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LIKKUTEI SICHOS: VOLUME 25 - LECH LECHA

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 25: Parshas Lech Lecha (Part 5)

Why the mere fact that Hashem commanded a mitzvah is itself a connection, before a person has even done anything.

Part of Likkutei Sichos: Volume 25 - Lech Lecha · 27:17

This shiur draws out a mashal for how a mitzvah bridges the gap between Borei and nivra: the honor felt the instant a great person asks a favor, even before it's carried out. That idea powers the Rebbe's Simchas Torah teaching on why studying Iggeres HaTeshuvah fits a day of joy, and sets up the closing point about kiruv, that a Yid's essential bond with Hashem has nothing to do with his behavior, making "Yisrael af al pi shechata Yisrael hu" a statement of identity rather than a technicality.

Audio Transcript
The Mitzvah Itself as Connection, Even Before You Do It

explains the whole difference between the connection of a Yid to the Aibershter and the goy to the Aibershter, and then explaining based on that, the difference between the mitzvot of the Yidden and the mitzvot that the Aibershter gave to the goyim. And the nekudah is that by the goyim or by the 讜讜注诇讟 讘讻诇诇, their connection is based on them, it's a result of their avodah, memayla it's limited to whatever a person could do. So the whole connection is a 诪讜讙讘诇讚讬拽注 connection, 诪讛 砖讗讬谉 讻谉 诪讜讙讘诇 as a 谞讘专讗, 诪讛 砖讗讬谉 讻谉 the connection of the Yidden to the Aibershter is 讘注爪诐 诪诇诪注诇讛. The Aibershter made that connection something that 诪爪讚 讛谞讘专讗 you can't get, it comes directly from the Aibershter. And therefore, the mitzvot are also like that: the mitzvot are from the Aibershter, not an offspring, so to speak, of the 谞讘专讗讬诐 of 讜讜注诇讟. So now, the Rebbe comes back and 驻讬专讟 爪讜 is what he started. So let's learn page 49, the last paragraph. 讗讜谉 讚讗指住 讗讬讝 诪讚讙讬砖 转讜专讛, and all this the Torah stresses, 讙诇讬讬讱 讘讬讬 讚注诐 注专砖讟谉 讬讬讚 讗讘专讛诐 讗讘讬谞讜, right by the first Yid, which is 讗讘专讛诐 讗讘讬谞讜, 讗址讝 讝讬讬谉 讗讜讬住讙注讟讬讬诇讟拽讬讬讟, that his specialty, his being different and special, als Yid, because of being a 讬讬讚, 讜讝讬讬谉 诪注诇讛, and his greatness, 讛讬讬讘讟 讝讬讱 讗指谉 讗讬谉 讚注专 转讜专讛, starts in the Torah, which is 诪注砖讛 讗讘讜转, 谞讬砖讟 诪讬讟 讝讬讬谞注 讙注讜讜讗址诇讚讬拽注 诪注诇讜转. That's why his being a Yid, the Torah starts making a fuss of Avraham. Torah starts talking about Avraham as somebody special. So the Torah starts not with what he did, 讗讬谉 讝讬讬谉 拽讬专讜讘 诇讗诇拽讜转 讚讜专讱 注讘讜讚转讜 讘讻讞 注爪诪讜, in his being close to Hashem of his 讻讞, 讜讜讗指住 讗讬讝 讙注讜讜注谉 讘讬讬 讗讬诐 讗讜讬讱 驻专讬注专, which was there, he was close to Hashem before, but that's not the way the Torah presents it. 谞讗指专 诪讬讟 讜讬讗诪专 讛壮 讗诇 讗讘专诐 诇讱 诇讱, what Hashem did to Avraham, it comes from Hashem's side. Hashem spoke to Avraham. 讜讜讬 讚注诪讗诇住 讜讜讗指住 讚注专 讗讬讬讘注专砖讟注专 讟讬讬诇讟 讗讬诐 讗讜讬住, 讛砖诐 spoke to him, made him special. So when does the Torah say that he was special? When the Eibershter spoke to him. Bai Noach, it's different. Bai Noach, it says he was special, he did. It says Noach was a tzaddik, Noach did this, Noach was special on his own right. Un memeila the Eibershter spoke to him. So what does it seem like? That his, the connection that the Eibershter had to him came as a result because he did some good things. So that connection is based on what he did. And here, Torah doesn't mention how good he was and he was special before also, but that's not the specialty the Torah is talking about. That comes when Hashem spoke to him, that the Eibershter separated him and made him special. 