English translation — וישב-י"ט כסלו

1.

It is known what the Shelah writes in our parshah¹

that all the festivals of the year have a connection in their matters to the parshiyot of the Torah that are read in the times in which the festivals occur,

including also the festivals that began much time after the parshiyot were given,

It is understandable regarding the festival²

of Yud-Tes Kislev,

which occurs this year

(and in most years³)

in the week of parshas Vayeishev⁴,

that the content of this yom-tov is connected and hinted at in parshas Vayeishev⁵.

At first glance, however, not only does one not find that the content of the parshah has a connection to the matter of 19 Kislev,

but on the contrary,

at first glance the parshah is of opposite content to 19 Kislev:

19 Kislev is the day that freedom was granted to him — to the Alter Rebbe,

and the day of redemption of the Torah of Chassidus,

as is known and famous; in contrast, in the parshah it speaks about "the beginning of the cause of the descent of Israel to Egypt"⁶,

beginning from that which Yaakov Avinu sent Yosef,

from the depth of Chevron"⁷

and the subsequent events,

until Yosef's sale and descent to Egypt⁸

which led to "the descent of our father Yaakov to Egypt etc."

which brings the parable: to a cow that they were pulling to the slaughterhouse and she would not be pulled, what did they do to her? They pulled her calf before her, and she went after him against her will, against her desire. So was Yaakov Avinu fitting to descend to Egypt in chains and in collars. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: My firstborn son, and I should bring him down in disgrace? etc. Rather, I will pull his son before him, and he will descend after him, etc., against his will¹⁰].

2.

And we must explain the connection and relationship between them based on the known,

Then the Egyptian exile was

not as a punishment¹¹,

but on the contrary — the purpose of it was the "and afterwards they will go out with great wealth"¹²

simply,

in physicality,

and also in spirituality,

The Egyptian exile prepared the Jews that

(when you bring out¹³

the people etc.)

you shall serve God on this mountain — to be able to receive the Torah at the giving of the Torah¹⁴.

This is the concept,

that exile is not a matter in itself, but the entire intention and purpose of exile is the elevation that comes through the redemption

(from the exile),

was revealed by Joseph,

also as it is told simply, that: the sale of Joseph and his descent to Egypt

(in the eyes of flesh)

came through the undesirable intention of the brothers of Joseph¹⁵,

but afterwards the truth and purpose of the matter was revealed,

that "For preservation did God send me before you, etc., to place for you a remnant in the land and to keep you alive for a great deliverance; and now, not you sent me here, but God, etc."¹⁶.

And so the midrash emphasizes⁹

"And Joseph was brought down to Egypt¹⁷

— subjugation¹⁸

the M.D.A. "and he went down from sea to sea"¹⁹

ruled over them the M.D.A. because he rules over all the other side of the river"²⁰,

"subjugation" and "rule" is learned from the expression "he was brought down to Egypt" — the intention and purpose²¹

of the bringing down is,

that Joseph should become the subduer and ruler,

the viceroy in Egypt,

and without him "no man shall lift his hand or his foot"²².

And likewise regarding the imprisonment and redemption of Yud-Tes Kislev: the imprisonment was not a separate matter and afterwards came the redemption,

but the redemption was the ultimate purpose of the imprisonment itself.

As the Rebbe

(the Maharash”b)

of blessed memory said²³,

that although it is difficult to say so,

nevertheless it is indeed so,

that the revelation that came after Petersburg was in the manner of our Sages, may their memory be blessed,²⁴

"the olive, when it is crushed, yields its oil"; and from the parable it is understood in the allegory — "they crush it" is entirely from the outset for the sake of "it yields its oil" — and as the Rebbe of blessed memory continues: "so through the accusations that were in P”b specifically the inner aspect was revealed etc. and the main intention was specifically in the revelation of the inner aspect"²⁵.

And as is known²⁶,

that

(after)

Yud-Tes Kislev began primarily the matter of "they will spread out

"Your springs outward" — the clothing of G‑dliness in comprehension.

And so too was the effect of Yud-Tes Kislev regarding the nations of the world,

the ministers of the kingdom,

that the imprisonment led to this,

that "His name..

was magnified and sanctified ..

in the eyes of all the ministers ..

and they answered and said²⁷

about this: 'For from the L‑rd was this; it is wondrous in our eyes'"²⁸

and <b>they</b> gave permission and authority to <b>publicize</b> the innermost dimension of the Torah,

the teachings of Chassidus.

3.

