English translation — שיחות כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א ביחידות א)

Night of Tuesday, Parshas Matos,

17 Tammuz 5744

a) "Yechidus" of the guests, may they live, who arrived for 12-13 Tammuz

We spoke in recent times,

one must

(at a time when Jews are parting and separating from each other)

emphasize that one "separates from each other" only physically

(in the body),

but spiritually

(in the soul),

in thought

(which is permeated with love of Israel)

one remains connected always as when one was together.

For when one was together, one certainly utilized the opportunity,

that many Jews from different places meet in one place for the same purpose.

And especially since this was a place that is a "Beis HaKnesses",

a house of prayer where one gathers together and prays to the Almighty Who is the One G-d,

the One and Only G-d;

and a "Beis HaMidrash" where one studies lessons in the same Torah which is one Torah for all.

And the unity being here has in it a special emphasis specifically because of the very fact that Jews from different places gathered together:

One sees naturally,

that when those who were separated meet together,

then the feeling of gathering together and uniting is even stronger and greater

(than the feeling of those for whom there was initially no separation).

And the special unity that was being here has an influence and effect also when later comes the time when one must fulfill the mission from the Almighty,

and go out

(each one to his place)

to make a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He,

a dwelling place for the Almighty where one will see Divinity,

through living there a Jewish life,

and through also influencing the Jews around,

that they should all fulfill the mission with joy and a good heart.

And when it is "If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments etc." it adds to the Almighty's blessings in all that is needed,

and consequently one has more tranquility and health and a better mood to do more in Judaism.

And this service also includes especially the matter of gemilus chasadim and tzedakah,

both tzedakah simply through money,

and through saying a good word and strengthening another.

And especially strengthening everyone in the hope and expectation and certainty,

that we now stand in the last days of exile,

and one prepares to go out of exile speedily through Mashiach Tzidkeinu.

For then there will also be the matter of unity,

because all Jews will be together,

as the verse says "A great congregation shall return here",

that all Jews will gather together from all places of the world,

as one and only "congregation" to go together to our Holy Land,

with Mashiach Tzidkeinu at the head.

All the above brings out even more why immediately before one separates from each other, one strengthens even more the connection that was created during the time that one was together. That one should maintain it and strengthen it.

Before one separates from each other,

one reminds oneself again. That this is only physically, but it is for the same purpose,

in order to carry out the same mission from the Almighty,

each one in his place.

And for this reason one also connects this with giving tzedakah,

as one will

(without a vow)

give each one a dollar bill,

in order to give to tzedakah each one in his place, because when one takes the same mission to fulfill the same mitzvah,

which the mitzvah itself consists of helping the one who is in need of help

[as the Gemara says that "one who engages in gemilus chasadim" is called a maker of peace because he brings more peace into the world].

With this comes an additional emphasis,

taking into account the time when one gathered together.

This gathering was indeed in connection with the days of redemption of the Nasi of our generation, for the redemption also united each one and all Jews!

And as the Baal HaGeulah wrote in his first letter where he described how one should utilize the days of Geulah, that this must be founded on the idea that "Not only me did the Holy One, blessed be He, redeem,"

but all Jews,

until "he who is called by the name of Israel."

And these were not "separate redemptions,"

one redemption for the Nasi,

a second redemption for the greater ones and a third redemption for the children etc., but this is the same redemption for everyone!

And this repeats itself every year on the days of 12-13 Tammuz,

with renewed vitality and strength,

and this is then taken from these days for the entire year that follows.

And consequently it is understood,

how in this time the unity among Jews in general is emphasized,

and in particular when it comes to taking the forces to help Jews in a matter of "Geulah,"

a private Geulah,

to release each one from matters of worry, G-d forbid.

Every matter is indeed with Divine Providence,

and so too this gathering together on the second day of Parshat Matot.

And in particular according to what the Alter Rebbe instructed that one should "live with the time...

with the weekly Parsha and the Parsha of the day from the weekly portion."

One indeed finds

(with Divine Providence)

in today's lesson a special emphasis on the aforementioned matters.

The beginning of today's lesson

(from the second to the third in Perek Matot)

starts with a command and a Halacha

[with which there is also the matter of "A person should not part from his fellow except through a matter of Halacha"),

and the Halacha is,

what the Almighty commanded "Arm from among yourselves men for the army... to take the vengeance of Hashem against Midian."

