English translation — משיחות ש״ב מגש ה׳תשמ״ז

Shabbos Parshas Vayigash is after Chanukah,

And together with this,

it has a connection and relevance to the days of Chanukah —

whether when the last days

(until the conclusion and seal)

of Chanukah are in the week of Parshas Vayigash,

which,

their elevation and completion

("Vayechulu"¹)

It is on Shabbos Parshas Vayigash.

And it is when.

This Chanukah* occurs on Shabbos Parshas Mikeitz

(as the determination of this year)

since the continuation of the blessing of Shabbos Parshas Mikeitz

("from which all days are blessed"³)

it is not only for the six days of the week,

but also for the day of Shabbos

(Parshas Vayigash)

and on the other hand,

the elevation and perfection of “Vayechulu*” on Shabbos Parshas Vayigash is not only in relation to the six days of action,

but also in relation to the day of Shabbos Parshas Mikeitz

(as discussed there* in the sicha)

On the contrary,

In the establishment of this year that 'this Chanukah*' falls on Shabbat, the connection and relevance to Shabbat Parshas Vayigash that follows is emphasized more — because,

In addition to the connection and relevance of all Shabbats of the year from the aspect of the concept of 'a remembrance of the act of Creation',

the common denominator in all Shabbats

(like Shabbos Bereishis)

behold,

Two consecutive Shabbosos,

within eight days,

constitute

(also)

a single continuum,

that begins on Shabbos and ends on Shabbos⁵.

And the concept regarding this:

On one hand — we are already after Chanukah,

which,

since "each day does its work" / the "work" of Chanukah has already concluded

(And simply — that after "Zot Chanukah* it is forbidden to light and recite a blessing over the Chanukah candles,

and similarly regarding reading the Torah reading of Chanukah,

the recitation of Hallel each day,

and so forth)

And from the beginning, the 'work' of the days that follow.

But on the other hand — since the halachah in the Torah⁷ 'we ascend in holiness and

(and certainly)

we do not descend',

and it is especially emphasized on Chanukah,

for the kindling of the Chanukah light is according to the opinion of Beis Hillel,

"On the first day one lights one, from there onward

Sichos in English - 5747

Goes on increasing.

That we ascend in holiness and do not descend"י

(And it is emphasized also in the name that they call him,

"Chanukah,"

acronym: 8 candles and the law follows Beit Hillel"י)

— therefore,

It is impossible that immediately after Chanukah the service should begin in a manner of descent, Heaven forbid.

(the opposite also of the halacha of "we do not lower")

but on the contrary,

it is necessarily to say that after Chanukah there is added to this a greater elevation,

"We ascend in holiness".

And this concept is emphasized in the weekly portion after Chanukah,

Parshas Vayigash

(and specifically on Shabbos Parshas Vayigash,

that then they read in public the entire portion,

together with the haftarah,

and with the blessings before and after)

— which,

according to what is explained in the inner dimension of the Torah, as elucidated in the teachings of Chabad Chassidus

[in Torah Ohr",

"Torat Chaim" and "Ohr HaTorah"⁶,

discourses of the Alter Rebbe

(Toras Or)

the Mitteler Rebbe

(Torah Chaim)

and the Tzemach Tzedek

(Ohr HaTorah)

Ohr HaTorah• — emphasizing the virtue of the light,

which is the light of the Torah,

that is not at all similar to other matters of light: the light of a candle,

the light of a torch,

the light of a bonfire,

the light of the moon,

the light of the sun,

the light of the seven days,

until the light of d'l'at'el,

double like the light of the seven days•

(Yeshayahu 30,

— see Sotah 21,

Kuntres Eitz HaChayim at its beginning.

And more.

The patriarchs of the teachings of Chabad Chassidus

(corresponding to Chochma, Binah, Daas⁷)

And so too in the discourses of our Rabbeim Nesi'einu that followed,

until my father-in-law, the Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation]

It is understood,

that the parshah of Vayigash is in the manner of "ascending in holiness" regarding the parshah that is read on Chanukah,

the parshah of the Nesi'im,

as follows.

