"Room" one hundred and ninety-eight in the hall of Hayom Yom.
Sunday, 10 Sivan 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Behaaloscha, first parshah with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 10th of the month, from chapter 55 to chapter 59 inclusive.
Tanya, today we begin learning chapter 3 in Shaar Hayichud Vehaemunah, from the beginning of the chapter, from the word "Vehineh", and the daily shiur concludes with the words "efes bilado".
The source of the daily teaching is a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz on 6 Elul 5697. The subject of the letter is how it is necessary and possible to serve Hashem in every place - there are no places that are irrelevant to this matter. The letter is relatively long.
Later in the letter, the Rebbe Rayatz brings a story that in the time of Admur Hazaken, there was a young man who was a great iluy and very talented, and his name was Rabbi Zev Dov. He arrived from the yeshivos of Minsk and Slutsk, from the misnagdim, and came to Admur Hazaken. He was a tremendous lamdan and highly proficient, but nevertheless, he was arrogant and haughty; however, he had a good and moderate character, and his good character covered up his pride somewhat, and somehow it passed.
After several months of diligently studying chassidus in a very serious manner, a change for the better was noticeable in him. At that time, he merited to enter Admur Hazaken twice, and a great change took place within him. Sometime later, he related what Admur Hazaken told him during the first yechidus he entered, and the daily teaching is taken from that first yechidus in which Admur Hazaken spoke with Rabbi Zev Dov, who believed he was perfect. Let us read the text, which is originally in Yiddish, and translate.
"Rabbeinu Hazaken answered someone upon his entering yechidus" What did Admur Hazaken say to that individual upon entering yechidus? "Bnei Yisrael are called 'lamps'" - as is known from the verse "The lamp of Hashem is the soul of man." What is a "lamp"? This is a general word that includes details: "A lamp consists of a vessel, a wick, oil and fire." In order for the lamp to burn, several components are needed - the vessel, the wick, the oil (the combustible material) and the fire. But it is not enough to have a vessel, wick, oil and fire; "but one must ignite the fire, and then it illuminates." If the fire is not kindled - you have everything, and it is nothing.
After Admur Hazaken spoke about the matter, he turned to that young man and said to him: "The lamp within you is good" - you have a good vessel, a good wick and oil, you have everything; "but you lack someone to light it."
How does one ignite the fire? At the beginning of the creation of the world, as related, how did Adam Harishon create fire? He struck two stones together and created a spark of fire. And so he told him: "Through striking the stone of the nefesh habehamis with force" - when you strike the stone of the nefesh habehamis with force - for the nefesh habehamis is like a stone, and must be struck with force - "a spark of fire flies out" from the striking, and this spark that emerged from striking the nefesh habehamis "ignites the Eish HaElokis", and then you will begin to illuminate.
Further in the letter, the Rebbe Rayatz continues and concludes that every Jew is like a lamp, and everything depends on who lights the fire; and sometimes the fire needs to descend from above. He brings the verse stated regarding Eliyahu Hanavi, that the fire descended from above and licked up even the water. But in order for the fire to descend from above, a special tefillah is needed, as it was with Eliyahu. And when was the tefillah of Eliyahu answered? He says, that Eliyahu was answered during the Minchah tefillah.
He explains what "Minchah tefillah" is: in a person's life there are Shacharis, Minchah and Maariv. Shacharis - childhood, the beginning of the path; Maariv - the days of old age; and Minchah - the time of the choicest years, the days of youth which are the choicest of years. This period is the period of avodah, in which one must act and work so that the fire will descend from above. This is the conclusion of the letter of the Rebbe Rayatz.
It is interesting that the Rebbe once spoke about this exact point, in a slightly different manner but with the same idea. This was in the month of Adar 5720, when a group of students entered the Rebbe for yechidus, and the Rebbe explained to them with a mashal: "Just as electricity is produced, there is a power station that supplies electricity; and the small lamp you have is connected by a metal wire extending from the power station to the lamp. But in order for the lamp to draw the energy from the power station, one must find the switch and press it, and then you will be able to draw the energy from the power station."
And what is the nimshal? Every neshamah is like the lamp, and every neshamah is connected to Elokus - to a power station that draws down spiritual power to each and every individual; but everyone must find the switch appropriate for them in order to activate their neshamah. At the conclusion, the students asked the Rebbe: "And what is the role of the Rebbe?", and the Rebbe replied that his role is to help a Jew find the switch, and to assist him in connecting his lamp to the power station, so that it can indeed illuminate and burn. This is the same idea that Admur Hazaken said to that young man who entered him for the first yechidus.