The Question the Rebbe Wanted Discussed

The Inside Story of Chabad in America, through the Mindel Archives

Welcome to our weekly program, The Inside Story of Chabad in America, through the Mindel Archives. The last few programs that I shared with you — beginning from Mr. Julius Stillman[?] — about the classes in Manhattan that Mr. Cowan[?] gave to the professionals, the scientists, and Rabbi Mindel. The Previous Rebbe wanted to have a detailed report; we spoke about it. You have to listen to the other program before this one. And the story that the Frierdiker Rebbe said, and how they were in awe from that story — that I shared with you last week.

So today I want to share with you that our Rebbe — he called [Rabbi Mindel], emesh (that night) wrote down — and he said to Rabbi Mindel that this should be discussed in the class: the questions and answers. And they had a whole discussion; this is, I guess, what they needed. So I'm going to discuss just this one question today, and the answer. The other ones we will leave for next time.

Like the other one was the question: why, when God created the world, why does it say "ki tov" — that it was good? We know that everything that He does is good. So that's something that the Rebbe went into a few pages — we're not going to do that today.

Also, there was a question that — the Midrash says — God created worlds before this world and destroyed them. Why did God have to destroy them? Did He make a mistake? This is one that we're not going to go into today. We will go into a question that was asked, and we will concentrate on this question.

I will read this again from the handwriting of the Rebbe — I'm translating this into English — so I'll read to you the Hebrew the way it is written, word for word, and the translation. "She'eilah, mahu" — the question is: it says in the Torah, at the end of every day of creation — first day, second day, third day — that Hashem saw that it was good. What's the reason that on the first day He stressed — He underlined the word "light" — that it was good? How come on the other days it doesn't say "vayar Elokim," that God saw that the animals were good, or that the trees were good, or that the moon was good? Why specifically on the first day does He stress, after "that it was good," specifically the light?

This was the question that was asked. On the first day there was the general creation — that is, bringing something into existence from absolute nothing, "yesh me'ayin" — but that something did not yet have any form; it was just plain matter. And on the rest of the days, forms were given to this something — vegetation, animals. This is how the Rebbe starts answering — like we read a couple of weeks ago, how Rabbi Mindel answered Mr. Stoneman's[?] question: did God create the world with thought or with speech? So he said with both, because — so on the first day everything was included, but it wasn't — it didn't come down to actual [unclear] yet.

Then the Rebbe continues: in addition to the idea of creation being "yesh me'ayin," also on the first day was created a general creation — what was it? Light and dark, fire, air, water, earth, and the like. The entire creation is constantly advancing from one level to a higher level, and the Rebbe will soon give an example — we don't understand yet what that means, but he'll soon explain that "kol habriah," the whole creation, is always advancing.

The Rebbe says: in general, the entire creation is divided into two aspects — the aspect of positive action, of doing, when something is happening, and an aspect of not-doing, when the thing that is happening stops happening. This, too, is a creation — we're going to explain this shortly. What does that mean?

Now, the "doing" aspect is certainly necessary in creation, because without that, nothing is happening — so that's part of it. But also the "not doing" — the stopping of happening — aspect is necessary in creation. Why? Because it's not possible to give a form to something without first taking off its previous form, and that taking off of the previous form is an idea of "stopping happening." That's a "shelila" — a negative. So you need that too.

And now we will understand what this means, by giving an example — this was something the Rebbe wanted discussed in that class. What does that mean? For example: it's not possible 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 a palace. So that destroying is also important.

Another similar example: it's not possible to work properly unless you rest from time to time — resting, which is the opposite of work and advancement. A person is created to work, but how can you work without sleep? So the "not sleeping" — the rest — was also created and is also important. That's called the "shelila." But this "not happening" — destroying, resting — is necessary if there is to be "happening" — building, working. This is one example.

Then the Rebbe gives a more abstract example: a smart child who begins to learn and is involved in learning mathematics. First he's involved with plus, minus, times, and division, and gets used to it and is involved in it. But he can't stay with that — he has to go away from this; he must stop this involvement and move to learn algebra, equations, and the like. After that, he must stop this also, because his mind is ready for more advanced algebra, and so on. So the stopping — even though plus and minus were important — that stopping is also important; that's called the "shelila," because otherwise he won't be able to grow. The actual stopping is a negative thing, but it's necessary for advancement, because if he stays on the same level, he will never advance.

Another thing we learn from this: all the above teaches us another thing — not only will he not advance to a higher level without this negative step, but what was previously considered an advancement on the present level is now considered a lack, and one must negate that. In other words, stopping one thing is not only a necessary negative in order to reach higher — it actually prevents you from falling lower, from not reaching full potential.

Now he goes to the answer regarding "light" — why it says "the light" on the first day, and on the other days it doesn't. We can answer the question because light, in its broadest sense, means the "happening" aspect of creation, and darkness, in its broadest sense, means the "stopping" aspect of creation. Both are necessary — they're vital, as explained above.

So, in order to get to the light, it's "kasha" — it was difficult — because in order to get the light you have to get rid of the previous form. But you needed the "choshech," the darkness, in order to appreciate the light. This is something — I mean, this is something the Rebbe wanted taught to the people.

Then the Rebbe says, like this: what's the "chiluk," the difference, between them? The "happening" — light — is good in and of itself; light, of itself, is good. However, the "not happening" — the darkness aspect — is only a preparation for light. 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 possuk (the verse) tells us, "and Hashem saw the light, that it was good." It's only the light which truly is good — good because of itself. Not so the stopping, the darkness of creation, which, although it's vital, is not truly good, because it's only a preparation for the light. So that's why it says the word.

And this is the first lesson that the Rebbe wrote — he gave it to Rabbi Mindel, and Rabbi Mindel was to explain this. And from this discussion — I remember Rabbi Mindel telling me — they were probably on this topic for quite a few weeks, and every topic that they had. With Hashem's help, next time we will read another topic that the Rebbe wanted discussed in that group.

Thank you.