English translation — שיחת יום ב' פ' חוקת בלק, ז' תמוז ה'תשמ"ב

Since there are many Jews who still need to take care of themselves –

we should not delay the congregation,

and every moment is

(especially) precious;

Together with this, however,

a fast is indeed a time of "et ratzon" (a time of favor),

as the Alter Rebbe explains at length in Iggeret HaTeshuvah¹ that a fast is a "yom ratzon laHashem" (a day of favor to Hashem)²,

and as he says there³ also that this applies even to a fast "until after midday only"

(a "ta'anit sha'ot" – a partial-day fast),

because even such a fast "is also considered a fast in the Yerushalmi⁴",

And since this is an et ratzon above,

it is also an et ratzon below⁵ –

it is therefore understood that,

at the very least,

we must utilize the time

(for which the congregation will certainly not be resentful,

and we will not delay the congregation for extra time).

The main point is,

that what we will now speak during this time of et ratzon –

should come down into actual deed.

And especially since the speaking now is connected with a particular doubt whether it is worthwhile to delay the congregation

(as above) –

it is therefore understood that there is a strong hope that what we will speak will afterwards come down into actual deed,

for "the deed is the main thing"⁶,

because if not

(G-d forbid)

the question becomes even stronger –

how can it be that we have delayed so many and so many Jews from taking care of themselves,

and consequently have caused them bodily pain,

for the body is indeed "the acquisition of the Holy One, blessed be He",

the property of the Holy One, blessed be He,

and therefore "a person has no permission over his body at all...

to cause it pain of any kind, even by withholding some food or drink"⁷,

and every moment that one causes the body pain unnecessarily, G-d forbid,

the severity of the matter is understood,

as the Alter Rebbe rules in his Shulchan Aruch⁸,

Therefore,

in order to justify the present words,

this depends on that afterwards we should utilize the words that will be spoken to bring them down into actual deed. For these are not original words,

but rather a copy brought down from the words of our Nesi'im and the words of the early and later authorities,

so it is fitting that this should come down into actual deed.

And this should further hasten, in the very "Achishenah" (I will hasten it)⁹, the redemption from this exile,

which is indeed the greatest pain for a Jew – that he is held back in exile –

so that in this very "Achishenah" the true and complete redemption comes through Mashiach Tzidkeinu "like the blink of an eye"¹⁰.

Every fast is an et ratzon,

as above.

Together with this, however, every fast is connected with a particular matter –

according to the teaching of the Alter Rebbe¹¹ that one must live with the time,

with the weekly parshah that is studied at that time,

and especially with the parshah of the day,

with the portion of the weekly parshah that is connected with that day –

according to the study schedules that were published by the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Nasi of our generation,

and he said that in our times this is a "davar ha-shaveh le-khol nefesh" (something equal for every soul).

And especially according to the well-known teaching of the Baal Shem Tov¹²,

that from everything a Jew hears or sees or speaks, he must find in it,

since it is certain that in this very thing there is,

a lesson in his service to Hashem,

even from matters that he saw or heard as a particular and individual thing,

and all the more so from the daily portion of Chumash,

which is

(in our times)

a "davar ha-shaveh le-khol nefesh"

(as above).

The daily portion of Chumash of today,

the second day of Parshiot Chukat and Balak

(when they are combined) –

which is indeed the daily portion of Chumash for this day for the majority of the main body and number of Bnei Yisrael who are currently in the Diaspora,

where Parshiot Chukat and Balak are combined this year.

(Unlike in Eretz Yisrael, where today's daily portion of Chumash is different) –

a story is told,

and from this story one understands the greatness and the praise of the Jewish people:

The Torah relates¹³ that "there was no water for the congregation,

and they assembled against Moshe and against Aharon,

and the people contended with Moshe" and they demanded water. The Jews came with a complaint and demanded:

How can it be that there is no water?!

From this it is understood in what situation and state Jews were standing at that time,

that they were standing in a lowly state,

they came with complaints against the Supreme One

(as it were)

and against Moshe and Aharon. Until because of this Moshe and Aharon had to flee to the Mishkan of Hashem¹⁴ — "And Moshe and Aharon came from before the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, etc."¹⁵.

The Chumash lesson of today's day¹⁶ begins and relates,

that "And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying,

Take the staff and gather the assembly, you and Aharon your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its water, and you shall bring forth water for them from the rock, and give drink to the assembly and their cattle",

as Rashi explains "their cattle" —

"From here [we learn] that the Holy One, blessed be He, had mercy on the property of Israel".

