Igrot Kodesh · Letter 9305

By the grace of Hashem,

11 Nissan* 5727,
Brooklyn, New York,

To the sons and daughters of Israel, in every place,
may Hashem grant you long life,

I greet and bless you,

The festival of Pesach*, the time of our freedom, receives this year a specific content, in light of the following brief introduction[1]:

One can observe that a person, when in the right frame of mind, is deeply marked by the event he experiences. Thus, one who is joyful welcomes every joyful situation with increased motivation. Conversely, one who is in a lower state of mind, when confronted with an undesirable event, will be even more discouraged. The same applies in the physical realm. When the body[2] is in good health, everything healthy strengthens it further. But if it is weakened, it will have difficulty bearing even what is particularly light. A halachic* principle expresses this idea: "One element met another similar one and this aroused it"[3].

* * *

This year[4] is distinguished, from its very beginning, by the Mitzvah* and the spirit of Hakhel*[5], the specific Mitzvah* following the Shemittah* year: "Assemble the people, the men, the women and the children"[5], all categories of the Jewish people, with an objective immediately defined by the verse — to instill fear of Hashem*, to study the Torah and to put it into practice.

Such are also the cause and content of the festival of Pesach*, that of the Exodus from Egypt*[5]. Unlike other exiles — those of Babylon, of the Medes, the Persians, Greece — from which not all Jews departed, this was indeed the case in Egypt: "with our young and our old, our sons and our daughters"[6]. All the children of Israel, from the smallest to the greatest, left Egypt with a precise purpose: "When you bring this people out of Egypt, you will serve Hashem on this mountain"[5], in order to be servants of Hashem and to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai*[7].

Consequently, although Pesach* is a time-bound commandment[5] from which women are ordinarily exempt[8], they must nonetheless celebrate this festival[9]. As for children[10], their initiation into the festival takes place from the very beginning of the time of the Exodus from Egypt, during the Pesach* Seder*, which is based on[11]: "And you shall tell your son"[5], commanding him, with many details and many precisions whose purpose is to draw them into Pesach*, even before performing the Mitzvot* of the festival — the Matzah* and the Maror*. Moreover, this applies to all children, for the Seder* is not addressed only to the wise. It is designed for all categories, from the wise one to the one who does not know how to ask. It is declared to all that: "because of this"[5], so that we put the Mitzvot* into practice[12], Hashem took us out of Egypt.

* * *

A liberation as total as that of the Egyptian exile was not repeated in subsequent exiles[13]. However, it will occur again at the time of the true redemption, at the end of the current exile. According to Hashem's promise[14]: "As in the days of your going out from Egypt, I will show you wonders"[5]. Then, all[5] the Jews, young and old, with everything that concerns them, will be liberated by our righteous Mashiach*, so that: "you will walk in My statutes, you will be My people and I will be your Hashem"[15], observing Hashem's commandments and being His[5] people.

The redemption from Egypt became possible only after the children of Israel had rejected, with self-sacrifice[16], the idolatry of Egypt, and then expressed their desire[17] and their eagerness to receive the Torah. Consequently, we must prepare ourselves in the same way for our redemption, by likewise rejecting the various forms of idolatry introduced by our era. Thus, "with our young and our old, our sons and our daughters," each person, with his wife and children, will shed the status of "servant of Pharaoh" and all the ideals that dominate the outer world, to become the "servant of Hashem"[18], to be totally submitted to Him. It is in this way that one attains true[19] freedom[5], through a daily existence of Torah and Mitzvot*.

* * *

May Hashem bring it about that the approaching festival, in this year of Hakhel*[5], be observed with particular motivation, as has been said. This motivation will express itself during the days of the festival, and then in the days that follow, as was said concerning the Hakhel*: "They will endeavor to perform all the words of this Torah"[20]. This is indeed a matter of "performing"[5], which means that one cannot content oneself with a good Jewish heart or a highly ethical discourse, as important as both may be. Moreover, this action bears upon "all[5] the words of this Torah," without making a selection according to one's own understanding, "adapting" them to the present era and to the need to ensure one's comfort. Finally, what is at issue here is this[5] Torah. Indeed, the Rambam*[21] sees a halachic*[5] decision of the Torah*[5] in every verse, in every word. And the same is true for the Oral Law.

