English translation — ויקרא א

1.

It is known the word that the Rebbes – Nesi’ei Chabad – have said¹),

that Shabbos Bereishis pertains to the entire year,

and as one sets oneself up on Shabbos Bereishis,

so conducts oneself a whole year.

In the plain sense it is not understandable: why specifically Shabbos Bereishis?

What is with the time of the giving of the Torah,

and what is in general with all the parshiyos,

that the commandments and matters which are mentioned in them are not repeated in the Torah a second time,

are indeed the parshiyos also pertaining to the whole year,

so what is the exception,

that specifically Shabbos Bereishis pertains to the conduct of a whole year?

2.

The concept of "In the beginning <b>created</b> God the heavens and the earth" – that the Supreme One created the entire world from absolute nothingness²)

– compels one to say³)

that the concept of <b>creation</b> continues constantly,

every minute and every moment.

4.

5.

That the novelty that came into being during the six days of creation,

which previously was absolute nothingness,

and it became an existence of something,

which is indeed a tremendous novelty,

this very coming into being also continues every minute,

constantly there is a <b>new coming into being</b>.

Thus he also explains at length in Tanya&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;)

in the commentary on the verse "Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens"&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;),

that in truth every created being, from its own perspective, is also now nothing and naught,

and its entire existence is only because the Almighty constantly brings it into being,

so consequently its entire reality is Godliness.

3.

With this one will understand why Shabbat Bereishit is relevant to an entire year,

because remembering the "Bereishit bara" is the foundation of the service of an entire year.

When it concerns a Jew about making also his material occupation a vessel for G‑dliness,

and it seems to him,

that because of the worldly natural order this is difficult for him,

or entirely impossible,

– then when he reminds himself that "forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens" – that in truth there is no world at all,

and that which it exists,

is only because "And God said, 'Let there be light',"

– therefore "and there was light",

and likewise in the remaining ten utterances is "the Holy One, blessed be He, looked into the Torah and created the world"⁶)

– the Supreme One looked into the Torah

(into the ten utterances)

and thereby created the world – then from this realization that the entire existence and "being" of the world is only from the ten utterances <b>in the Torah</b>⁷),

he knows consequently,

that the existence of the world cannot be any hindrance to the commandments,

for in <b>the same Torah</b> it is indeed written "I am the Lord your God"⁸)

with all the 613 commandments.

When it becomes realized by him that the existence of the world is Torah,

then even when he goes in the street and he is in the midst of his business affairs,

he will say a saying of our Sages,

a chapter of Psalms,

a chapter of Mishnah or a chapter of Tanya.

And with every good deed that he does,

he weighs the entire world in the scale of merit⁹).

is,

that his recognition and immersion in the inner meaning of "In the beginning God created" – opens up,

that this pertains to the entire "the heavens and the earth and all their host",

is,

the entire creation.

that

That

4.

The intent of the word that Shabbat Bereshit pertains to the entire year¹⁰),

means,

that this pertains to <b>all</b> matters,

both in spiritual and in physical.

The knowledge and recognition,

that forever, Your word stands firm in heaven,

pertains not only to spiritual service,

but also that one should not have any worries about physical matters.

Because that which a person worries about what he lacks in children,

life and sustenance – children,

life and livelihood – this is because he forgets for a while that everything comes from Above.

As he says in Tanya¹¹.

But when he will always remember that everything comes from Above – he will not worry,

because he knows that "from Him evil does not emanate"¹²

(from Him, may He be blessed, does not come any evil)

but only good.

So when this will be internalized in him,

he will see also with physical eyes that this is good also in the revealed and manifest good.

* * *

5.

It is a custom among Jews,

that on Shabbat Bereshit one sells "mitzvot" - aliyot - for an entire year.

The concept of aliyah to the Torah is as the Rebbe - his holy honor, our master, my father-in-law, the Rebbe - said,

that at the time one goes up to the Torah,

one ascends

(one goes up)

into "lower, second, and third" and even higher.

