Room number two hundred forty-three in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Wednesday, 25 Tammuz 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Mattos-Massei, Revi'i, with the commentary of Rashi.
Tehillim, on the 25th of the month, one recites the first half of chapter 119 — from the word "Ashrei" at the beginning of the chapter, until the end of the letter lamed, which concludes with the words "rechavah mitzvatecha me'od."
Tanya: On this day one begins chapter 7 of Iggeret HaTeshuvah, from the word "Ve'ulam," and the portion concludes on page 97 with the words "venidkeh etc."
The saying is taken from a letter that the Rebbe Rayatz wrote on this day (25 Tammuz 5698), five years before the Rebbe published the "Hayom Yom." The letter is very long and includes a variety of topics, and in many of his letters the Rebbe Rayatz would append a summary of their content. In the summary of this letter, as far as the daily saying is concerned, it speaks about the essence of the point of Yiddishkeit that is in each and every one, and about its reality — what is the essence of the point of Yiddishkeit, and what is the reality of its expression.
Let us examine the wording of the teaching. The original is in Yiddish, and in translation: "There exist in Chassidus two very characteristic expressions" — two expressions that are very characteristic of the approach of the teachings of Chassidus. What are these two expressions?
The first expression: "a) A Jew recognizes G-dliness and senses the supernatural and has no need for proofs of this". That is, a Jew, by his very inner nature, feels G-dliness and feels that which is above nature, without any proof; the matter is clear to him. This is the first expression.
The second expression: "b) A Jew does not want and cannot be separated from Godliness". Seemingly these are two separate expressions.
But the Rebbe Rayatz concludes in his letter: "The truth is that the two expressions are one" — the two expressions are really one and the same thing. And in one sentence he combines both together: "A Jew recognizes G-dliness and senses that which is above nature — therefore he cannot be disconnected from G-dliness".
Later in the letter, the Rebbe Rayatz summarizes the two expressions: the first expresses the essence of the point of Yiddishkeit, and the second — its existence. The letter greatly arouses its recipients to influence Jews and to have an effect upon them, and in a striking phrase the Rebbe Rayatz says: every arousal with which one arouses another is a divine spark that emerges from the heart of the one who arouses. And if the spark strikes its target — the point of Yiddishkeit of the one being aroused — its effect is beyond estimation; from every "hitting the target" tremendous results may grow.
This expression recurs in dozens of places and letters. In one of the letters the Rebbe quotes the statement — that a Jew does not want and cannot be severed — and adds: at times a person encounters a reality that seemingly does not accord with these words, and this drives him to despair, as if the saying were not always relevant and applicable. Regarding this he says that one must remember that everyone has two souls; he also has an animal soul, which disturbs and conceals. But in truth, this is the genuine and inner essence of every Jew — this is how one must look at him, this is how one must look at ourselves, and consequently at one's fellow as well.