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BEGIN WITH A GRIN

How do you stop an Iranian tank?

You shoot at the people pushing it…

THROUGH FIRE AND WATER

This Shabbos we read parshas Chukas, which blesses and sets the tone for the celebration of the Chag HaGeula, 12-13 Tammuz, the Rebbe Rayatz’s Chag HaGeula. The parsha begins with the words: “Zos chukas ha’Torah” (This is the statute of the Torah), and teaches us the statute of the red heifer, the incomprehensible mitzva that “purifies the impure and renders the pure, impure.”

The simple question that cries out from the text is – why is the mitzva of the red heifer called “the statute of the Torah”? Is this the only statute in the Torah?! Seemingly, it would have been much more appropriate to begin the parsha with the words: “This is the statute of the heifer,” and not “This is the statute of the Torah”?!

This question was asked by the Alter Rebbe (Likkutei Torah, beginning of our parsha) and the answer to it opens for us a window to a wonderful explanation that teaches us much about bringing the Geula now, immediately!

The Alter Rebbe explains that with the words “This is the statute of the Torah,” the Torah teaches us that the mitzva of the red heifer includes all of the Torah, and therefore it is called “the statute of the Torah.” The Rebbe explains that the Alter Rebbe’s intention was to say that the mitzva of the red heifer includes within it the entirety of the Torah’s mitzvos (and not the logic and intellect of the Torah), since all mitzvos of the Torah are divided into two types: mitzvos of “running” (ratzo), and mitzvos of “returning” (shov), or in other, simpler, words, mitzvos whose purpose is to elevate man and the world toward the Shechina (“running”) and mitzvos whose purpose is to draw down the Shechina into the world and into the reality of creation (“returning”). What is special about the mitzva of the red heifer is that it includes “running and returning” together, as well as “elevation and drawing down” together, and therefore it includes all the mitzvos of the Torah.

Where do we find in the mitzva of the red heifer this polar and special connection?

The Alter Rebbe explains that this comes to expression in “burning the heifer” and “sanctifying the waters of purification.” The first stage in the mitzva of the red heifer is “burning the heifer.” Everyone understands that burning is done by fire, and the nature of fire is to rise upward, elevating the lower, “running.” Afterwards, one must sanctify the waters of purification by mixing the ashes of the heifer with “living water,” natural spring water. The nature of water is to descend, and thereby we sanctify the fallen and the lowly, drawing down the higher to the lower, “returning.” This means that the two central elements in this mitzva are fire and water, and they represent the unique quality of the red heifer, the fusion of “running” and “returning,” therefore it includes all the mitzvos of the Torah, and therefore it is called “the statute of the Torah.”

But how do “fire” and “water” teach us about bringing the Geula? And what does this have to do with our time, when we don’t yet have a red heifer?

51 years ago, in 5734, the Rebbe held a farbrengen in honor of 12-13 Tammuz, and during the gathering he instructed that the niggun “I vodye” be sung. It is a tune in Russian, expressing the self-sacrifice of the Chassidim in Russia in their struggle to preserve the Jewish ember from the Communist regime. The meaning of the words is: “In water we will not drown and in fire we will not burn.” Again “fire and water,” but this time completely different “fire and water”…

After the niggun, the Rebbe gave a wonderful explanation, explaining to us the lesson we need to learn from “fire and water,” and how not to burn and also not to drown!

COMBINING FIRE AND WATER

“The concept of ‘water’ is – ‘there is no water except Torah.’ And so: a Jew whose lot in life is in Torah, and he has the desire and is successful in Torah study, can think to ‘drown’ in Torah, without having any connection to all other matters.

“Therefore one must promise G-d – and with shira v’zimra (song and melody) – ‘In water we will not drown’ meaning, that even though there are waters that are good and sweet etc., nevertheless (‘nye utonim’) we will not drown in them.

“A Jew might think that ‘I have nothing but Torah,’ and I am exempt from any other engagement in matters of mitzvos and the birur (spiritual refinement) of the world, engagement in acts of kindness or helping others. He must know that it is forbidden for him to drown in ‘the waters of Torah,’ because anyone who says ‘I have nothing but Torah, even Torah he does not have, but rather [there must be] Torah and acts of kindness (Yevamos 109b)!’”

On the other hand, there are those who think exactly the opposite, that Torah study is not relevant to them at all, and it is enough that they engage in the fulfillment of mitzvos alone. And on this the Rebbe says:

“And likewise one must clarify on the other side: A businessman who counts himself among those whose main focus is to be ‘masters of good deeds,’ involvement in mitzvos – can claim that his work will be in a way that he ‘burns’ in the performance of mitzvos, whose general purpose is to elevate and sanctify all the matters of the world with which the mitzvos are fulfilled.

“And regarding this we say that (‘nye sgorim’) ‘we will not burn’ in the performance of mitzvos, in a way that there will be no, G-d forbid, connection to ‘water’ (Torah) – because, ‘great is study that leads to action,’ and ‘an ignorant person cannot be pious.’ Therefore, one should not ‘burn’ [be completely consumed] in the performance of mitzvos, but must go out and drink ‘water,’ and immerse ‘in the waters of pure knowledge.’”

