The Rebbe’s Answer to a Learning Group in Manhattan

The Inside Story of Chabad in America — Episode 152: "The Rebbe's Answer to a Learning Group in Manhattan"

Welcome to our weekly program, The Inside Story of Chabad in America, through the Mindel Archives.

A few years ago I mentioned at this program that in the early years, the 1940s, when the Frierdiker Rebbe arrived in America, one of the most important projects he began was education, and one such effort was the weekly Torah learning group. It was established in Manhattan, taught by Alexander Cowan - he was a lawyer - a group of twenty-five young professionals. And the Frierdiker Rebbe took an interest in that class, and he personally encouraged Rabbi Dr. Nissan Mindel to attend every week.

And the Frierdiker Rebbe wanted a detailed report from him - a detailed report, yes - to tell him exactly everything: who came every single week, the lesson that Mr. Cowan gave. He used a text; the book was called [unclear, possibly "The Bible Unauthorized"]. And the Frierdiker Rebbe asked the Ramash - the Rebbe was then called the Ramash - to write down the questions that they asked, the question, and he would answer, and the answer would be discussed in the class. And the Rebbe wrote down the question in Hebrew, and the answer.

So this week I wanted to share with you - he wrote pages and pages and pages of questions and answers. Even though I did mention this a year ago, some people didn't hear it, and I think it should be mentioned again. I will read it word for word in Hebrew, and I will try to translate it into English.

So the question is like this: it says in the Torah, at the end of each day of creation, "and Hashem saw that it was good." So what is the reason that on the first day, when light was created, it specifies, "and Hashem saw the light, that it was good," but on the rest of the days it just says "and Hashem saw that it was good" without specifying what? That's the question that they discussed, and that's what the Rebbe writes. Now the Rebbe writes the answer: [Hebrew read aloud - unclear]. [Music]

I'll try to do it in English. What's the answer? On the first day there was a general creation from absolute nothing to something - yes, but that something did not have a form yet; it was just plain matter. And on the rest of the days, forms were given to this something - vegetation, animals, and so on. [Hebrew read aloud - unclear]

In addition to the idea of creation being on the first day - meaning the idea of something where previously there was nothing - also on the first day we created the general creations: light and dark, fire, air, water, earth, and the like. [Hebrew term, unclear] The entire creation is constantly advancing from one level to a higher level. The Rebbe will give an example soon, because this is the important thing. Now, in general, the entire creation process is divided into two aspects: the aspect of positive acting, doing, when something is happening, and the aspect of not doing, when the thing that is happening stops happening. We'll see the examples soon.

Now, the doing aspect is necessary in creation, for without it nothing will be happening. But also the not-doing - the stopping-to-happen - aspect is necessary in creation, because it's not possible to give a form to something without first taking off the previous form, and that taking off of the previous form is an idea of stopping to happen - that's called [Hebrew term, unclear], that's called negative. Now the Rebbe gives an example so we'll be able to understand what we just read. [Hebrew read aloud - unclear]

What's the example? It's not possible, the Rebbe says, to build a king's palace in the very spot where there stands a peasant's house. First you have to destroy the peasant's house, and only then can you build the king's palace. The same thing also: it is not possible to work properly unless you sleep from time to time; you have to rest, which is the opposite of work and advancement, because when you sleep you do nothing. But this not-happening - this destroying, this resting - is also necessary for there to be a happening: building, working. So you have to sleep. Another example:

[Hebrew read aloud - unclear] A more abstract example that the Rebbe gives: a smart child who begins to learn, and he becomes involved in learning mathematics. First he is involved with plus, minus, times, and division, and gets used to it, and is involved in it. Afterward he has to stop this involvement and move on to learning algebra, equations, and the like. After that he must stop this too, because his mind is ready for advancement to algebra and so on. [Hebrew read aloud - unclear] This is a negative thing, but it's necessary, so this - stopping - is also necessary for advancement.

[Hebrew read aloud - unclear] This teaches us another thing: not only that, by not having this negative thing, he will not advance to a higher level, but what was previously considered an advancement is, on his present level, considered a lack, and one must negate that. In other words, by stopping one thing - it's not only a necessary negative in order to reach higher, it actually prevents you from falling lower, from not reaching your full potential. [Hebrew read aloud - unclear]

So, based on what we said before, we can answer the question: because light, in its broadest sense, means "happening" - that happening aspect of creation. Darkness, in its broadest sense, means the stopping to happen after the operation. Both are necessary and vital, as explained above at length - so they're both important. But what's the difference between them? [Hebrew read aloud - unclear] The difference between them is: the happening - the light aspect - is good because of itself; it's light. However, the not-happening - the darkness aspect - is only a preparation for the light, but it's not good by itself. [Hebrew read aloud - unclear] And that's the answer.

I'll translate that: this is why, when the Torah tells us the story of the general creation - the light and dark, the doing and not-doing aspects of creation, which was on the first day - the positive teaches us, "and Hashem saw the light, that it was good." And it's only the light which truly is good, for it is good because of itself. Not so the happening - the darkness of creation - which, although it's vital, you have to have it, as we explained before. Certainly, by not doing so, it's not truly good, because it is only a preparation for the light. So this is only a preparation for the light, but it's not good - that's why the answer is that about the first day it says this.

And this is one of the things that the Rebbe answered them on their question, and this was discussed for quite a few weeks. There is more to this, but I see we have no time, and, G-d willing, next week I will share with you another question that they asked the Rebbe, and that the Rebbe answered, with great [unclear]. Thank you.