1. Roots in the Torah.

The[345] Sages teach that[346] "There is nothing that is not alluded to in the Torah." It is clear, then, that there must be a hint in the Torah to the message of Lag BaOmer.

Two such allusions are cited in the literature of Chassidus. The first[347] appears in the verse,[348] "And Lavan said, 'This mound (gal) is a witness (ed) between me and you this day.' It was therefore called Gal'ed." The second[349] appears in the verse,[350] "Uncover (gal) my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things from Your Torah." In each case, the letters gal spell Lag (BaOmer).

As will be explained below, in these two verses one may also perceive an allusion to the great need, especially in our days, for the study and dissemination of the teachings of Chassidus -- for this is the essence of Lag BaOmer, which is the time of the Giving of the pnimiyus (the innermost, mystical dimension) of the Torah.[351]

2. Sparks Shackled in Exile.

The former phrase ("This mound (gal) is a witness (ed)...") was spoken when Lavan, having pursued Yaakov, caught up to him. At that time,[352] "They took stones and made a mound.... Lavan called it Yegar Sahadusa [which is Aramaic for 'Witness Mound'], while Yaakov called it Gal'ed [which means the same in Hebrew]. And Lavan said, 'This mound (gal) is a witness (ed)... that I will not cross this mound to you, and that you will not cross this mound to me, to do harm.' "

As conceived from the perspective of our classical sources,[353] Lavan's pursuit of Yaakov was not motivated simply -- as he himself perceived it -- by a desire to do him harm, G-d forbid. Rather, the true and underlying reason was that when Yaakov had concluded his spiritual labors of refining the materiality of Charan, certain holy sparks[354] still remained in Lavan's hands, sparks that Yaakov's avodah had not yet extricated from their material setting and elevated to their Divine source. This was why Lavan pursued Yaakov -- in order to entrust him with the final holy sparks that had remained in his hands, so that Yaakov's labors of beirur, of elevating these sparks, could be consummated.

This situation has a parallel in our times -- the era of ikvesa diMeshicha,[355] the generation that can hear the approaching footsteps of Mashiach; for, to echo the verse quoted[356] by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe [Rayatz],[357] "Here he stands behind our wall." In our times, after all the labors of seeking and uplifting sparks throughout all the exiles and including this last, present exile, there is still work to be done with the very last sparks, just as was the case in Charan. And when that is accomplished, the prophetic promise will be fulfilled, that[358] "I (G-d) shall remove the spirit of impurity from the world" -- with the coming of our righteous Mashiach speedily, in our own days.

3. Chassidus for Everyman.

Since we are now at the conclusion of this state of exile, and are elevating the very last sparks, it is obvious how great is the need to unlock and disseminate the pnimiyus of the Torah, its innermost, mystical dimension.

In earlier generations people found it possible to defer their study of the pnimiyus of the Torah by arguing -- though without justification -- that it was appropriate for tzaddikim, for men of spiritual stature, and the like. Today, however, when we are moving out of the state of exile, out of Charan, and proceeding towards the Redemption, and when we have to complete the liberation of the very last sparks, the pnimiyus of the Torah needs to be disseminated in such a way that even unscholarly folk will be able to study it.

This is clearly apparent from the work of the Rebbe [Rayatz] in disseminating the teachings of Chassidus in recent years.

The Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid [of Mezritch] labored in order to demonstrate that the innermost, mystical dimension of the Torah is relevant to all Jews. The Alter Rebbe labored to demonstrate that its understanding is accessible to all Jews. (This stance diverged from that which had been widely accepted until his time. There is a verse that says,[359] "And a tzaddik lives with his faith." This was interpreted [by certain chassidic contemporaries of the Alter Rebbe] on the non-literal level of derush, treating the verb (yichyeh) as if it were in the causative mood (yechayeh). [The verse thus came to mean that through his faith, a tzaddik indeed gives life to all the passive disciples who are bound to him, rather than that they should have to exert themselves intellectually in an independent endeavor to generate a love and awe of G-d.][360])

As to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe [Rayatz], he labored to demonstrate that even people of modest intellect are able to grasp chassidic teachings. For this reason, in recent years he published maamarim in Yiddish.

The reason for this shift in emphasis: Since in our days we have to complete the liberation of the very last sparks and to bring about the coming of our righteous Mashiach, we have to escalate the revelation and dissemination of the teachings of Chassidus -- for it is through this activity that[361] "the master will come, namely, the King Mashiach."

