Room one hundred ninety-seven in the hall of Hayom Yom.
Shabbat, 9 Sivan 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Naso, Shvi'i with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 9th of the month, from chapter 49 to chapter 54 inclusive.
Tanya: On this day we conclude chapter 2 of Shaar Yichud Vehaemunah. The shiur begins with the words "vekol sheken" and concludes at the end of the chapter with the word "habriah", both on page 154.
The daily teaching is a continuation of the same sicha from which the previous day's teaching was taken. The previous teaching was from Isru Chag of Shavuot, from a sicha that the Rebbe Rayatz delivered on Isru Chag of Shavuot in the year 5702. There it was discussed that the world is called a "nut garden" (ginat egoz), and as the Rebbe Rayatz said in his sicha, a nut also has good qualities - as stated in the Midrash; and similarly, a Jew has good qualities. The hard shell of the nut symbolizes strong Jewish obstinacy - not to make compromises in Torah and mitzvot, and to be consistent in what must be done. Following this comes the passage before us, which is the daily teaching.
Let us preface with another word: The sicha was delivered at a special gathering of an organization established by Machne Israel, called Irgun Mishnayot Baal Peh. They would hold a raffle among all the participants, and each one would receive a number of chapters of Mishnah that they had to learn by heart over the course of the year, and review them in every place where it is permitted by Torah to speak words of Torah. In this way, all the participants together learned by heart the entire six orders of Mishnah. In connection with this gathering for the raffle, the Rebbe Rayatz was present and delivered the sicha.
And then comes the continuation, the passage learned now, which is written in Yiddish, and we will translate it. He begins and says: "The world is in need of purifying the air. The purification of the air is only through the letters of Torah. The letters of Torah are a general protection and a particular protection" - the letters of the Torah have the segulah that they are a general protection and also a particular protection.
"The distribution of the six orders of Mishnah (by heart) is the fulfillment of 'when you walk on the road'". Through the distribution that is made of the six orders of Mishnah - drawing lots for who will receive which chapters to know by heart - one fulfills learning in the manner of "and when you walk on the road" mentioned in the reading of Shema. Each person will review his Mishnah wherever he may be, in every area and in every place, and will recite by heart the Mishnah he received in the raffle; "The Mishnah - the Mishnayot that are reviewed wherever one happens to be, in whatever place one happens to be - illuminate the connection of Israel with the Holy One, blessed be He", and this matter will illuminate the hiskashrus and connection between Jews and the Holy One, blessed be He. For the word "'Mishnah' has the same letters as 'neshamah'".
"It is difficult to find the expression that would articulate the greatest benefit, with God's help, in general protection and in particular protection, that is achieved, with God's help, through the regular review of Mishnayot"; it is difficult to find words to express the power. "And words are lacking to express the magnitude of the nachas ruach that will be caused to the Creator of the world, blessed be He". There are no words to express the magnitude of the nachas ruach caused to the Holy One, blessed be He, by reviewing Mishnayot by heart. And what does all this do in the end? It brings purity to the air, it brings purity to the world.
We had a relatively long break, of almost three weeks, during which we did not speak about the connection between the daily teaching and the order of the books in the Rambam. From time to time, between the conclusion of one book and the beginning of the next book, there is a break of a few days, and here there was a break of almost three weeks. Now begins, in this teaching and in the teachings of the coming days, the connection to the Book of Taharah in the Rambam.
In the Book of Taharah, as in every book, the Rambam cites a verse from the Written Torah that serves as an introduction to all the chapters that follow it. The Book of Taharah opens with the verse, "Create for me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me". The commentators say regarding this verse, in which the Jew asks the Holy One, blessed be He, to give him the power of purity, that he should be able to overcome all the matters of the nefesh habehamit and all the disturbances. And this is the content of the daily teaching, as an introduction to all the coming teachings - to bring the purity and the purification of the air, which comes from the general protection and the particular protection, to guard a person from falling into undesirable matters, including matters of the yetzer hara and other things included in the introduction "Create for me a pure heart, O God" - through the Mishnayot about which he speaks.