English translation — שיחה לילדי מחנות קיץ יומיים, "צבאות השם", שיחיו בבית הכנסת, אחרי תפלת מנחה יום ב' פ' שופטים, כ"ז מנחם-אב ה'תשמ"ב.

They recited the twelve verses and sayings of our Sages¹.

Afterwards they sang "We Want Moshiach Now".

Every time that "Tzivos Hashem" gather together,

there are two things in this:

a) the same thing that exists at every gathering,

b) the special thing that is connected with the gathering of each particular time.

The thing that is always the same,

is that Jewish children,

boys and girls,

gather together to demonstrate,

boys — to their friends and girls — to their friends,

and to the entire world,

that each one of them belongs to "Tzivos Hashem",

to the army of the Most High.

Because the role and mission of "Tzivos Hashem" is,

that the entire world should recognize and see that "In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth"²:

the Most High created — and consequently He is the sole and only Master of — all the heavens and the earth,

with all their hosts³ — everything that is found there. And therefore one must conduct oneself always as the Most High wants,

every day and in every matter.

When one remembers that "Behold, Hashem stands over him"⁴ — the Most High is found near each one,

and "He examines the kidneys and the heart"⁴ — He looks to see how one conducts oneself;

and He takes a special interest in this,

to the extent that because of this He leaves aside the entire creation,

heavens and earth

("for the whole earth is full of His glory")

and looks to the boy and to the girl how they conduct themselves — it is understood,

that then regarding them it will be "I have labored"⁵:

they will exert themselves and do everything that depends on them so that it will be evident that they belong to "Tzivos Hashem"

(and thereby demonstrate an example for others)

— then surely it will be "and I have found":

they will fulfill and find the way how to carry out the mission of the Most High,

the mission of their "Commander-in-Chief" in the world,

to make the entire world a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He,

so that everywhere it will be evident that G-dliness is found there. As you just said regarding the matters in the twelve verses and sayings of our Sages.

As said,

the matter is the same whenever and wherever "Tzivos Hashem" gather together. That which unites all those who have gathered,

is that they present themselves as an example to all the Jewish children of the entire world that all Jewish children belong to "Tzivos Hashem".

The Baal Shem Tov says⁶, however, that in every particular thing there is

(also)

a particular lesson. So too in this matter,

that in addition to the general thing that is always the same,

as above,

there is also the special instruction of this present gathering,

which occurs after the previous Shabbat when one blessed the month of Elul,

from which time one already begins to prepare for the proper conduct in the month of Elul;

and the strength for this is received from the Shabbat that is before Rosh Chodesh,

and afterwards it is continued in the days that follow.

So too on this day,

which is after Shabbat Mevarchim and also erev — soon begins — the month of Elul,

one must remind and prepare oneself and others,

in the spirit,

study and supplication with which the month of Elul is connected.

How is the month of Elul distinguished from all the months of the entire year?

The Alter Rebbe says⁷ that in the month of Elul the Most High is analogous to a king of flesh and blood who is in the field,

in the field,

and meets there with the people who belong to his country,

as they are in the field.

What is the difference between a person when he is in the hall,

in the palace of the king and when he is in the field?

When he is in the field — and certainly he conducts himself as a person should conduct himself — he then does field work,

mundane work

(not the same work that he does when he is in the city):

he is occupied with working the field,

plowing and sowing. And notwithstanding this,

the king goes out from his palace and capital city,

and goes away to the field to the people as they are occupied with field work;

and there,

as the Alter Rebbe says,

he shows them a smiling face,

and receives each one of them with a "pleasant countenance",

and listens to what this person who is in the field,

and is in the midst of his field work,

speaks to him and asks of him;

And this causes that afterwards all these field people go with the emperor to his capital city,

and afterwards also to his palace.

What is the nimshal,

and the comparison to "Tzivos Hashem"?

When a person,

a boy or a girl,

is in the army of the Most High,

his primary mission is first of all — to wage war against the evil inclination,

through learning Torah and fulfilling mitzvos,

and also "And you shall love your fellow as yourself"⁸ — to influence another,

a boy on another boy and a girl on another girl,

that they should also conduct themselves likewise.

The Most High created people, however,

even those who belong to "Tzivos Hashem", that they need to rest from time to time,

so that they will afterwards have even more strength to be able to then carry out the special mission of waging war against the evil inclination and bringing the victory of the war;

for which it is necessary to take time to wash oneself,

to spend time on eating and drinking,

in order to have all the necessary strengths.