4. A Safe Distance.

Moreover, there is an intrinsic connection between the pnimiyus of the Torah and the concept represented by the gal ("mound") of Yaakov.[362]

In order to enable the task of beirurim to be undertaken, especially with regard to the refinement of the lowermost sparks, the individual engaging in this task (i.e., Yaakov) must indeed lower himself and wear the garments of the entity undergoing this process (i.e., Lavan). At the same time, however, the subject and the object must be separated by a cleft, a partition that will block the passage of any undesirable reciprocal influence. This separation is represented by the mound of stones which Yaakov raised as a witness that341 "I will not cross this mound to you, and that you will not cross this mound to me,[363] to do harm."[364]

It is true that a person is obliged to engage in the things of this world, such as eating and drinking, in order to thereby refine and elevate his body, his animal soul, and his allotted share of this world. At the very time he does this, however, he should maintain a certain separateness from the world's physicality. He should realize that apart from his task of beirurim he has no other connection with worldly things. In this way, rather than being impacted upon by their influence, he transforms the world's materiality into a vessel or instrument for Divinity. In the context of Yaakov's labors in Charan, this transformation is hinted at in the verse,[365] "G-d took away the cattle of your father [i.e., Lavan] and gave it to me."

Above all else, it is by studying the pnimiyus of the Torah that one is empowered to create this separating "mound", for through this study one becomes aware that[366] "there is nothing else other than Him." Then, realizing that the entire existence of the universe is nothing other than Divinity, one works toward transforming it into a fit receptor for Divinity. The consummation of this process will become fully manifest, through the study and dissemination of the teachings of Chassidus, with the coming of Mashiach. In the words of the prophet,[367] "The glory of G-d shall be revealed, and together all flesh shall see that the mouth of G-d has spoken."

5. Superrational Demarcation.

There is an innate connection between the above concept of the mound (gal) and Lag (lag) BaOmer.

A mound is made up of stones; as in our context,341 "They took stones and made a mound." In terms of avodah, stones[368] serve as a classical metaphor for the letters that combine to constitute the words of the Holy Tongue.[369] In the language of this metaphor, rather than representing reason, stones primarily represent the unbending and unquestioning acceptance of the yoke of heaven known as kabbalas ol. And in our context, the "mound" of demarcation between sanctity and worldly things is built not by mortal understanding, but by kabbalas ol.

This, then, is the connection between the above concept of the "mound" and Lag BaOmer. The theme of Lag BaOmer is related to the Sefirah of Hod;[370] indeed, to the ultimate expression of that Sefirah, which is called Hod shebeHod. Avodah in the spirit of this Sefirah is not guided by mortal reason, but by hodaah, the unquestioning acknowledgment and acceptance of the Divine Will,[371] i.e., kabbalas ol.[372]

6. Reaching Upward.

In a sichah delivered on Lag BaOmer, 5701 [1941],[373] my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe [Rayatz], states that Lag BaOmer is related to the Sefirah of Tiferes;[374] indeed, to the ultimate expression of that Sefirah, which is called Tiferes shebeTiferes. This is the case when the Sefiros are matched with the respective 49 days of the Omer in inverse order, beginning with Malchus shebeMalchus, followed by Yesod shebeMalchus, and so on, [instead of beginning with Chessed shebeChessed, followed by Gevurah shebeChessed, and so on].[375]

Let us consider the meaning of these two directions in terms of avodah.

The downward direction[376] represents divine service that is prompted by mortal understanding, and by the pleasure derived from [the feedback of] giluyim (lit., "revelations"), from appreciable manifestations of the Divine light.

The upward direction[377] represents divine service that is prompted not by mortal understanding nor by a pleasurable experience, but by kabbalas ol alone.

And what is the relationship between these two themes of Lag BaOmer, viz., Hod shebeHod (according to the downward direction) and Tiferes shebeTiferes (according to the upward direction)? It is only when one's avodah is characterized by unquestioning acknowledgment (hodaah) stemming from kabbalas ol (i.e., the avodah of Hod shebeHod), that one can arrive at the ultimate heights of beauty (i.e., the avodah of Tiferes shebeTiferes).

7. Exert One Little Finger.

The above sequence also teaches a lesson with regard to our bond[378] with the Rebbe [Rayatz].

In keeping with the Talmudic assumption that[379] "whoever gives a gift gives generously," whatever insights and powers that the Rebbe grants us are the ultimate in beauty, Tiferes shebeTiferes. However, in order to be able to receive the Rebbe's gifts, one must first dedicate oneself to him with kabbalas ol, in the spirit of Hod shebeHod.

The Rebbe gives generously even to those who are unworthy of his gifts, but one cannot make demands on him while standing passively aside.[380] One has to begin doing one's avodah through one's own efforts, in a spirit of kabbalas ol. The Rebbe then gives according to his ability, beyond all proportion to the recipient's avodah.

At the time of the Exodus from Egypt there was an arousal initiated from [G-d] above[381] without any preceding arousal from [man] below.[382] At the time of the Giving of the Torah at Sinai, however, it was instituted that all Divine benefactions must henceforth be earned through man's spiritual labors, though the gifts that follow are granted out of all proportion to these endeavors.

A classic instance of this sequence is narrated in the Midrash:[383] When R. Chanina ben Dosa asked the angels to take a huge stone for him to Jerusalem, they agreed -- "provided that you join your hand and finger to our effort." This he did, "and they found themselves standing in Jerusalem."

