6747 —ז' אדר, יום הולדת משה רבינו, ותפקיד ישיבת תומכי תמימים במונטריאול

B"H, Erev Shabbos Kodesh^[1] "These are the accounts of the Mishkan",
Brooklyn, N.Y.

5719.
To the Administration of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim
Lubavitch in Montreal,
may G‑d be upon them, may they live.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your notice that on 7 Adar II, which approaches for good^[2], the gathering to open the annual campaign for the yeshivah will take place^[3], I send my blessing to all the workers of the yeshivah and its supporters^[4], may they be fortunate: that with a broad and settled mind they add courage to their efforts to strengthen and expand the holy yeshivah, so that it can continue its influence, "like an ever-increasing spring"^[5], in spreading Torah and strengthening Judaism in their community and their country.

This annual gathering has come to fall on a meritorious day^[6], 7 Adar – "the day itself brings it about"^[7] – the day on which the Faithful Shepherd, Moshe Rabbeinu, was born^[8].

Now every matter and detail is by Divine Providence, and from every thing and every event one must learn a lesson in matters of Torah and mitzvos, as in the well-known saying of the Baal Shem Tov.

It is said in the Gemara: When the lot fell on the month of Adar, (Haman) rejoiced greatly. He said: The lot has fallen for me on the month in which Moshe died. But he did not know that on the seventh of Adar Moshe died, and on the seventh of Adar he was born^[9].

At first sight the answer is not understood at all, for the death comes after the birth and cancels it.

The explanation is this: Moshe was a shepherd. Even before he came into the world he was designated to be the shepherd and redeemer of Israel – to redeem them from Egypt and to bring them to "the mountain of G‑d, to Chorev"^[10], to receive the Torah.

And in every generation and on every day that a person sees himself as though he had gone out of Egypt^[11], and thanks the Holy One, blessed be He, and blesses Him as the "Giver of the Torah" – in the present tense^[12] – the mission and the work of Moshe are alive. And as they are alive, so Moshe Rabbeinu is alive^[13].

And although the way this work is done changed "after the death of Moshe, the servant of the L‑rd"^[14], for it came about through his disciples and through the extension of Moshe^[15] – the day of the birth is worthy of atoning for the death and for the change that came about through it^[16],

since on the day of the birth the sun of Moshe broke forth and began to shine in the world^[17], and it shines now too, though in a changed way^[18].

The task of the holy Yeshivah Tomchei Temimim in Montreal is to fulfill the command of the verse, "Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant, which I commanded him at Chorev for all Israel, statutes and ordinances"^[19]: to raise disciples who are men of Moshe, temimim who desire a "perfect Torah"^[20] – the revealed Torah and the inner dimension of the Torah – who desire Chassidic fervor and light. And all who are engaged and active in strengthening the yeshivah, in its development and its expansion – their reward too is like their work: a reward in the revealed and in the inner, in the material and the spiritual, constant and eternal.

With blessing for success in your holy work.

In the Gemara: Megillah 13b.

Even before he came: see Tanchuma and Shemos Rabbah there.

The present tense: see Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 23a.

And as they are alive: see Taanis 5b.

Changed: see Zohar III, 216b; Tanya, ch. 43; Iggeres HaKodesh, end of sec. 27.

Is worthy: Rashi in Megillah there.

Since on the day of the birth: see Sotah 12a. And in Kad HaKemach, אות נ"ח, in the name of a Midrash: "When he was born… from the very beginning of his life he was fit to illuminate the whole world through the Torah."

The command of the verse: Malachi 3:22.

Who desire the Torah: see Midrash Tehillim at its beginning, on the verse "His desire is in the Torah of the L‑rd".

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 6, p. 362, and completed from the Secretariat's copy.

Notes

1. Erev Shabbos Kodesh "These are the accounts of the Mishkan" (ערש"ק אלה פקודי המשכן): ערש"ק = ערב שבת קודש, "the eve of the holy Shabbos". "These are the accounts of the Mishkan" are the opening words of Parshas Pekudei (Shemos 38:21). Erev Shabbos Parshas Pekudei 5719 was 3 Adar II (13 March 1959).

2. Which approaches for good (הבע"ל): הבע"ל = הבא עלינו לטובה. 7 Adar II 5719 was a Tuesday (17 March 1959).

3. The annual campaign (התעמולה השנתית): The yearly fund-raising campaign for the yeshivah. The Rebbe had sent his blessing to the yeshivah's annual campaign in earlier years as well: vol. 10, letter 3346 (16 Adar 5715), vol. 12, letter 4182 (25 Adar 5716), vol. 16, letter 6120 (20 Adar 5718).

4. Its supporters… the holy yeshivah (תומכי'… הישיבה הק'): תומכי' = תומכיה; הק' = הקדושה.

5. "Like an ever-increasing spring" (כמעין המתגבר): The words of the Mishnah, Avos 6:1, on one who studies Torah for its own sake: ומגלין לו רזי תורה, ונעשה כמעין המתגבר וכנהר שאינו פוסק, "the secrets of the Torah are revealed to him, and he becomes like an ever-increasing spring and like a river that does not cease."

6. Has come to fall on a meritorious day (נתגלגלה… ליום זכאי): After Taanis 29a: מגלגלין זכות ליום זכאי וחובה ליום חייב, "merit is brought about on a day of merit, and liability on a day of liability."

