English translation — שיחת יום ג' פ' מטות, שבעה עשר בתמוז, יהפך לשמחה, ה'תשד"מ בביהכנ"ס אחרי תפלת המנחה

This speaking now comes in continuation of what in recent years the ancient custom was renewed to say "words of rebuke" on the fast day¹.

But before one begins, one must preface,

that although one emphasizes that one stands on a "fast day" and that one speaks "words of rebuke" –

one must however also know that which the Alter Rebbe explains in Igeres HaTeshuvah²,

that a fast day is

(not only a remembrance of sins³, but)

a "day of favor",

and as the language of the verse⁴ "Is this the fast I choose, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Hashem?"

Consequently, it is understood regarding these "words of rebuke",

that their purpose is not only words of reproof,

but also "words" whose content is to utilize the "time of favor",

the special time that one has from Above.

And simply the matter:

the day is a "day of favor" in its own right,

from an arousal from Above;

and through the "speech" of "words of rebuke" one adds the arousal from below

[and especially since the words of rebuke are founded on the Written Torah and the Oral Torah,

or a retelling of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah in their language],

and the speech comes with the preceding appropriate and complete thought,

and it brings about the deed,

a speech that leads to action,

for the deed is the main thing⁵.

Then the arousal from below is in the ultimate perfection,

since this is a "threefold cord"⁶ of thought, speech and action,

and consequently one utilizes all these aspects of the "day of favor" in the ultimate perfection.

And the concept of the "threefold cord" is connected with the middle line

(like all matters of three),

which draws down the power of will

(which is also in the middle line⁷),

"day of favor".

And therefore the effect of this "threefold cord"

(as the end of the verse⁸) –

is that "it is not quickly broken",

that the service remains in perfection in an eternal manner,

forever and ever.

B. And the concept

(that the effect of the arousal on the fast day has an influence and effect on "forever and ever")

also has a special connection to the fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz:

In general, the Seventeenth of Tammuz has several reasons,

as known what Chazal say in Maseches Taanis⁹

(and brought down in the Poskim¹⁰)

that "five things happened to our forefathers on the Seventeenth of Tammuz". Among them are several matters that are specific to the Seventeenth of Tammuz itself,

and there is the matter of "the city was breached" which has a connection and link to the other three fasts

(of the four known fasts).

Thus, although it is understood,

that there is an advantage in the specific matter that is in each and every fast,

since "everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He created only for His glory"¹¹,

i.e., that every matter in the world has within it its specific matter in which it is distinguished,

and in which specifically it can add and increase in the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He,

And as is known,

that in all matters of the world there are two aspects:

the common denominator and the shared aspect between them,

and the specific matter in each and every thing. And that which the Most High created that each thing should have its specific matter is,

because in that specific matter within it, a new thing is accomplished,

a new addition to the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He,

which cannot be accomplished through any other thing.

For example:

although at a certain moment the matter of Torah and mitzvos was in ultimate perfection,

nevertheless, that which comes in the next moment

(as a creation of the Holy One, blessed be He),

is a proof,

that although the two moments are seemingly completely similar matters,

nevertheless, a new matter must come into that which arrives]

Nevertheless, there is also an advantage in the matter that the fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz has a common denominator with the other fasts,

by virtue of which all fasts are in one continuum –

which is the matter of "the city was breached".

[In the other matters of the Seventeenth of Tammuz it is difficult to find the explicit connection with the other fasts,

but in this matter the connection is revealed and prominent].

And simply:

After on the Tenth of Teves there was the siege of the city¹², came on the Seventeenth of Tammuz "the city was breached" and on the Ninth of Av the destruction of the Temple and in continuation of this the matter that brought about "Tzom Gedaliah"¹³.

And may it be His will that this year the Ninth of Av should be the opposite of the fast, "for joy and gladness"¹⁴

(or "for gladness and joy" as the language of the Selichos of the Seventeenth of Tammuz)¹⁵;

but in the content of the matter it is understood,

that the Ninth of Av comes in continuation of the Seventeenth of Tammuz,

as it was last year and the like].

And the specific matter in the shared point of all fasts is understood simply:

When a matter comes in continuation of an undesirable thing beforehand and is also a cause and reason for undesirable things afterwards,

it is,

of course,

more powerful and more emphasized than a matter that has no continuation.

