.
102. See Torah Or 98b.
I n this context, we can understand the verse, "Oil

[libations] and incense [offerings] gladden the heart."
The incense offering [in the Beis HaMikdash] reflects the
elevation of the world's inert matter (domem), because
the eleven spices which were offered were all inert
matter. Thus, like the performance of mitzvos which are
enclothed i n material things, the incense offering
[involves the elevation of] the inert substance [of the
world]. (Indeed, even those mitzvos which involve
plants [are fulfilled] only after they have been detached
from their source of life. For example,
the
commandment involving the esrog and the other
species used w i t h the lulav can be fulfilled after they
have been taken from the tree. At this stage their life
energy has ceased and they are like inert matter. On
this, see the maamarim (quarto edition) of the hemshech
entitled Yonasi, 5640. )
103
Through this activity, one "gladdens the heart," and

causes the inner dimensions of the Or Ein Sof to shine.
This is what is meant by the phrase, "And the Torah is
light."
(It is possible to interpret oil as a reference to the
hidden wisdom, the source of the Torah, [i.e., the
potential for wisdom which is too sublime to be
revealed]. This is "the light of Torah" which is [revealed]
by the incense offering.
Significantly, the incense offering is associated w i t h
the power of smell, a potential which "brings pleasure
to the soul, but not the body." Similarly, [the Zohar
states, " I pray to] the Master of the nose." [Also, the
root of the Hebrew w o r d for incense, ketores ( )is
identical to the root of the Aramaic for "bond" (), a
104
105
103. P. 58.
104. Berachos 43b.
105. I I I , 130b.
106
w o r d that appears i n the statement of the Zohar, ]

"With one bond I connect to H i m . "
This relates to the [infinite] love [of G-d expressed by
the command, "Love G-d...] w i t h all your might," as
explained above. This love leads to the fulfillment of the
mitzvos, the bittul of the yesh to the ayin. A n d this is
analogous to the elevation of inert matter through the
incense offering.)
Thus, we can understand that "the lamp" of
"mitzvah" leads to "the light" of "Torah". Similarly, i n
this context, we can better understand the continuation
of the verse, "The reproofs of instruction are the path of
life." This means that the path and the channel through
which one can draw down the sublime life, the very
Being and Essence of the Ein Sof, i n its infinite dimen
sions, passes through the "reproofs of instruction."
To explain: Mussar (), [rendered above as
"instruction", is related to the Hebrew, yissurim (),
meaning "hardship"]. A person should subject himself
to hardship [as it were, and refrain from indulgence in]
permitted matters. The essence [of this service is not
self-denial,] but [acting with] judgment, as [implied by
the verse,] "You have acted w i t h judgment and
righteousness i n Yaakov." For "You" to "act", i.e., to
reveal for the w o r d , rendered as "You", implies
"to reveal" the Or Ein Sof on this lowly plane, there
must first be "judgment and righteousness (tzedakah)."
107
The judgment is conducted w i t h righteousness; i.e.,

one judges one's own indulgence i n permitted things
which are not necessary, restraining one's [desires], and
separating oneself from the pleasures men [seek] and
the delights of this world, indulging i n material affairs
only when necessary (and doing even this for the sake
of heaven). One thus sanctifies oneself i n permitted
106. Ibid., 288a.
107. Tehillim 99:4.
things (which is a positive commandment of the

Torah, as is written i n Tanya, ch. 27).
There are two expressions [of this mode of divine
service]: (a) restraining oneself from indulgence i n
superfluous material pursuits, and (b) carrying out i n a
holy manner those material concerns i n w h i c h one is
obliged to be involved.
108
(See Tanya, loc. cit., w h i c h explains that a person's

efforts i n sanctifying himself, even though i n t r u t h he is
not yet sanctified, [arouse powerful spiritual influ
ences]. Since he subjugates his [natural] inclination and
conducts himself i n a holy manner, [it w i l l ultimately
be true to say of h i m that] "you w i l l be h o l y . " I.e.,
ultimately, [through G-d's reciprocal influence,] he w i l l
become truly holy and genuinely separate from the
sitra achra. "When a person sanctifies himself slightly
through his own efforts, a great dimension of holiness
is conveyed upon h i m from Above": he is helped
from Above to drive away the last vestiges [of material
desire] and to become altogether holy, [i.e.,] separate
from there. This parallels what was explained previ
ously, that through "the lamp" of "mitzvah", i.e.,
through self-subordination, "the Torah" becomes
"light", bringing about a total transformation of
darkness to light.)
109
110
This is the [process of self-control] and judging

oneself [alluded to i n the above verse]. [The same verse
also implies that] one should judge oneself i n regard to
the tzedakah one gives to the poor. Our Sages' statement
that "your own life takes p r i o r i t y , "
[applies only i n
circumstances similar to those described i n that
passage, i.e.,] where one possesses a single container of
111
108. See Sefer Chareidim, Positive Commandments, ch. 7.

109. Vayikra 11:44.
110. Yoma 39a.
111. Bava Metzia 62a. See Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 16.
water and i f he gives i t to his colleague, both w i l l die of

thirst.
[This directive cannot, however, be used as license
for] one person to delight i n the pleasures of this world,
while his colleague is dying of hunger, heaven forbid.
How could one t h i n k that one's o w n indulgence i n
dispensable matters takes precedence over the very life
of a colleague? One should therefore judge oneself,
determining what is superfluous for h i m , and this
should be given to the poor.
The above judgment is thus twofold: (a) One judges
one's o w n [conduct, refraining from involvement in]
superfluous matters, and not at all [seeking] to delight
i n the pleasures [sought by] men; (b) One judges what is
superfluous and gives i t as tzedakah to the poor.
(In this context, we can understand the preciseness
of the expression "judgment and
righteousness
(tzedakah)." The verse does not teach that we should
judge w i t h righteousness, but rather, that our judgment
should be expressed together w i t h tzedakah. This
implies that there is one mode of judgment that is not
accompanied by tzedakah and another mode of judg
ment accompanied by tzedakah, as explained above.)
Judgment both i n the realm of "turning away
from evil" and i n the realm of "doing good" is
analogous to "the candle" of "mitzvah" described above.
It draws d o w n "the path of life," the path and the
channel through which one can draw down the
Supernal life, the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof,
[to allow for the expression of] the "light" of "Torah".
The light of Torah as i t exists i n its source w i l l then
illumine this lowly plane, utterly transforming
darkness into light.
112
112. These two phrases from Tehillim 34:15 serve as shorthand terms for the
observance of the prohibitive and the positive commandments,
respectively.
This is [implied by] the teaching of our Sages: "What

should a person do to live? He should slay himself."
I.e., through slaying [one's desire for] the pleasures of
this world, one " w i l l live," for this approach is the path
and the channel through which one can draw down
Supernal life, "the light" of "Torah".
113
* *
[Based on the above, we can begin to resolve the

questions raised at the beginning of this treatise.] A l l
the mitzvos are comparable to the mezuzah. [The mezuzah thus represents the dimension of "the lamp" of
"mitzvah" explained above.] By placing it at the entrance
to one's home, one elevates everything contained i n the
house, making everything i n it batel to G-dliness. [On a
practical level, this means that] all of one's activities
should be carried out for the sake of heaven. Through
[such conduct,] we draw down "the light" of "Torah", as
explained above.
This is w h y the mezuzah is placed on the right [side
of the entrance],
reflecting how it represents "the
right hand which draws close." It draws all material
things close to G-dliness, making everything batel to
G-dliness.
114
115
Synopsis
When a person meditates on all the above, his soul
w i l l become faint w i t h longing that the t r u t h be openly
revealed to us that there is no existence apart from
G-d and that everything is [an expression of] G-dliness.
[In particular, there are two dimensions to this desire:]
(a) that the animal soul should seek nothing but
G-dliness and that it should utterly despise evil; (b) that
our eyes be enabled to see how the body is [an
113. Tamid 32a.
114. See Siddur im Dach, Shaar Chanukah, 275a.
115. See Sotah 47a.
expression of] the Ein Sof which encompasses all the

worlds.
This reflects [the infinite level of love which is
intended by the command to "love G-d] w i t h all your
might." [This is a desire] to transcend one's limitations
to the point that one does not perceive himself as an
entity w i t h any existence [separate from Him].
How does one satisfy such a yearning? Through
the Torah and its mitzvos, by refraining from all
[material] pleasures, even from what is permitted, and
[not involving oneself with] superfluous [material
activity], only w i t h what is necessary [to maintain
oneself], and by connecting every aspect of one's soul to
the Torah and its mitzvos. I n this manner, the totality of
one's life-giving soul, all the material sources from
which one derives his life energy, and the material
objects i n which the mitzvos are enclothed, become
bound to the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof
which is enclothed i n the Torah and its mitzvos.
Similarly, this is accomplished by nullifying the yesh to
the ayin through the performance of the mitzvos. (This
includes both "turning away from evil" and "doing
good.")
It is vital that this service be carried out w i t h joy.
This joy stems from the very performance of the
mitzvos, [from the realization that] one thereby becomes
connected w i t h G-d. This, i n turn, arouses joy Above,
[gladdening, as i t were, the Supernal] heart, so that the
innermost reaches of the Or Ein Sof w i l l shine forth and
be manifest i n one's soul.
As a result, darkness is totally transformed into
light, causing one to utterly despise evil, and to "hate
evil." A person at this level w i l l have no desire other
than to cleave to G-d and to exult i n H i m .
[Although this cannot be realized completely i n the
present era,] i t is our present endeavors, i n nullifying
our yesh to the ayin, that w i l l ultimately cause, i n the

era of redemption, "the glory of G-d [to] be revealed [so
that] all flesh w i l l see" w i t h actual sight that there is no
material existence at all. Rather, the body is [an
expression of the Ein Sof] which encompasses all
worlds, and [from that level] i t w i l l derive its nurture
which i t w i l l internalize, for nurture [can only be
received i f it] is internalized, as is known. (This
complements the concept that the body w i l l then be a
vessel for G-dliness, and w i l l be able to receive, i n an
internalized manner, the very Being and Essence of the
Ein Sof, at the transcendent level of Divine influence at
which G-d "encompasses" all worlds.)
[This allows us to understand the verse, "A mitzvah
is a lamp and Torah is light."] Through the "lamp" of
"mitzvah" i.e., by performing the mitzvos and
nullifying the yesh to the ayin [we w i l l merit] the
"light" of the "Torah" i n the same state as i t exists i n its
source, the Ein Sof, the Primeval Being of the world.
[This i n t u r n brings about] the transformation [of
darkness into light described above].
This transformation is made possible [by the
manner of divine service implied by the continuation
of the verse]: "the rebukes of instruction [are the paths
of life]." The path and the channel by which one can
draw down Supernal life, the very Being and Essence of
the Ein Sof, i n its infinite dimensions, is the "reproofs
of instruction."
This entails judging oneself, separating oneself from
physical pleasures, and judging what should be given as
tzedakah to the poor. The "paths of life" thus lead to the
"light" of "Torah".
[Based on the above, we can begin to resolve the
questions raised at the beginning of this treatise.] A l l
the mitzvos are comparable to the mezuzah. The mezuzah
is placed at the entrance to one's home, demonstrating
how everything w i t h i n i t is batel to G-dliness. This
parallels the concept of the "lamp" of "mitzvah". A n d

this is w h y the mezuzah is placed at the right side of the
entrance, because i t is the "right hand which draws
near," [i.e., which draws all material things close to
G-dliness].
IV.
I n light of the above, we can understand w h y i t is a
mitzvah to place the Chanukah lights at the left side of
the doorway and w h y they should be placed at the
outside of the entrance to one's house.
[The explanation of an additional concept is,
however, first necessary.] Our Sages teach: "When the
Jewish people carry out the w i l l of G-d, their w o r k is
performed by others." By way of background: It is
written, "Ascend, O G-d, to the place of Your repose."
A different verse states that "G-d is a Man of war."
There are thus two patterns of Divine conduct: war and
repose.
116
117
118
119
[We can understand these concepts by examining

the analogous modes of behavior w i t h i n the h u m a n
sphere.] When there are two warriors, neither of w h o m
w i l l submit to the other, they w i l l fight u n t i l one
prevails. Repose, i n contrast, reflects an entirely
different approach. Not only do the two not fight, but
[the weaker one] submits to the authority [of the
stronger] as a matter of course.
[For example, King] Shlomo [ruled over a vast
kingdom] without having to wage wars. Rather, his
awesome greatness and majesty caused his subjects to
116.
117.
118.
119.
Berachos 35b.
Tehillim 132:8.
Shmos 15:3.
Sefer HaMaamarim 5659, p. 69ff., explains similar concepts.
submit to h i m . [For this reason] he was called "a man of

repose."
The submission w h i c h is engendered by this
approach is greater than the submission that results
from war. I n the latter instance, even though one side
overcomes his adversary and forces h i m to submit, the
submission is not as complete. [In fact, even the
possibility of rebellion exists.] I n contrast, when one
person submits to another out of deference to his
greatness and majesty, this submission is complete to
the extent that the former party no longer remains a
separate entity of all.
120
[Parallels to the] above concepts are reflected i n the

divine service of our G-dly souls. "G-d created [the
universe i n such a way that] each being has its opposite
counterpart."
Just as our holy soul possesses the
potentials for intellect, emotion, thought, speech and
action, we correspondingly possess an animal soul and
a yetzer hara a potential for intellect, emotion,
thought, speech and action, stemming from the sitra
achra (lit., "the other side").
121
122
We must constantly be involved i n a struggle to

enable the G-dly soul to overcome the animal soul.
Thus, "the time of prayer is a time of battle," when
we try to give the G-dly soul this advantage [ i n order to
influence our conduct and thus] "turn away from evil"
and "do good." This is accomplished through
meditation, as explained above.
123
There is, however, [a higher r u n g of service,] the

level of repose, w h i c h is the service of the righteous.
The essential power of their love, their delight i n
120. I Divrei HaYamim 22:9.
121. Cf. Koheles 7:14. See Zohar I I I , 47b, and Tanya, ch. 6.
122. See Torah Or, Parshas Mikeitz, w h i c h explains that the animal soul
refers to the potential for intellect and the yetzer hara, the potential for
emotion.
123. Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei, citing the Zohar; see I I I , 243a.
G-dliness w h i c h causes them to utterly despise evil, to

"hate evil," averts the necessity for war. On the
contrary, the emotions of the animal soul become
nullified of their own accord. For "as wax melts before
fire, [so the wicked] w i l l perish before Y o u , " and the
sparks [of G-dliness enclothed i n the animal soul
ascend] on their own accord and are incorporated i n
the "side" of holiness, just as a candle becomes nullified
w i t h i n a torch.
This is the difference between the prayers of Shabbos
and those of the weekdays. As mentioned above, prayer
during the week is "a time of battle." On Shabbos,
however, [prayer has a different function]. [This is
reflected i n the prohibitions of Shabbos. Among the
labors] forbidden is borrer [which literally means
"selection", and refers to the removal of waste from
food. Borrer also has, however, a spiritual connotation.
It refers to the avodah of refining the material substance
of the world, separating sparks of G-dliness from the
material shells i n w h i c h they are enclothed. This
manner of divine service is not carried out on Shabbos.]
124
This is not to say that sparks [of G-dliness] are not

elevated on Shabbos. [The contrary is true. Sparks are
elevated, but by different means. On Shabbos,] the light
drawn down to this world is so intense that [the
measure of yesh w h i c h envelops these sparks] becomes
nullified as a matter of course and there is no need for
any spiritual battle.
This is made possible only by the labor of
refinement w h i c h is carried out during the preceding
six weekdays. It is these [endeavors] w h i c h cause the
great light of Shabbos to be drawn down. [This is
implied by the teaching of our Sages,] "Whoever toiled
before the advent of Shabbos w i l l eat on Shabbos."
125
124. Tehillim 68:3.

