English translation — ט"ו באב

Sicha 1^*

<pg>41</pg>

1.

We learned at the end of Taanit¹

: "There were no better days for Israel than the fifteenth of Av, etc.'",

And in the Gemara there²

several reasons were stated for this good day,

and the Gemara concludes³

"From here onward⁴

he who adds will increase and he who does not add etc.'",

and Rashi explains⁵

"From here onward from the fifteenth of Av onward, he who adds nights to the days to occupy himself with Torah will add life to his life"⁶.

And in the Rashbam⁶

explains that "since the nights become longer and the days become shorter, one must occupy himself with his study also at night".

And one must examine what is the definition of this addition of studying Torah at night from the fifteenth of Av onward,

for at first glance:

If it is speaking of one who sits in the tent

(a Torah scholar)

who is "obligated to engage in Torah day and night literally"&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt;,

as it is written&lt;sup&gt;8&lt;/sup&gt;

"And you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way etc." and it is said&lt;sup&gt;9&lt;/sup&gt;

"This book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate in it day and night"&lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;

— then in this study of his there is no addition to his obligation in the mitzvah of Torah study?

And if the discussion is about a businessman who fulfills his obligation by setting fixed times for Torah study by day and by night&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;,

And even some fulfill their obligation with one chapter in the morning and one chapter in the evening&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;,

And he comes to embellish and add in Torah study

(more than his obligation)

— it is not understood,

why do we not find this matter when the days are lengthening and the nights are shortening,

for whoever has additional [time] during the time of day, then by day he should add&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;?

What is the &lt;pg&gt;42&lt;/pg&gt;

Difference whether this addition is at night

(from the fifteenth of Av onward "the nights are lengthening and the days are shortening")

or by day

(when the days are lengthening and the nights are shortening)?

And on the contrary: if they give special reward when one adds to his study at night

(which is not a time of busyness with business)

— all the more so and how much more so that he deserves special reward when he adds to his study during the day,

when according to Torah he is exempt from Torah study because of his busyness with business,

and he "steals" from the time that he engages in his livelihood and dedicates it to the study of the Torah&lt;sup&gt;*13&lt;/sup&gt;.

[And it is very forced to say that the discussion is only about a businessman such that it is impossible for him in any way to "steal" and add to Torah study during the daytime hours

(even when the days are long),

and consequently,

an addition in Torah study cannot be envisioned except from the fifteenth of Av onward when the nights become longer].

And furthermore: from the simple language of the Gemara it implies,

that "from here onward etc. 'one who adds'" is a general instruction,

for all of Israel,

both those who dwell in tents and those who are businessmen

(of all types).

2.

And behold, in the Rema¹⁴

he brought regarding the addition in Torah study at nights from the fifteenth of Av onward, in continuation of the words of the Mechaber

(whose source is in the Rambam¹⁵)

regarding the greatness of the virtue of Torah study at night: "Whoever wants to merit the crown of Torah should be careful with all his nights and not lose even one of them in sleep, eating, drinking, conversation, and the like, but rather in words of wisdom and Torah study",

and the Rema adds

(from the Rambam there)

"for a person learns most of his wisdom only at night

(and concludes)

and a person should begin to study at night from the fifteenth of Av onward etc.'"

(and so the Alter Rebbe copied in his Hilchos Talmud Torah¹⁶).

And based on this, seemingly the definition of the addition in the study of Torah at night from the fifteenth of Av onward,

is not related to the general obligation of Torah study¹⁷

— rather it comes and is related to the special segulah of studying Torah at night¹⁸.

Therefore "he who adds will have added",

that he receives special reward for engaging in Torah specifically at night.

But based on this it is puzzling: how can it be said "and he who does not add will be gathered..

may my mother bury him"

("he will die before his time"¹⁹)?

And is it possible to say that because he lacks the special elevation of<pg>43</pg>

Study of Torah at night

(when a person learns most of his wisdom and merits the crown of Torah),

does such a punishment come?

!

3.

