English translation — י"ט כסלו א

A.

His Holy Honor, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, once

(in a Sukkos-related sicha¹)

gave a parable on the matter of Chassidus,

and this is his language:

Pearls — pearls — are found on the surface of the sea.

Coals,

which make light and warmth,

are found in the depths of the earth.

The order in this is,

that there must be a leader,

who points out where to dig and how to find the coals.

So on the wisdom of the leader the workers can rely,

but they must obey precisely what the leader tells them.

But nevertheless,

the spirit of life that each one must have while being in the depths of the earth from the air that is above the earth,

on that they cannot rely on the spirit of life that the leader has.

Each worker must himself have a connection of spirit of life from the air that is above the earth, and if not, he becomes, heaven forbid, a fallen one,

that is, he remains without vitality.

The same thing is with one who descends into water to find the pearl,

he must have a spirit of life from above the earth.

And the Rebbe then conducted,

that the analogue everyone can understand by himself: Chassidus makes bright and warm — like the parable of the coals — only one must descend into the depths of the earth to refine etc.,

only when one descends into the depths of the earth,

one must be connected to above,

and then one has vitality.

B.

It is understood and simple,

that every detail in the parable is exact and corresponds to the analogue — one must understand:

a)

Why did the Rebbe give a parable of <b>two</b> things — coals in the depths of the earth and pearls in the sea — and not content Himself with one of them?

b)

Although the Rebbe began with the parable of “pearls” — nevertheless the main length in the parable is about “coals”; and even more: in the nimshal the Rebbe interpreted <b>only</b> the matter of the coals

(and about “pearls” He did not mention at all)

— and a reason is needed?

It is a great difficulty to say,

that since the Rebbe concluded that "the moral everyone can understand by himself",

he relied that one would understand by himself the matter of the pearl and its details in the moral — because regarding coals he explains indeed each one in the moral

(and does not rely that one will understand by himself).

From this it is implied,

that the main thing that is relevant to know is that which Chassidus is like the parable of the coals.

ג)

Every matter that is brought in Torah is with utmost precision.

One must say,

that the connection of coals to earth and pearls to sea,

is not only because this is the place where they are found physically,

but because there is a

Inner connection in content between them.

One must understand: What is the connection in content between coals to earth,

and pearls — to sea?

3.

The difference between earth and sea is explained in many places,

One understands it from the difference between the creatures that are upon the earth and the creatures that are in the sea³

It is indeed "everything was from the dust"&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;

— everything was created "from the earth"&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;

— and creatures receive their vitality from the earth

("from the earth comes forth bread"&lt;sup&gt;6&lt;/sup&gt;),

but nevertheless one does not see

(after the creature is created)

any connection and bond between the creatures and the ground;

But not so the creatures of the sea — fish,

when they depart from the sea they immediately die&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt;,

they must be found in the source of their vitality.

What therefore stands³,

that "sea" is a metaphor for the worlds where the G‑dly power

(which brings them into being, enlivens them, and sustains them)

shines in revelation,

so that the creations feel that they must always be attached to the source of their vitality, lest they lose their existence and sustenance; therefore the worlds are called "concealed worlds",

because the existence and entity of the worlds is "covered",

concealed in their source

(in the manner of fish of the sea)

In contrast, "land" is a metaphor for the worlds where the creations do not feel the G‑dly power that creates them

(they do not feel their connection to the source of their vitality)

; and therefore they are called "worlds of revelation" — their existence is "revealed",

they feel themselves as a thing in themselves.

And this is also the point of the explanation in the two things in the parable — coals &lt;b&gt;in the earth&lt;/b&gt; and pearls &lt;b&gt;in the sea&lt;/b&gt; — because the activity of Chassidus in the soul of man divides,

in general,

into two: a)

in the "revealed" in man — the aspect of "earth" in him,

b)

in the "hidden" in man,

the aspect of "sea" in him&lt;sup&gt;8&lt;/sup&gt;,

as follows.

D.

One will understand this with an introduction from the explanations on that which Chassidus was revealed in the latter generations specifically.

For seemingly,

the generation is worthy — in the innocence of&lt;sup&gt;9&lt;/sup&gt;.

And from them:

a)

Just as the darkness of exile becomes ever greater¹⁰,

one must have a higher light in order to overcome the darkness¹¹.