讝讬讬谉 砖讬讬讻讜转 讗讜谉 讚讘讬拽讜转 诪讬讟'谉 讗讬讬讘注专砖讟谉 讜讜讬 注住 砖讟讬讬讟 讗讬谉 转讜专讛, his connection and dveikus to Hashem, as the Torah puts it, 讛讗指讟 讝讬讱 讗讜讬驻讙注讟讗指谉 注诇 讬讚讬 讝讛 砖谞爪讟讜讜讛 诪讗转 讛砖诐, it comes because he was commanded by 讛砖诐, 讗讜谉 注专 讛讗指讟 诪拽讬讬诐 讙注讜讜注谉 讚注诐 爪讬讜讜讬, and he and he did the tzivui. And if you see, the Rebbe here says two things: his connection started because he was commanded by Hashem, and that he fulfilled the commandment. Now there are two points here. The Rebbe doesn't say his connection was because he was commanded only, and, or he did what the Eibershter told him. It's both, because there are both two steps that come in the connection that a mitzvah does, brings a Yid to the Eibershter. When we say that a mitzvah is tzavsa, let me explain this more in detail, not 讚讜讜拽讗 诇讙讘讬 this inyan, but bichlal what a mitzvah is. We all know mitzvah is tzavsa v'chibur. Mitzvah is commandment, mitzvah is also connection. Now, normally we would teitch, if you ask stam a person, mitzvah is connection, fine. What does that mean? When you do what the Eibershter says, it connects you to Him. That's what, that's how you would taytsh. If you're doing what that person asked you to do, you're connected to the person. If you do what the Eibershter asked you to do, you're connected to the Eibershter because you're doing His commandment. That is true, I'm not saying it's not true, it's 100% true. But there is a connection that you have before that. The mere fact that the Eibershter commanded you to do something is already a connection that you that the Eibershter made in you with Him, the mere fact that He commanded you to do it. Because one of the meshalim, and I don't know if that's the mashal the Rebbe in 讛注专讛 here says, 讛注专讛 注状讗... 讛注专讛 诇状讚, 讗 专讞讘讛 讗专讜讻讛 诪砖诇, 讻讘讜讚 拽讚讜砖转 诪讜状讞 讗讚诪讜状专, a mashal of the Frierdiker Rebbe... I don't, I can't tell you, I don't remember, it says it's from the maamar in 转状砖, but I think this is the mashal, but I'm not sure. But anyway, there's a famous mashal of showing how a mitzvah connects us to the Eibershter. B'foel mamash, we're far from the Eibershter, we're creatures, we're nivraim, the Eibershter is the Borei, how could you be connected? So there's a mashal, if you have two people: one guy is a very special, great person, a 讞讻诐, 讗讬讱 讜讜讬讬住, then you have another person who is a very simple, simple person. And look at, as far as the person is concerned, he is so far from that... person who connected to, you have the the president of the United States. I don't mean Obama, I mean but a normal president. You have a president United States. He's at the top. He's probably the the the greatest position a person could get in the world. I'm sure that's what it is. And then you have a simple person. The simple person feels there is no connection between him and such a such a chashuv a person. Imagine if that chashuv a person would see you and come over to you and ask you, \"I'm asking you for a favor, do something for me,\" small thing. You could imagine what the person feels? \"He asked me to do something for him,\" and and you feel connected. Let's give a better mashal, a real mashal, not a You're standing in front of 770, and the Rebbe walks out of his room and sees you and he says, \"Do me a favor. Go out across the street,\" nothing, no big thing, no 专讜讞谞讬讜转讚讬拽注 thing, \"go out across the street, buy me a bottle of milk.\" Here's another mashal, a stupid mashal. How would you feel? You'd be on the seventh cloud, you know, for days you couldn't come down. \"The Rebbe asked me to do something for him!