English translation — משיחת• יום ה' 0׳ ויחי, עשרה בטבת - יהפך לשמחה - ה׳תנש״א

- After Minchah prayer -

The fast day is a "day of favor to Hashem"* - a day that the Holy One, blessed be He, established to reveal, with greater intensity and strength, His will and attention to each and every Jew, and all the more so to all of Israel in all their matters,

and especially regarding the general matter that pertains to all of Israel in all generations,

both the generations that have already passed,

and the generations that are yet to come,

and especially so our generation,

Souls in bodies - the true and complete redemption of all Jews,

that will come in actual reality,

and immediately, right away.

And accordingly,

it is necessary to explain the emphasis of the matter of redemption in the content of the day - which includes several details:

(a)

The general concept of the fast day,

whose content is understood from the Torah reading and the Hafta- rah,

(b)

The specific significance of the fast of the Tenth of Tevet,

Its content is understood from the event because of which this fast was established,

(c)

The weekly Torah portion,

As follows.

The fast day:

On the fast day, the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are read publicly in the Torah,

"that do not return empty"—

meaning,

that when the Holy One, blessed be He, hears the reading of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy that is read in every place in the world where a congregation of Israel is found,

the mercy of the Holy One, blessed be He, is aroused,

"the Father of Mercy,"

the Source of Mercy, upon each and every one of Israel,

upon

the public* and upon all of Israel,

to pardon and forgive them - "I forgive them"²

(as stated in the conclusion and seal of the reading⁵ "and forgive our iniquity and our sin and give us inheritance")

.

And since through the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy the sins are nullified,

the cause of the exile

("because of our sins we were exiled from our land")

- comes immediately the true and complete redemption,

As the Torah promised that in the end, Israel will repent at the end of their exile and immediately they will be redeemed"*.

And especially after already "all the deadlines have passed"⁷,

and they have already repented

[beginning with contemplation

to have mercy on Aliz*

(at the level of Lag,

א>> - there is an expression of our Nesi'im that regarding this that "it is forbidden to have mercy on him*" the mercy is even greater,

That is,

that they explain that the Sages, of blessed memory, analyzed in their saying that,

it is forbidden to have mercy on him*,

it is

(Not that he should remain in such a state and situation,

and etc.,

but rather)

his intention is to arouse the greatness of mercy upon him - by means of the revelation and drawing down from the source of mercy.

Thursday, Parshat Vayechi,

Tenth of Teves

(will turn into joy)

Teshuvah•,

through which one becomes a complete tzadik,

Thus - the ruling regarding one who betroths a woman on condition that I am a complete tzadik - a ruling that pertains

(not only to monetary laws,

but also)

to capital laws,

And in matters of capital law itself - for all generations that are destined to be born from this match]

—then certainly and most certainly that,

they are immediately redeemed.

And we may add,

that the concept of mercy

(the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy)

is connected

(Not only for the nullification of the cause of the exile,

through which the redemption comes,

but rather)

also with the redemption itself - that the redemption itself is in a manner of mercy,

as it is written,

"With great mercy I will gather you."

And this concept is most emphasized in the haftarah, which is the continuation and conclusion of the reading:

The conclusion and seal of the haftarah

(Shin,

everything follows the conclusion"")

-,

"The saying of the Lord G-d, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: 'I will yet gather others to him, besides those already gathered.'"".

And the connection to the reading

(13 Attributes of Mercy)

-that the revelation of the 13 Attributes of Mercy activates the gathering of Bnei Yisrael from the exile,

,

With great mercies I will gather you,"

And moreover, because of the greatness of the attribute of mercy,

Mercy upon each one, whatever their standing and situation may be,

The ingathering of Bnei Yisrael is done in such a way that,

I will gather to him his gatherings,"

that,

He grasps with His hands, literally, each individual from his place,

As it is said,"And you will be gathered one by one, O children of Israel""

[And they take with them also those who are in the category of,

"erev rav",

in the manner of what is said regarding the Exodus from Egypt,

"and also a mixed multitude went up with them",

who are called

"amcha"

(your people)

of Moshe Rabbeinu,

And to such an extent,

that even when they are in an undesirable situation and state

(,

שחת"••/ that Hashem associates with them the name of Moshe Rabbeinu,

,

"Your nation",

And certainly they too come together with Moshe Rabbeinu and the generation of the desert,

"Generation of Knowledge",

And so too regarding all the Jewish people in all generations,

that they are certainly,

"Your people" of Moshe Rabbeinu,

,

My first redeemer is the last redeemer"]

,

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And when all of them are combined together,

With our young and with our old, etc., with our sons and with our daughters¹¹,

becomes one reality of "congregation

(singular)

great"

And in such a manner, "they will return¹¹ here",

to our holy land,

to Jerusalem the holy city, and to the holy mountain, and to the Holy Temple.