Now this time — when "Tzivos Hashem" interrupt for eating and drinking and resting,

or resting through sleeping when one needs to sleep,

in order to afterwards carry out the mission even better,

the direct mission as one who belongs to "Tzivos Hashem" — this is like in the mashal,

that one is in the field:

It is not like when one stands at a parade before the king

(when one must stand at attention with acceptance of the yoke)

or when one wages war against the evil inclination,

rather one is then in the field and does field work — one "plows" and "sows" the body and oneself⁹,

so that from it will afterwards grow fruits — mitzvos,

to fulfill the unique mitzvah,

the special mitzvah,

that each one who belongs to "Tzivos Hashem" has,

to overcome the evil inclination and make here in this world,

in the heavens and the earth,

a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He.

This is the special thing that is connected with the gathering of "Tzivos Hashem",

which has already been discussed with the spirit and with the instructions of the month of Elul:

One must remember,

that when one eats and drinks and rests,

or goes to prepare to lie down to sleep — one always belongs to "Tzivos Hashem". And moreover:

The "Commander-in-Chief" — the Most High Himself — is with him when he eats,

drinks and prepares to lie down to sleep.

Therefore it is a certainty that before eating and drinking he makes a blessing;

before lying down to sleep he says Shema:

"Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One"

(as you just said in the twelve verses and sayings of our Sages¹⁰),

because it is not he who eats,

drinks and sleeps for the sake of the thing itself,

rather he remembers that he belongs to "Tzivos Hashem",

which has an order from the "Commander-in-Chief",

that he must be healthy through eating and drinking and resting¹¹,

so that this should give him even more strength,

he should be even healthier than until now,

and overcome the evil inclination and make for the Most High a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He.

And then,

while still in the field,

the "Commander-in-Chief" shows him a smiling face and listens to his speech and his conduct,

even though it is speech and conduct as is proper in a field,

in mundane matters,

since this too is a preparation that afterwards one goes together with the king to the city of his kingdom,

to his capital city,

to the "capital",

and afterwards one goes with him to the king's palace,

to his palace.

And one prepares — as the matter of the month of Elul is — that afterwards comes Rosh Hashanah and then one makes the Most High a king over oneself and over the entire world,

with renewed strength,

brightness and joy.

And the preparation for this is from the month of Elul. When one receives a special blessing for this on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh,

as was the Shabbat that was just two days ago,

and this gives strength that in three days from today one begins the Rosh Chodesh Elul with all the matters that are connected with it,

that one is together with the king in the field,

and afterwards one goes together with him to the capital city,

and afterwards also to the palace of the king,

to be with the king together.

A gathering before Rosh Chodesh Elul,

as a preparation for the month of Elul,

can also be on different days of the previous month,

and it can also be in different sedras

(in the portion of the Torah of the week),

There is also in this an instruction for every Jew,

and a special instruction for those who belong to "Tzivos Hashem". Because the Most High gave the instructions

(the directives)

to His army how to conduct oneself and how to overcome the evil inclination,

in His book of laws,

which is the Sefer Torah;

and the Torah itself is divided into fifty-three¹²

(fifty-four¹³)

sedras,

each sedra containing special instructions.

We have gathered today in the week whose parshah is Parshas Shoftim. And also Rosh Chodesh Elul,

both the first day and the second day of Rosh Chodesh are in the days of the parshah. There must also be from this an instruction,

especially for "Tzivos Hashem".

We have also gathered on the twenty-seventh day of the month of Av. It could also have been earlier or later;

from the fact that it is on this day,

one must also derive from this an instruction for "Tzivos Hashem" — as each one who is in an army must look at every matter,

how to utilize it to strengthen the army and strengthen oneself and bring the victory in the war against the evil inclination even more quickly.

What is the instruction from Parshas Shoftim?

It has already been discussed about this at length¹⁴ — that the sedra begins "Judges and officers you shall appoint for yourself in all your gates"¹⁵:

"Shoftim" means "judges",

judges,

those who judge. Then comes "and Shotrim",

those who then carry out the instructions of the judges.

This is especially relevant for the one who is in the army of the Most High to know:

One who is in the army of the Most High must know that everything he does,

must be suited to a "soldier",

to a man of the army of the Most High,

even more than a civilian person. Consequently,

in every matter that he needs to do, he must judge himself according to the intellect of the Torah how he should conduct himself in it. Afterwards he must see that the corresponding limbs carry out in actuality that which was determined by him according to the intellect of the Torah

(with which he judged himself).

This is also especially relevant in the month of Elul when one is in the field:

Being in the field, one could, heaven forbid, forget that there is a palace of the emperor,

one could even forget that there is a capital city of the emperor,

and one would be occupied with nothing more than the field.