Nevertheless, it is still not entirely smooth: after all, in Parshat Vayeishev the subject is,

explicitly,

about the <b>descent</b> of Joseph to Egypt etc. until his being in the prison²⁹

— and the matter of the good and benefit that came from the descent of Joseph to Egypt is only revealed

(counted)

afterwards,

in the later portions of the Torah — not like the matter of the redemption that was actualized on Yud-Tes Kislev.

One must say,

that also in our parshah,

there is a matter and content of redemption.

It will be understood by prefacing the explanation in the words of the aforementioned midrash: From what our Rabbis, of blessed memory, say,

that the concept of <b>"subjugation"</b> is hinted at in the phrase "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt" itself — "the midrash says <b>and he descended</b> from sea to sea",

it is understood,

that Joseph's descent to Egypt did not only <b>later lead</b> to "subjugation"

(to his becoming a viceroy,

when he actually became the ruler over them)

and that this was the <b>purpose</b> of the "brought down

to Egypt" — but moreover: both concepts are contained in the <b>same</b> word <b>brought down</b>

("brought down" — descent,

and "brought down" from the term "and he shall rule,

he shall have dominion" — rulership),

while the descent was at the time of the act itself "and he shall rule,

he shall have dominion" "subjugation",

— although these are,

at first glance,

contradictory matters.

Also one must understand: in the Midrash there, afterwards another interpretation is brought on "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt" — "He brought down the Shechinah

(so to speak)

to Egypt with him, etc. From where do you know that the Shechinah descended with him? Because it is written³⁰

And the Lord was with Joseph",

And since, as is known, all interpretations in the same word have a connection between themselves,

one must say,

that also this interpretation is connected with the previous interpretation of "horad" — "kivshon".

D.

And one can say the explanation in this: In redemption and deliverance from exile there are three modes³¹

Redemption in a way of war — when one fights with the opponent until one overpowers and defeats him.

The redemption and deliverance is not a complete one,

because one must use his

(at least — a semblance of)

weapons³²,

strategies of war etc. until — that you have shed much blood³³

— until it becomes "war" — they draw near to each other etc.³⁴

And in the language of Chassidus, one descends into "the garments of clarification"³⁵

to wage war with him,

this must cause a descent,

"all my garments are filthy"³⁶.

And consequently,

also after the victory and redemption it is still not a complete redemption.

There still remains the "filthiness" etc.;

A higher aspect in redemption is — redemption &lt;b&gt;in peace&lt;/b&gt;: one finds oneself in a state of redemption and deliverance because his strength is to such an extent — that the chiefs of Edom were confounded etc.,

terror and dread fall upon them&lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;,

one stands &lt;b&gt;above&lt;/b&gt; the opponent &lt;b&gt;completely&lt;/b&gt; — and it is simple that there is no relevance of closeness

(approach).

which does not clothe itself in the world, rather "Behold, My words are like fire: just as fire does not receive impurity, so too My words do not receive impurity"&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;].

But also in the aspect of redemption, the chiefs of Edom were in their strength in their place — it can be that afterwards it should be and one nation shall overpower the other nation^,3

When this rises, etc. may it be.

Even though that <b>the</b> man is in a state of complete redemption,

It is however only that by <b>him</b> there is no place for the opponent — for exile; but in this "place" of exile,

a redemption has not been accomplished;

The highest level is,

that

(although there is a descent to the place and state of the opponent

(to an enclothing in exile),

nevertheless it is not only not in a manner that the exile effects "I will exile"

(a true descent),

but on the contrary:)

The exile itself becomes transformed into a state of redemption.

And then this is a redemption in its completeness,

which leaves no place for opponent and exile.

And this is the explanation of the verse

"He redeemed in peace my soul

of war that comes in a manner of enclothing in exile,

nevertheless)

the redemption is in a manner of "peace";

Because the redemption comes from a level where the entire definition of exile does not exist,

and therefore it opens up,

that the exile itself becomes⁴³

a matter of redemption⁴⁴.

5.

The three aforementioned modes in redemption also correspond to the three modes of service —

(a)

tribes,

(b)

patriarchs,

(c)

Joseph⁴⁵

The tribes were shepherds of sheep,

in solitude,

being in the field⁴⁶

separated from the world,

so that the matters of the world should not disturb them from their attachment to G‑d.

In the inner aspect of the matters: in the level of the tribes

(the <b>lower</b> chariot)

the world has a place of grasp,

and consequently, if they would descend and occupy themselves with matters of the world, they would not be able to remain at their level of attachment to G‑d in the manner of <b>chariot</b>⁴⁷.

