Vayishlach, 19 Kislev - Yaakov Avinu and the Alter Rebbe | Chassidus as a Preparation for the Revelation of Moshiach

00:00 We are now at a time connected with 19 Kislev, the Festival of Liberation, the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus, and there is a story connected with 19 Kislev. What is the story? The Frierdiker Rebbe tells it at length in his sichos: When they came to arrest the Alter Rebbe and take him to prison, in 5559, the Alter Rebbe sent a pidyon nefesh to Reb Levi Yitzchak, the tzaddik of Berditchev. As is well known, the Alter Rebbe was very close to him; they were close friends. He sent him a pidyon nefesh and asked him to pray that he not be harmed, G-d forbid, in body, in spirit, or in soul. There was a messenger named Reb Yankel Smilianer whom the Alter Rebbe asked to deliver the pidyon nefesh to Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. When he arrived, he had lost the written pidyon nefesh, so he delivered it by heart, because the Alter Rebbe had told him to commit the words to memory. He recited the wording of the pidyon nefesh, but he could not remember the name of the Alter Rebbe’s mother. That was the situation. Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, the tzaddik of Berditchev, was sitting there. When he received the pidyon nefesh, he sat smoking a pipe, what they used to call [unclear].

01:51 A small cigarette. And he began to say, “Why does he need to go through this whole ordeal?” With that pipe, with that cigarette, he could have burned down all of Petersburg. To this, the chossid Reb Yankel Smilianer told the tzaddik of Berditchev that the Alter Rebbe, as they say, came from Russia—meaning that he was a man of intellect, Chabad: chochmah, binah, daas—and he did not do things that way. The tzaddik of Berditchev asked, “What is his mother’s name?” He could not remember. Well, how could he pray? Meanwhile, the tzaddik of Berditchev went to pray. Afterward he came out and said that there is a verse, “For there is grain in Egypt.” The Hebrew word for “grain,” shever, has the initials of Schneur ben Rivkah, the Alter Rebbe’s name. That was how he learned his mother’s name; he, he, he, he [unclear] found the mother’s name: Schneur ben Rivkah. He said that he was “in Egypt,” meaning that he was in prison. He then prayed, and after the prayer the tzaddik of Berditchev said, “For there is grain in Egypt”—shever also means hope; there is hope and confidence, G-d willing, that everything will be well and he will come through it safely. Later in the story, years afterward, at a joyous occasion where the Alter Rebbe and the tzaddik of Berditchev met, the tzaddik of Berditchev raised the question of why he had done it in this

03:27 way. Why did he have to go through such suffering, such severe suffering—to be imprisoned, to contend and struggle and argue, to speak about his suffering, both physical suffering and, even more, suffering of the soul—when he had to explain and justify himself to the leaders of the non-Jews, and make clear what the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov were and what they contained? Surely he could have, as the expression goes, accomplished it through makifim, through an encompassing approach, some other way. Why did he have to accomplish it in an inward way? And the Alter Rebbe replied, “That was precisely the way of Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov Avinu embodies the attribute of truth, and the attribute of truth does not do things through makifim, through an encompassing approach or some other way. Yaakov Avinu does things with the attribute of truth. Where do we see this in the parsha? When Yaakov Avinu saw, in Parshas Vayishlach, that Esav was coming toward him with four hundred men, he did not act through makifim. He did not use heavenly means. Yaakov Avinu prepared for three things: a gift, war, and prayer. He did all of these things—an entire order of avodah, as the parsha tells us—so that he could subdue Esav. From this we see that, when following the attribute of truth, the avodah must specifically involve entering into

