5 Menachem Av - The Yahrzeit of the Arizal

00:00 Of the Arizal. Of the Rebbe. In recent years especially, the Rebbe made a great stir about it. I remember that in 5747 the Rebbe sent out a general letter. This is what I remember from my time as a bochur. In 5747 the Rebbe sent a general letter about 5 Menachem Av. In that letter, the Rebbe wrote that he was enclosing the general letter from 5732. I remember we were at camp in Montreal then. It was 5747, and the two letters came by fax: the letter of 5 Menachem Av 5732 and the letter of 5747. In the 5747 letter, the Rebbe writes that he is enclosing the letter of 5 Av 5732, “whose content remains in full force this year as well, and indeed every year, and endures and will endure forever,” fifteen years after 5732. In other words, fifteen years had passed from 5732 to 5747. Fifteen letters. The Rebbe asked that people study that letter. There were also two sichos: the Rebbe spoke on the night of 5 Av, and he spoke again after the day was over—twice, at night and during the day. That is how it was with the Rebbe. You could see that the Rebbe made a great stir about it. In the years afterward, too, there were sichos and farbrengens about 5 Menachem Av. Why? What happened in 5732? That was the first time the Rebbe wrote a special general letter about the Arizal. What happened in 5732? It marked four hundred years since the Arizal’s passing. The Arizal passed away in 5332, so 5732 was exactly four hundred years later. That is why the Rebbe wrote a special general letter then. So we’ll use our time now. Since there are no copies, I’ll read the letter. I’ll explain it, and I hope you’ll be able to listen. Most important is that these words should have an effect

02:50 within each and every one of us. Here is what the Rebbe writes. The letter goes like this: “Boruch Hashem. Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Chazon, the eve of 5 Menachem Av 5732. Brooklyn, New York. Greetings and blessings. In these days marking the passing of the living Arizal...” The Arizal, as you know, was called “the living Arizal.” That is what he is called; several sefarim call him “the living Arizal.” It is based on the wording in the Gemara, which is actually the wording of a verse in Koheles, I think: “For a living dog is better than a dead lion.” That is where the expression “the living lion” comes from. So the Rebbe says that this is the day of the passing of the living Arizal, and especially now that four hundred years have passed since his passing. The Rebbe writes: “It is particularly important to reflect on the upright ways which, in the words of the Alter Rebbe in Igeres Hakodesh, ‘he showed us of his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’” The Rebbe is saying that 5 Av is a time for everyone to reflect on the Arizal’s upright ways. The Alter Rebbe’s wording is “he showed us of his ways.” What does that mean? It is not just that he instructed us what to do. He himself conducted himself in a certain way, and showed us how he lived. In other words, we should learn not only from what he said, but from how he himself conducted himself. This is one of the things the Rebbe emphasizes in several places: the Rebbeim did not just tell people what to do. They themselves were living examples of what they said. Hence, “he showed us of his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” For surely this is one reason why these particular ways were revealed by him and by his students, and became known throughout the Jewish world. Why did these stories, practices, and ways of the Arizal become known? The Arizal himself revealed them—meaning, he did these things openly—and his students publicized them. So

05:17 surely the reason these practices and ways became known is so that we could learn from them how to conduct ourselves. The Rebbe asks: “And yet, who would dare presume that he could attain the holy level of ‘a watcher and a holy one descended from heaven,’ the great, G-dly chossid, the Arizal?” Who could even entertain such a thought? That is, who could have it enter his mind that he could compare himself to the Arizal’s level? It is interesting that the expression the Rebbe uses, “a watcher and a holy one descended from heaven,” comes from a verse. I understand it to mean a holy person. I don’t know exactly how to translate the word “watcher.” In other words, a holy person who descended from heaven. Yes, “the great, G-dly chossid, the Arizal.” By the way, the sefarim say that the Hebrew initials of “a watcher and a holy one descended from heaven” spell Shimon, referring to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. So perhaps that is why the Rebbe mentions it here in connection with the Arizal: he had a spark of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. In any case, how could I—how could anyone—compare himself to the Arizal’s level? “Nevertheless, a tiny fraction, a mere trace of his abundant goodness and light, shines upon the Jewish people in every generation.” Even so, something, a tiny drop of the Arizal’s great light, shines upon each and every Jew in every generation. That wording, by the way, is from Tanya. The Rebbe notes here that the Alter Rebbe uses it in Tanya regarding Moshe Rabbeinu. And the Rebbe writes, “It is known that the Arizal was a spark of Moshe Rabbeinu.” So the Arizal was also a spark

