The fortieth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Wednesday, 29 Tevet 5703.
Chumash lessons: Vayeira, Revi'i, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, on the 29th of the month, one recites from chapter 140 through chapter 150 and completes the entire book. Since this month does not have a 30th, on the 29th day one also recites the Tehillim portion of the 30th, completing the entire book to its very end, for the next day will already be the beginning of the month of Shevat.
Tanya: We begin chapter 15, from the word "uvazeh" until the words "chalal bekirbo," on page 40.
The daily teaching originates with the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek, and the Rebbe cites it from a letter that the Rebbe the Rayatz wrote to a chassid on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Shevat 5688. First let us examine the source of the opening phrase of the teaching: "anan poalei dimama anan," which translates as "we are day laborers," we are workers of the day.
The source of this teaching is a quotation from the Gemara in tractate Eruvin (folio 65a), which discusses what is the clearest and best time to study and to absorb one's learning. Let us examine a passage from the sugya. Rabbi Yehuda says that the night was created for sleep — that is, study should be during the day, and the night was created for sleeping; whereas Reish Lakish says, in opposition, that the light of the moon was created so that one could study by its light. And as understood by the commentators, there is no genuine dispute between them; rather, they differ over whether the reference is to the short nights of summer — in which one must sleep — or the long nights of winter, in which one must sit and study.
The passage continues by bringing an additional view: they once said to Rabbi Zeira that the teachings he relates are very sharp and excellent, and he replied, "This is Torah that I learned by day" — for during the day one's absorption is very good. Afterwards appears the statement: "Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said, we are day laborers," we are hired by the day — that one must learn Torah by day, for it is the primary time of clarity for study. Thus far the language of the Gemara, which brings this saying in order to discuss when is the clearest time for study.
The Tzemach Tzedek takes this statement from the Gemara and applies it to the service of Hashem. And so the Tzemach Tzedek once said to his chassid, Reb Hillel of Paritch. Reb Hillel had a complaint: it would happen that he had to travel for several months of the year, occupied with journeys to the colonies in order to encourage and strengthen Jews, and during those months he was pulled away from Torah and avodah and could not study himself. With this complaint he came in yechidus to the Tzemach Tzedek, and the Tzemach Tzedek's answer is the saying that we learn today.
What did he answer him? He said to him, "Anan po'alei dimama anan" — we are laborers of the day, and he explained the inner meaning of this phrase: "day" is light, and the word "day" is synonymous with "light." In other words, when we say "we are laborers of the day," the intent is "we are laborers of the light" — our task is to work with light and to illuminate, and our avoda is the avoda of light. Our avoda as chassidim is to illuminate, "m'darf lichtik machn di velt mit ohr haTorah" [to illuminate the world with the light of Torah] — this is our avoda.
And he elaborates: "And apart from the fact that one must stand in a good state and situation, with the help of Hashem Himself" — in addition to a person needing to see to it that his spiritual standing with regard to himself is a good, stable, and illuminated one. And he says this in Yiddish as well: "alein darf men zein vi men darf tzu zein" [you yourself must conduct yourself properly, as you ought to]. And besides the work upon oneself — for what purpose were they, the "workers of light," sent? What is the essence of their task?
As we mentioned, the Tzemach Tzedek said this to a chassid who complained that his extensive involvement with others detracted from his own personal avodah. The Rebbe responds to him: "Behold, the entire avodah is to merit to raise up students" — the entire avodah of a chassid and all his aspirations must be to raise up students. "To raise up students" derives from the language of the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot, "and raise up many students." And he explains in Yiddish what "to raise up students" means — "gruntlech geton" (done thoroughly); "to raise up" [le'ha'amid] also relates to something that stands firm and well-established, meaning people who are grounded and solid, so that the matters are within them in a strong, fundamental, and internalized way.
"That they be devoted in their heart and mind to the inner intention" — to educate chassidim and students so that they be well-grounded in the path in which they are being educated. And where is the test of whether the matter is well-established within him, or whether he is doing it merely to fulfill his obligation? He specifies that it is not enough to study nigleh (the revealed Torah) and to cherish the holiness in the observance of the mitzvos. The fact that a person studies nigleh and fulfills mitzvos, and even cherishes their observance — that is wonderful, but it is still no proof that his spiritual avodah is well-grounded. What is the touchstone? They must also have avodah shebalev (service of the heart); the essence of the avodah must also be avodah shebalev — to act upon the inner dimension of the heart, so that he has a feeling for the matter and an inner connection to it. This shows that he is connected to the matter, and this is called being well-grounded, and this is "establishing students."
This is what the Tzemach Tzedek said to Rabbi Hillel of Paritch: that his traveling among the settlements to strengthen Jews is the essence of the avodah and the essence of the matter; this is "anan po'alei dimama," we are laborers of the day.
This teaching, as mentioned, was written by the Rebbe Rayatz to a chassid — who was at the time the director of the "Torat Emet" yeshivah in Jerusalem. The Rebbe writes to him in a very forceful manner, even using sharp expressions, that he expects to see him raise students who are permeated with the finest and choicest part of the pnimiyut; and in the language there — "baked with the warmth of feeling," that they should possess a chassidic warmth. And if there is such a thing, one can attain the purpose of creation and the purpose of man. That is, he expects him to raise students upon whom the avodah will be evident in a very inner, pnimiyut-oriented way.
Let us conclude with one of the talks in which the Rebbe Rayatz brings this teaching. He holds it in high esteem and says that we learn six things from it, and he explains what they are. We will state this briefly, and in the original talk one can see the full elaboration.
First point: we learned that one must set aside one's personal good for the sake of another. If you are torn over whether to invest in yourself or in another — set aside your personal benefit and invest in the other. This is one point from the Tzemach Tzedek's reply to Reb Hillel.
The second point: we see here that a mitzvah and an obligation is placed upon us — to illuminate. We are "pnei dimma" (day workers); we must illuminate the homes of Jews and illuminate their hearts.
The third matter: how every Chabad chossid, each one according to his level, is to fulfill the mitzvah incumbent upon him — and this is a chovas gavra, a personal obligation upon each individual to illuminate the hearts of Jews with the light of Chassidus.
Fourth point: if one wishes to illuminate someone's heart and to uplift him — this can be accomplished only through Chassidus. For we see from the saying that studying the revealed Torah is not sufficient; only through the teachings of Chassidus can one truly illuminate the heart of a Jew.
The fifth matter: What is the virtue of the light of Chassidus? He elaborates on this: the light of Chassidus is an essential light, a light that does not change in any place even if you try to change it. And he brings an analogy from fire: if the fire is a coal or a flame, it can be extinguished and it vanishes; but if the fire is an essential light, like the fire within a flintstone, it remains forever, and even if placed in water for a long time it does not lose its capacity. One must know that the teaching of Chassidus is an essential light, which has the power to illuminate in every circumstance and always.
The sixth point: In order to succeed in this, to reveal that essential light, one needs mesirus nefesh. This is demanded specifically of Reb Hillel — mesirus nefesh to travel about and to act. If you act out of mesirus nefesh, you have the power to reveal the essential light of Chassidus, and thereby to have an effect on Jews and to arouse them. This is the main point and the essence of our task, and this is the content of the daily teaching.