The sixth "room" in the palace of daily life.
Thursday, the 24th of Kislev, the eve of Chanukah, 5703 (1942).
Lessons: Chumash, Vayeishev, fifth aliyah, with Rashi's commentary.
Psalms, from chapter 113 until chapter 118.
It is taught that on this day one begins to study chapter 1, and one learns the first half of it, up to the words "seventy faces to the Torah."
The saying, as the Rebbe notes, comes as a "continuation" to the saying we learned yesterday. These words were spoken on the 23rd of Kislev 5693 in Riga, in a talk of the Rebbe Rayatz, in which he describes a portion of a farbrengen of the Rebbe Maharash during the celebration marking the "sheva brachos" of the Rebbe Rashab, as discussed in the previous saying.
What is the point discussed in the previous saying? There are three verses recited in the "small" Lechu Neranenah, at the conclusion of the Song of the Day on Wednesday. The three days — Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday — are considered the days of preparation for Shabbat, and with the "small" Lechu Neranenah — called "small" because only the first three verses are recited in it — the preparation for Shabbat begins.
Now the Rebbe Rayatz continues and explains the content of the preparation, the Jew's preparation for Shabbat starting from Wednesday. What takes place on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in preparing for Shabbat — both the preparation in the simple sense, in which a person searches for where his Shabbat expenses will come from, which are greater than the expenses of the weekdays, and also, and primarily, in the spiritual service: how a person will be prepared for the special service of God of the Shabbat day.
And so it begins: "An explanation of the three verses — 'Lechu Neranena' — according to the intermediate measure, the measure of every person." First, it should be noted that not all versions recite these three verses in the Song of the Day for Wednesday; there are versions that conclude before this, with the words that close the Psalm preceding "Lechu Neranena" — "yatzmitem Hashem Elokeinu."
However, many versions do add them. The reason for the addition is not because the Levites would also recite these three verses on Wednesday — for they are the first three verses of the following psalm — but rather because one does not want to break off amid the curses and conclude the psalm with a harsh statement, and therefore three verses are added. Even among those who add them, there are prayer books in which the layout of the passage on the page divides it into two, and one clearly sees that the Song of the Day has ended, only that three additional verses are appended.
And why do we add three verses, rather than sufficing with a single verse in order to conclude with something good? This is apparently connected to the reading of the Torah, in which a minimum of three verses is required, and therefore we add three verses.
What is the explanation of these three verses according to an intermediate measure? Here the Rebbe Rayatz adds a statement said then by the Rebbe Maharash, which although not quoted here, can be completed from the full talk: "The true meaning of these three verses one must learn Chassidus in order to understand their depth, and the personal meaning of each one — how the three verses relate to him — one must know in his personal avodah, and for this one must enter into yechidus and hear it there."
Here the Rebbe Maharash said that since this is a time of joy "above and below": joy "above," joy in the Holy One, blessed be He, by our Rebbes, and also joy "below," here below, for this was a celebration on the occasion of the "sheva brachos" of the Rebbe Rashab.
Now he will explain the matter of the three verses according to an intermediate measure, the measure of every person — how this pertains to each one in a general way, and what the lesson from the three verses is in the service of God. The source is in Yiddish, and we will of course translate it.
He says: "Wednesday, when a person begins to think about where he will obtain what he needs for Shabbos" — in both senses: "both in their plain meaning" from where shall we take money for the Shabbos expenses, "and also with what content Shabbos will be filled through him" and from where shall we take the strength to serve Hashem in the special avodah that Shabbos demands of us. Simply put, there is no source from which to take money for the Shabbos meals, and it is also unknown how we will become "Shabbos people," for on Shabbos a person is different than all week long, and everyone is different on Shabbos, as he puts it in the following sentence: "for every Jew is on Shabbos an entirely different person."
We are familiar with the expression in the Jerusalem Talmud, that even an ignoramus does not lie on Shabbat; therefore, when one asks him on Shabbat whether a certain fruit has been tithed, one believes his words, even though on a weekday one would not believe him. And there is an expression in the Midrash: "The light of a person's face on Shabbat is not comparable to the light of his face on weekdays."