And this will be understood with an introduction of an explanation in the precise language of the Rambam

(the aforementioned)

that through study of Torah at nights one merits the crown of Torah:

In the laws of Talmud Torah of his²⁰

The Rambam brings two conditions²¹

How to reach "the crown of Torah"²²

: a)

"He whose²³

heart lifted him to fulfill this commandment properly and to be crowned with the crown of Torah, he shall not divert his mind to other matters, and shall not set upon his heart to acquire Torah together with wealth and honor at once. So²⁴

is the way of Torah: bread with salt you shall eat, and water by measure you shall drink, and on the ground you shall sleep, and a life of suffering you shall live, and in Torah you shall toil."

b)

"Although¹⁵

it is a commandment to study by day and by night,

a person learns most of his wisdom only at night,

therefore, whoever wants to merit the crown of Torah should be careful with all his nights, etc.'"

And one must be precise,

that at first the Rambam stated "to be crowned with the crown of Torah",

whereas regarding the occupation with Torah at night he wrote "whoever wants to merit²⁵

the crown of Torah".

And one must say the explanation in this:

In the content of "crown of Torah" there are two matters: a)

the crown that is in the Torah itself,

namely the elevated and special part of the Torah

(as we find²⁶

that specifically the laws of the Torah are called by the name "crown of the Torah").

b)

that the Torah is a crown of the person who learns it.

And behold,

although in general the intention of the Rambam in this chapter is according to the second way²⁷,

this that the Torah crowns the person who learns it

(as explained elsewhere²⁸),

one can say,

that in his sweet language the Rambam also hints at the first concept

(the above-mentioned)

of the crown of Torah,

namely,

a lofty level within Torah itself.

And this is the difference between the two above-mentioned halachos:

In the first halacha, "One whose heart lifted him to fulfill this mitzvah properly and to be crowned with the crown of Torah" — the intention is the definition of "crown of Torah" in the second manner above,

that the Torah becomes his entire existence

(and this is the explanation that the person is "crowned with the crown of Torah").

And as the Rambam continues, "and he should not set upon his heart to acquire Torah together with wealth and honor at once" — for then his words of Torah are like property that he acquired

(so that "my Torah&lt;pg&gt;44&lt;/pg&gt;

is"&lt;sup&gt;29&lt;/sup&gt;)

that it is possible to separate between the existence of the studying person and the words of Torah that he learned,

for he is an existence in itself that has "property" — but rather he should be crowned

(encompassing)

with words of Torah in a manner that the Torah will unite with his existence.

But not so in what is said at the end of the chapter "A person does not learn most of his wisdom except at night, therefore whoever wants to merit the crown of Torah should be careful with all his nights etc." — its intention is not that the Torah will be a "crown" of his,

but rather "to merit" a matter elevated within the Torah itself,

in "the crown of the Torah".

And therefore he changes his language,

etc.

(a)

"to merit",

(b)

"in the crown of the Torah" — for this indicates that he merits something,

and the thing is "the crown of the Torah",

a crown of the Torah³⁰

[But not so before this it says

(a)

and to be crowned,

(b)

with a crown of Torah — for this emphasizes the action upon the person learning,

that the Torah crowns him].

4.

And it can be said,

that the intention of the Rambam here in "the crown of the Torah" is — the essence and core of Torah

(like "crown" literally,

which is something above the head),

namely not that the person understands and grasps the Torah,

but rather the attachment to the Giver of the Torah.

And as explained at length in the Ba"Ch&lt;sup&gt;31&lt;/sup&gt;,

that the essence of the occupation with Torah is "that we be occupied with Torah in order that our souls be empowered in the essence and spirituality and holiness of the source of the Torah's origin..

And if they were occupied with Torah with this intention, they would be a chariot and sanctuary for His Shechinah, blessed be He, that the Shechinah would be literally within them, for they are the Sanctuary of the Lord&lt;sup&gt;32&lt;/sup&gt;

And within them literally the Shechinah would establish Her dwelling",

and he explains there that this is also the content of the blessing of the Torah,

"to thank Him for the giving of the Torah to His people Israel so that they be attached to its holiness and to the Shechinah, may He be exalted,

and this is the intention in the blessing 'Who chose us' for having brought us near before Mount Sinai and given us His holy Torah, the vessel of His delight, with which He plays every day, so that our soul be attached to the essence of the holiness of the Torah and its spirituality and to bring down the Shechinah within us etc.'".

And based on this, the precise wording of the Rambam in this halacha is understood: "A person does not learn most of his wisdom..

