English translation — שיחת יום ב׳ דחג השבועות ה׳תשמ״ב.

The Rebbe, of blessed memory, washed his holy hands for the meal.

He instructed to play a melody of three movements

(of the Baal Shem Tov,

the Maggid, and the Alter Rebbe).

Shavuot is connected with several matters:

First and foremost, it is the "time of the giving of our Torah,"

as we say in the prayer text, etc., of this day, and as is also emphasized in Birkat HaMazon. Others will immediately ask:

Where is it mentioned in Birkat HaMazon?

— There will be another question!

(See later, talk 2).

Afterwards,

in later generations,

another matter was added to Shavuot — the passing of David,

as "David died on Atzeret." And as explained in Tanya, the greatness of the elevation of a tzadik's passing,

that on the day of his passing, "all the toil of man that his soul toiled in life above in the aspect of concealment and hiding" ascends to its root and source,

and it is revealed and "shines in the aspect of revelation from above downward,"

until it "works salvation in the midst of the earth."

And in even later generations, another matter was added on Shavuot — the passing of the Baal Shem Tov on the first day of Shavuot. And accordingly, it is understood that he was buried,

as is the law,

on the second day of Shavuot,

as has been discussed many times.

And afterwards, another matter comes on Shavuot

(to which one does not pay attention)

— that in the year after the passing of the Baal Shem Tov, the leadership of the Maggid began on Shavuot.

From this it is also understood that Shavuot is also connected with the Alter Rebbe,

the successor,

and the primary and beloved disciple, etc., of the Maggid

(as explained in the stories of our Rebbes),

for with the Alter Rebbe began the main matter of "Your springs will spread forth" — the springs of the Baal Shem Tov

(and the Maggid)

— outward

(as known, the difference between before Petersburg and after Petersburg).

And consequently, Shavuot is also connected with all the Chabad Rebbes, his successors from the Alter Rebbe and onward.

Everything is according to Torah and in particular providence,

and certainly the aforementioned matters — it is therefore understood,

that since these matters occurred on the same day,

in addition to each of the matters having its own significance,

and there is in this what is not in that, etc.

(and as is emphasized in the very fact that in the order of times, one came before the other:

first the matter of the giving of the Torah,

then the passing of David,

then the passing of the Baal Shem Tov)

— they have a common point between them. There is a unification and inclusion between them.

That is, that although in the order of times one came before the other

(first the giving of the Torah,

then the passing of David,

then the passing of the Baal Shem Tov),

nevertheless, each and every year on Shavuot, there is the matter of "we remember and we do" of all these matters. And particularly regarding the giving of the Torah, which is such a primary matter. And consequently, there is certainly a common point between them all,

a unification and inclusion.

Therefore, we see that our Rebbes endeavored to mention on Shavuot all three

(at least by hint) Moses

(through whom the Torah was given at the giving of the Torah),

David, and the Baal Shem Tov.

And it is known that by the Alter Rebbe on Shavuot, there was a special practice in connection with the Baal Shem Tov.

Therefore (also)

my father-in-law, the Rebbe, published the maamar beginning "And My servant David shall be king over them" on Shavuot,

and therefore the maamar was also reviewed on the eve of Shavuot,

because in that maamar, all three are mentioned

(at least by hint): Moses,

David, and the Baal Shem Tov:

The opening discourse is "And My servant David, etc." And in the maamar, it mentions "the first redeemer is the final redeemer,"

where the first redeemer is Moses our teacher. And the entirety explained in the maamar is connected with the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and our Rebbes, his successors.

The maamar that was reviewed on the eve of Shavuot was begun with the verse "And My servant David shall be a prince for them" and not with the verse that appears earlier, "And My servant David shall be king over them forever" — because the maamar was said before Shavuot

(on the eve of Shavuot),

when the matter of "And My servant David shall be king over them" is not yet complete,

only "And My servant David shall be a prince for them,"

and following this, it speaks about the matter of peace

("And I will make a covenant of peace with them")

and these

("And My servant David shall be king over them" and "And My servant David shall be a prince for them")

are two separate matters,

and as will be explained later.

Since all these three matters occur together on Shavuot — it is understood that the common point between these three matters must be in a matter connected with the primary content of the day,

which is the time of the giving of our Torah.

