Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh: 15th of Tamuz

00:00 As we find ourself in the day after the Yemai Lula of the Er HaChaim HaKodesh, we'll discuss various inyonim benegea to the Er HaChaim, as the Rebbe mentioned in the sichas over the years. In one of the Sichas tes vav Tammuz, which is the day of the hilula of the Er HaChaim HaKodesh in taf shin lamed vav nineteen seventy-six, the Rebbe said the following, that chamisha asar b'Tammuz is the hilula and the yartzeit of the Er HaChaim, which benegea to the Er HaChaim. It is usual, even in the ktovim, in the writings, and also in the talks of the rabbeim, that when they would mention Er HaChaim, they would immediately add the title HaKodesh, the sacred one, the holy one. In a sicha in taf shin mem vav yud beis Tammuz, which was a few days before tes vav Tammuz, the Rebbe mentioned that lehoir, to point out that it is customary in many circles by Yidden to mention the Shlah with the title Shlah HaKodesh, and al derazav benegea to the Er HaChaim, Er HaChaim HaKodesh. Benegea to the tosfei of the Er HaChaim HaKodesh, the Rebbe mentions in a sicha yud shvat taf shin lamed tes nineteen seventy-nine that befrat, as we see in the drushim and the ma'amarim of the Tzemach Tzedek and the beyurim and the deyukim and explanations, that some of them are based on the commentary of the Er HaChaim on Torah, on Chumash. And the Rebbe continues, in Liggalah there are also sefarim of the Er HaChaim, but

02:02 it seems like benegea halacha lepeal, the sefarim and piskedinim shel ha-Liggalah were not so accepted and circulated so much. Ma she'inken the pirush of his halacha Torah on all the different sections of Torah were accepted, which over there the Rebbe refers to in his pirush that there are also inyonim of halachas. And as we'll mention further in a upcoming installment, benegea to how he interprets the ingan of the geulah. Al derazav the Rebbe says the Er HaChaim explains in great length how the avoda needs to be davka a neshama in a guf, a neshama in a body. Despite the fact of the unique quality of the avoda of Nodav and Avihu, that they were in a state of a ratzu, a yearning, and the, the neshama left their body. But this avoda is not a shleimus avoda, which benegea to this biur of the Er HaChaim and avodas benei Aharon. The commentaries are trying to figure out what does the Er HaChaim mean with the various expressions, how he describes the sons of Aharon, Nodav and Avihu. And the Tzemach Tzedek explains it based on a ma'amar of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe as it is al pi Chassidus. In a sicha of the fifteenth of Tammuz taf shin lamed tes, the Rebbe also elaborated on the connection between the Er HaChaim HaKodesh and the Baal Shem Tov and their connection with Dovid malcha meshiachah, since one of them was nefesh of Dovid and one was ruach of Dovid. And the Rebbe continues,

03:52 as it's mentioned in Sipur Chassidim, and the Rebbe explains that he did not hear it from his father-in-law, from the previous Rebbe. Un der far chazzer ikh dos nit Tiber. Therefore, I am not repeating it, but it seems like it comes from a reliable source, and it is a true story. On another occasion in taf shin mem zayin nineteen eighty-seven, yud beis Tammuz, the Rebbe mentioned that lehoir misipar hayodua, that reliable people told, and their story was accepted and published in sefarim of Chassidishe stories benegea to the Er HaChaim that if he would have met the Baal Shem Tov, bias mashiach tzedkenu would have already taken place. In another sicha, in Shabbos Bolok yud zayin Tammuz, which was a Nittah, taf shin mem hei nineteen eighty-five, the Rebbe mentioned that since, as it is known, the connection between the Er HaChaim HaKodesh and the Baal Shem Tov, that they were nefesh of Mashiach and ruach of Mashiach, ve'ad kedekach, that if they would have met face to face, they would have brought him the geulah. Therefore, min Hashamayim, their meeting was stopped, because in those days it didn't come yet a, the time for the upcoming redemption. And finally, in a sicha of yud shvat taf shin lamed tes nineteen seventy-nine, the Rebbe mentioning this story that Mashiach would have come immediately. From this we understand the yachas, the relationship of Chassidim to the Er HaChaim HaKodesh. Vehem shech to an earlier installment in regards to the Er HaChaim HaKodesh, continuing with installment number two,

05:56 discussing a few sichas from the Rebbe where the Rebbe mentions the Er HaChaim HaKodesh. And one of them is Shabbos Parshah Shlach taf shin yud nineteen fifty. The Rebbe states that he heard from the previous Rebbe that somebody once asked by the Rebbe Maharash. The Rebbe says, "in the of Shemiras Habris," which means maintaining the covenant. And the Rebbe Maharash said that the has to be like it was by the Arahayim. The Arahayim once traveled with a caravan with a group of people in the desert, and when it came Shabbos, he didn't wanna travel further. He wanted to wait till after Shabbos, and the, the group did not wanna wait for him, so he was left all alone. Suddenly, an, uh, uh, lion appeared for him, and the Arahayim showed him the Eis Habris, the sign of the Bris. And when he saw it, not only that he didn't do him anything, not only that he didn't hurt him, but he protected him from all chayis, from all the animals. After Shabbos, the Arahayim went on to the lion and rode on him until he caught up with the group that left before Shabbos. Which till here, the Rebbe says, is the story. The explanation is based on what our sages tell us. A chayis, a wild animal, evil animal does not rule in the person, is not able to hurt the person unless it seems to her that the person is like an animal himself. And therefore, when the lion saw the Eis