And he shall not lose even one of them..

except through Talmud Torah and words of wisdom"

(And in the Tur and Shulchan Aruch&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;

they preceded "words of wisdom" to "Talmud Torah")

— for seemingly, "words of wisdom," what relevance do they have here?

After all, it is speaking about the wisdom of the Torah&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;?

But the intention of the Rambam in "words of wisdom" is the study of matters of "Pardes"

(explained in the first four chapters of the Book of the Hand),

which are called "words of wisdom"³⁵

being<pg>45</pg>

the deepest matters in the Torah

(and as explained in the Rambam there the greatness of the depth of those things)

— that through this study one merits the "crown of the Torah",

because in order to feel "the spirituality and holiness of the source of origin of the Torah"

(which is the "crown of the Torah" as above)

it is through the study of matters of "Pardes" and the wisdom of truth,

in which is discussed about the greatness of the Creator etc.³⁶.

[And based on this,

what the Rambam said that the main study at night is in "words of wisdom"

("most of his wisdom")

— that is, matters of "Pardes" as above — aligns with what is said in the writings of the Ariza"l&lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;

(and brought in the poskim&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;)

that the main Torah study at night is in Aggadah&lt;sup&gt;39&lt;/sup&gt;

and in the wisdom of truth&lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;].

5.

And based on this, the connection between "to merit the crown of Torah" and specifically studying at night is also understood:

That which one merits the "crown of Torah" through the study of Torah at night is not

(only)

because at night one can devote oneself more to study with the proper settledness,

so that his study settles within him

(like the matter said in the Midrash&lt;sup&gt;41&lt;/sup&gt;

regarding Moshe),

but also and primarily&lt;sup&gt;42&lt;/sup&gt;

because at night there is a special quality&lt;sup&gt;43&lt;/sup&gt;

that his study will be in a manner that connects

(in addition to the wisdom of Torah also)

to His Shechinah.

&lt;pg&gt;46&lt;/pg&gt;

[And therefore the Rambam continues "The Sages said&lt;sup&gt;44&lt;/sup&gt;

there is no song of Torah except at night, as it is said&lt;sup&gt;45&lt;/sup&gt;

Arise, cry out in the night,

and whoever engages in Torah at night, a thread of kindness&lt;sup&gt;46&lt;/sup&gt;

etc.'",

to emphasize that the intention is not only for the acquisition of words of Torah&lt;sup&gt;47&lt;/sup&gt;

and for settledness in the wisdom of Torah,

but rather "for the inwardness of Torah",

which is "the song of Torah"&lt;sup&gt;48&lt;/sup&gt;,

and it is what causes that there be upon him "a thread of kindness"].

And this is because the attachment to the Giver of the Torah is connected with the study of Torah out of lowliness and self-nullification⁴⁹,

that specifically through such study is true attachment to the holiness of the Torah possible,

and the night is a time suited to arouse in oneself a feeling of lowliness and humility of spirit

(and therefore then is the time for the accounting of the soul in the Shema of the bed,

Tikkun Chatzot etc.⁵⁰).

And although self-nullification is a prerequisite in every matter of Torah study,

as explained in the Rambam here⁵¹

that "it is not found among the arrogant..

but among the crushed and lowly of spirit",

that this is an introduction to the study,

"The words of Torah are not upheld in one who makes himself easy regarding them, nor in those who study out of delicacy etc., but in one who kills himself over them and afflicts his body constantly and gives no sleep to his eyes nor slumber to his eyelids" — behold all these are matters connected with self-nullification and breaking of the body and the like⁵²

; but in order to merit the "crown of Torah",

the study itself must be out of self-nullification and lowliness and humility of spirit,

to connect and attach oneself to the holiness of the Torah,

and this is through the study of Torah specifically at night

(as above)^*52.

6.