The lesson from this that the Torah relates is —

so that one should learn from it regarding the greatness and praise of Jews:

In whatever spiritual state and situation Jews find themselves,

even if they stand in a lowly state and situation

(as it were),

that they have a complaint against the Supreme One, as it were,

and against Moshe and Aharon,

until because of this Moshe and Aharon must flee to hide themselves in the Mishkan of Hashem —

nevertheless, despite all this,

the Supreme One says to Moshe and Aharon that they should immediately gather together the Jews and provide precisely that which the "complainers" demand —

that water should be provided for the assembly and for "their cattle"!

That is,

in whatever state and situation Jews find themselves,

even if they stand in a lowly state and situation —

the Supreme One gives them their needs,

and immediately shows them open miracles! —

Moreover:

Further in this Chumash lesson he relates that since Moshe and Aharon did not speak to the rock to bring forth water

(as the Supreme One had commanded "and you shall speak to the rock before their eyes and it shall give its water"),

but rather they struck the rock —

the Supreme One said to Moshe and Aharon¹⁷ "Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of all of Israel" therefore the punishment came upon them,

as related in the Chumash.

That is:

Because regarding one sanctification of Hashem there is a difference in how it affects the onlookers and listeners,

whether it is through speaking to the rock or through striking the rock,

for also through striking the rock there is a sanctification of Hashem,

as it was the first time that water was obtained from the rock, which was through the striking of the rock by Moshe¹⁸,

and this brought about a sanctification of Hashem of the greatest magnitude,

but this time the sanctification of Hashem did not reach the level of sanctification of Hashem that would have been through speaking to the rock —

Therefore, because of this difference,

that Moshe and Aharon did not influence and show the Jews a sanctification of Hashem in the greatest manner

(through speaking to the rock),

there was the greatness of the punishment.

From this one sees even more the greatness of Jews:

Even though the Jews were at that time standing in a state where they seemingly needed to be warned regarding simple matters of Judaism

(because they had complained against the Supreme One and against Moshe and Aharon) —

they were worthy that the Supreme One show them open miracles,

and show them all that they are also prepared to receive a revelation of G‑dliness and a sanctification of Hashem in the greatest and most sublime manner,

until because of the difference between the sanctification of Hashem that came about through striking the rock,

as it was the first time,

and the sanctification of Hashem to which they could have been brought,

through speaking to the rock —

this was such a great difference and such a great matter,

that it brought about such a great punishment upon Moshe and Aharon,

as is known that from the punishment for a matter one understands the greatness of the matter that would have been had they not been punished,

as is understood from what the Alter Rebbe says in Tanya¹⁹.

From this is understood the lesson regarding the greatness and praise of every Jew in every generation —

that every Jew,

in whatever spiritual state and situation he may be,

even if he stands in the most lowly state and situation —

he is worthy that the Supreme One should show him

(and through him)

open miracles,

and is worthy of the highest levels in the revelation of G‑dliness.

And all the more so regarding the Jews in our generation,

who have each come through the exile as a "brand plucked from the fire"²⁰,

after the terrifying decrees that were and nevertheless remained a believer in Hashem and His Torah –

it is understood all the more so his greatness and what he is worthy of!

And all the more so regarding the Jews

(in our very generation)

who are in the Land of Israel,

"a land which the eyes of Hashem your G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year"²¹,

and the air of the Land of Israel and the merit of the Land of Israel is indeed a tremendous matter also in physicality,

also regarding the physicality and materiality of the body²².

And all the more so the Jews

(in the Land of Israel itself)

who are sacrificing themselves with their very bodies,

and every day,

to defend the Holy Land and all who dwell upon it –

it is understood all the more so that they stand in the most elevated state,

and what miracles the Almighty shows them

(and demands that one assist in this in every possible way),

And then the soldiers are certainly successful in defending the Holy Land and those who dwell upon it,

both regarding the "congregation"

(Jews)

and even regarding their "cattle",

the property of Israel,

that this too remains whole. –

This defending of the land and those who dwell upon it must however be done in a manner,

that when one begins a good matter,

especially a matter connected with danger to life –

one also brings it to conclusion and completion.

And especially since in this very matter which is now being conducted

(in Lebanon)

one has seen in actuality open miracles,

which compel even more that one should complete it in perfection,

as follows.

There is the well-known question that others ask:

A miracle must be shown specifically through the greatest tzaddik –

today how can one say that miracles are shown through those who are not the greatest tzaddikim?

Our Torah relates,

the Torah of truth,

in numerous stories,

in the Talmud and in the Midrashim,

stories of our Sages, may their memory be for a blessing, and of our Rebbes, may their memory be for a blessing –

for a story in the Torah is an eternal instruction in every place and at every time –

that the Almighty shows open miracles even through a living creature,

all the more so through a mute object,

all the more so through a Jew,

not taking into account in what standing and state the one through whom the miracle comes down is –

because since Jews need to come to miracles, the Almighty shows the miracle through anyone!