The meaning of this is,

that this is an aliyah in nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, and yechidah¹³,

until that finally the essence of the soul connects with the Essence of Ein Sof, blessed be He

(with the Most High, as it were, Himself).

And this is also the reason,

that although when learning Torah shebe’al peh one may not make a blessing if one does not understand¹⁴

- but during aliyah laTorah,

makes a blessing even an am ha’aretz shelo yada ma ka’amar

(who does not know what he says)

because even if down here he does not understand,

but in the ascent of his nefesh ruach neshamah chayah yechidah above he does indeed understand - so from above it is drawn down below: "Mikra - Torah shebichtav - korei umamshich"¹⁵.

And just as the world is connected with Torah,

as it is written Kudsha brich hu istechel be’orayta u’vara alma,

the Almighty, so to speak, looked into the Torah and created the world,

so too is the Torah called "diftaraot u’finkasaot"¹⁶

(the plans - blueprints - according to which the master builder builds the building)

- so from the fact that a Jew is oleh laTorah,

it is drawn also into physicality.

6.

Just as this is regarding the aliyot that one is called up to the Torah on Shabbat,

Monday and Thursday,

that the beginning of this is on Shabbat Bereishit,

so too is it regarding establishing Torah study: on Shabbat Bereishit one can grab,

take upon oneself an addition in learning both in Nigleh and in Chassidut.

That is,

that besides what every Jew has taken upon himself during the month of Tishrei a fixed schedule to learn for an entire year,

one should on Shabbat Bereishit take upon oneself an additional addition to it,

as a fixed schedule for every day,

both in learning Nigleh,

both in learning Chassidut.

In this study of Chassidut there must also be included a portion of the weekly parshah — in "Torah Or" and "Likkutei Torah"¹⁷.

May the Almighty grant,

that each one should accept upon himself according to his true ability,

how much he can indeed truly,

and according to the root of his soul.

And the acceptance of Shabbat Bereshit that he takes upon himself an addition in learning Torah gives a power to carry this out in practice during the course of the year,

that later one saves much trouble,

and through this is drawn also into materiality in children, life, and sustenance with abundance.

One spoke of the virtue of summaries,

is the summary of the above-said:

Every one should take upon themselves an additional measure,

both in the study of the revealed and in the study of Chassidus.

* * *

7.

Today is Shabbat Mevarchim Marcheshvan.

The reason why they call the month Mar-Cheshvan — because this is the season of rains

(the time of rain)^1817*.

In Chassidus the difference is explained between tal

(dew)

and matar

(rain)¹⁹,

that matar depends on the service of the created beings,

one must pray for rain,

but tal is an "it'aruta d'leila"

(an awakening from above),

and tal lo mitz'ar²⁰

(tal is never withheld),

so since rain depends on the service of the created beings, it is therefore more difficult.

This is the difference between summer and winter.

Summer is tal — it'aruta d'leila — and winter is matar — it'aruta d'letata — therefore winter is more difficult.

Another distinction between the summer and the winter days: in summer it is very light,

spiritually,

the "Sun and Shield, the Lord God"²¹,

therefore also physically the sun shines—especially in the period of Tammuz—but in winter it is not so.

Then it is a time of service through arousal from below.

The Rebbe—the honorable, our teacher and Rebbe—once said that in summer the service—service of God—is easier than in winter.

The Shabbat Mevarchim Marcheshvan gives strength for the month of rain.

The Shabbat Mevarchim Marcheshvan is still in the month of Tishrei - which is "the seventh month, saturated with everything"²²

(The seventh month - counting from Nisan - which is saturated with everything)

- therefore from there is given a strength for the service of winter,

that although this is indeed "arousal from below," there is however upon it a "giving of strength."

And while one conducts the service of winter,

then is drawn from Shabbat Mevarchim Marcheshvan for an entire year in materiality and spirituality both together.

(From the talk of Shabbat Parshat Bereishit 5716)