Igrot Kodesh · Letter 3746 — Faith & Bitachon

With the help of Hashem

6 Elul* 5715

Brooklyn

To all the participants of the Melaveh Malkah*, at the conclusion of Shabbos* Parshas* Teitzei*, in Monsey, at their head, to the Rav, distinguished Chassid* who fears Hashem and devotes himself to communal needs, Rav Moshe Pinchas HaKohen (1), and to the distinguished Chassid who fears Hashem and devotes himself to communal needs, Rav Gershon, may Hashem grant you long life,

Greetings and blessings,

I have learned with satisfaction that you will be gathering to share the meal of David, the anointed king. On this occasion, words of Torah* will surely be spoken, so that it will be a meal of mitzvah*. And you know the saying (2) of the Alter Rebbe*, according to which "what a Chassidic gathering* can accomplish, even the angel Michoel* himself cannot achieve." See the lengthy explanation given on this subject in the anthology on the recitation of Tehillim*.

Basing myself on the well-known principle that a connection exists between the Sidra* of the week and its various events, as well as on the need to derive a lesson from it for daily life, I will note that at the conclusion of this Shabbos, the Sidra is: "And it shall be, when you come to the land," which speaks of the mitzvah of Bikkurim*. These were taken from among the finest fruits that our Holy Land produced, may it be restored and rebuilt by our righteous Moshiach*, when it was "a land flowing with milk and honey."

Before even consuming these fruits oneself, one would take the very first of them and bring them to the Beis HaMikdash*, in order to praise Hashem for the blessing He had bestowed upon the land. These first-fruits were not burned upon the altar* like other sacrifices, but were given to the Kohen*.

From this, a twofold lesson emerges. The harvest and the fruits grow after one has plowed, planted, sowed, and performed all the necessary agricultural labors. Yet one did not keep the finest fruits for oneself — one sanctified them by offering them to the Kohen. Certainly, one might, at least momentarily, question such an approach. So much effort and toil are invested in agricultural work, and if one must additionally consecrate a portion of the harvest, why must it be the best and most beautiful?

Nevertheless, upon reflection, one will understand that such an argument can only come from someone who is not aware that "Hashem, You have given me" these fruits — one who thinks that "my strength and the might of my hand have obtained all of this for me." Contemplation allows one to establish that this notion runs contrary to the purest faith that all Jews possess, without any exception. It suffices to express it for it to transform daily life.

The same mitzvah also imparts a second lesson. These fruits were not burned upon the altar in the Beis HaMikdash, but offered to the Kohen, who used them personally, in accordance with the Halachah*. It follows that physical pleasure, if experienced in the proper manner and in a sacred context, can be incorporated into the domain of holiness, through the medium of the Beis HaMikdash and the Kohen. One can therefore serve Hashem by consuming fruits, just as one does with other offerings — such as the Olah* sacrifice — by burning them in the Beis HaMikdash.

Herein lies one of the fundamental principles of the Torah and of Chassidus*. One must and one can serve Hashem not only through prayer and Torah study, but also through eating and while eating, through doing business (3) and while doing business. However, it is clear that the service of Hashem in these latter cases requires greater preparation. And the reward is correspondingly greater.

From this perspective, the mitzvah of Bikkurim applies even during the time of exile, including outside of Eretz Yisrael* and on an ordinary weekday. When one becomes aware, from the depths of one's heart, that everything one possesses is a gift from Hashem, one sanctifies it and places it in the service of Hashem, without any difficulty.

When one brought the Bikkurim to the Beis HaMikdash, one received the following blessing: "You shall do the same next year, in joy." And the same is true in the present era. By using the goods that Hashem bestows in the manner He desires, one reveals His blessing and can do the same the following year in increased measure, with even more intense satisfaction and joy.

I give you my blessing to take good resolutions and put them into practice during the days ahead, for us and for all of Israel, in a positive manner. I also wish you to be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year.

(1) Presumably Rav M. P. Katz, of New York. See, regarding him, Letter #3008.
(2) See, on this subject, Letter #3507.
(3) In English in the original: "business."