English translation — יו"ד שבט

1.

It is known that at the time of the histalkus there gather together "<b>all</b> his deeds and his Torah and his service which he served all the days of his life"<sup>1</sup>.

From this it is understood,

that in the maamar beginning "Basi leGani" which the Rebbe Baal HaHilula published for his day of histalkus

and end<sup>3</sup>]

is expressed a fundamental point of all his toil,

which he labored in his life and vitality in this world.

From the fundamental points of the avodah of the Baal HaHilula — which he also demanded from all those who walk in his ways which he taught us,

are:

a)

To spread Torah and mitzvos — including also the light of the Torah — "in every place and place,"

also in such places that are

(openly)

quite no vessels for Torah and mitzvos at all,

and all the more so no vessels for Chassidus.

b)

That the work of spreading Torah and mitzvos etc. should be done with the greatest alacrity.

And these two points he indicates in the beginning and end of the maamar.

B.

At the beginning of the maamar, the Rebbe Baal HaHilula brings the maamar HaMidrash⁵

on the verse⁶

Basi legani achosi kalah: "Lagan ein kesiv kan ela legani, leganoni, limkom shehayah ikari batchilah, de-ikar Shechinah betachtonim hayah",

D.

H.

That the hashra'as haShechinah betachtonim which was at the time of the hakamas haMishkan

(about which the Above says "Basi legani")

was already at the beginning of creation

(and not as the M"D⁷

that "davar chidush hu").

Only that through the sin of Etz HaDaas and the sins after it, it — "pasek",

and afterwards,

at the time of the hakamas haMishkan,

"chazar lechamos shehayah".

And in the conclusion of the maamar he brings the midrash⁸

"No person has control to say, wait for me until I make my accounts and until I command my household, etc."

Therefore one may not postpone for later the work that one has to do,

for "who knows his time and his season."

By bringing at the beginning and conclusion of the maamar these two midrashim,

he indicates the two aforementioned points: with the<b> </b>midrash at the conclusion of the maamar he indicates,

that the work must be done with alacrity; and with the midrash at the beginning of the maamar he indicates in what the work itself must consist: spreading Torah and mitzvos <b>in every place,</b>

as follows.

3.

When a Jew considers the state of the world,

that this world is indeed

(as the Alter Rebbe says)

"<b>full</b> of husks and sitra achara",

4.

5.

that every point of this world is full of husks: until the name of this world — for the name of every thing indicates its essence¹⁰

— is "the world of husks and sitra achara"¹¹,

he can think to himself:

Since the Creator <b>created</b> the world in such a way that it should be "the world of husks",

it is indeed not possible that <b>I</b> should be able to transform it.

And since it is so — I will separate myself from the world and be secluded within the four cubits of Torah and prayer and have nothing to do with the world!

On this the Rebbe explains immediately at the beginning of the maamar,

that on the contrary: That the world is a world of kelipot is it

rather it is]

an added thing,

a matter that was <b>added</b>

(<b>after</b> the creation)

through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge etc.; but from the side of its essential substance,

there is indeed an advantage in this world relative to the higher worlds,

because the <b>primary</b> dwelling of the Shechinah is specifically in the lower realms <b>was</b>.

One can, however, still argue: True indeed,

that at the beginning of creation it was different; but now the world is indeed "full" of kelipot "and the wicked prevail¹¹

in it"?

On this comes the explanation further in the maamar,

that the ultimate intent in the creation and coming-into-being of the worlds is that which "Hashem desired¹²

to have for Himself a dwelling place in the lower realms",

and since the intent will certainly be carried out

(and it is created <b>at every single moment</b><b>¹³</b>

for the sake of the intent,

it is therefore not possible that the matters of creation,

the deeds of human beings

(the sin of the Tree of Knowledge etc.),

should have the power¹⁴

to oppose and not allow, heaven forbid, the fulfillment of the intent]

And ultimately the world will become a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He — it thus turns out that the current change in the world,

that it is a "world of kelipot",

is a "change that reverts to its original state"

(for ultimately there will come a time when "the spirit of impurity I will remove from the earth"¹⁵

as it was before the sin),

and "a change that reverts to its original state is not called a change"¹⁶,

it thus means that in essence even now the world is a "dwelling place for Him, blessed be He"¹⁷.

And especially since the change

(is not only that it can revert to its original state, but it)

will certainly revert to its original state,

as above.

And since the revelation in the future will be in a manner of "the earth shall be full¹⁸

of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea"¹⁹

and "every creature shall know that You have made it"*¹⁹,

it thus follows,

that also now

(in essence)

it is so in every point of the world,

even there where it appears as if there is an opposition to G‑dliness,

to be a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He.

And therefore one must disseminate Judaism in every place and place,

in order to reveal the good that is there in every place.

4.