And therefore they revealed the soul of the Torah,

which arouses and reveals the deeper,

hidden powers of the soul

(the hidden aspect of the soul).

b)

Just as we are already at the end of the time of exile,

when one must prepare for the future redemption to come — and a preparation must indeed be of the same kind as the thing for which one is preparing — there was given a "taste" and a "foretaste" of the future revelation¹²

(and it is brought down as halachah in the Magen Avraham¹⁴

and Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe¹⁵

— the master of the redemption and joy)

that on Erev Shabbat one must taste from the foods of Shabbat

("Those who taste it merit life"¹⁶)].

Of the differences between the two explanations is¹⁷

According to the first reason,

that Chassidus protects from the darkness of the exile — this is connected with the revealed powers in man,

which wage the war with the exile,

are conquering his body and his animal soul and his portion in the world,

through Chassidus there is given into them a strength

(from <b>the inwardness </b>and hidden aspects of the soul)

to be able to overcome the darkness of the world,

even the double and multiplied darkness of the later generations.

But not according to the second reason,

that Chassidus is a "taste" of the future revelation — this is not a matter of

protecting oneself from darkness

(which happens automatically),

but rather in order to unite oneself with Elokus

(which corresponds to the known¹⁸,

that in the future the avodah will not be "to clarify the clarifications" — because "and the spirit of impurity I will remove from the earth"¹⁹

— but only ascents from strength to strength in holiness itself).

Which this is connected with the hidden aspect of the soul⁸

<b>in its own essence</b>,

which it is one thing,

so to speak,

with the hidden aspect of the Holy One, blessed be He²⁰

(Yisrael and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one).

And since the first matter,

to protect oneself from darkness,

is an absolute necessity in the service of man to his Creator — in the language of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, in the aforementioned sicha "not to become a fallen one, G-d forbid...

without vitality" — therefore the matter in Chassidus is compared to "coals that make light and warm",

necessary matters in the life of people,

and as follows;

But the effect of Chassidus in the hidden aspect of the soul by itself — is compared to pearls,

because during the time of exile this is not a matter of necessity

(so much),

but a thing that makes the person more beautiful

(like the parable of the pearls).

And this is the reason why the main length in the sicha is about coals and not about pearls,

because the concept in Chassidus is necessary in the service of man now, first and foremost.

H.

The explanation of this in detail:

In this matter of the coals, the Rebbe says

Two matters: "They make <b>light</b> and <b>warm</b>" — what the common denominator of these two things is:

Warmth —

(the sign of)

<b>Vitality </b>— and brightness,

do not add any <b>new details </b>in a thing,

rather they cause that the thing itself

(which is already there from before in its completeness)

should become <b>warm </b>

(<b>living</b>)

and <b>bright</b>.

And so too is the Torah of Chassidus²¹

: Chassidus did not add, heaven forbid, any new matters in Torah — in Torah no change is applicable,

deficiency or addition²²

; also <b>before the revelation </b>of the Torah of Chassidus there was the fulfillment of all the 613 mitzvos in completeness.

One needed, however, to have — when in the world it became colder and darker,

until a very great cold and darkness — a revelation of liveliness and warmth and brightness in the performance.

That this is the answer to the question of unity: the deeds of our fathers are in our hands and his grandfather

(before the revelation of the Baal Shem Tov and the teachings of Chassidus)

came out without the study of Chassidus — he himself knows, however, that by his grandfather it was warmer and brighter

(and incomparably),

and so in his entire <b>generation</b> —

(it is possible in the generation of the simple ones).

And in the manner of the proof and the decision²³

: since in the period of Tammuz he does not need to heat

He will not need to close the door and windows to the street — he will always do so also in the period of Tevet.

Chassidus,

through the fact that it <b>reveals </b>the innerness of the soul of a Jew,

it has brought in <b>vitality </b>and light into all matters of Torah and mitzvos.

And this is one of the main <b>emphases </b>of the teachings of Chassidus,

that divine service must be with vitality and joy²⁴,

and on the other hand,

the emphasis of the danger of absence and even weakening of vitality,

the danger of coldness, heaven forbid,

(which is the sign and opposite of life, may it not be)²⁵.

The vitality in avodas Hashem can however be <b>measured</b>,

according to the <b>nature</b> of man.

Like every animal that indeed has vitality

(and on the contrary,

the vitality of many animals is with more warmth than that of the human species),

but the vitality of an animal is according to its nature²⁶

— it cannot do otherwise than its nature.