\" So this is a mashal that the Eibershter, who's so great, and we are so low, and the Eibershter asked us to do something, a mitzvah, that makes us feel connected. Not only feel, that is a connection that we have. Now if you look at that, in the mashal I gave, is the connection there because you did what the Rebbe asked you to do? Yeah, odai. It's more than that. The mere fact that he asked you, before you did it yet, the fact that he asked you to do it is the greatest connection that you could feel. He pashut, if I want to use these words, lowered himself, this great person lowered himself to me. Who am I? I'm nothing. And he went down to me and he spoke to me and he said to me, you know. Look this, a regular guy wouldn't even look at me. Who am I? He not only looked at me, he needs me. K'vayachol, k'vayachol he needs me, he needs a favor. And he gave me the opportunity to do him a favor. He asked me to do him a favor. Just the fact that he asked me makes you so close, you feel a connection that for days and days you'll feel close. Remember when you go into yechidus, you would look at the Rebbe afterwards, you'd say, \"Just went in privately with the Rebbe.\" It's it's it's, no, you feel, you know, it's mine, he's my Rebbe, he's And after the Rebbe would ask you something, you'd every time by Minchah, you'd look at the Rebbe, you'd feel a special a special connection you'd feel, which you didn't feel before. And that's because the mere fact that he kivayachol lowered himself and talked to me and asked me to do something for him.

The Rebbe's Simchas Torah Teaching: Why Iggeres HaTeshuvah Belongs on a Day of Joy

I remember once the Rebbe explained this, 转砖讻状讟, this is sort of the history part of it, every farbrengen the Rebbe spoke about another piece of Iggeres Hateshuvah. Basically, what the Rebbe was doing, he was giving a shiur in Iggeres Hateshuvah. And every farbrengen, he went piece by piece, one piece to the other, and he went and he explained pieces in Iggeres Hateshuvah. Came Simchas Torah, Simchas Torah the Rebbe also started off saying, \"Now we're going to speak on Iggeres Hateshuvah.\" But he gave a whole hakdamah that farbrengen. The hakdamah was like this, lichorah, how does it what sense does it make to speak on Iggeres Hateshuvah on Simchas Torah? Teshuvah is, you know, you feel bad, you did aveirot and you have to do teshuvah. Simchas Torah, you have to be b'simchah, you have to jump from joy, you have to dance. So to teach, to learn Iggeres Hateshuvah on Simchas Torah is epes shtimt nisht. So the Rebbe went into a whole biur, before he got to the Iggeres Hateshuvah, a whole biur. I think the whole sichah was that, then the next sichah he spoke about in the Iggeres Hateshuvah. What was this biur? It was such a geshmake biur, which as maaseh made such a gevaldike, you know, feeling of, you know, hearing this. So the Rebbe said like this. Quoted the Rambam. The Rambam at the end of 讛诇讻讜转 诇讜诇讘. At the end of 讛诇讻讜转 诇讜诇讘, the Rambam says, \"砖诪讞讛 砖诇 诪爪讜讛 注讘讜讚讛 讙讚讜诇讛 讛讬讗.\" To be happy when you do a mitzvah is a big avodah. We're not talking about doing the mitzvah. Doing the mitzvah is odai, it's avodat Hashem. The happiness of the mitzvah, to do the mitzvah b'simchah, is 注讘讜讚讛 讙讚讜诇讛 讛讬讗. And the Rambam explains in two, three words, why is this an avodah gedolah? And we know that simchah shel mitzvah is so special. So the Rambam says, I don't know if the exact words, but it's al derech, almost like the words I'm saying, it's 砖诪讞转 讛拽诇 砖爪讜谞讜. The simchah of the Aibershter that he commanded us to do the mitzvah. So let me explain that, elaborate on what the Rebbe said. And he explained it, but I'm not I don't know if I'm using the same words, I don't remember exactly, but and it's the idea that I said before, that if the Aibershter gave you a mitzvah, just commanded you to do a mitzvah, that itself must bring out the biggest joy. Because the Aibershter, who's the Aibershter and who are we, and the Aibershter lowered himself From this high heights and came down, so that's the greatest thing that could happen, you have to be happy. If a person is not happy from the fact that the Aibershter gave him the mitzvot, you know what? There's something wrong with the guy. The person is not normal. Imagine someone comes over to you and says, \"I'm giving you a million dollars.