And just as this is in the undesirable line,

that the powerful matter on the Seventeenth of Tammuz is the matter of "the city was breached" which is connected with the destruction of the Temple,

so too is it in the good side,

that "the measure of good is greater etc."¹⁶,

that the matter of "day of favor" on the Seventeenth of Tammuz has a special connection to the matter of the Holy Temple.

And from this is understood the connection with what was said above,

that the arousal of the Seventeenth of Tammuz is an eternal arousal –

because the matter of the Holy Temple is also that it should be an eternal House,

forever and ever¹⁷.

C. The aforementioned matter of the fast day,

that it is a "time of favor" and a special day –

is also emphasized in the Haftarah that is read on this day:

The beginning of the Haftarah is,

"Seek Hashem when He is found, call upon Him when He is near"¹⁸,

i.e., that this is such an important day and time of favor,

that then the Most High is in a state of "when He is found" and "when He is near".

Until that the time of favor is similar to the Ten Days of Repentance,

as the Gemara¹⁹ expounds the aforementioned verse on the Ten Days of Repentance].

Thus, since on the opposite side the matter of "the city was breached" is emphasized on this day,

as above,

it is understood,

that also on the good side –

there comes on the Seventeenth of Tammuz in the matter of "Seek Hashem when He is found, call upon Him when He is near" which exists in all the fasts.

I.e., in continuation of that which was already achieved on the Tenth of Teves,

comes the time of favor of the Seventeenth of Tammuz,

and from this one also prepares for the Ninth of Av and Tzom Gedaliah,

that the matter of the time of favor should be revealed immediately.

Another matter in this:

The Rambam rules at the conclusion and seal

(and "everything follows the conclusion"²⁰)

of the Laws of Fasts,

that "all these fasts are destined to be abolished in the days of Mashiach,

and moreover, they are destined to become festivals²¹ and days of joy and gladness".

I.e.:

although here one speaks about the matter of "Laws of Fasts",

nevertheless, the conclusion and seal and the purpose and goal of the fasts –

is that they should become days of joy and gladness²².

And in continuation of this, the Rambam brings the verse²³ "The fast of the fourth etc. shall be to the house of Judah for joy and gladness and for good festivals",

and concludes "and love truth and peace".

For since the reason for the fasts are the undesirable matters that the Rambam enumerates earlier,

it is understood,

that the remedy for this is through the nullification of the cause of the fasts. And just as the cause of the destruction of the Second Temple was the matter of "baseless hatred"²⁴

("the later ones whose sin was not revealed, their end was not revealed"²⁴,

as explained²⁵ that this is connected with the matter of baseless hatred) –

therefore the remedy for this is through "and love truth and peace",

the matter of love of Israel and unity of Israel.

And this too is expressed in the Haftarah of the fast day,

whose end and conclusion is "I will yet gather others to him besides those already gathered"²⁶ –

the matter of "gathering",

"ingathering of the exiles",

that many Jews gather together,

from "ten men of Israel"

(who are considered a "holy congregation"²⁷)

until the entire Jewish people.

And this is the matter of "I will yet gather others to him besides those already gathered",

that one adds more

("yet")

in the matter of gathering and unity of Israel.

And from all this is understood the specific matter that is in the Seventeenth of Tammuz,

that immediately one receives the ability to accomplish more than one did previously in the transformation of the fast days into days of joy and gladness,

and such days of "joy and gladness" that also have the advantage of the transformation of darkness to light²⁸ and the advantage of light that comes from darkness²⁹ –

thus,

that on the Ninth of Av and Tzom Gedaliah one should have the days of joy and gladness and festivals with greater strength and vigor.