And this is also the content of the reward of "he will add, he will add" — "he will add life to his life"; and likewise conversely — the punishment of "and he who does not add, etc.":

The addition of Torah study at night

(in addition to the addition in quantity,

that he adds more time of Torah study),

is primarily an addition in quality — that through this he merits the "crown of Torah" that cleaves to the Giver of the Torah; and therefore this addition brings to "he will add life to his life",

that the intention in this is — in addition to the addition in life in its simple sense — also for an addition in quality,

&lt;pg&gt;47&lt;/pg&gt;

Higher life,

In the manner of what is said&lt;sup&gt;53&lt;/sup&gt;

"He who gives life to the living will give you life",

That is, higher life in the life of this world&lt;sup&gt;54&lt;/sup&gt;,

And in the manner of what is explained in Rashi&lt;sup&gt;55&lt;/sup&gt;

That "he adds days to the World to Come",

It can be said that the intention is not that the addition is only for the life of the World to Come,

But rather that the days of the World to Come exist in this world,

When he is a soul in a body,

And as our Sages said "You will see your world in your life"&lt;sup&gt;56&lt;/sup&gt;.

And on the other hand — "And he who does not add shall be gathered etc.'",

Because when he does not add in the study of Torah at night, this indicates that it does not matter to him "to merit the crown of Torah" and that his intention in the study of Torah is for the attainment of the wisdom of Torah,

And not for that it is the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He,

The holiness of the Torah,

That this is the true essence of its matter and its definition, and for this should be the main occupation of a person with Torah,

And were it not for this, he lacks the main vitality of a Jewish person,

Which is the essential holiness of the Torah.

And therefore he lacks these "life".

[And regarding the words of the Ba"Ch mentioned above&lt;sup&gt;31&lt;/sup&gt;

in explanation of our Sages' statement&lt;sup&gt;57&lt;/sup&gt;

"For what did the land perish&lt;sup&gt;58&lt;/sup&gt;

Because they did not recite a blessing over the Torah first",

that "there is greatly to wonder why such a thing came forth from before Him to punish them with a great and high punishment like this for not reciting a blessing over the Torah first, which is seemingly a light transgression",

And he explains,

that "they forsook My Torah and did not walk in it&lt;sup&gt;59&lt;/sup&gt;

Meaning the beginning of the walk in the spirituality of the Torah from level to level so that the soul should cleave to the essential holiness of the Torah — they did not walk in it..

to engage in Torah for its own sake

("for only for the sake of physical matters for their pleasure, to know the laws for the sake of business,

also to be prideful to show their wisdom,

and they did not intend to strengthen themselves and cleave to the holiness and spirituality of the Torah and to draw down the Shechinah below to earth")..

They were punished that the Shechinah departed from the lower realms and then the land perished, was burned like a desert without a passerby&lt;sup&gt;58&lt;/sup&gt;

Meaning it was destroyed and remained material without a passerby — there the holiness of the Shechinah, because the Shechinah departed entirely from the land and ascended upwards to Him"].

7.

Based on all the above, one can also explain the connection between the addition of Torah study at night and the festival of the fifteenth of Av&lt;sup&gt;60&lt;/sup&gt;.

For here the reason simply in this that "from here and onward" they increase in the study of Torah at night is because from then the nights become longer and the days become shorter&lt;sup&gt;61&lt;/sup&gt;.

But according to this it is not related to the content of the day

(and the festival)

of the fifteenth of Av itself,

rather it is a thing that begins from the fifteenth of Av and onward.

And it can be said that it is plausible,

that there is a connection between the increase in Torah study at night that begins from the fifteenth of Av and the content of the festival&lt;sup&gt;62&lt;/sup&gt;.

&lt;pg&gt;48&lt;/pg&gt;

Further it is puzzling according to what is explained in the writings of the AriZal&lt;sup&gt;63&lt;/sup&gt;

that the greatness of the festival of the fifteenth of Av is related to this that then is the fullness of the moon,

and it is explained&lt;sup&gt;64&lt;/sup&gt;

the superiority in this regarding the fullness of the moon that is in every month,

for the moon indicates Israel who count by the moon,

(because they are)

similar to the moon&lt;sup&gt;65&lt;/sup&gt;,

and are destined to be renewed like it&lt;sup&gt;66&lt;/sup&gt;,

and the fullness of the moon indicates the perfection in Israel that comes after the descent

(the deficiency of the moon before this),

and according to the known that every descent is for the sake of an ascent,

it is understood,

that the greater the descent,

so too the ascent that follows is greater.

And this is the superiority in the fullness of the moon that is on the fifteenth of Av over the rest of the months of the year,

for because it comes after the great descent of the first nine days of the month of Av until the ninth of Av itself,

the day of the destruction and the exile,

therefore the ascent that follows

(hinted at in its fullness in the fullness of the moon on the fifteenth day)

is a most lofty ascent

(and this ascent will be in its fullness revealed in the true and complete redemption,

which is the rectification of the destruction of the ninth of Av).