The content of the reading of Chanukah in the parshah of the Nesi'im is — the inauguration of the Altar and the Mishkan.

And several details in this — in a manner of elevation and addition,

"ascending in holiness,"

And among them:

On the first day of Chanukah we read in the Torah about the inclusion of all the princes together — 'And the princes of Israel offered.'

And they brought their offering before the L‑rd⁸,

"And the princes offered the dedication offering of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the princes offered their offering before the altar"⁹,

"As if all of them offered on the first day"¹⁰.

And more specifically:

The inclusion of all twelve princes on the first day is —

Regarding the offering that they all brought

(and received from them)

actually on the first day,

"six covered wagons and twelve oxen",

[That they too were in the category of "offering"¹¹,

as explicit in the verse: "And they brought their offering before the L-rd: six covered wagons, etc.",

and in the language of the Midrash¹²: "the offering of the princes,"

And furthermore,

Rather, 'In Gilgal they sacrificed oxen.'

In Nov they sacrificed them.

In Givon they sacrificed them.

In the house

Shabbos Parshas Vayigash

9ו2

Worlds they sacrificed them"",

And regarding the wagons — "Hashem gave them that they should exist forever"¹³)

And also regarding the sacrifices that they offered on the altar — behold,

Additionally,

Therefore, "they were all of one accord"¹⁴,

there was also the bringing of the offer- ings,

on the part of the princes who were the owners of the offering,

on a single day,

and furthermore,

but were it not for the command "one prince per day etc.",

it would imply that they would also offer on the altar on a single day,

and furthermore,

But even regarding the offering on the altar, one prince per day — it is said, "This is the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed,"

And it is stated in the Midrash²⁰: "But was the entire dedication of the altar done on the day it was anointed?

Was not the dedication of the altar only completed after twelve days? Rather, the verse comes to teach you that all the tribes are equal and beloved before the Holy One, blessed be He,

that the verse considers them as if they all brought offerings on the first day."

And afterward,

during the days of Chanukah,

they read in the Torah

(also)

The offerings of each prince on his day,

"one prince per day, etc." — in this there is an elevation compared to the inclusion on the first day,

that the general extends and penetrates into the particulars and particular particulars¹⁶.

And afterwards,

on the last day of Chanukah,

we read

(also)

the general order of the offerings of the princes after the reading of the actual sacrifice — "This was the dedication of the altar after it was anointed"²²,

"as if all of them offered on the last day"¹⁸,

that is,

a generality that comes after the extension and division into details,

which is higher

than the generality that precedes the extension and division into details²².

Until they come to the conclusion and seal of the reading of "Zos Chanukah",

"Beha'aloscha es ha'neros etc."²⁴,

"Yours is greater than theirs"²⁵ — a level that comes in an (eiz-errech)*¹,

also regarding them all before him,

in the manner of the continuation and revelation of the Atzmut Ein Sof that is above Atzmut Ein Sof, which is drawn down through the Hishtalshelut,²

since,

regarding the Atzmut Ein Sof whose foundation and root is the Hishtalshelut,

it does not apply

(all in you)

to say "yours is greater than theirs,"

but rather,

Regarding the aspect of atzilus (arousal from above) which is above atzilus, that is drawn down through atzilus (arousal from below).

However,

All the elevation and perfection of Chanukah is — regarding the dedication of the Mishkan,

And after this there is a more elevated matter,

"One ascends in holiness" — the Beis HaMikdash.

And this matter is hinted at in Parshas Vayigash — according to what is explained in the inner dimensions of Torah,

Toras HaChassidus:

Discourses of Chasidus

(in Torah Or and elsewhere)

Page of Vayigash — their beginning regarding the topic

(and in the verse)

"The beams of our houses are cedars, etc."²,

in explaining the matters of

(and the virtue)

the Beis HaMikdash

(Regarding the Tabernacle)

Sefer HaSichos - 5747

"And the content of the explanation"³:

"The Tabernacle was [made] of cedarwood,

as it is written"³ 'acacia wood standing'

(the choicest of cedarwood³²)

And the covering was of goatskins etc., while the Beis HaMikdash was specifically of stones and earth.