And it can be said,

that the matter of "transformation of darkness to light" that is in all the fast days,

is hinted at in the fasts themselves in a manner of "preceding the remedy to the blow"³⁰,

i.e., the fast days are from the outset set up in such a way that there is a positive point in them:

The day of the Tenth of Teves is on the tenth day of the month,

which the number ten is a special number,

as known³¹ regarding the matter of "the tenth shall be holy"³²;

Similarly the Seventeenth of Tammuz –

for seventeen in gematria is "tov" (good)³³;

Similarly the Ninth of Av also has a connection to the number ten,

for the main burning of the Temple was on the tenth of the month³⁴;

And similarly Tzom Gedaliah – not only according to the opinions³⁵ that it was on Rosh Hashanah

(only it was postponed to the following day),

for then

it is simply understood that it is a time of favor,

a day when "make Me king over you"³⁶,

but even according to the opinions³⁷ that it was on the day after Rosh Hashanah –

all the days of the Ten Days of Repentance are similar to Chol Hamoed,

as explained in the writings of the Arizal³⁸.

(Only from the opposite side of love of Israel came about the matter of Tzom Gedaliah).

Thus, just as from this is understood the "descent" in these days,

that instead of being special days

(as above)

they became fast days,

so too is the "ascent",

the advantage of light that comes from darkness,

in a special manner,

since it is in the category of a remedy that preceded the blow.

The aforementioned matter of the Seventeenth of Tammuz,

that it is the day on which the city was breached,

until it brought about the burning of the Chosen House –

also contains a special lesson in the service of Hashem,

according to the well-known teaching of the Baal Shem Tov³⁹,

that every matter contains a directive in His service.

And simply –

one derives from this the directive regarding the custom that was instituted recently⁴⁰,

that during the Three Weeks one should study matters that are connected with the building of the Holy Temple,

which has a connection to the building of the Holy City and the building of the Holy Land.

And as explained at length the greatness of this matter⁴¹,

founded on that which is stated in Midrash Tanchuma⁴²,

"The Holy One, blessed be He, said

(to Yechezkel)

Great is the reading of it in the Torah as its building,

go say to them that they should occupy themselves with reading the form of the House in the Torah, and as a reward for the reading that they will occupy themselves with reading it, I consider it for them as if they are engaged in the building of the House".

And it is understood,

that the main emphasis in this is in the study of definitive laws:

When one studies laws that are not in a manner of a clear ruling but rather in discussion,

one cannot know how to actually build the House;

but when one studies the verses in the Written Torah in the Chumash

(about which the Rambam says⁴³ that also from there one learns how one must build the Holy Temple)

and the verses in Yechezkel⁴⁴,

and immediately in proximity to this one studies the definitive laws of the Chosen House – then

one can immediately proceed to the actual building of the Temple,

for the deed is the main thing.

And one can connect this with the special innovation that exists in the building of the Holy Temple regarding the building of the Mishkan:

It is known⁴⁵ that the difference between the obligation of building the Mishkan and the obligation of building the Holy Temple is,

that by the Mishkan the actual making

(the action)

is an obligation,

i.e., that the building and every detail of it is a mitzvah in itself;

however, regarding the building of the Holy Temple, the main thing is "that it should be",

i.e., that the Holy Temple should already be finished and built in its perfection,

and the act of building is only a "preparation for the mitzvah",

and in the language of the Rambam⁴⁶,

that by the Holy Temple the mitzvah is

(not "to make a house for Hashem",

but only)

"to make a house for Hashem".

And from this it is understood how the matter of "the deed is the main thing",

that the main thing is that it should be accomplished,

is emphasized specifically in the Holy Temple.

And it can be said,

that this also has a special connection to the future Holy Temple,

for in the future to come there will be a "great deed"⁴⁷.

And in continuation of this it can be said,

that this is also connected with the other two details that the Rambam writes when he defines the mitzvah of building the Chosen House – "

(to make a house for Hashem) (a)

prepared to offer in it the sacrifices (b)

and to make pilgrimage to it three times a year".

And just as in the first matter,

that the mitzvah is that there should be a house –

the connection to the future to come is emphasized,

when there will be a "great deed", so too regarding the other two matters,

sacrifices and pilgrimage:

The matter of sacrifices is connected with the daily continual offering,

which was the beginning and end of all the sacrifices of each day,

as one learns from the verse⁴⁸ "and he shall arrange upon it the burnt offering and burn upon it the fat of the peace offerings" that "nothing should precede the morning continual offering" and "nothing is offered after the afternoon continual offering",

but "upon it he shall complete all the sacrifices" –

which the matter of "continual",

continuity and eternity,

has a connection to

the future to come,

when there will be the eternal building⁴⁹.