And it is a simple thing,

as everyone knows,

that the Almighty is not limited, heaven forbid, by the intellect of a human,

and when it comes to the Almighty that it turns out that a miracle must be shown –

He can show it through a living creature or through a mute object,

and all the more so through a Jew,

a son of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov²³,

and especially through a Jew who defends with his body and soul with actual self-sacrifice the land and those who dwell upon it! For such Jews are the greatest suitable vessels for a miracle to be shown through them!

And on the other hand:

Heaven forbid to say that these open miracles which were seen in recent days –

come from the "my power and the might of my hand"²⁴ of a human,

even when the human is a Jew,

even when he has virtues within him!

Far be it from such an opinion! It is a certain thing that these open miracles are nothing other than "with Your great arm"²⁵ of the Almighty,

and they come through the power and the might of His hand of the Almighty,

for only He has the power to show such open miracles as were seen recently!

And it has already been for all time,

as discussed –

in dozens of stories of the Torah a great deed is related²⁶,

and since this is related in the Torah it is an eternal instruction in every place and at every time –

that the Almighty shows miracles through whomever it turns out for Him,

not through whomever it turns out for a flesh and blood!

And all the more so that these miracles were shown through the children of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov who stand with self-sacrifice in their bodies and souls to defend the land and those who dwell upon it.

Among the open miracles that occurred in recent weeks,

which were entirely unexpected,

is –

as discussed on previous occasions²⁷ –

At the beginning of the "Lebanon Campaign," the president of the country left the country for ten days,

which at that time provided an excuse that one could not pressure Israel. This was an open miracle and a clear instruction,

that there were ten days during which they would not interfere to carry out all these good matters,

beginning with the defense of the land and the dwellers on it regarding matters of life-threatening danger.

Afterwards there were another nine days when the leader of that place

(Israel)

left from there,

so that they could carry out there everything that needed to be carried out,

and they would not be able to make any claim against him,

because he was overseas.

Heaven forbid, due to our many sins,

they did not utilize the time to its fullest! –

Nevertheless, the Most High is a "compassionate and gracious God"²⁸,

He gives further opportunities and has shown another open miracle that no one expected:

When the leader of that place came here,

to the capital city of this country,

there was a complete reversal in the attitude towards the Jews and towards the other side,

towards the Arabs –

there was a full agreement,

not only no pressure,

but also through assistance

(even though this has not yet been publicized),

that they could proceed with the matters that Israel is doing there! Something no one expected that they would agree that they could proceed with the matters being done there,

when a day earlier there was complete opposition to this.

And here they had a full agreement for this. And it continued thus day after day.

And due to our many sins, they did not utilize this agreement,

and this complete reversal. –

Which, by way of the possible, is no lesser miracle than the miracles that the "Israel Defense Forces" saw on the front,

that there where they arrived,

the enemy scattered before them,

"in seven ways they will flee before you"²⁹,

as was seen plainly. And there was no explanation for this that a flesh and blood person or fear of a flesh and blood person caused it. The only explanation for it is –

that "in the greatness of Your arm they are still as stone"²⁹!

And afterwards there occurred another miracle which is also no lesser than the aforementioned miracles:

In the government of our country,

the United States,

there was a change of personnel. Whereas when there is a change of personnel it could be that the second one,

the successor,

immediately takes over completely from the previous one –

but in practice we see that, by way of a wonder, the change of personnel proceeds slowly,

it drags on day after day.

This is a clear instruction that one must utilize the time for what one needs to utilize it,

and there will be no pressure,

because there is an excuse to all the nations of the world that they are not at fault until the new person takes over completely from the old person,

and afterwards one must get accustomed to the new person,

and afterwards one must get acquainted,

and afterwards one must go rest etc. etc. –

as long as they,

at least now,

utilize the time for what they need to utilize it! –

And as mentioned,

the fact that there was a change of personnel is an open miracle and a clear instruction that one must utilize the time. And one need not elaborate on this,

especially since it is among the matters about which silence is appropriate.

That the time

(which was obtained through the open miracle that there was a change of personnel)

must be utilized for this –

that in Israel the situation should be "and you shall lie down and none shall make you afraid... and a sword shall not pass through your land"³⁰,

not even a sword of peace³¹ of the "UN"³² and the like,

alas and woe to the peace that they can bring!

And to do all this with true trust and complete trust in "Hashem, God of Hosts",

then one will further see open miracles in pleasant ways and in ways of peace,

until one will not need to come to matters of war,

the fear of the Most High from every Jew and all Jews will be sufficient,

and consequently, upon the nations of the land will apply "And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of Hashem is called upon you, and they shall fear you"³³,

they will flee from one another,

and Jews will be simply at peace,

and in all their settlements,

even in the diaspora,

and in a manner of "and for all the children of Israel there was light in their dwellings"³⁴,

all the more so in the Holy Land, whose air is pure, etc.

