Telling The Real From Allusion
By Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Volpe

An analysis of the Rebbe MH"M notes on "Basi L’Gani"

 

Yud Shvat is the day that completed the union of the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach with the Rebbe Rayatz. The Rebbe showed us what true hiskashrus is by doing everything he could to carry out the will of the Rebbe Rayatz. The blessings the Rebbe gives are by means of azkir al ha’tziyun (the gravesite of the Rebbe Rayatz). The new directives are given in the name of the Nasi HaDor. Even the besuras ha’Geula was given in the Rebbe Rayatz’s name and with the phrase he had used, "l’alter l’Geula."

The Rebbe constantly reiterated, "I am not a metzius for myself; there’s only der Rebbe, der shver, der Nasi." The Rebbe thus characterizes s’firas ha’malchus, which is connected and united with s’firas ha’yesod. The Kuntres Inyana Shel Toras HaChassidus explains that this is the idea of "melech chai v’kayam" (living and eternal King) – melech (s’firas ha’malchus) is connected with chai v’kayam (yesod). Put another way, the two Moshiachs – Moshiach ben Dovid and Moshiach ben Yosef – are joined.

The maamer "Basi L’Gani" of Yud Shvat 5710 was printed in Kuntres 74 (in the series of Kuntresei HaMaamarim of the Rebbe Rayatz). The Rebbe mentioned this in a reshima (note): "This maamer and those that follow are printed in Kuntres 74."

The Rebbe also notes, "The maamer (the kuntres) was brought from the binder on Friday, the 9th of Shvat. When I brought the kuntres to the Rebbe, my father-in-law, I found him in his room where he davened, where people entered for yechidus, etc., sitting in his chair at the table. The siddur (Torah Ohr, Brooklyn 5701) was open to page 45, at the end of ‘Hodu LaShem’ and the beginning of ‘Posach Eliyahu.’"

Why the emphasis on these details, especially when this was not typical of the Rebbe? Why is the number of the kuntres important? Why is it important to know when it was brought from the binder? Why is Friday (Yom Vav) written with the letters Vav, Alef, Vav (as opposed to just using the letter Vav)? Why is it important which siddur was open before the Rebbe Rayatz and when and where it was printed? Why does it matter what page the siddur was opened to, and what was written there?

Although, we cannot fathom the depth of the Rebbe’s words, we are told that as an aid in increasing our hiskashrus and our following in the ways of Chassidus, we are permitted to give explanations and allusions, even if there is no source for them. Perhaps then we can explain the above questions in the following manner:

The Rebbe Rayatz was the sixth Nasi of Chabad. The Rebbe MH"M is the leader of the seventh generation (and "all sevenths are beloved"), but the Rebbe was connected to the sixth generation. Thus, the maamer "Basi L’Gani" (found in Midrash Rabba bi’m’komo in the name of Rebbi Menachem, the son-in-law of Rebbi...) connects the sixth generation with the seventh, spelling out the mission of the seventh generation, namely to bring the Shechina down to the lowest level. The Rebbe began the note with the words, "This maamer and those that follow were printed in Kuntres 74," possibly alluding to the two generations of the Rebbe Rayatz and the Rebbe MH"M ("and those that follow"), a kuntres (compilation, or union) of 74, since from 5680 until 5754 there are exactly 74 years.

What happened on Gimmel Tammuz of 5754 is alluded to further as it says that when the Rebbe MH"M brought the kuntres, the siddur was open in front of the Rebbe Rayatz to page 45: "the end of Hodu LaShem and the beginning of Posach Eliyahu." Page 45 is an allusion to the 45th year of the Rebbe MH"M’s nesius, which began on Yud Shvat 5754. What happened in the 45th year? Siyum (the end of) Hodu LaShem. This hints at the completion of the avoda of Galus, for according to Chassidus, the psalm Hodu LaShem alludes to the elevation of the Six Days of Creation. "And the beginning of Posach Eliyahu" hints at the beginning of the Geula, which has been announced (Eliyahu). This began on Gimmel Tammuz of the 45th year.

The Rebbe notes that the siddur was "Torah Ohr, Brooklyn 5701." The siddur, open to the 45th page, illuminates (ohr) what happened in Brooklyn in 5701. This refers to the rescue and reunification of the Rebbe MH"M and his household with his father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz ("Melech, chai v’kayam"). It also hints at the besuras ha’Geula, "L’alter l’teshuva – l’alter l’Geula," which was first publicized then. In the beginning and at the end of the maamer "Ki Imcha M’kor Chayim," which the Rebbe Rayatz said on the first Shabbos that the Rebbe was in Brooklyn, Parshas Korach, 3 Tammuz 5701, there are powerful references to Moshiach. The fact that the siddur was open to page 45 and was at the beginning of Posach Eliyahu, "illuminates" the besuras ha’Geula alluded to in 5701, and implies that 45 years later the hechste tzeiten (most auspicious time) will be attained.

