"Cheder" three hundred twenty-two in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Friday, 16 Tishrei, the second day of the festival of Sukkot, 5702. There are here several customs and a teaching.
The first practice: "at the nighttime Kiddush" — this refers to the Kiddush of the second night of the festival of Sukkot. What is the order? "Shehecheyanu and afterward leishev basukkah"; the order of the blessings should be that the blessing of "Shehecheyanu" precedes the blessing of "leishev basukkah," unlike on the first night.
What is the idea behind this? Regarding the first night, there is no doubt that the blessing "Shehecheyanu" should come after the blessing "Leisheiv basukkah." Why? Because on the first night we have two new things: first, the festival — and over a festival we recite Shehecheyanu; second, the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah — over which we also make a blessing, since we are sitting in the sukkah for the first time on this festival. It turns out that we have a "Shehecheyanu" for the festival and a "Shehecheyanu" for the sukkah, and therefore on the first night we recite Kiddush (the sanctity of the day), we recite the blessing over the sukkah, and then we recite "Shehecheyanu," which applies to both of them.
However, regarding the second night there are differing opinions. The Rema and the Mechaber hold that on the second night, since the blessing of "Shehecheyanu" no longer applies to the sukkah — for we were already in the sukkah yesterday — it applies only to the festival; for we observe two days of the festival, and it is possible that the second night is the festival. Therefore the Rema and the Mechaber hold that one should recite the blessing of "Shehecheyanu" adjacent to Kiddush, before the blessing of "Leishev BaSukkah" — that is, "Shehecheyanu" and afterward "Leishev BaSukkah."
In contrast, the Tur disagrees and holds that no distinction should be made between the two nights, and on both nights the same order should apply — that the blessing of "Shehecheyanu" should be at the end.
And what does this mean in practice? As is written here, as our forebears, our Rebbeim, our Nesi'im conducted themselves: on the second night the blessing "leishev basukkah" comes at the end, and the blessing "shehecheyanu" is attached to Kiddush. The Rebbe Rashab derives this precisely from the wording of the Alter Rebbe in the Siddur: when the Alter Rebbe brings the order regarding the first night, he adds the words "on the first night" — that on the first night one recites "leishev basukkah" and afterward "shehecheyanu." And the Rebbe Rashab notes precisely: why did he need to add the words "on the first night"? Because on the second night it is not so, but rather first "shehecheyanu" and afterward "leishev basukkah."
In one place the Rebbe notes that our generation has merited what previous generations did not merit: in past generations the chassidic students did not always know precisely what the actual conduct of our Rebbeim, our Nesi'im, was in every matter; whereas in our generation the Rebbe Rayatz has already publicized and revealed all their practices — even those that our Rebbeim observed privately among themselves — and this has become the possession of all. And this is an example of how we know clearly how to conduct oneself on the second night. Of course, this entire discussion pertains only to outside the Land of Israel.
The following practice: Since we are on Friday — and as is known, every Erev Shabbat one recites at Minchah the 107th chapter, the psalm "Hodu," as instituted by the Baal Shem Tov, and afterward one recites "Patach Eliyahu" — with such a configuration, in which Friday is a festival, we already discussed this in the teaching of 2 Tishrei (which likewise fell on a Friday), and there it is written exactly as here: that "at Minchah one does not say 'Hodu,' but one does say 'Patach Eliyahu'."
Let us briefly dwell on the reason: why do we not recite "Hodu"? The entire idea behind reciting "Hodu" — which the Baal Shem Tov instructed to say this psalm — is because it contains a mention akin to the blessing of HaGomel, regarding the four who must give thanks; and this is relevant only when we thank the Holy One, blessed be He, that the weekdays have, thank G-d, passed — for Friday is the last of the weekdays, and we enter Shabbos or the holiday, and offer thanks for what has been. But if Friday itself is already not a weekday but rather a festive day — as was the case on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, and as it is today, on 16 Tishrei, which is a holiday — it is still not appropriate to recite this psalm, and therefore we do not say "Hodu." However, "Pasach Eliyahu" is not connected to this, and for a different reason we do indeed recite it.
Shiurim: Chumash, Berachah, sheeshi, with the commentary of Rashi.
Tehillim, on the 16th of the month, one recites from chapter 79 through chapter 82 inclusive.
Tanya: On this day we conclude Iggeres Kaf-Beis in Iggeres HaKodesh. The lesson begins on page 135 with the word "ahuvai," and ends with the conclusion of the letter with the words "oheiv nafsham mi'lev va'nefesh."
Now there comes here an interesting saying related by the Rebbe Maharash. The saying in its original is in Yiddish, and in translation: "The Tzemach Tzedek related: In the year 5569 we heard, from the Grandfather [the Alter Rebbe], for the sixth time the [maamar] "Ushavtem mayim" - the first one - which is in Likkutei Torah".
