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BEGIN WITH A GRIN

What did the father say to the mother who was complaining that the baby was eating her phone?

“Don’t worry, it’s a kosher phone!”

LET THERE BE LIGHT

The words of the Shelah are well known, that the weekly parsha is connected to the time of year in which it is read. Parshas Va’era is always read close to the 24th of Teves, the yahrtzeit of the Alter Rebbe, and this indicates that there is a special connection between Parshas Va’era and the Alter Rebbe, but what exactly is the connection?

The Rebbe finds an interesting connection between the beginning of the parsha and the founders of Chassidus, including the Alter Rebbe, founder of Chabad Chassidus. Parshas Va’era begins with G-d’s response to Moshe’s claim at the end of the previous parsha: “Why have You brought harm to this people, why have You sent me?!” G-d begins Parshas Va’era with a long and intricate answer, “And I appeared to Avrohom, to Yitzchok, and to Yaakov as Keil Shakai.”

The Rebbe compares the fathers of Chassidus (the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid, and the Alter Rebbe) to the Avos of the entire Jewish nation – Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov. Just as Hashem revealed Himself to the Avos with the name Keil Shakai, “And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as Keil Shakai,” and through this the Avos revealed G-dliness in the world, so too did the ‘fathers’ of Chassidus reveal the inner dimension of the Torah in the world, through which G-d is revealed in the world. In simple words, the work of the Avos in the world, both the Jewish patriarchs and the fathers of Chassidus, created a significant change in the world’s relationship with the Creator, as they revealed the Creator and His Torah within the reality of the world.

The Rebbe even finds an amazing expression of this special connection. G-d’s name that was revealed to the Avos: “[Keil] Shakai” (Shin-Dalet-Yud) is an acronym for the names of the fathers of Chassidus: Shneur (Zalman), DovBer, Yisrael!

But it doesn’t end there, this special connection continues further. Just as the work of the Avos was a preparation for the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah (as explicitly mentioned in the following verses, that Hashem swore to the Avos to redeem their children and bring them to the promised land), so too the work of the Avos of Chassidus serves as preparation for the true and complete redemption and the future inheritance of Eretz Yisrael.

All this is well and good, but what’s special about the Alter Rebbe? Apparently, according to the above explanation, Parshas Va’era in its opening verses is connected to all the fathers of Chassidus in exactly the same way. So, where is the special connection between the parsha and the Alter Rebbe?

If, at the beginning of the parsha, we find a hint to the names of all the fathers of Chassidus, then in the name of the parsha (“Va’era”) specifically the name of the Alter Rebbe is hinted: The word “Va’era” is composed of the letters “Or-Alef.” The additional Alef is an acronym for the word “or” (light). Thus, in the name of the parsha, “light” is hinted twice: once explicitly (“or”) and once in hint and acronym (“a”). This corresponds to the Rebbe’s name – “Shneur” (two lights), so named because he illuminated the world with two lights – with revealed light – the revealed Torah, through composing the Shulchan Aruch, and also with concealed light – Chassidic teachings, through composing the Tanya.

There will be those who raise one or both eyebrow; gematriyas or acronyms, hints and word combinations, this is not the way of Chabad. It would appear that there isn’t any substantial conceptual explanation about the connection between the parsha and the Rebbe, but merely hints at some vague connection. In a long and deep farbrengen, the Rebbe explains this special connection in detail. The Avos paved the way for the giving of the Torah, while the fathers of Chassidus paved the way for the inner dimensions of Torah.

BRIGHT LIGHTS

Among the Avos, the one who especially excelled in his connection to Torah was the third father, Yaakov. He’s the one who didn’t sleep for fourteen years in the Beis Medrash of Shem and Ever. He’s the one who worked to establish the first yeshiva in Egypt (before descending there). And he’s the one who symbolizes (in spiritual matters) the third pillar upon which the world stands – Torah (while Avrohom symbolizes the pillar of kindness, and Yitzchok symbolizes the pillar of avoda). Similarly with regards to the third father of Chassidus, the Alter Rebbe, who was known for his Torah scholarship far beyond anyone else. He’s the one who amazed the Torah world with his important works, the Shulchan Aruch and Tanya, and he’s the one who was called by all (even by his opponents!) by the name: “The Rav,” with the definite article.