125. Avodah Zarah 3a.
[On this basis, we can appreciate the spiritual

rationale for a law ordained by our Sages (Shabbos 69b).]
Our Sages state that a person who is proceeding on a
journey and does not k n o w when Shabbos falls should
count six days, [and rest on the seventh]. [First, he must
carry out] the w o r k of refinement, [which is
characterized by a stance of] "battle". Afterwards, he
should observe the Sabbath for one day, [for then he
can experience] repose. ([The necessity for the pattern
of w o r k followed by rest is further borne out by the fact
that] the Talmud (loc. cit.) rejects the conflicting opinion
that first one should observe one day as Shabbos and
only then count six "weekdays".)
On this basis, we can understand the statement that
"When the Jews carry out the w i l l of G-d, their w o r k is
performed by others." "Carrying out the w i l l of G-d,"
implies loving H i m " w i t h all your m i g h t , " desiring to
cleave to the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof
through the performance of the mitzvos, as explained
above.
126
127
This, i n turn, draws down the "light" of "Torah",

referring to the Torah as i t exists i n its source, so that
the very Being and Essence of the Ein Sof shines w i t h i n
this lowly realm. This causes "their w o r k [i.e., the
spiritual task of the Jewish people] to be performed by
others"; [the material substance enveloping] the G-dly
sparks becomes nullified as a matter of course, just as a
126. This quotation from Berachos 35b cites the second paragraph of Shema
to illustrate the opposite situation.
127. Or Torah of the Maggid, 53d, explains this connection by contrasting
the first two paragraphs of the Shema: the first paragraph describes a
time w h e n the Jewish people carry out G-d's w i l l , whereas the second
paragraph speaks of a time w h e n they do not. Another contrast:
Although the commandments appearing at the conclusion of the two
paragraphs are similar, there is one distinct difference. The first
paragraph mentions loving G-d w i t h "all your heart, w i t h all your soul,
and w i t h all your might," while the second paragraph omits the latter
phrase. "Fulfilling G-d's w i l l " is thus an expression of loving H i m
" w i t h all [one's] might." See also Likkutei Sichos, XII, p. 98ff.
candle [loses its independent identity as a luminary]

when incorporated i n a torch. The sitra achra is thus
refined without any need for war. Instead, its bittul
comes about as a natural response [to the revelation of
light].
*
* *
On this basis, we can understand the concept of the

Chanukah lights. The Greeks desired to make the Jews
"forget [G-d's] Torah and violate the decrees of [His]
w i l l . " This reflects the wisdom of kelipah. For this
reason, the Greeks defiled all the oil i n the Sanctuary.
[This is particularly significant, for oil is an estab
lished metaphor for wisdom. The Greeks did not
destroy the oil i n the Beis HaMikdash: they defiled it.]
This reflects how "extraneous wisdom," the wisdom of
kelipah, can impart i m p u r i t y to the wisdom of Torah,
which is the wisdom of holiness. [The Greeks desired
to separate the Jews from a connection to G-d. Thus, our
Sages relate that they told the Jews:] "Write on the horn
of an ox [that you have no share i n the G-d of Israel]."
128
129
This concept can be explained as follows: As taught

i n Tanya, end of ch. 8, the i m p u r i t y imparted by secular
wisdom is more severe than the i m p u r i t y imparted by
frivolous matters. The latter impart i m p u r i t y merely to
one's emotive attributes, to the middos. This can be
[corrected] by revealing the light of [holy] wisdom, and
thus illuminating the emotive attributes, as explained
i n Torah Or
i n the maamar beginning BeChaf-Hei
BeKislev, i n regard to the [effect produced by] the lights
of the Menorah [of the Beis HaMikdash].
130
I n contrast, secular wisdom imparts i m p u r i t y to

[one's intellectual faculties], namely, the qualities of
Chochmah, Binah and Daas (lit., "wisdom," "under128. See Torah Or, p. 41a.
129. Bereishis Rabbah 2:4; 16:7.
130. P. 29a.
standing" and "knowledge"). When speaking loosely,

these qualities can be considered as belonging to the
essence of the soul. Thus, [secular knowledge] can make
the totality of one's soul impure, heaven forbid.
To explain: The fundamental difference between the
wisdom of holiness and the wisdom of the sitra achra is
that the wisdom of holiness is characterized by bittul,
the quality of mah (lit., "What?" ). A note i n ch. 35 of
Tanya thus states that the Ein Sof-light is vested i n the
faculty of Chochmah. This results from the [complete]
bittul [that Chochmah manifests], as explained i n
[Tanya,] ch. 19.
131
[The influence of Chochmah] causes [all of the fac

ulties of] one's soul [to function with] bittul, and thus
motivates h i m to observe the Torah and its mitzvos.
Similarly, all positive emotive attributes stem from
bittul.
I n contrast, secular wisdom causes yeshus and selfconcern, bringing about a lack of bittul. Thus, it stands
i n direct opposition to the entire realm of the Torah
and its mitzvos. Similarly, it evokes all the undesirable
emotional traits, such as pride, anger, envy, desire and
honor-seeking.
When a person is batel, and not pre-occupied w i t h
himself, he w i l l not seek means of fulfilling his desires.
Surely, he w i l l not have a powerful desire for such
matters. Similarly, he w i l l not fall prey to pride, anger,
envy or a desire for honor, whereas the [self-concerned]
nature of yeshus evokes all these [undesirable traits].
[Thus, the Greeks' assertion of power over the Jews
represented an attempt to uproot the bittul of the
Torah's wisdom and replace it by the self-oriented ap
proach of secular knowledge. Accordingly,] when the
Hasmonean royal family overpowered and defeated
131. This w o r d implies the opposite of self-assertion.
T A N U RABBANAN: N E R CHANUKAH, 5 6 4 3 / 5 1
132
[the Greeks], they ordained that the Chanukah lights

be lit as an expression of the "light" of "Torah".
*
* *
[The Chanukah lamp is identified w i t h the revela

tions of the era of the future Redemption, for] the eight
lights represent eight expressions of the Name Havayah
(recalling the above-quoted phrase, ner Havayah lit.,
"the lamp of G-d" ). [At the same time, [the eight lights
parallel] the eight strings of the harp of the era of the
future Redemption.
Indeed, the four letters that
make up the word "( harp") can be rearranged to
mean26")
lights"). [The numerical equivalent of
the Divine Name Havayah is 26.] Eight times [the letters
of] Havayah is numerically equivalent to [the Hebrew
letters of] the name Yitzchak. [This is a further allusion
to] the era of the future Redemption, since, as our Sages
relate, i n that era we w i l l tell Yitzchak, "You are our
ancestor."
133
134
135
136
Hence, [since they offer a foretaste of the era of the

future Redemption, the Chanukah lights are identified]
w i t h the "light" of "Torah", for the [Hasmoneans] drew
down such a powerful light that, [ultimately,] the kelipos
and sitra achra were nullified of their own accord,
without war. This powerful light was generated by their
mesirus nefesh: they were w i l l i n g to sacrifice their lives
for the sanctification of G-d's name.
(In this context we can understand w h y [the Sages
said that] "the Hasmonean royal family overpowered...,"
[for they drew down an overpowering light]. [This
represents a twofold process.] At first, there was a
necessity for war, [i.e., the divine service of] nullifying
132. Shabbos 21b.
133. Mishlei 20:27.
134. Arachin 13b. See Or HaTorah, Chanukah 326b ff.
135. Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 21, p. 52a.
136. Yeshayahu 63:16; Shabbos 89b.
the yesh to the ayin. When the [Hasmoneans had

completed this service with] mesirus nefesh, [they pro
ceeded to a higher rung:] they ordained [the kindling
of] the Chanukah lights, drawing down the "light" of
"Torah".)
*
* *
[We can now also understand why] the mitzvah is to

place [the Chanukah lights] at the outside of the en
trance to one's house, [facing] the public domain. This
reflects the task of refining the sphere outside [a Jew's
dwelling, i.e., beyond the realm of holiness]. The
Chanukah lamp lights up the public domain, inducing
bittul even i n the "mountains of separation" [mentioned
earlier].
[The above adds insight to the directive of our
Sages, that] the Chanukah lights should be kindled
"until the feet of the Tarmudites depart [from the
marketplace]." [As well as defining a certain extent of
time, this teaching has a deeper meaning. The w o r d
( here translated "depart") also has the connotation
of "expire". Thus, the above directive of the Sages can
be interpreted to mean that the Chanukah lights should
be kindled] u n t i l they motivate the Tarmudites who
represent the yetzer hara and the animal soul to
expire [with love for G-d].
137
The letters of the singular form of the w o r d for

Tarmudites ( )can be rearranged to form the w o r d
w h i c h means "a rebel." This refers to the kelipah
of Amalek, who "recognizes his Master and yet willfully
desires to rebel [against H i m ] . "
The "feet of the
Tarmudites" must "expire", i.e., the sparks [of G-dliness
138
139
137. Shabbos 21b.

138. Kehillas Yaakov.
139. See Derech Mitzvosecha 95a, w h i c h makes this statement concerning
Amalek. The actual expression is a quotation from Toras Kohanim,
Bechukosai 26:14. There, however, Amalek is not mentioned.
contained w i t h i n this kelipah] must be incorporated i n

the "side" of holiness, just like the bittul of a candle
when i t is incorporated i n a torch, while the actual
kelipah of Amalek w i l l be nullified: "As wax melts before
fire, [so the wicked] w i l l perish."
This is the purpose of the Chanukah lights, to
illumine the public domain, the place of darkness, so
that "though I dwell i n darkness, G-d is a light for me."
Furthermore, "( darkness") can be interpreted as an
acronym
for the
Hebrew
words
, ,
"( donkey", "ox" and "dog"). [To quote the Kabbalistic image,] "There is a donkey and an ox, and a dog
emerges from between t h e m . "
That is to say: the
middle letters [i.e., the letters that are "between them"]
of the words and "( donkey" and "ox") match the
numerical equivalent of "( dog"), which is a wellk n o w n Midrashic metaphor for Amalek. Thus, the
Chanukah lights are intended to illuminate the
darkness, to cause the kelipos of Amalek to be nullified
of their own accord.
140
This is the intent of placing the Chanukah lights at

the left side of the entrance, to refine and correct [the
influence drawn down from] the left vector [of the
Sefiros] and thus to cause the kelipos to be nullified, just
as a candle is nullified when incorporated i n a torch.
The view of Rashi, [that the Chanukah lights] should
be placed i n a courtyard, [can similarly be explained
according to the above]. (As pointed out by Kehillas
Yaakov,) the w o r d "( courtyard") is numerically
equivalent to the sum of the Hebrew words ,
and , the Sefiros of the left vector. It is well k n o w n
that kelipah derives its nurture from the left vector, for
which reason i t is alluded to as "the cow which receives
[its nurture] from the left." The manifold [process of
141
140. Me'orei Or, Maareches Ches.

141. Zohar I I I , 180b.
self-] limitation [which stems from the left vector] can

allow even the yetzer hara and the animal soul to derive
spiritual nurture, as explained i n Likkutei Torah i n the
maamar beginning Vaydaber...Zos Chukas HaTorah.
142
For these reasons, the Chanukah lights should be

placed i n the courtyard, to correct [the influence of] the
left vector. This is accomplished from a stance of repose
and not from the stance of war. [The negative
influences] are then nullified of their own accord. Thus,
the [spiritual] intent [of the Chanukah lights] is the
same whether they are placed i n the courtyard or i n the
public domain.
This can be accomplished only when there is a
mezuzah on the right side of the entrance. Then i t is
possible for the Chanukah lights to be placed on the left
side, [and thus to refine i t ] . Only when first there is
[this] "lamp" of "mitzvah" the love [of G-d] " w i t h all
your might," the [unbounded desire] to cleave to H i m
is i t possible to draw down the "light" of "Torah", the
Chanukah lights, which correct [the influence of] the
left vector.
When there is no mezuzah the "lamp" of "mitzvah"
on the right side, the [full] measure of the "light" of
"Torah" cannot be drawn down. As explained above, i t
is only when "the Jewish people carry out G-d's w i l l , "
[i.e., when they have an unlimited yearning for Him,]
that "their work [of refinement] is performed by
others"; [only then does this refinement come about as
a natural result of the power of the light].
Therefore, [when there is no mezuzah on the right
side,] the Chanukah lights should be placed on the right
side, for they too are a mitzvah and, like the other
mitzvos, represent "the right hand that draws close." [In
such an instance,] the influence of the "light" of
"Torah" which brings about the correction of the left
142. P. 56c.
vector is represented only by [the position of the

Chanukah lights,] their placement at the entrance to
one's home. For this shows that light shines into the
public domain, on to "the separate mountains,"
bringing about bittul, and causing the soul to expire
[with love for G-d] even i n those distant realms.
Synopsis
Based on the above, we can understand the place
ment of the Chanukah lights on the left side. When the
Jews "carry out the w i l l of G-d, their w o r k is performed
by others."
There are [two approaches i n the service of G-d]: war
and repose. War reflects the service of beinonim i n
battling their yetzer hara and causing the G-dly soul to
overpower the animal soul and thus, "turn away from
evil" and "do good," as explained i n regard to the
service of the "lamp" of "mitzvah".
The divine service of the righteous, by contrast, is
characterized by repose. They despise evil, and have no
need for battle at all. This is "carrying out G-d's w i l l , "
loving H i m " w i t h all your might." The nullification of
the yesh to the ayin which this involves evokes the
shining of the "light" of "Torah". [When this happens,]
"their work," [the w o r k of refinement,] "is performed
by others," and the sparks [of G-dliness enclothed i n the
material substance of the world] become nullified of
their o w n accord. This constitutes a complete
transformation.
This is the concept that underlies the k i n d l i n g of
Chanukah lights. [The Greeks] defiled all the oil [ i n the
Sanctuary]. This reflects the i m p u r i t y that secular
wisdom can impart to the wisdom of holiness, which is
the wisdom of the Torah (as explained i n ch. 8 of
Tanya). [To correct this,] i t was necessary to draw down
the very source of the Torah. Thus, [when the
Hasmoneans] overpowered [the Greeks] through
mesirus nefesh, they ordained that the Chanukah lights

be kindled i n the public domain so that the kelipos
should be nullified as a natural response [to the
revelation of this light]. For this reason [they are placed]
i n the public domain, to illuminate the place of
darkness.
This, however, is possible only when there is a
mezuzah, representing the "lamp" of "mitzvah", on the
right side. Only then can [the full measure of] the
"light" of "Torah" be drawn down. Therefore, when
there is no mezuzah, [the Chanukah lights] should be
placed on the right side, for they are a mitzvah like other
mitzvos. Then, [to a diminutive degree,] the "light" of
"Torah" is drawn down to correct the left vector.
Placing [the Chanukah lights] i n the public domain
suffices to indicate this function.
Kol HaYotzei
LeMilchemes Beis David
K O L H A Y O T Z E I L E M I L C H E M E S B E I S DAVID / 5 9
On Simchas Torah 92 years ago, the students of the
Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah i n Lubavitch were stirred
into action by a historic call to arms: Kol HaYotzei
LeMilchemes Beis David ("Whoever goes out to a battle
of the House of David..."). W i t h this Talmudic phrase*
the Rebbe Rashab issued all past and present students
of the Yeshivah w i t h their lifelong marching orders
on a self-sacrificing trek whose unrelenting exertion
w i l l ultimately b r i n g about the coming of Mashiach,
for the "House of David" alludes to the revelation of
Mashiach, David's descendant.
Past and present students of the Tomchei
T e m i m i m Yeshivah are k n o w n i n Chabad circles as
temimim. The Rebbe Shlita once explained i n a
different context that this lifetime title of honor may
also be used to embrace many individuals (and their
families) whose connection w i t h Tomchei T e m i m i m
might superficially appear to be quite peripheral
such as supporters of the Yeshivah, and even "those
whose foot once crossed its threshold." Accordingly,
many tens of thousands of readers who themselves
were perhaps not privileged to be educated i n the
halls of the Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah, w i l l no
doubt sense intuitively that this call is equally
addressed to them, and seek to respond to it.
**
On the fifteenth of Elul, 5749 ( 1 9 8 9;),the an

niversary of the founding of the parent Yeshivah i n
Lubavitch i n 5657 ( 1 8 9 7;),that call to arms reso
nated afresh, as the Rebbe Shlita called attention to the
decidedly contemporary message of its published
version, the classic treatise w h i c h is based on the
*
**
Shabbos 56a.
Hisvaaduyos 5742, Vol. I , p. 12; HaYom Yom (bi-lingual edition), p. A23.
above address of the Rebbe Rashab to the students of

the Yeshivah on its t h i r d anniversary, Simchas Torah,
5661 ( 1 9 0 0;).***Since many years had passed
since its publication he urged that i t be reprinted
alone and studied intently, i n order to mark the 92nd
anniversary of the founding of the Yeshivah and the
50th anniversary of the extension of the Yeshivah's
activities to the U.S. It was the latter point (and see
also the opening remarks of the Previous Rebbe's
address) that motivated the translation into English of
both the treatise and the address. Source references,
some taken from the original text and some added
here, have been included as footnotes.
*
* *
Early i n the discourse of the Rebbe Rashab we

encounter an ominous prediction: " I am certain...that I
can see the woeful t u r n for the worse and the
suffering that [the maskilim] w i l l b r i n g u p o n our
people, and this w i l l be followed by the sweet
conclusion of the fifty-year period of the 'footsteps of
Mashiach,' w h i c h w i l l ultimately b r i n g about the
coming of Mashiach."
It has been observed that fifty years from the year
of these prophetic words, 5661 ( )brings us to
5711 (), the year (1951) i n w h i c h the Rebbe Shlita
officially consented to assume the position of Rebbe
the beginning of the "sweet conclusion ... w h i c h w i l l
ultimately b r i n g about the coming of Mashiach."
G-d grant that we behold his coming soon!
Sichos I n English
*** The treatise entitled Kol HaYotzei appeared i n Sefer HaSichos 5702 (;
1942), pp. 130-153, together w i t h the text of an introductory address
prepared by the Previous Rebbe i n connection w i t h the 45th
anniversary celebration held i n New York on erev Rosh Chodesh
Tammuz of that year. The latter address appears on p. 85 below.