\" I assume you'd be happy. If you're not happy, it's one of the two: Or you'd be stam a meshugener, not a normal person, or you pashut don't speak the language. You don't know what the word a million dollars means. If you're only normal and you hear that you're getting a million dollars, you have to be happy. Or you're you pashut not normal, you don't know what what it means to have a million dollars. If you only understand what it means that the Aibershter commanded you to do a mitzvah, which means the Aibershter came down from 讻住讗 讻讘讜讚讜 and lowered himself to me and gave me, told me what to do, asked me to do something, like the mashal I gave before, he asked me to do some a favor, asked me, \"Please do this, I'm asking you to do this,\" it should make you so happy, and if it's not making you happy, then you're nuts. That's why simchah shel mitzvah is so important, because if you don't have simchah when you do a mitzvah, that's a re'ayah that you don't know what a mitzvah is. And that's why sometimes it says it's more important, not l'maaseh, but in avodah, more than the mitzvah itself. It says that Rav Chaim Vital writes on the Arizal that the Arizal reached his madregot, his high madregot, from simchah shel mitzvah. Doesn't say he did reached it from doing the 诪爪讜讜转 讘讛讬讚讜专, and doing every mitzvah so carefully. He reached it from simchah shel mitzvah, because the simchah shel mitzvah, that shows how you feel 诇讙讘讬 the Aibershter, that that it must make you feel happy, simchah shel mitzvah. So the Rebbe, after explaining all this 讘讗专讬讻讜转, comes up like this. This is the the punchline that he made: If you have to be happy when the Aibershter gave you a mitzvah because he lowered himself to you, who is a nothing, and he gave you a mitzvah, imagine when he gave you the mitzvah of teshuvah. Who is the mitzvah of teshuvah to? A 讘注诇 注讘讬专讛. So, not only did the Aibershter lower himself to stam a guy who's nothing, he lowered himself to a person who is so low that he's a 讘注诇 注讘讬专讛 also, that he's such a terrible guy, and even to him the Aibershter lowered himself and said, \"Please do me a favor, do something.\" So, as much as you have to have simchah shel mitzvah, here you have to have even a greater simchah. So the 砖讗诇讛 was, what does Iggeret HaTeshuvah have to do with simchah, that on Simchat Torah you should learn Iggeret HaTeshuvah? He says, aderabah. Iggeret HaTeshuvah brings you to to the greatest simchah, because if you start realizing what it means that the Aibershter gave you a mitzvah of teshuvah, then vadai you should be happy, even more happier than a regular mitzvah. Huh? Because the Aibershter lowered himself to a lower person. No, no, you're... When when a... No, you're the lowest, but if you're doing an aveirah, you're even lower. So every mitzvah the Aibershter didn't give to a to a 讘注诇 注讘讬专讛. 注爪诐 讛讝讗转, we're human beings, we're low, and even and to him the Aibershter lowered himself. Now imagine if the Aibershter lowered himself to somebody who's lower than a regular person. So Tanya gives a mashal that if imagine if He says it in the also for simchah. Imagine if the king would come, go down from his throne, and go down and deal not stam with a person, with a guy who's a drunk, who's 诪讜讟诇 讘讗砖驻讛 he says in Tanya, he's laying in in garbage and full of dirt and everything, and to him the king comes down to him and and has a discussion with him and and and and deals