7. "The day itself brings it about" (יומא קא גרים): Aramaic: "the day causes [it]".

8. The Faithful Shepherd, Moshe Rabbeinu (רעיא מהימנא, משה רבנו): "The Faithful Shepherd" is Moshe Rabbeinu, as the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya, ch. 42: "Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, comprises them all, and is called Raaya Mehemna." That he was born on 7 Adar – see the Gemara quoted next.

9. On the seventh of Adar he was born (בשבעה באדר נולד): Megillah 13b: תנא: כיון שנפל פור בחודש אדר שמח שמחה גדולה. אמר: נפל לי פור בירח שמת בו משה. ולא היה יודע שבשבעה באדר מת ובשבעה באדר נולד. Haman took the month in which Moshe died as a bad omen for Israel, and did not know that in it Moshe was also born.

10. "The mountain of G‑d, to Chorev" (הר האלקים חורבה): From Shemos 3:1: ומשה היה רעה את צאן יתרו חתנו כהן מדין וינהג את הצאן אחר המדבר ויבא אל הר האלהים חרבה, "Moshe was shepherding the flock of Yisro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; he led the flock into the wilderness and came to the mountain of G‑d, to Chorev."

11. Sees himself as though he had gone out of Egypt (רואה אדם עצמו כאילו הוא יצא ממצרים): In the words of the Alter Rebbe, Tanya, ch. 47: והנה בכל דור ודור וכל יום ויום חייב אדם לראות עצמו כאילו הוא יצא היום ממצרים, "in every generation and every day a person is obliged to see himself as though he had gone out of Egypt that day."

12. "Giver of the Torah" – in the present tense (נותן התורה - לשון הווה): הקב"ה = הקדוש ברוך הוא. The blessing over the Torah says "Giver of the Torah" in the present tense: G‑d gives the Torah every day. Likkutei Torah (cited in the Rebbe's note): וזהו שמברכים נותן התורה לשון הוה, "this is why we bless 'Giver of the Torah' in the present tense." Since the Torah was given through Moshe, every time a Jew blesses "Giver of the Torah", Moshe's mission and work are alive.

13. And as they are alive, so Moshe Rabbeinu is alive (ומה הם חיים - אף משה רבנו חי): After Taanis 5b: הכי א"ר יוחנן יעקב אבינו לא מת... מקיש הוא לזרעו מה זרעו בחיים אף הוא בחיים, "R. Yochanan said: Yaakov our father did not die… the verse compares him to his descendants: as his descendants are alive, so he is alive." The Rebbe says the same of Moshe: as they (the Jews who give thanks and bless "Giver of the Torah") are alive, so Moshe Rabbeinu is alive.

14. "After the death of Moshe, the servant of the L‑rd" (לאחרי מות משה עבד ה'): The words of Yehoshua 1:1: ויהי אחרי מות משה עבד ה'.

15. The extension of Moshe (אתפשטותי' דמשה): Aramaic. Tanya, ch. 44: "as it is written in the Tikkunim: דאתפשטותיה בכל דרא ודרא, לאנהרא לון, his extension is in every generation, to illuminate them"; and ch. 42: "in every generation sparks of the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu descend and are clothed in the body and soul of the sages of the generation, 'the eyes of the congregation', to teach the people knowledge."

16. The day of the birth is worthy of atoning for the death (כדאי הוא יום הלידה שיכפר על המיתה): After Rashi, Megillah there, on "and on the seventh of Adar he was born": כדאי הלידה שתכפר על המיתה, "the birth is worthy of atoning for the death" (as cited in the Rebbe's note). The Rebbe adds: atoning also for the change that came about through the death.

17. The sun of Moshe broke forth and began to shine (בקע והתחיל לזרוח שמש משה): After Sotah 12a: וחכמים אומרים, בשעה שנולד משה נתמלא הבית כולו אור, "the Sages say: when Moshe was born the whole house was filled with light."

18. It shines now too, though in a changed way (וגם עתה מאיר הוא, אף כי בשינוי): After Iggeres HaKodesh, sec. 27 (at its end): "as it is stated in the Tikkunim concerning Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, that after his passing his light extends in every generation to the six hundred thousand souls, like the sun that shines from beneath the earth to six hundred thousand stars." His light shines now too, though hidden – "in a changed way".

19. "Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant…" (זכרו תורת משה עבדי…): Malachi 3:22. The verse names both Moshe and Chorev – the Torah given through Moshe at the mountain of G‑d, Chorev, as above.

20. Temimim who desire a "perfect Torah" (תמימים חפצים בתורה תמימה): Temimim, "the wholehearted", as in the yeshivah's name, Tomchei Temimim, "supporters of the temimim". "A perfect Torah" – after Tehillim 19:8: תורת ה' תמימה משיבת נפש, "The Torah of the L‑rd is perfect, restoring the soul."

Summary

Blessing the Montreal yeshivah's annual campaign, which opens on 7 Adar, the day of Moshe Rabbeinu's birth and passing, the Rebbe explains why the birth "atones" for the death: Moshe's mission as shepherd and giver of the Torah lives on through his disciples and the Jews who daily bless "Giver of the Torah". The yeshivah's task is to raise "men of Moshe", in both the revealed and the inner Torah.