English translation — ש״פ ואדא, כ”ת טבת, מבה״ח שבט

Nis■

the father merits a son of good days,

story⁸' of Avot chapter

(and giving of strength)

to sons"")

And in the language of the verse,

And I appeared to Abraham etc. therefore

(cause and effect)

Say to the children of Israel, I am Hashem""׳,

as follows.

And the explanation of the matter:

It is explained in the discourses of Chassidus■ that the revelation of the name Havayah

(the essential Name,

the explicit Name,

the Unique Name - a level of G‑dliness that is above the world)

was at the giving of the Torah,

and therefore,

Regarding the Patriarchs who lived before the giving of the Torah, it is said: "And I appeared etc. as Kel Sha-dai"

(A level of G‑dliness that relates to the world)

"but by My name Havayah I did not make Myself known to them."

And regarding Bnei Yisrael who merited the giving of the Torah

(after the Exodus from Egypt)

the name Havayah was revealed,

as the continuation of the verse states,

"Say to Bnei Yisrael: I am Havayah, and I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt etc."

And I will take you to Me as a people, and you will know that I am G‑d."

Sefer HaSichos — 5752

holiness in the lower realms,

And through Eliezer, the servant of Avraham — even though regarding the match for Yitzchak, 'Avraham said to him

(to Eliezer"²)

My son is blessed and you are cursed, and a cursed one cannot cleave to a blessed one"²¹,

Nevertheless,

The matchmaking of Yitzchak and Rivka was done specifically through Eliezer,

wherein is emphasized the concept of transforming darkness into light and bitterness into sweetness²²,

through which the connection between the upper realms and the lower realms is effected to the utmost perfection,

And since 'And I appeared to Avraham...

The name 'Keil Sha-kai' was in connection with the mitzvah of milah

("To Avraham, in the portion of milah, it is said: 'I am Keil Sha-kai, etc.'"²⁵)

with which began the concept of the giving of the Torah,

Therefore,

That is included in this also the beginning of the revelation of the name Havayah" that was at the Giving of the Torah.

And despite this it is said "And I appeared to Avraham etc. and My name Havayah I did not make known to them" - since this matter was only like the commandment of circumcision:

From the explanations of the connection of the revelation of the name Havayah to the innovation of Matan Torah in the connection of the upper and lower realms,

the drawing down of G-dliness into the world

(even though the name Havayah is above the world)

since the name Havayah is without limit,

And from the intensity of the revelation of the light of the Unlimited, they also draw downward.

And more deeply — that in addition to the beginning of the action of connecting the upper and lower realms

(the innovation of the Giving of the Torah)

in the mitzvah of circumcision,

the Patriarchs have

(and from them it is drawn to the children)

a matter that is more elevated:

The innovations² of the connection of upper and lower [worlds] is within the boundaries of the world,

that is divided into upper and lower,

and even that there is a decree and separation between the upper and lower

(Upper may not descend to lower and lower may not ascend to upper)

Shabbat Parshat Vaera,

28 Tevet,

Sichat HaShavua Shevat

And at the giving of the Torah, the decree was nullified and the connection of upper and lower was made; but from the perspective of the level of G-dliness that is above the category of upper and lower,

there is no concept of decree and separation between the upper and lower,

which exists in the upper and lower equally even before the giving of the Torah.

And the innovation of the giving of the Torah is - that even within the categories of the world that have a decree and separation between the upper and lower, the level of G-dliness that is above the category of upper and lower will be drawn down.

And from this, it is also understood regarding the revelation of the name Havayah to the Jewish people at the giving of the Torah

("Say to the children of Israel: I am Havayah... and I will take you to Me as a people... and you shall know that I am Havayah.")

- that this innovation is connected with the service of the Jewish people in the world

(through the fulfillment of the Torah and commandments)

To effect the connection of the upper and lower realms,

But also before this, there exists the essence of Israel that is above the Torah

("The thought of Israel preceded everything"³,

even the thought of the Torah)

that this is the level of the Patriarchs

(the root, source, and essence of the three [Patriarchs]/ starting from Abraham our father

("Abraham was one"•*/ "first of believers"*? who opened the channel" of the power of faith" and self-sacrifice that comes from the essence of the soul.