with him, what should that what should that awaken in the person? Stam a person who's a normal person is also, imagine the king coming to me. But I'm so low and still the king didn't care and came down to me, that should bring out even a greater simchah. So 诪诪讬诇讗 转砖讜讘讛 has The mitzvah of teshuvah brings to a greater simchah than a regular mitzvah. But what what what coming coming out here, so what I'm trying to say 诇讙讘讬 what we learned here, that the connection that you get to the Aibershter is not only when you mekayem the mitzvah. When you actually do the mitzvah, vadai you're doing what the Aibershter wants, that's a connection. But the fact that the Aibershter commanded you is already a connection. And a connection that the Aibershter does, which is not coming from you as a 谞讘专讗 and your avodah, it comes from the Aibershter. And that's the 诇砖讜谉 that the Rebbe uses here that by Avraham the dveikut to the Aibershter started, 讛讗讟 讝讬讱 讗讜讬驻讙注讟讗谉, 注诇 讬讚讬 讝讛 砖谞爪讟讜讜 诪讗转 讛砖诐, 讚讬 讝讗讱 that they were commanded from 讛砖诐, 讗讜谉 注专 讛讗讟 诪拽讬讬诐 讙注讜讜注谉 讚注诐 爪讬讜讜讬, and he did the tzivui, they're both. Even the 注爪诐 commandment is already a dveikut that the Aibershter put into Avraham Avinu, which is not as a result of Avraham's avodah, it's just because the Aibershter wanted. Now, I always say this. Shailah is, people ask, \"Can you be medayek

Can You Be Medayek in Every Word of Likkutei Sichos?

in every word in Likkutei Sichos?\" And what's the shailah? What's the shailah? It's the Rebbe's sichos. The shailah is because the Rebbe didn't write it. The Rebbe didn't write it. Rebbe was magiah it. Now, the Rebbe was magiah it, everything it says here, every single word is true, is 100% correct. The question is, when it says one expression over another expression, can you be medayek? In other words, when the Rebbe was magiah a sichah, let me tell you, this is correct and he left it, certain things he fixed. Now, it could be, had the Rebbe himself written that paragraph or that line, maybe he would use a different word. But this word is also good, so he didn't change it. So, on one hand, I'm saying it's a little bit, you know, some people say, \"A misnaged, an apikorus,\" that certain expressions you could say that it was written by by the people who wrote it, and that's the way it felt, and that's correct. That's for sure. No one could say that any word is not right. It's definitely everything correct, but is that a diyuk in that expression? On the other hand, as much as I'm saying this because I know from experience that it's a lot is written and the people wrote it, but fun tzveitn zayt, any any diyuk that has to do with the tochen of something, I can guarantee you it's meduyak. Ad kedei kach that you could be medayek on a word that's underlined. Okay, here it's not underlined, when it's put in italics, that means it was underlined. Why you stress this word? Why you stress that word? It is meduyak. So, if it'll say like someone asked me once, it says, \"讗讜谉 讚注专驻讗专 讗讬谉 讚注专 驻专砖讛 砖讟讬讬讟 讗讝讜讬 讗讜谉 讗讝讜讬.\" And sometimes it says, \"讗讬谉 讚注专 住讚专讛.\" Is there a diyuk when it says parshah, when it says sedrah? Tell you the truth, I I If someone has a biur why it says that word or the other, fine, tavo alav berachah. Yeah? When you talk about the sedrah, we call it there are two names for it, like every sichah starts with the word, \"讗讬谉 讗讜谞讝注专 驻专砖讛,\" how does this sichah start? \"驻专砖转谞讜, 讚注谉 讜讜讗住 驻专砖转谞讜 讛讬讬讘讟 讝讬讱 讗谉.