English translation — י"ב-י"ג תמוז

1.

In connection with the imprisonment and redemption of 10-11 Tamuz of the Rebbe, his father-in-law,

he once related¹,

that in the maamarim of that Rosh Hashanah before the imprisonment — Rosh Hashanah 5687 — it discussed the method of the Baal Shem Tov²

in the matter of Divine Providence,

that Divine Providence is also over inanimate, vegetative, living, and over every single detail — although this matter had no connection to the maamar³,

and that were it not for this, he does not know if he could have endured

(borne the sufferings and come out of)

the imprisonment.

One must understand: the innovation of the method of the Baal Shem Tov in Divine Providence is,

as mentioned above,

that also all creations of living, vegetative, and inanimate are supervised with Divine Providence from the Almighty⁴,

but Divine Providence over the human species is indeed a matter that everyone agrees about

(even without the innovation of the Baal Shem Tov)⁵,

and especially regarding Israel, a people close to Him,

and Jews who observe Torah and mitzvos in the most particular details,

and all the more so when the subject is about leaders and princes of

Israel,

whose affairs are relevant to the community of Israel,

it is certainly utterly simple that all their affairs are by Divine Providence — so why, at the arrest of the Rebbe, did they need to arrive specifically at the method of the Baal Shem Tov⁶

in Divine Providence⁷?

The question is even greater: what is relevant here at all,

at the arrest of the Rebbe,

the emphasis on Divine Providence?

This had to do entirely with the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos,

with spreading Torah and strengthening Judaism and with carrying out the mission of the Almighty,

it is certainly <b>obvious</b> that everything related to this — including the things that were done with the Rebbe — were connected with the will, intention, and providence of the Almighty.

2.

Simply put,

that this itself is the plain meaning of the Rebbe's words "to endure

(to suffer the afflictions and to leave)

the imprisonment": since the discourse spoke about Divine Providence,

the Rebbe felt that all these afflictions of the imprisonment were with Divine Providence,

from the One Above,

and therefore he was able to endure them.

— Since he did not think about himself¹⁴,

he did not think that this is "ra yored"¹⁵.

Based on this, however, the question arises: why does the Rebbe emphasize the difficulties in enduring the sufferings of the imprisonment¹⁶?

And on the contrary: since the imprisonment with its sufferings were a result of his holy work in spreading the Torah

It is, however, not entirely smooth,

because according to this it is fitting that the emphasis should be

(not so much on the matter of Divine Providence,

but)

on the matter of "no evil descends from above"⁸

and so forth.

And as it is explained in Tanya⁹

in detail the advice to be able to bear sufferings,

until being able to receive them willingly and with joy,

as per the teaching of our Sages of blessed memory¹⁰

"Just as one blesses over the good, etc., and they explained in the Gemara¹¹

to receive them with joy"¹².

3.

And to note — the reason why the Rebbe did not mention <b>the </b>matter as a means to be able to endure the sufferings of imprisonment,

is understood:

The Rebbe was entirely immersed and devoted to the Above and to Torah and mitzvos,

in a manner that his own existence did not occupy space,

consequently it is understood that his physical sufferings could not cause a state of being unable to bear them¹³

And the strengthening of Judaism throughout all areas of the country,

and as is known and publicized the events of those days,

it should have then aroused in him,

on the contrary,

a movement of joy that he merited¹⁷

through this service to the level in mesirus nefesh¹⁸,

up to the sufferings of

(and fear)

death for so many days.

<b>Regarding this</b> as we find by R. Akiva¹⁹,

that when he merited sanctification of G-d's name, he,

at the very time when he was self-sacrificing amidst severe torments,

had from it the feeling of pleasure that came from the matter that "all my days I was distressed"²⁰.

4.