And the novelty of the revelation of the name Havayah at the Giving of the Torah is — that the essence of Yisrael

(the level of the Patriarchs)

will be drawn down and revealed also in the aspect of revelations,

attributes of the soul",

And also as they are clothed in a body in this physical world,

in order to affect the world

(through the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvot)

The drawing down of the level of G‑dliness that is above the categories of higher and lower.

And in more detail:

The novelty of the Giving of the Torah

(regarding the Children of Israel and through them also the world)

is not only regarding the drawing down below

(that the essence is drawn down also below/ but also

(and primarily)

Regarding the drawing down of the Essence,

For,

Specifically through the drawing down below, the Essence is revealed,

Which is not limited and bounded by anything,

And therefore is drawn down everywhere.

And also the drawing down of the Essence

(By means of coming below)

Was with the Patriarchs — in the mitzvah of circumcision

(Drawing down holiness into a physical body in this physical world)

But,

However, since it was not drawn down also into the world

(into physical beings truly/ the drawing down of the Essence is not apparent,

for from the aspect of the lack of limitation, It is drawn into every place.

And only after Matan Torah,

that the drawing down of holiness into the world was accomplished,

The essence is recognizable.

And nevertheless,

the power to draw down the essence is through the Forefathers

("And I appeared to the Forefathers" / because,

the service of the children after the Giving of the Torah is primarily in a manner of enclothing and engaging within the limitations of the world

And there is no distinction in time - before the Torah and after the Giving of the Torah

(Similarly, there is no distinction in place,

In actuality,

? upper and lower

Sefer HaSichos - 5752

(upper and lower)

But the service of the Patriarchs is primarily from the essence of the soul,

And with this power, the service of the children is carried out

(who inherit the matters of the Patriarchs)

in a manner that reveals and infuses the essence in their service below"

(through which the essence is drawn down)

And it could be said,

that at the Giving of the Torah which is the aspect of the marriage of Nesi'einu with the Holy One, blessed be He

(,

the day of His wedding, this is the Giving of the Torah״)

Also the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob come and participate

(just as at the wedding joy of every groom and bride in Israel, their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents come and participate,

three generations,

even those who are already in the World of Truth)

- in this it is emphasized:

that the service of the children

(after the wedding of the Giving of the Torah)

It is in the power of the Patriarchs

(that come to the lower one/

that the power of the Patriarchs

(the essence)

is revealed through the drawing down below in the service of the children.

And one must add and explain the content of the concept of "My name Havayah I did not make known"

(The state and condition before Matan Torah)

Also after Matan Torah - since the Torah is eternal - that ostensibly: since already thousands of years have passed since the name Havayah was revealed at Matan Torah,

what relevance is there now the matter of "My name Havayah I did not make known"

And the explanation of this is to be said:

Although at Matan Torah there was a revelation of the name Havayah,

as it is written, "And you shall know that I am Havayah,"

Nevertheless,

since it is written⁴ regarding the future to come, "and Havayah will be to me for a God,"

that it should be revealed from a more elevated place until the Name Havayah will be considered only as Elokim",

and the Name Havayah will be revealed more elevated,

"the main point

revelation of His great Name"⁵,

thus,

that even the standing and state after the Giving of the Torah is in the manner of "My Name Havayah I did not make known" relative to the revelation of the Name Havayah in the future,

when there will be a renewal in the totality of the matter of the Giving of the Torah,

"A new Torah will go forth from Me"⁴,

so that the marriage of the Knesset Yisrael with the Holy One, blessed be He, will be complete,

as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "This world is betrothal.

In the days of Mashiach will be the marriage."

And the explanation of this is:

Just as explained above regarding the superiority of the service of the Jewish people after the giving of the Torah over the service of the Patriarchs before the giving of the Torah,

that specifically through the drawing down below

(after the giving of the Torah)

The essence comes,

And as long as it is not drawn downward

(except for the mitzvah of circumcision)

This is proof that it is not the essence,

So too regarding the ascent of the future to come with respect to this time,

For: the lack of limitation of the essence is not only in its drawing downward,

but also in its revelation below,

since the essence is not necessarily in concealment,

But surely it can also come in revelation.

And since in our actions and service in fulfilling the Torah and mitzvos only the drawing down below is done,

But the revelation below in this physical world will be only in the future

(as it is written⁴⁴ "And the glory of Hashem will be revealed and all flesh will see etc.")

