מטו"מ-מנ"א

Okay, let's break down this profound Sicha (discourse) from the Rebbe. The goal is to understand its core message, step-by-step, making sure all the background and concepts are clear. **B"H** (Baruch Hashem - Thank God, or B'ezras Hashem - With God's Help; a traditional Jewish way to begin writing) **1. Setting the Scene: The Timing of Parshiot Mattos-Masei** * **The Sicha Starts:** The Rebbe begins by noting a calendar fact: when the Torah portions (Parshiot) of *Mattos* and *Masei* are read together (as they often are outside of Israel), it usually falls either on the Shabbat when we bless the upcoming month of Menachem Av, or on the first Shabbat of the month of Menachem Av itself. * **Background - Parshiot and Time:** There's a fundamental concept in Jewish thought, especially emphasized in Chassidus (Chasidic philosophy), that the weekly Torah portion isn't just a historical reading; it contains spiritual energy and lessons directly relevant to the specific time of year it's read. * **The Connection:** Therefore, the Rebbe says, *Mattos* and *Masei* must have a special connection not just to the general period known as the "Three Weeks" (*Bein HaMetzarim* – the period of mourning between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, commemorating the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem), but specifically (and mainly) to the month of *Menachem Av* itself. **2. The Name of the Month: "Menachem Av"** * **The Custom:** The Rebbe points out a universal Jewish custom (*Minhag Yisrael*), which he says has the force of Torah law ("*Torah Hi*"), to call this month "Menachem Av" when blessing the new month in the synagogue. * **Practical Halacha (Jewish Law):** This isn't just a casual nickname. It's so established that it affects Jewish legal documents like marriage contracts (*Ketubot*) or bills of divorce (*Gittin*). If a document writes "Menachem Av," or even just "Menachem" instead of "Av," it's generally considered valid because everyone knows that "Menachem" refers to the month of Av. Some even have the custom to *specifically* write "Menachem" instead of "Av" in these documents. * **Questioning the Name's Origin:** The Rebbe then explores the meaning of this name, starting with a potential complication. Our Sages teach (*Amar Rebbeinu Zalman* - our Sages of blessed memory said) that the names of the Hebrew months "came up with them from Babylonia" (*Shmot haChadashim alu b'yadam miBavel*). Commentators explain this means the month names we use (Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, etc.) are not originally Hebrew (*Lashon HaKodesh* - the Holy Tongue) but are Chaldean or Persian words adopted during the Babylonian exile. * **The Problem with the "Babylonian Origin" Idea:** This raises questions: * How can we derive deep Hebrew meanings and lessons from these names if they aren't even Hebrew words? The Sages often expound on the Hebrew meaning of these month names (e.g., connecting *Tishrei* to beginnings, *Marcheshvan* to bitterness). This is different from cases where the Talmud finds a symbolic hint (*remez*) in a non-Hebrew word; here, it seems the Sages treat the names *as if* they have inherent Hebrew meaning. * Specifically regarding "Av," it seems highly unlikely this is a Babylonian word. "Av" is a fundamental Hebrew word meaning "Father." * **Rebbe's Interpretation of "Came up from Babylonia":** The Rebbe offers a simple, straightforward interpretation: The Sages didn't mean the *words* themselves came from Babylonia, but rather the *practice* of assigning these specific names to *these specific months* was solidified and brought back from the Babylonian exile. The words themselves could still be Hebrew. * **Even If Some Names are Foreign:** Even if some names *are* foreign, the Rebbe argues, "Av" surely is not. * **The Core Point:** More importantly, since the Torah itself (referring broadly to the Oral Torah and Rabbinic tradition which uses these names) adopts these names, they *must* be understood according to their meaning in *Lashon HaKodesh*, the Holy Tongue. This is especially true for "Av," which clearly means "Father" in Hebrew. * **Decoding "Menachem Av":** Based on this, "Menachem Av" literally means "Comforting the Father." * **Contrast:** If the name were "Av Menachem," it would mean "The Father (God) Comforts (us, the Jewish people)." * **Actual Meaning:** But since it's "Menachem Av," it implies that the "Av" (Father) is the one *being* comforted (*mitnachem*). It's like the phrase "Menachem Tzion" (Comforter of Zion) in the *Nachem* prayer added on Tisha B'Av, which means God comforts Zion, implying Zion is the recipient of comfort. * **Who is Being Comforted?