In our case likewise: We should devote ourselves to the Rebbe with a kabbalas ol that transcends mortal understanding, in the spirit of Hod shebeHod. And when the Rebbe sees this dedicated exertion, he grants his gifts according to his capacity, in the spirit of Tiferes shebeTiferes.

8. From the Palace to the Fields.

On Lag BaOmer, as is well known,[384] the Mitteler Rebbe used to go out into the fields. At this time people saw many miracles, for the blessings he then gave enabled barren women to bear sons who grew up to be fine chassidim. (When people came to him at other times with such requests, he would direct them to his brother, R. Chaim Avraham, who would momentarily borrow his hat or shtreimel.)

The Mitteler Rebbe's custom of going out into the fields on Lag BaOmer may be understood by referring to the following analogy, with which Chassidus[385] throws light on the month of Elul. When a king is out in the field, "whoever wishes to do so may approach him and greet him, and he receives them all with a friendly countenance." When he is in his royal palace, however, "one may enter only when permitted, and even this applies only to a select elite."

The difference lies in the fact that when he is in his royal palace the majesty of his presence is more loftily revealed, because there all his innermost characteristics surface. When he is out in the field, by contrast, the majesty of his presence can be beheld and approached by everyone -- precisely because there all his innermost characteristics are not revealed to the same extent; rather, the king steps down from his own majestic level when he goes out to the field, and this is what enables him to be revealed to all.

This analogy provides us with a deeper look into the Mitteler Rebbe's custom of going out into the fields on Lag BaOmer.

The "mound" which Lag BaOmer provides[386] -- the checkpost at the border of the realm of holiness that blocks the rebound of any undesirable influence from the kelipos[387] -- clearly belongs in the "field", the natural habitat of the forces of evil. (This connotation of "field" is hinted at in the verse,[388] "Eisav was... a man of the field.") Going out into the fields on Lag BaOmer thus signifies stepping down to the lowest level within the realm of holiness, to a level that calls for the "mound" (gal) comprised in Lag (lag) BaOmer, that will ward off any influence of the forces of evil.

This also explains why the Mitteler Rebbe's miracles took place while he was out in the fields. For performing mofsim was not his primary function; indeed, this entailed stepping down from his own level,[389] just as in the above analogy, not all the innermost characteristics of the king's majesty are revealed when he goes out to the fields.

And what was the purpose of the descent which going out into the fields entailed? -- that sons should be born who would grow up to be chassidim.

9. Selfless Risk.

This theme -- going down into the fields so that sons should be born who would grow up to be chassidim -- recalls the arrival in America of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe [Rayatz].[390]

To gain a fresh perspective on this, let us first consider the statement concerning Yaakov Avinu,[391] "He went down to Egypt, coerced by Divine command." Now, since Yaakov knew that his descent was directed "by Divine command," he surely desired to fulfill that command. How, then, could he be described as "coerced"? The explanation: This desire of his was inspired by the Divine intent underlying the command, but as far as the descent in itself was concerned, his move could be described as coerced.

To apply this perspective to the descent which the Rebbe [Rayatz] underwent by coming to America: Considering the inferiority of the "lower hemisphere" to the "upper hemisphere" as far as the Giving of the Torah is concerned,[392] his descent to America was "coerced" -- except that this was the Divine intent as expressed in the Divine command. As he himself declared on his arrival,[393] he came here for the sake of the avodah of disseminating Torah, and so on.

Phrased in the language of the above-described custom of the Mitteler Rebbe, the arrival of the Rebbe [Rayatz] in America may likewise be perceived as "going out into the fields for the sake of bringing into the world male children who would grow up to be chassidim," as follows:

"Going out into the fields": i.e., this was no mere excursion from a royal palace to a capital city, or to any city, but a descent out into the fields, out into the realities of the "lower hemisphere."

"For the sake of bringing into the world male children": i.e., sons who will conquer the world, in the spirit of the statement that[394] "It is the way of a man to conquer."

"Who would grow up to be chassidim": i.e., workers who do not seek to be rewarded by the bliss of[395] "310 Worlds...." People of this caliber act with self-sacrifice. As the Sages teach [concerning the disposal of cut fingernails],[396] "He who burns them is called 'pious' (chassid); he who buries them is called [merely] 'righteous' (tzaddik)." By his action, the individual deemed to be pious (chassid) places himself at risk in order to avert the more remote possibility of their harming a pregnant woman who might tread on them (if they were to be uncovered from the place in which they had been buried); he jeopardizes himself because he does not think of himself, acting instead only for the good of others.[397]

10. Dare to Dive.

In this manner one should undertake the mission entrusted to us by the Rebbe [Rayatz] -- in the spirit of the phrase discussed above,[398] "He went down to Egypt, coerced by Divine command."

True enough, it is difficult to go out to some town in order to conquer it. How, a prospective emissary might argue, can he go out to the kind of town where there won't even be anyone with whom he can talk about the Rebbe...? After all, not one solitary individual there has any conception of such matters. Surely, he argues, the expected descent is steep indeed.