\" So, we call it our parshah, so it's called parshah. Sometimes we call it sedrah. Nu, so if it says the word parshah or the word sedrah, can you be medayek? If you can come up with a biur, it's like one of those things that if you have a biur, very good. And I mentioned it to some bachurim, a lot of times the sichot you have the expression after there was a biur, \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬讜讘谉,\" we'll understand this and this, \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬转讜专抓,\" this. Then there's a lashon that you don't find in other sefarim, the Rebbe's lashon, \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬讜诪讟注拽.\" 注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讜讜注专讟 讙注砖诪讗拽. What is the pshat? Mah nafshach? What is the pshat? Something it's not understood, and al pi what the Rebbe said, we will understand it. So why sometimes he says, \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬讜讘谉,\" and sometimes, \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬讜诪讟注拽\"? Very obvious. This this is very this is definitely meduyak. When do you say, \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬讜讘谉\"? If something's not understood, you need to understand it, so you give a biur. You have a kashya, you say, \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬转讜专抓.\" \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬讜诪讟注拽\" means something is not a kashya. If you don't have a biur, you can't ask a kashya. You can't ask a kashya. You could only ask that she'eilah if you have an answer. You could be medayek because I have a biur. So then the Rebbe writes, \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬讜诪讟注拽.\" Yomtek means to make it geshmak, that now, oh, now it fits better, but not that without this biur it won't make sense. \"注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬讜讘谉\" means if not that, I don't understand, so 注诇 驻讬 讝讛, I will understand, because now it's understood. So, the same thing here, the word sedrah and parshah, you can never ask such a she'eilah. If you'll come the other way, you'll come, \"I have a biur, you see here it says sedrah, because here the word fits better.\" Oh, that's oh, 注诇 驻讬 讝讛 讬讜诪讟注拽 why it says sedrah here, parshah, but you can't be medayek. But certain things which are noge'a to tochen, you could be medayek. Lemashal, the words I'm why am I saying the words here? That the Rebbe says here that you're connected to the 讗讬讬讘注专砖讟注专 注诇 讬讚讬 讝讛 砖谞转爪讜讛 诪注诐 讛' 讗讜谉 讚讜专讱 讚注诐 诪拽讬讬诐 讝讬讬谉 讚讬 诪爪讜讜转, so it's not just an expression, \"Oh, 谞转爪讜讛, 诪拽讬讬诐,\" people think you got a mitzvah and you did it, so it's a gender one big big kasha, one big mishmash. It's not like that. It's meduyak, because these are two separate inyanim. You get connected to the Eibershter through the tzivui, the mere fact that the Aibershter commanded you to do is the Aibershter connecting Himself to you or connecting you to Him, and then you have the tzivui, the 拽讬讜诐 讛爪讬讜讜讬, when you do it, that's another level of connection. And both are from the Aibershter's side, even though the mitzvah that you keep you do, but you're not doing something that came from you. You put on tefillin in the morning not because it came from you. It didn't come from you, because for us, we would never put on tefillin in the morning with a meshugah. That's the reason why it says that especially in the 驻专讬注专讚讬拽注专 专讘讬'住 诪讗诪专讬诐, 砖讬讞讜转, that you have you have 诪砖驻讟讬诐 and you have 讞讜拽讬诐. 讞讜拽讬诐 make no sense and 诪砖驻讟讬诐, so it says you have to do 诪砖驻讟讬诐 like 讞讜拽讬诐 and 讞讜拽讬诐 like 诪砖驻讟讬诐. 