And similarly the matter of pilgrimage will be in its perfection specifically in the future to come,

when "and it shall be that from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to bow down before Me"⁵⁰,

i.e., that then the matter of pilgrimage will be every Sabbath and every month⁵¹.

And the matter of pilgrimage also has a special connection to the day of the Seventeenth of Tammuz:

As was discussed earlier,

the cause of all four fasts –

is the matter of the opposite of love of Israel,

baseless hatred.

This matter is however emphasized especially on the Seventeenth of Tammuz,

on the day when "the city was breached":

When the "city" was in its perfection,

a walled city

(including the matter of the wall in spirituality,

I am a wall, that is Torah⁵²),

there all the Jews stood in a manner of love of Israel and unity of Israel,

which is the purpose of the city wall, to unify all the people within it.

[And as is simply understood,

that the intention of the wall is not, heaven forbid, to be separated from the world,

for on the contrary –

the wall of Jerusalem had in it gates ("who shall bring them out and who shall bring them in"⁵³) through which one could also rectify those who are outside the wall,

outside the Land of Israel,

both physically and spiritually.

Rather, the purpose of the wall was to unify all the Jews who were in the city].

And consequently it is understood,

that the spiritual content of "the wall was breached" signifies the matter of division and the opposite of unity.

And this is rectified through "and to make pilgrimage to it three times a year",

the matter of pilgrimage,

since at the time of pilgrimage all the Jews stand in a movement of "the city that is united together"⁵⁴,

in true unity.

And in continuation of the aforementioned beginning in the study of the beginning of the laws

The Chosen House of the Rambam,

may it be His will that many will do so, and all of them,

to study in this time the laws of the Chosen House.

That is, in addition to the give-and-take on the matter and the study of the verses of the Torah which are the foundation of everything,

for there is nothing that is not hinted at in the Torah⁵⁵,

one should also study the definitive laws on this.

There is another precision in the Laws of the Chosen House,

about which we have already spoken at length once:

The Rambam, after all, establishes all his matters,

and especially in this book of his,

on the verses of the Written Torah. So although in the Written Torah the term "Chosen" is indeed mentioned regarding the Holy Temple and Jerusalem⁵⁶,

but in the verse where the command is stated –

the term is "And they shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst"⁵⁷

(not "Chosen House" but "Sanctuary"),

as the Rambam himself cites it.

And here there is seemingly a difficulty⁵⁸ –

why did the Rambam choose to call these laws specifically by the name "Laws of the Chosen House"

(and not Laws of the Holy Temple –

as he calls the later laws "Laws of the Temple Vessels",

"Entry into the Sanctuary")?

The explanation for this is:

The difference between "Holy Temple" and "Chosen House" is:

When one says "Holy Temple",

this does not necessitate that we are dealing with additional "houses".

The concept of "Holy Temple" or "Holy House" only necessitates that there be a house that is holy and built, etc.

(with its three sections,

as explained in the first chapter of the Laws of the Chosen House⁵⁹).

And in the service of man it means –

that "holiness" need not have to do with "matters of the mundane",

to transform them into holiness,

and furthermore –

with greater strength and vigor –

to transform from this lower world from the realm of the mundane,

in a manner of the advantage of light from darkness, etc.;

But when one says "Chosen House",

the concept of "choice" itself necessitates that there is something from which to choose. In simple words:

The matter of "Chosen House" itself necessitates that there are other "houses",

and they chose specifically this house.

So although here it is indeed emphasized that they chose specifically this house,

there must nevertheless be some "semblance" of this house in the other houses;

if they had no connection between them,

the matter of "choice" would not be possible!

And this is the lesson from the name of the Laws of the Chosen House –

that a Jew must also affect other houses,

that it be evident in them that they are worthy that from among them the house be chosen and one make of a person a "Chosen House".

From this also emerges a directive regarding the general matter of the service of the Children of Israel among the other nations:

Together with the fact that the difference between the Children of Israel and the other nations is incomparable,

for the soul of a Jew is "literally a part of G-d above"⁶⁰,

and "He who⁶¹ blows, from His innermost being does He blow" –

"meaning from His innermost and internal aspect" –

nevertheless, together with this, the verse states "You have chosen us from all the nations"⁶²,

meaning that Jews were chosen from among all the peoples,

meaning they have a common denominator with all the peoples,

and therefore they must be chosen.

