English translation — ב' ניסן

1.

It is known what his holy honor the Admor

(the Maharashab)

of blessed memory said a few hours before his passing¹

: "I am going to heaven; the writings I leave for you."

It has already been discussed several times²,

that one should say the explanation in this,

that through the "writings" one has him

(and even more — one has him as he is in heaven).

Why "tzadikim ..

are similar to their Creator"<sup>3</sup>.

And therefore,

just as the Most High,

has, as it were, "given Himself over",

into Torah — as the well-known explanation<sup>4</sup>

in the statement of our Sages<sup>5</sup>

"I gave My soul into writing",

that the Most High Himself

("My soul")

"wrote Himself in" and "gave Himself over" into Torah<sup>6</sup>

— therefore through Torah "you take Me"<sup>7</sup>,

So likewise with tzadikim,

that they "give themselves over" into the matters of Torah that they have learned

(and in particular — that which they innovated).

And therefore,

through studying their Torah one connects with them themselves.

2.

Comparing the language of the Rebbe, of blessed memory, with the language of Chazal mentioned above

(in connection with the giving of the Torah)

— one sees a difference: in Chazal the language is "Yahavit"

(a language of giving),

whereas the Rebbe, of blessed memory, said "I leave you the writings."

The reason for this can seemingly be explained — because this is in accordance with the situation at that time

(a few hours before his passing),

to which the language "leave" is appropriate

(as we find in Halacha⁸

regarding the gift of a shechiv mera, the language "I leave"⁹).

But according to what has been discussed several times regarding the great precision in the sayings of our Nesi'im — that this precision is not only from the aspect of their general content,

but also in every word and expression — it is reasonable to say,

that the precision of the language "I leave you" is

(not only from a side matter — from the situation in which this was said — but it is)

also relevant to the content of the matter¹⁰

that the Rebbe n"e wanted to bring out in this saying

(that by learning his writings one "takes" him himself,

as above).

3.

The difference between the two aforementioned languages — "yihavit"

(giving)

and "loz":

Giving emphasizes that the thing comes to the recipient from the power of the giver¹¹

— it is not necessarily any action on the part of the recipient in order to receive the gift; unlike "let" means — that the giver gives only the possibility that the other should be able to take it; but in order that it should actually come to the other into his possession .

— must that one himself take it

(through his action).

The two modes — "giving" and "letting" — one finds their examples in the study of Torah¹²,

as our sages¹³

say "At first it is called

(the Torah)

by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He

(in the Torah of the Lord is his desire¹⁴)

and finally it is called by his name

(of the learner — and in his Torah he meditates¹⁴)

": when one studies Torah

merely by rote¹⁵,

the Torah is "called by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He" — it relates itself to the Giver of the Torah; but when there is the "he meditates"¹⁵

(in-depth study of Torah¹⁶)

it is "called by his name",

the words of Torah become his

(since he has "taken" them through his toil in them)

— "the Torah is his"¹⁷.

And based on this, we can explain the precise wording of the Rebbe, of blessed memory, "I leave you the writings" — because this is in accordance with his innovation in the manner of revealing the teachings of Chassidus,

that he initiated that comprehension in the inner dimension of the Torah could be

(entirely)

by virtue of the power

(of his intellect)

of the recipient and student,

that he "takes" the subjects being studied.

As follows.

4.

Among the primary innovations of the Rebbe, of blessed memory, it can be said that there was — the founding of the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva¹⁸,

that the innovation of the yeshiva is¹⁹,

that there was established in the study schedules of the yeshiva a regimen of studying Chassidus.

What is the novelty of studying Chassidus within the "framework" of a yeshiva?

The concept of a yeshiva is — the study of Torah in a manner of companionship of friends,

discussion among the students etc.,

and through the give-and-take etc. one clarifies and elucidates the topic that one studies until it comes out clear in all its details.

And similarly the Rebbe of blessed memory instituted regarding the study of Toras HaChassidus,

that Chassidus should be studied in a "yeshiva-style" manner,

as he said²⁰,

that he wants that the manner of studying Chassidus should be "like the study of topics in the revealed part of Torah" until that "Chassidus will be understood as one understands a matter in Nigleh".

And therefore he established the order of studying Chassidus in the yeshiva²¹

— that one should study in groups,

each group should study the same subject

("topic")

in Chassidus so that one should discuss etc. the subject,

until that the subject will become clear to the students in all its details — in the manner of the order of study of the revealed part of Torah.

— that such a manner of study of Pnimiyus HaTorah presents a fundamental innovation regarding the previous times.

5.

In earlier times there was a fundamental difference between the study of Nigleh d’Torah and the study of Pnimiyus HaTorah:

The revealed aspect of the Torah was given in a manner that the human intellect of a created being should be able to grasp the reasoning and intellect of the Torah.

And even though²²

that the Torah is the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, which no thought can grasp,

nevertheless, the Most High lowered His wisdom, may He be blessed, in a manner that even the human intellect can comprehend it

(even to the extent of "called by his name",

it becomes "His Torah" — "the Torah that is his").

However, the inner dimension of the Torah remains revealed — the Torah of God.

In very earlier generations, most of the Jewish people accepted these matters with faith.