讞讜拽讬诐 like 诪砖驻讟讬诐 means just like 诪砖驻讟讬诐 that you understand, you have a geshmak in it, you know what you're doing, so you have to have a geshmak in 讞讜拽讬诐. On the other hand, you have to do 诪砖驻讟讬诐 like 讞讜拽讬诐, which means don't do the 诪砖驻讟讬诐 because you understand. That's the reason. You have to do it because the Aibershter said so. The difference between the two is not just a difference, okay, so you're a higher madregah, it's a little better to do it because the Aibershter said. It's ein erech. If you do it because you feel it's good, Then what is it, you? Whom are you serving? Yourself. And if you do because the Aibershter said, you're serving the Aibershter. That means it's an Aibershter. And that's the two things here, the tzivui, and then the kiyum, you're doing it because the Aibershter said. Yeah, what do you want to ask? According to this, you're saying the goy that does it totally because he felt it, or whatever, versus something like Avraham that he was commanded which one is like which one is like You tell me. For sure by the Yid, but I'm saying That's what you're trying to say here. That that's a different, it's not a greater maalah. It's a different category altogether. This is this is Aibershter, and this is mentsh. In Chassidut, you know there's a lashon in Chassidut a lot of times like this. Let me It's all this we're saying the same I'm just repeating myself in different words. It says in Chassidut that if you do something because you think it's good and right, what happens then, there is 转注谞讜讙 诇谞讘专讗. And when you do something because the Eibershter said, what is that? 转注谞讜讙 诇讘讜专讗. Who enjoys when you do something that you feel is good? You enjoy it. Okay, the Eibershter enjoys it also, but it's not done for that reason. If you do it because the Eibershter said, the Eibershter enjoys it. The difference between the Eibershter and me, this is the 讘讜专讗, this is the 谞讘专讗. Be'ein aruch! The two furthest points in existence is 讘讜专讗 and 谞讘专讗. That's the difference. If you do it for yourself, then you get pleasure, it's 转注谞讜讙 诇讘讜专讗, 转注谞讜讙 诇谞讘专讗. And this is 转注谞讜讙 诇讘讜专讗. You're doing it because the Eibershter said, and you connect yourself to the Eibershter. And that's what happened by Avraham Avinu. And this is what the Torah wants to tell us by Avraham, 讻讚讬 we should know what a Yid is.

Applying It to Kiruv: A Yid's Identity Never Depends on His Behavior

So after we finished so far, I imagine we all got a different look on what a Yid is. This always connected to the 讙讗谞爪注 砖讬讟讛 of Chabad, 砖讬讟讛 of the Rebbe, 砖讬讟讛 of Lubavitch, to be mekarev a Yid. And those that hold you shouldn't be mekarev, because when the Rebbe started with the whole thing with the kiruv, so everyone was against it. Everybody was against it. From chassidim to misnagdim, everybody. Then the misnagdim jumped on the bandwagon, and they started also doing kiruv, even though the style of kiruv that we do and they do, they do kiruv rechokim, and the Rebbe used that term once and he was laughing at it, kiruv because you're kiruv rechokim. The Rebbe didn't say we're 专讞讜拽讬诐 there. But mekarev, and we don't use that word, we say we're mekarev every Yid. But even afterwards, the Satmar 诇诪砖诇, they they're still against it. How could you go? How could you go to the 驻讜砖注讬诐, the 驻讜砖注讬 讬砖专讗诇? They're 驻讜砖注讬诐, they're they're The whole idea is, if you know this nekudah that the nekudah of a yid is not dependent on what he does. A nekudah of a yid that he is connected to the Aibershter beyond any actions, that's not doesn't come from his actions. So what's the chiluk if he's a freier or a frumer yid 诇讙讘讬 that 驻专讟? A yid who has a neshamah and is connected to the Aibershter has to do the mitzvot. The Aibershter wants him to do, and if he doesn't do, he's a problem, he's doing bad. But it doesn't take away from the fact that he is a yid. In other words, the greatest, lowest yid is the same yid as Moshe Rabbeinu. There's no difference. 