6631 —ריבוי מתנות הנשיאים והמשכת אור אין סוף: העבודה ב"בכל מאדך" ומדה כנגד מדה

B"H, 6 Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

The Gaon, the distinguished Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs, whose work is the work of Heaven^[1], Reb Yehudah Zarchi Mordechai Leib Chaim, may he live long^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of the fifth [Chanukah] light^[3].

At an auspicious time, all those you write about will be mentioned at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly and blessed memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High, may his merit protect us^[4], each one^[5] for what he needs, in keeping with the content of your letter.

As for your remark on Torah Or, Vayeshev 29d, the maamar beginning "And now we shall come to explain"^[6] – that an abundance of gifts helps to draw the infinite light of the Ein Sof, blessed be He^[7], down below in all the sacrifices that follow – and you found it difficult: what relevance can an abundance of sacrifices have to drawing down the infinite light, before which everything is as nothing^[8]?

It is already known from several places in the holy Torah^[9], in matters like this and in man's divine service in general, that service "with all your heart and with all your soul" is not enough; it must be specifically "with all your might [me'odecha]"^[10]. Otherwise^[11] this is called "they do not do the will of the Omnipresent" (Berachos 35b)^[12], because it is specifically man's me'od that draws down the corresponding level Above^[13]; as explained in many places^[14], for this is the way of the Holy One, blessed be He – the measure of the Holy One, blessed be He, corresponds to the measure of man^[15]. The same applies in our matter: when man adds and increases in his part, there is added from Above beyond the usual flow from Above^[16].

As for your question, what in general^[17] is the advantage of the sacrifices of the Nesi'im, which are called an abundant gift – the matter is explained in that same maamar: silver bowls, bulls, sheep and goats^[18]. And on this whole subject see also, in the Likkutei Torah^[19] of the Alter Rebbe, the end of Parshas Naso, for more details on the abundance of the gifts of the Nesi'im.

With blessing for good news^[20].

* See there in Torah Or, before the above maamar^[21].

Publisher's notes

Reb Yehudah Zarchi Mordechai Leib Chaim (מו"ה יהודא זרחי' מרדכי ליב חיים): Segal, Tel Aviv. Further letters to him: above, vol. 17, letter 6313, and the references in the notes there.

Notes

1. The Gaon… whose work is the work of Heaven (הרה"ג וו"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ מלאכתו מלאכת שמים): הרה"ג וו"ח = הרב הגאון ווותיק וחסיד, "the Gaon and distinguished Chassid"; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים, "a G‑d-fearing man"; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד, "distinguished and honored"; עוסק בצ"צ = עוסק בצרכי ציבור, "engaged in communal needs". "Whose work is the work of Heaven" – from R. Yishmael's words to R. Meir the scribe, Eruvin 13a: "My son, be careful in your work, for your work is the work of Heaven"; here as a title for a rav who rules on halachah for his community.

2. Reb Yehudah Zarchi Mordechai Leib Chaim (מו"ה יהודא זרחי' מרדכי ליב חיים שי'): Segal, Tel Aviv (per the publisher's note). Rabbi Yehudah Zarchi Mordechai Leib Chaim HaLevi Segal (1924–2001), a rav in Tel Aviv from 1953 until his passing, a posek and author of Reishis HaAvodah (on mussar and Chassidus) and Tzemach Yehudah (on the Talmud and Shulchan Aruch). The Rebbe corresponded with him for many years, urging him on his participation in the Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengens, his influence as a rav on his surroundings and congregation, and the study of Chassidus; see letters 3154 (1 Teves 5715), 4045, 4352, 4643, 5742, 6027, 6313; and below, vol. 19, 7192 (14 Shevat 5720). In earlier letters too the Rebbe mentioned at the holy resting place those he wrote about (4352, 4643, 5742), and there too wrote of "the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, which is measure for measure" (4352).

3. The fifth [Chanukah] light (מנר החמישי): The fifth day of Chanukah, when five lights are kindled, i.e. 29 Kislev 5719.

4. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, "may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, "his soul is in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו, "may his merit protect us".

5. Each one (כאו"א): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד.

6. Torah Or, Vayeshev 29d, "And now we shall come to explain" (תורה אור, וישב כ"ט ד' ד"ה ומעתה נבוא לבאר): Torah Or, Vayeshev, 29d, in the maamar "Bechah BeKislev Yomei DeChanukah", the passage beginning "And now we shall come to explain the matter of Chanukah". There: וכדי להמשיך אוא"ס ב"ה ממש בקרבנות... היה המזבח קטן מהכיל ולכן התנדבו הנשיאים לחנוכת המזבח רבוי מתנות... נתנו לחנוכת המזבח מתנה מרובה קערות כסף ופרים וכבשים ועתודים כדי שיהיה כח בקרבנות של ישראל להמשיך אור דבר יום ביומו, "In order to draw down the very infinite light of the Ein Sof in the sacrifices… the altar was too small to contain it; therefore the Nesi'im donated for the dedication of the altar an abundance of gifts… they gave an abundant gift, silver bowls, bulls, sheep and goats, so that the sacrifices of Israel would have the power to draw down the light day by day." The dedication (chinuch) is as in "train [chanoch] a child": "the training is with many gifts given to him".

