The three hundred and twelfth "room" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Tuesday, 6 Tishrei 5704.
Lessons: Chumash, Vezot Haberachah, Shlishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 6 Tishrei: recite from chapter 35 through chapter 38 inclusive; and the three additional chapters are 103, 104, and 105.
Tanya, continuation of Iggeret 20. The lesson begins on page 131 with the words "vehineh kemo chein," and ends on page 262 with the word "lehachayotam."
The teaching is a continuation of what we learned on 3 Tishrei, regarding the saying of Rabbi Moshe of Anipoli, that each of the letters of the word "teshuvah" alludes to a particular concept, and together they are the stages in the avodah of teshuvah. We learned about the letter tav — "tamim tihyeh im Hashem Elokecha" (be wholehearted with Hashem your G-d), and about the letter shin — "shivisi Hashem lenegdi tamid" (I have set Hashem before me always). Now we have arrived at the letter vav, and what is its allusion in teshuvah? Vav is the acronym of the verse "ve'ahavta lerei'acha kamocha" (love your fellow as yourself).
And what does this matter have to do with the avodah of teshuvah? First it is explained what the meaning, the power, and the importance of ahavas Yisrael is, as the Alter Rebbe said, "that this is a vessel for 've'ahavta es Hashem Elokecha' (and you shall love Hashem your G-d)." The vessel through which a person can connect to the love of Hashem in an inner and true manner, and the touchstone for his love of Hashem in general, is by having within him ahavas Yisrael. As explained in Tanya, chapter 32, that the essence and root of the entire Torah is that a person should make the soul prevail over the body, and this is the ultimate purpose of the entire life of the Jew.
And what is the touchstone that proves the soul matters more to a person than the body? That he is capable of loving his fellow. For everything that separates one person from another is the body; and as long as the body occupies the primary place in his eyes, it is difficult for him to unite with his fellow. But if the soul is what is primary to him, and since all souls are joined together, then he has within him the capacity to love his fellow. This is why the vessel for love of G-d is ahavas Yisrael.
And as explained in the maamar, this is also the inner explanation of the mishnah in Pirkei Avos: "Anyone with whom the spirit of his fellow creatures is pleased, the spirit of the Omnipresent is pleased with him." A person who possesses ahavas Yisrael — "the spirit of his fellow creatures is pleased with him," and consequently "the spirit of the Omnipresent is pleased with him," and consequently he also possesses ahavas Hashem. This is the inner meaning of the mishnah.
And what is the conclusion, the bottom line of the teaching? "The avodah of teshuvah that comes as a result of a good heart." For if a person has a good heart, it is a sign that Elokus is more important and more powerful to him than the physical and the body, and consequently he returns to Hashem and cleaves to Him. Consequently, this is an avodah of teshuvah that is connected to and expressed in the letter vav, in "ve'ahavta le're'acha kamocha."