English translation — מאמר פדה בשלום תשמ"א

B'Siyata Dishmaya.

Tuesday,

15 Kislev 5741 – before the afternoon prayer*

"He redeemed my soul in peace from battle, for many were with me."

And known are the precise interpretations of the Alter Rebbe, author of the redemption of 19 Kislev,

and his son who filled his place, the Mitteler Rebbe, author of the redemption of 10 Kislev,

in that this verse emphasizes not only the matter of redemption and liberation in general,

but that the redemption is specifically in peace.

And also what is said "from battle,"

and not from war and the like.

And furthermore, there is precision in saying "from battle" specifically,

that the redemption is for me.

Also, one must understand the saying "for many were with me,"

which implies that this is the reason for "He redeemed my soul in peace" – what is the matter in this?

2)

And the point of the explanation in this,

is that redemption applies only when there is an existence of an opposing matter,

for when there is no existence of an opposing side, there is no need or place for redemption,

since holiness is the only path and the only reality,

but when there is an opposing side,

an existence of darkness and folly, etc.,

there must be redemption from the darkness and folly, etc.

And this redemption brings that holiness will be in a manner of "the advantage of light over darkness and the advantage of wisdom over folly,"

that is,

that through the redemption from darkness and folly,

specifically through this is made an advantage of light and wisdom,

and not only an advantage in quantity,

but also an advantage in quality.

And behold, this redemption can be in two ways,

redemption in a manner of war and redemption in a manner of peace.

And it explains and innovates in the verse,

that this redemption is in peace.

And in this itself

(whether in war or in peace)

it can be in two ways,

whether the redemption is in a manner that they stand in closeness to that which is being clarified and redeemed, even though it has not yet been clarified and redeemed,

or they stand in distance from it,

and also in this the verse explains and innovates,

that the redemption is from near to Me,

that is, in a manner of closeness

(as explained in the discourse "Padeh BeShalom" of the Mitteler Rebbe5),

and to Me redemption is in a strength that leaves no place for change,

for wherever it is said "to Me," it never moves away6.

And the reason for this redemption is that "many were with me,"

concerning which there are two interpretations.

One, that it refers to the prayer of the many7.

The second, that it refers to the redemption,

that the redemption is

(also)

of the many,

in the manner of the well-known expression8

"Not only me did the Holy One, blessed be He, redeem, etc."9.

3)

And behold, all these matters exist in the service of man

(as explained in the discourses),

and from this it is understood that they exist in the Torah,

as it is said10

"This is the Torah, man."

And according to what our sages, of blessed memory, said11

"The Holy One, blessed be He, looked into the Torah and created the world,"

it is understood,

that on the contrary,

the matters are in the Torah,

and from it they are drawn into the world.

And the explanation of the matter of "redeemed in peace, etc." as it is in the Torah,

behold, it is known12

that the Torah is not in heaven, and it was given specifically down on earth.

And since the Torah exists below in a place of darkness and ignorance13,

there must be the matter of redemption in the Torah,

and through this the advantage of light from darkness is brought about, etc.

And according to the known principle14

that in the upper worlds, simplicity is Divinity and innovation is existence, but below it is completely the opposite, for simplicity is existence and innovation is Divinity,

and the revelation of Divinity, which must be innovation,

this is the matter of redemption.

And likewise it is in the Torah.

However, in this itself there are several ways,

and in general, two ways,

for just as in the service of man there is redemption in a manner of war and redemption in peace,

which is the difference15

between the service of prayer and the study of Torah,

likewise in the Torah itself there are several

(two)

ways.

A way of Torah study as it is written16

"Train a youth according to his way,"

and as the Rambam elaborates in his commentary on the Mishnah17

that one must seek many counsels, etc., so that the study and education will match the way of the person studying

(the youth),

according to his standing and situation at that time.

And there is a way of Torah study,

where one studies Torah as it is in heaven,

for although he studies the Torah on earth,

nevertheless, his manner of study is that he is then not at all connected to the existence of the world,

and he has no connection with worldly matters.

And just as there are these distinctions in Torah study,

likewise it is in the Torah itself.