And one can say the explanation of this: in his discourses²¹

the Rebbe discusses the difference between the self-sacrifice of R. Akiva and the self-sacrifice of Avraham Avinu: R. Akiva said²²

"All my days I was distressed etc. when

"will come into my hand and I will fulfill it" — he sought and strove for mesirus nefesh &lt;b&gt;in its own right&lt;/b&gt;,

because of the great preciousness of mesirus nefesh,

since through this one attains the greatest level of connection and unification with the Supreme One&lt;sup&gt;23&lt;/sup&gt;.

Avraham Avinu did not seek any mesirus nefesh

(as a goal and purpose for itself).

His matter was to publicize G‑dliness in the world,

and he called there in the name of Havayah, G‑d of the world&lt;sup&gt;24&lt;/sup&gt;,

do not read "and he called" but rather "and he caused to call"&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;

; he was entirely immersed in the service of publicizing G‑dliness,

and if it was connected with mesirus nefesh — it did not prevent at all,

he was moser nefesh.

And therefore R. Akiva had pleasure from the afflictions of mesiras nefesh,

because his request was fulfilled — to give over his soul for Elokus.

By Avraham Avinu, however, it was different: when they imprisoned him in the prison&lt;sup&gt;26&lt;/sup&gt;

he had distress from it,

because being there he could not do the avodah of publicizing Elokus in the world.

5.

Likewise it was also by the Rebbe, the Baal HaGeulah: from the aspect of his own perfection and goodness,

the aforementioned situation — reaching the ultimate perfection in the avodah of mesiras nefesh,

even to physical suffering in its simple sense — causes a great joy&lt;sup&gt;27&lt;/sup&gt;.

Since however that his service was not

(because of the advantage of H)

with mesiras nefesh, with mesiras chayav,

but only in order to carry out his mission in this world,

to disseminate his Torah and commandments and the inner dimension of the Torah etc.²⁸

— and for this he was devoted in such a way that nothing prevented him from it,

even when it required mesiras nefesh,

at every time and on every step in his service

(as this was seen tangibly during the days of his leadership,

and especially in that country before the arrest),

it is understandable why he had great distress while being in prison.

For although he was then further elevated as mentioned above,

this however caused distress and suffering because the imprisonment and the sufferings of imprisonment prevented him from carrying out his mission to draw Jews close to G‑d and to His Torah²⁹.

6.

One must further understand: also this “great work which I performed in spreading Torah and strengthening religion”³⁰

the Rebbe did not

(only)

because this is <b>his </b>mission,

but because this is the

supernal intention — is since the imprisonment was, heaven forbid, not due to his “guilt,”

but entirely a result of the dissemination of Judaism in completeness with utmost self-sacrifice — it is therefore simply understood,

that thus was the supernal will,

that the Rebbe should then be in imprisonment and undergo all the sufferings of imprisonment, may G-d spare us — and if so, the question returns to its place: what place does, according to this, his distress over it have?

is the explanation in this: in the service of the soul to carry out the mission from the Above there are two ways.

And in a manner of an example as this is in the lower man,

in lower matters,

that his doing a task can be in two ways.

One way is that he does as an &lt;b&gt;employee&lt;/b&gt;: he is indeed entirely devoted to do the thing with faith,

until even not for the sake of receiving reward,

but nevertheless he is — employed by another,

this is not &lt;b&gt;his &lt;/b&gt;thing,

not his business.

Different is however when the work is done by the boss himself,

this is relevant to him — it is &lt;b&gt;his &lt;/b&gt;thing,

his own business.

The difference between the boss and the faithful employee is not so much noticeable in and during the work itself: both do the work with full devotion and diligence; the difference becomes mainly noticeable only later — at the completion of the work or at night,

between one weekday and its morrow.

In this time,

when the work is not done and the business is not conducted,

the employee sleeps peacefully: he has done faithfully everything

that <b>he</b> could do; oh,

the work or the business is not proper — he feels, however, that not he needs and not he can help to it,

he has a clear conscience.

But the boss — <b>he</b> cannot in such a situation sleep,

he cannot be at rest all the time the thing,

the business is not proper.

7.