Thus,

as long as the revelation below has not been done,

this is proof that it is not the essence⁴⁵.

And just as the service of Bnei Yisrael after Matan Torah is in the power of the service of the Patriarchs before Matan Torah,

since after Matan Torah the emphasis is primarily on the drawing down in the aspect of revelations,

whereas before Matan Torah the emphasis is primarily on the service from the aspect of the essence

(as above sec./ likewise the perfection of the future

Parshas Va'eira,

second day of Teves,

from the Chol HaMoed of Shvat

**[to come] is in the power of the service in this time⁴⁶*,

Since in the future to come, the revelation in the world is primarily emphasized,

While in this time and especially in the time of exile, the service from the essence is primarily emphasized,

as is known\" that the main service in the manner of self-sacrifice

(from the essence)

is in the time of exile.

And to add,

that even the perfection of the future to come is included in them by the forefathers – as our Sages\" \"three the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them to taste in this world from the world to come.

Avraham, of whom it is written 'b'chol' (in all),

Yitzchak, of whom it is written 'mikol' (from all),

Yaakov, of whom it is written 'kol' (all)"

And the main completeness of this revelation

(not just "a taste of the World to Come")

will be in the future to come,

for then will be the ultimate perfection of "b'chol mikol kol"

(not only with the Patriarchs,

אלא גם)

אצל כל בנ״י

(כיון שהשלימות דלעתיד לבוא נעשית ע״י מעשינו ועבודתינו דכל בנ״י,

בכח האבות)

ויש לומר,

ששלימות הגילוי דשם הוי׳ לעתיד לבוא

(that is incomparable to the revelation of the name Havayah which is in the 48 [letters],

which is of the category of "My name Havayah I did not make known to them")

is hinted at in the portion that we begin reading during the Minchah of Shabbos Parshas Va'eira - Parshas Bo:

On the verse "And Hashem said to Moshe: Come to

Pharaoh",

It is stated in the Zohar"⁵ "that the Holy One, blessed be He, entered before him, chamber after chamber, regarding a certain supernal serpent, etc."⁶.

And the root of the matter in Pharaoh of holiness - the revelation of the aspect of "the fifth to Pharaoh"^,5,

"that all the lights are broken through and revealed from it"⁵⁵,

The revelation of the fifth aspect*⁵ above the four letters of the name Havayah,

which is the essence of the name Havayah of the future that is incomparable to the name Havayah at the Giving of the Torah.

And to add,

that Parshat Bo is the third portion in the book of Shemot⁵⁵,

the book of Geulah⁵⁴,

and it can be said,

that it also alludes to the third and eternal redemption,

as it is said⁵⁵, "He will revive us after two days; on the third day He will raise us up and we shall live before Him."

And more specifically: the three portions of Shemos, Va'eira, and Bo correspond to the three general periods - before Matan Torah,

Matan Torah,

and the future to come⁵⁵:

Sefer HaSichos - 5752

The portion of Shemos, which discusses the enslavement of Egypt,

"The iron furnace" through which the preparation is made for Matan Torah - the state and condition before Matan Torah; the portion of Va'eira,

"Say to the children of Israel, 'I am Hashem etc., and you shall know that I am Hashem'" - the revelation of Matan Torah; and the portion of Bo,

"Come to Pharaoh",

"The lights are spread and revealed from Him" - the state and condition of the future to come.

And one should connect the above with the time in which we read this year the portion of Va'eira and the beginning of the portion of Bo - the Shabbat of blessing the month of Shevat:

The Shabbat of blessing the month of Shevat is at the end of the month of Tevet,

the tenth month,

and in it is drawn the blessing and empowerment for the month of Shevat,

the eleventh month

(and in the language of the verse⁴ "the eleventh month, the month of Shevat")

And one could say,

that at the conclusion of the tenth month,

the completeness of the number⁴¹,

the completeness of the service of Bnei Yisrael is emphasized,

that with this power they come to the ultimate perfection of the future that is hinted at in the eleventh month,

a oneness that is above ten sefiros

("You are One and not in number")

" - in the manner and similar to the two Torah portions of Va'eira and Bo

(the service after the Giving of the Torah,

through which one comes to the completion that will be in the future)

(and the beginning)

to the Giving of the Torah.