And as it is brought in the Ra'aya Mehemna18

and explained in Iggeret HaKodesh19

(of the master of the redemption)

that in the revealed Torah,

the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,

there is difficulty and dispute

(and there must be the war of Torah20

to resolve and clarify the conclusion),

and the inner dimension of the Torah,

the Tree of Life,

where there is no difficulty, etc.,

and extending to the wellsprings of the Baal Shem Tov's teachings,

which were revealed in our generations in the teachings of Chassidus,

and this is the matter of redemption in peace.

4)

And behold, redemption can be in a manner of distance or closeness as above,

and he explains and innovates that this redemption is "from close to Me,"

in a manner of closeness.

And this will be understood through the explanation of the Alter Rebbe21

in the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory:22

"One who prays must place his eyes downward and his heart upward,"

that he must be connected and also see the lower,

meaning that even when his heart is upward,

connected upward,

he must see the lower,

the world and its matters.

And similarly it will be understood regarding the study of Torah,

that the study of Torah must be in such a manner that it leads to action,

as our Sages, of blessed memory, said:23

"Great is study that leads to action."

And furthermore,

his study is to raise the discussion according to the halachah,

the conclusion for practical law in worldly matters,

for specifically then

(through study in such a manner)

does he come to the true understanding of the study and the intent

(as explained at length in the Hemshech of 5666).24

5)

And he continues with the verse, "For many are with me."

The first explanation of this,

that all this is done through the prayer of the many,

for even when a person of Israel is at the ultimate perfection in his service,

nevertheless, even then there is an advantage to his prayer

(and beyond all comparison)

when he prays with the congregation,

the prayer of the many.25

And as is also understood from the prayer of the Ten Days of Repentance, about which our Sages, of blessed memory, said:26

"There, by an individual; here, by the community,"

that the prayer of an individual during the Ten Days of Repentance is like the prayer of the many during the rest of the year,

yet still the prayer of an individual during the Ten Days of Repentance is not comparable to the prayer of the many during the Ten Days of Repentance.

And the second explanation of this verse,

that it includes the many, all of Israel stood,

is understood based on what the Baal HaGeulah brings in his Siddur27

(from the Arizal28),

that it is proper to say before prayer: "I hereby accept upon myself the positive commandment of 'Love your fellow as yourself.'"

For this statement is before "Mah Tovu," etc.,

and continues through all the levels and stages of prayer,

"Mah Tovu,"

"Hodu LaShem," etc.,

the silent prayer (Amidah),

and until the prayer of "Aleinu Leshabe'ach," etc., "and therefore we hope," etc.,

which Yehoshua bin Nun said29

when he conquered the Land of Israel for the first time and in a manner of an eternal inheritance.

For all these details and levels in prayer are in their perfection through the acceptance of the positive commandment of love of Israel.

6)

And may it be His will that each and every one do all that depends on him to fulfill the request and empowerment of the Baal HaGeulah,

to spread the wellsprings outward.

For it is known30

that the main matter of "May your wellsprings spread outward" began after Petersburg,

and it can be said that this is not only after

(and caused by)

the redemption from Petersburg,

but also caused by the imprisonment,

for "this olive, when it is crushed, it produces its oil."31

And it can be said

(in a possible explanation)

even more than this,

that therefore our Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe, was imprisoned for fifty-three

(53)

days,32

so that afterward there would be the matter of spreading the wellsprings in the garden of the Holy One, blessed be He,

this world.33

And from this is understood the great merit of engaging in spreading the wellsprings,

to spread them throughout all the dispersions of Israel,

the men and the women

[and as stated by my father-in-law, the Rebbe,34

that women are also obligated in the study of the Torah of Chassidus,

for this Torah leads to the fulfillment of the commandments of love and fear of G-d and the like,

which women are also obligated in

(and their obligation is constant,

as brought in the introduction to Sefer HaChinuch)]

and the children,

"so that they may hear and so that they may learn... and observe to do all the words of this Torah."35

And may it be His will that each and every one engages in this,

and as is proper,

and even more so,

in the final days that still remain of the days of exile,

and this will bring about, very soon,

and out of joy and goodness of heart,

that we will go with our young and with our elders, with our sons and with our daughters,

to greet the face of Moshiach our righteousness.

And we will go together with Moshiach our righteousness,

and with all the Torah scrolls that are in the diaspora,

and including the synagogues and study halls that are in Babylonia

(which is in the diaspora),

to the land of Israel,

the holy land,

speedily in our days, literally, with joy and with goodness of heart.