** In our context, "Menachem Av" means *we* are comforting our Father in Heaven (*Avinu Shebashamayim*), God Himself (so to speak, *kivyachol* – as if it were possible, used when attributing human-like emotions or states to God). * **Why Does God Need Comfort?** This connects to another teaching of the Sages where God laments the exile: "Woe (*lit. What is it*) to the Father who exiled His children, and woe to the children who were exiled from their Father's table." So, during this month associated with the destruction and exile, we are, in a sense, comforting God over this situation. **3. Connecting "Menachem Av" to Parshiot Mattos and Masei** * **The Core Theme:** The Rebbe now returns to the connection between the month's theme ("Comforting the Father") and the Parshiot. He explains that the central idea – that a Jew understands the needed comfort is primarily for the *Father*, not just for oneself – is highlighted in both *Mattos* and *Masei*. * **Example from Mattos:** * God commands Moses regarding the war against Midian using the phrase: "Avenge the vengeance of the Children of Israel from the Midianites" (*Nekom nikmat Bnei Yisrael me'et haMidyanim*). This sounds like it's about Israel's grievance. * However, when Moses relays this command to the people, he says: "to exact the Lord's vengeance on Midian" (*Latet nikmat Hashem b'Midyan*). * The *Sifri* (an ancient Halachic Midrash) explains Moses' change: He told the people, "You are not avenging the vengeance of flesh and blood, but the vengeance of the One Who spoke and the world came into being." Moses shifted the focus from their personal injury to God's honor. This reflects the "Menachem Av" idea – focusing on the "Father's" perspective. * **Example from Masei:** * A verse in Masei states: "You shall not defile the land... in which I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Children of Israel" (*v'lo tetameh et ha'aretz... asher Ani shochen betochah ki Ani Hashem shochen betoch Bnei Yisrael*). * The *Sifri* comments on this: "Beloved are Israel, for even when they are impure, the Divine Presence (*Shechinah*) is among them... Beloved are Israel, for wherever they were exiled, the *Shechinah* went with them... And when they return, the *Shechinah* returns with them." * **The Implication:** This means the exile isn't just Israel's tragedy; it's also, so to speak, the *Shechinah's* exile (*Shechinta b'Galuta*). Consequently, the redemption of Israel is *also* the redemption of the *Shechinah*. And, the Rebbe adds, the redemption of the *Shechinah* is intrinsically more significant than the redemption of the Jewish people alone. This again emphasizes God's involvement and "suffering" in our exile, aligning with the "Menachem Av" theme. **4. The Big Question: Why *Only* "Menachem Av"?** * **The Difficulty:** The Rebbe now raises a powerful question. The name "Menachem Av" focuses *exclusively* on comforting the Father (God). It doesn't mention comforting the children (the Jewish people) *at all*. Yet, this is the universally accepted name for the month. How can this be? * **Different Levels of People:** * **Great Tzaddikim (Righteous Individuals):** For truly great spiritual giants, whose entire service of God is purely "for the sake of Heaven" (*L'tzorech Gavoah*) and who don't think about themselves at all (not even their own spiritual connection to God), it makes sense. For them, the pain of exile *is* primarily the pain of the *Shechinah's* exile. * **Spiritually Sensitive People:** Even for those not on that level, but who primarily feel the *spiritual* dimension of exile – the lack of Godliness being revealed in the world, the inability to serve God in the Temple ("*Ein anu yecholim la'alot v'leira'ot u'lehishtachavot...