The two hundred and seventy-second "room" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Thursday, 25 Menachem Av, 5703.
Lessons: Chumash, Eikev, fifth portion with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim: on the 25th of the month, one recites the first half of chapter 119 — from the beginning of the chapter, from "Ashrei," until the conclusion of the letter Lamed, ending with the words "rechavah mitzvatcha me'od."
Tanya, we continue in Iggeres HaKodesh, chapter 7. The daily lesson begins on page 222 with the words "והנה שופרי'", and concludes on page 112 with the word "במקום אחר".
The daily teaching is a quotation from a letter of the Rebbe Rashab. This is rare, since usually the entries in "Hayom Yom" are quotations of the Rebbe Rayatz, who often cites from his father; but here it is a direct quotation whose source is in the Igrot Kodesh of the Rebbe Rashab.
The Rebbe Rashab wrote this in the month of Menachem Av 5659. In the Igros Kodesh it is printed that the letter was written on 21 Menachem Av, but in the Rebbe's notes on the inner meaning of the "Hayom Yom," he indicates that it was on 25 Menachem Av — on the very same day of the saying here.
What is the Rebbe Rashab discussing? The wording of the "Mi Shebeirach" recited after the birth of a son, which appears in the siddur, in which the father is blessed that he should merit to raise him "to Torah, to chuppah, and to good deeds." In the case of a daughter, many do not include the word "to Torah" in the blessing, since a woman is exempt from Torah study, and therefore they wish her "to chuppah and to good deeds." Let us see what the Rebbe Rashab writes about this.
"My revered father, teacher, and master writes in one of his letters: I heard in the name of our holy forebears—may the memory of the righteous and holy ones be for the life of the World to Come, may their souls rest in Eden, may their merit protect us"—the Rebbe Rashab says that he heard in the name of our holy Rebbeim, "that regarding a daughter, too, one should say 'to Torah, to the chuppah, and to good deeds'". "The chuppah and good deeds" are clear, and the addition is that with a daughter as well one should offer the blessing that she merit Torah.
What, in truth, is a daughter's connection to Torah? On this he says, "based on what our Sages of blessed memory said (Berachot 17a)". The Gemara in Tractate Berachot there speaks of how the women received a very good and great promise from the mouth of the prophet Yeshayahu, who calls them "tranquil women" — and Rashi explains: women who have security, who are at ease. The Gemara asks: "nashim bemai zachyan" — by what merit do the women earn such a great blessing?
And the Gemara answers with three things, which the Rebbe brings in brief. "Nashim bemai zachyan" — "Through what do women merit?" — this is a quotation of the Gemara's question. And the answer: "be'akrei etc." — in the Gemara the continuation is "be'akruyei benayhu levei kenishta," meaning that they encourage their children to go and learn Torah in the beit haknesset with the teacher.
The next passage is "uve'atnuyei etc." — the wording in the Gemara is "uve'atnuyei gavraihu lei rabbanan," meaning that they encourage their husbands and send them off to study Torah in the beis medrash of the Rav. And the third point — "venatrin etc." — "venatrin legavraihu ad de'asu mibei rabbanan," meaning that they wait patiently until their husbands return; and as Rashi explains, they grant their husbands permission to travel even to another city, provided that they study Torah, and they wait patiently until their return.
It emerges that through the Torah study of their sons and husbands — which comes about because of them and by their merit, since they are the ones who encourage them — the merit of Torah belongs to the woman as well. Therefore, even at the birth of a daughter, one wishes "letorah." This is the point that the Rebbe Rashab makes in that letter.
It is interesting to add that on Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot 5711 a daughter was born to a Jew, and he made a kiddush. The Rebbe farbrenged together with the chassidim at that very kiddush, and spoke about the topic of the birth of a daughter. The Rebbe said that Chazal state, "A daughter first is a good sign for sons."
The Rebbe explains the allusion in this: What is the difference between a son and a daughter? The theme of sons is serving Hashem with reason and understanding, whereas the theme of a daughter is kabbalat ol (acceptance of the yoke) — for regarding a woman it is said, "Who is a fit woman? One who does her husband's will," meaning that she accepts upon herself and desires what is required. The Gemara says "a daughter first" — if a person begins his life with the acceptance of the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, this is "a good sign for sons," that the service of reason and understanding that comes afterward will be in a good manner.
According to this, we can understand why at the birth of a girl we also wish "to Torah, to chuppah, and to good deeds": for if there is a "bat" — if there is kabbalat ol — all of one's avodat Hashem will be good: Torah as well, chuppah as well, and good deeds as well. One should wish for all of it, since it all comes as a result of a good and successful kabbalat ol.
It is generally known that the Rebbe greatly encouraged and worked to bring about the study of Torah among women, and the establishment of educational institutions that teach Torah to women. This matter of teaching Torah to women received a very great impetus from the Rebbe, and its foundation is the point that the Rebbe brings here.