The judge comes,

and as he has an intellect of Torah — he judges himself that even when he is in the field,

he belongs to "Tzivos Hashem",

and even in the field he must conduct himself in such a manner in action,

through the shotrim,

his limbs,

which carry out the instructions while still in the field.

And afterwards it also causes that when he will come to the capital city of the emperor and to the palace,

to the palace,

of the emperor,

it will be recognized that he has a judge and officer over himself,

and therefore he conducted himself in the best possible manner,

as is required of a boy or a girl who is in "Tzivos Hashem".

And here the evil inclination comes and begins to frighten him:

Since he is in a large world,

where there are many who do not belong to "Tzivos Hashem",

or even belong to other nations,

and meanwhile they do not yet know about the Most High,

because they have not yet been taught about Him. And since he is in a minority and is among those who when they eat do not make a blessing before eating and drinking,

either because they do not yet know the law,

or because they do not belong to the Jewish people. And they are even the majority,

the most numerous — it turns out that the child in "Tzivos Hashem" is in a minority and in distress, heaven forbid!

It was established that on the twenty-seventh day of the month,

the portion of Tehillim — which was written by the emperor,

the Jewish emperor,

David, King of Israel,

from whom also King Moshiach descends¹⁶ — begins¹⁷:

"A Song of Ascents. To Hashem, in my distress I called and He answered me":

When one feels that he is in distress,

in a minority,

he must not be frightened, heaven forbid,

because he has his "Commander-in-Chief",

and to Him he calls,

it is a certainty that "and He answered me",

that He answers him.

Later:

It is overturned,

that instead of "in her distress,"

it becomes a matter of "a window." As the Baal Shem Tov interprets¹⁸ that from "distress" becomes "window" — a window is opened,

a window,

in the darkness of the distress,

of the exile,

and it immediately becomes a window,

a light,

so that it becomes light while still in exile,

because one is taken with "Torah Or"¹⁹,

with the light of Torah.

And even more:

At the beginning of the verse it says "A Song of Ascents,"

that one says it with song and with joy. Because it is a certainty that what is "in her distress,"

is only a matter of a brief moment,

for a short while,

and immediately like "I called,"

when one turns and calls to the Most High,

it is "and He answered me."

And he is so certain of this,

that even before the war begins,

and even before there is the "I called" from the "distress," he already has the state of "A Song of Ascents,"

that he already sings a victory march,²⁰

he sings and praises the Most High,

and in a manner of "ascents,"

that one goes up from step to step,

ever more,

higher,

happier and stronger,

from the certainty that "I called and He answered me."

And then it is self-understood,

that immediately comes the "I called,"

and then immediately comes "and He answered me."

And therefore,

although one is in distress,

in the greatest distress,

which is the exile — in which each of us finds himself — one remembers and is certain that this is only for a moment,

and it depends only on this,

that there will be "I called,"

that we will sing "Moshiach Now,"

and we will call to the Most High and say to Him that "for Your salvation we hope all day,"

that we hope for His help the entire day —

then,

as the Rambam says,²¹

"immediately they are redeemed,"

that immediately comes the "and He answered me,"

and one goes out to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

who is called King Moshiach,

And together with him,

and together with the King of kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He,

with the Most High,

one goes from exile and from the field to the capital city of the Most High,

which is Yerushalayim, the holy city. There itself one goes to the palace of the Most High,

to "the Sanctuary, Hashem, Your hands established,"²²

to the Holy Temple,

And there one rejoices together with Moshiach and together with the Most High and together with every Jew and with all Jews,

because the Most High gathers together the completeness of the nation,

all Jews,

each of whom brings with him the completeness of the Torah,

the Torah that he learned and the mitzvos that he performed.

And "they recognized Him first"²³ — the Jewish children bring with them the Torah that they learned and the mitzvos that they performed.

And this brings in peace and completeness and wholeness and certainty and tranquility in Eretz Yisrael and in the entire world,

when then one learns Torah with even more vitality and tranquility,

and one fulfills mitzvos with even more vitality and tranquility.

And one begins this immediately as "I called" in exile:

While still in exile and being outside the Land — one is certain that one has a completeness of the nation,

a complete Jewish people,

and one has completeness of the Torah,

a complete Torah,

because he learns Torah and fulfills its mitzvos with wholeness,

and he has a complete Eretz Yisrael,

which waits for every Jewish child,

a boy or a girl,

and waits for their parents,

"and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children,"²⁴

that they should bring with them the brothers and sisters and the fathers and mothers and the grandfathers and grandmothers,

And after the "I called" there should immediately be the "and He answered me,"

that through each of you and each of us and of the entire Jewish people obeying what the Shoftim tell him that he needs to do,

and as the Shoftim demonstrate this precisely — then there will be the "and He answered me" immediately and at once,

And one will go — as the lesson of this Monday,

the second day of Parshas Shoftim,

which discusses²⁵ the conduct of a king in Israel — together with King Moshiach,

speedily in our days, literally.

