Lag BaOmer (5785) - "Ad Hagal Hazeh" - Rashbi rectified all the divisions

00:00 This book, Reshimos HaRabash, is the diary written by the great Torah scholar Reb Baruch Schneur Schneerson, the Rebbe’s grandfather. In other words, he was the father of the Kabbalist Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, Reb Levik. He spent about three years in Lubavitch itself, was with the Rebbe Maharash, and kept a diary throughout that time. It is a fascinating diary, in which he tells many stories, as well as accounts of deeper matters he discussed and heard from the Rebbe Maharash and the Rebbe Rashab during his stay in Lubavitch. Among the stories, he recounts something he heard from the Rebbe Maharash at a Simchas Torah farbrengen. The Rebbe Maharash spoke with him about the Mitteler Rebbe, spoke at length about his greatness, and told several stories about him. He related—and this is also well known and recorded in several places, and the Rebbe includes it in Hayom Yom for Lag BaOmer—that for the Mitteler Rebbe, Lag BaOmer was one of the great, exceptional festive days. Generally, the Mitteler Rebbe did not perform miracles during the year. When someone came to ask for a blessing, especially for children, he would refer the person to his brother, Reb Chaim Avraham. As related elsewhere, they also tell the details: when the Mitteler Rebbe sent someone to Reb Chaim Avraham, and that person came and

01:45 said, “Ah, the Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, sent me,” Reb Chaim Avraham would say, “Ah, the Rebbe sent you.” He was his brother, a son of the Alter Rebbe. He would put on his shtreimel, his [unclear], and give a blessing. That was the usual practice throughout the year. But when Lag BaOmer arrived, the Mitteler Rebbe would be in a state of great revelation and joy, and would go out to the fields. The custom was to go out to the fields on Lag BaOmer. There he would pour drinks, say l’chaim, and hold a farbrengen, and people would see open miracles, especially concerning children, as recorded in several sichos. Back to the diary: the Rabash relates what he heard from the Rebbe Rashab, who told a story about the Mitteler Rebbe. As the story goes, one Lag BaOmer the Mitteler Rebbe went out to a field somewhere near a town close to Lubavitch. His brother Reb Chaim Avraham traveled there with him. He held a large farbrengen, and there was great joy. The Mitteler Rebbe was in a state of great revelation. At that farbrengen, Reb Chaim Avraham told the Mitteler Rebbe that their host, the man who had invited them to the celebration, and his wife had also not yet been blessed with children after many years, G-d forbid, and they were deeply brokenhearted. Perhaps at this auspicious time, in honor of the celebration, the Rebbe would give them a blessing. The Mitteler Rebbe said, “Certainly. If you serve good refreshments, bring more l’chaim and more [unclear]”—it was a dairy farbrengen—“serve more refreshments, more l’chaim, more [unclear], he will indeed have a son.” And they continued the farbrengen, with great joy.

03:21 And of course, the Rebbe’s blessing was fulfilled: during that year, after many years of marriage, a son was born to him. The man did not inform the Mitteler Rebbe of the good news. As the story goes, they returned there again, [unclear], and while they were there Reb Chaim Avraham said, “Rebbe, your blessing was fulfilled. A son was born.” The Mitteler Rebbe turned to the host and said, “Such good news, and you didn’t tell me?” The Mitteler Rebbe said jokingly that he deserved a whipping for it, so to speak: he had such good news, yet he restrained himself and did not tell the Rebbe that the blessing he had received there had been fulfilled. And as an aside, this was, as chassidim... We are speaking about this very point: there is a letter from the Rebbe, our Nasi, in which he expressed a complaint about chassidim who need the Rebbe.

04:54 They ask for blessings when they find themselves in trouble. Chassidim were taught that when trouble comes, one must turn to the Rebbe and write. And then, within a quarter of an hour, the blessing comes and is fulfilled. [unclear] tell the Rebbe that she had, thank G-d, good news. And there we saw this story. In any case, this is one of the stories familiar to chassidim about the Mitteler Rebbe’s practice on Lag BaOmer. And the Rebbe once asked at a farbrengen: What is the significance of this? Why do we find this story and this practice specifically with the Mitteler Rebbe? After all, it is said that this was especially the Mitteler Rebbe’s practice: specifically on Lag BaOmer, to go out to the fields and give blessings. What is the significance of its being found specifically with the Mitteler Rebbe? He gave this explanation: we find a strong connection between the Mitteler Rebbe and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. We find very similar things in both of them, aspects of the Mitteler Rebbe that resemble those of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. With both, there was a very expansive revelation of the inner dimension of Torah. But there are also several stories in particular. Among the well-known stories is the account of the passing: in the Zohar, in Parshas Haazinu, the whole story is told of how...

