Part Five: This Car Has Good Handling

This then is the meaning of, “May G-d, our G-d be with us just as He was with our forefathers.”

דְּבֲּעַבוֹדַת הָאָבוֹת מּוּדְגָשִׁים שְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים הַנִזְכָּרִים לְעֵיל

The Forefathers’ service to G-d underscored the two types of humility we mentioned earlier (self-sacrifice as result of a decision vs. self-sacrifice as a result of being humbled by G-dliness).

שֶׁקִיְימוּ כָּל הַתּוֹרָה עַד שֶׁלֹא נִיתְּנָה, דְבָּזֶה מוּדְגָשׁ שֶׁעַבוֹדָתָם הָיְתָה (לֹא מִפְּנֵי הַצִיווּי מִלְמַעֲלָה, אֶלָא) בְּכֹּחַ עֲצְמָם.

On one hand, our forefathers fulfilled the mitzvos of Torah before the Torah was given. (Yoma, 28b. Mishnah, Kiddushin 82a.) This which underscores the serving G-d from personal effort, motivation decision, etc., (as opposed to a command from on High).

 וְאַף-עֲל-פִּי-כֵּן הָיוּ בְּתַּכְלִית הַבִּיטוּל, דְהָאָבוֹת הֵן הֵן הַמֶרְכָּבָה. וּבִּיטוּל הַמֶרְכָּבָה לְהַרוֹכֵב הוּא בִּיטוּל בְּתַּכְלִית. דְבִּיטוּל הַמֶרְכָּבָה לְהַרוֹכֵב הוּא לֹא מְצַּד הַרָצוֹן דְהַמֶרְכָּבָה (שֶׁרוֹצה לְהְיוֹת בְּטֵילָה לְהַרוֹכֵב וּמֶרְכָּבָה אֵלָיו), אֶלָא מְצַּד הַרוֹכֵב

On the other hand, they were completely humble, as the Midrash says, “The forefathers were a merkavah (vehicle).” The humility of a vehicle is not that it wants to fulfill the will of its driver (and it “wants” to be the driver’s vehicle), but because the vehicle has a driver.

Since humility  has varying degrees, we ask of G-d, “May G-d, our G-d be with us just as He was with our forefathers.” The concept of  “May G-d, our G-d be with us,” is that our humility to G-dliness should have the quality (and the balance) of the Forefathers’ humility— that of a vehicle.

Part Six:

According to everything we mentioned above, we can understand the words of the Ba’al HaG’ula (the Frierdiker Rebbe).

“Indeed, we are not similar to our forefathers, who actually sacrificed themselves.”

In these words, the Frierdiker Rebbe includes himself— because real self-sacrifice is a driven by humility (above, Part Four).

Accordingly, we can also understand why the Frierdiker Rebbe mentioned that “y’hi” means both “may it be,” and “it will be,” a request and assurance. Being that a request and an assurance are two different ideas. An assurance transcends (in quality) a request or prayer.

As will be explained in the following.

Even when it comes to the tzaddik, since they have an identity (albeit in a highly refined state), a prayer and a promise are still two different concepts. The assurance a tzaddik gives is (a result of) his being sent by the Holy One Blessed Be He. The prayer of a tzaddik one is his personal request.

When a tzaddik one prays on behalf of someone else, his ego is involved in requesting the blessing fromG-d. It goes without saying that the ego of the tzaddik is completely refined. The fact that he’s making a request though, shows on a discomfort as it were, with G-d’s plan.

When, however, the tzaddik one is being sent by G-d, his ego is not involved; he is a mere pipeline.

This is not the case when the Divine service of a tzaddik is like a vehicle. Then, in the ultimate state of humility, even his prayers are promises.

Additionally, something this extent (where one exists and is also completely humbled) extends to the disciples and those who relate to him (the Frierdiker Rebbe).

The Frierdiker Rebbe implanted within them (the disciples and others who are close) self-sacrifice that goes beyond the requirement of Jewish Law (which is personal and self-motivated), to the effect that they wouldn’t have it any other way (self-sacrifice as a result of humility to G-dliness). Therefore, the Frierdiker Rebbe’s prayer which includes a promise is also for the sake of the recipients.

May the promise contained in, “May G-d, our G-d be with us just as He was with our forefathers; may he not forsake us, nor abandon us,” be fulfilled; may it be Light for every Jew, spiritually and physically!

 Hisbonenus and Applications:

1. A little food for thought: After all, Gimmel Tammuz nowadays is different from when this ma’amer was given to us. Nevertheless, through the Rebbe’s Torah, and through fulfilling his detectives, we can tap into the inspiration and meaning mentioned in the last couple of paragraphs.

It says in Hayom Yom for the 24th of Sivan, that the true bond between a Rebbe and his chassidim is learning his Torah.

Since we are mekusher (disciples), we can experience a bit of the humility the greatest tzaddik has. The humility mentioned above is the humility of “higher teshuva” (Hakdoma to Tikkun Chatzos, Siddur Admur HaZokein. Margela B’Fumei D’Rovo, 5746). All this can and must be done with joy and with personal conviction.