(that it is forbidden to insert projecting wood etc.²⁹)

Only that there were cedar beams in the ceiling of the Ulam³⁴.

which were secondary to the main structure.

And the reason is,

for,

"In the Mishkan, the ultimate perfection was not yet present,

for it was only a temporary dwelling for the Holy One, blessed be He,

as it is written³⁵ "And I went about in a tent and in a Mishkan, etc."

Therefore, it was made according to the order of the chain of descent of the worlds.

The walls of the Mishkan were made of boards, which are of the category of the vegetative,

(only)

The ground of the Mishkan was of earth.

That the vegetative is above the inanimate.

And the covering over the Mishkan was of sheets.

The aspect of the living, which is higher in level than the aspect of the vegetative, etc.

But in the Mikdash, there was the ultimate mastery,

for it was a permanent dwelling of the Holy One, blessed be He,

as it is written³⁶

that it can illuminate even the darkness,

but the novelty in the darkness,

that it becomes a vessel,

a vessel prepared and fit that the light be revealed in it.

And this is also the superiority of the Holy Temple over the Tabernacle — that although in the Tabernacle there was also from the category of the inanimate,

that is,

Revelation and drawing down of G‑dliness to the lowest level,

in the category of³³ inanimate,

however, in the Mishkan

(the main point)

the innovation is that the light shines even in the lower place,

and in the Beis HaMikdash the main innovation is that the lower became a vessel for G‑dliness

(See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VI, p.³⁴ 20-21.

And see there.)

This is My resting place forever,

which was a likeness of the World to Come and as it will be in the seventh millennium when there will be rest for the eternal life,

that then the higher land, which is the aspect of Malchus of Atzilus, will be elevated to be above them all³⁵,

And as it is written, “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband.”

Therefore, even in the Beis HaMikdash, which was a likeness of the World to Come, the main part of the house was made of stones and earth, which are the aspect of the inanimate.

Thus the cedar beams that were in the ceiling were only in the category of supports for the main ceiling made from the inanimate category.

And this is the explanation of "The beams of our houses are cedars, etc.":

Interpretation 1 — "It refers to the Mishkan"³⁹,

which was made of cedars,

whereas the Temple,

which was made of stones,

is in a more elevated manner.

Sichah of Parshat Vayigash

And the explanation of the second — "It refers to the Beis HaMikdash of Shlomo"⁴⁰,

"The beams of our house of the Beis HaMikdash of Shlomo are of cedars,

it speaks in praise,

That what was in the Mishkan of Moshe, the walls were of cedar wood,

in the aspect of influencers.

In our house,

they are only in the aspect of beams to hold the plaster upon them,

that are called only "supports" —.

And until the end of the verse,

"Our beams are cedars",

which refers to the Beis HaMikdash of the future,

as the Targum explains: "More beautiful will be the Temple that will be built in the days of King Moshiach, whose beams

(ceiling or beam")

will be from the cedars of the Garden of Eden, and its panels

(floor⁴²)

They will be from my daughter and my two and my princes",

That is,

that the floor of the future Holy Temple will be more important than the beams of Solomon's Holy Temple,

and consequently the beams of the future Holy Temple will be even more important cubit/"42

And the explanation of the connection to the Parsha Vayigash,

"And Yehudah approached him":

Yosef and Yehudah are analogous to the Mishkan and the Temple,

vegetative and inanimate,

"Yosef [implies] language of addition and multiplicity.

It is the matter of the aspect of vegetative.

And Yehudah is the aspect of land,

Malchus of Atzilus,

which is the aspect of

(and she stood)

the inanimate of Atzilut,

and therefore Yehudah is an expression of gratitude and self-nullification,

that the inanimate has within it the aspect of self-nullification to the greatest degree"⁴².

and therefore,

in this time,

Yosef is above Yehudah

(the vegetative is above the inanimate)

And therefore "Yehudah approached him",

that Yehudah approached Yosef to receive influence etc.,

"But in the future, Yehudah will be elevated above the aspect of Yosef."

