1. The Alter Rebbe explained that when Jewish people, assemble, particularly when Jewish children assemble, it brings G-d great joy. He compared our relationship with G-d to that of a father with many children. The father feels great joy when he sees all of his children joining together, relating to each other in a unified way. Similarly, G-d derives great joy when we come together. This joy is intensified when our assembly is connected with prayer and words of Torah. And this great joy brings into being great blessings for all the children, as well as for their parents, teachers, and counselors who have themselves assembled here and brought the children together in this holy place – a place where Jews pray and study Torah. This is particularly true in the present time, which is close to the beginning of the new year.
Therefore, we should derive new strengths, new energies, and new joy from this gathering. These feelings should be applied to our daily lives — to our study of Torah and to our fulfillment of the commandments, as well as to all the other aspects of Jewish life.
Every Jewish boy is called “the son of Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov,” and every Jewish girl is called “the daughter of Sarah, Rivkah, Rochel, and Leah.” G-d gives them the power to behave as if they were an only son or daughter of the forefathers themselves. Since they have this power, and being that they are dear children, it is certain that they will use this power to behave in this manner throughout the year, thus preparing to greet Moshiach and to go together with him to our holy land. There we will learn Torah with Moshiach and we will fulfill all the Mitzvos that are specifically connected with the holiness of the land of Israel.
2. This gathering takes place in the days just before the 15th of Av. In the time of the Bais Hamikdosh, the 15th of Av was considered a great holiday (Talmud Talanis 26b, 30b). Even today it is considered a holiday, and, therefore, we don’t recite Tachnun on this day. Also, the 15th of Av is connected with a specific directive of the Talmud (Ibid 31a): “From this day onwards, he who increases [his study of Torah] will have his life increased.” Rashi explains that from the 15th of Av, he who adds nights to his days in the study of Torah, will have his life increased. Beginning with the 15th of Av the days become shorter and the nights longer, and that change should not detract from our study of Torah. Furthermore, since the working day becomes shorter there is more time that can, and should, be used for Torah study.
From this concept, we can derive a wonderful lesson. The shortening of the days and the lengthening of the nights is dependent upon the position of the sun in relation to the earth. Torah teaches that a change in the sun’s position comes for a specific reason; to teach a Jew that he must add to his Torah study at night. When we think of the immensity of the sun and the earth, of the great powers which the sun possesses and likewise of all the different creations that the earth contains, and consider that the revolution of the sun around the earth does not happen by chance, but rather, to teach the Jew a lesson: That G-d asks and expects and gives a Jew the potential to “add nights to days in the study of Torah.”
From this we can appreciate how dear a Jew is to G-d. This is surely true in view of the statement of the Mishna (Sanhedrin 37a) which states,, “Everyone must declare: The world was created for me.” G-d created the entire world and structured the order of the seasons such that, from the 15th of Av on, the nights get longer in order that a Jewish child will decide, (and will also carry out his decision), to study more Torah and to carry out its directives in his everyday life.
The merit produced by the Jewish people utilizing the abovementioned variation in the sun’s orbit, in a positive manner, maintains the heavens and the earth and brings about an increase in the blessings that are connected with the sun (its heat, the fruits it produces, the energy it gives off, etc.) and the earth.
Thus we prepare the world for the time of Moshiach’s coming. Then, we will be able to see how all things are connected with G-d, the creator, with Torah and Yiddishkeit, and we will see how everything is blessed by G-d; since we use them as He desired — as the Torah teaches.
3. If a Jewish child will think over the above it will make it a lot easier for him to behave as he should. If the President of the United States would invite the child to come to him, tell the child to do as he says, and repay his obedience by taking the child into his palace at the time of the king’s celebration, sitting him up front, and the entire setting would be arranged so that the child would feel better, surely the child would do what the president told him to do. After such an invitation, he would not do anything against the president’s wishes, even if he desired to do so. It would not be at all difficult for him to behave as the president asked him to.
The above is much more true when we are speaking about G-d. Particularly when we consider that the Torah teaches that the world was created “for the Torah and the Jewish people” (Rashi Bereishis 1:1), i.e. that the creation had one purpose — that the Jews should learn Torah and connect themselves with Torah and act according to the directives of Torah.
When a Jewish child thinks this over, it will be easy for him to fulfill G-d’s request to behave as a Jewish child should. This is particularly true when he considers that his behavior does not only affect himself, nor only his parents or teachers, but, rather, that his behavior affects the entire Jewish people, and even more, the whole world. Furthermore, it affects G-d, Himself, for He is the one who asked him to act in this way.
With the above in mind, it will be very easy for him to refuse when non-Jewish children come and try to persuade him to eat non-Kosher foods, or to behave on Shabbos differently than a Jew should, etc. This is particularly,true when he realizes that “G-d stands over him ... and watches watches him” (Tanya Ch. 41) to see how he behaves. It also brings about feelings of happiness which allow G-d to be served with joy. Also, because of the commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself,” a child’s behavior will influence his friends and the other children in his surroundings. Then, together with all the Jewish children, their parents, and the entire Jewish people, we will go to greet Moshiach who will take us out of Golus.
4. There is another lesson that is particularly relevant at the present time. Right now the Jewish people need special blessings for there are those who wish to disturb the Shleimus ho’Om (complete state of the Jewish nation). They don’t want to let every Jewish child receive a Jewish education. They claim that it is not important if a few Jewish children are not trained in a Jewish manner.
The Torah absolutely refutes this opinion, stating that every Jewish child is dear to G-d. It is as if He created the entire world for that Jewish child alone. Therefore, it is understandable how important it is for every Jewish child to receive a Jewish education.
Likewise there are those who want to disturb the Shleimus of the Torah. They say that there is no need to add to the study of Torah; that what was done until now is sufficient.
Also, (because the state of the Jewish people and the Torah are connected to the state of the land of Israel), there are those who want to disturb the Shleimus of the land of Israel. They argue that it is not so important that every part of Israel belong to the Jews and be settled by them.
In response, the Torah teaches that all three things, (Torah, Jewish people, and the land of Israel) are connected, one with each other. In order for a Jew to be complete and healthy, (Shleimus of the Jewish nation) he must follow the Torah when he “sits at home, goes on the way, lays down to sleep and rises up,” that is, in all aspects of his daily life (Shleimus of the Torah), and then G-d will give His blessings for the Shleimus of the land of Israel.
Since the Yetzer Hora (evil inclination) will protest and try to prevent us from carrying out G-d’s will with joy, claiming that it is too difficult, etc., G-d promised that if the Jew follows Torah completely, G-d will give him the entire land of Israel, even now in the time of Golus. And if a child will ask: “How can I overcome the Yetzer Hora? He is stronger and it is difficult to deal with him.” Torah answers, “They conceived a plot and it was foiled,” because G-d is with us. G-d is together with every Jew, with every Jewish child, and He helps him carry out his resolution to fulfill Torah and Mitzvos with joy, to overcome his own Yetzer Hora and also all the forces in the world which stand in opposition to Torah.
Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Devorim