07:24 of Moshe Rabbeinu. He cites this regarding the Arizal’s greatness. And the point he makes there about the Arizal’s greatness is that he had a spark of Moshe Rabbeinu, because both Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the Arizal were sparks of Moshe Rabbeinu. So the wording the Alter Rebbe uses about Moshe Rabbeinu can also be applied to the Arizal: although he was supremely great, supremely exalted, nevertheless, “a tiny fraction, a mere trace of him”—meaning something of him, some tiny drop—shines upon all Jews, as it does with Moshe Rabbeinu. We say that Moshe extends into every generation, not only through the Rebbeim, but that there is also a spark of Moshe within each and every person. As the Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya, chapter 2, every Jew has a part of Moshe Rabbeinu. Similarly, each and every person has a part of the Arizal. So we have a connection to him; through this point, we have a connection to the Arizal and can learn from him. “And together with the revelation and publicizing of these practices and events”—along with the fact that his students publicized these events, as he said earlier—“there is also a great granting of strength and assistance.” This gives us the strength to follow these ways and paths, in a manner resembling the holy service described. So the fact that these things, these stories and events that the Rebbe is about to recount, became publicized—that itself gives strength and encouragement, enabling everyone to practice these things in a way that resembles the Arizal’s service. There is another letter of the Rebbe’s that is interesting in connection with this point. The Rebbe asks here how we can possibly compare ourselves to the Arizal. Well, there is a similar letter

09:13 from the Rebbe, from 5726, about the hundredth anniversary of the Tzemach Tzedek’s passing. There too the Rebbe asked the same question: How can we compare ourselves to the Tzemach Tzedek and learn from him? The Tzemach Tzedek was incomparably greater in every respect. How can a person say, “I’ll learn from the Tzemach Tzedek”? There the Rebbe gives a wonderful analogy, comparing it to the sun. The sun, though it is an immense creation, the largest thing in the world, can nevertheless be seen in every drop of water. You don’t see the sun only in the great sea. Put an ordinary drop of water facing the sun, and you will see the whole sun in miniature—not just part of it, but the entire sun, reflected in that drop of water. What does it take? Two conditions: the drop must face the sun, and it must be a clean drop of water. The Rebbe says that, similarly, each Jew in relation to the great tzaddikim, the Nesi’im, is like that drop facing the tzaddik. The sun is vast and immense; we are like a little drop of water. But if we stand face-to-face with the tzaddik, wanting to receive what flows from him, and we are clean, without any dirt—without bringing in our own foolishness—then we too can receive all of his strength. True, it is on an incomparably smaller scale, like a point, but everything is contained within that point. Similarly here, we can say of the Arizal that despite all his greatness, and though we are incomparably beneath him, we can receive a tiny fraction from his ways. And now, the Rebbe says: “Two or three of these upright ways and general practices brought in the writings of the Arizal...” So here the Rebbe