At every gathering of "Tzivos Hashem,"

one sees that there should be all three things:

praying together

(prayer),

saying verses and statements of Chazal together

(Torah),

and also giving tzedakah together.

This is like it is in an army,

that one must secure the front,

the "front,"

from all sides:

from the front,

from the right,

and from the left. In "Tzivos Hashem" one protects the three sides of the "front" through Torah,

tzedakah and prayer:

Torah secures from the front,

tzedakah secures from the right side and prayer secures from the left side,

and then one goes forward and conquers the war against the evil inclination even faster than one had imagined.

Therefore, now too, we will first of all make a firm resolution according to the Torah and according to the "Shoftim and Shotrim" — that one should conduct himself even better than one has conducted himself until now,

both in learning Torah and in fulfilling mitzvos,

and in Yiddishkeit in general,

also included in this — fulfilling "and you shall love your fellow as yourself,"

uniting together every child,

boys with boys and girls with girls,

in order to establish the great army of "Tzivos Hashem,"

of Jewish children.

Including also a resolution that one should endeavor to make another gathering of children,

before Rosh Hashanah,

if possible — during the days of Selichos;

a second gathering during the days of the Ten Days of Repentance;

and a third gathering during the joyous days of Chol Hamoed Sukkos.

And at the time when one resolves this when all are together,

"all of us as one,"²⁶

then one has the "and He answered me,"

that the Most High answers and gives strength and success that one should carry this out with great success.

Also,

as said earlier,

afterwards each of you will be given two coins,

one to give for tzedakah. This is the thing that also protects from the right side,

the right front,

in addition to the matter of Torah and prayer,

which protect from the front and from the left side

(as above).

And giving the tzedakah,

as said earlier,

with joy and a good heart,

as you said earlier:

"Yisrael shall rejoice in its Maker,"²⁷

meaning that everyone who is of the seed of Yisrael should rejoice in the joy of Hashem, Who rejoices and is glad in His dwelling in the lower realms²⁸ — that every Jew,

and especially from "Tzivos Hashem,"

rejoices that the Most High made him and placed him in the world to be a part of His army to make the world a dwelling place for Him, may He be blessed.

And also:

Since there must be the matter of song and joy,

as said in the lesson of Tehillim of today,

where every chapter of the lesson begins with

(the word)

"Song,"

and the song proceeds in a manner of "ascents,"

ever more and happier —

We will also sing,

as has been the custom recently — the melody of "Yibaneh Beis HaMikdash,"

— the melody of "Take counsel and it will be foiled, speak a word and it will not stand, for G-d is with us,"²⁹

that all these counsels and all these arguments of the evil inclination,

are completely nullified,

and they do not come to stand,

because "G-d is with us,"

each of you and each of us is together with the King,

with the "Commander-in-Chief,"

even in the field.

Afterwards we will sing "But the righteous will give thanks to Your Name, the upright will dwell in Your presence,"³⁰

that we will soon go and settle in the Holy Land and in Yerushalayim, the holy city,

and there itself see and go into the Holy Temple,

And this will be in a manner of speedily in our days — we will conclude with the melody of "Yibaneh Beis HaMikdash speedily in our days,"

and it should be literally "now."

And as mentioned earlier,

as David, King of Yisrael, commanded every Jew — that one should say, "

(sweet)

songs of Yisrael,"³¹

with a "Song of Ascents,"

that "I called and He answered me":

One beseeches the Most High all day,

that the Beis HaMikdash be built speedily in our days,

together with this one learns Torah and gives tzedakah and fulfills mitzvos and prays and supplicates to the Most High,

then one has the true and complete redemption,

through Moshiach Tzidkeinu speedily in our days, literally.

They sang "Utzu eitzah etc. G-d is with us,"

"Ach tzaddikim." "Yibaneh Beis HaMikdash etc."

Afterwards, the Rebbe, shlita, said:

For a good year you should be written and sealed.

Afterwards, the Rebbe, shlita, gave the counselors and counselors, shlita, ten-cent coins,

to give to each and every boy and girl, shlita, two coins:

one — to give for tzedakah,

and the second — to do with it as they see fit.