Friday Tevet 24 5703
Torah Lessons (5703)	Chumash: Sh'mot, Shishi with Rashi. Tehillim: 113-118. Tanya: Ch. 13. Therewith will (p. 53)...as stated above.

On this day the Alter Rebbe passed away in the village Piena on Saturday night of Parshat Sh'mot 5573 (1813). He is interred in the city of Haditz.

My grandfather (R. Shmuel) asked the Tzemach Tzedek: What did Grandfather (the Alter Rebbe) intend with the "ways of Chassidus" and what did he intend with Chassidus?

The Tzemach Tzedek answered: The "ways of Chassidus" are that all Chassidim are to be like one family, with affection, as Torah teaches.

Chassidus is vitality.

Chassidus is to bring life and illumination into everything, to shed light even on the undesirable - to become aware of one's own evil exactly as it is, in order to correct it.

This explains the Talmudic statement[2] that "he who serves G-d" refers to one who revises his studies 101 times, while "he who serves Him not" refers to one who revises his studies only 100 times.

[It seems strange that this 101st revision should outweigh all the previous hundred, and should earn the student the designation of "he who serves G-d." However, when we appreciate the struggle one must face in order to learn more than is his custom, this is readily understood, as the Alter Rebbe goes on to explain].

This is so because in those [Talmudic] days, it was customary to review each lesson one hundred times.

[Thus, to review one hundred times did not require any effort; it was second nature. Only the 101st revision, which required effort beyond the student's custom, could gain him the appellation of "he who serves G-d]."

The Talmud illustrates this by the analogy of the market of the donkey drivers. The drivers would charge one zuz for ten parsi (Persian miles), but demanded two zuz for driving 11 parsi, for driving an eleventh mile exceeded their customary practice.

Therefore, this 101st revision, which is beyond the normal practice to which the student has been accustomed since his childhood, is equivalent to all the previous one hundred revisions combined.

In fact its quality surpasses them in its greater strength and power, so that it is only this one extra revision which entitles the student to be called "he who serves G-d."

For in order to change his habitual nature he must arouse [within himself] the love of G-d, by contemplating G-d's greatness in his mind, in order to master the nature that is in the left part of the heart, [the seat of the animal soul], which is full of the blood of the animal soul originating in kelipah, whence comes this nature; [and the power of his love enables him to transcend his nature].

And this - [to overpower one's animal soul through a love of G-d generated by meditation] - is a perfect service for a Beinoni.

An alternate [type of service for a Beinoni] is to arouse [to a revealed state] the love of G-d [inherently found] hidden in his heart, thereby to control the nature that is in the left part of the heart.

This, too, is called serving G-d, [although an imperfect service] - to wage war against his nature and inclination by arousing the love hidden in his heart.

If, however, he wages no war at all - [not engaging even in the lesser struggle of arousing the love hidden within him, e.g., when he studies only to the limits of his natural diligence, then although he employs his hidden love of G-d in his divine service, [10] yet] - this love in itself can in no way be credited to his service [and he is therefore called "he who serves Him not]."

[To be designated "one who serves G-d," the Beinoni must engage in a struggle with his evil inclination, either through a love of G-d born of meditation or at least by arousing his hidden love.

   

Notes:

2. (Back to text) Chagigah 9b.

10. (Back to text) He must employ at least his hidden love of G-d to motivate him to study Torah, for although he may be studious by nature yet he still desires his bodily comforts more than the constant study that displaces them.

Negative Mitzvah 280: It is forbidden to pervert justice for a convert or orphan
Deuteronomy 24:17 "You shall not pervert the judgment of the stranger or the or the orphan"

A judge may not consider the sensitive nature of an orphan or "Ger" (convert to Judaism) while siting in judgment.

He must base his verdict on fact.

This Negative Mitzvah cautions the judge not to give a lenient judgment because he has consideration for the sensitive nature of the person he is judging.

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Positive Mitzvah 177: Judging Honestly
Leviticus 19:15 "With righteousness, judge your neighbor"

In Heddy's school, a student who is sent to the principal's office for bad behavior, does not panic. She knows that the principal is fair.

He treats the students properly and never gives them too severe a punishment.

A Jew who is ordered to be brought before a Beit-Din was assured of fair judgment.

It was not dependent on the nature of the judge nor his mood!

The Torah commanded us to judge in a fair manner.

This is not merely a helpful suggestion or gentle prodding - it is a commandment!

The judge knows he is guided by a higher authority than his own.

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Negative Mitzvah 276: It is forbidden to fear the threats of a man being accused in judgment
Deuteronomy 1:17 "You shall not be afraid because of any man"

This Negative Mitzvah encourages the judge to act honestly and bravely in judgment.

The Torah commands him not to fear while judging.

He should not be afraid that the accused person will do him harm or take revenge. The Torah tells us not to be frightened, but to bring about proper judgment.

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Negative Mitzvah 274: It is forbidden to accept bribery in judgment
Exodus 23:8 "And you shall take no bribe"

Occasionally, we hear about people receiving large sums of money as bribes. Whenever a person does a nice thing for a judge so that he will and say good things about him, the Torah considers it bribery.

The Talmud relates that once a judge's tenant brought him the rent a few days early and the judge refused to hear the case because he considered that a bribe.

The Torah gives a judge this special commandment because he is charged with declaring justice.

A judge is forbidden to accept any form of bribery, even if the bribe is offered from an innocent man and the judgment is truthful and correct.

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If your belief system is based upon what makes sense to you, what you find most gratifying and what best accommodates your own self concept -- then you will undoubtedly fear intellectual inquiry. At best, your approach will be subjective and bribed.

However, when your faith is based not upon your subjective self, but because this is the reality of your inner soul, a truth to which it is intrinsically bound -- then you are not afraid to inquire. There is no apprehension of being proven wrong, only certitude that you shall understand more. Therefore, only true faith can be truly objective.

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A Tzaddik never leaves this world -- he transcends it, but he is still within it. He is still there to assist those who are bond to him with blessing and advice, just as before, and even more so. Even those who did not know him in his corporeal lifetime can still create with him an essential bond. The only difference is in us: Now we must work harder to connect.

*

Throughout the Rebbe's leadership, he persistently answered people's requests for blessings, "I will bring this to the attention of my father-in-law at his grave site."

Whenever the Rebbe used the words, "The Rebbe", he meant his late father-in-law, the previous rebbe. In the Rebbe's world, his rebbe never died.

From: Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Tzvi Freeman - tzvif@aol.com