讘讙诇讜讬, he is 诪讙诇讛 his neshamah, his being a yid, and he is not 诪讙诇讛, and therefore there's a problem. But it doesn't take away his etzem. I was once talking to a Satmar guy and I would tell him, you guys, the way you you you talk and it's not the pshat you don't understand what it means the etzem of a freier yid, that it's still a yid. You don't understand your etzem. You don't know who you are. If you don't know what a yid is, you're looking at yourself also wrong. You're looking at yourself, \"I'm a frumer yid. You know why I'm connected to the Aibershter? Because I behave properly.\" So you're saying like the Rebbe says here in the sichah, connection of a goy to it. That's to the Aibershter, that's that's the way you think. Your connection is that way, and that's why you think that if you don't behave properly, then you're not a yid. And they have all these ra'ayot from the lashon in the 讙诪专讗, 讛专讬 讛讜讗 讻注讻讜状诐. It's all nothing, I mean you could ra'ayot have ra'ayot a hundred ways. But that's the pshat, you're missing. And I told him, not you don't understand what your metziut of a yid is. Not you don't understand what he is, you don't understand You don't even understand what is the metziut of your Rebbe being a Yid. Your Rebbe's connection to the Eibershter is not because he learned so much Torah, you say, and he is such a big tzaddik. If that's his connection, ach un vey! Then he's like like Noah. Noah was connected to the Eibershter. It was also 谞讞 讗讬砖 爪讚讬拽 转诪讬诐, so he's like Noah. Then from there starts all the 讘谞讬 谞讞, all the goyim come from Noah. Or you have other goyim who were great people, 讞住讬讚讬 讗讜诪讜转 讛注讜诇诐. That's exactly how you are, because they close, you know, also... Okay, you're a 讬讬讚, 讗转讛 讘讞专转谞讜, we're the best, out of all the, you know, you have better people, worse people, you're the best. So, that's the pshat, you don't understand. If you look at a Yid, in any form or shape, in a way that he's not a Yid or something, umemela I don't have anything to do with him, then you don't understand bichlal. So when we quote the 讙诪专讗, 讬砖专讗诇 讗祝 注诇 驻讬 砖讞讟讗 讬砖专讗诇, a Yid, even if he sins, he's a Yid, so it's a maamar Chazal. So when we answer them, how could you be mekarev him, ah, he's fart a Yid. This statement, 讬砖专讗诇 讗祝 注诇 驻讬 砖讞讟讗 讬砖专讗诇 讛讜讗, is a foundation, a fundamental idea in what a Yid is. It's not just a fact, okay, he's fart a Yid. This is the pshat that 讗祝 注诇 驻讬 砖讞讟讗 讬砖专讗诇 means, it explains what a Yid is, and that has nothing to do, his being a Yid, not his behavior, his behavior has to do with Torah, yeah, but his being a Yid has nothing to do with his behavior. That's the pshat, because that's what, and the nekudah of what a Yid is. Umemela, you look at a Yid different. Then other things also you look different. If that's what a Yid is, so then you always look with a good eye, and you always look at mistama he's good, and and that's that. They say once a Satmar Chasid came to the Rebbe for yechidus, and the Rebbe asked him, after he asked for a brachah or something, at the end yechidus, the Rebbe asked him did he lately hear epes a dvar Torah from his Rebbe? So he said, \"Yeah.\" So the Rebbe, \"nu, please tell me a vort. I want to hear a vort.\" So he says, his Rebbe said like this, the Gemara says that 讗驻讬诇讜 驻讜砖注讬 讬砖专讗诇 诪诇讗讬诐 诪爪讜转 讻专讬诪讜谉, that even the 驻讜砖注讬 讬砖专讗诇, the bad Yidden, are full of mitzvot like a pomegranate is full of seeds. \"So my Rebbe asked, if you, if he's a 驻讜砖注 讬砖专讗诇, so how could you say he's full of 诪爪讜转 讻专讬诪讜谉?\" So the Rebbe says to him, \"I have the same kashyah, but my kashyah is, if he's full of 诪爪讜转 讻专讬诪讜谉, why do you call him 驻讜砖注讬 讬砖专讗诇?\" And that's a difference in how you look at it. Why? It all comes in result of the yesod of what is a Yid. And this is what we see here by Avraham Avinu.

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