"Room" one hundred and ninety-three in the hall of Hayom Yom.
Tuesday, 5 Sivan, Erev Shavuot, 49 of the Omer, 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Naso, Shlishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 5 of the month, from chapter 29 to chapter 34 inclusive.
Tanya, on this day we conclude the first part of Tanya, Likkutei Amarim, at the end of chapter 53. The daily shiur begins on page 148, with the words "V'zehu she'amar heyenuka", until the end of the chapter with the words "b'makom acher".
The daily teaching is taken from a sicha that the Rebbe Rayatz told at a farbrengen on the second day of Shavuot, in the year 5697. He relates there that there were times when the Alter Rebbe would say Torah on Erev Shavuot, and tells of one of these occasions, which was in the year 5557. And this is the wording: "Erev Shavuot 5557, Rabbeinu Hazaken said Torah".
The Alter Rebbe said a very short dvar Torah - as it concludes here, literally two lines - and then comes an explanation, in which Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak explained the meaning of his words. And this is what he says: "V'kidashtam hayom umachar etc." - this is the verse stated in preparation for Matan Torah: "And Hashem said to Moshe, go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments".
The Alter Rebbe explains the verse: it contains "and sanctify them today and tomorrow", and the continuation "and let them wash their garments". And the Alter Rebbe says: "And sanctify them today and tomorrow - this is from above" - this drawing down of holiness, today and tomorrow, comes from above and does not depend on the Jewish people; "But 'and let them wash their garments' - this must be done with independent strength". This was the entire statement, the entire Torah that the Alter Rebbe said - just this line: he quoted the verse and said that this is from above, and this is upon us to do ourselves.
"That was the entire 'Torah'. And the Tzemach Tzedek explained: 'And sanctify them' was said to Moshe, and the extension of Moshe is in every generation - and they have the ability to sanctify the today and the tomorrow." On this comes the explanation of the Tzemach Tzedek, who explained the words of the Alter Rebbe years later. He asks: To whom was this expression said? To Moshe Rabbeinu, as the wording of the verse says, "And Hashem said to Moshe, go to the people". And this is not only Moshe Rabbeinu then, at the time of Matan Torah for the first time; rather, according to the words of the Zohar (Tikunei Zohar), the extension of Moshe Rabbeinu continues anew in every single generation. If so, there is a "Moshe Rabbeinu of every generation", and in every generation anew that same power given to the Moshe Rabbeinu of the generation exists to bring about the matter of "and sanctify them today and tomorrow". They - the Nesi'im of the generation, the extension of Moshe in every generation - have the ability to sanctify the today and the tomorrow.
"But in addition to this, there must be 'and let them wash their garments' - the garments of thought, speech, and action, and this must be done with independent strength." But in order that they indeed do so, what must we do? For the "and sanctify them" to be fulfilled, we must do something on our part - "and let them wash their garments"; we must take action so that we merit to receive the special power of the "and sanctify them" that the Moshe Rabbeinu of the generation brings about. What is "and let them wash their garments"? "Their garments" are the levushim, the clothes, and the spiritual intention is the garments of thought, speech, and action. These we must wash ourselves - the garments of thought, speech, and action.
What is the meaning of washing the garments of thought, speech, and action? Later in the sicha, there is a discussion in which one of the chassidim asked the Rebbe Rayatz, and the Rebbe answered him. The chossid asked: Is the intention to wash their garments with tears? - for washing is done with water, and he asked if one washes with tears. The Rebbe answered him: No, the intention is not washing with tears; "and let them wash" means simply, that they should be clean.
And what is the meaning of them being clean? In action - simply not to do inappropriate things. In speech - to curb the mouth from speech that is not clean. And in thought it is not enough, as in action and speech, simply not to do or not to speak; for in thought there is no such thing as "simply not thinking", as thought is an active process - and therefore one must think letters of Torah and tefillah. This is "and let them wash their garments", which the chassidic Jew must do himself, and consequently he merits the action of Moshe Rabbeinu, the "and sanctify them today and tomorrow".