5890 —קדימת "ועשה טוב" ל"סור מרע" – מעבירין את המת מלפני הכלה וזה וזה מלפני המלך

B"H, 2nd of Kislev, 5718
Brooklyn.

The Rav and Gaon, veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, a man of many deeds^[1],
our teacher Reb Yisrael Yitzchak HaLevi, may he live^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of the letter of the 24th of MarCheshvan^[3]. Although the state of the relevant funds here is difficult, and at the same time "the needs of Your people are many"^[4] and keep increasing from time to time — nevertheless, since your honor^[5] turns to us in this, and for the honor of the Torah, enclosed herewith^[6] is a check. And since this fund was founded by my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory^[7], there will surely be fulfilled in this the promise of our Torah, "whoever takes etc. from Iyov is blessed"^[8].

And since we have come to the subject of hachnasas kallah (providing for a bride) from the fund of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, who gave his life for the spreading of Judaism in general, and the spreading of the teachings of Chassidus and its ways in particular, one may expound the well-known ruling: "We make way for the dead before the bride, and for both of them before the King of Israel"^[9] (Kesubos 62a) — in which there is a deep hint^[10].

For, in general, matters of Torah and mitzvah — which are the purpose of man's creation, as the Mishnah says, "I was created to serve my Maker"^[11] — are comprised in two lines: "turn from evil" and "do good"^[12]. The matter of evil is, in the words of the verse, "death and evil"^[13]; and the matter of good is, as said above, that one makes of worldly matters a tool and a vessel for G‑dliness — a bride, a recipient of the indwelling of the Shechinah; and as our Sages say, "Who is a worthy wife? One who does her husband's will"^[14].

Hence the lesson: when two paths lie before a person, the avodah of "turn from evil" and the avodah of "do good", "we make way for the dead before the bride", for even a little light dispels much darkness^[15]; and this is brought down as a halachic ruling, that a positive command overrides a prohibition^[16]. (Note also Iggeres HaTeshuvah of the Alter Rebbe, beginning of chapter 1^[17]: "as regards fulfillment, a positive command is greater, for it overrides a prohibition; that is because by fulfilling a positive command one draws down light and abundance into the supernal worlds from the radiance of the light of the Infinite, blessed be He, etc., and also upon his G‑dly soul.")

Similarly, this is also one of the fundamental differences between the teachings of Chassidus and the teachings of Mussar: the former emphasizes, and its main stress is on, "do good", while the latter emphasizes and labors at explaining the matters of "turn from evil".

But in both matters, both in "turn from evil" and in "do good", the ultimate intent is as it is said, "And G‑d commanded us to do etc., to fear G‑d our G‑d"^[18]; and this is also the beginning and foundation of avodah, as the Mishnah says: "Why does Shema precede VeHayah Im Shamoa? So that one first accept upon himself the yoke of the Kingship of Heaven etc."^[19]; and similarly in the Mechilta on the Ten Commandments: "Accept My Kingship, and afterwards accept My decrees"^[20]. For in this way the avodah matches its purpose and is done in a beautiful manner. Therefore the main thing — and "for both of them we make way" — is "before the King of Israel": the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He^[21].

With blessing.

[Publisher's notes: Our teacher Reb Yisrael Yitzchak: Raizman, Jerusalem.]

Notes

1. The Rav and Gaon, veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, a man of many deeds (הרה"ג וו"ח אי"א נו"נ איש רב פעלים): הרב הגאון, ותיק וחסיד, איש ירא אלקים, נעלה ונכבד. "A man of many deeds" — after the verse (Shmuel II 23:20) "a living man, of many deeds".

2. Reb Yisrael Yitzchak HaLevi (מו"ה ישראל יצחק שי' הלוי): Raizman, Jerusalem.

3. The 24th of MarCheshvan (מכ"ד מ"ח): מכ"ד מרחשון.

4. "The needs of Your people are many" (צרכי עמך מרובים): From the short prayer (Berachos 29b): "The needs of Your people are many, and their understanding is short."

5. Your honor (כת"ר): כבוד תורתו, "the honor of his Torah".

6. Enclosed herewith (מוסג"פ): מוסגר פה, i.e. enclosed with the letter.

7. My father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדוננו מורנו ורבנו, זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, זכותו יגן עלינו. The fund is the fund for hachnasas kallah (as below) founded by the Previous Rebbe.

8. "Whoever takes etc. from Iyov is blessed" (כל הנוטל כו' מאיוב מתברך): Bava Basra 15b: "R. Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak said: Whoever took a perutah from Iyov was blessed." That is: just as anyone who received even a perutah from Iyov was blessed, so whoever receives from this fund founded by the Previous Rebbe will be blessed.