This maamar was indeed published by the Rebbe for the day of his histalkus — so the above teaching at the beginning of the maamar²⁰

is also connected with the matter of histalkus:

After the soul becomes departed from the body,

the body becomes destroyed²¹.

And here arises the question: what is the purpose of all the avodah,

that a Jew toils throughout all the days of his life to refine his body²²,

if after his histalkus it becomes destroyed?

And the question is even stronger: that which the body is destroyed

(when the soul departs from the body)

is it indeed

(<b>not</b> a matter that is <b>renewed</b> in it,

as it is written²³

"Dust you are and to dust you shall return"

(so from the fact that also now "dust you are" — <b>therefore</b> "and to dust you shall <b>return</b>"),

and since "a change that returns to its original state is not called a change",

he is therefore automatically not a true reality even before he is "returned to dust" — and since this is so,

it would seem to follow that the service of Torah and mitzvos is connected with a matter that is

(even during the service)

not a true reality, heaven forbid?

And although the "bone luz"

(which remains from the body)

is never destroyed²⁴,

and also regarding the resurrection of the <b>entirety</b> of the body it is stated²⁵

"<b>shall live</b> your dead"

(and not "shall be created"),

because the manner of resurrection will be

(not that a new body will be created²⁶,

but)

but)

that the body will be <b>rebuilt</b> from the bone luz²⁷

— since however that the body in itself is "dust you are",

and that which it is aware of from <b>its</b> essence is "and to dust you shall return",

it follows automatically that this body which

(the manner of resurrection will be not in the way of a new creation,

but rather that)

he will be built from the essential luz bone,

is it a matter of a "creation" new²⁸

— for the definition of the body in terms of its essence is "dust"²⁹?

5.

To this is the answer,

that on the contrary: since that "the main Shechinah <b>in the lower realms</b> was",

therefore "and us You have chosen" specifically in this physical body³⁰,

it follows that the body is a true reality in which no loss is applicable.

And the change which occurred in it through

(the sin of the Tree of Knowledge and the "cause" from it —)

"and to dust you shall return",

is only in its externality,

not in its essential substance.

For the deed of human beings cannot change, heaven forbid,

(and as above sec. 3)

the choice of <b>the Essence</b>,

that <b>He</b> chose a Jewish body.

And this itself is the explanation of that which the "etzem luz"

and]

is never damaged — because it is the "atzmiut" of the body³²,

and in atzmiut

(of the body)

there cannot be any

(sin and)

damage.

And since "and in us You chose" is also in the <b>totality</b> of the body,

it is therefore understood that <b>inwardly</b> also in the totality of the body there cannot be any damage³³.

And that which in the future it will be <b>rebuilt</b> from the "etzem luz" — it is from its own essence,

because in it is the choice of the essence.

And according to this it turns out,

that on the contrary, from the fact that "a change that returns to its original state is not called a change",

it is also now a true existence.

6.

The evil inclination is, however, an "expert in his craft"³⁴,

so after one repels his "claim"

(that one cannot, heaven forbid, deal with the body and the world)

through the explanation,

that in their innerness they are entirely good and holiness and the service is only to bring out the good that is in them innermostly to revelation,

he begins to argue with the person to the contrary:

<b>Innermostly</b> the body and this world are good even before the service; and even regarding "revelation",

it is also a certain thing

(as above)

that ultimately through this Jew or through another Jew they will become a "dwelling place for Him, blessed be He" — so what do you have to boil yourself in your service of Torah and mitzvos in order to refine and purify the body and its portion in the world; and in particular — what is all the "fuss" if you will put it off for a while later?

On this, the Rebbe Baal HaHilula explains at the conclusion of the maamar that a)

There is the concept of "I will make my accounts",

"I will command my household",

and as is known the answer of the Alter Rebbe³⁵

"You have told everything that you need,

and for what<b> are you needed,</b>

you say nothing",

b)

"Who is he who knows his time and his season":

Every matter in the world is pre-arranged,

through whom the thing should be clarified³⁶

; so too is it arranged in what time the clarification should be done.

And consequently it is indeed right that by postponing for later,

he should, heaven forbid, lose his account and household etc.³⁷

And therefore the service must be done with alacrity,

not lose a single moment in the work of spreading Torah and mitzvos in general and spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus in particular — in every place and place,

and this must be done with joy &lt;b&gt;and desire&lt;/b&gt; etc.

(which automatically brings alacrity&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;

— and in the language of the Rambam

(regarding the days of Moshiach)

&lt;b&gt;they longed&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;39&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

prepare the entire world for the fulfillment of the prophecy&lt;sup&gt;19&lt;/sup&gt;

"the earth will be filled with knowledge of the L-rd as the waters cover the sea",

very soon.

(From the sicha of Yud Shevat and Shabbos Parshas Beshalach 5729)