” The first dimension is: “When Israel find themselves in the state of ‘crushed’ from this that there are decrees against observing Torah and Mitzvos (as it was in the time of (the Previous Rebbe) saying the mamor (with the decrees of Stalin’s regime against children studying Torah, and more)), and through this they reach to the ‘luminary’ through their self-sacrifice.
” Then there is the second dimension: “And another concept in ‘crushed to luminary’ is when Israel find themselves in a state of broadness, physical broadness and also spiritual broadness, but they find themselves in exile41 [And as was the state that they were in after the miracle of Purim, which, ‘The Jews had light and joy, and gladness and honor42’, in its simple (physical) meaning and also spiritually43 [and more than this ‘ that also the House of Haman was given to Esther44, which was also the virtue of ‘transformation’], only that ‘we are still servants of Achashverosh’45], (and from this) they (the Children of Israel) are broken and depressed (‘crushed’) from this that they are in exile.
” And from this ‘crushed’ that Israel is from finding themselves in exile, they reach to the ‘luminary’.” (i) Then Rebbe states in bold that in addition to being freed from the decree, there was also the “ the House of Haman was given to Esther, which was also the virtue of ‘transformation’”. Chasidus explains that there are two dimensions to the mission of Israel in this world: (a) “iskafya - subjugation”, which is to subjugate the Other Side to Holiness, meaning that the Other Side still exists as an evil, only that they are subjugated to Holiness, and have absolutely no say in matters.
(b) “ishapcha - transformation”, which is the transformation of the Other Side to Holiness, meaning that the very Other Side, the manifestation of “I”, and the drive for “pleasure”, are now all about Holiness. The latter is a much higher state of being (even thought there is a virtue to the incredible service of iskafya). (ii) The Rebbe quotes the teaching “we were still the servants of Ahasuerus”. According to one way of the counting of the exiles, Achashverosh is the Fourth Exile, of the Four Exiles that Israel must go through. And thus, “we were still the servants of Ahasuerus” until Moshiach comes.
The simple meaning of the Talmud is about why we don’t say the Hallel prayer on Purim: “Rava said (a reason why hallel is not recited on Purim): Granted (that hallel is said) there, (when recalling the exodus from Egypt, as after the salvation there, they could recite the phrase in hallel (-Psalms 113:1):) ‘Give praise, O servants of the L-rd’ (after their servitude to Pharaoh ended with their salvation, they were truly servants of the L-rd) and not servants of Pharaoh.
But (can it be said) here, (after the limited salvation commemorated on Purim) ‘Give praise, O servants of the L-rd,’ (which would indicate that after the salvation the Jewish people were only servants of the L-rd) and not servants of Ahasuerus? (No, even after the miracle of Purim,) we were still the servants of Ahasuerus (as the Jews remained in exile under Persian rule, and consequently the salvation, which was incomplete, did not merit an obligation to say hallel.)
” Now the Rebbe begins to explain the second dimension: “ And the concept is, that this which Israel are broken from this that they are in exile (even when they have physical and spiritual abundance), is because the true will of every one of Israel is that there should be the revelation of Divinity, to the point that this (revelation of Divinity) touches the Essence of his Beingness, and therefore, this which in the time of exile the revelation of Divinity is not shining as it was in the time of the Holy Temple [And in particular when one concentrates upon this which our Sages, of blessing memory, say46, ‘’All who the Holy Temple was not rebuilt in their days, it is as if it was destroyed in his days],” “Behold, from this is he completely shaken, ‘crushed’.
” This is the meaning of the second dimension of “crushed to luminary”, that his being “crushed” from this which there is no “revelation of Divinity” touches him to his “luminary - Essence of the Soul”.
Now the Rebbe speaks of even those by whom there is “revelation of Divinity”, to the point as it was in the Holy Temple, nevertheless, there is not the revelation of the Essence of G-d: “And even when one is in the extremely exalted level that by him there is shining the revelation of divinity in likeness to the revelation that there was in the time of the Holy Temple47, nevertheless, from this that in the general world there isn’t shining the revelation, it is evident, that also the revelation that he is having is limited.
” In FOOTNOTE FORTY-SEVEN the Rebbe quotes a teaching that by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, there was no destruction of the Holy Temple, meaning that even in exile, when he had to hide for his life in a cave, nevertheless, wherever he was, there was the revelation of Divinity as it was in the times of the Holy Temple. Note: The Rebbe once told the story that once they told Rabbi Menachem Mendel Horodker (aka Vitebsker) that Moshiach came, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Horodker went to the window to smell the air, and said, “No, Moshiach has not yet arrived”.
The Rebbe explains that Rabbi Menachem Mendel Horodker had to go to the window to smell the air outside, because in his room the air of Moshiach was there.
Now the Rebbe explains why we must say that even though by this individual there is already the revelation of Divinity as it was by the Holy Temple, and yet it must be that it is finite: “For when there is the revelation of the Infinite Light, which is without borders, the revelation is everywhere, and when there is one place (even a ‘rejected corner’) where there isn’t shining the revelation of divinity, it is because the revelation (also in the place where there is the illumination) it is a finite revelation.
[And this is what is brought in the mamor of the Alter Rebbe48 that it states in Tikkunim49 that if there was even one tazadik (righteous person) who ‘returned with complete Teshuvah (repentance; returning to G-d), then in his generation Moshiach would come’, (the reason being) for through complete Teshuvah the revelation of the Infinite Light, without borders, is drawn, and this revelation (once drawn) is everywhere].
” The entire existence of categories of holiness (as that of the Mishna speaking of Ten Dimensions of Holiness within the Land of Israel), can only exist within the Finite Permeating Linear Light, in which there is definition and form, with a difference between top and bottom. However, if there is the illumination of the Infinite Encompassing Circular Light, in which all is equally naught, and there is no definition, form, top, or bottom, then the moment there is this revelation anywhere it is everywhere, for in the face of the Infinite Encompassing Circular Light there is no difference between any here or any there.