Nevertheless, since he knows that this is the mission entrusted to him by the Rebbe and "by [his] command," he has to put himself aside and carry out his task, by "going down to Egypt."

The argument for this is compelling. Though for the Rebbe himself the descent into America was incomparably more formidable, he nevertheless "went down to Egypt." (To this we should add the fact that the Rebbe invested effort in this young man himself.... Moreover, even when his conduct caused the Rebbe anguish, the Rebbe still greeted him with a friendly countenance. In fact the Rebbe told me last summer that "receiving people at yechidus costs [him] health, but it is not noticeable.") Now if, no matter how prodigious the descent, the Rebbe nevertheless undertook it, how much more so should the prospective emissary do likewise, and "go down to Egypt" to fulfill his mission in whatever town is proposed -- especially when he considers that relative to his actual spiritual profile, this does not really entail such a stark descent, after all....

The Rebbe did not seek out easy tasks for himself, neither did he seek out easy tasks for us. He himself confronted all challenges with self-sacrifice, and from us likewise he demands self-sacrifice.

Every individual chassid should therefore set himself aside and engage in the fulfillment of his mission for the good of others.[399]

11. Let the Navigator Provide the Compass.

The fact is, that through setting oneself aside in order to fulfill the mission of the Rebbe [Rayatz] by engaging in the welfare of others, one's own spiritual labors are upgraded. Why?

When a person goes about his divine service under his own steam, he cannot be certain that he will succeed in arriving at the truth. For example, he can spend a few hours delving into a maamar of Chassidus, yet miss its true point. When, however, he engages in the mission entrusted to him by the Rebbe, he will certainly arrive at the truth, because at such a time he is impelled not by his own power, but by the power of the Rebbe.

There are things that are beyond our ken. A certain individual who for many long years had never put on tefillin observed the Rebbe eating his kazayis of matzah -- and faith was firmly planted in his heart.

So, too, with our subject. It is perfectly possible that an individual finds that his study of Chassidus does not leave its expected imprint on his life, yet suddenly, when he begins to carry out the mission of the Rebbe, all the desired effects make their presence felt -- because he is now being impelled not by his own power, but by the power of the Rebbe.

Finally, beyond all the above, there is also the intrinsic worth of efforts made for the good of another. This is illustrated in a well-known episode involving the Tzemach Tzedek. For some time after the passing of the Alter Rebbe he sought unsuccessfully to see him, yet as soon as he made a modest loan to a fellow Jew, it was granted him to see the Alter Rebbe and to hear a number of teachings from him.[400]

12. Descent for the Sake of Ascent.

We spoke above[401] about the descent involved when one goes out into the fields for the sake of bringing into the world male children who will grow up to be chassidim. A parallel to this may be found in the theme of Tractate Sotah, which is customarily studied during the [49] days of the Counting of the Omer, one leaf per day.[402]

The Gemara[403] spells out the following prayer which Chanah[404] addressed to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Sovereign of the Universe! If You will look, well and good, but if You will not look, I will go and seclude myself [with other men] with the knowledge of my husband Elkanah [so that he will become jealous and put me to the test]. Since I will have been alone, they will make me drink the waters of the suspected wife. And You cannot make a travesty of Your Torah, which states,[405] 'She shall be cleared and shall conceive seed...' "

It follows that there is an approach by which one could be blessed with children ("she shall conceive seed") by means of a descent ("I will go and seclude myself"). This approach parallels our above discussion of the descent entailed by going out into the fields for the sake of bringing into the world male children who will grow up to be chassidim.

Seen at a deeper level, since Chanah's self-seclusion was not prompted (G-d forbid) by a lack of modesty it is not really a descent, but rather one stage in a progression of divine service that demands a descent for the sake of an ultimate ascent.

Along these lines we learn[406] that R. Zeira undertook one hundred fasts in order to forget the Babylonian Talmud, so that he would then be able to study the Jerusalem Talmud. In this case forgetting the Babylonian Talmud did not constitute a descent. Rather, this is the order of events in one's divine service -- that before one ascends to a higher level (in this case, the spiritual mindset of the Jerusalem Talmud), one first has to negate one's previous level (in this case, the spiritual mindset of the Babylonian Talmud).[407] This is the inner meaning of the verse,[408] "A tzaddik may fall seven times, and yet rises again," concerning which the Alter Rebbe writes:[409] "Between one level and the next, before a man can reach the higher one, he is in a state of decline from his previous level...."

This thought enables us to understand the above-mentioned practice[410] of the Rebbe [Rayatz] to make a mark in his Siddur after each evening's Counting of the Omer, even though he certainly did not have to seek out ways of coping with possible forgetfulness; this might be appropriate with ordinary people, but not with the Rebbe. This practice was certainly not an instance of descent, G-d forbid, but rather part of the avodah of a tzaddik who seeks to ensure that a state of forgetfulness should be inappropriate even with regard to the lower level.