In connection with this it is told that a chassid once walked on Shabbat with the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, and he was clever enough to ask cunningly: "They say that on Shabbat the world is different — why is this not seen?". He did not ask directly whether he himself sees it, but rather "why is this not seen?", and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak had to respond to him in a natural way. They passed by a river, and he said to him: "What, do you not see? The river flows today completely differently than during the whole week. Do you not see that it is different?". That is to say, whoever is indeed on a different level — sees it. But here he says that on Shabbat a Jew is entirely different.
And what happens then? "One falls into a mood of "black melancholy"" — either he does not know from where he will provide for Shabbat, or spiritually he says to himself, "How will I reach the level of Shabbat? I am not there at all," and he becomes somewhat despondent. But in truth, this is not merely a description of a problem; rather, in the depth of the matter, this is part of the preparation for Shabbat. As is written in Iggeret HaTeshuvah, that Shabbat is an aspect of "teshuvah ila'ah" (higher repentance), and before Shabbat, at least once a week, a person must be in "teshuvah tata'ah" (lower repentance). There it is explained that teshuvah tata'ah is a movement of submission, lowliness, and a certain bitterness, out of which a person then arrives at joy. If so, that black melancholy, that bitterness of Wednesday — "What will be?" — is actually the beginning of the preparation toward Shabbat; this is a person's form of teshuvah.
And what is the advice? What is the solution for a person caught in such deep melancholy? "And regarding this, the advice is 'Come, let us sing joyfully'" — and this is why on Wednesday we recite "Come, let us sing joyfully." What is "Come, let us sing joyfully"? "Trust": that you should have trust in Hashem, trust that you will have from where to serve on Shabbat and that you will have the ability to reach the special service of Hashem that is on Shabbat. Trust in Hashem and be joyful — as the Rebbe Maharash said, that even teshuvah on the simple level a Jew must always do with joy.
"When Thursday arrives, Shabbos is closer yet one still stands empty-handed, when the situation one finds oneself in is not "joyous"" Wednesday passed, then, in trust; but the matter continues. Thursday arrives, and one is already a bit closer to Shabbos, and still there is nothing — he still does not find the cash to buy for Shabbos, and he still does not feel truly close to the avodah of Shabbos. And what happens now? The "nerannenah" is not working; the singing and the trust are not managing to affect him, and he thinks to himself what to do now. So the person understands that "clearly one must do something"; he cannot remain only in "lechu neranenah," but rather he must do something about the matter.
A Jew once asked the Rebbe about this matter, I believe it was in 5748: If ultimately one needs to do something, why not begin doing it already on Wednesday? Why on Wednesday is he in "Lechu Neranena," and only on Thursday does he say "now we need to do something"? The Rebbe answered him that this is the order — sometimes a person begins to act in one manner, and when he sees that it does not help, he proceeds to concrete action and plans an additional approach; one does not go from the very first moment straight to the highest level, but rather tries other ways. So too here: on Wednesday he tries with "Lechu Neranena," and when that does not work, on Thursday he says that we need to do something.
And what does he do? "Then, when one sits on Thursday night and studies Chassidus – it is then that on Friday there is felt in his soul that "For a great G-d... and a great King...". And from these contents – a Jew makes the Shabbos" On Thursday night one sits and studies Chassidus. The study of Chassidus is essentially about how a person begins to take up the spiritual preparation for Shabbos — to study Chassidus and to understand what Shabbos is. Friday arrives, and then it rests within him and he recognizes that the Holy One, blessed be He, is "a great G-d and a great King"; he feels the Divine illumination, and with this the Jew is able to make the Shabbos. He is already prepared for Shabbos — the Thursday-night study of Chassidus aroused him for Shabbos.
And in both senses — what happens with the physical Shabbos after studying Chassidus? One can explain this in one way: since he is so immersed in the spiritual matters of Shabbos, it bothers him less if he is lacking something in the physical. And one can say even more than this: after he does the spiritual preparation, the Holy One, blessed be He, assists him, and he also has a set table in physical terms and lacks nothing — for the spirituality draws after it the physical as well.
At the conclusion of the saying, the Rebbe writes: "At Mincha we do not say Tachanun". Since this is the 24th of Kislev, the eve of Chanukah, and already at the Mincha of the eve of Chanukah we begin entering toward Chanukah — we do not say Tachanun, in anticipation of the coming day, the day of Chanukah.