And it is emphasized also in the Haftarah

(conclusion and seal of the reading)

Of the portion Vayigash — "Take for yourself one stick and write on it for Yehudah and for the children of Israel his companions, and take one stick and write on it for Yosef, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel his companions, and bring them together one

(the first)

One G-d

(the second)

etc. "Behold, I take the stick of Joseph etc. and I will put them upon it"

(above him)

the stick of Judah and I will make them into one stick etc. and My servant David shall be king over them"⁴⁴,

until "and David My servant shall be prince for them forever"⁴⁵.

Based on this, one can explain the elevation of Parshat Vayigash in relation to the Chanukah reading — "Maalin Bakodesh":

In the reading of Chanukah, it discusses the inauguration of the Mishkan,

While Parshat Vayigash is connected with the completeness of the Beis HaMikdash,

For the Torah in its interpretation

(Torah SheBe'al Peh)

was given: "The beams of our houses are cedars, etc."

(as brought and explained in the beginning of the Chassidic discourses of Parshat Vayigash)

And in this very thing

(Furthermore, the advantage of the Temple over the Tabernacle is that it is "a semblance of the World to Come that will be in the seventh millennium, when there will be rest for eternal life")

– the Holy Temple of the future to come,

because:

Since we are in the time of exile after the destruction of the First and Second Temples,

thus,

it is understood and even simple,

that the discussion regarding the Beis HaMikdash

Sefer HaSichos – 5747

In the future⁴⁷,

when "And My servant David shall be their prince forever,"

that then the third Beis HaMikdash will be built,

which is much loftier than the first Beis HaMikdash,

and also than the second Beis HaMikdash,

[although it is stated about it, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the first,"

which refers to the second Beis HaMikdash⁴,

which was greater in building than the first Beis HaMikdash,

And also in years

(For the First Temple stood 410 years,

and the Second Temple stood 420 years⁵⁰)

behold, it refers to the future Holy Temple⁵¹]

to an elevation that is entirely incomparable,

that in it there will be a "justification" of the destruction of the First Temple and the Second Temple,

A frightening descent — a need for a frightening ascent

(for the sake of elevation)

: in order to come to the ultimate elevation of the Third Beis HaMikdash!

And in addition to this,

The continuation of the verse "Our rafters are of cedars" refers from the outset to the future Beis HaMikdash,

according to the interpretation of the Targum.

And all this is emphasized more in the haftarah of Parshas

Vayigash,

that it is a conclusion and seal⁵²

("everything follows the conclusion"⁵⁵)

Parshas Vayigash — which discusses the status and situation of the future,

until "and David My servant shall be their prince forever".

The gist of all the above:

After the conclusion of the days of Chanukah,

all the matters of the service of Chanukah,

including the Torah reading of Chanukah days,

both regarding the one called up to the Torah who recites the blessing,

and regarding the listeners,

"the listener is like the one who recites"⁵⁴,

And on the contrary,

"Greater is the one who answers Amen than the one who recites the blessing,"

similar to the victory in war through the heroes⁵⁵ — now,

when the first day of Parshas Vayigash arrives,

And all the more so on the third day which was doubled with 'that it was good'*⁵

(And similarly on the sixth day regarding which it says 'good' twice⁵)

Until the ultimate perfection of the aspect of 'Vayigash' on the day of the Shabbat,

then begins time

(And consequently — it also continues in the aspect of place⁵⁸)

new,

that relates to the future Holy Temple and the future redemption,

by means of 'And My servant David shall be a prince unto them forever,'

David, King Moshiach.

For further clarification:

It was explained above⁵⁸ about the inner content of Chanukah — that it is connected with also the "oil"⁸⁰,

the aspect of the "oil" in the Torah,

the innermost dimension of the Torah,

Shabbos Parshas VaEschanan

secrets of secrets of the Torah,

And this "oil" must shine.

at the entrance of his house from outside"⁴²,

that this is the content of the concept of "your springs shall spread outward",

that the 'spring' itself

(not only the water that spreads from it)

comes in a manner of dissemination also in the place of 'outside',

until the 'outside' that has no outside beyond it

(as above at length)

For,

In the early generations, the inner dimension of the Torah was "concealed.

