English translation — משיחות ש״פ חיי שרה, מבה״ח כסלו, ז״ד מרוזשון, ה׳תשמ״ז

The day of Shabbos is a "bestower" and also a "receiver"¹.

"Bestower" — that from which all the days of the week after it are blessed,

as the Zohar states¹ "from it

(from the day of Shabbos)

"All the days are blessed": And "receives" — the completeness and Shabbat are achieved through the work and toil of the weekdays preceding it — "Whoever toils on erev Shabbat will eat on Shabbat"⁵,

And moreover — that it also receives and is blessed from the Shabbat that precedes it,

For this that Shabbat "from it all the days are blessed" — the intention is to all the seven days that follow it

(including Shabbat day)

And on this Shabbat — a special elevation in two aspects:

This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim HaChodesh.

That is,

that it blesses and influences the seven days that follow it and also all the days of the month — thirty days⁵.

Moreover,

it is the Shabbat of blessing the month of Sivan — the third month from Tishrei,

which has an advantage also regarding the third month from Nissan

(Sivan)

And also the Shabbat from which this Shabbat is blessed is an auspicious day

[for the heart,

Also the blessing that is drawn from it to all the days after it is a most elevated blessing]

— the birthday of the Admor

(Moharashab)

of blessed memory,

that then

— "his mazal prevails"⁷,

elevation and addition in all matters of the birthday person

(and extends to his "mazal" that is above)

And in a manner of overcoming.

Now, since all the events

(in the world,

and especially the matters connected with Torah and Mitzvos)

are by Divine Providence — it is understood,

that when two special matters occur on the same day⁸ — and similar to this Shabbos,

that it is blessed from the birthday of the Admur N"E,

and that it blesses all the days of the month of Kislev — this indicates,

that there is a connection between the two matters.

And the explanation for this can be said:

The point and seal of the month of Kislev is Chanukah⁹,

for the superiority of Chanukah lights over the lights of the Temple is that the Chanukah lights

(specifically)

"are never nullified¹⁰ forever"¹¹.

That is,

that the light of the candles

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Chanukah is a most sublime light.

And it can be said

(a kind of)

essence of the light of Ein Sof which is above the chain of descent¹³,

that regarding Him, may He be blessed — "also⁴ darkness does not darken from You"¹³.

And this is also the connection to the future redemption

[As known³י,

that the eight Chanukah lights are analogous to the harp of the Messianic era of eight strings¹⁶]

— because the revelation that will be in the future redemption is an unlimited revelation to which concealment does not apply,

a redemption after which there cannot be any exile¹⁷.

And this concept

(as with all matters of the future [redemption])

is accomplished through our actions and service in the time of exile": through the study and dissemination of the inner dimension of the Torah, which has no concealments or hidden aspects"⁷

that the Torah and its commandments were returned to them

(after the Greeks wanted to cause them to forget Your Torah, G-d)

came by means of their Mamshich [leader],

service from below to above in the aspect of returning light.

And accordingly, it may be said,

that this is the reason that Chanukah is not mentioned in the Torah — similar to the eternal children of the second tablets,

whose giving was through the service of repentance.

And accordingly, the connection of Chanukah to the third of Tishrei will be sweetened more.

— which arouses the innerness of the soul,

and even to the aspect of Eitan in the soul,

Eitan from the word strong and hard,

that all the winds in the world cannot move it from its place⁷ — through this we arouse and draw down the essence of the light, to which concealment does not apply.

And this is the connection of the two matters in this Shabbos

(Shabbos Mevarchim Kislev with the birthday of the Admor, of blessed memory)

One of the main endeavors of the Rebbe was the founding of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva, whose purpose is,

as he explained in his well-known discourse⁷⁷ on the topic of "All who go out to the war of the House of David"⁷³,

that the students of the yeshiva should be the "soldiers" of the "House of David",

whose role is to fight against those "who have taunted the footsteps of Your anointed"⁷⁴.

And later in the discourse, he explains⁷⁵,

that the manner of this war is "not by might nor by power"⁷⁶,

"might and power" referring to mussar and rebuke,

"With My spirit"⁷⁶ — the study and dissemination of the inner dimension of the Torah.