11:04 He goes on to bring two or three examples. I don’t know why the Rebbe writes “two or three,” because sometimes the Rebbe brings three. So here the Rebbe brings two or three general practices and ways of conduct found in the writings of the Arizal. First, the Rebbe brings what is written about the Arizal’s Torah study. These are not just things the Arizal said; as we said earlier, they are ways the Arizal himself conducted himself. Regarding Torah, Rabbi Chaim Vital, the Arizal’s student, writes here: “I saw my teacher, of blessed memory for the life of the World to Come, when he was occupied with halachah, until he became weary and was sweating,” and so on. Rabbi Chaim Vital says that when he saw the Arizal studying halachah—that is, studying the revealed dimension of Torah—he studied with such intensity, such strength, such a storm of energy, that he simply became tired and sweaty as he learned. He said that the Torah is called tushiyah. Torah is called both strength and tushiyah. What does tushiyah mean? It saps the strength of one who occupies himself with it; it weakens the person who studies. Therefore, it is fitting to toil and exhaust one’s strength in Torah study. A person should study Torah with such effort that the learning leaves him drained of strength. The Arizal showed us how Torah should be studied: to the point of sweating. That is regarding Torah. Regarding mitzvos, he says: “As for tzedakah and the practice of tzedakah and mitzvos, and mitzvos in general, he was not at all stingy,” and so on. What they saw in the Arizal’s conduct regarding mitzvos was that he was in no way stingy about fulfilling them. What does “not stingy” mean? He simply paid whatever was needed for each mitzvah.

13:14 Some people start arguing with the seller, trying to bring down the price. Tefillin, or anything else needed for a mitzvah—they try to make it cheaper. There are all sorts of things one needs, and people look for ways to cut back. A bochur sometimes needs things too. There are all sorts of mitzvos that apply to bochurim; sometimes they need to buy a lulav and esrog, or other things. They need various items with which to perform mitzvos, a tallis katan and the like. So he writes here that the Arizal did not look for discounts or for something cheap—a cheap tallis katan just to fulfill the obligation. Rather, he paid what was needed, without stinginess. That applies to tzedakah too: he gave tzedakah without stinginess. As it says—and this is the wording of the Zohar—“If a person wishes to engage in a mitzvah,” and so on, he must make an effort for it. It says, “He should not engage in it for nothing and for free.” A person should not perform mitzvos in a way that costs him nothing, making them easy and cheap for himself. Rather, “at the full price.” A person must invest and pay whatever is needed to fulfill a mitzvah. Of course, sometimes the price is financial, and sometimes it is not: it is a price in time, strength, and energy. One must do it with everything it requires. See there. That is regarding mitzvos. The third point, he says, concerns Torah and mitzvos together—a general matter relevant to all of Torah and mitzvos. Not just Torah, and not just mitzvos, but serving Hashem in general.

15:12 The Rebbe says here: “He should be happy when performing any mitzvah,” and so on. A person should be happy when he fulfills a mitzvah. This is the inner meaning of the verse, “Because you did not serve Hashem your G-d with joy and gladness of heart.” The Arizal explains this verse, as the Rebbe quotes in Tanya, chapter 26: “The Arizal’s interpretation of this verse is well known to all.” What is the Arizal’s interpretation? “Because you did not serve with joy” means that you did serve, but without joy. Even though you served and did everything, joy was missing. And then, G-d forbid, the verse goes on to say, “You will serve,” and so on. In other words, a person must serve Hashem specifically with joy. That is not a description of the Arizal’s conduct; it is the Arizal’s interpretation of the verse. The Rebbe then notes below what the Alter Rebbe writes in Torah Or: that the Arizal was very joyful when performing mitzvos, and therefore merited ruach hakodesh. The Alter Rebbe brings this, presumably from a tradition he received, because it is not stated explicitly in the Arizal’s writings. Presumably he received it from the Maggid and the Baal Shem Tov, from the earlier Rebbeim. Why did the Arizal merit the level of ruach hakodesh? Because he fulfilled mitzvos with tremendous joy. The Rebbe cites the Jerusalem Talmud in several places on the connection between ruach hakodesh and joy. We see this in connection with the joy of the Simchas Beis Hashoevah, through which Yonah became a prophet and attained ruach hakodesh. There are several versions of the account, but he attained it through the joy of the Simchas Beis Hashoevah. So we see a connection between joy and ruach hakodesh. In any event, we see that the Arizal was joyful in performing mitzvos. And the Rebbe

