Room one hundred and sixty-five in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Tuesday, 6 Iyar, 21 Omer, 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Emor, Shlishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 6th of the month, from chapter 35 to and including chapter 38.
Tanya, today we continue the shiur from the words "be'einei k'chol", and it ends on page 130 with the word "b'arichus".
The source of the daily teaching is in a letter written by the Frierdiker Rebbe exactly one year prior to this date - on 6 Iyar 5702. From that letter, the Rebbe focuses and summarizes the content of the concept and brings it here.
And so he says: "Our Sages, of blessed memory, said" - the Gemara says in tractate Berachos, and also in Eruvin: "A person should not take leave of his friend except from within a Dvar Halacha". When two people part ways, the Gemara says that before departing one should say a Dvar Halacha. The Gemara concludes with the phrase "for through this he will remember him", and often the conclusion is also brought in a letter, but here in the teaching the Rebbe does not bring it.
There are maamarim of chassidus that explain on an inner level why specifically a Dvar Halacha - why for the sake of remembering a friend it is not enough to say any teaching on the parsha that is not a Dvar Halacha. It is worthwhile to look into one of them, in the dibur hamaschil "Al yipater adam mechaveiro" that the Rebbe said in the month of Tishrei 5721 - a maamar delivered in honor of the guests from Israel before their return, at a special farbrengen that the Rebbe held in their honor. In that maamar, it is explained at length that a Dvar Halacha is unique in that the Divine will is openly revealed in it - this is what the Holy One, blessed be He, wants; whereas anything else is a logical deduction, which is not necessarily the final will. In a Dvar Halacha there is an advantage that it is the final will, and the Rebbe connects this to the concept of memory, which awakens a very deep and inner connection from the Holy One, blessed be He, to a Jew, and between one Jew and another. It is worthwhile to study the source. In any case, since this is not the topic discussed here, we will not elaborate on it.
Here the Rebbe brings an interesting interpretation from our Rebbeim on this phrase, that a Dvar Halacha does not only indicate what to say, but that everything we say must be in a way that will turn the person into a "mehalech" (one who moves forward). "A person should not take leave of his friend" - when saying something to someone and giving them a message prior to departing, cause it to be a "Dvar Halacha".
And thus he explains: "And our holy forefathers and Rebbeim further explained" - the words are written in Yiddish, and translated: "Such a Dvar Torah that makes him - the listener - into a 'mehalech'." The Dvar Torah will make him a "mehalech".
What is the meaning of "make him a mehalech"? Later in the letter it states - and the Rebbe brings it here immediately - "The concept of walking (hiluch)". What is the meaning of the concept "to walk"? "It is to ascend from level to level in continuous elevation". "To walk" means to progress and elevate oneself, to be better than you were yesterday, and better than you were this morning - to be a "mehalech".
And what is the meaning of "mehalech"? It is explained in many places in chassidus that this is "the superiority of souls over angels". Souls as they are Above, as well as angels, are called "omdim" (those who stand still), whereas the soul in its descent into the body is called a "mehalech", as it was said to the prophet: "And I will give you a place to walk (mahalchim) among these who stand".
Why is an angel called an "omeid" and the soul down here called a "mehalech"? It is explained in chassidus, and explained in one of the maamarim in Torah Or and in other places, that an angel cannot change. The camp of Michael, whose avodah is in the love of G-d, can never be in fear, but only in love; and Gabriel is only in fear and not in love. Every angel remains in his own line and change does not apply to him; and since change does not apply to him, even if he has ascents and elevations - for an angel also has elevations - it is all considered within the same domain and the same context, and therefore he is called an "omeid".
In contrast, a Jew can, through his actions, bring about a drastic change in himself from his previous state to a completely new state. Therefore the Jew is called a "mehalech", for he has the power "to walk" - meaning that special ascent by which a Jew can elevate himself from level to level, better than he was before.
And how does this happen in practice? "For this ascent is primarily through avodah in actual good". When you actually perform a good deed in practice, this deed causes you a great ascent. And this is the demand: when you take leave of your friend, say to him such a Dvar Torah that will inspire him to be a "mehalech" - that will awaken him to bring about a change in his life and do a good thing. This is called "from within a Dvar Halacha" - to turn him into a "mehalech".
And what special and good action specifically causes one to walk? The Rebbe mentions here: "Doing a favor for a Jew materially in general, and spiritually in particular". When doing a favor for another Jew, materially and especially spiritually, this is the actual good that causes continuous elevation for the person performing it, and thereby he becomes a "mehalech". And this is essentially the Dvar Halacha that the friend caused him by saying this to him prior to their parting.