The accomplishment of a <b>Jew</b>²⁶,

is

(not only that he is <b>warm</b> and also <b>warm</b> to another Jew,

but)

that he has the power to make <b>light</b> within himself: to see with the eye of his intellect — "the wise man's eyes are in his head" in that which rests upon the head²⁷

(not as <b>he</b> and around him <b>wants</b>,

but)

as it <b>needs</b> to be,

and <b>do</b> so even when this is not according to his nature,

and even contrary to his nature.

as the Gemara says²⁸,

that it can be

someone who should be careful in all 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments,

and does them with vitality — and nevertheless he is called "not <b>served</b>"²⁹,

because he does not go against his nature.

So that it should be "doing the will of the Place",

must be the service of "with all your might"³⁰,

do above the measures and limitations of one's nature,

which this is achieved through that one is "luminous".

Just as the two matters of warmth and luminosity are an inner matter in the order of service of Torah and mitzvos — therefore

(as his holy honor, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, says in the sicha)

"there must be a leader who points out" the order of service³¹,

That these are our Rabbis, our leaders in every generation,

who give forth the order of divine service — together with the giving of power — how one should warm oneself and make light within oneself and around oneself; and "upon the wisdom of the leader can the workers rely,

but they must obey <b>exactly</b> what the leader tells them."

6.

Upon this the Rebbe adds another matter in the sicha: "But nevertheless the spirit of life that each one needs to have...

For this they cannot rely on the spirit of life that the leader has.

Every worker needs himself to have a connection of spirit of life etc.'':

One can indeed mean,

that since one relies on the wisdom of the leader and must obey him precisely as above,

the surrender of the will alone is enough

— as someone once argued,

that they should write for him every <b>detail</b> from aleph to tav that he needs to do and he will obey everything because he is at the level of surrender of the will.

But to toil and think on his own he does not want —

One says,

that together with the mesiras haratzon,

one must have a complete,

a komah sheleimah,

with Chabad

(intellect)

Chagat

(emotions)

and Nehi

(action)

to “obey precisely what the leader says”].

And this is what the Rebbe says in the sichah,

that regarding the spirit of life that each one must have, one cannot rely on the spirit of life that the <b>leader</b> has — not like the approach³²

“Tzaddik be’emunaso yichyeh”³³,

al tikrei yichyeh ela yechayeh,

that one relies on the tzaddik that <b>he</b> will <b>give life</b>³⁴

— rather each one needs <b>himself</b> to have a connection of spirit of life.

In simple words: one must have a fixed time for study every single day in the study of Chassidus,

and not a superficial study,

but rather truly toil to understand Chassidus etc.,

until one feels within oneself that one has toiled.

And this must truly be every single day, literally.

One cannot rely on the fact that he is full and overflowing and knows so many and so many maamarim by heart,

or even on the fact that he just yesterday toiled on a maamar of Chassidus — rather one must make the connection with the spirit of life anew every single day.

Because in life, no interruption is possible³⁵

And as it is with animals literally: when someone will argue that he wants to be a living being Sunday and Monday,

but in between — Monday — he wants to rest from being a living being — it is understood that then, heaven forbid, the Monday is not there ...

And the main thing one must remember — that this is meant indeed in &lt;b&gt;actual deed&lt;/b&gt; and indeed &lt;b&gt;Him actually&lt;/b&gt;.

And not as he was yesterday,

but as he is today arisen in the morning and they returned to him the soul anew — new every morning&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;

— he must anew make the connection with the spirit of life&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;,

through a fixed time in the study of Chassidus,

with a new desire until — like one who never learned in his life.

And through this will the service during the entire day be with warmth and light as appropriate³⁷.

7.

This all is the matter of the “coals” in Chassidus,

which is connected with

The aspect of "earth" — the revealed in man.

The coals are indeed found in the depths of the earth,

which indicates the inwardness of man — but nevertheless,

it is the depths of the earth.

And therefore the service is not entirely excluded that the man who serves should nevertheless feel himself as an existence for himself.

He is indeed a servant of God with great vitality,

and even more — he changes himself and does contrary to his nature and habit,

above his measures and limitations,

but after all this he is "there is one who loves"³⁸.

His existence is "in revelation" — he cooks himself in the service of God,

until a cooking above measure and limitation.

Afterwards, however, there is the higher concept in Chassidus — to accomplish the concept of "itkasya" — that a Jew should be entirely "covered" and immersed up over the head³⁹

in the source of his vitality,

in Elokus.

Until that he is no existence for himself.

Which this is achieved through study of pnimiyus haTorah,

the <b>wellsprings</b> of the Torah,

where Elokus expresses itself in a <b>revealed</b> manner.

