English translation — שיחות אור ליום טו"ב אדר שני ה׳תשד"מ

A general "yechidus" of the guests, may they live, who arrived for Purim.

There are those who calculate,

that the change in the order of "yechidus",

that instead of receiving each one individually, everyone is received together,

is a matter of diminution, heaven forbid.

The truth, however, is,

that all things in general that the Most High does in the world are not to diminish, heaven forbid,

but on the contrary,

so that there should be an increase.

So too regarding this matter of "yechidus",

as is seen in practice,

that during the "yechidus" for everyone together, one receives in a place where Jews pray and learn Torah and give charity and celebrate joyous occasions,

then "the place causes" an increase in the effect of the "yechidus",

so that what is heard and what is said and what one wishes others to hear has a much greater effect.

The aforementioned advantage is particularly evident in our case,

in the yechidus that comes following the farbrengen of Purim, because also in the matter of Purim, the advantage of the gathering together of many Jews is emphasized.

And as explained elsewhere¹,

that the miracle of Purim came about through this,

that in contrast to the Jewish people being in a state of "scattered and dispersed among the nations"²,

they were caused to have "Go, gather all the Jews"³,

the gathering and unity of Jews,

until the Jews became "one people"²

(even when their state is,

that not being connected to Judaism they are "scattered and dispersed").

Consequently, it is understood,

that when one does a matter where everyone is together,

it has within it the power of "Go, gather all the Jews",

the power and strength of a "community", and of "In a multitude of people is the King's glory"⁴.

And from all the above, the special advantage of this yechidus is understood:

Firstly, one has the power and strength of the place,

which is a place of prayer, Torah, and charity,

where Jews pray and learn and give charity,

and bring about salvations, blessings, and successes for themselves, their families, and the entire surroundings,

until also a salvation and rescue for the entire world,

as per the words of the Rambam⁵.

And in addition to this, the time also causes,

when one stands following the farbrengen of Purim, the advantage of "In a multitude of people is the King's glory" is especially emphasized,

i.e., that the more Jews gather together, the greater is the "King's glory".

This, however, does not mean, heaven forbid, to diminish the advantage of each individual as a particular:

In general, every Jew

(each one of you)

is "not nullified", even when he finds himself among a great many,

because he is "fixed"⁶;

And especially since he is connected to the Most High,

"And you who cling to Hashem your God"⁷,

i.e., he is attached and bound to the Most High through Judaism, this makes each one even more "fixed",

and heaven forbid to say that he is "nullified".

And furthermore, each individual is a complete world,

and such a complete world as Adam was,

and as the Mishnah says⁸ that "therefore man was created alone" to say that every Jew is a complete world,

i.e., that each individual is like Adam who was "in the Garden of Eden from the east"⁹,

and was "the handiwork of the Holy One, blessed be He"¹⁰, the Torah of truth testifies,

that so is every Jew.

This matter is revealed in a Jew through his standing openly in his Judaism, and this is also emphasized in the days of Purim,

that the point of the days of Purim is,

that although one is in exile

("scattered and dispersed among the nations",

and "we are still servants of Achashverosh"¹¹)

one is "one people" that is connected to "one Torah" and "Hashem is One",

with the Most High Himself as He stands here below,

and one makes a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He, in the lower realms¹².

In accordance with what was said above,

we will also begin with a few points following the farbrengen of Purim:

A point in Nigleh,

A point in Chassidus,

And a point regarding charity.

The point in Nigleh:

At the farbrengen of Purim¹², it was discussed,

regarding the arousal in the Purim campaign,

that this is not only for the day of Purim itself,

but from this day the arousal in matters of Torah and mitzvos must be drawn forth for the entire year.

And one may add to this,

that this is an explicit ruling in the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch¹³,

"The early Sages instituted...

that the preachers should begin to expound in public the laws of the festival thirty days before the festival,

i.e., that from Purim onward they should expound the laws of Pesach." So we see,

how from Purim the arousal for the rest of the days of the year begins.

