English translation — מאמר ביום השמיני תשמ"ו

With the help of Heaven.

Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Mikeitz,

the night of this Chanukah, 5746*

"On the eighth day, the prince of the children of Menasheh..."1

"This was the dedication of the altar..."2

Now, it is known that one of the reasons why on Chanukah we read the offerings of the princes3

is because on Chanukah they inaugurated4

the altar5,

similar to the dedication of the altar

(the first time)

through the offerings of the princes.

From this it is understood

that the eight days of Chanukah are parallel to the eight days of the inauguration.

And just as the eight days of the inauguration are divided into two,

the seven days of the inauguration and the eighth day,

so too is it regarding the eight days of Chanukah,

that the eighth day of Chanukah is called

(according to the custom of Israel)

also by a name of its own,

"Zos Chanukah."

[And it can be said,

that this is also why the Torah reading on the eighth day of Chanukah is much more than the seven days before it,

for on the first seven days they read only two princes each day6

and on the eighth day of Chanukah they read five princes, and also "This was the dedication of the altar" and the beginning of the portion of "Behaaloscha" regarding the lamps7,

for the addition in the Torah reading indicates the greatness of the day].

And it is explained in the discourse "Baruch She'asah Nissim" of the Alter Rebbe with glosses and notes etc. of the Tzemach Tzedek8,

that the eighth day

[of the inauguration, and likewise the eighth day]

of Chanukah is Malchus,

and therefore it is called "Zos Chanukah,"

for "Zos" is9

Malchus10.

2)

Now, it is known11

that regarding the eighth there are two matters.

That the eighth is above the seven that precede it

[similar to the explanation of the letters of the word "Az,"

the Aleph riding upon the Zayin12],

for the seven are the seven emotional attributes and the eighth is Binah.

And that the eighth is Malchus, which is below the seven emotional attributes.

And likewise regarding the eighth day of the inauguration,

it is stated in Likkutei Torah13

that there are two explanations of this.

That the eighth day of the inauguration is above the seven days of the inauguration,

for the seven days of the inauguration are in Binah and the eighth day of the inauguration is Chochmah14.

And that the eighth day of the inauguration is Malchus.

And the mediation between the two explanations is15,

that in order for there to be a flow into Malchus

(the eighth that is below the seven),

it is specifically through the flow being from a more elevated place

(that is above the seven).

And seemingly it must be said,

that this is the case regarding the eighth day of Chanukah,

that it has two interpretations.

For that which on the eighth day the drawing down is into Malchus

(therefore it is called Chanukah),

the eighth that is below the seven,

is because its root is in the eighth that is above the seven.

But from that which in the aforementioned maamar

(which explains the concept of the eighth day of Chanukah)

is brought

(at the beginning of the topic16)

only the interpretation that the eighth is Malchus,

and not as in the discourses that explain the concept of the eight days of the inauguration in which both interpretations of the eighth are brought,

it implies,

that the primary concept of the eighth day of Chanukah is the drawing down below.

3)

And this will be understood based on what is known,

that regarding the superiority of action

[for the power of action in man,

the lowest power,

is analogous to the Sefirah of Malchus]

there are several concepts.

This, that specifically through action an elevation is made in all the powers of the soul.

And as is known the parable for this from the lifting tool called a lever,

that by placing it under the entire thing one wishes to lift,

then specifically the entire thing is lifted.

For when one lifts the thing from its middle,

then its lower part remains below.

And like the lifting of a house,

that in order for the entire house to be lifted upward it is specifically by lifting the lowest beam of the house,

and when one lifts the walls from their middle,

the lower beams remain below17.

And it can be said,

that since all the beams are of one house,

therefore,

when the lowest beam remains below,

also the lifting and elevation of the upper beams is not complete.

And all the more so in the analogue of the powers of the soul,

that each power influences the other powers18,

that in order for the elevation of the higher powers

(intellect etc.)

to be complete,

it is specifically through the elevation of the power of action,

the lowest power.

And another concept in this,

that through action,

the elevation and lifting of the higher powers is to a higher place.

And like the analogy of the scale pan in which one weighs on one pan and places a weight on the second pan,

that the more the pan in which one weighs descends downward,

the lifting of the weight in the second pan is higher upward19.

4)

And behold, that specifically through action the complete elevation of all the powers is achieved is because the root of action is above all the powers.

And there are two concepts in this20.

That the drawing down into action

(that intellect and emotions are drawn into action),

its root is in the soul that is above the powers.

For intellect and emotions in themselves are limited and it is not within their ability to descend so low and become clothed in action,

and that it is possible for them to descend and become clothed in action is because there is drawn into them from the soul,

which exists in all the powers and limbs equally.

And that the root of the power of action itself is above the root of all the powers.

For that all the powers are in the category of closeness to the soul and the power of action is a separate power,

is because the root of all the powers is in the revelations of the soul,

and the root of the power of action is in the essence of the soul21.

e)

And behold, just as in the powers of the soul the root of the power of action is above the root of all the powers,

so too is it in the service of Havayah,

that the primary virtue is specifically in action.

For that "study is great"22

is only now,

but in the future, action will be great23.

And even now, that study is great,

the reason for this is that study brings to action24,

for from this it is proven that the main thing is action25.