05:08 the vessels, entering into the mitzvos, entering into the garments, into the world of those who oppose you—entering their world and dealing with them, as it was with Yaakov Avinu: ‘He embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him.’” So the Alter Rebbe specifically wanted to break the force of nature in this way, by working within it and not through an encompassing approach. Another point arises here: the Alter Rebbe had a dispute with Reb Boruch of Mezhibuzh, which took place later, after the passing of that holy figure [unclear]. The Alter Rebbe traveled to Petersburg; there are lengthy accounts of that entire journey. They met around Purim—he met Reb Boruch of Mezhibuzh, the Baal Shem Tov’s grandson—and they had a long discussion. Reb Boruch of Mezhibuzh disagreed with the Alter Rebbe on several matters, including the spreading of Chassidus and so on. And this is what was said: Reb Boruch of Mezhibuzh asked the Alter Rebbe why he needed to bring such trouble upon himself, such anguish and physical suffering, when he could simply pass his hand over his forehead—“passing the hand over the forehead”—and thereby sweeten all the judgments, and simply leave Petersburg altogether. And the Alter Rebbe said that there is indeed a concept of sweetening judgments, but

06:30 the way to act must specifically be within nature. And he gave the example of Yaakov Avinu. As the Alter Rebbe himself wrote in a letter—there is a well-known letter in which the Alter Rebbe recounts the details of the discussion between himself and Reb Boruch of Mezhibuzh, and relates this very point—Reb Boruch asked the question, and the Alter Rebbe answered that he had learned from Yaakov Avinu that this is how the avodah must be done. And that is the story of the Festival of Liberation, of 19 Kislev: the Alter Rebbe could have, through these means, as they say, burned down Petersburg, or done it by passing his hand over his forehead, ending the whole affair and sweetening all the judgments. Nevertheless, the Alter Rebbe did not want to do it that way. He wanted the way nature is overcome, the way the battle is won so that Chassidus can spread throughout the world—“your wellsprings shall spread outward”—to be not by breaking the world, but by entering into it: going specifically to where those who oppose you are, and reaching an understanding with an opponent. That is the story of 19 Kislev, and that is indeed what happened. But what is the explanation for this? What is behind this whole matter? We saw that the tzaddikim, the Alter Rebbe’s fellow disciples, had a different approach

07:55 ? They wanted to get through all of these matters through an encompassing approach, on a higher plane, by heavenly means. And what do the Alter Rebbe’s words really mean—that for him it had to be done specifically by entering into the situation? What is the significance of the example he brought from Yaakov Avinu, that one must specifically take this path? How do we explain it? Why is it so important? And the main question is: Why is this a central point in the revelation of the teachings of Chassidus? The whole festival of 19 Kislev, the festival of “your wellsprings shall spread outward,” the festival of the spread of Chassidus, is connected with these two details. What is it about these two details that expresses a central point in the revelation of the teachings of Chassidus? We will explain this through another story about Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. It is known that when the Alter Rebbe was preparing to print the Tanya, he sent emissaries to the tzaddikim, disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, to obtain their approbations for the Tanya. The approbations we all know are those of Reb Zusha of Anipoli and Reb Yehuda Leib HaKohen, both of whom lived in Anipoli, where the holy resting place of the Maggid of Mezritch is located. Those are the approbations that were printed. But it is also known among chassidim, as the Rebbe once recounted at a farbrengen on

09:21 24 Teves, the Alter Rebbe’s yahrzeit, the story of how the emissaries went [unclear]. He was with Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev with the Tanya, and the Berditchever sat with the Tanya [unclear]. What is the story? What are the details? There was tremendous excitement. The Berditchever was known to dance and jump when he became excited, when great good news arrived. The Berditchever was deeply moved—it was incredible. And then the Berditchever said—this was the holy Berditchever’s remark about the Tanya—“Ah, it’s a wonder! How did he manage to put such a great G-d into such a small book?” That was what astonished him: he saw that in this little book, the Tanya, the Alter Rebbe had managed to put into writing the vast G-dliness revealed by the teachings of Chassidus, by the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch. How did he put such a great G-d into such a small book? The Rebbe discusses this at a farbrengen and says, “Of course, our holy teachers, these tzaddikim”—he is speaking about the Berditchever—“did not amuse themselves with wordplay. A nice saying, a clever phrase—yes, ‘a great G-d, a small book’ has a nice ring to it. But there is