All this will hasten the true and complete redemption, through our righteous Mashiach*, very soon. With my blessing for a kosher* and joyful Pesach*,

Menachem Schneerson,

Notes

[1] See the Passover Haggadah with a collection of explanations, customs and commentaries, edition of 5751 (1991), p. 614.
[2] The Rabbi notes at the bottom of the page: "See also Tractates Shabbat 32a and Taanit 29b," the latter reference referring to what is said in the following note, "merit is conferred upon a propitious day."
[3] According to Tractate Eruvin 9a. The Rabbi notes at the bottom of the page: "See Rashi's commentary on Tractate Avodah Zarah 73a."
[4] See regarding this the letter n°9217.
[5] The Rabbi underlines the words: "Hakhel," "assemble the people, the men, the women and the children," "Exodus from Egypt," "you will serve Hashem on this mountain," "a time-bound commandment," "and you shall tell your son," "because of this," "as in the days of your going out from Egypt, I will show you wonders," "all," "His," "freedom," "Hakhel," "performing," "all," "this," "halachic decision" and "Torah."
[6] The Rabbi notes: "Shemot* 10:9."
[7] The Rabbi notes: "Shemot* 13:12. See the Targum Yonathan Ben Uzziel and Rashi's commentary on this verse."
[8] According to Tractate Kiddushin 29a.
[9] The Rabbi notes: "See the Shulchan Aruch* of the Admor HaZaken*, Orach Chaim*, chapter 472, paragraph 25."
[10] The Rabbi notes: "See, notably, at the same reference, the beginning of chapter 472, chapter 473 paragraph 40. See also in particular the Siddur* of the Ari Zal*, Seder Haggadah, at the paragraph: 'Behold, the children.' The talks of my father-in-law the Rabbi, of the Pesach* festival 5704 (in the Sefer HaSichot* 5704, p. 77) emphasize that the questions asked by the child arouse, above: 'Israel is a youth and I love him' (Hoshea 11:1), a verse that alludes to the Exodus from Egypt."
[11] Bo 13:8.
[12] The Rabbi notes: "Shemot* 13:8. See the commentary of Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra at this reference."
[13] The Rabbi notes: "This is the reason why there also exists a small minority of people who are exempt from Hakhel*. At the future redemption, on the other hand, the blind and the lame will be part of 'the great assembly (that) will return there,' according to the beginning of Tractate Chagigah* and the verse Yirmeyahu 31:7. Now the same is true at the Seder* when children are able to receive a Jewish education. Indeed, since the sin of the golden calf, perfection has disappeared from the world and will only reappear in the World to Come. The Hakhel* and the festival of Pesach* thus prefigure it, albeit in a different manner, but this point will not be developed here." The Rabbi underlines: "the blind and the lame."
[14] The Rabbi notes: "Michah 7:15. See the additions of the Zohar*, vol. 1, p. 261b, concerning this verse, which says: 'All the upper days gather there and gather here.'"
[15] The Rabbi notes: "Yechezkel 36:27-28."
[16] The Rabbi notes: "See the Midrash* cited by our masters the Baalei HaTosafot*, concerning the verse Shemot* 12:13."
[17] The Rabbi notes: "According to the Haggadah, as mentioned by the Ran* at the end of his commentary on Tractate Pesachim."
[18] The Rabbi notes: "See the Yerushalmi*, Tractate Pesachim, chapter 5, paragraph 5, according to which, at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, it was so even before leaving that land, 'from that moment.'"
[19] The Rabbi notes: "Indeed, only one who devotes himself to the study of Torah is free, according to Tractate Avot*, chapter 6, Mishnah 2." The Rabbi underlines here: "only" and "devotes himself."
[20] Vayelech 31:12.
[21] The Rabbi notes: "Laws of Teshuvah*, chapter 3, paragraph 8."