*"), the diminished divine inspiration in their own Torah study, mitzvah observance, and especially prayer – the concept of "Menachem Av" resonates. They feel the lack relates to the "Father," or at least to the "part of God Above" (*Chelek Eloka Mimaal*) which is their own soul, the "part of the Father" within them. * **The Average Jew:** But what about the average person? What about someone who genuinely feels the *physical* pain of exile? Being besieged and captive (*matzor u'sheviyah*), the yoke of the nations (*ol goyim al tzavareinu*), financial worries (*da'agot haparnasah*), physical hardship and lack (*mitzar v'dochak b'gashmiyut*), insufficiency in basic needs like children, health, and livelihood (*bnei, chayei, u'mezonei*) – things aren't abundant and easy as they should be for Jews. How can we tell such a person that the essence of this month's name and theme is *only* about comforting the "Father"? Their immediate reality seems centered on *their own* suffering. **5. An Analogy from Prayer: The Maggid's Teaching** * **Introducing the Analogy:** To understand this focus on the "Father," the Rebbe brings an analogy from the teachings on prayer, specifically a famous interpretation by the Maggid of Mezritch (successor to the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chassidism). * **The Saying:** The Sages teach: "One should only stand up to pray from a state of *Koved Rosh*" (*Ein omdim lehitpalel ela mitoch Koved Rosh*). Literally, *Koved Rosh* means "heaviness of head," often interpreted as seriousness or reverence. * **The Maggid's Interpretation:** The Maggid interpreted *Koved Rosh* mystically. He taught that one should pray not because of one's *own* lack or needs, but because of the "lack," so to speak, in the *Risha d'chol Rishin* ("Head of all Heads" – a Kabbalistic term referring to the very highest levels of Divinity, the Source). The prayer should be directed at rectifying this spiritual lack "Above." The Maggid explains that even when praying for personal needs, the intention should be "so that the matter should not be lacking Above, Heaven forbid, because the soul is a part of God Above and is like a 'limb' of the *Shechinah*. Therefore, the main request is that the 'lack' should be filled and influenced from Above." * **The Same Question Arises:** This teaching presents the same difficulty as "Menachem Av." * For those whose personal needs don't occupy their minds, it's understandable that their prayer focuses on the "lack" Above. * But for most people, their *own* needs – physical and material – *are* prominent. These needs cause distress, disturb their Torah study, and hinder their Mitzvah observance. It's actually a Mitzvah (commandment) for them to pray to God to fill these needs! How does the Maggid's teaching – that prayer must stem from the "heaviness" of the "Head Above" – apply to such a person praying for their basic necessities? **6. A Potential Answer from "Nigleh" (Revealed Law)** * **The Alter Rebbe's Ruling:** The Rebbe suggests a possible explanation based on *Nigleh* (the revealed, non-mystical dimension of Torah, primarily Halacha). The Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad Chassidism) rules in his Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) that "a person has no ownership rights over his body at all" (*Ein l'adam reshut al gufo klal*). Why? Because a person's body is not their own; it is the property of the Holy One, Blessed be He (*kinyano shel HaKadosh Baruch Hu*). * **Applying it to Prayer:** According to this, when there's a lack in the body's needs, and thus the body itself is lacking, this causes "pain," so to speak, to the *true owner* of the body – God. Therefore, there's no contradiction: a Jew prays for God to fill the lack in their bodily needs, *and* simultaneously, their intention is "that the matter should not be lacking Above." Why? Because their intention in asking for their needs to be met is not (just) so that *they* shouldn't be lacking, but so that there shouldn't be a lack in *God's property*. * **Why This Answer is Insufficient:** The Rebbe immediately points out that this explanation, while perhaps technically workable ("*bedochak*" - strained), isn't fully satisfying. * The Maggid's language speaks of "heaviness" and lack in the "*Risha d'chol Rishin*" (Head of all Heads), which sounds much higher and more intrinsic than just God's "property." * More fundamentally, there seems to be a contradiction between the approach of *Nigleh* and *Nistar* (the hidden, mystical dimension of Torah, like Kabbalah and Chassidus). The Zohar (primary text of Kabbalah) describes these as the "body" and "soul" of Torah – they must be one unified entity. * *Nigleh* teaches that the *mitzvah* of prayer is precisely that when a person feels *their own lack*, they should pray to God to fill it. This simple meaning (*Pshat*) is fundamental to prayer. Even mystical commentaries on prayer acknowledge that the mystical intentions (*kavanot*) are layered *upon* this simple meaning. * The Maggid's teaching, however, seems to imply that the *entire essence* of prayer *must* be *only* about the lack Above ("*shelo yechsar hadavar l'eilah*"). This appears to contradict the simple understanding. * **Conclusion from the Difficulty:** Therefore, the Rebbe concludes, we must say that even when a Jew is consciously thinking only about their *own* lack, *pnimiyus* (in their inner reality, subconsciously), their prayer *is also* about the lack in the "*Risha d'chol Rishin*." How can this be? **7. The Core Chassidic Explanation: Soul vs. Body, Free Will, and God's Choice** * **The Fundamental Difference:** The Rebbe now dives into the core Chassidic explanation. A primary distinction between a Jew's soul (*neshama*) and body (*guf*) is: * **Soul:** The soul is "truly a part of God Above" (*chelek Eloka mima'al mamash*). It's inherently holy. * **Body:** The physical body "appears in its materiality like the bodies of the nations of the world" (*nidmeh b'chomriyuto l'gufei umot ha'olam*). It seems mundane. * **Free Will and the Body:** Because of this apparent mundanity, the Alter Rebbe explains that the main arena for *Bechirah* (free will) is specifically the *body*. Why? True choice exists only between options that seem relatively equal or comparable regarding the desired outcome. Where there's no common ground, it's not really a choice; it just depends on what you want. Since the body seems capable of being drawn to physicality *or* holiness, while the soul inherently yearns for God, the *real test* and *choice* lies in directing the body towards Godliness. * **The Body's Hidden Advantage: Connection to God's Essence:** Paradoxically, this very characteristic gives the Jewish body a unique advantage over the soul. The body is connected, so to speak, to God's *Atzmus* (Essence). * **Soul:** The soul, being inherently spiritual, primarily relates to God's *Ohr* (Light) and *Gilui* (Revelation) – the manifested aspects of Godliness. * **Body:** The physical, material body of a Jew, precisely because God *chose* it (*bo bachar HaKadosh Baruch Hu*), is connected to God's very *Essence* (*Atzmuso Yisborach mamash*). * **Why Choice Implies Essence:** True, ultimate *Bechirah* (Choice) can only stem from *Atzmus* (Essence). Why? Because Essence has no prior cause or reason (*eila v'sibah*). Any level below Essence, even the highest levels of spiritual Light (*Ohr*), has inherent tendencies and properties (*netiyah*). Because of these tendencies, there's a sort of pre-disposition or "inclination," meaning any "choice" made at that level isn't truly *free* in the ultimate sense. Only *Atzmus*, which is beyond all reasons and definitions, can make a truly unconditioned, free choice. * **The Effect of God's Choice:** Although the choice originates entirely from the Chooser (God) and not from the chosen object (the body), because this choice is the choice of *Atzmus*, it fundamentally defines the reality of the body. Where God's Essence is drawn down, so to speak, there's no room left for anything else to have independent significance (*ein shayach sheyisha'er makom l'inyan chutz mimenu*). The body becomes intrinsically bound to God's Essence through this choice. **8. Resolving the Prayer Dilemma** * **Applying the Concept:** Now the Rebbe applies this back to the issue of prayer. When a Jew prays and asks God for their *physical*, bodily needs (related to the body's materiality), this is *not* a contradiction to the Maggid's teaching that prayer must be "from *Koved Rosh*," addressing the lack in the *Shechinah* / *Risha d'chol Rishin*. * **The Deeper Connection:** On the contrary! It is precisely the lack in the *physical body* of a Jew that "touches upon" (so to speak) not just the revealed levels of Godliness (*Gilui* - as might be the case with spiritual needs of the soul), but the very *Essence* (*Atzmus*) of God – the "*Risha d'chol Rishin*" in its truest sense. Why? Because it's the physical body that God chose with His *Essential* choice. * **Inner Reality of Prayer:** Therefore, when a Jew feels a lack in their bodily needs, and this prompts them to pray, *pnimiyus* (in their inner truth), this feeling stems from their innermost being sensing its true nature – the *Essential Choice* of God residing within their physical body. * **Conscious Intention:** This is why we tell *every* Jew, regardless of their spiritual standing, "One should only stand up to pray from *Koved Rosh*." It means that even their prayer for physical needs *can* and *should* be imbued with the conscious intention (*kavanah