The fast of the Tenth of Tevet:

Regarding the event of the beginning of the siege on Jerusalem, because of which the fast of the Tenth of Tevet¹⁴ was established, it is stated: "In the tenth month, on the tenth of the month."

.

"The king of Babylon advanced toward Jerusalem" - specifically "advanced",

from the language of support and strengthening,

like "G-d supports all who fall"*¹,

which hints that the content

(inner)

That in this there is strengthening and support for Jerusalem¹⁷.

[And based on this, the connection and relevance to the essence of the time when "the king of Babylon advanced upon Jerusalem" - "in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month" - "the tenth shall be holy" will also be sweetened.]

.

And the explanation of this:

Even when one is in a situation and state of "fallen ones",

To such an extent,

that the wicked Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem,

which indicates that there is a deficiency in the service of Israel in connection and in the attachment to the wall of Jerusalem,

See [the concept of] fear and see [the concept of] perfect,

The perfection of fear•¹ - then "G‑d supports

And furthermore, earlier³¹ - nullifies the siege of the king of Babylon,

which is nothing but "an axe in the hand of the hewer",

that in itself it has no life spirit,

And in the wording of the piyut that is recited at the beginning of Yom Kippur: "Like an axe in the hand of the craftsman: when he wishes, it cleaves to the light; when he wishes, it separates,"

That is,

that the Holy One, blessed be He, nullifies the essence of the axe

(King of Babylon/

And beyond this,

that he utilizes the ax

(King of Babylon)

in order to split

("afhacken")

and to nullify all matters of siege and exile — until darkness is transformed into light¹¹ — that even when still in exile,

the King of Babylon becomes

(the "Ruler of the Dome"¹⁴)

to support, help, and assist Bnei Yisrael,

"the king of Babylon leaned against Jerusalem",

as emphasized in the situation and state of the end of the exile, where they are in a kingdom of kindness that helps and assists Bnei Yisrael with what they need.

And from this comes the help and assistance of the king of Babylon

(ruler of the dome)

- "the king of Babylon leaned against Jerusalem" - in the manner of the redemption:

With G‑d, Parshat Mishpatim,

Asarah B'Teves

(Yechafen - Lesimcha)

Regarding the ingathering of exiles in the true and complete redemption

("I will gather upon him his scattered ones")

His understanding that the nations of the world

that scattered them

(the Holy One, blessed be He, to Israel)

among the nations³⁵)

will assist in gathering the children of Israel from among the nations - as it is written* "And they shall bring

(the nations⁵ among which Israel is)

all your brethren from all the nations* as an offering to Hashem on horses and in chariots etc. to His house."

And not only that, but the nations of the world themselves will join the children of Israel in bringing them" - as it is written" "And it shall be that all who remain from all the nations that came against Jerusalem

[for about them it is said "And I will set a sign among them and I will send from them survivors to the nations etc. and they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations"]

And they will go up from year to year to bow down to the King, Hashem of Hosts, and to celebrate the festival of Sukkot."

And in the language of the verse at the conclusion of the haftarah of the fast day - "For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations""

It is possible to say,

that this matter is also hinted at in the verse, "Again I will gather to him his gathered ones"

(which is at the very end and conclusion of the Haftarah)

- which also alludes to the ga‑

thering of the holy sparks throughout the world"

(Babylon / which includes also the actions of the nations of the world in their "commandments"¹⁵*,

among which is the commandment of charity"

[including and especially – the help and assistance to the Jewish people in their material needs so that they will be free to engage in the fulfillment of the Torah and mitzvos“ / and to the extent that in the entire world it will be clearly seen that "and the kingdom will be the L‑rd's"".

The weekly portion - Parshat Vayechi,

"Vayechi Yaakov"¹⁶:

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His vitality

(his essence)

of Yaakov,

"Vayechi Yaakov" - is connected with each and every Jew

(which is called after the name of Yaakov / as is known•־ that 'his soul'

(of Yaakov)

.

.

includes all the souls of Israel from eternity to eternity,"

i.e.,

that every soul is a spark from the soul of Yaakov¹⁷.