In Likkutei Torah there are two maamarim that open with the dibbur-hamaschil "Ushavtem mayim besason" ("You shall draw water with joy"): both the first maamar of the festival of Sukkot and the second maamar open with these words. Here the reference is to the first of the two, and about it the Rebbe Maharash says that it was heard in 5569 for the sixth time — the very maamar that the Alter Rebbe repeated.
"And this would be along the lines of what the Gemara says (Yerushalmi Sukkah, chapter 5, halachah 1) — that from there one draws" The power of the spiritual experience of hearing the maamar from the Alter Rebbe was so great, as the Gemara describes the days of Sukkot with the name "Simchat Beit HaShoeivah" (the Rejoicing of the House of Water-Drawing). The Talmud Yerushalmi (Sukkah, chapter 5, halachah 1) explains what "shoeivah" (drawing) means: the intent is not to the water that was drawn, but rather "that from there one draws ruach hakodesh." And the Rebbe Maharash says that hearing the maamar from the Alter Rebbe on that sixth occasion was on such a level and of such intensity that they received the immense revelation called "ruach hakodesh" from the words of the maamar — a maamar whose subject is the avodah of Hashem in the matter of the pouring of the water (nisuch hamayim) — and the revelation was like the revelation of prophecy.
In the following passage he adds that this was even loftier than what the Gemara relates about the joy that prevailed then. The example is Yonah the prophet, and in this maamar the revelation was even loftier. "Yonah received the revelation of prophecy at the Simchas Beis HaShoeivah" — the Gemara tells of Yonah the prophet, who received his prophecy from the joy of the Simchas Beis HaShoeivah, that prophecy rested upon him. The level of Godliness that was revealed to Yonah was, then, on the level called "prophecy."
The Rebbe explains this teaching in additional places: the concept of "prophecy," lofty and spiritual as it is, is nonetheless limited. In what does its limitation express itself? In that prophecy is not identical among all the prophets, as in the well-known statement that "no two prophets prophesy in the same style," or as in the verse concerning the prophet, "the spirit of Hashem spoke in me, and His word was upon my tongue" — each prophet has his own manner in which his prophecy expresses itself, and since this differs from prophet to prophet, there is a limitation within it, the accommodation to each and every prophet. Therefore, even though Yonah received the revelation of prophecy in all its great intensity, it was a limited revelation.
But what happened when they received from the Alter Rebbe the sublime revelation upon hearing the maamar for the sixth time? Concerning this he says: "We received unto Ein Sof" — the revelation that we received from the Alter Rebbe was far more sublime; we received a revelation reaching unto Ein Sof.
And here there is an additional distinction, one that is not written explicitly but which the Rebbe explained: the revelation of prophecy, as stated, is limited, and one of the things that limits it is that after the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash "prophecy was removed" — there is no prophecy. Yet this story of the Alter Rebbe took place during the time of exile, and even though there is no longer prophecy, this revelation did occur. That is to say, we are dealing with a divine revelation that transcends the limitations that existed in the revelation of prophecy, and therefore it is called that we received "unto infinity" — the loftiest revelation.
And to conclude there is an interesting statement: "The end is that Mashiach will come, for their beginning is embedded in their end." The conclusion is fascinating: the lofty revelations, even when Mashiach comes — there are two stages in the coming of Mashiach. In the first stage it is written that there will be a state of "they shall go from strength to strength," and for the tzaddikim there will be ascents upon ascents; yet the very fact that we say "another ascent and yet another ascent" teaches that this is not yet the infinite — for were it infinite already in the first stage, there would be no possibility of rising further; and from the fact that we say "you have reached a certain level, and in a little while there will be an even greater ascent," we learn that the person is constantly advancing but has not yet reached the stage which is the true infinite.
But there is a second stage in the redemption, which the Rebbe calls "the essential expanse" — a state of revelation so expansive that there is no longer any need to ascend beyond it, for this is the true essential expanse. This is the true "end." The end will come when we reach the greatest expanse of all, when Mashiach arrives — referring to the point of the essential expanse that will exist in the deeper stage of the revelation of Mashiach. Then "their beginning is embedded in their end" will be fulfilled: a revelation in which the Divine Essence, infinite and unlimited, will express itself here below.
From where did we receive this power, and when did a Jew ever become a vessel capable of containing such a revelation? Through the teachings of Chassidus, and especially through a maamar dealing with this very subject — the maamar "Usheavtem Mayim BeSasson" ("And you shall draw water with joy"). What revelations and what powers are contained within it, and we do not always sense this.
I will bring a story cited in one of the sources, about a chassid who used to attend the farbrengens of the Tzemach Tzedek already during the lifetime of the Mitteler Rebbe, and he himself did not sense what great powers he had received; and when the Mitteler Rebbe arrived, he said to him — if I remember the wording correctly — "You have garments beyond your measure," meaning: you have such great revelations, and you yourself do not feel what you possess. There are great revelations that exist and are drawn down through the very study of Chassidus, and especially in these maamarim — this is the great power about which it is told here many times. For in this maamar we received a gift from the Alter Rebbe, who granted it to us in the wondrous maamar "Ushavtem Mayim Besason" ("And you shall draw water with joy").