A Treatise Based on an Address of the Rebbe
Rashab to the Students of the Tomchei Temimim
Yeshivah on its Third Anniversary,
Simchas Torah, 5661 ( 1 9 0 0
;)
The Sages state: "Whoever goes out to a battle of the

House of David writes a b i l l of divorce for his wife."
[Over and beyond its historical meaning, this
teaching has contemporary relevance, for] the "House
of David" alludes to the revelation of Mashiach, David's
descendant.
The soul of the Baal Shem Tov once ascended to the
heavenly realms. Having reached the palace of
Mashiach, the Baal Shem Tov asked h i m :
"Master, when are you coming?" A n d Mashiach an
swered: " When your wellsprings
w i l l be disseminated outward."
2
When the wellsprings of the Baal Shem Tov's

teachings and his paths i n divine service are spread
throughout the entire world, then Mashiach w i l l come.
I n plain words, the coming of Mashiach depends i n
large measure on the spreading of these wellsprings
outward; it is our labors i n disseminating them that w i l l
b r i n g about the revelation of the light of Mashiach the
"House of David," David's descendant.
However, the House of David (i.e., the revelation of
Mashiach) faces battles. From the beginning of creation,
"the spirit of G-d [here interpreted by our Sages to
3
1.
2.
3.
4.
Shabbos 56a, where Rashi explains that the get was given conditionally,
so that i f the soldier fell on the battlefield, his wife w o u l d be retroac
tively divorced.
See the letter of the Baal Shem Tov i n Keser Shem Tov (Kehot, N.Y.,
1981), p. 3. The metaphor of "wellsprings" (cf. Mishlei 5:16) signifies
"teachings".
Bereishis 1:2.
Bereishis Rabbah 82:4, 88:1.
mean 'the spirit of Mashiach'] hovered over the waters";

i.e., the presence of the spirit of Mashiach from the
beginning of creation implies that the original divine
intent underlying creation was that this material w o r l d
be guided by the spirit of Mashiach. However, the sin of
the Tree of Knowledge and the sins of the subsequent
generations w h i c h repeatedly angered their Maker
prevented
this
purpose
from
being
realized
immediately. Instead, it became necessary for the
ultimate perfection of the world to come about through
our divine service. A n d when the materiality of the
entire world has been sifted and refined, the service of
"disseminating the wellsprings outward" w i l l serve as a
prelude to the coming of Mashiach.
Our Sages teach: "The world w i l l exist for six
thousand years two thousand years of Tohu ('Chaos'),
two thousand years of Torah, and two thousand years
of the Messianic Era." The two thousand years of Torah
were intended to correct the two thousand years of
Tohu, through the refinement and elevation of the
Divine sparks w h i c h had descended into this material
world following the "shattering of the vessels" of the
World of Tohu. Then come the two thousand years of
the Messianic Era. The revelation of Mashiach i n
particular, and the sixth m i l l e n n i u m i n general, are
called ikvos Meshicha, the "footsteps of Mashiach." And
the fifty-year period during which Mashiach the son of
David w i l l arrive, is the period described i n the Book of
Tehillim: ," Your
enemies, O G-d, have abused ... the footsteps of Your
Mashiach."
5
5.
6.
7.
8.
Cf. Avos 5:2.

Sanhedrin 97a.
I n the original, "the yovel."
Tehillim 89:52.
The fact is that I am bitterly grieved over the "So

ciety for the Dissemination of Enlightenment." For
years now, they have been acting as informers to the
czarist authorities concerning the Torah schools and
teachers, the chadarim and the melamdim, that have
remained faithful to our time-honored tradition. This is
the tradition which they seek to uproot, thereby
polluting the minds of Jewish children b y means of
their disbelieving teachers, and i n particular by this
dire new plague, t h i s "delegation of evil angels" the
teachers of the schools which endanger the faith of
their pupils.
9
10
11
12
" I hate them w i t h the utmost hatred," and hold

them utterly to blame. I am certain, however, that I can
see the woeful t u r n for the worse and the suffering that
they w i l l b r i n g upon our people, and this w i l l be
followed by the sweet conclusion of the fifty-year period
of the "footsteps of Mashiach," which w i l l ultimately
b r i n g about the coming of Mashiach. But i n the course
of that period, the battle of the House of David must be
fought.
Our Sages teach: " I f you see one generation after
another scoffing [at G-d and His Torah], be on the watch
for the approaching footsteps of Mashiach. For i n the
above-quoted verse i t is written, 'Your enemies, O G-d,
have abused...the footsteps of Your Mashiach.' And what
13
9.
See The Tzemach Tzedek and the Haskalah Movement by the Rebbe Rayatz
(Kehot, N.Y., 1962; trans. Rabbi Z. Posner).
10. Tehillim 78:49.
11. Seeking to m i m i c the pedagogic techniques of their gentile neighbors
i n czarist Russia, the rabidly anti-traditional reformers of the Haskalah
movement proudly referred to their own ostensibly "enlightened"
schools as the "corrected" or "properly-reformed"
schools. I n the Ashkenazi pronunciation, this phrase reads "chadarim
mesukanim." Punningly, our text also refers to these schools as
" chadarim mesukanim," except that here the spelling is
("the dangerous schools...").
12. Tehillim 139:22.
13. Pesikta Rabbasi 15:15.
is written immediately after that? 'Blessed be G-d

forever, Amen and Amen.' " I.e., when one generation of
scoffers follows another, we can expect the ultimate
Divine blessing, the coming of Mashiach.
The first generation of scoffers are the members of
the "Society for the Dissemination of Enlightenment,"
the founders and teachers of the above-described
schools. They w i l l educate the second generation of
scoffers, who w i l l b r i n g on the "birthpangs of Mashiach"
which the world at large and the Jewish people must
undergo. This is what necessitates "the battle of the
House of David," whose task is to strengthen our
people's faith i n the Messianic Redemption and to ease
its birthpangs.
There are two levels of evil found i n the time of "the
footsteps of Mashiach." One category comprises "the
enemies of G-d," the veteran apikorsim and maskilim,
the above-described teachers and their disciples, who
do not believe i n G-d or i n the Torah, and whose prime
intent is to ridicule the mitzvos and i n particular the
faith i n the coming of Mashiach. The second category
comprises those who believe i n G-d and i n the Torah,
but do not appreciate the holiness of the Torah.
[This category includes] those who believe that they
can b r i n g on the Redemption through their o w n efforts
such as the new group that distorts the meaning of
the verse, "G-d w i l l b u i l d Jerusalem and gather i n the
dispersed of Israel," saying that "when the dispersed of
Israel w i l l gather, they w i l l rebuild Jerusalem." May G-d
protect us from them and theirs, and ensure that they
do not b r i n g about a new spiritual and material
destruction.
14
The other category of those w h o "have abused ...

the footsteps of Your Mashiach" comprises all kinds of
14.
Tehillim 147:2; see also Igros Kodesh (Letters) of the Rebbe Rashab, Vol.
I , p. 309ff.
people; i n fact, i t even includes quite reputable Torah

scholars, whose faith i n the i m m i n e n t Redemption is
nevertheless weak. They may well rationalize their
beliefs w i t h explanations ostensibly based on the fear of
heaven. The final word, however, is that their faith i n
Mashiach's coming is weak.
The guiding strategy for "the battle of the House of
David" is the principle, ,
"Not by might, nor by power, but by M y spirit." The use
of "might" and "power" signifies the rebuking
approach of mussar; "My spirit" signifies pnimiyus
HaTorah the inner, mystical dimension of the Torah
embodied i n Chassidus, i.e., the comprehension of
G-dliness and the service of the heart.
15
On the one hand, nigleh ought to be studied w i t h

deep concentration, so that on the revealed plane of
Torah law all the detailed reasoning of every subject
w i l l be understood i n an orderly manner from the
initial allusion to a particular law i n the Written Torah,
through its concentrated articulation i n the Mishnah,
through the full range of debate by which i t is clarified
i n the Talmud, and so on through the explanations
given by Rashi and the various approaches proposed by
Tosafos. One next needs to seriously consider the phra
seology used by the Rambam, the novel interpretations
of the law by the Rashba, the form i n which i t is crystal
lized i n the Tur and the Beis Yosef, and its precise
wording i n the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe.
All this, however, is merely the revealed aspect of
Torah. This revealed aspect has an inner depth, the
awareness of G-dliness, which gives i t life. A n d a sound
comprehension of this G-dly knowledge can be attained
only through the service of the heart.
It is the temimim who must serve i n the "battle of
the House of David." I n the fifty-year period of the
15.
Zechariah 4:6.
"footsteps of Mashiach," i t is they who must save the

Jewish people from the "enemies of G-d" from the
Society for the Dissemination of Enlightenment, w i t h
their disciples and their schools, w i t h their scoffing of
G-d and their abuse of "the footsteps of [His] Mashiach."
8
We have been taught that "Whoever goes out to a

battle of the House of David writes a b i l l of divorce for
his wife." I f a soldier i n a physical battle must be not
only unblemished, but must be able-bodied and robust
i n all 248 organs and 365 sinews, how m u c h more is
this true of a soldier going out to a spiritual battle. It is
not enough that a soldier needed to "fight the battle of
the House of David" should be lacking none of his 248
limbs and 365 sinews i t is not enough that he is not
lacking i n his observance of any of the 248 positive
commandments or the 365 negative commandments
but he must be strong and robust i n his service of G-d
and i n the fear of heaven.
16
Chassidus refers to this strength as eitan, which

connotes both strength and hardness. Though there are
varying degrees of strength, hardness signifies an
unvarying and steadfast fear of G-d which blocks all the
winds i n the world from blasting a man from his
foothold i n the Torah and i n his service of G-d. Eitan
describes a Jew of true mesirus nefesh, whose self-sac
rificing service of G-d w i l l be disturbed by no obstruc
tion nor hindrance nor trial.
This is the k i n d of soldier who fights "the battle of
the House of David," who can and w i l l save the
Jewish people from those who "abuse the footsteps of
Mashiach," by spreading Torah coupled w i t h the fear of
heaven and by rousing our people to teshuvah.
A soldier going out to this battle must divorce him
self from the conventional approach to material affairs.
He must give himself over to the mentors of the
16. Likkutei Torah, Parshas Re'eh, p. 18a.
Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah, w h i c h educates and

instructs soldiers for service i n the army w h i c h w i l l
fight the battles of the House of David.
17
Our Sages tell us that the coming of Mashiach w i l l

be preceded by awesome birthpangs, both physical and
spiritual. Temimim! The conventional attitudes and the
worldly spirit, w h i c h are shared even by some of those
who observe Torah and mitzvos, are cold and smack of
disbelief. Only a very fine line separates spiritual
frigidity from actual disbelief. The Sages teach that " I f
one is found worthy, the Torah serves h i m as an elixir
of life; i f he is not found worthy, it serves h i m as
poison." There are Torah scholars i n the second
category who are poisoned by pride i n their own
original scholarly attainments (poor fellows!), and who
make use of Talmudic quotations to chill their own
spiritual ardor and the innate spiritual ardor of others.
They teach Torah superficially, as i f it could be fully
appreciated by simple, finite mortal intelligence.
18
19
Since "The L-rd, your G-d, is an all-consuming

fire," our Torah study and our prayers should reflect
the full flame of the Jewish heart, so that "all m y
bones" every aspect of our being w i l l proclaim the
words of G-d i n Torah and i n prayer.
When a chassid studies Torah, his innermost m i n d
should harbor the teaching that "the Torah is G-d's
wisdom and w i l l , " and that "every day one should
regard its words as i f newly given that very day" so
that "just as at Mount Sinai [every Jew responded]
w i t h dread and w i t h awe, w i t h trembling and w i t h
20
21
22
23
17. Shabbos 118a; Pesachim 118a; Sanhedrin 98b.

18. Yoma 72b. The Heb. "( if one is found worthy") also implies, " i f one
has refined himself."
19. Devarim 4:24; see also Likkutei Torah, Parshas Acharei, p. 25c.
20. Tehillim 35:10.
21. Tanya, ch. 4.
22. Rashi on Shmos 19:1, and on Devarim 6:6, 11:13 and 26:16.
23. Berachos 22a; Torah Or, Parshas Yisro, p. 67b.
quaking, so now too" w i l l he experience those same

emotions whenever he studies Torah.
And this indeed has always been the case, that when
immersed i n his studies, a chassid would char
acteristically feel awe before the Giver of the Torah,
Whose presence he sensed w i t h i n it.
Likewise, when praying, the typical chassid would
have an inner appreciation of the words,
" Know before W h o m you are standing."
Some shuls have this sentence inscribed on the lectern,
so that at least it w i l l know before W h o m i t is
standing
I n chassidic shuls i t is not written on the
lectern: i t is engraved i n a chassid's m i n d and heart.
For a chassid, each of the responses i n congrega
tional prayer such as Amen, or Amen, yehei shmei
rabbah..., or Baruch hu uvaruch shmo i s a matter of
cosmic consequence. A chassid should be (and is
indeed) sensitive to the meaning of the words -
" G-d, faithful King," which are the soul of the
word Amen. I n the same way, a chassid should (and
indeed does) feel and identify w i t h the inner meaning
of the words, Baruch hu uvaruch shmo "Blessed be He
and blessed be His Name."
24
25
To explain: The level of Divinity (the Or Ein Sof,

G-d's infinite light) which is signified i n this phrase by
is the same as the transcendent level of Divinity
(lifnei hatzimtzum) signified by i n another phrase,
-( lit., "You are He Who is G-d alone").
When i n the first half of the former phrase ( ) we
use the root to signify "drawing down" and speak of
drawing Divinity down to this world, we are speaking of
the same transcendent level of Divinity signified by the
first half of the latter phrase, , which addresses
26
24.
25.
26.
Cf. Berachos 28b.