And the explanation:

The innovation of the giving of the Torah was regarding the matter of action. As explained in the discussion of the giving of the Torah

(in Tractate Shabbat (88,

2 and onward)),

that when Moses ascended on high to receive the Torah, the angels said to the Almighty, "Place Your glory upon the heavens" and not upon flesh and blood. And Moses answered

(according to the instruction of the Almighty)

"Master of the Universe, the Torah that You are giving me, what is written in it? 'I am Hashem your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt,'

He said to them: 'Did you descend to Egypt? Were you enslaved to Pharaoh?

Why should the Torah be for you, etc.'"

And similarly, Moses answered them regarding the other commandments in the Torah:

"Do you perform work? Is there business among you?...

Do you have a father and mother, etc." And then "immediately they conceded to the Holy One, blessed be He.

Etc."

That is, that the innovation of the giving of the Torah was the giving of the Torah to souls in bodies below in the world of Action,

and there specifically in action within Action,

i.e., that one should fulfill the Torah in actual deed in the world of Action.

Regarding thought and speech — this is not a novelty below in the world of Action,

because above there is also the matter of thought and speech;

however, regarding the matter of action,

this is a novelty specifically below,

because above one cannot fulfill a commandment in actual deed. And in this consisted the innovation of the giving of the Torah, that the Torah should come down below into the world of Action and there specifically in action within Action,

that one should fulfill it in actual deed.

The matter of action,

which is the innovation of the world of Action

(and in this was the primary innovation of the giving of the Torah)

— is also connected with the aforementioned maamar beginning "And My servant David shall be king over them,"

as explained there in that maamar, the matter of action,

as he explains there,

that in addition to the simple meaning of action,

action also means coercion,

like the term "they coerce for charity."

That is, because one finds oneself in a place where there are no revelations,

which is the world of Action,

one must come to the matter of coercion in order to fulfill a matter in actual deed,

because without coercion, one would not fulfill it.

And similarly, regarding the entirety of the fulfillment of the commandments,

where the main point is that one should fulfill them in actual deed,

this consists of a matter of coercion.

And in this consisted the innovation of the giving of the Torah,

that the Torah should come down specifically into the world of Action,

and there specifically in action,

that one should fulfill all the commandments that are in the Torah in actual deed.

And just as this is regarding commandments

(that with them, the main relevance is fulfillment in actual deed,

in a manner of coercion),

so too is this regarding the matter of the Torah itself,

the matter of Torah study — which is the first matter of Shavuot,

the matter of the time of the giving of our Torah,

the matter of Moses — that Torah study must be

(primarily)

with coercion and compulsion, as explained in that maamar,

And he brings there in that maamar

(in the maamar that is in the holy tongue, he brings it only by hint ("the well-known story"),

and in the maamar that is in Yiddish, he brings it in detail)

— "the well-known story of a certain chassid,

when he came to the...

Tzemach Tzedek,

he complained to him that he did not want to learn. The Rebbe answered him,

'That is very good,

that you do not want to learn and you learn — that is the true fulfillment of the commandment of learning Torah,

what should I do that I want to learn'?!"

That is, that Torah study must be with coercion.

And as explained in Tanya

(chapter 15),

that when one learns Torah out of his habit, this is called "he did not serve [God],"

and he must learn more than his habit. And he thereby explains what the Gemara says,

that "a servant of God is one who reviews his chapter one hundred and one times, and one who did not serve [God] is one who reviews his chapter only one hundred times,"

and he explains:

"And this is because in their days, the habit was to review each chapter one hundred times...

Therefore, this one hundred and first time, which is extra beyond the habit to which he was accustomed from his youth, is equivalent to all of them and surpasses them with greater strength and vigor, to be called a servant of God, etc."

From this it is also understood,

that if his habit is to learn his chapter one hundred and one times,

he must coerce himself and learn more than his habit,

and only then is he called "a servant of God."

And so on, more and more, without end.

From this it is understood that also in Torah study, there must be the matter of

(action meaning)

coercion,

and only then is it the true matter of Torah study.