Regarding this, there are two levels in souls and two ways in carrying out the intention of the Above in their mission in this world:

One way of service is,

that he is entirely devoted to carrying out his mission,

not for the sake of his own perfection and benefit,

but only for the sake of the supernal intention,

and he does this until self-sacrifice and including everything; but when he has done all that he could and he has no possibility to do more than that — it is not applicable that he should have distress from it.

And all the more so from that which "an unavoidable circumstance the Merciful One exempts him" from <b>his </b>service.

And especially knowing,

that everything is by supernal providence,

then this very thing is set and measured in the supernal providence,

not only how great <b>his </b>possibility should be to do the service,

but also how much the <b>matter </b>should now be carried out — therefore there is no reason and cause for distress.

But when a Jew is so much connected and united with the Above

that the will and intention of the Creator becomes his will and intention

then is

his service not

(rather)

in a manner that he carries out his mission from the Above,

but by him it seems that the service is his own matter,

and moreover — his entire existence.

And therefore,

even when he did everything that is within his ability to do,

since however the matter was not concluded or was not concluded completely,

he is,

as a "Baal HaBayis",

he has distress,

great distress from it.

Ch.

As the story that happened by one of the assemblies of rabbis in Petersburg at the time of the Rebbe

(the Maharash”b)

of blessed memory,

the father of the Baal HaGeulah.

The assemblies were in connection with this,

that the government then demanded that the rabbis and teachers should have a certain measure of education in secular studies³³.

Of course,

that all the great ones of Israel then strongly opposed the decree.

The ministers of the government however warned,

that if they will not give in and accept the decree, they will make, heaven forbid, pogroms on Jews.

The Rebbe of blessed memory then at an assembly spoke very sharp words,

and upon finishing speaking he fainted.

Because of the sharpness of his words

(and also words of protest against the ministers of the government because of their threatening with pogroms)

they then put him into imprisonment

(house arrest).

When the Rebbe, n"e, was later freed,

one of the rabbis entered to the Rebbe, n"e, and saw that the Rebbe, n"e, was sitting and crying.

he

said to the Rebbe, n"e: Lubavitcher Rebbe! Why are you crying?

Didn't we do everything that we could?

The Rebbe, n"e, answered: But the matter did not conclude ...

9.

This was the avodah of the Baal HaGeulah.

Being permeated with the supernal will and intention to disseminate Torah and mitzvos,

and to make of the world a dwelling place for the Blessed One — during his avodah in this, it was interrupted by his sitting in imprisonment

(and the continuation of the avodah stood in danger, G-d forbid),

it caused him great pain and suffering.

Moreover, with an introduction: It is known in the explanation of the verse³⁴

"And the man Moshe was very humble, more than any man upon the face of the earth,"

that this does not mean that Moshe did not know his virtues

(because of which — he received the Torah at Sinai,

redeemed Yisrael from Mitzrayim, etc.),

but on the contrary — his humility stemmed from the very fact that he knew about his lofty powers,

thinking that another with such powers would have accomplished much more,

as explained elsewhere³⁵.

Furthermore, the Rebbe certainly evaluated his strengths,

this is certainly necessary in order to use them to their fullest,

he also knew that the success in the work of spreading Torah and strengthening Judaism required that this be carried out specifically through the Rebbe,

that someone else will not be capable of carrying out the mission — it is certainly

understood how much the imprisonment caused him pain and anguish.

And regarding how we find by Moshe Rabbeinu,

that after the Most High decreed "You shall not bring this congregation to the land which I have given them"³⁶,

he was distressed and increased in prayers³⁷

to beseech from the Most High that he should be able to bring the Jews into the Land of Israel,

until it is called "the student who is repeatedly obstinate"³⁸,

which is understood,

that his intention in this was not for his own benefit,

rather his "longing"³⁹

to enter the Land of Israel was

(as with a "faithful servant"⁴⁰)

to fulfill and complete the Master's

(the Most High's)

mission which was — for the benefit of Israel:

Moshe Rabbeinu knew,

that that which after time will be the destruction of the Temple and the Jews will again need to go into exile etc.,

will be connected with that which Yehoshua will bring the Jews into the Land of Israel.