10:52 Depth—and we need to delve into that depth. The Berdichever wanted to express the wonder, the depth, and the innovation of the Alter Rebbe. Indeed, it is known that the Berdichever held the Alter Rebbe in great esteem and affection, to the point of actual self-sacrifice. There is a letter that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev wrote during an extended dispute—I won’t go into the details. In that letter, the holy Berdichever writes about the Alter Rebbe: We were all in Mezritch, and we all ate from the same plate, but he took the cream—the part on top. That is what he said about the Alter Rebbe. What did he mean by it? The Rebbe explains that this is the essence of the Alter Rebbe’s innovation in Chabad Chassidus. The Baal Shem Tov revealed Chassidus in its general form, followed by the Maggid of Mezritch. That Chassidus revealed the greatness of G-dliness, revealed faith and the greatness of Hashem—“Great is Hashem and exceedingly praised.” It brought out the wonder, the awe, the richness, the delight, the joy, and the love. That is what the Baal Shem Tov revealed. Through the stories and wonders of the Baal Shem Tov, recounted in countless stories, Hashem’s greatness was revealed in the world, and that brings about

12:31 a sense of greatness without limits. It gave Jews an extraordinary strength of faith: faith in Hakadosh Boruch Hu, love for Hakadosh Boruch Hu. The Alter Rebbe took the great G-d, this great matter, and brought it into the intellect—into chochmah, binah, and daas. The Alter Rebbe wanted the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov not to remain only a matter of faith [unclear], of awareness [unclear], where a person loses his intellect, loses the powers of his soul, loses his boundaries, and then goes out dancing, then feels joy, and then sees Hakadosh Boruch Hu. But the intention is the opposite. The Alter Rebbe wanted Chassidus to permeate a person completely, as a human being: his chochmah, his binah, his daas, his understanding, his awakening, his [unclear] and his limitations, his feelings, his love, his love and awe of Hashem, his character traits, and the natural qualities of his soul. There the light of Chassidus should shine and penetrate, changing the person as he is, so that with the powers of his soul he will be permeated with greatness and awakened to it. The Alter Rebbe devoted himself with self-sacrifice to making this happen. This was the Tanya that the Alter Rebbe wrote, about which the holy Rebbe of Berdichev said: “Such a great G-d in such a small book.” What did he mean by “a small book”? He meant boundaries, limitation. Can such a great G-d be brought within them—the boundlessness

14:15 of faith, the vastness of Havayah, the vastness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, the Infinite, “He alone, and there is none besides Him”—so that it becomes understandable to the human mind, expressed in words of explanation, clothed in intellect? The Alter Rebbe wrote the Tanya in the hope that a person could understand and contemplate these matters, and that they would be absorbed within him. So there is such a great revelation in such a small book—that is the measure and the limitation. Why did the Alter Rebbe want to bring this down? Why did he hold that the ultimate purpose, the intent of the teachings of Chassidus, of the holy Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch, was to bring the great revelation down and put it into a small book? Why? What is the intention here? This brings us to the central point of spreading the wellsprings, of the whole history of the teachings of Chassidus. This is the message the holy Baal Shem Tov received from King Moshiach: “When your wellsprings spread outward,” Moshiach will come. The entire purpose of the revelation of Chassidus is to prepare the world for the complete Geulah. And since Chassidus prepares the world for the complete Geulah, we need to know what will happen when Moshiach comes. Here is the point: the revelation of Moshiach, for which we are all waiting—“I await his coming every day”—means that when Moshiach comes, there will be a revelation of the great G-d, a revelation of Havayah, of the boundless, of the Infinite, of what is “above without