And similarly, this is also understood from the story of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Alter Rebbe:

The Alter Rebbe told the Tzemach Tzedek that he wanted to give him as a gift diligence and persistence in Torah study

(or according to the second version — that he wanted to give him as a gift love and fear),

the Tzemach Tzedek did not accept this,

because he said he wanted Torah through his own strength and effort. After some time, he regretted this,

because however much diligence and persistence in Torah study the Alter Rebbe would have given him as a gift,

and whoever gives gives generously,

he could still have had Torah study through his own strength and effort,

in an even higher manner.

From this it is understood that in Torah, there is always the matter of coercion,

subjugation,

even when one is already at the highest levels in Torah study through his own strength and effort,

coercion is always applicable for even more. Because Torah study must be with coercion. And as the Tzemach Tzedek said to the chassid

(as above),

that if one does not feel like learning, "that is very good,"

because then Torah study is with coercion.

The above is how the matter of action should be in

(the study of)

the Torah itself,

the matter of coercion in Torah study.

In Torah, there must also be the matter of action in its simple sense,

that the study must lead to action,

for then "study is greater that leads to action,"

there is a greatness in the study that it is such a study that leads to action.

From all the above, the primary innovation of the giving of the Torah is understood,

that the Torah should come down into the world of Action,

and there specifically in action within Action,

that one should fulfill Torah and commandments in actual deed in its simple sense,

and also action meaning coercion,

which is applicable only in this world

(unlike in the worlds above).

And since all these aforementioned matters

(connected with Moses,

through whom the Torah was given; David,

whose passing was on Atzeret;

and the Baal Shem Tov,

whose passing was also on Shavuot)

all occur on the same day of Shavuot,

it is understood that the common point between them must be connected with the matter of action

(and coercion).

And then,

when one finds the common point between them specifically in the matter of action — it has relevance to every Jew without exception,

because actual deed is relevant to every Jew,

even to a Jew who is not connected with intentions, etc., for whatever reason.

And the explanation of this:

The common point between Moses,

David, and the Baal Shem Tov is — that each of them, before his revelation, was a shepherd, and so forth.

And since the Maggid was the successor of the Baal Shem Tov

(and his leadership began on Shavuot in the year after the passing of the Baal Shem Tov),

it is understood that this matter was also present in him. And since our Rebbes of Chabad after him,

beginning with the Alter Rebbe,

brought down the matter of the spreading of the springs outward in a manner of "going and increasing, your springs will spread forth" — the springs of the Baal Shem Tov — outward in a manner of going and increasing,

it is understood that similarly, this was also present in them.

Regarding Moses:

It is stated in the Midrash

(Shemot Rabbah, chapter 2, paragraph 4) on the verse

(Exodus 3:1)

"And Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro,"

that "whoever about whom it is written 'was' is prepared for this."

That is, that before his revelation,

even immediately from birth,

Moses was a shepherd of flocks.

And the Midrash explains (ibid., paragraph 2),

that the Almighty tested Moses whether he was worthy to be

(afterwards)

a shepherd of Israel through his being a shepherd of flocks in its simple sense:

"The Holy One, blessed be He, tested Moses only through flocks,

Our Sages said: When Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro in the wilderness, a kid ran away from him and he ran after it until it reached, etc., he carried it on his shoulders and was walking. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'You have compassion to lead the flock of a mortal,

so, by your life, you shall shepherd My flock, Israel.'"

And therefore, Moses afterwards became the shepherd of Israel. And just as a shepherd of flocks in its simple sense must provide and supply the flock with their food,

so too, similarly, Moses afterwards provided and supplied food for the Jews,

which is the matter of the Torah,

about which it is said, "and Your Torah is within my innards." And as the Sages said at the beginning of Pirkei Avot, "Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it, etc." to every Jew until the end of all generations, and in the Holy Land

(where there is only one day of Shavuot)

today

(which is Shabbat),

the Isru Chag of Shavuot there,

they learned the chapter in Avot

(according to the "some have the custom" to learn Pirkei Avot during the summer Shabbatot).

Regarding David:

David said about himself in the Book of Psalms (78:71)

"From following the nursing ewes He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people."

That is, that he was a shepherd of flocks for his father Jesse. And this was before his revelation,

when it was still "David was the youngest" with his father Jesse in his house.

And as explained there in the Midrash,

that also David, the Almighty tested whether he could be a shepherd of Israel,

a king of Israel, through his having previously been a shepherd of flocks in its simple sense,

"and He found him a good shepherd,"

And when the Almighty saw that David was a good shepherd, He said, "He who knows how to shepherd the flock, each according to its strength, shall come and shepherd My people."