06:25 It happened on the great day of Lag BaOmer, when Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asked [unclear], and then came a revelation that poured forth the deepest of secrets, the greatest mysteries, matters he had never revealed before. It tells in detail what happened that day: the great light and great joy, and how Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed secrets of the Torah without end. Until he reached the word “life,” and then his soul departed. “The holy lamp did not finish saying the word ‘life’”—he had only said the word “life,” and his soul departed. That is how the details are recounted. And it is known that something similar happened with the Mitteler Rebbe. The Mitteler Rebbe’s passing was remarkably similar: he was not in good health, [unclear], and his condition was not good. Chassidim came from all around to be with the Rebbe. The doctor said there was no hope. But the Mitteler Rebbe sat down in great joy and began to deliver Chassidus—once, then again, and again. Chassidus poured forth without end throughout an entire night. Then too, when he reached the words “For with You is the source of life, the Life of life,” at the word “life,” the Mitteler Rebbe passed away. That is the similarity between their passings. And—

07:48 The Rebbe discusses this, and there is another point, specifically an inner one, that expresses the essence of Lag BaOmer in depth. From it we will also understand the connection between the Mitteler Rebbe and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. By way of introduction: there is a maamar of the Alter Rebbe, Chassidus he delivered for Lag BaOmer. There are substantial maamarim of the Alter Rebbe for Lag BaOmer. One of them is a well-known maamar that begins with the words “This mound is a witness, and the monument is a witness,” a maamar for Lag BaOmer. This maamar was also printed in the Mitteler Rebbe’s works. It appears in the Mitteler Rebbe’s books, in the well-known siddur also called Siddur Im Dach. These are maamarim that the Mitteler Rebbe wrote based on what he heard from the Alter Rebbe, adding his own material and developing them at much greater length. In the section for Lag BaOmer appears the maamar “This mound is a witness, and the monument is a witness,” which the Mitteler Rebbe wrote based on what he heard from the Alter Rebbe. There the Alter Rebbe explains that the verse alludes to Lag BaOmer. After all, “There is nothing that is not alluded to in the Torah”—everything has a source in the Torah. So Lag BaOmer, too, although it is a festive day

09:09 that emerged during the time of exile, has a source in the Torah. As the Gemara says: “Where is Esther found in the Torah? Where is Mordechai found in the Torah?” And here, too: where is Lag BaOmer found in the Torah? It is the verse “This mound is a witness, and the monument is a witness.” We will soon explain the details of the verse. The Rebbe points out something interesting: the Mitteler Rebbe’s passing was during the week of Parshas Vayeitzei, where that verse, “This mound is a witness, and the monument is a witness,” appears. It is no coincidence that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai passed away on Lag BaOmer, while the Mitteler Rebbe passed away during the week when we read the parsha containing the verse that is the source for Lag BaOmer, “This mound is a witness, and the monument is a witness.” What is there in this verse and this story that expresses the essence of Lag BaOmer and its most wondrous depth? The central point is explained on the basis of the maamar and the explanations of it. It is explained in the Rebbe’s maamarim and sichos. Now, the word “mound”—what happened there? The Torah relates that our father Yaakov fled from Lavan and headed toward Eretz Yisroel, and Lavan pursued him and caught up with him there, on

10:30 the mountain, and there they met. Hakadosh Boruch Hu told Lavan not to harm Yaakov. A whole exchange took place there between Lavan and Yaakov. The Torah tells us that “they took stones and made a mound,” and they ate a meal on the mound, on that pile of stones. What was the purpose? They reached an agreement and made a covenant, deciding: “This mound is a witness, and this monument is a witness.” The mound testified that neither would cross into the other’s territory to fight him. In other words, “I will not cross over to you, and you will not cross over to me, to do harm.” Rashi explains: You may not cross over to do harm, but you may cross over for business. That is, fighting and doing harm—no; but doing business and maintaining a connection—yes. So the mound was meant to create a separation, a barrier. But we can ask: Why make a mound? If you want to create a barrier, make a real one—a wall of stones. You took a few stones, put them together, a couple of broken stones, and made a pile. That is not a barrier. Chassidus explains that there is a point here: the idea of a mound contains two opposites. On the one hand, the mound is a barrier, a separation made of stones. On the other hand,