[And this content that is in the fifteenth of Av is hinted at in the first reason

(in time)

that is in the Gemara⁶⁷

about the holiday of the fifteenth of Av — "the day on which the desert generation ceased to die",

that even though the decree was annulled on the ninth of Av of that year,

nevertheless the clarification and revelation of the annulment of the decree on the ninth of Av was on the fifteenth of Av,

when the moon stands in its fullness⁶⁸].

And according to this it is understood,

that the superiority of the fifteenth of Av is specifically because of this day itself,

on which the moon stands in its fullness — and not on the days after it,

for then,

on the contrary,

the waning of the moon begins again,

which diminishes and decreases from day to day.

And it is found that the two matters —

(a)

the content of the holiday of the 15th of Av,

connected with the filling of the moon,

(b)

"From here onward, whoever adds etc." — they are like a contradiction to each other.

For from the side of the content of the holiday, this pertains,

seemingly,

only to the 15th day itself,

because afterward the light of the moon goes and diminishes; whereas the second matter is in the manner that "from here onward" they add and continue

(since the nights are getting longer,

it is understood,

that each night there must be an addition relative to the night before it).

8.

And one can say the explanation in this:

Since Israel counts by the moon and is similar to the moon,

it is understood,

that everything that is in the moon is in the Children of Israel.

And this means that in addition to this, that in the moon the situation appears as it is in the people of Israel in its entirety,

for just as in the moon there are ascents and descents, so too is it in the situation of Israel

(as it is brought in the midrash⁶⁹),

until they are destined to be renewed like it in the future redemption that is to come,

behold there is in this a lesson how the service of man should be.

And at first glance it is perplexing: the order of the ascents and descents of the moon is in a fixed and constant manner,

that at the beginning of the month it is in ascents,

from the birth of the moon until its fullness on the fifteenth day of the month,

from day to day the light of the moon goes and increases,

and from the fifteenth until the end of the month, from day to day its light decreases and goes until it is completely hidden.

And based on this, the instruction from the beginning of the month is understood,

that the service of Israel must be in a manner of adding and going,

from strength to strength; but how is it possible that after he has reached the perfection of the service,

the moon stands in its fullness,

his service will be &lt;pg&gt;49&lt;/pg&gt;

in a manner of decreasing and going?

Behold, it is a great principle,

that the service of God must be in a manner of ascending in holiness and not descending&lt;sup&gt;70&lt;/sup&gt;

Heaven forbid!

And it must be said that there is a distinction between when there is no filling of the moon in the first half of the month and the second half of the month: In the first half of the month,

the absence of the filling of the moon indicates a deficiency,

meaning that the light of the moon has not yet been completed,

and one must elevate and add light; but in the second half of the month,

when there is no filling of the moon, it does not indicate a deficiency, heaven forbid,

but on the contrary — there is in it a virtue.

9.

And this will be understood through the words of the Gemara⁷¹

regarding the general matter of the diminution of the moon: "Go and diminish yourself",

and its parallel in the service of Israel — "For you are the few"⁷²,

"You diminish yourselves"⁷³,

the matter of self-nullification.

And the concept in this:

When the service of Israel is in a manner of the moon standing in its fullness,

that is,

that its light shines in revelation and with strength,

both regarding oneself and regarding influence upon the other

(in the manner and analogous to the moon whose concept is "to give light upon the earth"⁷⁴)

— it is possible that a person may come to a feeling of selfhood,

in knowing the greatness of the virtue of the service through which he shines in the entire world; therefore in continuation and together with this the service must be in the matter of self-nullification

("Go and diminish yourself").

That is: regarding the essence of the service,

both regarding oneself and regarding another — certainly one must not, heaven forbid, diminish in the matter of light,

and on the contrary,

one must add and elevate in all matters of light and holiness; and the change is only regarding the feeling of the serving person,

that since he is the one who acts and illuminates, he can come to a feeling of selfhood — therefore regarding this feeling the service must be of "when you diminish yourself",

the self-nullification.