And hidden from all Torah scholars,

except for select individuals,

And even this was in a hidden manner and not in public,"

However,

In the time of the AriZal, the concept of "it is permissible and a mitzvah to reveal this wisdom"⁴³ began.

And afterward, there was an increase in the revelation of the inner dimension of the Torah — through the revelation of Chassidus,

and particularly the Chassidus of Chabad,

through which the inner dimension of the Torah comes in a manner of "yitparnesun"⁴⁴,

in understanding and comprehension in Chochmah, Binah, and Daas,

until the revelation of Chassidus in the manner of "yifotzu maayanosa" —

(of the Baal Shem Tov)

"outwardly".

And in this matter — "May your springs spread forth" — it is being added and continues through our leaders and princes from generation to generation,

until the B.K. of our master, teacher, and Rebbe,

through whom the matter of spreading the springs outward was actually carried out in all corners of the earth,

through his students and emissaries,

"The soldiers of the House of David",

who go out to the "War of the House of David",

to nullify those 'who have insulted the footsteps of Your anointed'⁴⁵,

until the coming of Moshiach,

In the manner of "Blessed⁴⁴ is G‑d"

forever, Amen and Amen."⁴⁷

And therefore,

After the work of our Nesi'im in spreading the wellsprings outward for six generations,

"Six years shall you sow your field and six years shall you prune your vineyard"•⁴,

In weeding and clearing the "Tree of Life"⁴⁴ of the teachings of Chassidus,

so that it gives its fruit

(fruit and the fruit of fruit until the end of the world⁷⁰)

"Until Shiloh comes"⁷² — behold,

In this generation of ours,

the seventh generation,

"All sevenths are beloved"⁷³

(parallel to the Sabbatical year,

"In the seventh generations it is beloved.

In the years, the seventh is beloved"⁷³)

All that remains is to bring down⁷⁴ and bring the eternal Beis HaMikdash,

"The Sanctuary, O G-d, Your hands established"⁷³,

in the true and complete redemption

(after which there is no exile⁷⁴)

through our righteous Moshiach

(whose coming depends on the dissemination of the wellsprings outward,

as the words of the King Moshiach to the Baal Shem Tov⁷⁷)

And in the aforementioned style — that after the service of the days of Chanukah,

whose content is the dissemination of the wellsprings outward,

including the reading of the days of Chanukah,

in which

Sefer HaSichos - 5747

the concept of answering Amen is emphasized,

That this is the matter of the victory! "The War of the House of David",

— after squandering the treasures of the kingdom⁷⁸,

"Precious wealth that was gathered and collected over what years from generation to generation",

"His treasures and the treasures of his fathers from ancient times"⁷⁹,

which,

Throughout all the years were hidden and sealed from the eyes of every beholder etc.,

And nevertheless,

For the victory of the war, they open all the treasures,

and they squander them,

to each and every one of the army men,

each and every one of Israel,

as Bnei Yisrael were called at the time of the Exodus from Egypt and for all time,

as it is written⁸ "On that very day, all the legions of Hashem left the land of Egypt."

(and furthermore, "upon their legions"⁸,

above the sparks,

from the legions of Hashem⁸²)

As explained in the continuation of the hillula⁸³ —

Then we come to parshat Vayigash,

"The beams of our houses are cedars, our rafters are cypresses",

The Holy Temple that will be built in the days of King Moshiach,

"And David My servant shall be their prince forever".

And therefore:

It is necessary to proclaim and publicize that in our days we are in a time

(and place)

special,

which,

there remains in it only one single matter —

And a person is obligated to say in the language of his teacher⁸⁴,

in the language of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe⁸⁵: 'Stand ready, all of you,'

for the building of the Holy Temple, which is to come through the coming of David, the king, the Mashiach.

And consequently,

upon each and every Jew,

the mission is incumbent to bring and reveal the future Holy Temple — that is "built and perfected" in heaven,

and only needs to descend and be revealed below⁸⁸ — immediately and truly.