Shabbos 119b.
Nechemiah 9:6, quoted i n the m o r n i n g prayers (Siddur Tehillat HaShem,
p. 38).
the very essence of the Luminary Himself. A n d i n the

second half of the former phrase () , the Name
referred to is the Four-Letter Name that signifies
Divinity i n the pristine state that precedes the tzimtzum.
Moreover, while meditating on the above insights into
, a chassid grasps that ultimately, the
drawing down of the levels of Divinity signified by the
terms and surpasses the aloof and ethereal state
denoted by the phrase - , i n which the
levels of Divinity k n o w n as and - are alone, so to
speak, and do not relate downward to the created
universe.
Chassidus should be studied w i t h intense involve
ment; i t should be taken to heart. It is not meant to be
treated w i t h the pedestrian casualness of those
chassidim who sip coffee or chicory on Shabbos
m o r n i n g while looking through a passage of Torah Or
or Likkutei Torah. They forget the teaching of Rabbi
Shimon bar Yochai, that "Whenever a teaching is cited
i n this world i n the name of a [departed] Sage, his lips
m u r m u r i n the grave." Chassidim of this k i n d likewise
overlook the injunction of our Sages that "Whoever
quotes a teaching i n the name of its author should
picture h i m as standing before him."
27
28
29
When a chassid studies Torah Or or Likkutei Torah,

the holy lips of the Alter Rebbe, of m y greatgrandfather
the Mitteler Rebbe, and of m y grandfather the Tzemach
Tzedek, are m u r m u r i n g i n their graves; as he studies,
they are standing before h i m . A n d even the least
refined of chassidim would not be so crass as to sit and
sip his coffee while the souls of the holy Rebbeim are
standing next to h i m .
Not that these rank-and-file chassidim are at fault.
The blame lies w i t h their environment, which is so cold
27.
28.
29.
Sefer HaMaamarim 5660, p. 43ff.; 5677, p. 117ff.; 5701, p. 149.

Yevamos 97a.
Talmud Yerushalmi, Kiddushin 1:7.
that mitzvos are commonly fulfilled by rote. They are

surrounded by people whose Torah study is frigid; their
davenen is frigid; their singing is frigid; even their
dancing is frigid. Immersed i n a sea of ice, their
spiritual life is so frozen that even the chassidic pulse
beats faintly.
Chassidus should be studied w i t h vitality not w i t h
conspicuous turbulence nor w i t h vocal excesses, but
w i t h inward vigor, so that not only does the chassid feel
alive when immersed i n the G-dly concept that he has
studied, but the concept is alive within him.
Above all, Chassidus should be studied w i t h oneself
i n m i n d w i t h the intent of bettering oneself, not for
the sake of mastering the subject per se. There are fools
who study Chassidus for its own sake, as i f i t were some
discipline distinct from their own lives. Having learned
off a few dozen maamarim, these self-appointed experts
imagine that the sublime concepts of Chassidus are just
waiting to be clarified by their favorite explanations,
which they hatch i n their fantasies and deliver w i t h an
air of authority. The student studies; the subject is
studied; but never the twain shall meet. Having no
desire for change, such a person studies Chassidus
without ever grasping its basic goal to transform him
into a chassid, i n the best and fullest sense of the word.
These misguided scholars, who study a G-dly con
cept academically without seeking to apply i t i n their
own divine service, not only remain ignoramuses i n
their comprehension of Chassidus, but also inherit
Gehinnom both i n this world and i n the next. I dislike
them, and simultaneously I pity them. I pray that G-d
inspire them w i t h a spirit from Above that w i l l moti
vate them to repent i n due proportion to their wrong
doing. Those, however, who brazenly persist w i t h their
nonsense w i l l not be forgiven by G-d, for they desecrate
the sanctity of Chassidus.
K O L H A Y O T Z E I L E M I L C H E M E S B E I S DAVID / 71
As we said earlier, Chassidus ought to be studied

w i t h oneself i n mind; i t should train a person to be a
true fearer of G-d, to serve H i m w i t h love and fear, and
i n every facet of his life to exercise the character traits
prescribed by the Torah.
Those who study Chassidus w i t h themselves i n
m i n d and w i t h deep concentration understand the
difference between the first tzimtzum of the light of
G-d's infinity and the subsequent tzimtzumim that
transpire w i t h i n the chainlike downward progression
of spiritual worlds. Whereas the latter tzimtzumim
reflect a process of d i m i n u t i o n (miut), the first tzimtzum
represents a complete withdrawal (siluk).
The light
that radiates after the first tzimtzum is not merely
qualitatively inferior to the light that had previously
diffused, but utterly different i n kind. After each of the
other tzimtzumim, by contrast, the nature of the light
remains the same, except that i t is diminished both
quantitatively and qualitatively. These terms are all
fully explained i n Chassidus.
30
31
G-d's intent i n bringing about the first tzimtzum is

that the souls of Israel, by serving G-d through Torah
and mitzvos, should ultimately draw down the
transcendent Or Ein Sof that radiates i n the pristine
state preceding the tzimtzum, and infuse i t into the
attenuated state of revelation that exists after the
tzimtzum. This mode of divine service reflects the abovediscussed superiority of the downward-oriented level of
Divinity represented by the phrase, ,
over the separate and transcendent level of Divinity
represented by the phrase, - . For the
latter phrase represents the Or Ein Sof before the
tzimtzum as i t exists i n its own territory, undiffused. The
former phrase, by contrast, represents the downward
extension of this very same level of light (i.e., the Ein Sof30. Likkutei Torah, Addenda to Vayikra, p. 51c.
31. Hemshech 5666, p. 3ff.; p. 509.
light i n its unmuted state before the tzimtzum, as

alluded to by and - )into the lower state of being
that follows after the tzimtzum. A n d this is
accomplished b y the divine service of the Jewish
people, who steadfastly recite the response,
, w i t h devout concentration.
*
* *
On m y fifth birthday, the 20th of Cheshvan, 5626

( 1 8 6 5;),m y father (the Rebbe Maharash) took me to
visit m y grandfather (the Tzemach Tzedek) i n order to
receive his blessing. As I later stood aside and listened,
m y grandfather told m y father (among other things)
that his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, had once said:
"My [spiritual] grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov, was the
Avraham Avinu of Chassidus. Our Sages describe
Avraham as 'generous w i t h his money, w i t h his
physical exertion, and w i t h his soul.' Avraham
sacrificed himself to draw even the simplest of people
close to G-dliness. M y [spiritual] grandfather, the Baal
Shem Tov, d i d the same. He too was 'generous w i t h his
money, w i t h his physical exertion, and w i t h his soul.'
He too was w i l l i n g to sacrifice himself to draw near
even the simplest of Jews.
32
33
"Our Sages teach: 'Until Avraham came, the world

carried on i n darkness; when Avraham came, [he]
began to radiate light.' Though before his time, too,
there were great tzaddikim, they were all 'men of
darkness.' Avraham Avinu was the first who 'began to
radiate light.' Similarly, u n t i l the coming of m y
[spiritual] grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov, the world
was a d i m and sunless house. Though Torah scholars
h a d 'light i n their dwellings,' for the ordinary people
(and even more so for the unlettered folk) the world
34
32. Orchos Tzaddikim, Shaar 17.

33. Bereishis Rabbah 82:3; Shmos Rabbah 15:26.
34. Shmos 10:23.
was a dark house u n t i l the Baal Shem Tov emerged

and 'began to radiate light.'
"My grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov, lit up that dark
world b y opening up windows i n its walls. Amen is a
window; Amen, yehei shmei rabbah... is a window; Baruch
hu uvaruch shmo is a window. By teaching the simple
t r u t h that G-d cherishes the prayers and the Tehillim
offered by unscholarly Jews, he dispelled the darkness
of the world w i t h the light radiated by the letters of
Torah, prayer, and Tehillim."
it
it
it
I heard this teaching cited i n the name of the Alter

Rebbe when I was five years old. Ten years later m y
father explained to me i n depth how the concept of
letters is associated w i t h light, and how spoken letters
have the distinction of producing an actual effect, for
speech evokes the very essence of the soul. This is
alluded to i n the verse, lit., " M y soul
went forth when He spoke"; i.e., "His speech aroused
my soul." A similar allusion may be found i n the
words, " M y entire being shall
declare..."; i.e., speech gives expression to the totality of
one's essential being. This, however, applies only
when one speaks w i t h fire, w i t h the inner vitality of our
G-dly souls which reflects h o w "The L-rd, your G-d, is
an all-consuming fire."
35
36
37
38
19
This fire is present only i n the Torah study and i n

the prayers of one of w h o m i t may be said [because of
his self-refinement] that " I f he is found worthy, the
Torah serves h i m as an elixir of life." I n contrast, the
Torah study of those who are unworthy is cold, and i t
18
35.
36.
37.
38.
I n the original, etzem hanefesh.

Shir HaShirim 5:6.
Tehillim 35:10; Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 168.
I n the original, atzmius; cf. atzmosai i n the verse quoted, and etzem a
few lines earlier.
chills all those around them, for they conceive of Torah

study superficially as a mere academic exercise i n
legalistics. Their unspiritual frigidity distorts and
darkens the light of the Torah.
The light of the Torah is the inner t r u t h of Torah
law; i t is the garment of G-d, the Giver of the Torah.
Sensitivity to the light of the Torah and a perception of
the Giver of the Torah are w o n only through prolonged
prayer, by meditating on a G-dly concept u n t i l i t shines
w i t h i n one's heart to the extent that i t arouses a love
and fear of G-d and motivates good actions. At that
point one has made contact w i t h the light of the Torah
and senses the Giver of the Torah.
Prominent scholars, even geonim, are not necessarily
privileged to appreciate the light of the Torah. It is
possible to be an outstanding Torah scholar, a veritable
prodigy, a prolific fountain of innovative and mindboggling hypotheses, and yet have no connection
whatever w i t h the light of Torah, nor the vaguest
conception of the Giver of the Torah.
Who appreciates the light of Torah? A n oved, one
who toils i n the service of G-d; he meditates, as he
prays, upon a G-dly concept. It is he who senses the
Luminary w i t h i n the Torah, and has the conceptual
tools to appreciate and become aware of G-dliness.
It is the task of the temimim to refine and elevate the
conceptions that are taken for granted by worldly folk,
and to w a r m up their spiritually chilly Jewish
environment. No one should be rejected or humbled i n
the process, even though this might well be acceptable
w i t h i n a cordial circle of intimate friends i n the
comradely atmosphere of a farbrengen, as a passing
preparation for the actual task of refining oneself and
one's peers.
Preparation is necessary for every spiritual task,
especially for the task of refining the animal soul,
which must be dealt a powerful preparatory, allinclusive blow that w i l l crush its self-assertiveness.
Picture the local magnate (who is thus addressed,
even to his face, as Reb Yaakov the Naggid) making his
grand entry into a farbrengen of chassidim. Who calls
out to h i m unceremoniously? None other than the
most penniless chassid i n town. He is popularly k n o w n
as Mottel the Kabtzan ("the collector"), because he
rattles the alms boxes for the various local charities.
39
"Yekkel," he calls out informally, "come over here!"

And he seats the magnate at his side.
Or imagine Reb Eliezer the prodigy (the celebrated
Talmudic innovator from the learned city of Shklov: the
Rabbi's o w n son-in-law, no less) stepping into an
informal house of study, where he encounters a bunch
of chassidim. He is immediately greeted w i t h
demonstrative glee by Reb Shlomo, the ginger-bearded
schoolteacher, or by Leibe, Mamme Tzeite's jolly and
irreverent son: "Make room for young Leizerke, the
celebrated Talmudic innovator!"
This approach breaks through the arrogance that
often accompanies wealth and the pride that often ac
companies Torah knowledge. I n itself, however, this
broad blow is not sufficient. As far as the arrogance of
the rich is concerned, this broad blow must be followed
up by a finely-focused program of clarification, which
sorts out the good and the bad that both result from
wealth.
On the positive side, since wealth enables one to
support Torah scholars and sustain the needy and offer
interest-free loans and disburse charity, someone needs
39.
The original text enumerates

typical East European shtetl
benevolent societies: Lechem
Malbish Arumim ("clothing the
sick").
three examples of funds w h i c h i n the

were each administered by voluntary
Evyonim (lit., "bread for the needy"),
naked"), and Bikkur Cholim ("visiting the
to teach the benefactor to appreciate his G-d-given

privilege.
However, there is also a negative dimension to
wealth, as is implied by the verse, "You have become
fat, thick, and gross." Often, "a wealthy man answers
brazenly." His riches b l i n d h i m from perceiving how
crude he really is. He develops a sage and scholarly selfimage, seeks to uncover long-forgotten claims of
lineage, and freely proffers his definitive views on the
suitability of the local rav or shochet, and on what
should and what should not be studied i n the cheder or
yeshivah. He overlooks the fact that as an ignoramus he
has no conception of these matters. I f an ignorant
pauper were to venture his opinion, he w o u l d be the
first to silence h i m as crazy; to h i m it is clear that the
counsel of a rich man is ever so much wiser.
40
41
Those who misuse their G-d-given wealth should be

made aware of the tremendous responsibility they
carry, for they themselves can transform their wealth
into a potential problem. A man who uses his wealth, as
intended, for good deeds, "enjoys their fruits i n this
world, while the principal [reward] remains i n the
World to Come." One who does not use his wealth
according to the intention of its Giver, not only does not
enjoy the present fruits of the future principal, but
makes do w i t h a present material substitute for a lost
spiritual future.
42
43
Moreover, a man who uses his wealth properly

achieves merit himself and spreads merit among
others. One who does not, is not only himself a sinner,
but also causes others to sin especially i f he supports
the above-described schools, w h i c h violate the sanctity
40. Devarim 32:15; Igros Kodesh (Letters) of the Rebbe Rayatz, Vol. V I I , p.
102ff.
41. Mishlei 18:23.
42. Peah 1:1; Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 10.
43. Rashi on Devarim 7:10.
of the Torah and which employ teachers who are

disbelievers, who do not wear tzitzis, who scoff at the
teachings of our Sages, who teach Chumash as i f (heaven
preserve us!) it were an old wives' tale and the Prophets
as i f they were mere literary classics.
These teachers, particularly those trained and em
ployed by the "Society for the Dissemination of
Enlightenment," uproot their pupils' faith and nurture
w i t h i n them a hatred for Torah and Yiddishkeit.
Ultimately, the students educated i n these schools w i l l
be responsible for more religious persecution and antiSemitism than the severest pogroms.
44
I n summary: Wealth, man's greatest challenge, is

simultaneously one of the most desirable and most
undesirable of G-d's creations. The man who knows
what to do w i t h it according to the guidelines of the
Torah, is happy i n direct contrast to his opposite
number both i n this world and i n the next.
it
it
it
A similar approach is needed w i t h regard to the

pride that sometimes infects scholars of note. Once
such pride has been somewhat humbled by an initial
broad blow, here too there is a need for follow-up a
judicious analysis that w i l l allow those affected to
separate the good from the bad that coexist i n the
scholarly world. Such an analysis w i l l make it clear that
what matters most i n Torah learning is that one recall
that the Torah is G-d's wisdom and w i l l , and that one
constantly keep i n m i n d the Giver of the Torah.
Elder chassidim who lived i n Vitebsk at the time
have passed down an account of an episode that took
place when the Alter Rebbe was a very young man. It
44. I n the lifetime of the author's successor, the Rebbe Rayatz, decades
after this dire prophecy was first uttered i n 1900, i t was fulfilled i n all
its horror by the Yevsektzia, the notorious "Jewish section" of the
Communist Party.
involved a fellow townsman so distinguished that his

colleagues (who included the eminent Reb Avraham
Zalman of Beshenkovitz) would refer to h i m i n adula
tion as "Reb Elisha, the gaon of the geonim."
It once happened that this scholar found a certain
interpretation written by Rashi (on a passage i n Tractate
Eruvin ) highly problematic. All the other local scholars
struggled to resolve the difficulty, offering different
explanations. One of them, the Alter Rebbe, also
suggested a possible resolution, which most of the other
scholars accepted.
45
Now Reb Elisha was the great-uncle of Reb Leib

Segal, the Alter Rebbe's father-in-law. When Reb Leib,
the richest man i n Vitebsk, was considering the merits
of marrying off his daughter to the brilliant fourteenyear-old son of Reb Baruch Weiskvaliker from Liozna,
Reb Elisha had been one of those chosen to test the
Alter Rebbe's scholarship.
[Even some years earlier, the Alter Rebbe had at
tracted attention.] At that time Reb Baruch was l i v i n g i n
the estate which he had received as his dowry, some
three viorsts from Liozna. His gifted six-year-old son
was once sitting i n his father's orchard w i t h his brother,
Reb Mordechai, who at the time was five years old, and
as they studied Chumash together they came to the
verse, "These are the descendants of Seir, the Chorites,
the dwellers of the land." Rashi explains that they are so
described because they were experts i n agriculture; by
tasting the soil they could tell which crops should be
planted i n each spot. The young Reb Mordechai found
this hard to understand. Does not all soil look the same?
The Alter Rebbe explained that there are ways of know
i n g what goes on beneath the surface. "For example,"
he told his brother, "water flowing underground can be
46
45. Page 54a.