13. Irreplaceable Moments.

As[411] to the above theme of fulfilling the mission entrusted to us by the Rebbe [Rayatz], there is a lesson to be learned from one of the principles underlying the Counting of the Omer.

A gap in the Counting of the Omer cannot be replenished: a person who forgot to count throughout the entire [night and] day cannot recite the blessing when resuming his count on the remaining days.[412] In the case of the festival of Shavuos, by contrast, a person who did not offer his sacrifices on the festival proper could still bring them at any time within a total festive period of seven days.[413]

The difference is straightforward. The obligation to offer the sacrifices of Shavuos does not apply for seven days, but for one day only; hence, if someone did not bring his offerings on that day he could do so on any one of those later days which in themselves involve no obligation, but merely serve as possible slots for compensation. The obligation to count the days of the Omer, by contrast, applies to each and every one of the 49 days; hence, no particular day can serve to compensate for the preceding day, since that day itself has an obligatory count of its own.

The same principle applies with the ongoing mitzvah to study Torah. Here, too, time lost cannot be compensated. For since this obligation applies on every day and at every moment, the study undertaken on any particular day fulfills (at best) the obligation of that same day and moment; it cannot compensate for the preceding day or moment.

It is self-evident that this principle also applies to the spiritual avodah of Counting the Omer, viz., the refinement of the middos, one's character attributes. One cannot compensate for the lack of today's labors of self-refinement by tomorrow's perfect endeavors, because properly-ordered divine service demands daily increments. In this spirit[414] the renowned chassid R. Gershon Dov[415] used to tell himself every night before retiring, "Tomorrow we've got to rise an utterly different man." If one had done one's avodah for today, tomorrow's avodah would have been more elevated; it is therefore impossible to compensate tomorrow for the lost increment which could have been secured through today's efforts.

The same applies to the mission entrusted to us by the Rebbe. Fulfilling this mission is an obligation that devolves upon every chassid at all times. If one day's obligation is not discharged, it cannot be compensated for on another day, for that other day has its own obligation.

14. By the Power of the Rebbe.

The Counting of the Omer provides a further directive, this time relating to the manner in which one should undertake one's mission.

Unlike the counting of the [seven-year] Shemitah cycles and the [fifty-year] Yovel cycles, which was performed by the Rabbinical Court [in Jerusalem], the obligation to count the days of the Omer devolves upon every Jew individually.[416] The actual counting, however, can assume either of two forms: either (a) every individual counts the days that have elapsed in his own count; or (b) every individual counts the days that have elapsed since the Rabbinical Court made the Omer offering.[417]

(The difference becomes a practical issue for a traveler crossing the International Dateline during the Sefirah period, for his own count will differ from that of the people living on the other side. This question was asked of me by someone traveling between here and Australia.[418])

The above theme may be understood in terms of a man's spiritual avodah.

Parallel to the difference between (i) the offering of the Omer by the beis din on behalf of all of Israel, and (ii) the Counting of the Omer by every individual, is the difference between (i) activity undertaken by the Rebbe, who houses a comprehensive soul that embraces within itself all of his contemporaries, and (ii) selfless activity undertaken by every individual who carries out the Rebbe's mission. The former kind of activity resembles the offering of the Omer by the beis din; the latter form of activity resembles the Counting of the Omer by every individual, his own account of the extent to which he is fulfilling his mission.

And parallel to the two modes of counting -- (a) counting the days that have elapsed in one's own count, and (b) counting the days that have elapsed since the Rabbinical Court made the Omer offering -- there are two modes of counting and taking stock of how far one has fulfilled one's mission.

There is one mode, whereby every individual draws up his own private account as to how much he has accomplished in the realm of Torah study and avodah, both relative to himself and relative to others.

There is another mode, parallel to the counting of days from the offering made by the beis din, according to which the individual draws up an account that relates to the Nasi of the generation -- an account as to what extent he is carrying out the mission with which the Rebbe has charged him. In this mode of accounting the individual is not concerned with his personal spiritual status, with the current state of his neshamah; what does concern him is fulfilling the shlichus defined by the Rebbe. And even in this concern, moreover, what interests him is not the extent of his success, but the simple fact that the Rebbe's mission has to be fulfilled.

From this one may learn that one should not indulge in private calculations, but simply devote oneself completely to the Rebbe. And then, everything is accomplished by the power of the Rebbe.[419]

15. Spirit Over Matter.

It was just stated that when a chassid devotes himself completely to the Rebbe, everything is accomplished by the Rebbe's power. This principle continues to apply after his passing. As the Rebbe promised,[420] the Nesi'im of the Jewish people "are not separated from the flock whose shepherd they have been." Moreover,[421] "when a tzaddik departs he is to be found in all the worlds more than during his lifetime."