And as mentioned,

this matter pertains to each and every Jew,

men, women, and children,

"with our young and with our old, etc., with our sons and with our daughters"⁸⁷,

from the greatest of the great to the smallest of the small,

without any distinctions of communities, circles, and parties etc.,

for,

this is not a matter that belongs to a particular type or version etc.,

but rather,

a matter that pertains to every single Jew,

all ten categories of "your heads, your tribes, etc., your little ones, your wives, etc., from the hewer of your wood to the drawer of your water"⁸⁸,

for the words said above are founded and derived from what is explicit in the Torah,

the Written Torah and the Oral Torah,

in a way that is understood and relevant to every Jew.

And in the language of the verse⁸⁹ — in one of the Haftorahs,

as,

the entire matter of the Haftorah is connected with the decrees of the exile⁹⁰ — "This people I have formed for Me

(so that⁸⁴)

they may declare My praise,"

that is,

that each and every Jew

(including also one who is "called by the name Israel"⁹²,

as a continuation of the haftarah

of Parshas Vayigash

15 • 30)

to recount the praises of the Holy One, blessed be He,

until the primary praise — "For Hashem has redeemed Yaakov, etc."

(as the conclusion and seal of the aforementioned haftarah)

And the point of things — in simple and understandable letters for every single Jew literally:

The matter of “ascending in holiness” — is understood and simple for everyone, and not only that,

But that also from the nature of creation there is and must be a matter of growth and development,

not only among Israel,

but also among the nations of the world,

and even among animals,

And even in the category of vegetative

(up to the category of inanimate, in which there is also the aspect of vegetative within inanimate⁹⁴)

and accordingly,

from each one,

even the smallest of the small⁹⁵,

that in matters of holiness there must certainly be ascent and increase,

"we ascend in holiness."

And consequently,

it is simply understood for each person that it is impossible that after the days of Chanukah there should be a matter of descent, G-d forbid,

but on the contrary,

"rejoices in holiness"

(a directive that we take, and with emphasis, from the days of Chanukah,

as above at the end of section 2)

and simply — that the matter of Chanukah is connected with the consecration of the Mishkan,

And after this we come to a higher dedication,

and there is nothing higher than this except the dedication of the Beis HaMikdash.

And especially based on what is explained in the inner dimension of Torah,

the Torah of Chassidus,

the connection and relevance of Parshas Vayigash to "the beams of our houses are cedars, etc."

as mentioned above at length.

And it is obvious,

that when we speak about the Beis HaMikdash in this, our final exile — the intention is not the First Temple or the Second Temple,

but rather,

to the third Beis HaMikdash,

which,

this Beis HaMikdash must be incomparable even to the second Beis HaMikdash,

"Greater will be the glory of this latter House than the first,"

since,

for the elevation of the second Beis HaMikdash,

the descent of the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash and the exile lasting seventy years was "sufficient",

And therefore, it is simple,

that the destruction of the Second Temple and exile for over one thousand nine hundred years.

It can only be for the sake of an elevation that is utterly incomparable⁹⁴!

And if in the time of the Gemara — already "all the ends have passed"⁹,

And since then "the harvest has passed, the summer is over, and we have not been saved"⁹⁸.

All the more so after the darkness, in multiple and manifold, of the footsteps of Moshiach.

And seemingly, the reason for the continuation of the length of the exile is — in order that there be added even more in the exodus with "great wealth"⁹⁹

(as we find in the Egyptian exile

(that your redemption is like the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt"')

"So that that righteous one should not say, 'And they afflicted them and tormented them' was fulfilled in them,

"and afterwards they left with great wealth' was not fulfilled in them'"⁹²)

However,

In our days, this reason no longer applies — for they have already acquired even the "great wealth",

the most extreme multitude of Torah and mitzvos that Bnei Yisrael performed throughout all the generations,

Sefer HaSichos - 5747

And particularly after the revelation of the inner dimensions of the Torah and in a manner of dissemination,

in Chochmah, Binah

(and also)

Knowledge,

it is as a deficiency²"¹ "One who has acquired knowledge, what does he lack?".

