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Rabbi Boruch Merkur

Even the smallest, most undistinguished Jew, the “pinky finger among Jews” has more power at his fingertips than he can fathom. He may not see it, but it’s true. He may not know its source in Torah, but there are…

With the Rebbe’s vision, even the most insignificant day of the year becomes a towering day to be celebrated and absorbed. Gimmel Tammuz was once seen as a regular day, until it was celebrated by the Rebbe as a holiday, “has’chalas ha’geula – the beginning of the redemption (of the Rebbe Rayatz on 12-13 Tammuz).” Then in 5754, Gimmel Tammuz became a gamechanger to our senses. Of course, sources say that nothing changed. Others say that specifically now is the most propitious time ever to tap into miraculous, transformative, G-dly power and spiritual energy.

Do you think the most powerful day of the year could pass you by without notice? Certainly not Gimmel Tammuz. Maybe a totally obscure day, a day unnoted on anyone’s calendar – anyone that is, other than the Rebbe.

The 23^rd of Sivan is the day to gain mastery over the world, the Rebbe reveals to us. This previously uncelebrated day takes on epic significance as the source of power to be victorious over anything that stands in the way of our volition. We are all dictators – in the most literal sense – of not only ourselves and our sphere of influence, but also our fate.

It says in Megillas Ester:

The king’s scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month. Letters to the Jewish people were written at Mordechai’s dictation …

And the city of Shushan rang with joyous cries. The Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and honor … fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

(Ester 8:9, 15-17)

Megillas Ester records that all this happened on the 23^rd of Sivan. Every year, on the 23^rd of Sivan, the scribes of the king are called – the King of the Universe – and they write at the dictation of Mordechai, “the people of Mordechai,” the command of every single Jew, for Mordechai is the one who dictated what the scribes should write. [Note how here the Rebbe extends the power of the “Moshe of the generation” to his people!]

Every single Jew assumes dominion of the entire world. Everything unfolds in accordance with his will.

“Regarding those who seek out intrigue (to’ena hem mevakshim)” and ask that since this year the 23^rd of Sivan is Shabbos, how is it possible for there to be writing, dictation, etc.? – on Shabbos!

But since we’re speaking about pikuach nefesh, it overrides concern for the regulations of Shabbos. In fact, it is a Mitzva for the most distinguished person present to act. By extension, in Heaven, Shabbos is desecrated at the request of each Jew, in virtue of the fact that it is pikuach nefesh, and the Mitzva is to be done by the most preeminent [i.e., G-d Himself].

(Address of 23 Sivan 5743; Hisvaaduyos 5743, pg. 1651)

A seemingly random date, when illuminated by the Torah of Moshiach, becomes the most potent source of energy to tap into.

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When the angels protested the creation of mankind, “He extended His pinky finger among them and consumed them.” “His pinky finger” refers to [even] the smallest [i.e., least accomplished] Jew. When extended among the accusing angels, they are completely eviscerated.

Here the Alter Rebbe teaches us that although the smallest Jew, “ha’katan sh’b’Yisroel, may be only a “pinky finger,” he or she is the (pinky) finger of G-d Himself, Who confronts and obliterates any accusation against His precious child, the Jewish people.

The secret to becoming a dictator of circumstance is to “learn Torah for G-d’s sake”:

One’s principle Torah study should be “for G-d’s sake” and not for oneself. When Torah study is prolongedly for “one’s own sake” – an expression of extraneousness or superficiality, signified by fingernails – it is described as, “Va’yafozu z’roei yadav,” “v’yatza shichvas zar’o mi’vein tzipurnei yadav” (Sota 36b). This emission embodied how through self-serving Torah study, the Supernal Will is drawn into the “fingernails.”

The correction of this emission [through his ten fingernails] was achieved through the Ten Martyrs. Their suffering diminished this shortcoming among the Jewish people.

(The Alter Rebbe’s Maamarim HaK’tzarim, pg. 70)

May diminishing this shortcoming further blossom into the correction and transformation of all our self-serving tendencies. As a result, may we immediately merit to see the true and complete redemption through our leader the Rebbe, as our Sages teach, in withstanding this trial, Yosef “merited to become a shepherd (roeh) of the Jewish people.”

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