[And as the Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya⁶³ the simple reason for the matter,

because the body of a Jew is similar in its materiality to the bodies of the nations of the world].

So just as we say regarding the Holy Temple,

that that which it is called "Chosen House" is a proof and directive,

that one must also affect other "houses" that they be in a manner fitting for this choice,

so too it can be said regarding the matter of "You have chosen us",

that the service of a Jew consists of also affecting the nations of the world,

that they conduct themselves in such a manner that they be worthy that from among them

(the "nations")

there be the "You have chosen us".

And simply:

In addition to what a Jew must do himself in the fulfillment of Torah and its commandments,

he must also do all that depends on him to influence also the nations of the world and elevate them.

And as discussed in the previous farbrengen⁶⁴ at length, the ruling of the Rambam in the Mishneh Torah⁶⁵,

that "Moses our Teacher was commanded by the Almighty to compel all the inhabitants of the world to accept the commandments that were commanded to the children of Noah".

Which is done with greater strength and vigor,

when one sees that by the kindness of Hashem we live in such a situation

(not as it was years ago),

that the matter of effort to influence the children of Noah to fulfill their seven commandments does not bring any opposition from the gentiles,

but on the contrary!

According to the primary law, the obligation in the Rambam is to say to the nations of the world,

that when there was the "You have chosen us from all the nations" at the time of the Giving of the Torah

(as is known that when one says in the blessings of the Shema "and You have chosen us from every people and tongue" one must have in mind the Giving of the Torah⁶⁶),

then Jews were also commanded

(together with the entire Torah and commandments)

that they should influence the nations of the world to fulfill their commandments because "the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and made them known to us through Moses our Teacher"⁶⁷.

There was, however, a time when this was connected with actual danger,

and therefore one does not find a great commotion about this in the generations before us,

because there was danger in the matter, even to the point of danger to life⁶⁸;

But in our time,

when one sees openly that not only is there no opposition to this,

but on the contrary –

the call has come from the nations of the world themselves,

even from the one "who stands at the head"

(of this country),

that the seven Noahide commandments be fulfilled –

it is therefore understood to what extent the involvement in this matter must be!

And especially since he also proclaimed this and connected it with

the Creator of the world and its Leader,

as the Rambam elaborates that their fulfillment must be because "the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah".

So the change in the state of the world for the better proves, compels, and grants merit,

that one should do this with greater strength and vigor,

until we will hasten the "And the kingdom shall be Hashem's"⁶⁹,

and "For then I will turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Hashem, to serve Him with one accord"⁷⁰,

which is primarily through the fulfillment of their commandments.

And as was said,

according to the signs from above now in this country, it is proven –

that one should do this with greater strength and vigor,

and it will certainly be with great success.

And this matter also has a special connection to the matter of "the city was breached" on the Seventeenth of Tammuz:

Regarding the matter of the Tenth of Tevet,

we once spoke at length⁷¹ about the positive aspect of it,

that through the siege on the city, all the Jews were together in the city,

and specifically within the wall,

a complete wall physically and spiritually.

But regarding the Seventeenth of Tammuz, one seemingly finds no advantage,

because "the city was breached" seemingly only indicates a negative matter,

and in simple intellect and with physical eyes one sees only undesirable things

(for regarding leaving the city for the good, there were gates and one did not need the breach).

Only because the matter of "the city was breached" was brought about by the nations of the world,

"the children of Noah",

it reminds –

how one must strive as much as possible to influence the children of Noah that they conduct themselves as is proper for them.

And when one has contact

(for whatever reason)

with the nations of the world –

one should utilize it,

primarily,

for the essential matter,

that "everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He created only for His glory" –

to bring them to their perfection,

through the fulfillment of their commandments.

All of which is another "stage" and another "step" toward the perfection

of the entire world –

which is the purpose of all the fasts,

to arrive at the perfection of the world,

in the true and complete redemption.