46. Bereishis 36:20.
heard. Under that m o u n d of white stones over there,

there flows a powerful stream of water."
The stream eventually broke through the m o u n d
and formed a pool, which proved very beneficial to the
farmers of the surrounding villages when a cattle
plague broke out a few years later. From that time on,
they called this estate (in Russian) "the white fountain,"
which is also the translation of the name (in Yiddish) by
which Reb Baruch became known.
At any rate, especially after he became Reb Leib
Segal's son-in-law, the Alter Rebbe had attracted the
admiring attention of the scholars around h i m ,
including, of course, Reb Elisha u n t i l they supported
the Alter Rebbe's understanding of that problematic
statement of Rashi.
Reb Elisha understood the passage i n Eruvin other
wise than Rashi. This, he would explain, was quite
legitimate, for is the crown of Torah not offered like a
gift i n the wilderness to whoever is found worthy of
it? Rashi was an authoritative commentator on the Torah i n his generation, and he, Reb Elisha "the saintly
gaon," as he would refer to himself was an authorita
tive commentator on the Torah i n his generation.
47
Also l i v i n g i n Vitebsk at this time was one of the

Baal Shem Tov's chassidim, Reb Ephraim, a brother of
the learned Reb Moshe and an uncle of Reb Menachem
Mendel of Vitebsk, the revered author of Pri HaAretz.
Reb Ephraim supported himself by w o r k i n g as a
gardener together w i t h his sons, and was respected i n
the learned circles of the town for his sharp and
encyclopedic scholarship i n both nigleh and Kabbalah.
Though he was widely k n o w n to be close w i t h the Baal
Shem Tov, even those who were antagonistic to the
teachings of the Baal Shem Tov liked h i m for his
truthfulness.
47.
Cf. Nedarim 55b on Bamidbar 21:18.
It was i n 5521 ( 1 7 6 1;),the first year after the

Baal Shem Tov had passed away, that Reb Elisha
presented his plaint to Reb Ephraim: Why d i d people
reject his interpretation of the passage i n Eruvin
because i t differed from Rashi's? Does not Tosafos often
differ from the interpretation of Rashi? Does not the
Raavad often differ from the interpretation of Rambam?
Yet when he, Reb Elisha, proposed an interpretation
that differed from Rashi's, no one was w i l l i n g to accept
it! Why not? Are there not "seventy faces to the
Torah"?!
48
Always a m a n of truth, Reb Ephraim answered

straightforwardly: "It is w r i t t e n , 'And behold there
was a scroll...written front and back.' Just as there is a
face, i.e., an inner dimension, so too there is a back, i.e.,
a posterior perspective. The differing commentaries
and arguments and legal postulates of Rashi and
Tosafos, of the Rambam and the Raavad, are all part of
the seventy faces of the Torah. Your arguments and
explanations and legal postulates are part of the seventy
rearmost facets of the Torah."
49
When one studies Torah w i t h bittul, effacing one's

own ego i n the process, one's innovative insights are
part of the seventy faces of the Torah. When, however,
one studies i t w i t h egotism and arrogance, the novel
concepts one develops are part of the seventy rearmost
facets of the Torah.
*
* *
The proper order of divine service, both i n regard to

one's own personal self-refinement and one's w o r k
w i t h others, begins w i t h a comprehensive act of bittul
dealing an all-inclusive blow to the essential element of
evil. One must then sort out the good and the bad,
salvaging the positive sparks hidden i n every un48. Bamidbar Rabbah 13:16.
49. Yechezkel 2:9-10.
desirable trait, and utterly rejecting any negative dross.

And just as the latter analytical program of beirurim is
necessary, the preparatory comprehensive bittul is also
necessary, and i n fact indispensable, for i t sets the tone
for what follows.
For this reason, the Mitteler Rebbe's chassidim i n
Shklov used to say that one passing w o r d of rebuke
from Michel, the lame melamed, could provide the bittul
necessary to t u r n a man into a chastened receptacle fit
to receive the Rebbe's words at yechidus.
What they had i n m i n d was the following incident.
Reb Shlomo Monnesson (the father of Reb Menachem
Manes ) was one of the Mitteler Rebbe's chassidim. He
was born into a rich family, and had been educated and
trained i n the chassidic lifestyle by chassidim of the
Alter Rebbe. True enough, he observed chassidic
practices; for example, he would j o i n the other
chassidim i n the farbrengen and the spirited dance that
traditionally followed yechidus, but he lacked chassidic
warmth. His conduct was characterized by that
temperate and bourgeois spiritual frigidity which
chassidim describe as baalei-batish.
50
Like the other chassidim of Shklov, he too would

pray w i t h fervor and attend the farbrengens of the local
chassidim. At one such informal and comradely
gathering, Reb Michel, the lame melamed, burst into
tears. Beating his breast, and complaining to no one but
himself, he uttered a sincere prayer: "G-d, have pity on
me and help me! Let me be able to make the request,
' Enlighten our eyes i n Your Torah,
cause our hearts to cleave to Your commandments, and
unite our hearts to love and fear Your Name...' with the
same fervor and energy as Shlomo Monnesson says,
51
52
50.
A chassid of the Rebbe Maharash and later of the Rebbe Rashab; see
Igros Kodesh (Letters) of the Rebbe Rayatz, Vol. IV, p. 180ff.
51. Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 45.
52. IDivrei HaYamim 29:12; Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 38.
' Wealth and honor emanate from

You.' "
Reb Michel had no intention of h u m b l i n g Reb
Shlomo: he was concerned w i t h himself. He was dis
satisfied w i t h his o w n level of divine service and envied
the other man's heartfelt request. His overheard plea,
however, made a deep impression on Reb Shlomo.
Shortly afterwards, he traveled to Lubavitch, was
received by the Mitteler Rebbe at yechidus, and came
home a different man.
At every step, a chassidic upbringing echoes the
Talmudic teaching, that "Serving a Torah sage [and
thus experiencing his approach to everyday life] is su
perior to studying under h i m . " Being received at
yechidus corresponds here to study, and participating i n
a farbrengen of chassidim corresponds here to service.
Here we have a tangible instance of how a farbrengen
among chassidim can have a greater effect than even
the experience of yechidus. For eight years Reb Shlomo
had been going to Lubavitch for yechidus without
seeing any substantial change i n his personality; yet
casually overhearing the plea of Reb Michel broke
through the barriers of his ego and made h i m receptive
to the teachings he could then hear at yechidus.
53
Underlying this episode is the power of the light of

t r u t h that characterized the divine service of Reb
Michel the melamed. As pointed out above, he had not
set out to correct Reb Shlomo's character faults; he was
concerned w i t h his o w n lack of genuine service and
that is what he sought to correct. He had been brought
up among the Alter Rebbe's chassidim, who were
steeped i n genuine avodah without excuses. Among
those elder chassidim, an experience of the love or awe
of G-d was common currency, and when their avodah
was imperfect, this bothered them to the core. Reb
53. Berachos 7b.
Michel was genuinely bothered that his daily request

for spiritual enlightenment and for the attainment of a
love and fear of G-d lacked the enthusiasm of Reb
Shlomo's daily declaration that G-d is the source of
"wealth and honor." Thus i t was, that the light of t r u t h
which fired his request had such a powerful effect on
Reb Shlomo, that i t shattered the insensitivity that had
prevented h i m from fully appreciating the holy
teachings which the Mitteler Rebbe had offered h i m at
yechidus.
*
* *
[The Rebbe Rayatz concluded his written account of

the above talk of the Rebbe Rashab w i t h the following
words:]
May all chassidim be blessed w i t h good health, for
w i t h their farbrengens i n the best chassidic tradition
they literally restore souls to life. I hanker after the
times when I was able to sit and farbreng among
chassidim, even though pressure of time never allowed
me to devote myself to this as I would have liked to. A
chassidic farbrengen imparts an all-pervading sense of
bittul, which is the breakthrough that paves the way for
the orderly divine service of "turning away from evil
and doing good."
54
May G-d grant you all success i n your Torah study

and i n the divine service w i t h i n your hearts, so that
w i t h i n you all, and through your efforts, His ultimate
desire and intent i n creation that He have a
dwelling place i n the lower realms w i l l be fulfilled.
55
54. Tehillim 34:15; Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 153.

55. Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Naso 7:1; Tanya, beginning of ch. 36.
H I S T O R I C A L BACKGROUND / 8 5
The Opening Remarks of the Rebbe Rayatz at the

45th Anniversary Celebration of the Foundation of
the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivah in Lubavitch in
5657 ( 1 8 9 7
;)
Erev Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, 5702 ( 1 9 4 2 ;)
By Divine Providence, the 45th annual celebration
of the founding of the Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah i n
Lubavitch is being held i n America. On such an occa
sion, as the first director of the Yeshivah, I feel i t ap
propriate to share w i t h you some observations on the
objective of the Yeshivah, and what is expected of its
students, as envisaged by its founder, m y father and m y
Rebbe, and as expressed i n his sichos.
The laws of the Torah, however, which encompass
every facet of a man's life and conduct, safeguard both
the community and the individual against any undue
encroachment on their time or patience. Now this
consideration most certainly applies to a gathering of
scholars who study the Torah and cherish its
commandments. I n deference to later speakers, there
fore, I w i l l confine m y present remarks to a single
message which I was once privileged to hear, and w i l l
record the remainder i n writing.
1
There are many teachings and narratives which

were handed on to me by m y revered father i n whose
honor we have gathered here i n the course of over 25
years, from 5654 ( 1 8 9 4;)to 5680 ( 1 9 2 0 ;).
Among these there is a teaching, together w i t h an
account of its transmission, which I am now repeating
w o r d for word, as recorded i n m y diary at the time.
1.
Safeguard...time or patience: The original uses the classic Aram. and

Heb. phrases, and .
One day i n Shvat, 5639 ( 1 8 7 9;),when m y father

entered his father's study for yechidus, the Rebbe
Maharash recounted (among other things) the
following: "During a yechidus w i t h m y father [the
Tzemach Tzedek] on Chai Elul, 5611 ( 1 8 5 1;),he told
me (among other things) what had happened on the
same day, 50 years beforehand."
These are the words of the Tzemach Tzedek:
"On Chai Elul, 5561 ( 1 8 0 1;),over a m o n t h after
the Alter Rebbe had settled i n Liadi, the foundation
stone was laid for a building for the yeshivah which he
had transferred from Liozna, his previous place of
residence, to Liadi. This happy occasion was also
attended by m y father-in-law [the Alter Rebbe's son, the
Mitteler Rebbe], all the other children [of the Alter
Rebbe], hundreds of chassidim, and all the local
townsfolk. At this gathering, the Alter Rebbe declared:
'On Chai Elul, 5531 [ 1 7 7 1;],the Rebbe [the Maggid
of Mezritch] held a seudas mitzvah at which he repeated
a teaching which his Rebbe, m y [spiritual] grandfather
[the Baal Shem Tov], had delivered on Chai Elul, 5515
[ ;1755].' "
And this is the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov on
that occasion, as handed d o w n to us over the genera
tions:
2
"Our Sages state:

'Whoever engages i n Torah [study], his possessions
prosper.' Every Jew has his possessions. Head and heart,
m i n d and emotions, these are a Jew's possessions.
When a person does not merely study Torah, but is ac
tively involved and engaged i n it, then his intellectual
and emotional 'possessions prosper.' Avraham, our pa
triarch, was a great scholar; he stood i n awe of G-d; and
he fulfilled the entire Torah before i t had been given.
3
2.
3.
Avodah Zarah 19b.

Kiddushin 82a.
Nevertheless, i t was not by virtue of these qualities that

G-d established an eternal covenant w i t h h i m , but because 'He found his heart faithful.' G-d saw his earnest
heartfelt commitment, his artless sincerity, and his
simple faith. These are the values which are Jewish pos
sessions, and i t is these possessions which prosper
when one is fully engaged i n one's Torah study."
This is what the Baal Shem Tov taught.
One of our prophets declares: 'Remember the
Torah of Moshe, M y servant.' The Mechilta queries that
statement, noting that the Torah is called 'the Torah of
G-d,' as i n the verse, 'The Torah of G-d is perfect.' It
resolves the difficulty by explaining that since Moshe
Rabbeinu utterly sacrificed himself to receive the
Torah, G-d calls i t 'the Torah of Moshe.' "
4
The Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid of Mezritch, the

Alter Rebbe, and the other Rebbeim of Chabad who
followed h i m did not merely teach chassidic thought to
their followers. They sacrificed themselves to implant
Torah, mitzvos, the fear of heaven, and a love for one's
fellow Jew w i t h i n the hearts of the Jewish people.
8
From the verse, "Surely, man walks i n a shadowy

image," the Jerusalem Talmud learns that one who
repeats a teaching i n the name of its author should
picture the author as standing before h i m . Accordingly,
the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov which I have quoted,
together w i t h the account of how i t was relayed from
Rebbe to Rebbe over the generations, serves as an
invitation which we are hereby extending to the Baal
Shem Tov, the Maggid, and all the Rebbeim of Chabad
to participate i n this anniversary celebration of the
9
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Nehemiah 9:8.
Malachi 33:22.
Shmos 15:1.
Tehillim 19:8.
Ibid. 39:7.
Kiddushin 1:7.
Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah. For the Yeshivah was

founded w i t h the strength they imparted and continues
i n their spirit and i n their merit. All the positive Torah
achievements of the last 45 years are the products of
their holy strength and all praise is theirs alone.
I n the name of the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid, and
all the Rebbeim of Chabad, I hereby convey their
blessings to all the students, teachers, mashpi'im and
administrators of the Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivos i n
this country and those overseas, wherever they are to be
found. Likewise, their blessings are hereby conveyed to
all their supporters. A n d w i t h their blessings, I hereby
open the Anniversary Campaign of the Central
Committee for the Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivos.
[Some of the following teachings and narratives
were first heard as a continuation of the above opening
address which the Rebbe Rayatz actually delivered at
the anniversary gathering. Others, as he had promised
i n his opening words, were later prepared by h i m for
publication as a written sequel to it.]
This is a moment i n which to offer abundant thanks
to our G-d, the G-d of our fathers, Who has granted us
life and sustained us, and has enabled us to participate
i n this celebration of Torah as coupled w i t h the fear of
heaven the 45th anniversary of the foundation of the
Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah by m y father and Rebbe
[the Rebbe Rashab], on those days that shine w i t h Torah
and divine service, the 15th and the 18th of Elul.
I have indeed been broken physically, that is by
many of the varied experiences, both good and difficult,
of these 45 years of spreading Torah and working on
behalf of the Jewish public, especially d u r i n g the last
twenty years, since I lost m y revered father and was left
almost unaided to carry on, according to the principles
10
which he shared w i t h Reb Chaim of Brisk.

Nevertheless, I remember all these events w i t h pristine
clarity. When I read m y memoirs, I relive all the events
of those days and of those places as echoed i n principle
i n our own times today.
My father established the Tomchei T e m i m i m
Yeshivah, like a veritable Urim VeTumim, on the f i r m
bases of light and t r u t h . W i t h G-d's help I hope to
publish some of the notes which I recorded at the time
I had begun to make jottings i n the year 5652 (;
(1892 concerning its foundation and mode of
conduct, and concerning the addresses delivered by m y
father on Sunday, the 15th of Elul, the day i t was
founded, and Wednesday, the 18th of Elul, the day on
which the actual study of both nigleh and Chassidus
began. This w i l l enable one to grasp the full meaning of
the Yeshivah, both as an independent institution, and
i n relation to the Jewish people throughout the world.
11
12
Before m y eyes, I still picture the august assemblage

at the opening of the Yeshivah. I still behold m y father's
luminous and cordial countenance. A n d still resonating
clearly i n m y ears, are the holy words he spoke after the
maamar of Chassidus which he had based on the
teaching of the Sages, that "By means of the light that
had been created on the First Day, Adam gazed from
one end of the world to the other."
13
After this maamar m y father began by paraphrasing

a verse: "May i t be G-d's w i l l that the Divine Presence
dwell w i t h i n the w o r k of our hands."
14
10.
See Sefer HaSichos 5701 ( 1 9 4 1;),p. 173; ibid. 5702 ( 1 9 4 2;),p.

