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).
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