Basi L’Gani 5717

Beis Moshiach presents Section 7 of the maamer the Rebbe MH”M delivered on Yud Shvat 5717, in accordance with the custom established by the Rebbe to review each year a section of the Rebbe Rayatz’s maamer Basi L’Gani of 5710. • This year we focus on the seventh section of the profound and foundational Chassidic discourse.

Translated by Boruch Merkur

“ONE WHO IS SMALL IS GREAT AND ONE WHO IS GREAT IS SMALL”

7. The maamer continues, contrasting the perspectives of Yaakov and Eisav regarding their personal wealth. When the twin brothers meet, Yaakov proclaims his prosperity with the words, “yesh li kol – I have everything,” and Eisav speaks of his abundant wealth, saying, “yesh li rav – I have plenty.” Here Yaakov’s perspective characterizes holiness, as it invokes and embraces the aspect of “kol,” which establishes a bond, a genuine connection – “d’achid b’shmaya v’ar’a (that unifies the heavens with the earth).” Eisav, on the other hand, who embodies the world of klipa (a “shell” or “husk” that conceals G-dliness), fails to mention “kol,” a testimony to his inability to connect. Eisav instead has “rav-plenty,” signifying ribbui and his’chalkus (fragmented hordes of possessions), the opposite of unity (d’achid), which is characteristic of holiness. The Midrash captures this difference in a different context: “Regarding Eisav’s household, the Torah speaks of ‘sheish nefashos – six people,’ ‘nefashos’ written in the plural (similar to “yesh li rav”), as it is written, ‘Eisav took … nefashos beiso, the people of his household.’ Yaakov, on the other hand, had seventy offspring, but they are referred to in the singular, ‘nefesh echad,’ as it is written, ‘kol nefesh yotz’ei yerech Yaakov, etc. (all the offspring sired by Yaakov, etc.’).”

The Rebbe goes on to reconcile Eisav’s claim “Yesh li rav – I have everything” with “la’rash ein kol – the poor have nothing” by citing the enigmatic statement of “Rav Mesivta” in Zohar: “One who is small is great and one who is great is small” (Zohar I 122b, Zohar III 168a). “One who is small” alludes to the realm of holiness, for [as discussed above regarding the bittul of the letter Yud] “it made itself small.” Thus, it is written, “How will Yaakov stand, for he is small” (Amos 7:2,5). But since he is “small,” he is great, for bittul allows a person to receive all influence from above, including the revelation of “Olam HaBa was created with the letter Yud,” which is the aspect of “to behold the splendor of G-d (noam Havaya)” (as above, Section 3).

The realm of unholiness, on the other hand, which is described as “one who is great,” for it embraces grandiosity, megalomania (hisravravus, the opposite of bittul), receives Divine influence only from chitzonius d’chitzonius, the most superficial aspect. Thus, it “is small,” it only receives a minute quantity. That is, the “plenty” of one who has only material possessions is considered as minute and in small measure. In fact, physicality, even when it is plentiful, “yesh li rav,” has unto itself no existence whatsoever; it is “small.”

A DANGEROUS QUEST
FOR HIDDEN TREASURE

Moreover, as well shall see, material plenty (“yesh li rav”) itself causes the person to become “small” and insignificant. The negative impact of materialism is explained at length by the Rebbe Maharash in his interpretation of the verse, “A man’s folly distorts his way, but his heart is incensed with Havaya” (Mishlei 19:3):

We see in nature that the necessities of life are more commonly available and more accessible. For example, air is a constant need and it is everywhere to be found and effortlessly acquired. Food and drink, which are needed on a less regular basis than air, are not as readily available. Regarding consumables themselves, drink is more necessary than food, and it is more accessible and less expensive. Clothing is not as urgently required (for one may still live without clothes) but more expensive than food and drink. One’s most valued worldly asset is likely his house, which is not at all an immediate necessity. A house is extremely expensive and difficult to acquire. How much more so regarding truly ostentatious possessions, pure luxuries. The fact is though that there are people who, for the sake of acquiring luxuries, pursue them to the point of engendering themselves, acting in way that defies logic.

It is with regard to the latter category, the pursuit of ostentatious goods, that the verse applies, “A man’s folly distorts his way.” For this conduct, this “folly” and stupidity to attain luxury items, “distorts his way”; not only does he not achieve his goal, he actually suffers a loss, for he becomes unsettled, lacking peace of mind. Thus, he comes to lose out on even material things he requires.

The above insight illuminates the saying, “One who is small is great and one who is great is small,” for it teaches that material abundance itself brings about one’s diminishment.

BY PURSUING LUXURIES THEY LOSE EVEN THEIR NECESSITIES

The Rebbe continues in the maamer, citing the saying (recited on Erev Rosh HaShana and the prayer of N’ila on Yom Kippur) “the needs of Your nation are great but they (the people) are narrow-minded (v’daatam k’tzara).” The entire reason why “the needs of your nation are great” – with the compulsion to attain luxury items – is because “they are narrow-minded” (as in the verse, “A man’s folly”). These fools fail to understand that by pursuing luxuries they stand to lose even their necessities.

The Rebbe points out that on a subtler, more spiritual level, the lesson of “they are narrow-minded – v’daatam k’tzara” pertains to delving deeply (haamakas ha’daas) into Divine contemplation, applying one’s mind to this worthy pursuit, in a manner of hiskashrus, unwavering, focused meditation. (See Tanya Chapter 3, end; Chapter 42 (59b), etc. This concept is discussed above in Section 5 of this maamer regarding “yesod is the end part of the body,” that “the body and the bris are considered as one.”) When one applies his mind in contemplating G-dliness, to know that “G-d, your L-rd gives you strength to make wealth” (Eikev 8:18), he does not devise plots to wander and journey to the corners of the earth [to amass wealth]. This person believes and knows what is written, “G-d your L-rd shall bless you in all that you do” (and his knowledge is genuine, with hiskashrus, permeating all powers of his soul). Indeed, G-d can bless the person “in all that he does” in his locale; there is no need for him to have travel to a place of danger, nor is there any need for plots and schemes.

Thus, “the needs of your nation are great” because “they are narrow-minded (v’daatam k’tzara)”: Here “narrow-minded” refers to the lack of daas and hiskashrus to the concept of “G-d your L-rd shall bless you in all that you do.” This neglect result in “A man’s folly distorts his way,” the tendency towards plotting and scheming, etc. As a result, the hashpaa also comes about in a circuitous fashion, exchanging rav-great (plentiful material wealth) for ze’er-small, as above.

(To be continued be”H)