And this is the connection between the two aforementioned matters: On the birthday of the founder of the yeshivah,

there is a special empowerment given to all his students and his students' students to increase

(and in a manner of overcoming,

his mazal prevails)

in fulfilling their mission,

to illuminate the world.

And through this is realized the matter of Kislev — a redemption after which there is no exile.

("they are not nullified")

And all the oils became impure, it is,

in the revealed Torah*,

and they found one cruse — the innerness of the light*.

Shiur Parshas Chayei Sarah*,

Mevorachim Chodesh Kislev

And one should add,

that the connection of the Shabbat of Mevarchim Kislev

(when it falls on the 27th of Marcheshvan)

with the 20th of Marcheshvan,

the birthday of the Rebbe, of blessed memory — is emphasized even more this year²²:

The chapters of Tehillim for the birthday in this year² are: Chapter 126 — the conclusion and seal of the past year²⁹,

and Chapter 127 — the chapter of this year that began on the birthday.

And behold, in the lesson of Tehillim for the 27th day of the month

(according to the institution of the holy, our master, teacher, and Rebbe, my father-in-law)

— these two chapters.

And an additional point,

In the content of the psalms, which is about the redemption — a direct connection with the role of the disciples of the birthday celebrant,

the soldiers of the House of David,

as above at length.

And behold, these two psalms,

although both speak about matters of the Redemption,

nevertheless, there is a difference between them:

The beginning of Psalm 126 is "When Hashem returns the captivity of Zion" — the ingathering of the exiles; and the beginning of Psalm 127 is "Hashem etc. builds the House" — the building of the Holy Temple.

And the order of the psalms

(that also the order of the Torah

is Torah and instruction²⁰)

— the ingathering of all Israel

(Ingathering of the exiles)

before the building of the Beis HaMikdash — as it was in the Mishkan

(in which the command begins "And they shall make Me a Sanctuary"²)

And in the first Beis HaMikdash

(the complete Beis HaMikdash,

which lacks nothing²²)

And also regarding the future era²² it is in accordance with the opinion of the Midrash² "that Yerushalayim will not be built until the exiles gather"²⁵.

And even though regarding halacha there is seemingly²⁶ a clear ruling of the Rambam²²

(and consequently - including the subjects of

00 and

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its vessels⁵⁸)

"And build the Temple in its place

(and afterwards)

and gather the dispersed of Israel" - despite this, regarding "our deeds and our service" now in spirituality

(for through this the matters are done in physicality,

as above)

One must learn a lesson from the two opinions⁵.

And the explanation of this is:

The concept of the Holy Temple is that

(also)

physical things

(like the “13 and 15 items”⁴ from which the Tabernacle was made•⁴)

become a Sanctuary for Him, may He be blessed⁴¹.

And this is the reason for the opinion that 'Jerusalem will not be built until the exiles are gathered' - that initially there will be the departure of all Israel from exile,

And only after this will there be a more elevated matter - that even physical things will become a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He.

And this is also the case with our actions and service now,

For according to this opinion — the beginning of the service is to gather and collect all the 'sparks of the portions of the soul's light' that were scattered 'in many places, foreign and very distant'⁴²,

And only afterwards — is he able to effect the completion of the clarification and refinement in the world outside himself,

the Holy Temple.

But as long as he himself has not been completely clarified — it is impossible for him

(according to this opinion)

to come to the completeness of clarification and refinement of the world that is external to him⁴.

And the lesson from the ruling that the building of the Beis HaMikdash precedes the ingathering of the exiles — even though the general order is "Adorn yourself first and then adorn others"⁴⁴,

nevertheless, sometimes there is a situation

unique,

where the work of building the Beis HaMikdash comes before the work of ingathering the exiles.