111ff.; ibid. 5704 ( 1 9 4 4;),p. 159.
11. Cf. Rashi on Shmos 28:30.
12. The author was eleven or twelve years old at the time.
13. Chagigah 12a.
14. Cf. Rashi on Shmos 39:43. Significantly, this was the prayer of Moshe
Rabbeinu upon the completion of the Sanctuary i n the wilderness.
He then continued: " 'On the Fourth Day of Crea

tion, the luminaries were suspended i n the heavens.'
Today [Wednesday] is Chai Elul, the holy day on which,
199 years ago, the Baal Shem Tov was born. By starting
the Yeshivah (for which I do not yet have a name ), I
am kindling an eternal light bequeathed to us by the
luminaries the Baal Shem Tov and the later Rebbeim.
May this help to fulfill the prophetic promise that 'the
wellsprings [of Chassidus] w i l l spread outward' and
ultimately lead to the coming of Mashiach."
I n the three years which followed, m y father fre
quently spoke to the mashpi'im and mashgichim,
as
well as to myself, giving directives of both a general and
specific nature concerning the conduct of the Yeshivah
and its students. I n addition, from time to time he
addressed the students themselves.
15
16
17
18
At the farbrengen that accompanied Kiddush before

Hakkafos on the eve of Simchas Torah, 5661 (;
1900), m y father explained i n depth some of the
concepts which he had set out i n Kuntreis HaTefillah ("A
Treatise on Prayer"), and illustrated them w i t h episodes
from the lives of revered elder chassidim. This treatise
had been publicly studied i n hundreds of places w i t h i n
and outside Russia during the preceding year.
I n the present talk, m y father highlighted the chassidic custom of singing privately and spontaneously
during prayer. Let me now share his words w i t h you.
15.
16.
17.
18.
A metaphor for the b i r t h of the Baal Shem Tov; cf. Rashi on Bereishis
1:14, based on Chagigah 12a.
The Yeshivah was established on 15 Elul, 5657 [ 1 8 9 7;],and the
name "Tomchei T e m i m i m " was given on Simchas Torah, 5659 [;
1898]. See Heichaltzu (in English translation; Kehot, N.Y., 1988), pp. 146
147.
See footnote 2 on p. 61 (above).
I.e., those i n charge of the study of Chassidus and of nigleh,
respectively.
Sometimes, a chassid sings a happy niggun, and

sometimes, a niggun reflecting contriteness; sometimes,
it is a niggun w h i c h reflects the soul's yearning to flee
this world and cleave to G-d (ratzo), and sometimes, i t
reflects the contrary realization that life ought to be
rooted w i t h i n our worldly reality (shov). One melody
might reflect the soul's desire to transcend the body
which houses it, almost expiring i n the rapture of kalos
hanefesh; another might reflect ahavah betaanugim, the
worshiper's fulfilled enjoyment of the love of G-d which
he has attained. A n d common to all these kinds of
niggunim, ignited by the measured meditation that
characterizes Chabad Chassidus, is a fiery ardor, coupled
w i t h an intense yearning to cleave ever higher.
The practice of singing during prayer began w i t h
Moshe Rabbeinu. It is w r i t t e n ,
" Then Moshe and the Children of Israel
sang this song." Though he sang this particular song
together w i t h the Jewish people, during his prayers he
would sing alone.
19
Moshe was a Chabadnik. He embodied the attribute

of Chochmah ("wisdom"), which finds full expression
through the attributes of Binah ("understanding") and
Daas ("knowledge") that are comprised w i t h i n it.
(Indeed, this relationship is reflected i n the full spelling
of the names of the respective letters that represent
these attributes. ) Since Moshe Rabbeinu had attained
the level of Chochmah of the World of Atzilus i n its
fullest state, he possessed all the qualities of Chochmah,
20
19. Shmos 15:1.

20. Every letter has a milui (lit., "filling"), w h i c h gives full expression to the
particular concept w h i c h that letter represents. To illustrate by the
above case: The Sefirah of Chochmah is commonly represented by the
letter , whose Hebrew name is spelled --. Thus, the letters and ,
w h i c h represent the qualities of Binah and Daas respectively, are the
milui of the letter yud. The letter yud thus reflects all three qualities of
Chochmah, Binah and Daas.
Binah and Daas. I.e., he was a Chabadnik and a

Chabadnik sings as he prays.
When the Alter Rebbe defined the principles which
guide the spiritual lifestyle of Chabad Chassidism, he
gave due prominence to the singing of niggunim,
especially d u r i n g prayer. This is illustrated i n the
following episode.
21
22
Moshe Vilenker and Pinchas Reizes were among

the first students to be educated i n the Alter Rebbe's
chadarim. After testing their grasp of their studies, the
first thing the Alter Rebbe d i d was to send them to
learn niggunim from Moshe Zalman Feldman.
Moshe Zalman was a middle-aged m a n who was
well educated i n Torah studies, engaged i n chassidic
thought and practiced silence. He was also a gifted
singer. On the High Holidays and d u r i n g the other
festivals he would serve as sheliach tzibbur, leading the
prayer services attended by the Alter Rebbe. During the
summer months he would often take a holy text to a
field outside the town, and the singing which
accompanied his study was well k n o w n throughout the
region. A n d as to his love for the fields, i t earned h i m
the name Feldman, literally, "the man of the fields."
Once, as Moshe Vilenker and Pinchas Reizes recalled
i n later years, the Alter Rebbe entered the small hall
where they and several other students were studying.
He sat at the table, rested his head on his hands, and fell
into a rapt state of dveikus. Then, opening his eyes, he
quoted a mishnah which deals w i t h the prohibition of
carrying on Shabbos "With what may an animal go
out and w i t h what may i t not go out... " and
expounded i t on a non-literal level, as follows:
23
21. See HaTamim, Installment V I , p. 271b ff.

22. See Sefer HaSichos 5696 ( 1 9 3 6;),p. 126.
23. Shabbos 5:1.
This mishnah refers to the time of prayer the

Shabbos [i.e., the dimension of heightened
spiritual perception] which is found i n every
weekday. Seen i n this light, its opening question
("With what can an animal go out?") means:
What k i n d of divine service i n prayer is effective
i n driving out one's animal soul?
There are different levels of animal souls
represented i n the mishnah by an ordinary
camel, a swift-running camel, a donkey, and a
horse each of which has a particular service
which is appropriate to it. The general principle
which characterizes all these kinds of divine
service is this: "All those which possess a shir [a
Hebrew word which i n the halachic context of
the mishnah means collar but also means song,
and thus allows for the interpretation which
follows] go out w i t h a shir and are led w i t h a
shir." A shir is a r i n g to which a rope is attached.
"Going out w i t h a shir and being led w i t h a shir"
alludes to an alternating dual dynamic i n divine
service ratzo (yearning to cleave to G-d) and
shov (appreciating the ultimate superiority of
l i v i n g w i t h i n the context of our worldly reality).
Singing during prayer is a wondrous m e d i u m
for driving out the animal soul and refining the
good w i t h i n oneself. At the same time i t arouses
inner concentration.
W i t h this teaching, the Alter Rebbe implanted
among chassidim the primacy of the "service of the
heart" (i.e., prayer); he stimulated the spiritual potential
of their singing; and endowed their singing w i t h the
ability to evoke concentration. I n this respect prayer has
an advantage over study. Many people though not all
can grasp the more abstract teachings of Chassidus.
Everyone, however, can pray like a chassid.
24
"Prayer takes the place of the sacrifices," and "the

secret of the sacrifices ascends to the secret of the Ein
Sof." When a homespun prayer, motivated by an un
questioning acceptance of the yoke of heaven, is offered
up i n true chassidic spirit, i t "ascends to the secret of
the Ein Sof." Chassidim must exert themselves i n the
avodah of prayer, and the G-d of our fathers, the holy
Rebbeim, w i l l help them."
25
it
it
it
The above-summarized talk of m y father [the Rebbe

Rashab], interrupted occasionally by brief pauses, lasted
a few hours, so that the Hakkafos of the eve of Simchas
Torah were not begun u n t i l three i n the m o r n i n g and
were not concluded u n t i l five, well after sunrise. For
the custom i n Lubavitch was that the Rebbe would
deliver a maamar towards the end of Shemini Atzeres.
The chassidim would then recite the evening service,
make Kiddush, partake of a Yom-Tov meal, and go off to
the farbrengen which preceded the Hakkafos of the eve
of Simchas Torah. It was at such a farbrengen that the
above talk had been delivered.
At the daytime Kiddush that year, m y father spoke
about the modes of conduct which are appropriate for a
chassid i n regard to his o w n life and those appropriate
for his interpersonal relations. He commented that now
that he had composed a treatise on prayer, i t would be
worthwhile composing a treatise on eating and
sleeping, and another on how a person should live his
own life and how he should relate to others.
At the daytime festive meal of Simchas Torah, which
was held i n the large study hall, m y father spoke twice.
In his first talk he spoke i n praise of the divine service
of an unsophisticated chassid, who approaches his tasks
24.
25.
Berachos 26b.
Zohar I I , 239a.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND / 9 5
w i t h kabbalas ol. He depicted the way i n w h i c h such a

chassid relates to G-d, to his fellow man, and to himself.
He concluded: "...Like Hendel, may he rest i n
peace. Reb Chanoch Hendel is already crowing i n the
Higher Gan Eden."
My father then went on to describe at length what
Hendel had undergone between his burial and Simchas
Torah, and explained: "Our Sages teach that the
longest term that a confirmed transgressor w i l l spend
i n Gehinnom is twelve months. The usual m a x i m u m is
nine or ten months, while a person who observes Torah
and mitzvos, even at a very modest level, has finished
w i t h Gehinnom w i t h i n four or five months.
26
27
28
"There is another factor yichus ('distinguished

lineage'). Even i n this world, a world of falsehood,
yichus carries weight; i n the World of T r u t h , yichus is
of paramount importance. Our Sages teach that the
Patriarch Avraham saves even the sinners of Israel from
the judgment of Gehinnom, for they too are 'as full of
mitzvos as a pomegranate [is full of seeds].' Surely, then,
this applies to those who observe Torah and mitzvos.
29
30
31
"The yichus that is traced back to our father Avraham and the other Patriarchs is common to all Jews. I n
addition, some individuals have a more specific yichus:
they have righteous forebears. Moreover, some chassid i m have such a close bond w i t h their Rebbe that their
26. I.e., the mashpia R. Chanoch Hendel Kugel (Kurnitzer), who had first
arrived i n Lubavitch on 5 Elul, 5603 ( 1 8 4 3;)and who passed away
on 9 Teves, 5660 ( 1 8 9 9;).See HaTamim, Installment I , p. 41a ff.; see
also Likkutei Dibburim (in English translation; Kehot, N.Y., 1987), Vol. I ,
ch. 4b, sec. 7.
27. This is an affectionate play on the name Hendel, w h i c h recalls the
Yiddish w o r d for "rooster".
28. Eduyos, end of ch. 2.
29. Zohar, Parshas Vayeishev 192b.
30. Eruvin 19a.
31. Berachos 57a.
first request when they reach the World of Truth is,

'Notify the Rebbe!'
"Some people are r i d of their judgment i n Gehinnom
i n a month, after which their souls begin an ongoing
series of ascents, i n the spirit of the phrase,
' Holy beings praise You daily for all
eternity.'
For Hendel, a mere whiff of Gehinnom was enough.
The tears he shed during his prayers, his heartfelt
reading of Psalms, his genuinely chassidic approach to
loving a fellow Jew, his self-sacrifice, and the fine
qualities w i t h w h i c h he w o u l d attract young men to the
chassidic lifestyle, these merits saved h i m from
suffering i n Gehinnom, and they are elevating h i m from
one level to the next."
32
Before beginning his second talk, w h i c h was

directed to the students of the Yeshivah, the temimim,
m y father turned to me: "This past erev Rosh HaShanah
marked three years since erev Rosh HaShanah, 5658
( 1 8 9 7;),when, after returning from the gravesite of
the Rebbeim, I entrusted you w i t h the directorship of
Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, making you responsible
for both its spiritual and material welfare."
M y father then continued: "The people of Israel are
described as G-d's 'desired land,' a land w h i c h G-d has
infused w i t h a power to promote growth to promote
the revelation of the lights w h i c h radiate from the
Torah, from mitzvos, and from the service of the heart.
[More specifically,] a yeshivah is k n o w n as 'G-d's
vineyard,' an orchard of fruit trees.
33
"The law regarding a vineyard prescribes that i t is

forbidden to benefit from fruit w h i c h grows i n the first
32. Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 52.
33. Malachi 3:12. The above words of the Rebbe Rashab allude to a classic
teaching of the Baal Shem Tov; see HaYom Yom (in English translation;
Kehot, N.Y, 5748), entry for 17 Iyar.
34
three years. No matter how good i t may appear to be,

it is termed orlah, and i t is forbidden to benefit from
i t . The fruit of the fourth year is called revai, and
though benefit may be derived from it, i t must first be
redeemed.
"Our 'vineyard of G-d,' the Tomchei T e m i m i m
Yeshivah, is now three years old, and has produced fine
fruit. Nevertheless, however good this fruit may appear,
it is orlah and i t is forbidden to benefit from it. True
enough, our students have studied nigleh extensively
and i n depth. (Indeed, i n any Lithuanian yeshivah they
would have been extravagantly hailed as brilliant
prodigies, superlative sages, geonim of genius, etc. etc.)
Furthermore, they have studied and understood
the teachings of Chassidus. Some have become
earnestly involved i n the 'service of the heart,'
attempting to internalize these concepts.
35
36
"All i n all, these are fine fruits but they are orlah,
for they are tainted by conceit and coarseness, and by
claims of credit for oneself. The law prescribes that
even after the first three years have passed, their fruit
remains forbidden; unlike the fruit of the fourth year, i t
cannot be redeemed. When the above-mentioned traits
stem from Torah study and 'service w i t h i n the heart,'
they constitute the irredeemable orlah ('the uncircumcised foreskin') of the heart: nothing whatever can
purify them or render them fit for use. I f fruit is tainted
by orlah of the heart, then no matter how fine that fruit
may be, no benefit may ever be derived from it.
"Fruit that is orlah has no other remedy: i t must be
nullified and removed from the world by means of
the midnight service of tikkun chatzos, when one sheds
the tears that cleanse away blemishes. This cleansing is
explained by m y greatgrandfather, the Mitteler Rebbe,
34. Vayikra 19:23; Rambam, Maachalos Asuros 10:9.
35. Kiddushin 56b; Rambam, loc. cit.
36. Maaser Sheni 5:2; Rambam, Hilchos Maaser Sheni VeNeta Revai 10:1.
37
38
i n his Derech Chayim, quoting the verses, 'O wall of

the Daughter of Zion, let your tears flow like a river,'
and 'My tears were like bread for me day and night.'
"We are now beginning the fourth year i n our
'vineyard of G-d,' the Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah.
While the Beis HaMikdash was standing, the fruit of the
fourth year had to be taken up to Jerusalem and eaten
there. During the present exile the fruit is redeemed i n
exchange for a coin, which is then either t h r o w n into
the sea, or crushed into fragments which are scattered.
39
"To understand these concepts at a deeper level: The

name 'Jerusalem' i n the Holy Tongue ( )is seen by
the Sages as a composite of two words: , which
together suggest 'complete fear,' an uncompromising
awe of G-d. The utter destruction of the coins alludes to
bittul, to the task of effacing one's sense of selfimportance. These are the two means by which one
may benefit from the fruits of the fourth year."
40
My father's mention of the taint of orlah fruit d i d

not pass unheeded: the contrite tears of teshuvah shed
by some of the students left a deep impression on all
those present.
My father continued: " I have an absolute assurance
that the students of Tomchei T e m i m i m wherever they
are and ultimately, they w i l l spread throughout the
four corners of the world w i l l fulfill G-d's intention
w i t h mesirus nefesh, and make a dwelling place for H i m
w i t h i n this lowly w o r l d .
41
"Director," said m y father, t u r n i n g to me, "present

the army of Tomchei T e m i m i m . I want to say LeChaim
w i t h them, establishing a covenant w i t h them i n their
divine service."
37. Shaar HaTeshuvah, chs. 4, 6, 9, 10.
38. Eichah 2:18.
39. Tehillim 42:4.
40. Bereishis Rabbah 56:10.
41. Tanchuma, Naso 16; Tanya, ch. 36.
When the temimim, headed by their mashpi'im and

mashgichim, were ranged before h i m , m y father stood
up and said: " I am hereby making a covenant w i t h you,
the students of Yeshivas Tomchei T e m i m i m both
w i t h those who are now studying i n any of the levels of
the Yeshivah and w i t h those who w i l l study i n the
Yeshivah at any time i n the future, 'both w i t h those
who are present here today and w i t h those who are not
[yet] present'; I shall be a partner i n your selfsacrificing labors for the sake of a G-d-fearing approach
to the study of the Torah and to the 'service of the
heart,' an approach that is without concessions or
compromise. 'Let the law pierce the mountain!' Let
the law of the first tzimtzum pierce the mountain of
concealment and obscurity. Let the law of the heavenly
court pierce the mountain of 'the Society for the
Dissemination of Enlightenment.'
42
43
44
45
"Our Sages teach that 'G-d creates the cure before

the plague.' G-d created the cure the establishment of
the Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah before the plague
which w i l l be caused by the teachers trained by 'the
Society for the Dissemination of Enlightenment.' I am
sure that Tomchei T e m i m i m w i l l outlive the
'disseminators of Enlightenment,' whose renunciation
of Torah and mitzvos w i l l be corrected by the students
of Tomchei Temimim."
At this point m y father had it announced that all
those present should prepare themselves for the sing
ing of the Alter Rebbe's Niggun of Four Themes.
Recalling his statement before Hakkafos that every
niggun has the power to elevate and establish a connec46
42. Devarim 29:14.