And similarly regarding the revelation of the name Havayah:

"And I appeared ... as El Shaddai, and My name Havayah I did not make known to them.*" - the revelation of the mitzvah of circumcision, which is the preparation and beginning of the revelation of the name Havayah of death.

"Speak to the children of Israel, I am Havayah etc., and you will know that I am Havayah" - the completeness of the revelation of the name Havayah in Matan Torah.

And the conclusion of the portion,

And I will bring you to the land etc.

(the fifth expression of redemption)

I am Havayah - the revelation of the name Havayah that is to come in the future.

And to add,

That the concept of redemption is also hinted at in the name of the month as it is called among the names of the months that came up with them from Babylon" - "Shevat" - which is

from the expression "tribes of rulers",

and particularly the governance of the kingdom of the House of David,

as it is written: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah⁴⁴

(From David onward these are the heads of the exiles in Babylon who rule the people with a staff)

Until Shiloh comes"

(The King Moshiach/ about him it is said⁴⁷ "And a staff shall arise

(A king rules and governs)

from Israel",

"This is the King Moshiach"⁴⁴,

from the language of a branch of a tree⁴⁵,

as it is written⁷ "And a shoot shall go forth from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit"⁷¹,

"A royal scepter came forth from the root of Yishai, from the seed of David, he is the King Moshiach.""

And with extra emphasis in our generation, and the - that - tenth of Shevat

("The tenth shall be holy"⁷³,

Shabbat Parshat Va'eira,

28 Tevet,

from the beginning of the month of Shevat

in every month,

And so on, the tenth of the eleventh month)

is the yahrzeit of the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, leader of our generation⁷⁴:

The significance of the yahrzeit — as our Rebbe, the elder, wrote⁵⁷ in the Tanya⁷ that "all his deeds, Torah, and service which he served⁷⁷ all the days of his life⁷.

is revealed and shines in a manner of revelation from above to below.

And works salvations in the midst of the earth"⁷⁴,

And furthermore, and primarily,

which includes the giving of strength for the continued growth with greater vigor and greater strength after his passing as a result of the sowing of 'all his deeds, Torah, and service which he performed throughout his days'••,

until the growth of the true and complete redemption through our righteous Mashiach in this generation of ours

(the last generation of exile and the first generation of redemption / as testified by our generation's leader that all the deadlines have already passed,

and everything is ready for the future feast,

the set table with the feast of the Leviathan, the wild ox, and the preserved wine.

And it can be said,

that the comprehensiveness of the time connected with the tenth of Shevat, the day of the hillula

(seventy years of his life, vitality in this world,

And the continuation of the years afterwards,

More than forty years¹•)

Is divided into three periods, corresponding to and analogous to the three general periods throughout all generations,

(before the Giving of the Torah,

the Giving of the Torah and the days of Mashiach/ correspond to the three Torah portions of Shmos, Va'eira, and Bo

(as above, we will return)

First period,

Forty years

(תר״ם־ תר״פ)

during the presidency of his father,

when the completeness of the matter of spreading the wellsprings outward began, especially through the founding of the Tomchei Tmimim yeshiva

(under the management of his only son)

— in the manner and example of the work of the Patriarchs in the preparation and beginning of the matter of Matan Torah.

Period Two,

Thirty years of his presidency in his living life in this world

(5640-5710/ in which there was his unique innovation as the president of Chabad Chassidic teachings in the dissemination of the wellsprings outward, literally,

and up to the innovation in the last ten years

(completion and perfection

Sefer HaSichos - 5752

his work)

in the dissemination of the wellsprings outward in the festivals of the lower world

(in which there was no giving of the Torah")

In the manner of and similar to the innovation of the Giving of the Torah.

And a third period,

the continuation of the leadership after his passing

(from the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year

(5711)

that was added with greater intensity and greater strength in disseminating the wellsprings outward to all ends of the earth,

and until the completion and perfection of the work,

that everything is already prepared for the feast of the future — the days of Moshiach.