17:09 concludes: “It is desirable that reflecting on all the above lead to reflection on what the Arizal writes in his introduction to the mitzvos: that a person is obligated to fulfill all the mitzvos, and as long as he has not completed them, his soul is lacking.” Here the Rebbe adds another point in passing: we should reflect on the Arizal’s statement that a person comes down into this world to fulfill all 613 mitzvos. As long as he has not completed all 613, his soul is lacking: “And anyone with a blemish shall not approach.” There is a blemish on his soul because he has not completed the 613 mitzvos, and therefore he must come down into the world more than once. The Alter Rebbe brings in Tanya that a person must return in a reincarnation to complete all 613 mitzvos. That is regarding mitzvos. As for Torah study, the Arizal writes that one must toil in pshat, remez, drush, and sod. One must study Torah in all these ways: its plain meaning, its allusions, its interpretive teachings, and its secrets, as well as every area one can grasp. A person should make an effort to understand and study every aspect of Torah, to toil himself and to find a teacher who will teach him. One must toil independently and also seek a teacher who will teach all the parts of Torah. So this applies both to mitzvos and to Torah. The Arizal requires a person to strive for the utmost completeness: to fulfill every mitzvah he can, and likewise to study every aspect of Torah. The Rebbe concludes that reflecting on all these teachings and practices of the Arizal will lead to practical reflection—to actually carrying out all the above. If they get to work on this promptly, they will certainly succeed. As it says, “In You, Hashem, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed.” When a person trusts in Hashem, he is never put to shame. Hashem always gives him the strength to succeed. That was the verse they had begun saying then on the page

19:12 Nissan of 5732. That is why the Rebbe writes the verse in the general letter. This was the pattern throughout the years: the Rebbe would include a verse from his chapter of Tehillim in his general letters. And this, too, will hasten the fulfillment of the promise that these days will be transformed into joy and gladness, with the coming of Moshiach, our righteous redeemer, speedily in our days, literally. This will also bring about the complete fulfillment of that promise—that these days will be transformed into joy and gladness, with the coming of Moshiach speedily, in our time, with blessing. That is the content of the letter. So what are the points the Rebbe brings from the ways of the Arizal? One point concerns Torah study: a person should study in such a way that his learning makes him sweat. And there is the mitzvah of giving tzedakah generously, with an open hand, and the same applies to all the mitzvos. Don’t be stingy; invest everything you have in fulfilling a mitzvah, so that it is not done halfheartedly or without effort. And then we come to serving Hashem in general: serving Hashem must be done with joy, with great joy. All the Arizal’s spiritual power came through bringing joy. Regarding what the Rebbe writes here about these days being transformed, the Rebbe writes that the source for this is the verse in Yirmiyahu, “I will transform their mourning into joy.” Hakadosh Boruch Hu will transform the mourning into joy. The Rebbe refers to Yalkut Shimoni on Yirmiyahu, where it says: “A lion arose in the month of Leo and destroyed Ariel, so that a lion would come in the month of Leo and rebuild Ariel.” Now, the Midrash explains the idea of “I will transform”: it says that the whole reason a lion arose in the month of Leo and destroyed Ariel was so that a lion would come in the month of Leo and rebuild Ariel. The first lion refers to Nevuchadnetzar, king of Babylon; the month of Leo is Menachem Av, whose zodiac sign is Leo; and Ariel, which he destroyed, is the Beis Hamikdash. All this was so that a lion would come—Hakadosh Boruch Hu—and rebuild Ariel