[And this that can be even more — since "It is longer than the earth's measure and broader than the sea"⁹⁵,

in a manner of Ein Sof (without end),

they will never be able to reach the ultimate and end of the matter,

and all that they can attain — is according to the presumption of integrity of Bnei Yisrael,

they have already attained; and on the contrary,

In order that there be added even more to the service and possessions of Israel — this is through the immediate arrival of the true and complete redemption,

that then the service of Israel will be in the ultimate completeness,

“as the command of Your will”⁴”⁹⁷]

And perhaps the reason for the continuation of the exile for one more moment,

is — because “the Holy One, blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous”³”¹

(“and all Your people are righteous”””¹)

that they pray and request and seek and demand from the Holy One, blessed be He, regarding the length of the exile,

"Until when?".

And they will demand and request²"¹ that the redemption come immediately and at once,

"The sprout of David Your servant may You speedily grow.

For Your salvation we hope all day,"

And on Shabbosos and holidays — "May our eyes see Your return to Tzion with mercy,"

And so forth,

And then,

Immediately he comes!!

But also prayer must be and its completion "as the commandment of Your will" — immediately after the redemption,

Rest of the soul that one may say intent as required,

That intent is the main thing in prayer⁸"¹.

However,

Based on the above that we are in a period whose entire theme is "stand ready, all of you" for the building of the third Beis HaMikdash and the true and complete redemption — someone might think,

that in this situation there is no need for the matter of avodah,

but rather,

"to pack the bags."

and wait for the coming of Moshiach.

Regarding this comes the instruction from the daily Chumash lesson of this day,

Shabbat day — from the seventh until the conclusion and sealing of Parshat Vayigash:

And prefacing — the words of the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Admor ¹⁰⁹ regarding the lesson from the journeys of Bnei Yisrael while they were in the desert

("desert of the nations",

analogous to the matter of exile")

about which it is said, "By the word of G‑d they would encamp, and by the word of G‑d they would journey"¹,

"as if they were fixed"²,

and therefore,

even when they camped for only a short time

(not only for the longest duration,

in the encampment at "Kadesh",

19 years,

"like the days you spent in the other journeys"³,

but even for the shortest time)

until "a few days"⁴

And until the shortest time,

"From evening until morning"¹¹⁰ — their encampment was in a permanent manner,

including the erection of the Tabernacle and the services therein

(even though immediately the next day they had to dismantle it, etc.)

Shabbos Parshas Vayigash

And similarly regarding the matter of exile — that even when one is in exile for a short time,

yet another moment alone

(because in the moment immediately after, our righteous Moshiach comes)

behold,

even this moment must be in a manner of permanence,

and consequently,

one must "bring in" and fill this moment with all the matters of the service of Torah and mitzvos,

in all the details and minutiae

(the establishment of the Mishkan,

spiritual service)

And this matter is emphasized in the daily Chumash lesson — "And Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, etc."⁶,

And until the conclusion and seal of the parshah,

"And Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they took hold of it, and they were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly":

Even when they are in exile

(the land of Egypt)

¹¹²" for only a short time,

Then "and Joseph settled¹¹³" his father and his brothers etc. in the land of Egypt,

In a manner of settlement,

"to dwell in tranquility""",

And moreover,

But that the settlement is "in the best of the land",

And in the manner of "and they took hold of it",

"expression of possession""",

Until "and they were fruitful and multiplied",

They are, simply,

and they are in spiritual service,

to bring another Jew and another Jew, etc., closer to Torah and mitzvos,

"Whoever teaches his friend's son Torah, the verse considers it as if he gave birth to him"³².

And in this itself — in the manner of "very,"

above measure and limitation¹²³.