In the level of the patriarchs

(the supernal chariot)

is that even when finding themselves in the world,

they are not enclothed in the world,

and therefore the matters of the world do not confuse their attachment to God

Higher than this is the level of the service of Joseph,

which on one hand he was enclothed in the matters of the world,

because being in Egypt there was with him a "disturbance

great and immense,"

and all the more so and a fortiori when he became "king

over Egypt as it is said

upon your mouth shall kiss etc. only the throne etc. that without you no man shall lift his hand etc.",

and especially when he was the one who "provisioned

grain

for all the people of the land, that his business was with <b>the entire world</b> etc.":

and so it was with him also earlier,

from his descent to Egypt — being a slave in the house of Potiphar, the captain of the executioners, he was occupied in the affairs of Potiphar; and also afterwards,

when he was imprisoned in the prison,

since "and

the captain of the prison placed in Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison, and everything that was done there, he did" —

And nevertheless, all these distractions did not confuse him in his attachment to G‑d, and also during his involvement with them he was a "true chariot to G‑dliness"⁵⁴.

Because by him, the Divine light that is <b>completely</b> above the world shone⁵⁵,

that from the perspective of this light, it is not even possible to say that the world does not occupy space,

therefore the manner of service can be in a way of enclothing in the world,

and nevertheless, this does not confuse the attachment,

the attachment to G‑dliness is also heard in the worldly matters in which

One is clothed,

so that <b>in</b> the world itself, Elokus is heard⁵⁶

above the framework of the world.

And as we find it by Yosef,

that being a slave in Potiphar's house, "And his master saw⁵⁷

<b>his master</b> that <b>Hashem was with him</b> and whatever he did, Hashem made successful in his hand" — in the "place" where Potiphar is <b>"his master"</b>,

there specifically, that same "his master" saw "that Hashem was with him".

And also afterwards,

being a prisoner in the prison,

"And Hashem was⁵⁸

with Yosef and extended kindness to him and gave him favor in the eyes of the prison warden" — this was also heard by the prison warden,

where Yosef was a <b>prisoner</b>!

6.

Based on the above, one will also understand what the Midrash says on "And Yosef was <b>brought down</b> to Egypt" — <b>"the subjugation</b> ..

he will rule from sea to sea",

and the connection of this matter to the explanation

(of "brought down")

With that which "And Yosef was <b>brought down</b> to Egypt" literally,

and also spiritually — with him was the descent and enclothing in Egypt,

being there,

in his descent,

he remained in his essential G‑dliness

"he brought the Shechinah down with him":

("he brought the Shechinah down with him")

— with the <b>descent</b> itself was opened the "subjugation".

Because when <b>Yosef</b> arrives in Egypt,

this itself makes over Egypt,

until that even in the "place" of Egypt Elokus was heard.

And this

opened up <b>immediately at the beginning</b> of the descent,

and as above that "And his master saw that <b>Hashem</b> <b>was with him"</b> and consequently "and he appointed him over his house and all that he had he gave into his hand"⁵⁹,

and likewise afterwards being in the prison,

The Oral Torah reveals that "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt" means and its content — "the submersion of the [matter] and he went down into water etc."

7.

Similar to this was at the imprisonment and redemption of the old Rebbe:

The Alter Rebbe was in prison,

in an embodiment of exile — he did not "sweeten" the judgments "by passing the hand over the forehead and over the face"⁶⁰,

he did not make that "Tayneh Soviet" should be burned⁶¹

: and the manner of conduct with him was,

that they investigated and inquired of him with many questions on fundamentals of Torah and commandments etc.,

which he answered with a lengthy explanation,

in a way that even the coarse minds of the directors of the inquiry and investigation should understand⁶².

But on the other hand,

the Alter Rebbe was not compelled in this.

And it is related by his honor, my master and father-in-law, the Rebbe⁶³,

that "the entire matter of the arrest was with the agreement of our great Rebbe ..

If the Rebbe had not agreed, they would not have arrested him,

The proof

(on this

Is)

From the journey to Petersburg — on Friday the black carriage remained stuck and the four horses that were harnessed to pull the wagon did not help,

Because the Rebbe did not want etc.'; "The⁶⁴

The general matter of the arrest is this, like an enclothing in will not to use the way above nature."

And it is known⁶⁵,

That an "enclothing" and limitation in will is not a true limitation

(A true limitation is specifically when the limitation comes by necessity,

From something external to him; but when it is in a manner that one <b>himself</b> limits — one is then found within the limitation).

And the reason that by him the two extremes could be is understood from the words of our Nesi'im — because "The

(Alter)

Rebbe is an atzmi,

By an atzmi there is no change of time and place"⁶⁶.