geluyah*) that they are asking because this lack affects, so to speak, the level of *Essence* itself (*ha'Atzmus shebo, kivyachol*). **9. Resolving the "Menachem Av" Dilemma** * **Applying the Concept to Exile:** The same logic explains the name "Menachem Av." * Every Jew is a child of God (*Ben l'HaKadosh Baruch Hu*). * Furthermore, God's *Essential Choice* rests specifically in the *body*. * Therefore, when a Jew feels the pain of exile, *even* (and perhaps especially) in its *physical* manifestations related to the simple needs of the body, *pnimiyus* (in its inner reality), this *is* the experience of the *Galus HaShechinah* (Exile of the Divine Presence). * **Exile Touching Essence:** The concept of "exile" as it relates to Godliness (*Elokus*) isn't limited to the *Shechinah* which "dwells and enclothes itself within all worlds to give them life." When a Jew lacks in their basic physical needs – the very domain where God's *Essential Choice* lies – this creates a state analogous to "exile," so to speak, that touches the "Father" (*Av*) right up to His very *Essence* (*Atzmus u'Mahus*). * **Conclusion:** Therefore, focusing on "Menachem Av" (Comforting the Father/Essence) inherently addresses the deepest root of the Jew's own suffering, even the physical suffering. **10. Deeper Insight from the Sifri: Rebbe vs. Rabbi Nassan** * **The Sifri Revisited:** The Rebbe brings further support from the *Sifri* commentary discussed earlier (Section 3). After stating that the *Shechinah* is with Israel in exile and returns with them, the *Sifri* continues: "Rebbi says: To what can this be compared? To a king who told his servant, 'If you seek me, behold I am with my son. As long as you seek me, I am with my son.' And so it says, '[He] Who dwells with them in the midst of their impurity.'" * **The Question:** What does Rebbi (Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi) add? Didn't Rabbi Nassan (who stated the earlier part about the *Shechinah* being with them) already make the point that God is always with Israel? * **The Rebbe's Distinction:** The difference lies in the *level* of connection they are describing: * **Rabbi Nassan:** Speaks of "*Chavivim Yisrael*" ("Beloved are Israel"). This emphasizes Israel's preciousness, a quality related perhaps more to the *soul*, which is revealedly holy ("part of God Above"). It's connected to emotion (*regesh*) and revelation (*gilui*). Because the soul is revealedly connected to God, simply stating the "*Shechinah* is with them" is enough to show that exile doesn't sever this bond. * **Rebbi:** Adds the dimension related to the *body*. He uses the analogy of a *Father and Son* (*Av u'Ven*), signifying an *essential, intrinsic bond* (*inyan atzmi*). This relates to the body, where God's *Essential Choice* rests. * **Evidence for Rebbi's Focus on Essence/Body:** * **"Kol zman" (Always):** Rebbi emphasizes the connection exists "*kol zman*" (as long as/always) you seek me. Since this bond is rooted in *Essence*, it's unchanging and unconditional. * **"In their impurity":** Rebbi cites the verse "Who dwells with them *in the midst of their impurity*" (*ha'shochen itam betoch tum'otam*). Impurity (*tumah*) primarily affects the physical body and its concerns, not the soul or Torah study (which cannot become impure). By citing this verse, Rebbi highlights that the essential Father-Son bond persists even when the "son" (the Jew, particularly in their physical aspect) is in a state of impurity, demonstrating the connection to the body and the level of Essence. **11. How Can *We* Comfort God?** * **The Paradox:** A final question arises: How can *we*, who are ourselves in exile and seemingly powerless, possibly comfort God? Isn't God the source of all strength and comfort? Indeed, isn't God's "exile" merely a consequence of His being *with us* (*itam*) in *our* exile? * **The Principle: "Yפה כח הבן מכח האב"** The Rebbe explains this using another teaching of the Sages: "*Yafah koach ha'ben mi'koach ha'av*" – "The power of the son is greater ('more beautiful') than the power of the father." * **Dual Meaning:** This phrase highlights two points: 1) The son's power surpasses the father's. 2) Paradoxically, this very superior power *comes from* the father (*mi'koach ha'av*). * **Explanation:** Everything the son has comes from the father. However, because the son derives from the father's *essence* (*atzmiyus shel ha'av*), the son can potentially reveal or accomplish things that exceed the father's *revealed* powers (*kochot ha'giluyim shelo*). The son taps into the father's essential potential in a way the father himself might not manifest outwardly. * **The Manifestation:** This intrinsic connection between the essence of the father and the son becomes evident precisely in the son's ability to surpass the father's revealed powers. * **Applying it Spiritually:** This principle, like all earthly phenomena, originates from a spiritual source. It applies, so to speak, to the relationship between God (the Father) and the Jewish people (the Children). * Because the Jewish people below contain God's *Essential power* (due to His choice resting on them, especially their physical selves), they can reveal a level of God's *Essence* that is not revealed even in the highest spiritual worlds or through God's own "revealed powers." * Therefore, the Jewish people below possess the unique power – the *essential* power ("*yafah koach ha'ben*") – to "comfort," so to speak, our Father in Heaven. * **Example:** This is akin to the famous incident where the Sages overruled a Heavenly voice in a Halachic dispute, and God declared, "*Nitzchuni banai, nitzchuni banai*" – "My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me!" This wasn't a defeat in a negative sense, but a revelation of a deeper dimension of God's will (that Torah be decided by human intellect according to established rules) through the actions of His children, a power He "gave" them that could even "override" a direct Heavenly decree in that specific context. **12. Practical Takeaway: Comforting God *Now*** * **Comfort Starts Now:** Since the *entire month* is called "Menachem Av," the comforting isn't something that only begins *after* the mourning culminates on Tisha B'Av (the Ninth of Av). It starts right from the beginning of the month (*Rosh Chodesh Av*). * **How We Comfort:** How is this comfort achieved? Through our actions and divine service (*avodah*), especially those that counteract the sins that caused the exile in the first place. Specifically during the period from the beginning of Av ("*mishenichnas Av*"), our conduct related to mourning the Temple's destruction itself becomes the means of "comforting" the "Father." These actions weaken the power of the destruction and hasten the rebuilding. * **Specific Actions:** * Observing the specific laws and customs of mourning during these days (e.g., reducing joy). * Counterbalancing the sadness by *increasing* efforts in Torah study and Mitzvah observance. * Focusing on Torah study, which itself brings joy ("The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart" - *Pikudei Hashem yesharim mesamchei lev*). * **Siyum:** Following the custom in many places to make a *Siyum* (completion ceremony) upon finishing a tractate of Talmud or a section of Mishnah during the Nine Days. This transforms the day into a minor festival (*Yoma Tava l'Rabbanan* - a good day for the Rabbis/scholars), allowing for a celebratory meal even during the mourning period. * **Studying the Temple:** Immersing oneself even more deeply in Torah study, especially the laws concerning the *Beis HaMikdash* (Holy Temple) – its structure, vessels, services, etc. Studying these details is considered by God as if we are actually *engaged in building the Temple* (*Ani ma'aleh aleihem k'ilu hem oskin b'vinyan ha'bayit*). * **The Result:** Through all these actions (*ma'aseinu v'avodaseinu*), we comfort our Father in Heaven, kivyachol. This leads God to "regret" (*vayinachem Hashem*, implying a change of heart, kivyachol) the exile and bring the Jewish people out of it, rebuilding the Third Temple speedily in our days. **In Essence:** The Rebbe takes the seemingly simple name "Menachem Av" and reveals its profound depth. He addresses the difficulty of focusing on God's "comfort" when we feel our own pain so acutely. The key lies in understanding the unique Chassidic concept that God's *Essential Choice* rests specifically on the *physical* Jew. This means our physical existence, including its suffering in exile, is intrinsically linked to God's Essence (the "Av"). Therefore, praying for our physical needs *is* addressing the "lack" at the highest level, and feeling the pain of physical exile *is* experiencing the core of the Divine exile. Our actions, especially increasing Torah study (particularly about the Temple) during this time, have the power, stemming from our essential connection to God ("*Yafah koach ha'ben*"), to truly "comfort the Father" and thereby bring the ultimate Redemption.