The Alter Rebbe explains in Likkutei Torah

[and the Nesiim after him elucidate it with additional explanation),

that the matter of "the vengeance of Hashem against Midian" contains within it a content and instruction for all times:

"Midian" is from the term "strife and contention,"

"quarrel and dispute,"

the purpose of the people of Midian was to create "quarrels" and division among Jews. And upon this Moshe Rabbeinu commanded,

that every single one without exception must choose "from yourselves" all ways and means to wage war and nullify the matter of "Midian,"

the matter of discord.

And this is a command and obligation upon every Jew,

that he should do all that is incumbent upon him in this,

and know during the action that this pertains not only to him or to another Jew or to the Jewish people, but this is "the vengeance of Hashem,"

a vengeance that the Almighty Himself takes,

in order to nullify the entire matter of "quarrels" and discord,

and that there should be the matter of true "love of Israel,"

as the Almighty desires.

And when one has this special command from the Almighty regarding this, together with it one receives a special empowerment to do so.

And this is the special matter of this day,

a day when one "lives" with the verse "to take the vengeance of Hashem against Midian,"

that every Jew is an agent of the Almighty to nullify the matter of quarrel and discord,

by bringing about true love of Israel.

And it is a certain thing that it will be carried out,

with joy and a good heart,

and with the special success that was in the war against Midian the first time,

that it was an extraordinary thing, when "not one man from us was missing."

In all wars that are waged,

even wars that Jews waged in their times,

even though they were victorious,

it nevertheless also brought some temporary harm to one or two or more;

but in the war against Midian, "not one man from us was missing"!

Which also means that in each individual himself there was no deficiency,

nothing was lacking in him because of the war!

And the reason for the matter is because it was a holy war,

when the Almighty commanded to take at the head a Kohen,

"Pinchas ben Elazar the Kohen" who had taken vengeance previously etc. and showed the way how one must be self-sacrificing for another Jew.

May it be His will,

that one should do all the aforementioned with joy and a good heart,

in a good manner,

that each one should remain whole in his body, soul, and property in the manner of "not one man from us was missing."

And it should be carried out in completeness,

with all the interpretations that are in "completeness" in the best and most complete manner possible.

And regarding our matter "a person should not part from his fellow except through a matter of halacha",

one should, despite the separation, remember the "halacha" of Ahavat Yisrael,

until "Achdut Yisrael" which is a "great principle in the Torah" as the Rebbe says,

and "this is the entire Torah, and the rest is its explanation,

go and learn".

And then one should also have the halacha and its "explanation" in every thought, speech and action of a Jew that is permeated with Ahavat Yisrael.

And since one takes the power for this from the Above, it is certainly that this will be carried out speedily in our days, literally.

And Achdut Yisrael nullifies the "source of the formation of evil". As explained in the discourses of "Hitchalatzu" that "Medin" is "Reshit Goyim"

(like Amalek),

and from this begins the start of the possibility that a Jew should lack something in the fulfillment of the mitzvot.

What is actually quite a wonder:

A Jew wants to fulfill mitzvot,

so since he wants this, it is certain that he does everything to carry it out;

it is only that external, extraneous matters can hinder him in this,

So when one nullifies the externality and conducts oneself with internality,

"face to face" with the Above,

which also brings the "face to face" with another Jew and all Jews and the entire Jewish people,

and brings the "light of Hashem's countenance" upon us and upon you,

That the Above reveals a luminous countenance to every Jew and all Jews and brings immediately Mashiach Tzidkeinu.

And one goes "with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters",

a great congregation,

taking with oneself the mitzvah of Ahavat Yisrael and Achdut Yisrael together with all the mitzvot and with the Torah that one has learned, the completeness of the Torah and its mitzvot,

And one goes to our holy land,

"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",

to our holy land,

and one finds it also in its completeness, in its entirety and perfection,

"for Hashem your G-d will enlarge your border".

And one utilizes the last moments of exile to add more in Torah and mitzvot and Judaism in general,

Achdut Yisrael and Ahavat Yisrael,

Which further hastens the redemption,

And one also takes the mission of charity,

which "great is charity, for it brings the redemption closer",

And this brings the true and complete and great redemption,

through Mashiach Tzidkeinu,

speedily in our days, literally.