The Rebbe [Rayatz] once repeated[422] a comment that his father, the Rebbe Rashab, had made to him on a certain occasion, in response to his concern with his health and other such matters. [The comment cites the prophet Yechezkel's vision of the various angelic beings. These include the chayos that inhabit the spiritual World of Yetzirah, and the ofanim that inhabit the spiritual World of Asiyah, which is lower (i.e., "less spiritual") than it, yet the movements of the ofanim are linked to the movements of the chayos.] At that time the Rebbe Rashab had said: "Why are you so downcast? There is a verse that says,[423] 'When the chayos were raised up..., the ofanim were raised up.' That is to say: With the ascent of the chayos (i.e., ruchniyus, one's spiritual dimension), as a matter of course the ofanim (i.e., gashmiyus, one's material dimension) will be raised up."

Similarly, when one devotes oneself wholeheartedly to the Rebbe and fulfills the mission that he has set, i.e., when the ruchniyus represented by the chayos is uplifted, then, as a matter of course, the gashmiyus represented by the ofanim is likewise uplifted; i.e., heaven's blessings are generously elicited on the material plane, too. This is especially true of the material aspect of one's shlichus, such as the means needed to maintain the institutions one has founded.

16. The Rebbe in Your Mind's Eye.

On the above matter, the conduct of the Rebbe [Rayatz] during a certain episode offers us further direction.

In his own record of his imprisonment in 5627 [1927],[424] the Rebbe [Rayatz] describes how thoughts about his family darkened his spirits, and concludes with these words: "My mind lit up as with a lightning flash: Enough of those thoughts! [...] After all, everything proceeds from G-d [...]. They are dependent on me, and I am dependent on Him-Who-spoke-and-the-world-came-into-being [...]. At that moment I ascended to heavenly heights with lofty thoughts [...]. And by virtue of the merit of our holy forebears,... (-- The continuation of this thought is spelled out in thought-letters.)"

Later in the same document the Rebbe [Rayatz] writes similarly:[425] "I am not permitted to think such thoughts that lower my spirits [...]. The place and the time demand [...] the courageous heart and high spirits [...] that spring from meditation [...] upon a mental picture of the holy face of my revered father, [the Rebbe Rashab,] whose soul is in Eden. (-- The continuation of this thought, too, is spelled out in thought-letters.) Father, saintly father!"

In a word, here the Rebbe [Rayatz] is giving advice: When one finds himself imprisoned (so to speak) in low spirits, the solution is to bond oneself with the Rebbe by picturing his countenance.

From time to time, in his mind's eye, every individual should picture the Rebbe's holy face and recall teachings that he heard from his lips. (Those who never saw the Rebbe can likewise envisage his appearance by means of a photograph, and can study his teachings.)

We need to know that we have a "holy father," and if so, there is no cause to worry.

Since the Rebbe has promised us that the Nesi'im of the Jewish people409 "are not separated from the flock whose shepherd they have been," the above attitude of certain trust will enable us better to absorb the blessings that come from the Rebbe in all the spiritual and material things that are needed, including children, health, and ample sustenance.

17. The Anniversary of Rashbi.

Another step in this direction is to visit the resting place[426] of the Rebbe and to pray[427] there,[428] for wherever the lowest element of a man is to be found (and in our case this refers to the body that is buried in the dust), at that place a bond is set up with the yechidah, the innermost aspect of the soul.

In the course of the prayers that are recited when visiting the Ohel (as published in Maaneh Lashon) we say: "In the merit of the tannaim and amoraim... of lofty stature and in the merit of the tzaddikim who are buried in this place...." This implies that at the resting place of a tzaddik, other tzaddikim, tannaim and amoraim, are also present -- including especially (with regard to Lag BaOmer) R. Shimon bar Yochai.[429]

Accordingly, I would suggest that tomorrow, which is Lag BaOmer, the festive anniversary[430] of the passing of Rashbi -- the day of his greatest rejoicing,[431] as on a wedding day (by contrast to the anniversary of Moshe Rabbeinu which some people observe by fasting[432]) -- the whole community should go out to visit the Ohel, where Rashbi, too, is present.

[The Rebbe concluded the farbrengen with blessings.]

   

Notes:

345. (Back to text) The above text is taken from the unauthenticated notes recorded by one of those present when the talk was delivered on the eve of Lag BaOmer, 5710 [1950].

346. (Back to text) See Taanis 9a; Zohar III, 221a.

347. (Back to text) Cited in Siddur im Dach, Shaar HaLag BaOmer, p. 304c ff.

348. (Back to text) Bereishis 31:48.

349. (Back to text) Cited in the hemshech entitled Chayav Adam Levarech 5638, sec. 25.

350. (Back to text) Tehillim 119:18.

351. (Back to text) See the hemshech of the year 5666, p. 219.

352. (Back to text) Bereishis 31:46ff.

353. (Back to text) See Or HaMeir [by R. Ze'ev Wolff of Zhitomir], cited and explained in Or HaTorah on Parshas Vayeitzei, Vol. V, p. 869ff.; see also Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XV, p. 260ff.