And one may add a comment and question on this:

The reason that "from Purim onward" one must expound the laws of Pesach,

is because of the calculation of "thirty days before the festival". It is seemingly not understood:

Since the "thirty days" do not include the day of Pesach itself,

as is understood from what he continues "and from the fifth of Iyar onward they should expound the laws of Shavuos",

i.e., that the thirty days are from the "fifth of Iyar" until the "fifth of Sivan",

the eve of Shavuos

(since Iyar is a deficient month)

according to this, one should have begun to expound the laws of Pesach from the 13th of Adar,

a day before Purim,

because the offering of the Paschal lamb is on the 14th of Nissan

(and especially regarding chametz, about which there are many laws,

what is chametz, etc., the law is that even on the night before, "they search¹⁴ for chametz by the light of a candle");

And especially since the study of the laws is regarding offerings

(as explained in the continuation of the paragraph)**.

In any case,

one must stand with an arousal in the matter of Purim in a way that it also affects Pesach,

as per the clear ruling in the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe,

whose place is filled by the Nasi of our generation, His Holiness, my father-in-law, the Rebbe.

The point in Chassidus:

In the maamar of Purim,

which is based on the maamar beginning "On that night" of the Nasi of our generation¹⁵,

two points were seemingly added and changed from what is explicitly stated in the maamar:

A) When he explains in the maamar¹⁶ that also during sleep,

in a dream,

the soul's faculties exist and "perform their function",

he brings that "one sees tangibly in matters of dreams that there is intellect, emotions, thought, speech, and action." And in this maamar, it was added that during a dream, the matters of the faculty of will and the faculty of delight are also present,

which seemingly one could ask,

that in the printed maamar it is not mentioned.

B) In the same matter, it was said in the maamar that during a dream one cannot see "an elephant going through the eye of a needle";

And seemingly in the printed maamar of His Holiness, my father-in-law, the Rebbe¹⁷, it is explicit that "during sleep...

it is possible to have a connection between opposite forces...

Like one who dreams of an elephant in the eye of a needle." So we see,

that this can be?

The explanation of this is:

A) That which in the maamar he does not bring the matter of the faculty of will and delight which are also present in a dream,

is because this is not relevant to the continuation of the maamar:

In the maamar, he wants to bring out why during the time of exile,

when there is a state of "sleep" and "dream", the advantage of Jews is not seen;

And for this, he brings a parable of a dream in its simple sense,

that although even then the faculties perform their function,

the advantage of one faculty over another is not discernible. What is discernible is the matter of the "advantage" and the distinctiveness of one faculty relative to another.

And regarding this, the advantage of Jews is specifically fitting for internal faculties and not for encompassing faculties.

And therefore, he does not bring in the maamar that during a dream the faculties of will and delight are also present,

since they are encompassing faculties.

This, however, does not mean that during a dream the faculties of will and delight are not active,

and as the Gemara explicitly states at the end of Maseches Yoma

(which is also called¹⁸ Maseches Yom Kippur¹⁹)

and at the end of the chapter "Yom HaKippurim"¹⁹ that it can be that during a dream there should be a matter of true delight

(not just a dream-like delight),

until "he is satisfied",

and "he shall see seed, he shall prolong days"²⁰,

and so it is understood regarding will, etc.

For this reason, it was added

(in the maamar that was recited on Purim)

the matter of will and delight,

in order to clarify that the maamar does not intend to negate the matter of will and delight during a dream,

but rather that which he does not bring it is because it is not relevant there,

as above.

B) Regarding the matter of "an elephant going through the eye of a needle":

It was already discussed elsewhere²¹,

that what is stated in the maamar that one can indeed dream about "an elephant going through the eye of a needle" is not contradictory to what the Gemara says in Berachos²² "a person does not see in his dreams... an elephant going through the eye of a needle"

(as marked in the notes to the maamar²³),

because the Gemara there itself explains the reason for the matter,

because "one is only shown in a dream from the thoughts of his heart." Consequently, it turns out,

that if a person does think during the day about the matter of "an elephant going through the eye of a needle",

he can also dream about it.

And with this, that which was recited not as it is written in the maamar will be understood:

In the maamar that was said on Purim, they wanted to emphasize the manner of a dream in and of itself,

and in and of itself, in a dream there is no matter of "an elephant going through the eye of a needle".

In contrast, in the maamar of His Holiness, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, he speaks of how it is in reality,

that a person can in practice

(because of his thoughts during the day)

dream about "an elephant going through the eye of a needle",

and during the dream, the person does not feel that this is an additional thing to the dream

(which comes because he had thought about it during the day),

therefore he brings that one can indeed dream about it.

Yud.