This connection between Yaakov and the Alter Rebbe is especially prominent in relation to Geula. As mentioned above, the avoda of the Avos brought about the revelation of the name “Shin-Dalet-Yud” in the world, and this served as preparation for the revelation of the name “Havaya (Y-H-V-H)” at the giving of the Torah. This preparation is especially emphasized with Yaakov for it is specifically with him that we tangibly see how living with Torah brings about the complete revelation of G-dliness in the world. He’s the one who suffered the most troubles – the wrath of Esav, of Lavan, of Deena and of Yosef (not enough?!) and he’s the one who was and remained in complete perfection, not just him, but also his family, his children and his household; even the worldly matters he dealt with were absolutely whole. How so? Through the power of Torah! Here we have it, that through the power of Torah and the divine revelation that comes through it, everything can be accomplished, including bringing about the Geula!

Similarly regarding the Alter Rebbe, he’s the one who revealed the ‘essence’ of the inner dimension of Torah and instilled it in intellectual understanding and comprehension, to such an extent that the inner Torah penetrates into the depths of human reality and changes it from within, and when the mind changes, the heart changes, and when the heart changes the entire reality of the person becomes a reality of holiness until “nature itself will be G-dliness,” and this is the exact, definitive description of the complete Geula!

The practical lesson learned from this is simple, we must intensify our study of the teachings of the one whose yahrtzeit it is, the Alter Rebbe. Both in Nigleh of Torah – studying the Shulchan Aruch, and in Nistar of Torah – beginning with the Tanya and his other sefarim (Torah Or and Likkutei Torah).

The Rebbe added that this instruction applies to women as well, and even concluded the talk with an interesting fact that his mother, Rebbetzin Chana, before her marriage, was involved in copying Chassidic maamarim that would arrive at the home of her father, Rabbi Meir Shlomo Yanovsky z’l, rabbi of Nikolayev, who was a Chassid from the time of the Rebbe Maharash. She would do this with precision and speed, to fulfill the need and thirst that existed then among the Chassidim to study a new maamar from the Rebbe. So, if more than a hundred years ago, women dealt with deep Chassidic maamarim, how much more so today, on the eve of the true and complete Geula.

TO CONCLUDE WITH A STORY

Let’s wrap up with a story about the Alter Rebbe’s power to change the world through Torah. When the Alter Rebbe arrived in Liozna, he was still a young man, and not many recognized his greatness. One day the Alter Rebbe demonstrated a miracle, and the misnagdim who lived in the city didn’t view this favorably. They demanded the young man appear before the Beis Din in Vitebsk to explain his actions.

Standing before the court, the Alter Rebbe said:

I have nothing to say. I can only tell a story I heard from my teacher and Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezeritch.

This happened before the Baal Shem Tov’s name became famous in the world. Once he demonstrated a miracle in the city of Brody. The townspeople worried that his power to perform miracles didn’t come from holy sources, Heaven forbid, and wanted to excommunicate him.

The Baal Shem Tov told them that he didn’t perform the miracle through his own power, but in partnership with Abaye. He explained his words by saying that the initials of the verse “im briyah yivra Hashem” (“[And] if a creation Hashem will create”) form the name “Abayei.” The power to perform miracles is, therefore, from Abayei…

They asked the Baal Shem Tov: “But the first word, ‘And if,’ begins with ‘vav,’ not ‘alef!’ Where then are the initials of ‘Abaye’?” The Baal Shem Tov replied that even Abayei couldn’t do anything without that ‘vav,’ which hints at the “drawing down” and revelation of Torah. Abayei was a primary source of the Oral Torah, and only through Torah can one change the world. Abayei, through the preceding ‘vav,’ could perform such tremendous miracles, completely contrary to the nature of the world.

The main sin of Korach and his assembly was that they “gathered against Hashem,” they opposed behavior that was above the ways of nature.

“And the sons of Korach did not die,” they are found in all generations…, concluded the Alter Rebbe, and the message was well understood.

Good Shabbos!

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