This is perhaps why the Rebbe noted that "the maamer (the kuntres) was brought from the binder on Friday (Yom Vav, spelled out Vav, Alef, Vav) the 9th of Shvat." In other words, this day and this maamer have a connection ("the kuntres from the binder") with Yom Vav. Yom Vav refers to both the sixth generation (Vav) and the seventh generation (Alef, Vav = 7). The whole existence of the seventh generation is the bond and bittul to the sixth. This seventh generation is the "9th of Shvat," a reference to the ninth sheivet ("Y’kam sheivet m’Yisroel") because the light of Moshiach began to glimmer beginning from the Baal Shem Tov (nine generations ago).

The Rebbe’s note continues that the maamer was published to be learned "The day following Yud Shvat, Shabbos Kodesh Bo (i.e., "come to Pharaoh," the place from where all lights burst forth and are revealed, where all that is hidden becomes revealed...)." This is a hint that the actual revelation of "behold Moshiach comes" will be in the tenth sheivet. This will be the everlasting Shabbos, as the Rebbe puts it, "the ninth generation that becomes the tenth." At that time, all the lights of ten generations will be revealed, and everything concealed will be revealed.

The number of the kuntres, 74, is the numeric equivalent of the word "ad." Kuntres 74 also alludes to the explanation in "Basi L’Gani" of the verse from Tehillim, "Tzaddikim yirshu aretz v’yishkenu la’ad aleha" (The righteous will inherit the earth, and they will dwell for all eternity upon it). "Kuntres," meaning compilation or union, alludes to the next verse: "For they cause Him Who dwells eternally, lofty and holy, to be revealed down below," which is the mission of the seventh generation – to draw the Shechina down to the lowest levels.

This is why we cry "Ad masai!" The Rebbe Rayatz and the Rebbe MH"M continued their holy avoda of "Shochein ad" (revealing the Shechina once and for all down here in this world). Ad masai? What’s the point of any further delay?

In Ohr HaTorah, the Tzemach Tzedek explains that "ad (74) refers to the nitzchiyus (eternity) of malchus, as it says, ‘Hashem yimloch l’olam va’ed’ (Hashem will reign forever.)" Ad also refers to kesser malchus.

There’s no doubt that the kesser malchus and the everlasting malchus of the Rebbe MH"M will be revealed. Hashem will not delay it, even for the blink of an eye.

* * *

Years have passed since "Posach Eliyahu," the announcement and prophecy of the besuras ha’Geula. Torah Ohr, at the beginning of Parshas VaEira, explains that the exile is compared to pregnancy and Geula is compared to birth. Sometimes the doctor says the ninth months are up and the time has come to give birth, but the birth is delayed. Even when the mother-to-be is brought to the labor room, things don’t always move along quickly.

Hasn’t it ever happened that you’ve stood outside the labor room saying Tehillim, and a half-hour or an hour goes by and the baby isn’t born yet? Did you ever wonder whether the doctor was right when he said that the birth was imminent? Did you doubt that your wife was right when she said she was experiencing labor pains? Or did you realize that even though it was true, there was a delay.

What did you do there in the waiting room? You tried to speed things up by making another good resolution, by saying another chapter of Tehillim, and then the birth took place.

So too here. The Rebbe MH"M is the expert doctor of Galus and he clearly stated on Yud Shvat 5711 that our generation is the last generation of Galus and the first generation of Geula. Then he asked us to publicize that "the time for your Redemption has arrived."

Should this brief delay (relative to the length of Galus) cause us to doubt, ch’v, the professional diagnosis that ‘the pregnancy is over and the birth process has begun’?

What do we need to do? We have to speed things up by doing another good deed, by disseminating Torah, Yiddishkeit, and Chassidus, by learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula and publicizing the besuras ha’Geula.

Let’s get to work to ease the birth pangs and hasten the revelation of Moshiach! Then we will all see the nitzchiyus of the malchus of Moshiach, hinted at in the concluding words of the portion of Tanya for Yud Shvat in the Chitas: From ayin (acronym for Yud-Alef Nissan, the birthday of the Rebbe) to yesh (acronym for Yud Shvat) tamid (forever).
 

   

Although, we cannot fathom the depth of the Rebbe’s words, we are told that as an aid in increasing our hiskashrus and our following in the ways of Chassidus, we are permitted to give explanations and allusions...
 


YECHI ADONEINU MOREINU V'RABBEINU MELECH HA'MOSHIACH L'OLAM VA'ED!

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