English translation — שיחת אור ליום ה' פ' ויגש, ז' טבת ה'תשמ"ז. - בבית הכנסת, אחרי תפלת ערבית -

In connection with the recent events, yesterday we spoke¹ about "and the spirit of Yaakov their father revived"²,

that this depends on "his seed" –

"Just as his seed is alive, so too is he alive"³

("and the spirit of Yaakov their father revived"),

including also through increasing in the giving of charity;

And therefore it was also proposed that one should increase in the giving of charity. And of course, to this one also needed to add a note with his name and his mother's name in order to mention [them] at the gravesite of the Rebbe, my father-in-law,

as is customary by every "collection",

all the more so in a matter connected with "and the spirit of Yaakov their father revived",

by showing that "his seed is alive".

However, since there are still those who gave charity

(in connection with this matter),

but did not write their name and their mother's name,

or others who have not yet

(also)

given charity

(in connection with this matter);

And since in the continuation of the portion,

in the lesson of tonight

(the night of the fifth of Parshas Vayigash),

it is written regarding the promise of the Holy One, blessed be He, to Yaakov⁴:

"Fear not to go down to Egypt, for I will make you there into a great nation" –

It is understood,

that when we are in the final moments of exile,

when all the kingdoms

(the exiles)

are called by the name of Egypt⁵ –

one cannot postpone

(and even if one could,

the Almighty would not want to postpone)

the fulfillment of the promise

(in this exile)

of "I will make you there into a great nation", "there"

(in exile)

specifically.

Therefore, one must immediately and at once do everything possible in order to bring about the

(completeness)

of "I will make you there into a great nation"

(in exile),

the completeness of the unity of Israel,

so that immediately and at once there should be "immediately they are redeemed"⁶,

and then there will be "with the clouds of heaven"⁷,

and consequently we will immediately

(in a day and even less than that) be

(not "there" in exile, but)

in our holy land

(and in a manner of "Hashem your G-d will enlarge your border"⁸,

as mentioned yesterday).

And one of the ways to bring even more quickly a) this "I will make you there into a great nation"

(still in exile),

and b) the completeness in this –

the "great congregation"⁹

(great nation)

in the future redemption –

is through the mitzvah of charity:

a) Because it unites Jews and makes of them a "great nation" openly even during the time of exile. And especially according to the saying of our Sages, may their memory be for a blessing¹⁰, "Charity did the Holy One, blessed be He, perform with Israel when He scattered them among the nations",

i.e., that the "I will make you there into a great nation"

(in exile)

is connected with the charity of the Holy One, blessed be He,

and measure for measure –

charity from Jews during the time of exile,

and all the more so in the double and multiplied darkness in these days;

b) "Great is charity

[that is equivalent to all the mitzvos¹¹]

for it brings the redemption near"¹².

Therefore, it is proposed:

Those who have not yet given charity in connection with this matter,

or gave charity and did not write their name and their mother's name –

should do so as soon as possible

[and to emphasize,

that in this the quantity of the charity is not so relevant,

as is the pleasant countenance in it],

so that we can take their names when we go tomorrow

(without a vow)

to the "gravesite" of the Rebbe, my father-in-law.

Since there will presumably be a large quantity

(all the more so in quality)

who will do this –

there will not be time to sort out and separate etc. the notes with the names and the charity –

therefore, one should give the charity and the names

(at once,

but)

in separate envelopes,

so that we can take to the "gravesite" only the envelopes with the names,

and not need to first separate them.

And to add:

Since I will not read the notes,

no more than handing over

(placing)

the notes on the ohel –

anyone can write whoever wishes,

and has nothing to be ashamed of,

because he is writing to the Almighty,

through the Nasi of our generation.

And since the matter is relevant in order to establish openly the "great nation" –

it is understood simply,

that this applies to every Jew and to all Jews,

men, women, and children,

down to the smallest of the small,

in the language of the verse¹³ –

"with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters",

because they all together constitute the "great nation" and "great congregation" as the Almighty desires.

And therefore, one should do this not only here

(at the "gravesite" of the Rebbe, my father-in-law),

but in all countries and places,

wherever there is a cemetery where there is a great one in Israel,

a tzaddik in Israel,

a guide in Israel,

and especially since all cemeteries

(together with the Cave of Machpelah)

are connected,

and especially through the "tunnels"

(as explained in the books).

And may it be His will that the love of Israel and the unity of Israel

(through the mitzvah of charity)

should further unite Jews as a "great nation I will make you there" still in the final moments of the time of exile.

And as it is written in the conclusion of today's lesson¹⁴:

"All the souls of the house of Yaakov that came into Egypt were seventy." And potentially, these seventy souls in themselves include the entire "great nation" –

as is known that Jews are divided into various divisions in number,

various completions:

All Jews are included in "the one, Avraham"¹⁵,

and afterwards –

in Yaakov our father¹⁶;

afterwards they divide into twelve tribes;

afterwards into seventy souls

(that went down to Egypt);

afterwards¹⁷ into six hundred thousand general souls,

as it was at the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai

(for if there had been six hundred thousand less one, the Torah would not have been given¹⁸);

and these six hundred thousand general souls include six hundred thousand particulars etc.

One of the virtues and completions in the division into the number seventy –

is understood from what is written¹⁹ "He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel, for the portion of Hashem is His people, Yaakov is the lot of His inheritance",

and Rashi explains "Because of the number of seventy souls of the children of Israel who went down to Egypt, He set the borders of the peoples [to] seventy languages",

as our Sages, may their memory be for a blessing, said²⁰ that the world was created for the sake of Israel,

and they are the masters of the world.

[Which again emphasizes the matter of "Moshe Rabbeinu commanded from the mouth of the Almighty to compel all the inhabitants of the world to accept the mitzvos that were commanded to the children of Noach"²¹,

because of "He created it to be inhabited"²²,

as discussed yesterday].

And afterwards there will be immediately and at once a "great congregation" in the true and complete redemption.

And they will awaken and sing, dwellers of the dust²³, from

(speaking about)

all the cemeteries,

may they become "houses of life" literally –

souls in bodies specifically

– And especially through that which one makes a vessel for this still during the time of exile by establishing in every place a "Chabad House",

a house in which Torah is magnified,

a house in which prayer is magnified²⁴,

and a house in which acts of kindness and charity and mitzvos in general are magnified,

and including –

of course –

a house in which sons and daughters are raised who engage in all these matters –

And Yaakov our father is among them,

and the Rebbe, my father-in-law, is among them.

And they all go together,

and their silver and their gold with them²⁵,

the physical silver and gold and the spiritual silver and gold –

love of Hashem and fear of Hashem²⁶,

and their offspring²⁷ –

all the mitzvos,

"with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters",

but "great congregation" in the singular,

And the going is in an instant, in the blink of an eye –

with the clouds of heaven,

In the true and complete redemption,

and Moshiach our righteousness at our head,

literally,

below ten handbreadths,

and immediately and at once,

and out of joy and goodness of heart.