English translation — מאמר בלע המוות לנצח תשכ"ה

With the help of Heaven.

“He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord G-d will wipe away tears from all faces.”

And the Rebbe Maharash explains in his discourse beginning with the words “Zeh” (this),

that this future swallowing up of death forever is because then “and the

spirit of impurity I will remove from the earth.”

And this will be understood by prefacing the reason explained in the verse

(later)

that through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, death came into the world,

meaning that death and the sin of the Tree of Knowledge are related to each other.

And the concept is,

that through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, a mixture of good and evil was made.

For the existence of evil existed also before the sin,

except that then evil was separate from good,

as is known,

that at the beginning of creation, the realm of the shells was below the worlds of holiness,

and through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, a mixture of good and evil was made

(in the entire world),

so that evil is mixed with good and good with evil,

to the point that there is no good without evil and no evil without good.

And this is what is written,

“And now, lest he send forth his hand and take also from the Tree of Life and eat, and live forever.”

For at first glance,

the creation of man

(from the outset)

was in a manner that he would live forever,

and the reason he was commanded not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge was so that he would not die

(as it is written,

“and from the Tree of Knowledge… you shall not eat from it, for on the day you eat from it you shall surely die”),

so what difference does it make if he eats from the Tree of Life and lives forever?

And the Alter Rebbe explains,

that since through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge evil became mixed into man,

therefore,

“and now”

(after the sin of the Tree of Knowledge)

there is a concern lest he send forth his hand… and live forever,

for if he were to live forever,

the evil mixed within him would also have eternal existence.

And based on this, it can be said,

that this—that through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge death came into the world—was so that evil would not have permanence,

as above.

And it can be said,

that the death in the world that came about through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge was caused by the sin itself.

And the concept is,

that the matter of life is specifically in holiness,

but evil and impurity

(the opposite of holiness)

are death,

therefore,

since through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge evil became mixed into man,

spiritual death,

from this there also devolved upon him physical death.

And this is also that which in the future death will be swallowed up forever,

for since then evil will be nullified,

spiritual death,

through this there will automatically also be the swallowing up of physical death.

2)

Now, the reason that specifically in the future evil will be nullified

(spiritual death,

and consequently also physical death)

is,

because then there will be a revelation of a most supernal light,

in relation to which light,

all opposing forces are automatically nullified.

And it is explained in the maamar,

that even though also during the time when the Holy Temple stood,

and particularly in the time of the First Temple,

and all the more so in the days of Shlomo, when the moon was in its fullness,

there was a revelation of a most supernal light,

and due to this revelation,

all the nations were nullified before him,

not through war at all

[therefore he was called Shlomo, because there was peace in his days],

nevertheless, the revelation that was in the days of Shlomo was in a manner that there was still a place for the suckling of the external forces,

except that their suckling then was only from the hind-part of holiness and they had no hold in the innerness.

[And it can be said,

that this—that in the days of Shlomo there was still a place for the suckling of the external forces—

is also evident in the manner of the nullification of the nations who were nullified before him.

Like the Queen of Sheba,

that even when she was in her land and only heard the fame of Shlomo, a nullification occurred within her

(somewhat),

due to which

she came to Shlomo,

and particularly after she came to him and saw his wisdom etc., through which she was nullified before him in a manner that there was no longer any spirit within her,

nevertheless,

even then she was a queen,

and moreover,

Shlomo also honored her with great honor].

However, the revelation of the future

will be in a manner that there will be no suckling for the external forces at all

(even not from the aspect of hind-parts)

and evil will be completely nullified,

"He will swallow up death forever."

3)

And the explanation of the difference between the revelation that was in the days of Shlomo

(that due to this revelation there was still a place for the suckling of the external forces,

from the aspect of hind-parts at least)

and the revelation of the future

(that due to this revelation they will have no suckling at all),

is explained in the maamar,

that it is analogous to the difference

(in the service of man)

between the service of "turn away from evil" and the service of "despise evil."

For "turn away from evil" is that he pushes away evil but does not hate evil essentially.

And consequently,

even though in practice he pushes away evil,

there still remains within him a place for evil,

to the extent that in concealment he has some trace of love for evil,

as explained in Tanya

regarding the level of a tzaddik who is not perfect.

However, when he despises evil,

meaning that he despises evil utterly

(the level of a perfect tzaddik),

he has no place for evil at all,

for on the contrary,

he hates evil and despises it with utter hatred and loathing.