And therefore, David afterwards became the king of Israel,

and the first true king,

to the extent that he is the primary matter of kingship. King Solomon was indeed a king, and about him it is said, "And Solomon sat on the throne of Hashem," but he was in the aspect of wisdom within kingship;

unlike David, who is kingship within kingship,

as it is written, "And My servant David shall be king over them."

Regarding the Baal Shem Tov:

It is known

(from the stories of our Nesi'im (as has already been printed))

that the Baal Shem Tov before his revelation was an assistant to a teacher of young children,

and he would lead the students to and from cheder,

and would say with them "Amen yehei shemei rabba",

"baruch hu uvaruch shemo" etc.

This is analogous to a shepherd.

From this is understood the common point in Moshe Rabbeinu,

King David, and the Baal Shem Tov in actual deed — that each of them was a shepherd and the like before his revelation. For in the matter of shepherding, the aspect of actual deed in its simplicity is especially emphasized

(in the world of Asiyah itself)

— that he provides and supplies all the needs of the sheep,

and likewise a shepherd of Israel in spirituality.

And since each of them was a shepherd and the like even before his revelation — then the unique aspect that was in each of them which distinguishes him from the others is not yet so apparent

(as above, section 62),

and the common point between them is more emphasized — the aspect of shepherd,

actual deed.

And in spiritual service this is — the general point in service,

which is "the beginning of service and its essence and root" — the aspect of lower awe. By virtue of this, all Jews are equal in their service.

The lesson from this for every Jew:

Each one must arouse in himself the aspect of

(lower awe, until)

"shepherd of sheep",

the aspect of actual deed,

that he should bring all his matters into actual deed.

Until — that he should be a "shepherd of sheep"

(shepherd of Israel)

literally:

When he sees that another Jew is lacking something, he must provide and supply it to him.

Until that even when he sees that a Jew is in a "desert",

in a lowly state regarding matters of Judaism — he must go seek him in the desert and bring him back to his true place.

And furthermore:

Even if he has had an effect on that Jew,

and brought him to an inhabited place,

and afterwards that one flees back to the desert,

which needs no explanation — he must go again to the desert and find that Jew and do with him and effect upon him that he should return to an inhabited place

(as Moshe did, as related in the Midrash, as above).

Until that one transforms and converts the "desert" into "desert Chorev" and "desert Sinai",

because there is Mount Sinai upon which the Torah was given

("Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it" to all Jews in all generations),

And "Sinai" is also the gematria of "sulam",

which is the aspect of prayer

("a ladder set upon the earth etc.").

And in this there is also the aspect of tzedakah — for the very matter of going to seek a Jew who is in a "desert" is the greatest aspect of tzedakah, even to the point of mesirus nefesh.

Consequently, one has the threefold cord of Torah, service

(prayer)

and acts of kindness

(tzedakah).

One has the aspect of "Orayta Telisa'ah" which was given "to am telisa'ah by telisa'ah on yoma telisa'ah in yarcha telisa'ah",

until that it came down and was revealed further on Yud-Tes Kislev

(the festival of redemption of the Alter Rebbe),

when the main aspect of "yafutzu ma'aynosecha chutzah" began

(as above, section 1),

which was on the third day in which "ki tov" was doubled.

And this is the immediate preparation that one should actually reach the third Beis HaMikdash,

in the third redemption, for although in detail there were many exiles,

they are divided generally into two exiles,

the exile of the first Beis HaMikdash and the exile of the second Beis HaMikdash,

and consequently the future redemption, when the third Beis HaMikdash will be built,

is the third redemption,

"on the third day He will raise us up and we shall live before Him".

And through our deeds and service now, one adds further to the "achishenah" of the future redemption,

Until that the redemption comes in actuality in a manner of "and immediately they are redeemed",

and the third Beis HaMikdash is revealed down here,

which stands ready and built above,

"on the third day He will raise us up and we shall live before Him",

"so shall your seed and your name stand" — that Jews will receive and see "the face of Hashem"

(as was read in today's reading),

the "face of the Lord Hashem",

in the third Beis HaMikdash,

and as it is written "surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence",

And speedily in our very own days.