Here is also the place to dwell on a law in today's lesson in the Rambam,

according to the custom that has become most widespread of studying three chapters each day⁷².

[For the number three contains several advantages as mentioned above (section 1),

and brings the matter of "it shall not be broken",

the matter of redemption,

together with the matter of Torah,

"the third light for the third people through the third on the third day in the third month"⁷³,

and as explained by Rav Nissim Gaon⁷⁴ regarding several matters in the number three (and the name (Rav Nissim) is significant⁷⁵)].

Today's lesson has a revealed connection to the matter of exile:

Regarding the matter of exile, the prophet Isaiah says,

the prophet of redemption and salvation⁷⁶, "Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, which I have sent her away?"⁷⁷,

meaning, the Almighty asks the Jews, where is the "get" that He gave them.

From the question itself it is understood,

that the matter of exile is a matter of divorce,

for which there must be a "get",

and the Almighty asks, where is the get.

And as is known,

that during the time of exile, Jews are like a woman "whose husband has gone overseas"⁷⁸,

which is a movement of exile⁷⁹.

And it is precisely about this matter that today's lesson of the Rambam speaks,

regarding (a)

a woman whose husband went overseas, (b)

and the husband sends the woman a get.

In the first chapter of today's lesson, the Rambam brings

the matter of "one who brings a get from overseas must say 'in my presence it was written and in my presence it was signed'"⁸⁰.

Then⁸¹ the Rambam says:

"If the agent became ill or was forced, he comes to the court and says to them, 'This get was written in my presence and signed in my presence,' and they send it by another agent,

and the latter agent does not need to say 'in my presence it was written and in my presence it was signed'...

If the second became ill or was forced, he appoints another agent in court, and the latter says, 'I am an agent of the court,' and gives it to her, even if the first agent died."

And similarly it states earlier⁸² also regarding one who brings a get from place to place in the Land of Israel,

that if "he became ill or was forced, he sends it by another, even a hundred, etc., and the last one who received the get gives it to her in the presence of two witnesses, and she is divorced by it, even if the first died."

And one can say several allusions in this matter:

The matter that the agent of the get became ill or was forced, even "up to a hundred",

alludes to the relationship of the Almighty to the Jews:

The Almighty wants to "nullify" the matter of "divorce",

as we see from His claim "Where is the bill of divorcement, etc." –

perhaps they will repent

("in one hour and one moment"⁸³),

the agency will be nullified,

consequently He causes that "he became ill or was forced" and He makes a second agent;

And even if the Jews have not yet repented,

the agent makes further agents, etc., up to "even a hundred"!

And also in this number there is an allusion –

for when one reaches "one hundred and one"⁸⁴ –

Mashiach our Righteous One will already come!

There is another allusion in the general law,

that even if the first agent died, the agency is not nullified:

In general,

when the first agent died,

there is room to say,

that since the power to deliver the get came to the latter agent through the first agent,

and he "died", consequently the agency is nullified;

But the ruling

(in the Rambam),

is that if the husband is alive, the agency is not nullified and one may give her the get.

And as we indeed find in the Gemara⁸⁵ both opinions on the matter,

that "Rav Ashi said: If the first died, all of them are nullified

(he holds that they come from his power –

Rashi),

Mar bar Rav Ashi said: This statement of my father was said in his youth

(in his youth my father said this tradition, which can be refuted –

Rashi)",

and the law is like Mar bar Rav Ashi,

that all agents come from the power of the husband and not from the power of the first agent.

What is the lesson from this law in the Rambam in the service of Hashem in general?

Regarding the entire Torah and its commandments, it states in the Mishnah at the beginning of Pirkei Avot

(in the chapter that will be studied on the Shabbat after the Seventeenth of Tammuz⁸⁶)

"Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it, etc."

And here a weakness can sometimes set in:

Since the student himself did not receive the Torah as the first recipient from the Almighty Himself,

but through His agent

(Moses our Teacher),

and the agent made another agent and another agent,

because he was "forced" and "taken" above –

consequently he might think,

that there has been, Heaven forbid, a change, since "the first agent died", etc.

Furthermore:

"Torah" is the "deed of betrothal" of the Almighty to the Jews.