7. The infinite light of the Ein Sof, blessed be He (אוא"ס ב"ה): אוא"ס ב"ה = אור אין סוף ברוך הוא.

8. Before which everything is as nothing (אשר כולא קמי' כלא): Relative to the infinite light, before which all creatures are as nothing, what difference is there between a small gift and a great one? Both are as nothing before Him. The phrase is from the Zohar (I 11b), quoted in Tanya ch. 20: "because everything before Him is as nothing, truly as naught".

9. The holy Torah (תוה"ק): תוה"ק = תורה הקדושה.

10. With all your heart… with all your might (בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך… בכל מאדך): Devarim 6:5: "You shall love G‑d your G‑d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might"; Rashi: "with all your might – with all your money". In Chassidus me'odecha is explained also as from me'od, "very much" – beyond measure and limit, more than one's capacity. So too in the same Torah Or maamar (Torah Or there): "From this comes the level of 'with all your might', with all your money – that is, tzedakah."

11. Otherwise (ובא"ל): ובא"ל = ובאם לאו, i.e. if there is no service "with all your might".

12. They do not do the will of the Omnipresent (אין עושים רצונו של מקום): Berachos 35b: "R. Chanina bar Pappa pointed out a contradiction: it is written, 'I will take back My grain in its time', and it is written, 'You will gather in your grain'. There is no difficulty: here, when Israel do the will of the Omnipresent; there, when Israel do not do the will of the Omnipresent." The well-known question: "You will gather in your grain" is in the paragraph "And it will be, if you listen", which says "to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul" – how can that be called "not doing the will of the Omnipresent"? Chassidus explains that this paragraph does not mention "with all your might", and therefore it is still called "not doing the will of the Omnipresent" (Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar, "Vayihyu Bnei Yisrael BaMidbar"). And in Torah Or there (Torah Or there): "And this is the level of 'they do the will of the Omnipresent'… so that His will spreads forth into the dimension of place."

13. Man's me'od draws down the corresponding level Above (המאד של האדם ממשיך המעמד דלמעלה): What a person does with his me'od, beyond his measure, is what draws down the level Above that is beyond measure and limit.

14. Many places (בכ"מ): בכ"מ = בכמה מקומות.

15. The measure of the Holy One… corresponds to the measure of man (מדה של הקב"ה כנגד מדה של האדם): Based on Sanhedrin 90a: "For all the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, are measure for measure."

16. There is added from Above beyond the usual flow (מוסיפין מלמעלה על ההמשכות מלמעלה שעל דרך הרגיל): This answers the question: although before the infinite light everything is as nothing, when man adds beyond the usual (as with the Nesi'im's abundant gifts), there is added from Above, measure for measure, a flow beyond the ordinary flow.

17. In general (בד"כ): בד"כ = בדרך כלל.

18. Silver bowls, bulls, sheep and goats (קערות כסף פרים וכבשים ועתודים): From the verse concluding the offerings of the Nesi'im, Bamidbar 7:84: "This was the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed, from the princes of Israel: twelve silver bowls…"; and the Torah Or maamar: "they gave an abundant gift, silver bowls, bulls, sheep and goats".

19. Likkutei Torah… the end of Parshas Naso (לקו"ת… ס"פ נשא): לקו"ת = לקוטי תורה. This is Likkutei Torah, Naso, "Zos Chanukas HaMizbe'ach", which says: "The term chanukah here is from chinuch, as in 'train a child according to his way' – like a child who is being trained to learn, who is given an extra gift to accustom him to begin learning."

20. Good news (בשו"ט): בשו"ט = בשורות טובות.

21. See there in Torah Or, before the above maamar (עיי"ש בתו"א לפני ד"ה הנ"ל): עיי"ש בתו"א = עיין שם בתורה אור. The wording "they do [עושים] the will of the Omnipresent" (rather than the Gemara's עושין) appears in Torah Or (Torah Or there) just before the passage "And now we shall come to explain": "And this is the level of 'they do the will of the Omnipresent'". The idea is thus found in the very maamar the recipient asked about.

Summary

Answering a rav's question on Torah Or – how can an abundance of sacrifices, like the Nesi'im's many gifts, matter for drawing down the infinite light before which all is as nothing? – the Rebbe explains that service "with all your heart and soul" is not enough; only "with all your might", beyond one's measure, is called doing the will of the Omnipresent, and G‑d responds measure for measure, adding beyond the usual flow. He refers him further to Likkutei Torah, end of Naso.