12:04 it was deliberately made in a way that shows it was not meant to remain like that forever. On the contrary, the intention is that a connection will eventually be formed. Rashi alludes to this in his explanation: “You may not cross over to do harm, but you may cross over for business.” That is the idea: they made a barrier so there would be no quarrel between them, but through business a connection is formed. And that is what the mound shows. It is temporary, but the intention is specifically [unclear]. What does this mean in spiritual terms? Chassidus explains that Yaakov represents holiness here. Yaakov represents the oneness of Hashem; Yaakov represents G-dliness. That is the whole character of Yaakov Avinu: he is the world of Atzilus, G-dliness, [unclear]. Lavan, by contrast, represents kelipah and sitra achra. Lavan the Aramean—Lavan the Aramean is entirely kelipah and sitra achra. There needs to be a mound, a barrier, between holiness and kelipah. Between what is holy and what is kelipah, between good and evil, between the physical and the spiritual—there must be a barrier. These are two worlds. [unclear] This is the ultimate in selfhood, and that is the ultimate in bittul. All this is explained in Tanya: anything that is not nullified to its Creator is sitra achra and kelipah. A mound must be erected. But on the other hand, what is the ultimate intention here? Why did Hakadosh Boruch Hu create this whole reality of kelipah, sitra achra, and selfhood? So that our work would be to create commerce between the two sides.

13:43 This is the work of birurim, refining the world. The purpose is to unite—to connect G-dliness with the world and the world with G-dliness. To reveal the oneness of Hashem in the world, to change the world, until ultimately the entire mound and the whole barrier disappear completely, and “Hashem will be One and His name One.” That will be the revelation in the time to come. All the work associated with the mound is our work in the present time, while Jews are in this world. On the one hand, there must be a barrier between holiness and kelipah, between the spiritual and the physical. A Jew must know clearly what is forbidden and what is permitted, what must be done and what must not be done. Worldly and physical matters—those are not my world. My world is a world of Torah and mitzvos, prayer and holiness. On the other hand, the higher purpose for which Hakadosh Boruch Hu created the world is not for a Jew to detach himself from it. On the contrary, he must change the world and make it a dwelling place for Him through the work of birurim—engaging in worldly matters according to Torah, as one should and with the proper intention. That is the story of the mound. And the second aspect of the mound is this: “This mound is a witness,” which relates to worldly matters—for everything in the world stems from the Torah. Both ideas are found in the Torah: the idea of the mound and the idea of unity. The Torah is the purpose for which all the worlds were created. Everything in the world stems only from the Torah. The Torah has two parts: the revealed dimension of Torah and the inner dimension of Torah. Two worlds. The revealed

15:12 dimension of Torah is one part of the Torah. As we said, the Torah is one Torah, but in detail it divides into two dimensions, as the Zohar says: there is the “soul of the Torah” and there is the “body of the Torah.” Just as a person is made up of two elements, body and soul, so too the Torah has two elements: the part of the Torah clothed in practical halachah, in physical matters in this physical world; and the Torah’s secrets, the inner dimension of Torah, the secrets taught by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. And something new happened in this regard on Lag BaOmer. The Torah already existed before Lag BaOmer, before Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. The Torah is one Torah. The entire Torah was given at Sinai. As the Alter Rebbe would say, the Giving of the Torah will not happen a second time; even when Moshiach comes, there will be no further Giving of the Torah. There will not be, because once is enough. For when Moshe Rabbeinu gave the Torah, the entire Torah was given at once—even what a devoted student would one day innovate, all the way to the secrets that Moshiach will reveal. It is all in the Torah. But the point is that, as openly revealed, there were two things: the revealed part and the secret part. There is the Gemara. There are things that were revealed and things that were not. Clearly, according to halachah, these are two worlds. Until Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, there was the revealed dimension of Torah. The hidden dimension of Torah, true to its name, remained hidden, concealed. It was not for anyone other than a select few; for the public at large it was [unclear].