The matter of charity:

Following what was said above regarding the law that "from Purim onward" one asks and expounds the laws of Pesach,

he immediately continues there in the Shulchan Aruch²⁴ regarding the laws of "Maos Chitim" (money for wheat).

And this is the arousal that is now given into the "charity fund",

that one should engage in the Pesach campaign in general,

and in particular in the matter of charity which is the matter of "Maos Chitim".

May it be His will,

that through the resolution to act in this,

the coming of Mashiach our righteousness will be fulfilled very soon and hastened,

even before Pesach and before Rosh Chodesh Nissan,

in the true and complete redemption.

For then the verse²⁵ "There will be no needy among you" will be fulfilled,

consequently, one will fulfill the resolution of giving Maos Chitim,

and in practice, Mashiach our righteousness will come first,

and one will not need to come to the Maos Chitim,

but rather they will be used for all good things,

in a manner of increasing and going and light.

Regarding the matter of "yechidus",

and the private questions that each one asked,

(as discussed several times)

in all that was said above, there is an answer to many questions that were asked.

And the main point,

is may it be His will that each one of you

(within the entirety of the Jewish people)

should take with him from the matters of Purim which include the entire Torah and its mitzvos,

"they fulfilled what they had already accepted"²⁶.

And no matter departs from its simple meaning,

that each one of you should add more in the study of Torah and the fulfillment of its mitzvos with beautification.

And one should do all these matters with joy and a good heart,

since Purim is a very great joy, in order to draw it forth for the entire year.

And may the journey of each and every one to his place also be successful and in a Jewish manner and in a Chassidic manner,

And take with them good tidings from here,

and also find there all matters in their ultimate perfection.

Which in general are the "perfection" of Jews, that every Jew gathers all his things and matters together with all the days of his life,

and in a manner of "advanced in days"²⁷,

that all his days from the day of his birth are all together in perfection²⁸,

"from youth to old age"²⁹,

and in the language of the verse³⁰ "with our young and with our old... with our sons and with our daughters";

The perfection of Torah "they fulfilled what they had already accepted" at the giving of the Torah,

the Torah in its perfection;

And "the perfection of the land" because very soon, now,

Mashiach our righteousness comes,

and one takes a look and finds oneself in the Holy Land,

a land which... the eyes of Hashem your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year³¹,

the land in its perfection,

and in a manner of "Hashem will enlarge your territory"³²,

including the land of the Kenite, Kenizzite, and Kadmonite³³.

And in addition to this, one will participate in a matter of charity,

that each one of you will be made a messenger for a mitzvah to give a dollar

(or its equivalent)

for charity in the place where you will arrive.

For then the matter of charity already begins at the moment of giving to you,

which is already the beginning of the actual deed;

This will immediately bring down the redemption,

according to what is explained in the Shulchan Aruch³⁴ that the resolution in thought alone is already sufficient,

and certainly when one has the beginning of the action

It will bring down the actual deed,

the beginning together with the completion of the redemption,

and in the language of the Rambam³⁵ "immediately they are redeemed." In the true and complete redemption through Mashiach our righteousness.

And may it be a proper and successful journey,

and the preparations for Pesach with joy and a good heart.

A kosher and joyous Pesach holiday.

Since there were those who asked

(or thought or wanted to ask)

about spending Jewish money and coming here for Yud-Aleph Nissan

The answer is

(as requested last year)

that whoever wants to give me true nachas ruach,

he should indeed spend the expenses he wanted to spend on the journey, but half of the expense he should give for a matter of charity,

in his place, his city, and his country;

and the other half for even more beautification in matters of Pesach.

And Yud-Aleph Nissan will be celebrated, each one in his place,

through the fact that "where a person's thought is, there he is"³⁶,

that through one thinking about the other and about the third and about the entire Jewish people,

the thought will unite all Jews,

Until all Jews will become like one body,

and "all of Israel are friends"³⁷,

as the Alter Rebbe says in the holy Tanya³⁸ chapter 32,

that "they all correspond to one another and one father to all of them",

and receive the face of Mashiach our righteousness,

as one man with one heart³⁹,

speedily in our days, literally,

and with joy and a good heart.

And now each one will be given a dollar as a messenger for a mitzvah,

to give it to charity,

and whoever adds, they add to him,

and do in all the aforementioned matters,

and may good tidings be heard from you,

in both material and spiritual matters together.