Subsequently, the Rebbe explains another important aspect more connected to bringing the Geula.

Not to “drown” in the work of exile… and not to let his soul “burn,” i.e. be consumed in hope and anticipation and longing for Geula. But what instead?

One must engage in the performance of mitzvos (“water”) but not drown in the whirlpool of exile, and forget that the main thing is the Geula. A Jew must always remember that there must burn in him a “fire” of anticipation and hope for Geula. However, it is forbidden to “burn” along the way, and forget that we need orderly and constant work of Torah study and fulfillment of mitzvos.

In simple words, each of us tends toward a certain side. There are those who prefer the “water” – work of exile, Torah study and fulfillment of mitzvos, as we have been accustomed from ancient days. It is good for us this way, and we can “sink” into this work to the point of “drowning in water,” and forget, G-d forbid, about the need to act and turn over the world to bring the Geula.

Others behave exactly the opposite, when it comes to Moshiach they have divine “fire,” incomprehensible fervor and fire, to spread and proclaim everywhere and in every place, about the importance of engaging in matters of Geula and Moshiach, but when speaking with them about observing the Shulchan Aruch, and orderly daily work of Torah study and fulfillment of mitzvos with hiddur, they become confused. “What do I have to do with ‘water’? What do I have to do with exile work? Daily work?”

The answer to such people is that it is forbidden for the “excitement” in Moshiach and Geula to lead to complete “burning” of the work in exile, because we must combine the two, we must combine the two parallel approaches, and only this way will we have “the statute of the Torah” and “the statute of the heifer” in the true and complete Geula.

And what is the connection to tanks, you ask?

That same year, 5734, was the first year of “Mitzvah Tanks.” In that farbrengen, the Rebbe explained that “tank” is an acronym for three orders of Mishna: Taharos, Nezikin, Kodashim. Although it sounds amusing, the Rebbe learned from this an important lesson in how one should engage in mivtzaim in general, and we will learn from this in connection to Geula.

Taharos – one must purify oneself from all matters of ulterior motives and the like. It is forbidden for us to have side intentions and personal interests; so, complete purity, purely and only for the mission at hand!

This conduct produces “Nezikin” – the purpose of the order “Nezikin” is to negate possible damage that can be caused between man and his fellow. When people see that we truly mean it, and not for purposes of private and personal profit, this negates their resistance to doing good things in general, and from engaging in matters of Moshiach in particular.

And then comes “Kodshim” – we sanctify the name of Heaven, and bring more holiness into the world and into man;

So when one combines “fire” together with “water” in the service of Hashem, one gets a “tank” – Taharos, Nezikin and Kodshim!

And we’ll end with a story about mivtzaim without personal ulterior motives, which achieve the desired effect.

TO CONCLUDE WITH A STORY

Rabbi Yosef Levin, Chabad shliach in Kiryat Malachi, tells a special story about Mivtza Tefillin:

“Some time ago I worked in the Kiryat Malachi industrial zone. After finishing work I would make rounds with tefillin to have businessmen put them on. Every day I had a fixed route, and I really saw great success; only one office caused me distress. From time to time I would enter this office to put on tefillin with people, but without success.

“The person who worked there told me that he doesn’t believe in the existence of the Creator, and every time I would come he would mock me and my request. I didn’t know what to do,” continues R’ Levin in his story. “Adjacent to his office was a restaurant, where the restaurant owner was a regular putting on tefillin with me. I consulted with him how to explain to his neighbor about the importance of putting on tefillin, and suddenly the restaurant owner came up with an idea. He went into his neighbor’s office and said: ‘You know, kissing tefillin is like receiving a million dollars, what do you care if this Chabadnik comes to you and you just kiss the tefillin?’ And that’s it, he agreed.

“And indeed that’s the way it was, every day I would enter his office and I would put a kippah on him, he would kiss the tefillin and I would leave. Every day I did this, for several years,” says R’ Levin.

“Before I go to sleep I write a report [to the Rebbe] about how many people put on tefillin. One evening before I started writing the report I thought about this person who kisses the tefillin, maybe to write about him too, despite the fact that he doesn’t put on tefillin, but still there is some connection to the tefillin campaign, so I wrote about the number of people who put them on, and one young man who kissed them.

“The next day I did my regular route, and when I finished putting tefillin on the restaurant owner, suddenly his neighbor came in and said: ‘Today I feel like putting on tefillin.’ He put on tefillin with great excitement, and I remembered that just the day before I decided to add him to the daily report. When I told him this he was truly amazed. He told me that for no understandable reason he was struck with a desire to put on tefillin. He continued from that day on to put on tefillin every day.”

And the surprising ending: “After several months I finished working in the Kiryat Malachi industrial zone and moved to a printing house in Ashkelon. When I came to say goodbye, this person said to me: ‘Don’t be sad, I’ll take tefillin and put them on people here in the area instead of you…’”

Good Shabbos!

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