16:45 When Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai came, he created a connection. He joined the two, and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai himself embodied both the revealed and the inner dimensions of Torah. We find Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Mishnah and in halachah, throughout the Talmud, with teachings stated in his name. And on the other hand, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is the teacher of the inner dimension and secrets of the Torah. This is the joining of what the barriers had separated, and this is what Chassidus brings out: the path of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. He broke down the barriers and revealed the inner purpose of the mound: the whole reason the revealed dimension of Torah and its inner dimension were separated was not, G-d forbid, so they would remain that way forever. The separation is only so that ultimately they can come together, uniting the two parts of the Torah. So that the revealed dimension of Torah will influence its inner dimension, and the inner dimension will influence the revealed dimension, until there is one Torah, one complete unity. So that people will study the revealed dimension of Torah while seeing the G-dliness in it—for “the entire Torah consists of the names of Hakadosh Boruch Hu”—and study the revealed dimension in that way too. And likewise, the inner dimension of Torah is studied in relation to the discussions and practical matters of the revealed dimension, while studying the revealed dimension as well. This is well known, and the Rebbe brings it up in several sichos: the whole purpose is connection and unity. Someone studying the revealed dimension should see the G-dliness of the inner dimension, and someone studying the inner dimension should see the discussions and practical matters of the revealed dimension. This connection between them was brought about on Lag BaOmer. And that is what is meant by “This mound is a witness,” “this monument is a witness.” Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed the inner meaning of the mound: it is specifically a mound, not a partition, not a wall or a fortress. Specifically a mound. There is a separation, but the purpose of the separation is to open the way to unity and connection, so there will be one Torah. And likewise

18:43 with the world—Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed the inner purpose. There was a barrier between the world and G-dliness, but that is not the ultimate purpose of the revelation. The inner intention is that ultimately there will be true unity: that we make the world a place for G-dliness, transform it into a world where Moshiach is revealed, and the world will see and feel: “There is nothing besides Him.” Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed this to us, and this is the foundation of Lag BaOmer. And likewise, the Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, acted in a way similar to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. That is what he did: in his time, matters of the inner dimension of Torah were revealed, as we discussed earlier, and that is what the Mitteler Rebbe brought about. As is known in Chassidus, the Mitteler Rebbe is described as “the broad expanse of the river.” He removed the barriers. Even the Alter Rebbe had left certain things unrevealed, and the Mitteler Rebbe revealed them. Previously, these matters had been presented very briefly; there had been revelation, but a barrier still remained, and some matters remained hidden. The Mitteler Rebbe broke down all the barriers. He removed them and revealed the inner dimension of Torah, so that the revelation could come in the manner of “the broad expanse of the river.” It was revealed in a way that did not remain merely within human intellect, but became one with it. This too led to the removal of “this mound,” as with Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: all the barriers between the revealed and inner dimensions of Torah were removed, and consequently all the barriers between G-dliness and the world were removed. And when revelation comes through the removal of barriers, all the barriers that still exist in the worlds and conceal G-dliness also fall away. That is why it was a day of blessing, a day of

20:29 Miracles, a day of deliverance. What is beyond nature—open miracles—is revealed down here in the world, without any barriers. And this is expressed especially in the blessing of children, life, and ample sustenance, and particularly in matters of children: that there should be children, and that the children should be able to change the world and make it a world filled with light. As the Rebbe quotes the expression, the blessing should be for “sons,” [unclear], who will have the drive to conquer the world, change it, and bring about a world filled with “knowledge of Hashem.” [unclear] These were the blessings for all these matters, for all the blessings bestowed. But this is indeed the greatest point of the holy day of Lag BaOmer, the day of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s Torah. The expression brought in the maamarim is that Lag BaOmer is the Giving of the Torah of the Torah’s inner dimension. Then the inner meaning of the barriers was revealed, the inner meaning of the tzimtzum, the inner meaning of the mound, the inner meaning of all the worlds that conceal: the whole purpose is to transform all of them and unite everything, so that it will actually be revealed, immediately: “Hashem will be King over all the earth; on that day Hashem will be One and His name One,” speedily in our days, amen. May the Rebbe help the light of Lag BaOmer have its effect. And it is brought in Chassidus, in the maamarim of the Rebbe Maharash,

21:58 that [unclear] in “This mound is a witness, and the pillar is a witness,” there is a call for “Open my eyes.” “So that I may behold wonders from Your Torah”—this is the request King David made. This is the meaning of “Open my eyes,” which we spoke about earlier: that our eyes should open and become capable of seeing, understanding, and grasping “wonders from Your Torah.” And as the Tzemach Tzedek explains, “from Your Torah” means that from the revealed part of Torah, we can come to see the secrets of the Torah’s inner dimension, and then it will truly be one Torah. May we indeed merit, as the Rebbe says in the maamarim, that on Lag BaOmer a Jew should ask Hakadosh Boruch Hu to let us see the fulfillment of “Open my eyes, so that I may behold wonders from Your Torah” in the complete Geulah, immediately, right now.