354. (Back to text) In the original, nitzotzos dikedushah.

355. (Back to text) Cf. Sotah 9:15.

356. (Back to text) Sefer HaSichos 5701 [1941], p. 81; and elsewhere. (On this theme, see From Exile to Redemption, compiled by R. Alter Eliyahu Friedman (Kehot, N.Y., 1992), Vol. I, p. 107ff.)

357. (Back to text) Shir HaShirim 2:9.

358. (Back to text) Zechariah 13:2.

359. (Back to text) Chavakuk 2:4; see also the end of Makkos, and Tanya, ch.33.

360. (Back to text) See (e.g.) Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. I, p. 282ff. (and in English translation (Kehot, N.Y., 1987): Vol. I, pp. 310-312).

361. (Back to text) See the letter written by the Baal Shem Tov which appears at the beginning of Keser Shem Tov (et al.)

362. (Back to text) Sec. 4 (above) appears in Likkutei Sichos, Vol. III, p. 794.

363. (Back to text) There is no record extant of the distinction that the Rebbe drew at this point between these two directions of possible influence.

364. (Back to text) Note [the emphasis implied by this closing phrase] in the paraphrase of Bereishis Rabbah 75:15: "To do harm you will not cross this mound, but you may cross it for commerce."

365. (Back to text) Bereishis 31:9.

366. (Back to text) Devarim 4:35; in the original, ein od milvado.

367. (Back to text) Yeshayahu 40:5.

368. (Back to text) In the original, avanim.

369. (Back to text) Cf. Sefer Yetzirah 4:12 (and in some editions, 4:16).

370. (Back to text) Hod literally means "splendor", but it is understood here in another sense. See footnote 205 above.

371. (Back to text) See Siddur im Dach, Shaar HaLag BaOmer, p. 304a ff.

372. (Back to text) At this point there was further discussion of the allusion in the above-quoted verse (Gal einai...) to Lag BaOmer, and of the relation between this verse and the other (Hagal hazeh ed...). However, no record of this discussion has been traced.

373. (Back to text) Kuntreis Lag BaOmer, 5710 [1950] (incorporated in Sefer HaMaamarim 5710 [1950], p. 212); Sefer HaSichos 5701 [1941], p. 116.

374. (Back to text) Lit., "beauty". See footnote 205 above.

375. (Back to text) See the sichah of Beis Iyar, 5710 [1950], sec. 2ff. (p. 60 above).

376. (Back to text) In the original, milmaalah lematah (lit., "from above, downwards"); i.e., the order of Sefiros that begins (as in the Siddur) with Chessed shebeChessed, followed by Gevurah shebeChessed, and so on.

377. (Back to text) In the original, milmatah lemaalah (lit., "from below, upwards"); i.e., the order of Sefiros that begins with Malchus shebeMalchus, followed by Yesod shebeMalchus, and so on.

378. (Back to text) In the original, hiskashrus.

379. (Back to text) Bava Basra 53a.

380. (Back to text) As always, the Yid. original is more picturesque: "...without dipping a finger in cold water."

381. (Back to text) In the Aram. original, isarusa dil'eila.

382. (Back to text) In the Aram. original, isarusa dilesata.

383. (Back to text) Beginning of Koheles Rabbah, and see references listed there.

384. (Back to text) HaYom Yom, entry for Lag BaOmer.

385. (Back to text) Likkutei Torah, Parshas Re'eh, p. 32b.

386. (Back to text) See sec. 4 above.

387. (Back to text) In the original, chitzonim (lit., "the outer ones"), a synonym which likewise signifies the forces of evil.

388. (Back to text) Bereishis 25:27.

389. (Back to text) See also the above sichah of Beis Iyar, 5710 [1950], sec. 9 (p. 69 above).

390. (Back to text) On 9 Adar II, 5700 [1940].

391. (Back to text) Haggadah shel Pesach. (Cf. At Our Rebbes' Seder Table (compiled by R. Eli Touger; 1994), p. 40-41.) See also Likkutei Sichos, Vol. IV, p. 1219.

392. (Back to text) See Igros Kodesh (Letters) of the Rebbe Rayatz, Vol. II, p. 492ff., and sources enumerated there.

393. (Back to text) Sefer HaSichos 5700 [1940], p. 5, and elsewhere.

394. (Back to text) Yevamos 65b.

395. (Back to text) I.e., the reward reserved for the righteous in the World to Come; cf. Sanhedrin 100a.

396. (Back to text) Niddah 17a, and Tosafos there, s.v. Sorfan chassid.

397. (Back to text) Cf. Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. I, p. 68a; in English translation: Vol. I, p. 149.

398. (Back to text) See sec. 9 above.