And therefore he prayed so much for his entry into the Land,

because if Moshe would have been the one who brought the Jews into Eretz Yisrael,

they would have had an eternal existence in the Land,

the Beis HaMikdash would not have been destroyed and there would no longer be any subjugation to the kingdoms⁴¹.

10.

It is, however, still not understood: since everything is by Divine providence and intention of the Creator,

and the ultimate intention of the Above is that through spreading Torah and strengthening Judaism, G-dliness should be revealed in the world,

until the world becomes a dwelling place for Him, may He be blessed,

it will certainly be carried out — then from this itself it is proven that also the matter of the imprisonment etc. is not in vain, that the work should, G-d forbid, be weakened,

but on the contrary,

through this there should come an advantage in the spreading of Judaism etc.⁴².

And as this indeed manifested in practice,

that after the redemption of our Rebbe, the work of strengthening Judaism became even more intensified,

until this led to the departure of our Rebbe from that country,

which enabled that his work in spreading Torah and strengthening Judaism became much more intensified and broadened,

until the spreading to all ends of the earth

that although the entry was actualized not through Moshe but through Yehoshua,

and therefore there could have been and there was the destruction and exile,

nevertheless this was ultimately for the good of Israel — this caused that all revelations should be drawn down through the service of Jews,

and as a result of this — that the revelations of the lower Gan Eden are in a much higher manner&lt;sup&gt;43&lt;/sup&gt;]

Today why should this cause pain and suffering?

And it is explained, the reasoning in this:

Since during the arrest itself there was a state of concealment and hiding regarding the work of spreading the Torah,

which could not be carried out even in the manner that it was before the arrest,

this itself is a painful and distressing thing; and not only distressing from the standpoint of the situation and condition of the Jewish soul here below,

but

(also)

a distress, as it were, above — because of the state of the opposite of the revelation of G‑dliness.

And in the manner as it is known in the matter of the tzimtzum

(which the Rebbe explains in the 12-13 Tammuz maamar⁴⁴),

that although the intention of the tzimtzum is for the sake of the revelation that follows it,

and

(furthermore)

the intention of the revelation itself is the entire reason for the tzimtzum — nevertheless, "the body and essence of the tzimtzum is the opposite of the will,"

because the supernal will is,

that there should be a revelation of light.

Yes.

According to all the above, one will understand the connection of the Baal Shem Tov's approach in Divine Providence

(that this is also upon inanimate, vegetative, and living [beings] and upon every detail of every kind and upon the details of his affairs)

to the matter of "enduring

(to suffer the afflictions and to leave from)

the imprisonment" —

One must say that the intention in this is

The novelty that emerges from the approach of the Baal Shem Tov

(That there exists Divine Providence on inanimate)

Regarding Divine Providence <b>upon man</b>:

The Rebbe explains in a Yud-Beis Tammuz discourse⁴⁵,

That the concept of Divine Providence that the Baal Shem Tov explains,

Does not mean only that every particular movement of every created being is under Divine Providence of the Creator, blessed be He,

But moreover,

That the particular movement of this particular created being "has a general relationship to the entire purpose of creation...

Even one movement of a particular blade of grass completes the supernal intention in the matter of creation"⁴⁶.

What comes out of this is an action also in the matter of Divine Providence over man:

Also according to the view of the proponents of the approach that Divine Providence is only over the speaking species and over the inanimate/vegetable/animal there is only a general Providence

("specific Providence not individual"⁴⁷)

— this is specifically regarding such matters that only pertain to the species of the inanimate/vegetable/animal themselves; but in a case when from a particular thing

(from the inanimate/vegetable/animal)

"some matter reaches the Providence of man",

they also hold that then there is Providence also over that particular.