It was above the intellect of the created being that he should have a grasp of it, and this is one of the explanations of the name "Kabbalah" — it comes by tradition, person from person²³].

Even in the later generations

(after the AriZal),

when the matters of Pnimiyut HaTorah were explained in a manner that it could be "yitparsun<sup>24</sup>

— that they should be understood<sup>25</sup>

(not only in the manner of "girsa b'alma"<sup>26</sup>)

— they were however not brought down to human intellect until he could grasp them<sup>27</sup>.

This remained Divine intellect that can be comprehended only with the intellect of the G-dly soul

(which is a G-dly intellect from a G-dly soul,

and can grasp the spiritual matters that are explained in Pnimiyut HaTorah).

not everyone was able to comprehend the matters,

except for those who had a higher soul,

and in addition — had purified themselves properly to become a vessel for revelation in the soul; unlike those who are not "purified" and do not have a higher soul — they could not have a comprehension in Pnimiyut HaTorah].

That this is one of the explanations in the words of the Zohar<sup>29</sup>,

that in the inner dimension of the Torah "there is there no difficulty etc."

(not as in the revealed aspect of the Torah)

A difficulty is indeed a matter of concealment and hiding,

a concealment of the truth of Torah.

And therefore: the revealed aspect of the Torah,

which came down in a manner that human intellect should grasp it,

there are in it difficulties

the

difficulties are a part of the Torah itself.

As discussed many times the proof for the matter: even when one will want to learn only a difficulty in Torah,

he is obligated to recite a blessing before it the blessing of the Torah].

Because in human intellect the intellect of the Torah cannot be directly absorbed

(His wisdom, may He be blessed).

First there are in human intellect difficulties etc. until the student refines his intellect and stands upon the true essence of the Torah.

But not so the inner dimension of Torah,

which was not brought down into human intellect,

but only for the intellect of the divine soul — where for the divine soul Torah is easy — there is "there is no difficulty, etc."

6.

Even more:

It is known³⁰

that the innovation of the Alter Rebbe in the teachings of Chassidus Chabad

(and especially after his redemption on Yud-Tes Kislev)

consisted in that he clothed the matters of Pnimiyus HaTorah in intellect

(Chabad),

in a manner that "all — even those not refined"

("outside")

— should be able to understand it with their human intellect.

But nevertheless,

this was still not in the same manner as the comprehension of the revealed part of Torah — human intellect on its own could not attain a complete comprehension in Pnimiyus HaTorah; it was only that when one explained to him a matter in Pnimiyus HaTorah,

it could be deposited with him.

that even after the teacher explains it to him and it settles within him,

the student cannot find his own words etc. to explain that concept].

And this was the innovation of the Rebbe, of blessed memory,

that he brought down the matters of the inner dimension of the Torah in a manner that the comprehension of them could be in the same manner as the comprehension of the revealed part of the Torah.

Just as the revealed part of the Torah is "revealed" to the human intellect in a manner that he toils in it as in a physical concept — in that same manner should the human intellect exert itself in the inner dimension of the Torah.

And as we see in his Chassidic discourses³¹,

that the same topics which are explained in the discourses of the Chabad leaders before him — appear in his discourses with lengthy explanations etc.,

And moreover — the presentation and explanation of the matters is in a style that human intellect can explain it

(with its "letters")

and comprehend,

in the manner that an intellectual concept from the revealed part of Torah is taken³².

And therefore the Rebbe N"E was precise in his language "the writings I leave you" — because this is from the accomplishments of his writings,

that the human intellect of man can "take" them,

until it becomes "his Torah — is called by his name".

7.

From this we have the lesson:

There are those who indeed learn the inner dimensions of Torah,

but they are afraid to ask a question when they do not understand the subject being taught.

How does one ask a difficulty on a matter in the inner dimensions of Torah?

Is it not that "there is no question there, for..."? Well,

he does not understand — it is enough that he believes with complete faith that everything that is written in the inner dimensions of Torah is true.

To this the answer is,

that the Rebbe, of blessed memory, opened the path,

that words of Chassidus should be able to be grasped by the human intellect in the manner of the revealed dimension of Torah.

D.

H.

A study in depth and in a manner of give-and-take, etc.

And if one does not understand a matter — "the shy person does not learn"³³

and one must ask, etc.

— certainly,

even when one does not understand a subject in Torah

(also in the revealed aspect of Torah),

one must and must have naaseh before nishma,

one may not have any doubt, G‑d forbid, in the truth of the matter<sup>34</sup>

; but on the other hand,

one cannot fulfill the understanding of Torah with acceptance of the yoke.

Understanding a subject thoroughly means — that he understands .

in his intellect how the difficulty is resolved

(also in the inner dimension of Torah).

And through the study of the inner dimension of Torah — which has been revealed in these generations in the teachings of Chassidus Chabad with a foundation of understanding and complete comprehension

(in the manner of the comprehension of the revealed aspect of Torah)

— this becomes a close preparation to "that time"<sup>35</sup>

when "Israel will be great sages and know hidden matters and will comprehend the knowledge of their Creator according to the capacity of man, as it is said<sup>36</sup>

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea".

(From the talk of 20 Marcheshvan 5746)