399. (Back to text) At this point (though no detailed record is extant) the Rebbe went on to speak of Noach's action in saving the continuity of the world by building the ark. There was an exposition of the verse (Bereishis 6:16), "You shall make a skylight for the ark...," which included the classical teaching that one's divine service can reach a point at which tzarah is transmuted into tzohar. [The former word, tzarah, means "woe"; the latter word, tzohar, means "skylight".] (On the above exposition, see the conclusion of the maamar delivered on Lag BaOmer that appears in Sefer HaMaamarim 5710 [1950], p. 211.) Finally, the Rebbe likened the labors of Noach to the saving of the entire world at the time of the ultimate Redemption.

400. (Back to text) Sefer HaSichos 5700 [1940], p. 98. See also the sichah of the Rebbe on Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim, 5710 [1950], sec. 7, in Vol. II of the present work.

401. (Back to text) Sec. 8 and 9.

402. (Back to text) HaYom Yom, entry for 7 Iyar.

403. (Back to text) Berachos 31b.

404. (Back to text) For background to the prayer of the childless Chanah (which includes the dual verb, im raoh tir'eh... -- "If You will indeed look upon [my] affliction..."), see I Shmuel, ch. 1.

405. (Back to text) Bamidbar 5:28.

406. (Back to text) Bava Metzia 85a.

407. (Back to text) See Shaarei Orah, Shaar HaChanukah, s.v. BeChaf-Hei BeKislev, sec. 54ff.; Hemshech 5666, p. 90ff.; Sefer HaMaamarim 5708 [1948], p. 121ff.

408. (Back to text) Mishlei 24:16.

409. (Back to text) Conclusion of Chinuch Katan (the Alter Rebbe's introduction to Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah). See Lessons In Tanya, Vol. III, p. 828ff.

410. (Back to text) See the sichah of Motzaei Pesach Sheni, 5710 [1950], sec. 2 (p. 75 above).

411. (Back to text) Sec. 13 and 14 (above) appear in the Hosafos (Addenda) to Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XII, p. 168ff.

412. (Back to text) The Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 489:23.

413. (Back to text) Ibid. 494:19. The original Talmudic phrase is yesh lo tashlumin kol shivah.

414. (Back to text) See the sichah of the First Night of Sukkos, 5710 [1949], in Sefer HaMaamarim 5711 [1951], p. 66. See also: Sefer HaSichos 5701 [1941], p. 54; Sefer HaSichos 5702 [1942], p. 120.

415. (Back to text) R. Gershon Dov Pahrer was an eminent chassid of the Tzemach Tzedek and later of the Rebbe Maharash; for biographical notes, see HaTamim, Part VIII, p. 37ff.

416. (Back to text) Menachos 65b; the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, beginning of sec. 489.

417. (Back to text) I.e., the offering in the Beis HaMikdash at the beginning of the barley harvest, on the second day of Pesach; see Vayikra 23:10ff. and Devarim 16:9ff.

418. (Back to text) The details of the halachic debate on this subject are discussed at length in Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VII, p. 285ff., and elsewhere.

419. (Back to text) See above, sec. 11.

420. (Back to text) Igros Kodesh (Letters) of the Rebbe Rayatz, Vol. I, p. 141.

421. (Back to text) Zohar III, 71b; quoted and explained in Iggeres HaKodesh, in the Elucidation of Epistle 27, in Part (b); see Lessons In Tanya, Vol. V, p. 173-185.

422. (Back to text) Providing the background to the above statement, the Rebbe writes: "On Lag BaOmer, 5632 [1932], I was in Riga for the tena'im of my sister-in-law, Rebbitzin Sheine [i.e., the youngest daughter of the Rebbe Rayatz], and on that occasion the Rebbe [Rayatz] delivered the maamar that begins, Hinei Mah Tov U'Mah Na'im. For Shavuos he traveled to Landvarov, where the wedding took place. At that time the Rebbe [Rayatz] was disturbed by the state of his health, and related the above."

423. (Back to text) Yechezkel 1:19.

424. (Back to text) The Heb. original, entitled Reshimas HaMaasar, is incorporated in Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. IV, p. 624a, and in Vol. V of its English translation.

425. (Back to text) Ibid., Vol. IV, p. 639a, and in Vol. V of its English translation.

426. (Back to text) In the original, Ohel (lit., "tent"); i.e., the structure built over or around such a place. (A synonym is Tziyun, lit., the monument which marks the resting place.)

427. (Back to text) In the original, the corresponding noun is hishtat'chus (lit., "prostrating oneself").

428. (Back to text) This theme is discussed at length in Kuntreis HaHishtat'chus, in Maamarei Admur HaEmtza'i -- Kuntreisim, p. 19ff. (translated by Sichos In English, 5755).

429. (Back to text) In the original, Rashbi (the acronym of the name of this tanna).

430. (Back to text) In the original Heb./Aram., Yom HaHillula.

431. (Back to text) Mishnas Chassidim, Masseches Iyar 1:6-7.

432. (Back to text) Tur Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 580:2. See also: Sefer HaMaamarim 5564 [1804], p. 101ff.; Sefer HaMaamarim 5654 [1894], p. 261ff.; and elsewhere.