And more specifically, it can be said that the three aforementioned eras are hinted at in the three periods of his thirty-year presidency*•

(during his lifetime in this world)

: The first period,

from the beginning of his presidency until the arrest and redemption and departure from that country,

in a standing and situation of the severity of the royal decrees

(similar to the labor in Egypt,

"iron furnace",

Before Matan Torah / that his primary avodah was in actual mesiras nefesh

(in the manner of the avodah of the Avos)

Second period,

upon his arrival in the land of Poland,

that his primary avodah was in learning and disseminating the teachings of Chabad Chassidus in a manner of understanding and comprehension, even though until then it was mostly in the manner of Polish Chassidus

(in the manner of the innovation of 'And you shall know that I am Hashem' at Matan Torah)

And a third period,

When he came to the lower hemisphere,

That his main work was in spreading the wellsprings outward literally,

To bring closer and hasten and bring the true and complete redemption immediately and at once,

As his well-known proclamation: "Immediately to repentance, immediately to redemption."

And in terms of practical action:

As we stand in the Shabbat of blessing the month of Shevat,

Including and especially on the Tenth of Shevat - each and every one must accept upon himself to increase with greater vigor and strength in his actions,

the Torah and service of the Baal HaHilula,

His Holy, My Father-in-Law, the Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation,

who taught us from his ways and we will walk in his paths, may his soul be bound in the bond of life⁵•,

and particularly in the nullification and connection to His Holy, My Father-in-Law, the Rebbe, the Nasi of the generation,

"the Nasi is everything"*•,

that each and every one - his existence and all his matters,

in every way possible,

become holy to the Nasi of the generation,

through being filled and permeated with fulfilling the mission of the Nasi of the generation — Moses our Teacher in our generation•,

The first redeemer is the last redeemer•• — whose main theme is "to bring about the days of Moshiach" in actual reality.

And to add,

that the knowledge that immediately and at once enters His Holy Honor, our Master, Teacher, and Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation

(since "they will awaken and sing, dwellers of dust"•")

and looks upon each and every one of the chassidim and the connected to examine his standing and situation, etc.,

arouses and effects to conclude and complete

(also from the language of completeness)

all our deeds and our service.

And it is worthwhile and proper to arrange special farbrengens - beginning from Shabbos Mevarchim the month of Shevat

(in addition to the farbrengen of every Shabbos and Shabbos,

"which is stated in the portion of Shabbos Vayakhel Moshe.

to assemble congregations*• every Shabbos to enter

Parshas Zara,

28 Teves,

MeiBeis HaChayim Shevat

in synagogues and in study halls to study Torah in them for the public"")

and especially on Rosh Chodesh Shevat

(in addition to the custom recently on every Rosh Chodesh/ "In the eleventh month, on the first day of the month".)

Moses began to explain the Torah"⁴*,

In seventy languages"*•

(The content of the work of the Baal HaHilula in spreading the wellsprings outward in seventy languages**)

- to awaken and strengthen each other in all the aforementioned matters,

Vilat,

The world is obligated to build and support with their bodies and their money, men and women like the wilderness sanctuary*

(Rambam, Laws of Beis HaBechirah, ch. 1, halacha 8, and also the children,

that they also participated in the donation of the Mishkan•

(Adar Gimmel, Refu'ah Sheleimah)

And especially in hastening and bringing the redemption immediately and at once.

And likewise, one should arouse regarding the preparations for the farbrengen of the Tenth of Shevat - which will surely be together with the Baal HaHillula,

the Nasi of our generation at our head,

and Moshe and Aharon

("they are the speakers etc. to take the children of Israel out of Egypt"⁷*)

with them"*,

Since immediately, at once,

On Shabbat Kodesh, Parshat Va'eira

(Before the beginning of the reading of Parshat Bo, all Bnei Yisrael go out of exile,

"With our young and with our elderly, etc., with our sons and with our daughters"**

(as hinted in Minchah)

And in the language of Rashi's commentary, "Reuven and Shimon ascend,"

The ascent of all Bnei Yisrael from exile to the true and complete redemption,

Including also the elevation of the children of Israel to the level of the Patriarchs••',

The essence of Israel as they are one with His Essence, blessed be He,

And in this very matter, in elevation after elevation without end,

As Rashi says, "They go from strength to strength, appear before God in Zion,"

In the third and tripartite Holy Temple,

"The Sanctuary, Lord, which Your hands have established""!.

Sefer HaSichos - 5752