And that in the future specifically action will be great is because in the superiority of action over study there are two general aspects26

[analogous to the two aspects mentioned above in section d regarding the superiority of the power of action over the other powers].

One is that action arouses and draws down the light of the boundless [bLi gvul] that is above its enclothing in wisdom

(study),

therefore the drawing down through action is to a lower level.

And the other is that action reaches the essential concealment,

which is above even the light of the boundless [bLi gvul].

And it can be said,

that the superiority of action now

(that even now the main thing is action,

and the greatness of study is that it brings to action,

as above)

is this: that through action there is a drawing down of the light of the boundless [bLi gvul],

perfection in the matter of revelations.

And this is "great is study that brings to action,"

that this superiority of action is included in the greatness of study.

For that the drawing down of study is in a manner that brings to action,

that the drawing down comes to a lower level,

this is the greatness of study,

that the light of the boundless [bLi gvul] is drawn into it, through which it is drawn downward and brings to action.

And that in the future action will be great is the elevation of the action itself,

that it reaches the essential concealment which is above revelations.

f)

And behold, it is known27

that on Chanukah,

after the strengthening of the darkness of the Greeks,

there was a drawing down more elevated than the drawing down that was in the Holy Temple before this,

for regarding the drawing down that was beforehand, it was possible for the strengthening of the darkness of the Greeks to occur,

and the drawing down of Chanukah is from Havayah that is above the chain of descent,

this light illuminates even the darkness,

and "Havayah"

(with the addition of a vav)

"will illuminate my darkness"28,

that the darkness itself shines29,

in the manner of the revelation of the future30.

And based on this, we can explain the difference between the eighth day of Chanukah and the eighth day of the consecration [of the Mishkan],

that this that the eighth of the consecration is in Malchus

(the eighth that is below the seven)

is that the drawing down from above was drawn down until Malchus,

and this that the eighth of Chanukah is in Malchus is that through the drawing down of Chanukah there is an elevation in Malchus itself.

And this is that in the discourses that explain the matter of the eight days of the consecration, two interpretations of "eighth" are brought

(that it is above the seven and that it is below the seven),

and in the aforementioned discourse that explains the matter of the eighth of Chanukah, only the interpretation that the eighth is below the seven is brought,

because this that the drawing down from above is drawn down even to the lower

(the eighth of the consecration)

is due to the superiority of the root of the drawing down

(similar to the superiority of action now),

the eighth that is above the seven31.

And the power for there to be refinement and elevation in the lower itself

(the eighth of Chanukah)

is from the essential concealment that is above the root of revelation

(similar to32

the great action that will be in the future).

And therefore the emphasis of the eighth day of Chanukah is that it is in Malchus

[which is why it is called "this is Chanukah"],

the matter of refining the lower33.

g)

And behold, this matter that in the future action will be great was revealed

(like all matters of Chassidus)

specifically in the later generations.

And the reason they revealed this to us

(even though now the halachah is that study is great),

is,

because all revelations of the future depend on our actions and service now34.

And that in the future action will be great is through the effort and alacrity in the matter of action now.

And therefore in the generation of the heels of Moshiach they revealed that in the future action will be great,

in order to thereby arouse even more effort and alacrity in the matter of action,

and through this, in the future there will be great action.

And since in the future it will be a great deed,

it is understood,

that all the matters of the future redemption,

and certainly the redemption itself,

must be in actual deed.

And as long as the redemption has not yet changed in actuality,

the essential is lacking.

And like the well-known story

of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Rebbe Maharash,

that when the Tzemach Tzedek said regarding the end that was for the year 5608, which was fulfilled through Likkutei Torah,

the Rebbe Maharash answered, "One needs to have Moshiach below ten handbreadths."

And it can be said,

that what the Tzemach Tzedek said, that Likkutei Torah was printed,

is,

because through "Your wellsprings spread forth outward" we bring about "Ati Mar, the King Moshiach,"

and since the innerness of the Torah

(Your wellsprings)

is above the limitation of time,

it is understood,

that when there is the spreading of the wellsprings,

the cause for "Ati Mar,"

there is immediately also the effect,

"Ati Mar."

For in matters that are within the category of time,

cause and effect are in a manner of precedence and delay,

that the effect is drawn down from the cause.

And in this drawing down

(that the effect is drawn and descends from the cause)

there can be several manners.

That the drawing down will be in a manner of "quickly His word runs,"

in a manner of "I will hasten it,"

and in a manner of "in its time."

But in matters that are above the category of time,

there cannot be an interruption between the cause and the effect,

and when there is the cause,

there is immediately also the effect.

Except that this matter is like that the cause

(the spreading of the wellsprings)

and the effect

(the coming of Moshiach)

are above time,

and the perfection of the spreading of the wellsprings and the coming of Moshiach is that they be drawn down into time and place,

and in actual deed below ten handbreadths.

And simply,

that through our actions and our service in spreading the wellsprings outward in actual deed,

through this "Ati Mar, the King Moshiach" comes in actual deed.

And since that one must wait for the coming of Moshiach

(in addition to believing in the coming of Moshiach — to wait for it)

is a halachah,

the meaning of halachah is

(first and foremost)

the fulfillment of the matter as it is simply,

and in actual deed — therefore,

in the agreement of the entire congregation "We want Moshiach now,"

speedily in our days, literally.