Room one hundred and eighty-six in the hall of Hayom Yom.
Tuesday, 27 Iyar, 42 of the Omer, 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Bamidbar, Shlishi with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 27th of the month, from chapter 120 to chapter 134 inclusive.
Tanya, on this day we conclude chapter 51. The shiur begins on page 72 with the words "ukhechol atzmo", and concludes at the end of the chapter with the words "Ein Sof baruch hu".
The source of the daily teaching is a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz on this date, 27 Iyar, several years earlier, in the year 5695. There was a Jew who was very involved in tzedakah and made an effort to support Jewish scholars and Torah students. He wrote a question to the Rebbe Rayatz - or more accurately complained - that this caused him great bittul from his own Torah study, because he was busy giving tzedakah to others. The Rebbe Rayatz replied to him that the ultimate purpose of study is action, and what he is doing is a great deed, for there is no greater mitzvah than supporting Torah students.
As encouragement, the Rebbe Rayatz brings him the current teaching, prefacing it with the words of our Sages, "Whoever teaches Torah to the son of his fellow is as if he had begotten him." [This, incidentally, is written in Parashat Bamidbar, and Rashi cites it in connection with the relationship between Moshe Rabbeinu and the sons of Aharon HaKohen]. And since our Sages say that this is such a great connection, "as if he had begotten him", he introduces the teaching. Let us read its text and then explain it.
And so he says: "My father and master [the Rebbe Rashab] related that he heard from his father [the Rebbe Maharash] in the name of the Tzemach Tzedek who heard from the Alter Rebbe" - here we have a message transmitted literally from generation to generation. And what is the point? "That he would call himself a 'son' to the Maggid" - "I am his son" - "and a 'grandson' to the Baal Shem Tov" - "I am his grandson"; and he would call the Maggid "father" and the Baal Shem Tov "grandfather".
What do we see here simply? That just as our Sages say, "Whoever teaches Torah to the son of his fellow is as if he had begotten him," the Maggid is like a father to the Alter Rebbe, and the Baal Shem Tov is like his grandfather. This is the meaning. And in this specific letter, the Rebbe Rayatz encourages that Jew and says to him: You support so many Jews, students of Torah, and you have such merits - how many spiritual "children" you have; therefore, even if it seems to you that you are losing time from your Torah study, you possess such wonderful things.
However, the emphasis and special point in what the Alter Rebbe said about his teacher and the Baal Shem Tov, and the deeper message in this teaching - it is interesting to supplement it from a sichah in which the Rebbe explained this matter at a farbrengen on 8 Elul 5717. The Rebbe said that in this teaching, in the Alter Rebbe's statement, there is a much deeper point than the phrase of our Sages, "Whoever teaches Torah to the son of his fellow is as if he had begotten him," even though they are connected. With the Alter Rebbe it is much deeper. Why? Because our Sages say, "as if he had begotten him" - leaving the comparative "as"; it is not literally the same thing, but "as if". Yet the Alter Rebbe, who called the Maggid "father" and the Baal Shem Tov "grandfather," and said of himself that he was a son or grandson - he did not say "like a son," "like a grandson," or "like a grandfather," but stated it clearly and simply. Thus, there is something stronger here.
Let us add another word. What is truly the reason that with a teacher and student, generally, it is not literally "begotten him" but only "as if he begotten him"? Because when the teacher transmits matters of intellect to the student, it is merely an external matter, and it is only on the condition that the student has a mind and the capacity to understand; then the teacher transmits to him. But if the student lacks the mind and capacity to understand, the teacher cannot transmit intellect to him to make him wise. In contrast, a physical son receives the essence from his father - all the 248 limbs of the father, with the soul and the garments of the soul, etc. It turns out that physical birth is more than the relationship of a teacher and student, and therefore our Sages say only "as if he had begotten him".
But here an interesting point is added: in the relationship between the Alter Rebbe and the Baal Shem Tov, not only is it not "as if," but it is truly even more than a physical son. Where do we see this? In a statement the Alter Rebbe once made to Rabbi Boruch of Medzhibozh. Rabbi Boruch of Medzhibozh was, as is known, a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, the son of his daughter - and it is known that a daughter's son is much more connected than a son's son - he was truly the grandson most connected to the Baal Shem Tov. Nevertheless, the Alter Rebbe said to him: You are a grandson in the physical sense, and I am a grandson in the spiritual sense, and that is much more. That is, the Alter Rebbe said that his connection to the Baal Shem Tov, as a grandson, is even greater than the connection of the Baal Shem Tov's physical grandson.
Why? Because it is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, placed His essence into the Torah - "Ana nafshi ketavit yehavit" - and tzaddikim who resemble their Creator placed their essence into their Torah. And when the Baal Shem Tov placed his essence into his Torah, and the Maggid his essence into his Torah, then when the Alter Rebbe learns their Torah he receives their essence - and this is even more than a physical son; he receives the most inner essence of the grandfather and the father, in this case the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid. And as the Rebbe writes in one place, in one of the letters, that the relationship of a chossid and a Rebbe is even deeper than the relationship of a father and son.
If so, what is the message in the teaching? That the true expression of the path of the Baal Shem Tov is expressed in the Torah of the Alter Rebbe and the Torah of Chabad; this takes the truest and most inner essence of the Torah of the Baal Shem Tov. This is what the Rebbe wants to say here: The Alter Rebbe is a son and he is a grandson - not just "like," but even more than a physical son; this is the deepest connection and bond there is.