And therefore,

Even while being in arrest and in a manner of enclothing

(as it were)

— He effected upon the ministers of the monarchy themselves,

That they,

From their own existence,

Should free him in a manner of pidyon in peace⁶⁷,

Recognizing that he is an ish Eloki.

And this is what the Alter Rebbe elaborates in his letter²⁸

the well-known one about his redemption: "The Lord has done wondrously and greatly in the land ..

which was magnified and sanctified in public and in particular in the eyes of all the ministers and all the nations which are in all

the provinces of the king, which also in their eyes the matter will be wondrous, wonder upon wonder <b>and they will answer and say</b> about this: 'For from the Lord this was, it is <b>wondrous</b> in our eyes'" — then, being under their government and their authority, the ministers had,

up to the king himself,

seen that he is a "great sage and a man of God"⁶⁸,

and <b>this</b>

(that even they recognized that "from the Lord this was")

expresses the effect of the redemption of the 19th of Kislev,

— For example, as it was by Yosef,

that the "descent" itself was "descent" — "refining".

8.

Every matter comes out and becomes revealed through <b>Torah-light.</b>

And similarly in our matter: the occurrence in the imprisonment and redemption of the old Rebbe,

is connected with the innovation of the old Rebbe <b>in his Torah;</b>

And in particular in his book the Tanya,

which as is known⁶⁹,

the redemption of 19 Kislev was in the merit of the two years of life in Torah and service that the Tanya added among Chassidim

(and therefore the Alter Rebbe wanted that the Tanya be printed before 19 Kislev).

And the explanation:

In the book "Tanya Kaddisha"⁷⁰,

as it is arranged before us,

comes Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah as the second part.

It is, however, known

(as is recounted among Chassidim),

that by the old Rebbe there was an intention to order Shaar

HaYichud VeHaEmunah as the <b>first</b> part,

for which reason one finds in "Chinuch Katan"

(the introduction to Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah)

three times the phrase "as will be explained"

(in future tense)

— although thereby are meant⁷¹

the matters that are explained in the first part.

Further: since the Alter Rebbe left the wording "as will be explained" and did not change it to "was explained"

(last month)

— this is a proof,

that even after the Alter Rebbe had decided,

that the Gate of Unity and Faith should come after the first part,

he left a place for his earlier reasoning,

and the Gate of Unity and Faith has a matter that "stands earlier"

(but not in most matters).

The order of divine service is,

that in order to attain love and fear

(which is the content of the first part of Tanya),

there must first be "the pure and faithful faith in His blessed unity and oneness"

(the content of the Gate of Unity and Faith),

as explained in Chinuch Katan at its end.

And based on this, it can be said that the matter of the imprisonment and redemption of the old Rebbe expresses itself in Tanya, in the Torah of the old Rebbe,

primarily — in Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah⁷².

9.

Among the essential matters,

which the old Rebbe explains and innovates in Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah,

there are, seemingly,⁷³

two general points:

a)

The explanation in "Peirush HaBaal Shem Tov" on "Leolam

Hashem, Your word stands firm in the heavens" — that "Your word which You said

Let there be a firmament..

These words and letters stand firm and endure forever within the firmament of the heavens..

to give them life..

If the letters were to depart for a moment, G-d forbid, and return to their source, all the heavens would be absolutely nothing and void, and they would be as if they had never existed at all..

as exactly before the six days of creation"

From this it is understandable that "a created intellect and existence is truly considered nothing and absolute void relative to the power of the active force and the spirit of His mouth by which it is brought into being, which constantly brings it into existence and brings it forth from absolute nothing to existence"

b)

That the tzimtzum is not "in its simple sense, that the Holy One, blessed be He, removed Himself and His essence, G-d forbid, from this world, but only supervises from above with individual providence over all the creatures, all those in the heavens above and on the earth below"

And one could say,

that the explanation of the matter that tzimtzum is not according to its simple meaning is not a separate matter,

but rather this comes in sequence and is related to the explanation of the innovation of the Baal Shem Tov,

as follows.

Ten.

The innovation in the interpretation of the Baal Shem Tov is not only that the word of G-d must constantly bring into being every created being,

In every moment,

but also that the words "Let there be a firmament, etc." are <b>"clothed within</b> all the firmaments forever to give them life"⁷⁶

; and likewise in all created beings,

the words and letters of the ten utterances that bring them into existence and give them life are <b>clothed</b> within them

that in every created being "there is an aspect of soul and spiritual vitality",

because even those things that are not mentioned in the ten utterances in the Torah,

a vitality is drawn to them that descends from level to level from the ten utterances in the Torah "through changes and substitutions of letters and gematriot...

until it can <b>contract and clothe itself</b> and from it a particular created being comes into being"].

D.

E.