21:20 also in the month of Leo, the month of Av. That is the meaning of “I will transform.” Both Nevuchadnetzar and Hakadosh Boruch Hu are called a lion. And the Beis Hamikdash that was destroyed will likewise be rebuilt. In other words, “I will transform” means that the very same thing that belonged to kelipah is transformed into holiness. The lion on the side of unholiness is transformed into a lion of holiness. And so it is with “I will transform their mourning into joy.” That is precisely the meaning of “so that.” Since it says “so that,” the whole reason it happened was for the sake of the rebuilding. From this we understand that this is a matter of transformation: from the outset, the entire destruction was there so that the Geulah would come. The Tzemach Tzedek cites [unclear], and in the words of the verse, Zechariah 8:19, “will become occasions for joy.” And the Rebbe says: in Yirmiyahu it says “I will transform,” which is a matter of transformation. But in Zechariah the verse says “will become”: the fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth month “will become occasions for joy.” It does not say “I will transform”; it says “will become.” So the Rebbe says that “will become” is a lower level. What does that mean? It is not transformation. Transformation means that the darkness itself turns into light. “Will become” means only that the darkness is nullified, not that it is transformed. So the Rebbe says that Zechariah is speaking about the time of the Second Beis Hamikdash. “For the House of Yehudah”—the House of Yehudah refers to the Second Beis Hamikdash, when only the tribe of Yehudah returned. Therefore, in the Second Beis Hamikdash there was not yet transformation. There was only the nullification of darkness, and that is why it says “will become”; something was still lacking. That is the difference. Regarding the Second Beis Hamikdash, it says “will become occasions for joy and gladness.” But regarding the Third Beis Hamikdash, it says “I will transform”—the days themselves will turn into joy and gladness. And the Rebbe writes here: the Tur, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim [unclear]; see Yad Ephraim there. And in the Selichos for 17 Tammuz we say, “Transform it for us into joy and gladness.” So the wording in Selichos is also “transform it for us.” The point is that there should be not only the nullification of darkness, but that the darkness should be transformed—a higher level. The darkness

23:32 itself will turn into light. There is also a long sicha of the Rebbe from later on, in Likkutei Sichos, on Tazria, I think, about Tisha B’Av. There is a long sicha in which the Rebbe examines the differences between several levels of transformation in Tanya, in Sefer Hasichos, summer 5750, and also the wording “it will be transformed into joy and gladness.” There he quotes what was said when the bris took place. This is also in a sicha of the Rebbe on 17 Tammuz: when the bris took place, I think, of the Frierdiker Rebbe—it was at the bris, I think. Yes, the Rebbe was born on 17 Tammuz, so it was not at the bris; it was at the shalom zachar. In the year the Frierdiker Rebbe was born, 17 Tammuz fell on Shabbos, and the shalom zachar was on Friday night. So the Rebbe Maharash came to the shalom zachar to daven, and the Rebbe Maharash said that 17 Tammuz that year was a postponed fast. May Hakadosh Boruch Hu help that, since it has been postponed, it should truly be pushed away and transformed into joy and gladness. Presumably, the Rebbe is precise here about the two expressions. At first, the wording was that it should truly be pushed away. “Pushed away” means nullification. But then he says, “and transformed into joy and gladness.” Not just pushed away or nullified, but also transformed—darkness transformed into light. So the point cries out: may Hakadosh Boruch Hu help us connect with the teachings of the Rebbe and of the Arizal. As the Rebbe teaches us how to learn from the Arizal’s guidance, may we be joyful as we should. Anyone who has time tonight, during the day, today—there are, as we said, several sichos for 5 Menachem Av. There are also maamarim. There is the maamar beginning “Bila Hamaves Lanetzach,” which the Rebbe delivered on 5 Menachem Av 5725. That was

25:28 not only the yahrzeit of the Arizal. It was also when the Rebbe concluded saying Kaddish for Rebbetzin Chana. The Rebbe davened that day, in 5725, and delivered the maamar beginning “Bila Hamaves Lanetzach,” which is printed in Sefer Hamaamarim Melukat. There is also the maamar beginning “Tziyon Bemishpat Tipadeh,” [unclear], which the Rebbe also delivered on the eve of the Arizal’s yahrzeit. And there are sichos as well, particularly from 5748. There are two sichos on the Arizal’s yahrzeit, so we need to connect with these teachings. The point cries out.