Room one hundred and fifty-four in the hall of Hayom Yom.
Friday, 25 Nissan, ten days of the Omer, 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Acharei Mos, Shishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 25th of the month, we say the first half of Chapter 119 - from the first verse beginning with the word "Ashrei", until the end of the letter Lamed, which ends with the words "rechavah mitzvatecha me'od".
Tanya, on this day we learn the last part of Chapter 42, from the words "Vegam lihyos" until the end of the chapter, which ends with the words "kemo shekasuv bemakom acher".
The daily teaching is short, and its source is a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz on 25 Nissan 5698. The letter is addressed to one of the chassidim, who told the Rebbe in his letter about the good activities he does in his place of residence - that every Shabbos he reviews chassidus in public, and teaches Gemara and Mishnayos in public - and seemingly does wonderful things. In the letter the Rebbe Rayatz demands of him to do much more than what he is doing, and explains to him by way of an analogy, that as much good as you do - you must match your deeds to your talents; and if you act not in accordance with your talents, it is not considered that you have accomplished.
And this is the example he brings before us: "Avodah is for each person according to his nature and stature" - the avodah required of every person must suit his stature, his nature, his talents and his ability. And he brings an example: "One who has the ability to pierce pearls" - a person whose talent and avodah is to create necklaces of pearls, piercing pearls and joining them together into one piece of jewelry, "or to polish precious stones" - whose avodah is skilled in creating beautiful jewelry, taking precious stones and polishing them and preparing them for their best state.
"But instead engages" - instead of engaging in what he can according to his stature, "and engages in the avodah of the craft of baking bread": he goes to a bakery and learns to bake bread. One cannot disparage baking bread, which is a very vital thing; however, people who know how to bake bread are many, whereas polishing precious stones or piercing pearls is a more skilled avodah. And if the person skilled for the greater avodah engages in baking bread - "and the analog of all this in avodah is understood".
All this can be understood in the avodas Hashem. What is meant by the avodas Hashem? In the letter the Rebbe Rayatz does not detail this, but in one place the Rebbe writes in a footnote to one of the maamarim, that in order to understand what the avodah of "piercing pearls" is, one must look into a maamar of the Alter Rebbe on Shir HaShirim. And in essence what is written there: the Alter Rebbe explains what this avodah of piercing pearls is - one takes precious stones, makes a hole and hollow space in them, and then connects stone to stone via a thread, so they do not separate, and they become a piece of jewelry.
And what is the inner meaning of this in the avodas Hashem? He explains that the stones, as written in Sefer Yetzirah, are letters - letters that fell, in what is called in Kabbalah "sheviras hakeilim", into this world. Everything in the world, every physical object, is a G-dly creation that was created by letters from the Asarah Maamaros, except that it fell, meaning that its true reality is not seen.
And what is the true avodah of a person? To take these stones, and first make a hollow in them, so that it will be possible to create a piece of jewelry from them. First there must be a hollow, an empty space - meaning there must be bittul, to nullify ourselves and our surroundings to the Holy One, Blessed be He, and to reveal in everything how it serves the G-dly purpose, and not that it is an entity unto itself with all its stature, but only serves the purpose. When one reveals in it that it serves the purpose - one makes a hollow in it, pierces it and effects bittul within it, and then the thread can be inserted into it.
The Alter Rebbe explains there, that the thread is as the verse says "the voice (kol) of Yaakov", like the word "kol" spelled with a Vav - like a thread connecting stone to stone, which brings the whole world to its true purpose. This is a very significant avodah in the world, to connect everything to Elokus; this is called "piercing pearls". And this is what it means: "the analog of all this in avodah is understood".
And even though baking bread is "even though it is a very necessary avodah and craft" - for one cannot live without bread, and "if there is no flour there is no Torah" - and nevertheless, that person who knows how to pierce pearls and engages in baking bread, "despite all this it is considered a sin for that man". They will say to him: "You are sinning!", and he will reply: "But I am doing an important thing". Indeed he is doing an important and necessary thing, but according to his talents he has more important and significant things to do.
And this is what the Rebbe Rayatz writes to that Jew: Even though you write that you do such wonderful things and teach chassidus and teach the public - you can still do more, according to your abilities. Later in the letter, which we have already learned in the teaching of 5 Nissan, it speaks about "a person does not honor his place", regarding honor and the person - the continuation of that same letter. In any case, this is the message here: that a person needs to pay attention to what his talents are, what his role is, and what he should engage in.
And he connects this to the Rambam's study cycle. According to the daily teachings we are in Sefer Avodah in the Rambam. We have finished Hilchos Maaseh HaKorbanos, and the next halachos in line are Hilchos Temidin U'Musafin. And the connection between Hilchos Temidin U'Musafin and the daily teaching: there is a complete elaboration there regarding baking bread - baking the Lechem HaPanim of the Beis HaMikdash. The Rebbe says here that baking bread is a very necessary avodah, and it is one of the activities that were done in the Beis HaMikdash, which are discussed in Hilchos Temidin U'Musafin. And nevertheless you must know, that even in the avodas haMikdash - if you have a more important and skilled thing to do, you must do what is much more suited for you.