15:47 end and below without limit.” The greatness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu will be revealed within boundaries, within existence, within the world. As it says: “The glory of Havayah will be revealed, and all flesh together will see that the mouth of Havayah has spoken.” When Moshiach comes, the world will not cease to exist. Moshiach will not burn up the world. The whole Divine intent—as the Alter Rebbe famously explains, that Hakadosh Boruch Hu desired a dwelling for Himself in the lower realms—is not for the world to cease to exist. Rather, within the world, within its boundaries, its nature, its existence, and everyday life, Hashem’s true unity will shine in this very world. The true unity of Hashem that will be revealed through Moshiach Tzidkeinu is not a greatness that breaks the world and nullifies it. On the contrary: “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea.” The world, with its qualities and its existence, will awaken to greatness, to the greatest depth, to the greatest truth. For this, the teachings of Chassidus were given: to illuminate the deepest matters of faith within the reality of the intellect, within the reality of flesh and blood, within the boundaries of the world, within the qualities of the world and the qualities of nature, so that “Havayah is Elokim” will be heard in the world. Havayah, which is infinite—past, present, and future as one—and Elokim, whose numerical value equals that of “nature,” are one and the same. And since Chassidus prepares us for the revelation of Moshiach, and this is how it must happen, the Alter Rebbe, as you know, did not want to burn down Petersburg. What good would burning down

17:33 Petersburg do? The world, after all, must become a dwelling for Hashem. The intent for the time to come is that even non-Jews will recognize the truth. As the verses say: “Then I will transform the peoples to a pure language, so that they will all call in the name of Havayah, to serve Him with one accord.” “And nations will walk by your light.” The Jewish people and the entire world will shine with G-dliness. That is why it was so important to the Alter Rebbe that, in the Geulah of 19 Kislev, the non-Jews too, including the ministers in Petersburg, recognize the truth of Chassidus. We see this in connection with the Geulah, in the letter the Alter Rebbe sent to Rabbi Moshe Meisels—during the period of 5759? [unclear] There is a letter the Alter Rebbe writes to Rabbi Moshe Meisels. The Rebbe writes that we see how “His blessed name was magnified and sanctified in the eyes of the peoples.” And they all said: “Hashem has done wondrous and great things in the land.” Who is he talking about? Peoples, ministers. Plain and simple. [unclear] We are talking about the teachings of Chassidus, the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, “When your wellsprings spread outward.” What do non-Jews, peoples, and ministers have to do with you? Why does it matter to you what happens among non-Jews? Chassidus illuminates the world; that is [unclear]. But no—Chassidus is a preparation for the revelation of Moshiach. It must penetrate all of existence, so that the world shines with G-dliness. And then G-dly matters must also penetrate the human intellect, the natural intellect, the animal intellect, so that the person’s very being, with all his qualities, becomes

19:11 a vessel for greatness. This is what we take from 19 Kislev; this is the story with which we approach 19 Kislev, the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus. We need to know this: as the Rebbe Rashab writes in his well-known letter, 19 Kislev is the day on which [unclear] the true purpose of the creation of man on earth—to bring in Hakadosh Boruch Hu, to reveal Hakadosh Boruch Hu Himself, the very essence of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, through the inner dimension of Torah, so that it shines within the souls of the Jewish people and its light shines in every corner. Not to break the world, but for a person, in the way he conducts himself, in worldly life and daily life, in eating and drinking, in business and commerce, in every everyday matter, to be attached [unclear]. For my intellect to be permeated with greatness and awakened by it; for my character traits to be awakened by greatness; for my thought, speech, and action, and my service of Hashem in daily life—even in eating, drinking, and business, down to the smallest detail—to be illuminated by “Know Him in all your ways” and “Let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven.” So that the One shines in the world and is visible to the eye. And in these days, these great days of Geulah, may we already merit to see the true and complete Geulah through Moshiach Tzidkeinu. May the complete Geulah come now, immediately, and may we be able to dance and sing and see [unclear].