And as explained in many places⁴⁰,

that in nigleh d’Torah it can be,

as the Gemara says,

they did not bless on the Torah first

(the blessing of "Nosein HaTorah" although there is chavivas haTorah⁴¹)

one forgets about

(the blessing of)

Nosein HaTorah, G-d forbid,

but not so in pnimiyus haTorah, one feels Elokus

(although one does not take the

Choice,

And consequently one can provoke, heaven forbid, the evil inclination upon oneself and learn the inner dimensions of the Torah in an undesirable manner).

And through the fact that one learns Chassidus casually,

one becomes “covered” entirely and placed into Godliness,

somewhat like it will be in the future to come,

when “the earth will be filled with knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”⁴².

And since this is not a matter of <b>action in actuality</b>— one finds <b>about this</b> and its like also in the revealed part of Torah, the study of Torah from "Yagdil Torah Veyadir"⁴³,

in which there is no practical difference in actual deed,

the study is only "drush and receive reward"⁴⁴

— therefore it is compared to "pearls",

which are not an absolutely necessary matter — a person can live a life without pearls.

Ch.

In what matters are these words said? That one can get by without pearls,

this is only when one remains within one's own four cubits.

But when one must stand before the king,

and not as the king is in the field,

but as he is in the palace of his kingship,

chamber within chamber⁴⁵

— then it is not enough that one has all the garments in perfection

(even — garments of a rich man),

but one must also have

jewelry and pearls,

and such that are suited for one who must stand before the king — and if not,

it is not merely that a detail is missing,

but it touches upon the honor of the king⁴⁶.

And so it is in the analogy: that which the study of Chassidus as a matter in itself

(because of the matter of "Know the God of your father"⁴⁷)

was not such a⁴⁸

necessity in earlier generations,

before the final preparations for the coming of Moshiach began,

and consequently there was not such a necessity for "pearls."

But when we are at "Behold He stands behind our wall"⁴⁹

— very soon Moshiach comes, for in his coming there is an end to darkness and the true and complete redemption begins,

whose essence is

(as explained in several places⁵⁰)

the "marriage," so to speak, of Jews with the Most High,

that it will be revealed how Jews are one thing, so to speak, with the Most High

("and they shall become one flesh"⁵¹),

Yisrael and the King alone⁵²

— one must therefore prepare in a manner appropriate to this; one must have the "pearls"⁵³

with which one "goes to

The chuppah with the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

— One must learn Chassidus calmly and at ease.

9.

This is also the answer

to those who argue: True, indeed, that Chassidus is a good thing etc.,

And on the contrary — this is a matter that is compared to pearls — but he does not chase after pearls.

He is satisfied that his "garments"

(thought, speech and action of the 613 commandments of the Torah)

are perfect,

and he also has jewelry.

But "pearls" he does not lack!

one must know,

that in addition to that which it is <b>a law</b> in Shulchan Aruch,

an obligation to learn the inner dimension of the Torah

(like all parts of the Torah)⁵⁷,

and even more — from the aspect of the darkness of the footsteps of Mashiach one must have the study of Chassidus so that the <b>garments</b> should be complete,

as mentioned above — is <b>the</b> order

(of not chasing after "pearls")

had a place in previous generations.

<b>Now</b> however,

when

"Behold⁵⁸

He stands behind our wall",

one must prepare oneself ready "to go to the wedding canopy" with the King of kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He; so what does it mean — he does not chase after pearls?

In the Zohar⁵⁹

it stands,

that in the time of the exile, Jews are like a bride who finds herself in the "market of the butchers,"

that from the side of the great love for his bride,

the groom — the Most High — forgoes the bad smell of the market of the butchers — the exile,

and goes there where the bride is,

Jews are.

This is all an order of the time of the exile.

Now has come the time when there must be "lifting up of the exile!"

(out of exile),

while still being in Egypt, "for all the children of Israel there was light in their dwellings"⁶⁰,

being <b>ready</b> for the true and complete redemption — is what it means that one prepares for the "chuppah" with garments which are sufficient when the street is a market of the butchers ...

And through that which one prepares oneself properly for the “chuppah” with the Most High,

with a multitude of pearls — one floods the world with the study of Chassidus “as waters cover the sea” — this itself hastens and speeds⁶¹

that one should actualize the great joy of the

marriage⁶²

between Jews and the Most High

— one will see with fleshly eyes and below ten handbreadths how Yisrael and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one,

Yisrael and the King alone,

and speedily, with His right hand, literally.

(From the sicha of Simchas Beis HaShoevah 5721)