9. "We make way for the dead before the bride, and for both of them before the King of Israel" (מעבירין את המת מלפני הכלה, וזו"ז מלפני מלך ישראל): פס"ד — פסק דין, ruling; וזו"ז — וזה וזה, both. The saying is in Kesubos 17a: "Our Rabbis taught: We make way for the dead before a bride, and for both of them before the King of Israel" — when a funeral and a bridal procession meet on the road, the dead is made to give way to the bride, and both give way to the king. The reference printed in the text, "Kesubos 62a", should apparently read 17a.

10. In which there is a deep hint (אשר רמז עמוק בזה): That is: this law hints at the path of avodah, as the Rebbe goes on to explain. "The dead" alludes to the avodah of "turn from evil" (the battle with evil, "death"); "the bride" alludes to the avodah of "do good" (making worldly matters a vessel for G‑dliness, like a bride who receives the indwelling of the Shechinah). When both come together, "do good" takes precedence; and "both of them" — the two kinds of avodah — give way before "the King of Israel", the King of kings, i.e. accepting the yoke of Heaven, which is the beginning and the purpose of avodah.

11. "I was created to serve my Maker" (אני נבראתי לשמש את קוני): The Mishnah at the end of Kiddushin, in Kiddushin 82a.

12. "Turn from evil" and "do good" (סו"מ ועש"ט): סור מרע ועשה טוב. After the verse, Tehillim 34:15: "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."

13. "Death and evil" (את המות ואת הרע): The words of the verse, Devarim 30:15: "See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil."

14. "Who is a worthy wife? One who does her husband's will" (איזהו אשה כשרה כל שעושה רצון בעלה): After the saying of Chazal (Tanna DeVei Eliyahu Rabbah, ch. 9). Applied here figuratively: the world, when made a vessel for G‑dliness, is like a bride who receives the indwelling of the Shechinah and does the will of her "husband", the Holy One, blessed be He.

15. Even a little light dispels much darkness (מעט אור דוחה הרבה חשך): After the words of the Alter Rebbe in Tanya, chapter 12: "a little physical light dispels much darkness". That is: even a little "do good" (light) dispels much evil (darkness), and therefore it comes first.

16. A positive command overrides a prohibition (עשה דוחה ל"ת): ל"ת — לא תעשה. This is the rule "a positive command comes and overrides a prohibition" (see Shabbos 132b; Yevamos 3b ff.).

17. Iggeres HaTeshuvah, beginning of chapter 1 (אגרת התשובה ריש פרק א'): Iggeres HaTeshuvah, chapter 1. That is: the reason a positive command overrides a prohibition is that by fulfilling a positive command one draws down G‑dly light and abundance into the supernal worlds and into the G‑dly soul; therefore its power is greater than that of guarding against evil.

18. "And G‑d commanded us to do etc., to fear G‑d our G‑d" (ויצוונו ה' לעשות גו' ליראה את ה"א): Devarim 6:24: "And G‑d commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear G‑d our G‑d."

19. "So that one first accept upon himself the yoke of the Kingship of Heaven" (כדי שיקבל עליו עומ"ש תחלה): עומ"ש — עול מלכות שמים. Mishnah Berachos 2:2, in Berachos 13a: "R. Yehoshua ben Korchah said: Why does the section of Shema precede VeHayah Im Shamoa? So that one first accept upon himself the yoke of the Kingship of Heaven, and afterwards accept upon himself the yoke of the mitzvos."

20. "Accept My Kingship, and afterwards accept My decrees" (קבלו מלכותי ואח"כ קבלו גזירותי): עשה"ד — עשרת הדברות, the Ten Commandments. Mechilta (Yisro, Bachodesh ch. 6) on "I am G‑d your G‑d... you shall have no other gods": a parable of a king whose servants asked him to issue decrees for them, and he said, "When you accept my kingship, I will issue decrees for you" — accept My Kingship, and afterwards accept My decrees.

21. The King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He (ממה"מ הקב"ה): מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא. That is: the "King of Israel" before whom "both of them" give way — both the avodah of "turn from evil" and that of "do good" — is the Holy One, blessed be He; accepting the yoke of His Kingship precedes both and is the main thing in both.

Summary

Sending a check from the Previous Rebbe's fund for hachnasas kallah — whoever receives from it will be blessed, like those who took from Iyov — the Rebbe expounds the law "we make way for the dead before the bride, and for both before the King": "turn from evil" (death) and "do good" (the bride, the world made a vessel for G‑dliness). "Do good" comes first, for a little light dispels much darkness and a positive command overrides a prohibition — a basic difference between Chassidus and Mussar. Above both stands the King: kabbalas ol is the beginning and purpose of all avodah.