And when one will utilize the time to do what one must do –

this is the one and only way to ensure that at least from now onward there will be "and you shall lie down and none shall make you afraid" even during the time of exile.

And it will be,

as it is stated in the daily portion of Tehillim of today,

the seventh day of the month of Tammuz –

which in the daily portion of Tehillim is equal both in the diaspora and in the Land of Israel –

at the conclusion of the portion³⁵:

"Send forth Your light and Your truth; they will lead me",

and one will come "to God, the joy of my gladness"³⁶ and "with a harp"³⁶,

to Jerusalem, the holy city, –

which will be after Mashiach our righteousness will burn the last remnants of exile,

and there will be "an end He set to darkness"³⁷,

and the beginning of the redemption will begin and then immediately –

the true and complete redemption through Mashiach our righteousness.

And as the words of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation³⁸:

Not by our will did we go into exile and not by our will will we go out of exile,

rather this will be through Mashiach our righteousness, etc.

What a Jew must do, however, in this is –

that there be our deeds and our service even during the time of exile in spreading Judaism and particularly spreading the wellsprings –

wellsprings through which the King Mashiach comes³⁹.

And doing inclusively and particularly in "from the mouth of infants and sucklings You have established strength" so that there be "to cause the enemy and the avenger to cease"⁴⁰ –

that one should throw oneself into the education of "My anointed ones"

("Touch not My anointed ones")⁴¹,

which refers to schoolchildren⁴²,

and to do in this all the details and all the matters,

from now onward even more than one has done until now.

And this will further hasten,

that "with our youth and with our elders, etc., with our sons and with our daughters"⁴³,

"their silver and their gold with them"⁴⁴ and "a great congregation"⁴⁵,

all together,

through love of Israel –

there will be "they shall return here"⁴⁵. And this also comes through that which one educates oneself and one's surroundings in all matters of Judaism,

beginning with love of Israel,

and from learning Torah and fulfilling mitzvos,

beginning with tefillin,

for "the entire Torah is equated to tefillin"⁴⁶,

and particularly –

the tefillin campaign among the soldiers of the "Israel Defense Forces",

And then let this descend into the mitzvah of mezuzah,

charity,

a house full of books –

Yavneh and its sages,

kashrus, etc.,

Shabbos and Yom Tov candles and family purity,

including also the matter of the sprinkling,

which is discussed in this week's parshah,

Parshas Chukas. –

Which will further hasten the fulfillment of the prophecy⁴⁷ "And I will sprinkle upon you pure water and you shall be purified",

through that which the Most High will nullify the darkness and impurity of exile,

through Mashiach our righteousness.

Which is accomplished also through that which each one of us and all together will increase in love of Israel,

the "great principle of the Torah"⁴⁸. And also in having a letter in one of the general Sifrei Torah,

which further unites each Jew with all Jews.

And one should bring this down into deed is the main thing,

as discussed above –

in all these general details that were enumerated earlier,

and through them –

also in all the minute details.

Therefore, certainly everyone will now also give charity,

before he fasts. With this he will demonstrate that for him the needs of the poor are more important,

through that which immediately,

before he fasts,

he will give charity,

for charity sustains the soul of the poor and his household⁴⁹,

and only afterwards will one fast.

And doing this together with accepting good resolutions in the aforementioned matters,

for although the matter of exile still exists, G‑d forbid,

it is nevertheless dependent upon us,

as the Rambam rules⁵⁰ that "the Torah promised that in the end, Israel will repent at the end of their exile and immediately they will be redeemed,"

with the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach.

And in the fulfillment of the promise

(as mentioned above)

of what is stated in the lesson of Tehillim of the seventh day of the month of Tammuz, which is the month of redemption –

that "Send out Your light and Your truth, they will lead me,"

and they will go "to the G‑d of my joyful gladness" with song and musical instruments,

and especially from the kinor of seven strings and of eight strings and "upon the ten-stringed harp"⁵¹ –

the kinor of ten strings⁵². –

Which is also connected⁵³ with the completeness of the Land,

the Land of the seven nations

(which we have now)

and afterwards also "Hashem your G‑d will enlarge your border"⁵⁴ –

that there will come

(speedily, in our days)

also the other three lands

(Kenite, Kenizzite, and Kadmonite⁵⁵),

they will have the Land of ten nations⁵⁶,

"upon the ten-stringed harp."

Which is also hastened by a firm resolution

(already now)

to maintain the completeness of the Land within its borders,

and for the completeness of the people –

bringing close every Jew and all Jews to Judaism,

and also having a letter in one of the general Sifrei Torah,

and the completeness of the Torah and its mitzvos.

Amen, may it be His will,

and speedily, in our very own days.

Before leaving, the Rebbe shlita began to sing "Yibaneh Beis HaMikdash bimheirah b'yameinu, v'sein chelkeinu b'Torasecha."