"Cheder" number three hundred forty-four in the Hayom Yom hall.
Shabbos, 8 Marcheshvan 5704.
Shiurim: Chumash, Lech-Lecha, Shevi'i, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, on the eighth day of the month, one recites from chapter 44 through and including chapter 48.
Tanya: we continue with Iggeret 26. The daily portion begins on page 144 with the words "uma shekatuv," and concludes on page 288 with the words "mistra da."
In the previous saying, from 7 Marcheshvan, the essential point was just how tremendous is the virtue of action, and therefore after the giving of the Torah we begin with action. One could say that today's teaching continues the very same idea, with an additional point, yet it expresses precisely that same idea.
The source of the quote is a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz. There is no date on the letter, and it appears in the "Igrot Kodesh" of the Rebbe Rayatz in volume 10, among the group of letters marked "undated." This letter was also printed in the well-known "HaTmim" collection. In any case, in this letter we see the virtue of the practical mitzvot.
And this is how he explains it: "Mitzvah" — what does the word mean? "It is an expression of tzavta, togetherness, and connection." Mitzvah means connection, like "tzevet" — when two are together. And what is the link between the term "tzavta" and mitzvah? "The one who performs a mitzvah becomes connected with the Etzem, the Essence of the Blessed One" — a Jew who fulfills a mitzvah, the very fulfillment of the mitzvah connects him with the Essence of the Creator, "who is the One who commanded that particular command." The Holy One, blessed be He, commands, and you obey, and through your obeying — you become connected to Him.
"And this is the meaning of 'the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah' — that the very fact that one becomes connected with the Etzem of Ohr Ein Sof who commands the commandment, this is its reward" — as stated in Pirkei Avot. What is the true reward of a mitzvah? The very fact that you became connected, that you were in tzavta (togetherness) — this is the greatest reward of all. The very bond with the Etzem of Ein Sof who commands the commandment, that through fulfilling the mitzvah you became connected to the Creator — this is its reward. It is not a reward that you will receive tomorrow in a personal way, but rather the very situation in which a connection was formed.
To grasp the intensity of this matter, the Rebbe Rayatz brings a parable: "and it can be understood through a physical analogy, of a most simple man." Let us picture a very simple person. In the original letter the Rebbe Rayatz elaborates further [and here the Rebbe quotes only part of the words]: There are people who understand what intellect is, but they are on a low intellectual level; and there are people to whom the world of intellect does not speak at all, and all their knowledge is only in material and coarse matters — all they know is which food is tastier, and intellectual matters do not speak to them whatsoever. This is what is called "a most simple man."
"He has an inner nullification toward wisdom and toward the greatness of the wise person" — to what degree does a simple person nullify himself before a very wise person? To a level of nullification that the Rebbe Rayatz calls "a nullification of utterly having no standing whatsoever." What does this mean? One who understands wisdom a little, but is only a small sage, says: "That fellow is a great sage; I am a sage, and he is a greater sage than I, so I will nullify myself to him." But his self-nullification is not that he does not exist; rather, he exists in a small format compared to the large format — one percent, two, or ten percent. However, a person who is not at all on that level of wisdom, who is not at all within that domain — what is the extent of his nothingness before a great sage?
This is not that he is small or in a small format, but rather that he simply does not exist in this domain. Such a simple person occupies no place whatsoever. In whose eyes does he occupy no place? First of all, in his own eyes — he feels that he is not at all in this world. And also from the perspective of the wise man, when the wise man looks at him, he sees in him one who has no reality at all. And so too in the perception of the wise man, who looks down from above upon the simple person: "so too in the perception of the wise man, the simple person does not enter into the category of "human" at all in his eyes" — he does not exist for him at all within the category of "human."
This does not mean "and it is not that he nullifies him and pushes him away, G-d forbid" — the meaning is not that since he does not fall within the human category, therefore he belittles him and casts him aside and the like, G-d forbid, for "this is an evil trait"; if he were to relate to him in a manner of rejection and disdain, this would be an unfavorable trait, and it is clear that this is not the intent. Rather, "and in his eyes it is considered that he has no relational connection with him at all" — he has nothing to do with him; and it is not that he pushes him away and does not draw him near, but rather he simply does not exist in his world. If so, from the side of the simple man he feels himself nullified, and from the side of the wise man — the wise man too sees him as nullified.
Let us continue with the analogy: "And it will be, when the wise man commands the simple person to do something for him" — the great sage comes and calls to the simple person, who in his eyes is of no account whatsoever, and says to him, "Do me a favor, bring me a cup of water," or some such task. What has now occurred? "Behold, through this command the existence of the simple person was born" — the very fact that the great sage made a request of the simple person, through this the existence of the simple person was born; now he exists, there is someone who turns to him, there is someone who is able to be of some benefit.
Where was he born, where has he now become someone important? The simple person feels "here I am, I am acknowledged, I have significance" — "both to himself, that he senses his own existence," that his existence accomplishes something here, "that he is able to fulfill the command of the wise man, and if the wise man commanded him to do something," that the wisest of all people chose him; it turns out that his existence has significance. This is from the perspective of the simple person, how he senses his own existence.
"And to the eyes of the wise man it is regarded as an entity" — the wise man too gazes, and after all he is not speaking to the wall but to someone; that someone now has significance, "whom he addresses and commands" — I am speaking to someone, I am commanding him something; behold, an entity has come into being here.
"And besides this" — beyond the very idea that because of the command the existence of the simple man acquired significance from both sides — "this command unites the lofty and exalted wise man with the most simple man"; the very fact that he obeys and carries out the command creates a bond between the simple man and the wise man — "I did something for you." If so, the very fact that the wise man approached him already gave him existence, that he carries out [the command], and through this an actual connection is formed between them. This is the analogy.
"And the analogue is understood": the distance between the wisest of men and the Holy One, blessed be He, is vastly greater. Now, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded us to fulfill a mitzvah; and the very fact that He commanded us to fulfill a mitzvah granted us importance, and gave the mitzvah the opportunity to connect us with the Creator of the world.
And as he concludes, "this is also understood with respect to the above" — accordingly we understand, based on the content that was explained in the meaning of the mitzvah, that "there is no difference at all in what the command will be, whether it is something great and lofty or small and simple"; it makes no difference at all whether the sage said "build me a house" or "hand me a cup of water," for we are speaking of the very bond and connection that exists. So too with mitzvos: among the 613 mitzvos, it makes no difference whether it is a mitzvah considered light or a stringent mitzvah; the very fact that a mitzvah exists — you have connected, whether through something great and lofty or through something small and simple.
This is the point the Rebbe spoke about many times regarding the mivtzaim, such as putting on tefillin and the like: putting tefillin on a Jew once, or performing with him a single physical act in accordance with G-d's will — you have connected him with the Holy One, blessed be He, and an infinite bond with the Holy One, blessed be He, is formed. This is the great virtue of the deed, and it is the same idea that follows from the previous day's teaching: the deed possesses an immense virtue, and therefore it is called "mitzvah" — from the term tzavsa, connection, the bond between a Jew and the Holy One, blessed be He.