And as is known what Chassidus⁸⁷ explains on the Mishnah⁸⁸ "A woman is acquired... by money, by deed, and by intercourse",

that these three matters correspond to the three Patriarchs, which correspond to the three pilgrimage festivals⁸⁹:

Money, from the term "longing, you have longed"⁹⁰,

love,

corresponds to Abraham and Passover;

Intercourse corresponds to Jacob and the festival of Sukkot,

as it is written⁹¹ "and he built him a house, and for his cattle he made booths";

And a deed corresponds to Isaac and the festival of Shavuot,

the time of the Giving of the Torah,

because Torah is compared to a deed⁹².

More specifically, the deed refers to the Tablets of the Covenant,

and as is known the law

(which the Rambam also brings in the Laws of Divorce⁹³) that

(in a certain manner)

one may write the deed also on stone.

[And this is the connection to the Seventeenth of Tammuz,

the day when "the Tablets were broken" –

the content of this matter is that one must transform the matter of the breaking of the Tablets,

that there be the Tablets in their perfection,

even more than the second Tablets,

meaning both the perfection of the first Tablets (the broken Tablets) and the second Tablets, etc.).

Since the matter of Torah is also a "deed",

a deed of betrothal –

the laws regarding it are like those regarding a deed of divorce. Consequently, he might think

(like the initial assumption in the Gemara)

that when the first agent died, the agency is nullified, Heaven forbid,

or that there has been a change and weakness, etc.

And to this they say,

that the ruling is that the agency is not nullified as long as the original sender is alive.

Meaning, that although Moses received the Torah from Sinai and added from his own to the Torah,

to add strength to the power above⁹⁴,

"to increase it"⁹⁵,

and so did the recipients after him –

nevertheless, the essential matter,

from which the entire chain derives,

comes from the Sender

(the Almighty)!

And the simple explanation for this is:

When the first agent transfers the agency

(the get)

to the second agent,

he does not transfer only a "part" of his power,

but he gives away that which "a person's agent is like himself"⁹⁶,

even "like the sender himself"

(as the expression in Likkutei Torah⁹⁷),

that he is like the husband himself.

And therefore he has the power to transfer the entire agency in its completeness,

because he does not transfer it as an agent,

but as "like the sender himself",

consequently the second agent becomes a first recipient from the sender,

and so it is regarding all⁹⁹ agents up to the hundredth agent.

And so it is also in the analogy,

regarding Moses our Teacher,

and furthermore,

with greater strength and vigor –

that all the intermediate recipients are "like him literally" like the Sender,

for "whoever reads and repeats, the Holy One, blessed be He, reads and repeats opposite him"⁹⁸,

so that "just as there, with awe and fear, with trembling and quaking, so too here

etc."⁹⁹,

consequently one has the law from the Almighty Himself without any changes,

for the Torah is the deed of betrothal as above.

And from this it is also understood regarding the matter of the divorce above,

then the Supreme One says "What is this bill of divorcement etc.",

because there is no get,

it is no more than a likeness

("What is this"),

but on the contrary –

it is like a husband who went overseas and afterwards comes to his home,

where then the love of the matter is incomparable ¹⁰⁰.

And with this it is possible to explain also the precision of the language in the Gemara there:

The language of Mar bar Rav Ashi is,

"This is the statement of Abba of smallness",

and in the language of Rashi "In his smallness Abba said this teaching."

And at first glance:

The usual language in such a case is,

as the Gemara says in Bava Metzia ¹⁰¹ regarding the matter of "Gold acquires silver":

"Rabbi,

you taught us in our youth silver acquires gold and you returned and taught us in your old age gold acquires silver,

in my youth what did I think and in my old age what did I think" –

that is, they use the language "youth" and not "smallness".

And the explanation of this:

It is known that agency has in it several levels ¹⁰²:

a) That the sender gives over to the agent only the power for his action;

b) That he gives him the power of his action;

c) That he gives himself over entirely.

And based on the above it can be said that these rationales are dependent on the manner of the agency:

When the agent is in a state of "smallness"

(no more than regarding action),

then the rationale of Rav Ashi is valid,

that since the agent died the agency is nullified;

But when he stands in a movement of "greatness" –

then he is "like the sender himself",

and has the power to make another agent until the end of the world.

