Room one hundred and seventy-nine in the hall of Hayom Yom.
Tuesday, 21 Av, 35 days to the Omer, 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Bechukotai, Shlishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 21st of the month, we say from chapter 97 to chapter 103 inclusive.
Tanya, we are in chapter 49. The daily shiur is on page 70, from the words "Vehinei kaasher", and concludes with the words "bedivrei Torah".
The daily teaching is taken from a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz on 12 Adar I 5698. A chassid wrote a letter to the Rebbe Rayatz whose content was dejection and great despair - that nothing is moving and nothing is being done - and full of complaints about this one and that one.
The Rebbe Rayatz writes him a very short letter. He tells him that he deserves a strong rebuke on the matter, since such an approach only ruins and is of no use at all. And then he writes him this teaching, followed by a small conclusion in the letter.
What does he write to him? The letter is written in Yiddish, and its literal translation is somewhat difficult. In the conceptual translation there are several ways to understand the words: one way - "there is no one with whom to shirk responsibility"; and in another way - "there is no one with whom to be pampered, there is no one to complain to, and there is no point in complaining." This is the meaning of the sentence, and all the ways are correct; there are several translators, and each translates differently, but the essence of the matter is: you, the writer, are complaining and in a state of dejection, and you claim that no one is doing anything.
"There is no one with whom to 'be pampered.' One must toil. With patience and bringing minds closer, it is possible, with G-d's help, to resolve everything" - when a person acts with patience and bringing minds closer, he will succeed with G-d's help to accomplish everything.
"By nullifying others and elevating oneself, one loses, Heaven forbid, everything" - when going in this path, where a person nullifies others and elevates himself, like that writer who says "this one is not doing and that one is not doing, and the whole environment is not okay" - one loses everything.
The point, as the Rebbe Rayatz concludes in the letter, is: "Decrease sighs" - stop sighing, "and increase in avodah" - act and work, "and know that if I am not for myself, who will be for me." You must act without sending complaints and without blaming anyone; you are in the street - accomplish and act.