And this is the fixed order in the service of man,

that when he reaches the perfection of action in the service of G‑d in light and revelation,

then he must immediately begin the service of decreasing and going,

the service of diminution and nullification of the feeling of his own existence and the feeling of his service's virtue until the feeling is nullified entirely,

similar to the moon which each month after the moon is established in its perfection on the fifteenth of the month,

begins the order of decreasing and going in the revelation,

until the light of the moon is completely hidden in the moment before the new moon.

And based on this it will be understood that also in the second half of the month,

when the light of the moon decreases and goes,

the service is in a manner of adding and going — addition in bittul,

that the feeling goes and diminishes

(is nullified)

more and more,

until the ultimate bittul.

Yud.

And behold, since we are commanded "we ascend in holiness" always,

it must be said,

that the service that comes after the state of the fifteenth of the month,

when the moon stands in its fullness,

it is in continuation and addition upon the ascent in service of the first half of the month.

That is to say: not only is the service of the second half of the month in a manner of adding and going

(addition in the matter of bittul),

but furthermore,

that the service in the second half of the month is more elevated than that in the first half of the month.

And the concept in this:

The service in the first half of the month is an addition in the matter of light,

And behold "light" is&lt;pg&gt;50&lt;/pg&gt;

Reality; and in contrast,

the service of the second half of the month is — addition in self-nullification,

in negation of reality,

by means of which one comes to the elevation that is beyond comparison to the light — Me you take,

"take" the "luminary".

And this is the matter of the birth of the moon at Rosh Chodesh — that through the service of self-nullification in the second half of the month until the ultimate self-nullification and concealment of the moon entirely

(at the moment before the birth),

then the matter of "the union of the sun and the moon"⁷⁵ is effected,

the union with the "luminary",

whose superiority is beyond comparison relative to the superiority of the light.

[For example — the difference between a student who is at a distance from his teacher and explains his words and transmits them to others,

and as when he stands before his teacher and receives his Torah from him,

it is understood that when he is before his teacher,

he is completely nullified in order to be able to receive his teacher's Torah, and then he is in a most elevated level&lt;sup&gt;76&lt;/sup&gt;].

11.

Based on this, the connection is understood of "from here onward" we increase in the study of Torah at nights, to the fifteenth of Av, on which the moon stands in its fullness:

The content of the matter of studying Torah at night is in order to merit the crown of Torah as mentioned above,

namely to reach the "luminary"⁷⁷

that is in the Torah,

the holiness of the Torah and the Shechinah that is in the Torah

(as explained above at length),

which is infinitely higher than the "light" of the Torah,

and to reach this is specifically through studying Torah at night,

out of night and lowliness of spirit and humility,

the matter of self-nullification.

And therefore specifically "from here onward" — after the filling of the moon of the fifteenth of Av,

begins a more elevated quality,

the study of Torah at nights as explained above that comes through the matter in its simple sense,

that through this one reaches the "luminary" that is in the Torah.

And one may say,

that this is also the connection between the month of Av and its continuation the month of Elul — that in the month of Elul is the time of "the King in the field",

as per the well-known parable of our master the Alter Rebbe⁷⁸,

that in Elul the Holy One, blessed be He, receives each and every one of Israel with a pleasant countenance,

like "a king who, before his arrival to the city, the people of the city go out to meet him and receive him in the field" — because the work of self-nullification in the second half of the month of Menachem Av

(in which specifically and in its seal one blesses the month of Elul)

— the ultimate perfection in the matter of self-nullification,

self-nullification that comes after the ultimate elevation of "the moon stands in its fullness" as it is in the month of Menachem Av

(as above)

— it is the "vessel" for the revelation of "the King in the field" in the month of Elul,

in the manner and as it is written "On high⁷⁹

and holy I dwell, and with the contrite and lowly of spirit"; "And to⁸⁰

this one I look: to the poor and broken of spirit" specifically,

And the Holy One, blessed be He, receives each and every one of Israel "with a pleasant countenance,

and shows a smiling face to all"⁸¹,

and fulfills all their requests and the wishes of their heart for good and for blessing,

for a good writing and sealing,

and they are written and sealed immediately for life⁸²,

and in a manner of "adding life to his life",

until — for the eternal and true life in the true and complete redemption through our righteous Mashiach,

speedily in our days, literally.

(From the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Va'eschanan 5745)