It is not the simple meaning that the word of God constantly brings the created being into existence and the created being becomes separate from the word of God,

but rather the word of God is clothed within the created being itself

(in the "place" of the created being),

so that the vitality

(and soul)

of every particular created being is the word of God that is clothed within it.

Consequently, it is understood how "every created being and entity is truly considered as nothing and absolute naught relative to the power of the agent and the spirit of His mouth that is in the acted-upon, which brings it into existence constantly and brings it from absolute naught to existence"⁷⁹.

According to this, it turns out,

at first glance,

that the nullification of the created being is not a complete nullification.

For since the vitality that enclothes itself in created beings is a contracted and limited vitality

(according to the created being),

as above,

it is then "giving place to the existence of the entity",

and consequently also the

nullification from the side of this vitality,

is not a complete nullification⁸⁰.

But according to how the Alter Rebbe continues and explains,

that tzimtzum is not literally, heaven forbid,

that is,

that also⁸¹

in that "place"

(level)

where the Divine light and life-force contracts and enclothes itself within the creations,

is "there is no place empty of Him"⁸²

and "<b>His essence and being</b>, blessed be He ..

fills the entire earth literally <b>in time and place</b>⁸³

— two extremes emerge:

Every creation has its particular "soul and spiritual life-force" that comes through tzimtzum and enclothement of the word of God in each particular creation; and together with this, every particular creation is connected with His essence and being, blessed be He,

because in that "place" of the creation,

is found "His essence and being, blessed be He".

And since His essence and being

He is entirely not in the category of world,

becomes from this heard,

that the existence of the world itself is Elokus⁸⁴

: the created yesh is the true yesh)

— there is none besides Him⁸⁶.

Yes.

All matters in Torah are indeed a lesson in the service of each and every one,

and especially matters in public that occurred with a Nasi in Israel,

a general soul,

and particularly that the general matter of the imprisonment was connected with his self-sacrifice on the Torah of Chassidus for all of Israel,

each and every one of Israel.

And one can say that through this the Alter Rebbe opened the channel of self-sacrifice for the service of G‑d in the Torah of Chassidus⁸⁷.

The service of every Jew,

who finds himself in the darkness of the exile must be to illuminate the darkness of the exile through his service in ner mitzvah v'torah ohr; and especially in the time of ikvesa d'meshicha,

that in order to illuminate such a darkness double and multiplied one must reach a greater and higher light⁸⁸,

until the light of the Torah,

the inner dimension of the Torah⁸⁹,

which has been revealed in our days in the teachings of Chassidus.

Due to the great darkness in the world, such difficulties and trials in divine service can arise,

when a Jew feels that not only are Jews in general the "you are the smallest of all the nations,"

but also among Jews themselves he is for now from a minority who are engaged in the divine service of spreading Judaism — a mitzvah lamp and Torah light,

and especially in spreading the wellsprings outward.

He can therefore make for himself an accounting,

that he should wait until the difficulties and concealments and hiddenness will end,

and afterwards he will continue his service.

Upon this comes the instruction from the above: he must know,

that the world and all that is in it is brought into being every single moment from absolute nothing and non-being literally from the Most High who has no cause and antecedent cause, G‑d forbid⁹⁰.

And thus,

it is therefore not possible that there should be <b>a reality</b> that would not allow a Jew to do his service in spreading the lamp of mitzvah and Torah light,

and the spreading of the wellsprings outward.

And this that he sees that there are opponents and concealments and hidden things regarding the service,

he must know,

that tzimtzum is <b>not literally, G‑d forbid</b>,

it is not a true concealment,

and that the intention in this is — that he should reveal in himself the part of G‑d from above <b>literally</b>⁹¹

which is found

in him and the powers that the Rebbes have placed into him⁹²

— and then the "subjugation" becomes and he rules over them,

one takes in and rules also openly over matters that confuse and conceal and hide.

And through the service of each and every one in this "crucible" within his four cubits in the dissemination of Judaism, including the dissemination of the wellsprings outward,

one hastens even more the coming of Mashiach our righteous one,

when all will see openly with physical eyes the "and he will rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth"⁹³,

until the manner of "the earth will be filled with knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea"⁹⁴,

because it will be "and the glory of the Lord <b>shall be revealed</b>"⁹⁵,

Also now is "the whole earth is full"&lt;sup&gt;96&lt;/sup&gt;

&lt;b&gt;literally&lt;/b&gt; actually,

only this is not in revelation — and then will be the "&lt;b&gt;and revealed&lt;/b&gt; the glory of Hashem and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of Hashem has spoken".

(From the talk of 19 Kislev 5741)