Chapter Four Introduction In this chapter the Rebbe is presenting a possible answer to his question, and then explains why this answer does not suffice. In order to understand the answer that the Rebbe presents, let us remember that the Previous Rebbe’s mamor begins with explaining the teaching on the verse “And the Jews took upon themselves what they had commenced to do”, that in the days of the Giving of the Torah was but the beginning (“commenced to do”), and in the days Achashverosh was the “acceptance” (“took upon themselves”).
The Previous Rebbe asks, “this is wonderous”, for how is it that in the darkest days of Haman’s decree the Jewish people accomplished that which they didn’t in their highest moments at the Giving of the Torah? The Previous Rebbe answers that it is because that in the times of Haman’s decree Torah-study and Mitzvos-observance was with self-sacrifice, which is the revelation of the Essence of the Soul , that his is how the Jewish people accomplished in the dark times that which they couldn't even in their highest moment.
The Previous Rebbe then explains that the Jewish people observing Torah and Mitzvos through selfsacrifice was awakened in them through Mordechai, the “Moses of His Generation”. In connection with this, the Previous Rebbe is explaining the “crushed for luminary” that it is through the being crushed in the dark times of exile, that the Jewish people - -through observing Mitzvos with self-sacrifice-- reach the luminary - Essence.
Thus, it now makes sense that the Previous Rebbe connects the concept of “crushed for luminary” with the concept that it is the “Moses of Each Generation”, such as Mordechai, who give the Jewish people the power to observe Torah and Mitzvos with self-sacrifice, through revealing within them the Essence of the Soul. However, the Previous Rebbe goes on in great length that Moses, the original Moses, is the “Faithful shepherd - Shepherd of Faith”. Moses was not shepherding the Jewish people in dark times of decrees. Thus, Moses didn't awaken self-sacrifice for Torah -observance.
Yet, the Previous Rebbe seems to connect the “crushed for luminary” with this that Moses, the original Moses, feeds and sustains the faith of Israel. Thus, the question: What is the connection between this and the “crushed for luminary”? “ 4) And Behold the explanation to the verse ‘And you shall connect’ comes (in the mamor) in connection to the beginning of the mamor, the explanation that ‘And the Jews took upon themselves what they had commenced to do18’ is that they accepted that which they began in the time of the Giving of the Torah19.
” “That at the Giving of the Torah there was the beginning (‘commenced to do’), and in the days Achashverosh (in the time of the decree) there was the acceptance, ‘took upon themselves’.” “[As that of the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory21, on the verse21 ‘The Jews ordained and accepted upon themselves’, they ordained that which they already had accepted upon themselves, that this which they prefaced ‘we will do’ to ‘we will hear’ at the Giving of th Torah was only the acceptance, and in the days of Achashverosh22 they ordained that which they (had already previously) accepted23].
” The Rebbe’s question was about the association of the Previous Rebbe explanation on the “Crushed for luminary” with his explanation of Moses and the Moses of Each Generation being the Faithful Shepherd - Shepherd of Faith for Israel.
The Rebbe is now taking a step back, so to speak, and explaining that in the Previous Rebbe’s mamor the entire verse of “and you shall command… crushed for luminary…” is connected with what the Previous Rebbe explains on the teaching upon which the Previous Rebbe sets his mamor, which is the verse “And the Jews took upon themselves what they had commenced to do”, and the teaching of our Sages upon this verse that in the days of the Giving of the Torah was but the beginning, and in the days Achashverosh was the “acceptance”.
With this the Rebbe is going to lay forth the flow in the Previous Rebbe’s mamor, in which the correlation between the explanation on the “Crushed for luminary” with the explanation of Moses and the Moses of Each Generation being the Faithful Shepherd - Shepherds of Faith for Israel, is understood: “And he punctuates in the mamor, that seemingly this is a wonderous matter24, for at the Giving of the Torah Israel was in absolute elevation, and there was by them a revelation of Divinity at the highest level.
[That in addition to this that before the Giving of the Torah there was extremely elevated revelations, the revelation that there was at the exodus of Egypt, and particularly at the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds, behold, the revelation that there was at the time of the Giving of the Torah the revelation was even more elevated],” This was the state of the Children of Israel at the time of the Giving of the Torah.
“And in the days of Achashverosh, Israel was in an ultimate descent, that in addition to the concealment and the hiddenness of every exile, [For every exile is in the imagery of Egypt25, and just as with the exile of Egypt it is written26, ‘but they did not hearken to Moses because of shortness of breath and because of hard labor’, so too it is with all exiles, that there are some trials in observing Torah and Mitzvos], Behold, then (at the time of the decree of Haman) there was an even deeper concealment and hiddenness (than that of every exile), And nevertheless, at the time of the Giving of the Torah, when Israel was in absolute elevation, there was only the beginning (‘began to do’), and at the time of the decree of Haman, as they were in absolute lowliness, it was specifically then that they accepted that which they began to do at the Giving of the Torah.
” Thus, the Previous Rebbe’s mamor begins with his question on the teaching of the Sages on the verse in the Book of Esther. Then the Previous Rebbe gives his answer: “And he explains, that in the time of the decree, their observance of Torah and Mitzvos was with self-sacrifice.
[That in addition to this that there was their self-sacrifice not to disbelieve, Heaven forfend, [as explained in ‘Torah Ohr’27, that if they would have abandoned their religion nothing would have been done to them (Haman would have left them alone)], for the decree was only on the ‘Yehudim (a title for those who do not denounce their belief in G-d) , and nevertheless, there did not arise in their mind an external (foreign) thought, Heaven forfend], they had self-sacrifice even on the observance of Torah and Mitzvos28, to the point that the publicly congregated congregations to study Torah with self-sacrifice29].
” Then the Previous Rebbe explains: “And the awakening of their self-sacrifice was through Mordechai HaYehudi, the Moses of his generation. And this is ‘And the Jews took upon themselves what they had commenced to do’, for by the Giving of the Torah there was just the beginning, and in the times of the decree of Haman there was the acceptance, for through this that there was the actual self-sacrifice for (the observance of) Torah and Mitzvos, thus they were elevated (in this concept) to a far higher level than they were at the time of the Giving of the Torah, and therefore, specifically then there was the acceptance, ‘and the Jews accepted’.
” It is in connection with this that the Previous Rebbe explains the verse, “And you shall ‘tetzaveh’… crushed for luminary”.