And similarly is the difference between the revelation that was in the days of Shlomo and the revelation of the future,

for the revelation that was in the days of Shlomo,

even though also in relation to this revelation all opposing forces are nullified

(analogous to how in the service of "turn away from evil" he pushes away evil),

nevertheless,

there is still a place for the suckling of the external forces

(from the aspect of hind-parts of holiness at least).

However, the revelation of the future is analogous to one who despises evil with utter loathing,

in which there is no place at all for anything opposite to holiness.

And it can be added,

that according to what is explained in Tanya

that the magnitude of hatred for the sitra achra and loathing of evil is commensurate with the magnitude of love for Havayah,

the difference between "turn away from evil" and "despise evil" is

(not only regarding the manner of negating evil,

but also)

in the magnitude and manner of his love for Havayah.

And based on this, the comparison of this difference

(between "turn away from evil" and "despise evil")

to the difference between the revelation that was in the days of Shlomo and the revelation of the future is sweetened,

for the difference between them in the manner of negating evil

(that in the revelation that was in the days of Shlomo there is still a place for the suckling of the external forces, unlike the revelation of the future)

is due to the difference between them in the level and manner of the light and revelation.

4)

Now, it is known that all the revelations of the Future Era depend on our deeds and our service now.

From this it is understood,

that this [fact] that in the Future Era there will be a revelation that gives no place for the nurture of the external forces

(“He will swallow up death forever”)

is,

as explained in the maamar,

that through Israel hating evil with ultimate hatred,

thereby is caused above “and Esav I hated”

with ultimate hatred,

and from this hatred will come “and the spirit of impurity I will remove from the earth,”

“He will swallow up death forever.”

Now, since the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that the righteous are few

(and particularly that hatred of evil to the ultimate degree is the level of a complete tzaddik),

and even regarding the level of the Beinoni, the well-known saying

“If only [one were] a Beinoni” [applies],

the matter that “He will swallow up death forever” will be for all of Israel,

is understood from this,

that this service

(to hate evil with ultimate hatred)

can also be [found] in Beinonim,

and even in those below the level of Beinoni.

For in each and every Jew there are special times—during prayer,

or during engagement in Torah,

or at a time when he performs a mitzvah regarding which he is particularly scrupulous,

or even at a time when he engages in mundane matters for the sake of Heaven,

and all the more so

in the manner of “in all your ways know Him”—

that at that time he surrenders his entire existence

(he gives himself over entirely)

to G‑dliness,

and thereby he is not connected to the “filthy garments,”

like a complete tzaddik.

And since this unification above is eternal forever and ever,

therefore through this is drawn the revelation that gives no place at all for the nurture of the external forces,

“He will swallow up death forever.”

5)

And this is “He will swallow up death forever”—

for as long as the clarifications have not yet been completed and good and evil are intermingled with each other

(including even at the time when the Holy Temple stood,

and even in the days of Shlomo, when the moon was in its fullness),

there is the matter of death,

in order that evil should not have endurance,

as above.

And this is also the reason that even the righteous will return to dust one hour before the Resurrection of the Dead

[for although worms have no dominion over them,

and until that time

(before the Resurrection)

their bodies had endured for hundreds and thousands of years,

nevertheless,

before the Resurrection they will return to their dust],

because since through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge a mixture of evil was made throughout the world,

therefore,

even the bodies of the righteous will require refinement.

However, in the Future Era

(after the Resurrection),

when there will be “and the spirit of impurity I will remove from the earth,”

there will be no death then, and even the body will live with eternal life.

For even according to the opinion

that what is written

“for the youth who is a hundred years old shall die” is literal,

it is only regarding the nations of the world,

but regarding Israel, “He will swallow up death forever.”

And moreover,

even the death that will occur

(according to this opinion)

among the nations of the world is not actual death,

but rather a fall,

for one who falls from his level is called “dead.”

And as explained in the maamar,

that through the sparks of holiness that were absorbed within them being clarified from them and ascending upward,

the evil within them

(i.e., their physical body, which is called “evil” relative to the sparks of holiness within it)

will fall downward.

This is regarding the nations of the world,

but regarding Israel, even the body will be elevated,

for even the body will be nourished from spirituality like the soul,

and moreover, then the body will be above the soul,

“a female will surround a man.”

And all this will be actual and revealed below ten handbreadths,

in the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach,

very soon.