43. Yevamos 92a.
44. See The Tzemach Tzedek and the Haskalah Movement by the Rebbe Rayatz
(Kehot, N.Y., 1962; trans. Rabbi Z. Posner).
45. Megillah 13b.
46. Sefer HaNiggunim (Nichoach, N.Y., 1948), Vol. I , p. 1; see also the
Introductory Notes on p. .
1 0 0 / W I T H L I G H T AND WITH M I G H T
tion, he emphasized how this surely applies to this

niggun, whose four themes parallel the four letters of
G-d's Name (--- )as well as the general and particular
aspects of the Four Worlds Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and
Asiyah.
47
He then said: "It was to this melody authored by the

Alter Rebbe that m y grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek,
applied the teaching of our Sages, that 'Whoever cites
a teaching i n the name of its author should picture that
author as standing before him.'
"My father [the Rebbe Maharash] once said that the
time when the Alter Rebbe's Niggun is being sung is an
appropriate time for doing teshuvah, for this is a
propitious time i n the spiritual realms, and chassidim
know what that means."
48
29
My father [the Rebbe Rashab] then began to sing the

Alter Rebbe's Niggun, and everyone joined h i m w i t h an
ardor that was fiery but not conspicuous. Rather, every
one was involved w i t h himself, w i t h his past, w i t h his
present, and w i t h his future. I n a moment, the atmos
phere i n the hall was transformed into the intense and
awesome atmosphere which accompanies the reading
of UNesaneh Tokef on Yom Kippur.
49
After the niggun m y father turned to the Yeshivah

students and declared: "Temimim! 'Whoever goes out to
a battle of the House of David writes a b i l l of divorce for
his wife.' "
I n honor of today's 45th anniversary of the foun
dation of the Yeshivah, I am now publishing the
maamar that opens w i t h this quotation (Kol HaYotzei
LeMilchemes Beis David) which m y father then delivered,
and which I later recorded i n writing. [It appears above
5 0
47.
48.
49.
50.
Toras Shalom, p. 23ff.; Igros Kodesh (Letters) of the Rebbe Rayatz, Vol. I I ,
p. 210ff.; Sefer HaSichos 5696 [1936], p. 90.
Sefer HaSichos 5696 [1936], loc. cit.
Machzor for Yom Kippur (Kehot, N.Y., 1986), p. 171.
Shabbos 56a.
H I S T O R I C A L BACKGROUND / 1 0 1
(p. 57) i n English translation, before the present account

of the words of the Rebbe Rayatz.]
M y father's discourse lasted w i t h brief interrup
tions for almost three hours, ending shortly before
ten at night. After leading the Grace After Meals m y
father handed me the kos shel berachah, the goblet over
which the blessing had been recited, so that I could
distribute the wine among all those assembled. Finally,
singing Ki vesimchah seitzeiu ("May you go out w i t h
joy!" ), we accompanied m y father to his home. We
then returned to the study hall, recited the evening
service and Havdalah, and began reconstructing and
repeating from memory the talks of Simchas Torah.
51
Prominent i n this activity was one of the younger

students by the name of Avraham David of
Klimovitch, who had a remarkable memory: he was
"a cemented cistern which does not lose a drop." Even
before he had grasped the fundamental principles of
Chassidus he was able to recall and repeat the dis
courses which m y father used to deliver every Shabbos,
and he would prepare written versions (hanachos) of
them. Ultimately, he became one of the Yeshivah's
outstanding students.
52
53
Throughout the night the students worked together.

By daybreak they had reviewed most of the sichos and
i n the course of the day, Isru Chag, they completed
them all.
The discourse based on the teaching, Kol HaYotzei
LeMilchemes Beis David, defined the direction to be
followed i n avodah by all of that generation's students
of Tomchei T e m i m i m . W i t h G-d's help, i t yielded fine
fruit i n the areas of Torah study, divine service w i t h i n
the heart, and refined conduct.
51. Yeshayahu 55:12.
52. I.e., R. Avraham David Pevsner.
53. Avos 2:9.
I n the course of these last 45 years the eternal torch

of the Baal Shem Tov's teachings the Tomchei
T e m i m i m Yeshivah has journeyed through many
lands. Everywhere, inspired by its founder, i t has sown
seeds i n the "vineyard of G-d."
The year 5663 ( 1 9 0 3;),five years after its
founding, was the first year that the Yeshivah's students
assumed positions i n a number of cities and townships,
spreading Torah coupled w i t h the fear of heaven. The
spirit of Tomchei T e m i m i m began to envelop many
Torah centers. As its students married and set up their
homes i n various communities, they began to take
charge of local educational projects.
It is impossible, even i n concentrated form, to
chronicle all the activities which these students un
dertook i n the realm of Jewish education and the dis
semination of Torah study. It is sufficient to quote two
geonim of blessed memory, the author of Chafetz Chayim
and Rav Chayim Ozer [Grodzinski], who said that the
students of Tomchei T e m i m i m possess a spirit of life,
and inject a spirit of life into all the yeshivos.
The above covenant to disseminate Torah w i t h
uncompromising mesirus nefesh, i n the spirit of the fear
of heaven, which m y father made w i t h the temimim on
Simchas Torah, 5661 ( 1 9 0 0; )has been honored
by the temimim i n Russia ever since the Yevsektzia em
barked on its oppression of Jewish religious observance,
and i t is being honored today.
M y enforced physical separation from them brought
me indescribable anguish; I can still not b r i n g myself to
publish the written record that I then made of m y
spiritual suffering at being forced to leave behind the
chassidim and the temimim i n Russia and i n Poland,
and to wander through other lands.
54
Having visited America twelve years ago, I was

aware of the positive qualities, but also of the faults,
manifest i n this country's Jewish and even observant
leadership. For example, there are some rabbis, ritual
slaughterers, teachers and Torah scholars who are
ashamed to wear a beard and peyos. People t h i n k that
yeshivah and university can go together. There are
Talmud Torahs whose principals and teachers do not
observe Shabbos or put on tefillin. These educators seek
to uproot the foundations of their pupils' faith i n G-d
and His Torah.
There are older rabbis, genuine G-d-fearing men as
i n the Old Country, who could contribute i n many
ways, but they stand back i n despair of ever changing
anything. It therefore took me weeks to decide whether
or not to come here.
Eventually I embarked on one of the last regular
passenger ships, w i t h a full knowledge of the difficul
ties that confronted me i n the task of disseminating
Torah i n a G-d-fearing spirit. I n this formidable task, m y
hope was nourished and continues to be nourished
by the covenant w i t h which m y revered father entered
into partnership w i t h me and w i t h the assembled
temimim on that Simchas Torah.
Arriving on the n i n t h of Adar Sheni, 5700 (;
1940), I immediately began preparations for kindling
the eternal light of the Baal Shem Tov's teachings by
establishing the Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah i n this
country. Through the praiseworthy endeavors of m y
son-in-law, HaRav Shmaryahu Gourary, and a number
of chassidim who helped h i m , a branch of the Yeshivah
was (thank G-d) opened i n America, its first students
being American young men who had studied i n
Tomchei T e m i m i m i n Otvotzk.
55
54. I n 5690 ( 1 9 3 0
55. Rosh Chodesh Kislev, 5658 (
;).
(1897;Adar I , 5749 ( 1 9 8 9 ;).
As to all the chassidim and all those who love the

Torah who have helped and continue to help i n our
efforts to redeem our brethren i n Europe and to spread
Torah here i n America, they each have a place of honor
i n m y memory, and may all blessings light upon their
heads. On a very different page i n m y memory's
chronicles are listed all those who have obstructed and
who continue to obstruct these efforts, whether openly
or covertly, through deceitful petty politics and twofaced manipulation. Unfortunately, this page of shame
has become far too full i n the few short years since G-d
brought me here. May G-d help these individuals step
out into the sunlight, and strive for the dissemination
of Torah illuminated by the fear of heaven. They w i l l
then find their names transcribed from the page of
shame to the page of light.
The three years of orlah as explained above are not
three full calendar years counted from the date of
planting to the date of picking. Instead, w i t h regard to
the first and t h i r d years, the reckoning considers as a
year even several months of a year of creation. Ac
cording to this reckoning, we are now beginning the
fourth year of Tomchei T e m i m i m i n America. This is
the year of neta reva'i, the year i n which the fruits of the
Yeshivah may first be enjoyed, provided that they are
either "eaten i n Jerusalem" (i.e., sanctified by the awe of
heaven) or "redeemed w i t h a coin which must be
destroyed" (i.e., chastened by self-effacement) as these
terms are expounded by m y father and quoted above.
56
W i t h G-d's grace, the eternal torch of the Baal Shem

Tov's teachings i n America has been carried into its
fourth year, the year whose fruit is taken up to
Jerusalem. I n the spirit of the Torah as inspired by the
awe of heaven, we celebrate the 45th anniversary of the
founding of the original Tomchei Temimim, together
56. A "year of creation" is counted from one Rosh HaShanah to the next.
w i t h the Tomchei T e m i m i m Yeshivah and its branches,

the Achei T e m i m i m Yeshivos, throughout America and
Canada.
FOUNDERS O F CHASSIDISM / 1 0 7
Founders of Chassidism &

Leaders of Chabad-Lubavitch
Baal Shem Tov ( ; lit., "Master of the Good Name"): R.
Yisrael ben R. Eliezer (1698-1760), founder of Chassidism.
The Maggid of Mezritch (lit., "the preacher of Mezritch"): R. Dov
Ber (d. 1772), disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, and mentor of the
Alter Rebbe.
The Alter Rebbe ( ; lit., "the Old Rebbe"; Yid.): R.
Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), also k n o w n as "the Rav"
and as Baal HaTanya; founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch trend
w i t h i n the chassidic movement; disciple of the Maggid of
Mezritch, and father of the Mitteler Rebbe.
The Mitteler Rebbe ( ; lit., "the Middle Rebbe"; Yid.):
R. Dov Ber of Lubavitch (1773-1827), son and successor of the
Alter Rebbe, and uncle and father-in-law of the Tzemach Tzedek.
The Tzemach Tzedek () : R. Menachem Mendel Schneersohn
(1789-1866), the t h i r d Lubavitcher Rebbe; k n o w n by the title of
his halachic responsa as "the Tzemach Tzedek"; nephew and
son-in-law of the Mitteler Rebbe, and father of the Rebbe
Maharash.
The Rebbe Maharash ( ;acronym for Moreinu ("our teacher")
HaRav Shmuel): R. Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch (1834
1882), the fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe; youngest son of the
Tzemach Tzedek, and father of the Rebbe Rashab.
The Rebbe Rashab ( ;acronym for Rabbi Shalom Ber): R.
Shalom Dov Ber Schneersohn of Lubavitch (1860-1920), the
fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe; second son of the Rebbe Maharash,
and father of the Rebbe Rayatz.
The Rebbe Rayatz ( ;acronym for Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak), also
k n o w n (in Yiddish) as "der frierdiker Rebbe" (i.e., "the Previous
Rebbe"): R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950), the sixth
Lubavitcher Rebbe; only son of the Rebbe Rashab, and fatherin-law of the Rebbe .
The Rebbe Shlita: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (b. 1902,
), the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe; eldest son of the
saintly Kabbalist, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, rav of Yekaterinoslav;
fifth i n direct paternal line from the Tzemach Tzedek; son-in-law
of the Rebbe Rayatz.
GLOSSARY / 1 0 9
Glossary
An asterisk indicates a cross reference w i t h i n this Glossary.
All non-English entries are Hebrew unless otherwise indicated.
All prayer-book references are to the bi-lingual Siddur
(trans. Rabbi Nissen Mangel; Kehot, N.Y., 1979)
Tehillat HaShem
Asiyah, the World of ( ; lit., "the World of Action, or Mak

ing"): the lowest of the Four *Worlds
Atzilus, the World of ( ; lit., "the World of Emanation"):
the highest of the Four *Worlds
avodah ( ;lit., "work" or "service"): (in Torah usage) divine
service, particularly through prayer and (in chassidic usage)
through the labor of self-refinement
ayin ( ;lit., "nothing"): the void that precedes any act of creation;
i n the mortal realm, ayin describes a person w h o transcends
his innate egocentricity and commits himself to the service of
G-d; cf. *yesh
batel (): i n a state of self-nullification
beinoni ( ;pl., beinonim; lit., "intermediate man"): an individual
whose spiritual labors have brought h i m to a level at w h i c h he
never sins i n thought, w o r d or deed, despite his still-active Evil
Inclination; see Tanya, ch. 12
Beis HaMikdash () : the (First or Second) Temple i n Jerusa
lem
Beriah, the World of ( ; lit., "the World of Creation"): the
second (in descending order) of the Four *Worlds
Binah ( ;lit., "understanding"): the second of the Ten Sefiros, or
divine emanations; the second stage of the intellectual process
(cf. *Chabad), developing the initial conception of *Chochmah
bittul (): self-nullification
Chabad (): acronym formed by the initial letters of the Hebrew
words *Chochmah, *Binah, and *Daas, w h i c h are both (i) the first
three of the Ten *Sefiros, or divine emanations, and (ii) the cor
responding stages that comprise the intellectual process
(known as seichel or Chabad). Chabad also signifies: (a) the
branch of the chassidic movement (see *Chassidus) w h i c h is
rooted i n an intellectual approach to the service of G-d, and
w h i c h was founded by R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi; a synonym
for Chabad i n this sense is *Lubavitch, originally the name of
the township where the movement flourished 1813-1915; (b)
the philosophy of this school of Chassidism
chadarim ( ;lit., "rooms"; p l . of cheder): (a) Torah schools; (b)

academy founded by the Alter Rebbe i n Liozna for advanced
students
Chai Elul (" ; the 18th of the m o n t h of Elul"): chassidic festi
val m a r k i n g the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov (1698) and the
Alter Rebbe (1745)
Chanukah (): eight-day festival beginning 25 Kislev, com
memorating the Maccabees' rededication of the *Beis HaMikdash i n the second century B.C.E., and marked by the k i n d l i n g
of lights (Siddur, p. 339;
chassid ( ;pl., chassidim): adherent of the chassidic movement
(see *Chassidus)
Chassidism, see *Chassidus
Chassidus
(): Chassidism, i.e., the movement w i t h i n
Orthodox Judaism founded i n White Russia by R. Yisrael, the
Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760), and stressing:
emotional
involvement i n prayer; service of G-d through the material
universe; wholehearted earnestness i n divine service; the
mystical i n addition to the legalistic dimension of Judaism; the
power of joy, and of music; the love to be shown to every Jew,
unconditionally; and the m u t u a l physical and moral
responsibility of the members of the informal chassidic
brotherhood, each chassid having cultivated a spiritual
attachment to their saintly and charismatic leader, the *Rebbe;
(b) the philosophy and literature of this movement; see also
*Chabad
cheder, see *chadarim
Chochmah ( ;lit., "wisdom"): the first of the Ten Sefiros, or di
vine emanations; the first stage of the intellectual process (cf.
*Chabad); reason i n potentia
Chumash (): the Five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch)
Daas ( ;lit., "knowledge"): the t h i r d of the Ten Sefiros, or divine
emanations; the t h i r d stage of the intellectual process (cf.
*Chabad), at w h i c h concepts, having proceeded from seminal
i n t u i t i o n (cf. *Chochmah) through meditative gestation (cf.
*Binah), n o w mature into their corresponding dispositions or
attributes of character (middos)
daven, davenen ( ;Yid.): (a) praying, prayers; i n *Chabad us
age also signifies (b) the *avodah of praying at length, the read
i n g of passages i n the *Siddur being interspersed w i t h pauses
for disciplined meditation from memory on related texts i n
*Chassidus
domem (): inanimate matter
dveikus (): the rapt state of cleaving to the Creator
GLOSSARY / 1 1 1
Ein Sof () : the Infinite One