07:48 Habris, which is the, uh, avod that's connected with the covenant that Jews have with Hashem, which bris also is the word is kasheus connection attached, and the melech this expresses the Tzelem Elokim, the image of Hashem, the true essence of a person. So therefore, the animal could have no control over him. The other Rebbe, he was only there to serve the Arahayim HaKodesh. In the summer, 1960, the Rebbe visited Gan Yisroel a third time in Swan Lake, and likewise, the Rebbe visited Camp Emunah, the camp for the girls. The Rebbe then spoke a sicha. It was the the Yemei Lula of the Arahayim HaKodesh. And the Rebbe then said that it's the Yemei Lula of the Arahayim HaKodesh, Rabbi Chaim Ben Etther. And this is connected exclusively to Jewish girls, as it is known that the Arahayim had only daughters, and he would learn Shiurim Mechumash with his daughters every Friday night. And after Shabbos, he would record these pirushim in writing, the pirushim that he said for his daughters, and this was the foundation and the commentary of the Arahayim HaKodesh on the Torah. And from this, we derive a lesson, the Rebbe continues, to each one of you, that you need to exert yourself and put in effort, not only in being mechanech yourself in the appropriate manner, but also in the chinuch and influence that you have on others. The hemsek to the earlier installment been agyar to the Arahayim HaKodesh. We continue now with installment number three, discussing one of his

09:58 explanations on a pasuk in the beginning of Parshat Tzav, which speaks about the sacrifices and how the, uh, different sections of the sacrifice was brought on the Mizbeach and the fire went all night. So the Arahayim HaKodesh explains it as follows, and this is an English translation. And this is based on a sicha of the Rebbe, Parshat Tzav, right before Pesach. The Rebbe spoke very, very strongly been agyar to the union of the geulah, very unusual, uh, expressions, and mentioned the Arahayim HaKodesh on the Parshat Tzav, which is before Pesach. On a moral ethical plane, we may consider this whole paragraph of the pasuk in the beginning of Parshat Tzav. This is the Torah, the laws of the burnt offering, and that burns all night on the altar, on the Mizbeach. That this whole paragraph is as an allusion to our present and final exile. The paragraph is designed to console us about the depressing conditions we find ourselves in. In as much as the soul of every Jew refuses to be comforted, seeing our exile appears to be interminable, we are certainly in need of some comfort. At the time of this writing, the exile has already lasted far longer than our previous exiles combined. Egypt was four hundred years. Babylonia was seventy years. Whereas already sixteen hundred and seventy-two years have passed since the destruction of the temple. This is in the time of the Arahayim HaKodesh. How much longer do we have to wait for redemption? Besides, we do not only suffer

11:56 from mere exile, but from persecution, seeing that every country which hosts Jews discriminates against them and treats them as inferior. Whenever revolutions do occur amongst the Gentile kingdoms, this does not bode the Jews any good. The Torah Hashem, who has foreseen all things, used this paragraph to inform Moshe, to urge the Jews, and foremost amongst them the Torah scholars, notably the Kehanim, whose task is to instruct the people in morality and ethics, to inform people for all future times of the message contained here. And when the Torah continues, Al HaMizbeach, this is a reference to Golus and all that is connected with it. The afflictions of the Jewish people suffer in exile, achieve for us what the sacrifices achieved on the altar, atonement for our sins. The Rebbe comments on this Pirush, this commentary of the Rachaim HaKodesh, and the Rebbe adds that the Rachaim HaKodesh lived in Africa where there were many persecutions and torture of Yidden from other nations. And then the Rebbe continues that this is what it says in the Pasuk based on the words of the Rachaim, Hi Oheilah Mekda Al HaMizbeach. It will be only Kol HaLaylah, only during the nighttime, the exile which is compared to night to darkness. But in the morning, it will be the morning of redemption. And the Rebbe then quotes from the Rachaim HaKodesh that the time is after the timetable of the 6,000 years, already into the 6,000 years and already past 500 years. And the Meilah, it is then that it

14:07 will be already the beginning of the Geulah, the morning of the redemption. And surely the time already came that the Geulah should take place. And the Rebbe begins summing it up that this is also what he says, Velavashakeim Midivad, the Kehan, the one that's doing the service in the Beis HaMikdash and doing the service on the Mizbeach. This also goes on Hashem, that the Eibishter dons, he closes himself with Midivad, with clothing, with a venge of those that tortured the Jewish nation. And after that, it will be Ofashat Ezbigadav, Velavashbigadim Acherim. He will then take off the garments which were to do judgment in those that did bad for the Jewish nation. But then he will come to do good things, to take us out from exile and that we should only have good. And therefore, he is putting on a different set of clothing. And immediately, he will gather all Yidden from all over the world and bring them to Eretz Yisro, Yerushalayim, Beis HaMikdash.