But according to them — "the Holy One, blessed be He, will not decree upon these fish that they die or live, but He decreed upon this man his matter and his livelihood ..

And similarly, Providence is found for man in his animals, such as if his ox fattens ..

if his jug breaks"⁴⁸.

According to their approach it turns out,

that the concept of Divine Providence is specifically upon man,

since he is the purpose of all creation

("Because of Israel who are called

first-fruit"),

and consequently Divine Providence is upon &lt;b&gt;all &lt;/b&gt;matters of man

(even when this is a matter of inanimate, vegetable, animal).

From this it is understood,

that there is a difference of opinions also in Divine Providence in the matters of man himself: in the matters in which one sees in them the superiority of man,

due to which he is the purpose of creation — Divine Providence upon this is in a revealed manner; but not so a thing which is by man only a secondary matter in which one does not see in it the superiority of man,

Divine Providence is not in that thing <b>in and of itself</b>,

but only insofar as the secondary matter pertains to man⁴⁹.

But not so according to the opinion of the Baal Shem Tov,

that every single detail of creation,

even a "single movement of a particular blade of grass",

has in and of itself a "general relation <b>to the entirety</b> of the purpose of creation" and "completes the supernal intention in the matter of creation" — then certainly and certainly it is so in the particular matters that pertain to man,

that every single detail <b>in and of itself</b> completes the supernal intention in the matter of creation.

12.

And this is also the explanation in the above-mentioned words of the Rebbe, my father-in-law, of blessed memory:

The innovation of the Baal Shem Tov's approach regarding Divine Providence brought about the realization⁵⁰,

that since the decree and his sufferings are by Divine Providence, it is additional to that which from this will come the completion of the supernal intention through

The addition and strengthening in the dissemination of Judaism⁵¹

<b>After the redemption </b>from the imprisonment mentioned above,

is also the very imprisonment and its sufferings etc. “completes the supreme intention in the matter of creation,”

to reveal Divinity in the world.

And it can be said that the achievement and advantage expressed itself openly in this,

that the very imprisonment brought about during the actual event even more awakening and mesiras nefesh among Jews in general and his chassidim and connections in particular,

to strengthen themselves in the Rebbe’s work of strengthening Judaism⁵².

And moreover — this also manifested itself in the imprisonment itself: the very "stand" of the Rebbe with immense strength in his conduct <b>there</b>,

that he should not be affected at all by the enemies and opponents of holiness; moreover: he should not consider them as any reality at all,

until he looked upon them as if they were "as nothing and naught",

and thus he indeed conducted himself the entire duration of his being in imprisonment⁵³

This revealed <b>in the imprisonment itself</b> that "there is none else besides Him"⁵⁴.

And this effected the nullification upon them,

that they themselves had to —

gladden the Rebbe,

as discussed several times at length.

יג.

It is indeed “these days are remembered and performed”⁵⁵,

and “after the head, the body follows”⁵⁶,

that the conduct of the Rebbe which he related is a directive and empowerment in the service of every Jew:

First of all, one must know that no thing may hinder and prevent from carrying out the mission of the Rebbe in spreading Torah and strengthening Judaism.

And especially when it is possible that because the work is not conducted with the required alacrity,

one delays for a moment the coming of Moshiach our righteousness and the Shechinah in exile:

And on the other hand, one must know,

that in whatever situation and condition a Jew may find himself,

even when he sees no possibility, heaven forbid, that he can do in the dissemination of Judaism and the wellsprings,

one must not despair, heaven forbid,

one must remember that also this is with Divine Providence,

and when there is the "toil",

there will also be "and you will find"⁵⁷,

that one will also in that situation and condition find a matter that will bring about a revelation of Divinity and in actual revelation.

That by means of this one will ultimately effect that the service should also be in a state of revelation,

which will bring with alacrity the coming of Mashiach our righteousness,

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of the Lord has spoken⁵⁸.

(From the sicha of 13 Tammuz 5711)