And this concept

(since every Jew is a spark from the soul of Jacob)

It is most emphasized regarding the redemption:

In the explicit prophecy of the redemption in the Torah it is written: "A star shall go forth from Jacob",

which refers to King Moshiach.

And together with this,

Our Sages learned from this verse that every Jew is compared to a "star".

And the mediation in this - according to what is explained in the books - that in the soul of each and every Jew there is a spark from the soul of King Moshiach⁷.

And from this it is understood also conversely - that the soul of King Moshiach is founded and built upon the souls of each and every Jew,

from whatever tribe it is,

and more than that,

without regard to his status and situation

in the observance of Torah and mitzvos

[for,

in every status and situation 'he is a Jew'•־,

and is related to the 'Patriarchs',

the son of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov,

including and especially to Yaakov,

"the choicest of the Patriarchs"•־,

that "his bed was whole"•־,

and "just as¹⁹‑ his offspring live, so too he lives"־־/ so,

that the very existence of a Jew

("Vayechi Yaakov")

is connected with Melech HaMoshiach - the matter of Geulah.

And one should add,

that the concept of redemption is emphasized also in the weekly portion from which the Tenth of Tevet is blessed — the portion of Vayigash:

In explanation of the verse "Vayigash eilav Yehudah" — it is stated in the Zohar — that the approach of Yehudah to Yosef is a matter of the conjunction of redemption

(Yosef)

to prayer

(Yehudah)

.

And the concept in this can be explained:

Semichat Geulah L'Tefillah,

its meaning,

that the blessing of "Ga'al Yisrael" must be adjacent to the prayer,

starting from "Ado-nai Sefatai Tiftach Ufi Yagid Tehilatecha"—,

which is "like a long prayer"—.

And from this it is understood also regarding the prayer for redemption,

that the redemption must be in immediate adjacency to the prayer for redemption—that when one requests in prayer for redemption,

in the blessing of "Go'el Yisrael"

(On a weekday/ and similarly in the blessing "Who restores His Presence to Zion"

(- also on Shabbat and Yom Tov/ and similarly in the other numerous prayers and requests for the Redemption,

the Redemption comes in actuality immediately after the prayer,

without any interruption at all,

not only

Thursday, Parshat Vayechi,

Tenth of Tevet

(will turn into joy)

Negation of an interruption even in the manner of walking a mil**

(as it is presented in several laws)

But even not an interruption of saying a word or a single letter,

as in the law of connecting Redemption to prayer.

And moreover - that even before²⁰* prayer and supplication

(additional)

for redemption, the redemption has already come in actuality,

And after the redemption, the prayer•* will be in the manner of "Your praise" - not prayer and supplication for redemption.

(since the redemption has already come in actuality)

But praise and thanks to the Holy One, blessed be He,

("Tehal- Tadi"*)

for the great things and wonders of the true and complete redemption,

"As in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt"²¹ "I will show him wonders"²².

And also this is essential,

that after the redemption they will say

(at the beginning of the prayer)

"the great G‑d

the mighty and awesome" in the same manner that Moshe said²³ - before Yirmiyahu came and said, "Gentiles are wreaking havoc in His Sanctuary, where is His awesomeness?"

he did not say "awesome,"

Then Daniel came and said, "Gentiles are subjugating His children, where is His might?"

he did not say "mighty."

.

Because they know that the Holy One, blessed be He, is true, they did not lie about Him*²⁴ - with utter perfection²⁵.

In order to hasten and speed up the redemption even more, we must conclude with the matter of charity,

the "equivalent*²⁶ to all the mitzvos"²⁷,

and "brings the redemption closer"•²⁸.

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And to each one shall be given a mitzvah-mission to give charity,

and with addition from one's own [means],

and whoever adds, from above they add to him - as is customary in such matters,

and with extra emphasis on the fast day,

As is the custom of Israel to increase then in charity⁷.

And may it be His will, and this is the main thing - the approach and hastening of the redemption in actual deed,

in the manner of (the principle of) connecting redemption to prayer,

that from the prayer for redemption now, they immediately come to the actual redemption,

that 'Our eyes will see when You return to Zion with mercy,'

and 'The upright will dwell in Your presence' - in the Holy Temple

(in which 'every male of you shall appear before the Lord God')

the third¹,

Mikdash Adon-ai konenu yadei-nu,

And immediately, right away.

[His Holy Presence the Rebbe Shlita gave each of those present, may they live, two dollar bills,

to give them

(or their exchange)

to tzedakah4

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