The fortieth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Wednesday, 29 Teves 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Vayeira, Revi'i, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, the 29th of the month: we say from chapter 140 through chapter 150 and complete the entire sefer. Since this month has no 30th day, on the 29th we also say the Tehillim portion of the 30th, and we finish the entire sefer to its very end, since the next day will already be the beginning of the month of Shevat.
Tanya, we begin chapter 15, from the word "uvazeh" until the words "chalal bekirbo," on page 40.
The daily teaching originates with the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek, and the Rebbe quotes it from a letter that the Rebbe Rayatz wrote to a chassid on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Shevat 5688. First let us look at the source of the opening phrase of the teaching: "Anan po'alei dimama anan," which translated means "We are day laborers" - we are workers of the day.
The source of this saying is a quotation from the Gemara in Tractate Eiruvin (page 65a), where it discusses which is the clearest and best time to learn and to absorb one's learning. Let us look at a passage from the discussion. Rabbi Yehudah says that the night was created for sleeping - meaning, learning should be done by day, and the night was created for sleep; whereas Reish Lakish says that the light of the moon was created so that one could learn by its light. And as is understood from the commentaries, there is no real disagreement between them; rather, they differ as to whether the discussion concerns the short summer nights - during which one must sleep - or the long winter nights, during which one should sit and learn.
The discussion then brings another view: they once said to Rabbi Zeira that the teachings he says are very sharp and very good, and he answered, "This is Torah that I learned by day" - for by day one's absorption is very good. Afterwards comes the statement: "Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said, anan po'alei dimama anan," we are day laborers - that one should learn Torah by day, because it is the primary time of clarity for learning. Thus far the language of the Gemara, which brings this saying in order to discuss when the clearest time for learning is.
The Tzemach Tzedek takes this statement from the Gemara and translates it into avodas Hashem. And so the Tzemach Tzedek once said to his chassid, Reb Hillel Paritcher. Reb Hillel had a complaint: it came about that he would travel for several months of the year, occupied with journeys to the colonies in order to encourage Jews and strengthen them, and during those months he was drawn away from Torah and avodah and could not learn himself. With this complaint he came to the Tzemach Tzedek in yechidus, and the Tzemach Tzedek's answer is the teaching we are learning today.
What did he answer him? He told him "anan po'alei dimama anan," we are workers of the day, and he explained the inner meaning of this phrase: "Yom means light," and the word "yom" is synonymous with "or," light. In other words, when we say "we are workers of the day," the meaning is "we are workers of light" - our task is to work with light and to illuminate, and "our avodah is the avodah of light." Our avodah as chassidim is to illuminate, "to illuminate the world with the light of Torah" - this is our avodah.
And he elaborates: "And apart from the fact that one must, with Hashem's help, stand in a good state and condition oneself" - besides the fact that a person must see to it that his own spiritual standing be a good, stable and illuminated one. And he says this in Yiddish as well: "to be oneself as one ought to be" - and in addition to working on oneself, they, the "workers of light," were sent - what is the essence of their avodah?
As we mentioned, the Tzemach Tzedek said this to a chassid who complained that his extensive involvement with others detracts from his own personal avodah. And the Rebbe answers him: "Behold, the entire avodah is to merit to establish talmidim" - the entire avodah of a chassid and all his aspiration should be to establish talmidim. "To establish talmidim" is borrowed from the language of the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos, "and they established many talmidim." And he explains in Yiddish what "to establish talmidim" means - "fundamental people"; "to establish" also carries the sense of something that stands firm and well founded, that is, people who are well grounded and fundamental, in whom things are present in a strong, fundamental and internal way.
"Who will be devoted in their heart and mind to the inner intention" - to educate chassidim and talmidim who will be well grounded in the path in which they are being educated. And where is the test of whether the matter is well grounded within him, or whether he is doing it only to fulfill his obligation? He elaborates: "that the study of the revealed Torah and a fondness for holiness in keeping the mitzvos is not enough, but one also needs avodah of the heart." That a person learns nigleh and keeps mitzvos and even cherishes their observance - this is wonderful, but it is still no proof that his spiritual avodah is well grounded. What is the touchstone? The main avodah must also be avodah of the heart - to work upon the inwardness of the heart, that he have feeling in the matter and an inner connection to it. This shows that he is connected to the thing, and this is called being well grounded, and this is "establishing talmidim."
This is what the Tzemach Tzedek said to Reb Hillel Paritcher: that his traveling to the colonies to strengthen Jews is the main avodah and the main point; this is "anan po'alei dimama," we are workers of the day.
This teaching, as mentioned, was written by the Rebbe Rayatz to a chassid - who was then the director of Yeshivas "Toras Emes" in Jerusalem. The Rebbe writes to him very forcefully, and even in sharp expressions, that he expects to see him establish talmidim who are permeated with the finest and choicest of inwardness; and in the language there - "baked in the warmth of feeling," that they should have a chassidic warmth. And if such a thing exists, one can reach the purpose of creation and the purpose of man. That is, he expects of him that he establish talmidim upon whom the avodah will be visible in a very inner way.
Let us conclude with one of the sichos in which the Rebbe Rayatz brings this teaching. He values it very highly and says that we learn six things from it, and he explains what they are. We will state them briefly, and in the original sicha one can see the elaboration.
The first thing: we learn that one must set aside one's personal good for the sake of another. If there is a dilemma whether to invest in oneself or in another - one must set aside one's own personal benefit and invest in the other. This is one point in the Tzemach Tzedek's answer to Reb Hillel.
The second thing: we see here that there is a mitzvah and an obligation upon us to illuminate. We are "po'alei dimama"; one must illuminate the homes of Jews and illuminate their hearts.
The third thing: how every Chabad chassid, each one according to his level, is to fulfill the mitzvah incumbent upon him - and this is a chovas gavra, a personal obligation upon each and every one, to illuminate the hearts of Jews with the light of chassidus.
The fourth thing: if one wants to illuminate someone's heart and uplift him - only through chassidus can this be done. For we see in the teaching that studying the revealed Torah is not enough; only through the teachings of chassidus can one truly illuminate a Jew's heart.
The fifth thing: what is the special quality of the light of chassidus? He elaborates on this: the light of chassidus is an essential light, a light that does not change in any place even if attempts are made to change it. And he brings an example from fire: if the fire is a coal or a flame, it can be extinguished and it disappears; but if the fire is an essential light, like the fire within a flintstone, it remains forever, and even if it is placed in water for a long time it will not lose its capability. One must know that the teachings of chassidus are an essential light, which has the power to illuminate in every situation and always.
The sixth thing: in order to succeed in this, to reveal that essential light, one needs mesirus nefesh. This was demanded specifically of Reb Hillel - mesirus nefesh to travel around and to act. If you act out of mesirus nefesh, you have the power to reveal the essential light of chassidus, and through this to have an effect upon Jews and to arouse them. This is the main point and our main task, and this is the content of the daily teaching.