The three hundred thirty-fifth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Thursday, 29 Tishrei 5742.
Shiurim: Chumash, Noach, chamishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim: On the 29th of the month, one recites from chapter 140 through chapter 144.
Tanya: on this day we continue with Iggeret 25. The daily portion is on page 140, from the word "vehineh," and concludes with the words "the Arizal."
In the daily teaching there is a reference to a practice connected with the rainbow, together with a story from a letter of the Rebbe Rayatz. The first point the Rebbe notes is that "one recites the blessing over the rainbow, and not as some who cast doubt about this". As is well known, our parashah, Parashat Noach, is the parashah in which the matter of the rainbow appears — the sign of the covenant that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave that there would no longer be a flood in the world.
Now, the blessing over the rainbow does not appear in the Alter Rebbe's "Seder Birchos HaNehenin," also known as the "Luach Birchas HaNehenin" — the Alter Rebbe did not include this blessing of the rainbow there. And since he did not include it, some had doubts as to whether one does in fact recite the blessing over the rainbow — perhaps also based on the words of the Gemara, that a person who gazes at a rainbow may have his eyesight harmed (there, three things are enumerated, and one of them is the rainbow). In any case, some had doubts regarding the matter of the blessing over the rainbow.
Here the Rebbe rules decisively, stating that one recites the blessing over the rainbow, as he related that this is how he saw the Rebbe Rayatz conduct himself — that if one sees a rainbow, one recites the blessing. Nowadays there is no longer any doubt about this: the blessing over the rainbow appears in the list of blessings in the siddur.
What is the true reason that the Alter Rebbe did not include the blessing over a rainbow in his "Seder Birchos HaNehenin"? The Rebbe explains that the Alter Rebbe included only things that are common and readily found in those regions where he wrote his Shulchan. Since a rainbow is a very rare occurrence in those places — for it is formed by sunlight striking the clouds in a particular way, and in those areas of Russia a rainbow is uncommon — it was not so practical a matter, and therefore he did not include it.
And in particular, as the Rebbe notes in one place, that the "Seder Birchos HaNehenin" is also called the "Luach Birchas HaNehenin." And why is it called a "Luach" (chart)? Because it was once customary to hang in synagogues on the wall, like a kind of large chart, various practices so that the Jew who came would know how to conduct himself in all sorts of matters. And since it hangs on the wall as a practical, everyday matter, therefore when it concerns a subject that is not common at all, this is the reason it was not included. But in practice, one recites the blessing over the rainbow in any case.
The following passage is from the end of a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz, which appears in "Igros Kodesh" dated 4 Kislev 5702. The content of the letter is that the Rebbe Rayatz explains how an action a person performs affects his inner faculties, and conversely — something a person does with his inner faculties also affects the external faculties and limbs. There is a reciprocal influence between these things.
As an example, the Rebbe Rayatz brings a story, written there in Yiddish. In this story one sees how much every single word has a consequence and an effect, except that this is not always visible to physical eyes of flesh, which see only material and coarse things; but one whose eyes are a bit more refined can perceive the effect of things that are not seen in the ordinary way. And this is the story:
"One of the householders of Mezhibuzh" — a resident of the city of Mezhibuzh, the place where the Baal Shem Tov lived — "had a quarrel with a fellow townsman" — he once had a quarrel with another Jew, a resident of the place. "And while he was present in the company of the Baal Shem Tov in the shul, he shouted that he would "tear his adversary apart like a fish"— one time, when he was present in the study hall of the Baal Shem Tov, and the Baal Shem Tov himself was present there at that hour, he was in the middle of a quarrel with that resident, and shouted at him that he would tear him apart like a fish — so he expressed himself in words. He did not touch his adversary and did not harm him, but only said with his mouth that he would do so.
And what actually happened? In practice nothing was visible; a man said a word and that was all. But what was the continuation of the story? "The Baal Shem Tov commanded his disciples to link their hands with those of their fellows, and to stand beside him with their eyes closed. The Baal Shem Tov placed his holy hands on the shoulders of two of his disciples, those who stood nearby. Suddenly the disciples cried out in great terror: they saw how he was tearing apart his opponent like a fish!".
And what does the story come to teach? "From here there is complete proof that from every force there results an outcome and an actual effect: whether in a physical garment, or a spiritual one, which can be grasped only through more elevated and refined senses" The story shows us in a tangible way that from every force an outcome is produced. The moment that person said "I will tear you apart like a fish" — these words have a result. On a higher spiritual level the thing occurs in actual fact; sometimes the matter has an effect in actual physical reality, and sometimes it acts on a spiritual level — and when it acts on a spiritual thing, one can perceive it and see it only through more refined and elevated feelings. Here the Baal Shem Tov elevated his students to such a level that they suddenly saw and felt something taking place in actual reality.
From here we see the care that is required — regarding the negative aspect, of course, and on the other hand the power in the positive aspect: when a person speaks a word, it has an effect, on one level or another. Therefore one must know what significance and what power each word that a person speaks possesses.