Elokim (): one of the Names of G-d, signifying (variously)
power, judgment and *tzimtzum (the latter attribute referring to
His being concealed i n nature); cf. *Havayah
erev... ( ;lit., "evening"): the eve of [a Sabbath or a festival]
farbrengen ( ;Yid.): (a) an assemblage addressed by a
*Rebbe; (b) an informal gathering of chassidim for mutual edi
fication and brotherly criticism
Gan Eden () : the Garden of Eden; Paradise
gaon, see *geonim
Gemara ( ;Aram.): see *Talmud
geonim ( ;p l . of gaon): Torah luminaries
get (): b i l l of divorce
Hakkafos ( ;p l . of Hakkafah; lit., "circuits"): the sevenfold pro
cession made w i t h the Torah scrolls i n the synagogue on
*Simchas Torah, accompanied by singing and dancing (Siddur,
p. 335)
Halachah (): (a) the body of Torah law; (b) a particular law
Havayah (-): the Four-Letter Name of G-d (with its letters trans
posed, as pronounced i n the study of *Chassidus), signifying
His transcendence of nature's finite bounds of time and space;
cf. *Elokim
Havdalah ( ;lit., "separation"): blessings pronounced over
wine at nightfall at the conclusion of a Sabbath or festival to
mark i t off from the ordinary weekdays that follow (Siddur, p.
234)
hemshech (): a series of *maamarim on one theme
ikvos Meshicha ( ; Aram.): the age w h i c h hears the ap
proaching "footsteps of *Mashiach"
Isru Chag () : the semi-festive day following any one of the
three Pilgrim Festivals
Kabbalah ( ;lit., "received tradition"): the body of classical Jew
ish mystical teachings, the central text of w h i c h is the *Zohar
kabbalas ol ( ; lit., "acceptance of the yoke"): self-subordina
t i o n to the W i l l of G-d
kalos hanefesh () : near-expiry of the soul out of a rapturous
love of G-d
kelipos ( ;lit., " r i n d " or "shell"; p l . of kelipah): used figuratively
(on a personal or universal level) to signify an outer covering
w h i c h conceals the light w i t h i n ; hence, the unholy side of the
universe; synonym for *sitra achra
Keser ( ;lit., "crown"): the sublime level of divine emanation

w h i c h transcends the scheme of the Ten *Sefiros; i n man's spiri
tual personality i t is the source of the corresponding
"superconscious" faculties of pleasure and w i l l
ketores (): incense (cf. Shmos 30:34-38, Kerisos 6a, and Talmud
Yerushalmi, Yoma 4:65; see Siddur, pp. 20-21)
Kiddush ( ;lit., "sanctification"): blessings recited over a goblet
of wine and expressing the sanctity of *Shabbos (e.g., Siddur, p.
146) or a festival
LeChaim! ( ;lit., "To life!"): greeting or blessing exchanged over
strong d r i n k
Lubavitch (lit., "town of love"; Rus.): townlet i n White Russia
w h i c h from 1813-1915 was the center of *Chabad *Chassidism,
and whose name has remained a synonym for i t
lulav (): closed palm-branch, used d u r i n g the festival of Sukkos
for the mitzvah of the Four Species
maamar ( ;pl., maamarim; lit., "word" or "written article"): i n
*Chabad circles means a formal chassidic discourse first deliv
ered by a *Rebbe
Malchus ( ;lit., "sovereignty"): the last of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or
spiritual emotions
mashgiach ( ;pl., mashgichim): supervisor of the study of
*nigleh i n a *yeshivah
Mashiach ( ;lit., "the anointed one"): the Messiah
mashpia ( ;pl., mashpi'im): mentor of *Chassidus
maskil
( ;pl., maskilim):
follower
of the
so-called
"Enlightenment" movement
melamdim ( ;p l . of melamed): Torah teachers i n the traditional
*chadarim
Menorah (): candelabrum, esp. the one kindled i n the *Beis
HaMikdash, or one used on the fesival of *Chanukah
mesirus nefesh () : self-sacrifice
mezuzah ( ;pl., mezuzos): t i n y parchment scroll affixed to door
post, and containing the first two paragraphs of Shema (Devarim
6:-9 and 11:13-21)
middos ( ;p l . of middah): the emotive attributes of the soul
Midrash (): any one of the classical collections of the Sages'
homiletical teachings on the Torah, on the non-literal level of
*derush
GLOSSARY / 1 1 3
Mishnah (): the germinal statements of law elucidated by the

*Gemara, together w i t h w h i c h they collectively constitute the
*Talmud; any one such statement is likewise called a mishnah
mitzvah ( ;pl., mitzvos): a religious obligation; one of the 613
Commandments
ner (): lamp; candle
neta reva'i () : fruit produced by a tree i n its fourth year
(following the three years of *orlah) and w h i c h i n the days of
the *Beis HaMikdash was eaten i n Jerusalem (cf. Vayikra 19:24)
niggun ( ;pl., niggunim): melody, usually wordless, especially one
figuring i n divine service
nigleh ( ;lit., "revealed"): the revealed levels of the Torah (e.g.,
*Talmud and *Halachah); i n contrast to nistar
Or Ein Sof () : the [infinite] creative emanation (or "light")
that radiates from the Infinite One
orlah (): the forbidden fruit w h i c h grows i n the first three years
(cf. Vayikra 19:23); cf. *neta reva'i
oved (): one deeply involved i n *avodah (cf. *davenen)
parshah ( ;pl., parshiyos): portion of the Torah read publicly
each week
Parshas... (...): the *parshah of...
peyos (): sidelocks or sideburns (cf. Vayikra 19:27)
rav ( ;pl., rabbanim): rabbi
Rebbe (common Yid. pronunciation of , "my teacher [or mas
ter]"; pl., Rebbeim): *tzaddik who serves as spiritual guide to a
following of chassidim; see *Chassidus
reva'i, see *neta reva'i
Rosh Chodesh ( ; l i t . , "head of the month"; p l . Rashei
Chadashim): New Moon, i.e., one or t w o semi-festive days at the
beginning of each m o n t h
Rosh HaShanah ( ; lit., "head of the year"): the solemn New
Year festival, falling on 1 and 2 Tishrei
Sefirah ( ;pl., Sefiros): divine attributes or emanations w h i c h
manifest themselves i n each of the Four Worlds, and are the
source of the corresponding ten faculties (kochos) of the soul
seudas mitzvah () : festive meal held i n celebration of a re
ligious obligation
Shabbos ( ;pl., Shabbasos): the Sabbath
Shabbos Parshas... (...) : the *Shabbos on w h i c h a [named]
*parshah is read
sheliach tzibbur ( ; l i t . , "emissary of the congregation"):
worshiper leading a prayer service
Shlita ( ;acronym of the five Heb. wds.,

): abbreviation placed after a person's name, expressing the
wish "that he be preserved i n life for many good days"
shochet ( ;pl., shochtim): ritual slaughterer
shul ( ;Yid.): synagogue
Shulchan Aruch ( ; lit., "a set table"): the standard Code of
Jewish Law compiled by R. Yosef Caro i n the mid-sixteenth cen
tury
sichah ( ;pl., sichos): an informal Torah talk delivered by a
*Rebbe (cf. *maamar)
Simchas Torah ( ; lit., "the Rejoicing of the Torah"): festi
val immediately following Sukkos, on w h i c h the public reading
of the Torah is annually concluded and recommenced; i n *Eretz
Yisrael coincides w i t h Shemini Atzeres, and i n the Diaspora
falls on the following day
sitra achra ( ; lit., "the other side"; Aram.): the forces of
evil i n the universe; a synonym for *kelipah
Talmud (): the basic compendium of Jewish law, thought, and
Biblical commentary, comprising *Mishnah and *Gemara; when
unspecified refers to the Talmud Bavli, the edition developed i n
Babylonia, and edited at end of the fifth century C.E.; the Tal
mud Yerushalmi is the edition compiled i n *Eretz Yisrael at end
of the fourth century C.E.
Talmud Torah ( ; lit., "study of the Torah"): a Torah school
tamim, see *temimim
Tanya (): the Alter Rebbe's basic exposition of *Chabad
*Chassidus; "Tanya" is the initial w o r d of the book, w h i c h is
also called Likkutei Amarim ("Collected Discourses") and Sefer
shel Beinonim ("The Book of the Intermediates")
tefillin (): small black leather cubes containing parchment
scrolls inscribed w i t h Shema Yisrael and other Biblical passages,
bound to the arm and forehead and w o r n by men at weekday
m o r n i n g prayers; "phylacteries"
Tehillim ( ;lit., "praises"): the Book of Psalms
temimim ( ;p l . of tamim): students past or present of one of
the senior *yeshivos of the *Lubavitch branch of *Chassidism,
w h i c h are k n o w n as Tomchei T e m i m i m
teshuvah ( ;lit., "return"): repentance
terumah (): the first of the tithes to be given to the Kohen
tikkun chatzos ( ; lit., "midnight service"): an optional devo
tional exercise lamenting the Destruction of the *Beis HaMikdash and the subsequent exile of the Divine Presence on a cos
mic level
GLOSSARY / 1 1 5
Tomchei T e m i m i m () : (a) the *yeshivah founded i n

*Lubavitch i n 1897 by the Rebbe Rashab; (b) one of its subse
quent offshoots
Tosafos ( ;lit., "supplements"): classical commentaries on the
*Talmud beginning to appear i n the mid-twelfth century
tzaddik ( ;pl., tzaddikim): (a) completely righteous individual (b)
*Rebbe
tzedakah (): charity
tzimtzum (): the self-limitation of the infinite and emanating
Divine light by progressive degrees of contraction, condensa
t i o n and concealment, and m a k i n g possible the creation of fi
nite and physical substances
tzitzis (): fringes on the corners of the tallis w o r n by males (cf.
Bamidbar 15:37-40)
UrimVeTumim () : oracular vestment w o r n by the High
Priest i n the *Beis HaMikdash
Worlds, the Four () : the m a i n stages i n the creative process
resulting from *tzimtzum; i n descending order: *Atzilus, *Beriah,
*Yetzirah and *Asiyah, often referred to by their acronym as
yechidus (): private interview at w h i c h a *chassid seeks guid

ance and enlightenment from his *Rebbe
yesh (): an entity which enjoys seemingly self-sufficient existence,
as i f independent of its Creator; i n the mortal realm, yesh
describes a person who is egocentric; cf. *ayin and *yesh me'ayin
yeshivah (): Torah academy for advanced students
yesh me'ayin ( ; lit., "something from nothing"): creation ex
nihilo
yeshus (): the state of being a *yesh
yetzer hara () : the Evil Inclination
Yetzirah, the World of ( ; lit., "the World of Formation"):
the t h i r d (in descending order) of the Four *Worlds
Yevsektzia (lit., "the Jewish section" [of the Communist Party];
Rus.): rabidly anti-religious body of Stalinist activists
yichus (): distinguished lineage
Yiddishkeit ( or ;lit., "Jewishness"; Yid.): the Torah
way of life
Yom-Tov (-): festival
Zohar ( ;lit., "radiance"): classical w o r k embodying the mystical
teachings of the *Kabbalah

With Light and With Might - Rabi Sholom Dovber Schneerson

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With Light and With Might - Rabi Sholom Dovber Schneerson

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W i t h L i g h t and w i t h M i g h t

Two Chassidic Discourses by

Kol HaYotzei LeMilchemes Beis David, 5661

Translated by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger & U r i Kaploun

With Light and with Might

"KEHOT" PUBLICATION SOCIETY

Tanu Rabbanan: Ner Chanukah, 5643

Kol HaYotzei LeMilchemes Beis David, 5661

Founders of Chassidism and Leaders of

The two discourses of the Rebbe Rashab are a

Tanu Rabbanan: Ner Chanukah

behind the scenes incognito, so that "the person

As a foretaste of those manifestations, equally

The Maamar of the Rebbe Rashab

Tanu Rabbanan: Ner Chanukah

Rashi, however, writes: " 'At the outside' i n order

The Beis Yosef (Orach Chayim 671) quotes the opin

I n the original Heb., .

The following question would appear to present

I n fact even according to Rashi, who rules that they

TANU RABBANAN: NER CHANUKAH, 5643 / 3

HaEzri maintains that i f there is no mezuzah i n the

I n brief, the concept can be explained as follows:

Let us understand this concept. It is written (Mishlei

The prayer, al hanissim.

Let us understand this concept further. A l l the

Medieval French for "lamps" (HaMetargem, Shabbos; and see Rashi on

TANU RABBANAN: NER CHANUKAH, 5643 / 5

through the speech of Havayah." [This teaches us that,

The Name Elokim limits and conceals the Name

The ultimate intent, however, of the creation of yesh

Furthermore, w i t h i n the World of Atzilus itself there

These terms do not i m p l y a conception of physical

The m o r n i n g prayers (Siddur, p. 17).

TANU RABBANAN: NER CHANUKAH, 5643 / 7

concealed G-dliness; [i.e., the spiritual qualities that are

exists w i t h i n a place of light, for darkness conceals

Concealment is possible only when one entity

The corresponding terms i n the original are respectively tzimtzum and

TANU RABBANAN: NER CHANUKAH, 5643 / 9

absolutely one w i t h the Ein Sof. Thus, i t is impossible

This is the ultimate intention, for G-d "desired to

Quite the contrary: just as the Or Ein Sof exists i n the

to be found here, for it is here that the essential intent

See also the explanation of the maamar beginning

I n order for yesh to exist, it was thus first necessary

TANU RABBANAN: NER CHANUKAH, 5643 / 11

essential intent that these realms exist; i.e., i n order that

(Thus the maamar beginning Vayigash, 5633,

We can thus understand how, i n truth, G-d has not

homes on the outside, i n the public domain or i n a

Tanya, Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, the conclusion of ch. 4.

TANU RABBANAN: NER CHANUKAH, 5643 / 13

maamar beginning VaYomer HaShem: Hein Am Echad,

39. Sefer HaMaamarim 5643, p. 3ff.

deep message:] It is necessary that G-d's word remain

To illustrate [the latter point]: The manner i n which

See Tanya, Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch. 1.

TANU RABBANAN: NER CHANUKAH, 5643 / 15

effect, the revelation of the effect does not represent the

Existence and nothingness are polar opposites: it is

exist w i t h i n it: the growth of the fruit represents

TANU RABBANAN: NER CHANUKAH, 5643 / 17