[And from this one comes immediately to "And Yaakov lived

Sefer HaSichos - 5747

In the land of Egypt seventeen years¹²⁴

(because "this portion is closed"¹²⁵,

that is,

that there is no break between the end of Parshat Vayigash and the beginning of Parshat Vayechi,

except for the necessary,

one letter¹²⁶)

that is, that also in the land of Egypt the matter of "And Jacob lived" was accomplished,

Until the choicest of his years¹¹⁹,

17 in gematria "tov"

(As known, the explanation and response of the Alter Rebbe to the Tzemach Tzedek on this¹²⁸)

And until the conclusion and seal of Parshat Vayechi — "Pakod Yifkod Elokim etchem"¹²¹]

That is,

Although in Parshat Vayigash the matter of the redemption and the future Temple is emphasized,

as explained at length,

Now,

together with this,

as long as we are still in the time of exile,

even just one moment,

this is in a manner of permanence

("And Israel dwelt etc.")

And consequently,

the service must be in all details and minutiae; rather,

that the service in every single detail must be permeated with the inner point — through which we also draw down and reveal the future Holy Temple ¹²².

And to note: such service is in a manner of uniting opposites y¹²³,

since,

on one hand,

there is

here a movement that is above measure and limitation,

The yearning, desire, and longing etc. for the future Holy Temple and the true and complete Redemption,

And on the other hand,

The service is performed in every matter in its details and with precision according to the Shulchan Aruch,

in the wisdom of measurement and limitation.

(In the manner mentioned above¹²⁴ regarding "to tell the praise of Aharon that he did not change"¹²⁵)

But nevertheless,

Behold, "I do not ask etc. except according to their strength"¹²⁶,

That is,

Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is the "Impossible of Impossibles"¹²⁷,

So too does the service of a Jew become in a manner of the "Impossible of Impossibles",

A union of opposites.

And it should be added,

That this service should be expressed especially in matters where the connection and affiliation with the Holy Temple is emphasized:

The establishment of a "Minor Sanctuary"¹²⁸,

houses of Torah, prayer, and gemilus chassadim, which is also the purpose and function of "Chabad Houses,"

in every place,

including that even the private dwelling place of every single Jew

(and within the house, each and every room,

and all the objects in the room,

bed, table, chair, and menorah¹²⁹)

becomes a house of Torah,

Tefillah and Gemilut Chasadim,

"Beit Chabad,"

a house where the Shechinah dwells,

"And I will dwell in their midst"¹³⁰,

Shabbos Parshas Vayeishev

And with emphasis,

that this matter applies to both adults and children

(And on the contrary — among children this is with greater simplicity and enthusiasm, etc.,

And through this they also affect the adults,

in the aspect of "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children,"

"through the children"¹³¹)

as discussed at length in the farbrengens of before this.

And in this regard — there is an additional suggestion:

Just as in the central “Beis Chabad”

(In every place)

They arrange Chassidic farbrengens on the days of merit,

including a simple meal,

in order that there should also be added the elevation of "Great is drinking that brings close"*' — everyone should endeavor that from time to time a Chassidic farbrengen should also take place in the private "Beit Chabad",

in his private residence¹³²׳.

And in particular — when returning from the general "Beit Chabad" in the four cubits of His Holy Presence, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, leader of our generation,

from where he disseminated the wellsprings to all ends of the earth during the last ten years of his life in this world,

and specifically in a manner of continuous action,

Behold,

in addition to the long-standing custom of holding a Chassidic farbrengen in the Beis HaKnesses and Beis HaMedrash,

the central Chabad House,

each one should endeavor to hold a Chassidic farbrengen also in his private home,

"and to repeat"

(how good — by himself,

and at the very least — to invite someone who can repeat)

from the teachings of the leader of our generation,

That he merited to learn himself and to hear while in these four cubits.

And may it be His will that through our actions and our service in all matters related to the Holy Temple,

Behold,

From the promise of 'The Holy One, blessed be He, said.'

"I consider them as if they were occupied with the building of the House"¹*¹,

We will merit immediately and at once to the building of the House in its literal sense,

"The beams of our houses are cedars, our rafters are cypresses",

The building of the future Holy Temple, to be built in the days of King Moshiach,

"And My servant David shall be their prince forever"

that 'he will wage the wars of G-d and prevail' and 'build the Temple in its place'⁴³,

Speedily, in our very own days.

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