For when there comes into his hand

(by Divine Providence)

some matter that requires correction — this itself is proof that he must act upon it

(even though it itself has not yet been clarified)

And this action of the perfection of the clarification and purification of the world outside him

(building the Beis HaMikdash)

draws an additional giving of power"⁴ in his service with himself

(ingathering of the exiles - and as it was in the second Beis HaMikdash)

And one should add,

For just as regarding matters

(of building the Beis HaMikdash and the Ingathering of the Exiles)

in their simple sense,

the simple language of the Rambam is that building the Beis HaMikdash precedes the Ingathering of the Exiles — so too regarding our actions and service in this generation,

the simple instruction of His Holiness, my master and father-in-law, the Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation,

that the service of building the Beis HaMikdash precedes the service of the Ingathering of the Exiles.

That is,

that in this generation of ours,

the aforementioned conduct

(to act in the world without waiting until it perfects itself completely)

is the conduct of the majority and the order for the many — except for the minority,

or only for special individuals

(from whom perfection is demanded as perfection)

And this instruction came into actual deed,

a great deed⁴⁷,

that the Rebbe, my master and father-in-law, sent emissaries to faraway places,

far also spiritually,

without waiting until they refine themselves completely and perfectly.

And the conduct

Parashas Chayei Sarah,

Mevorchim HaChodesh Kislev

And this

This was

(not in an exceptional manner,

but)

in a common order and manner.

But nevertheless,

(it is understood,

Everyone must learn a lesson also from the "knowledge" of the ingathering of the exiles before the building of the Beis HaMikdash,

for the entire Torah is eternal.

And the explanation: even in the work with another

(building of the Beis HaMikdash)

there are the two aforementioned matters:

the effort to help him as needed — that all his soul powers be concentrated together through his being permeated with Torah and mitzvos — "ingathering of the exiles";

The action that is accomplished by this in the entire world,

That by adding one more Jew who becomes closer to Torah and mitzvos,

We bring closer and hasten the redemption

(that the entire world [is his])

— "the building of the Holy Temple".

And this is the lesson we learn from the knowledge that the ingathering of the exiles precedes the building of the Holy Temple:

The intention of the sender, the president of our generation, in sending the emissaries to various places, may it be successful, is that,

that the emissary should concentrate on acting,

to help the people of the place to which he was sent — both our brethren, the Children of Israel, who are there,

that he illuminate and influence them through spreading Judaism and the wellsprings,

and also the children of Noah — be it differentiated — through spreading their seven commandments⁴⁸.

And even though the emissary needs to know the Torah ruling and the Torah’s teaching — the Torah of life — about the action accomplished through this throughout the world,

that through this we hasten the redemption, etc. — and especially that this knowledge adds vitality and vigor in his work — nevertheless, together with this

he must know that the matter of hastening the redemption is a “surrounding” and “result” of the work that the sender placed upon him: and the task that the sender placed upon him is — to concentrate on illuminating the place to which he was sent with the light of Torah and mitzvos.

May it be His will that the gathering of the emissaries, may they live long,

in the manner of "each man helps his friend and says to his brother, 'Be strong!'"⁵⁰,

will add strength to each of them in fulfilling their mission,

and moreover — in a manner that increases and grows in light.

And especially since to each of them are given special powers from the sender,

for a person's agent is like himself,

and even like his very self⁵.

And what is required of them is to utilize the powers,

To utilize properly⁵² that each one illuminate the place to which he was sent through the dissemination of Judaism,

the Tanya, Chumash, and Rambam,

and especially through the spreading of the wellsprings.

And every addition in these activities brings closer and hastens the redemption

(Psalm 126)

and the revelation of the Third Beis HaMikdash

(Psalm 127)

— an eternal House,

"The Sanctuary of the L‑rd, Your hands have established"⁵³,

And within the chapter [there is] the opinion of the birthday person,

that it should be: "If the L‑rd does not build a house,"

"The L‑rd keeps watch over the city,"

as it is,

"to His beloved one,"

"He is the King Moshiach,"

"may G‑d, blessed be He, give him, etc.," the "house" and the "city" in utmost perfection⁵⁴,

speedily, in our very own days,

immediately, in our times.

Yeshayahu 40.

Hashem)

Shu"t HaRivash 328.

And more.

And see Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 1.

and so elsewhere*.

י5)

see Ketubot 67,

271.

וי)

Beshalach 15,

Zchag Reka,

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