Chapter Seven Introduction This paragraph is very unique. It is almost as a parenthesis to the mamor. The Rebbe is pointing out that the story of Purim, unlike the story of Chanukah, the selfsacrifice that Mordechai empowered the Jewish people was in a revealed manner to the entire Jewish people. For each and every Jew of that generation did not entertain a foreign thought of denouncing, not their faith in G-d, nor their observance of Torah and Mitzvos, even in public.
Then the Rebbe starts talking about the Previous Rebbe, that by the Previous Rebbe “passing verdict” upon Mordechai, that he was like Moses, that in an open and revealed way all saw that he was shepherding the faith of Israel to the entire generation, the Previous Rebbe has “passed verdict” upon himself, that as such it was also concerning him. The Rebbe applies a teaching on to the language of the Mishna (-Ethics of Our Fathers, beginning of Chapter Three) “Law (verdict) and Accounting” ((first) ‘law’ and afterwards “accounting”).
The Rebbe explains in FOOTNOTE 40 that this explanation is in accordance with the words of the Mishna (-ibid, Mishna 16) that “and exact payment from man, ‘with his knowledge’ and ‘without his knowledge’” that after this that the person rules “with his knowledge” his “verdict” upon his friend, he has (in effect) passed “verdict” upon himself “without his knowledge”, for through this “verdict” (of his upon the other) we make the “accounting” concerning his own state of being. “ 7) And behold it is known that actual self-sacrifice for Torah and Mitzvos of all of Israel was on Purim (at the time f the decree of Haman).
For the self-sacrifice of Chanukah (at the time of the decree of the Syrian-Greeks) was (primarily) by Matisyahu and his sons, However, the self-sacrifice in the time of the decree of Haman was by all of Israel.” We mentioned earlier that for the entire year of Haman’s decree there was not even one Jew who had a foreign thought of denouncing their faith in G-d, and even more than this, they participated in Mordechai’s gathering congregations in public to study Torah, and observed Torah and Mitzvos with self-sacrifice.
In the times of Chanukah, it was primarily the Hasmonaean, Matisyahu and his sons, who from the Judean Mountains wage war against the mighty Syrian- Greek army. The power for Israel’s self-sacrifice, as we explained earlier, comes from the Faithful Shepherd of that generation. Thus, if in Mordechai’s generation all of Israel had self-sacrifice, this means that Mordechai was openly feeding the faith of all the Jews of his generation.
“And according to this (that all of Israel of Mordechai’s generation had self-sacrifice) there is to explain that which is brought in the (Previous Rebbe’s) mamor38 from the Midrash16, that ‘Mordecai was considered in his generation as Moses was in his generation’ that even though the ‘manifestation of Moses’ is in every generation, nevertheless, the Midrash states that Mordechai (specifically) was considered in his generation as Moses was in his generation.” The Rebbe is pointing out that there are the “Manifestation of Moses” exists within every generation.
Nevertheless, the Midrash speaks of an equality specifically between Mordechai and Moses. Why? “And it can be said, that of the virtues of Mordecha HaYehudi is that he is the ‘Faithful Shepherd’ ( openly) of all of Israel of his generation. (This is) in likeness to Moses(’ way of being a) ‘Faithful Shepherd’, who drew ‘Da’as’ to all of Israel in his generation, as is understood from this that the generation of Moses (all the men of his generation) were called ‘Generation of Da’as39’.
” The Rebbe is explaining that of the unique virtues of Mordechai is that he was the “Faithfull Shepherd” feeding and sustaining the faith of Israel that they observe Torah and Mitzvos with self-sacrifice was openly to all of Isreal of his generation. As we just explained that at Purim, in the time of the decree of Haman all of Israel observed Torah and Mitzvos with self-sacrifice. This virtue of being openly the “Faithful Shepherd” of all of Israel, we find by Moses.
We explained that Moses’ being a “Faithful Shepherd” was through his feeding and sustaining the faith of Israel with Da’as, and we find that all of the men of Israel of Moses’ generation are called “Generation of Da’as”. Note: The Rebbe adds on the word “men” of Moses’ generation. Maybe this is linked with the following Rashi (-Deuteronomy 34:8) concerning the Jewish people’s mourning Moses: “‘(And) the sons of Israel (wept for Moses)’ the males.
However, concerning (the passing of) Aaron, since he used to pursue peace and bring peace be- (the passing of) Aaron, since he used to pursue peace and bring peace between a man and his fellow and between a woman and her husband, it is said (at Aaron’s passing (-Num. 20:29)), ‘The whole house of Israel (wept for him)’, meaning both males and females.” Meaning, that Moses’ primary service was that he taught Torah (Da’as) to Israel, and this was done primarily with the men. Thus, it was primarily the men who wept for Moses after his passing.
From this Rashi we understand why the Rebbe is saying that it was the primarily all the men who were the “Generation of Da’as”. Maybe we can say that in this Mordechai was even greater than Moses, for Mordechai brought about a self-sacrifice within men, women, and children, for their faith in G-d and observance of Torah and Mitzvos. And so it is as well with the Previous Rebbe, as the Rebbe will soon explain.
“[Only that by Moses the revelation of this concept (that he is a ‘Faithful Shepherd’ to all of Israel) was through drawing ‘Da’as’ to all the men of his generation, while by Mordechai the revelation of this concept was through this that he revealed the potency of self-sacrifice within all the men of his generation].
The Rebbe, in a brackets, mentions what he said earlier, in the difference between Moses himself, and the Moses of Each Generation in the times when selfsacrifice was needed, that Moses was a “Faithful Shepherd” through feeding the faith of Israel with “Da’as”, while Mordechai did so through empowering Israel with self-sacrifice. Note: In connection with the compiler’s last note, here the Rebbe states that Mordechai revealed the self-sacrifice in all the men of his generation. The compiler does not understand why.