And we return to our matter –

one should do in all these three manners of agency in all matters of good and holiness,

and regarding Torah and mitzvos in general,

including the "mitzvah" of transforming the fast "to joy and gladness and good festivals and love truth and peace",

For then the entire storm and intensity and truth becomes complete as it is with the "husband",

with the Supreme One,

the Giver of the Torah and Commander of the mitzvos,

including the mitzvos connected to the Seventeenth of Tammuz.

And in continuation of this, here is the place to complete the "threefold cord" –

of Torah, prayer, and charity,

as is customary.

And as has been spoken several times,

that in addition to that when Jews gather together they are a "threefold cord",

"a threefold nation"

(Kohanim, Levites, and Israelites),

which is reflected in every holy congregation of ten from Israel,

and they gather together also in connection with "their threefold light" –

one should also conclude with a matter of charity.

For through these three pillars of Torah, service, and acts of kindness "the world stands" and also "the world endures",

as explained at the beginning and end of chapter one of Tractate Avos,

a matter of Chassidus ¹⁰³,

which is learned on the coming Shabbos after the Minchah prayer,

just as we stand now after the Minchah prayer,

For the Minchah prayer is among the most exalted prayers,

that "even Elijah was not answered except in the Minchah prayer" ¹⁰⁴.

And consequently these things lead to the coming of Elijah the Prophet, may his memory be for good,

and there will be "a voice ¹⁰⁵ of a herald heralding and saying" ¹⁰⁶,

and saying that "behold he comes" ¹⁰⁷,

And furthermore –

that Mashiach has already come,

because Elijah already heralded yesterday in the Great Sanhedrin ¹⁰⁸,

Or that one need not have the "tidings" beforehand,

and one has both things on the spot,

both things together ¹⁰⁹,

As will be the future redemption in one hour and in one moment,

"and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven" ¹¹⁰.

And in continuation of the above, one will conclude by distributing,

by means of the tanks,

to each and every one a dollar to give to charity,

and how good –

on this very day,

in a "day of favor to Hashem",

And especially when one finds oneself together with several Jews in this house,

a house of Torah and a house of prayer ¹⁰⁰,

and one is also connected with Jews in other places,

through the fact that one has transformed the vessels and instruments that can be used for matters of the permissible –

they should be used for their purpose and perfection,

Torah and mitzvos,

up to love of Israel and unity of Israel.

Which again arouses the matters of Torah, service, and acts of kindness.

And also the general campaigns, each of which includes several details,

Including the mitzvah stated "to compel all inhabitants of the world to fulfill the mitzvos commanded to the children of Noah".

And all these things together lead further to the true and complete redemption through Mashiach our righteousness,

together with Elijah the Prophet, may his memory be for good,

And "awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust" ¹¹¹,

and Moshe and Aharon with them ¹¹²,

and the prince of our generation,

His Holiness, my father-in-law, the Rebbe,

with them.

And one will go all together,

"with our young and with our old etc. with our sons and with our daughters" ¹¹³,

with the perfection of Torah and its mitzvos,

even in a manner of wealth;

And go to our holy land,

"a land which etc. the eyes of Hashem your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year" ¹¹⁴,

and there itself to the Temple Mount,

and there itself –

to the "Chosen House",

to the "Sanctuary of Hashem, Your hands have established" ¹¹⁵.

And one does it with joy and goodness of heart,

for joy breaks through barriers ¹¹⁶.

And therefore, although it was said that "one goes",

the intention is not to emphasize thereby that there will be a physical walking on foot,

but rather the

matter of true going,

That there is an essential change from the situation and state before this moment regarding the situation and state at the moment when Mashiach comes –

and behold one takes a look,

and one sees how one finds oneself together with the entire Jewish people in the "Sanctuary of Hashem, Your hands have established",

With the wealth and perfection of Judaism of Jews and of Torah and of the entire world,

And it becomes "and the kingdom shall be Hashem's" ⁶⁹,

up to "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea" ¹¹⁷,

and with joy and goodness of heart,

"and everlasting joy upon their heads" ¹¹⁸.

[His Holiness the Rebbe shlita distributed to the "tanks" dollars to distribute to each one a dollar for the purpose of giving to charity].