Not (Only) “For the Sake of” Heaven

מב. תרגום מקטעים משיחות ליל שמח”ת קודם הקפות תשנ”ב (1)

42. Simchas Torah, Tishrei 23, 5752 – September 30, 1991 (1)

Before Hakafos, it was ordained that we recite seventeen verses from the Tanach.  The first being “Atah Haraisa,” — “You have been shown to know that G d is the L-rd; there is nothing else aside from Him.” In this talk, delivered before Hakafos, the Rebbe pointed out again that living in a time of Moshiach, “on the threshold of the Redemption,” is not only a great privilege, but also a great obligation. It requires us to take a step into the Redemption by living a Moshiach lifestyle, a lifestyle in which G-dliness is the only existence, a lifestyle reflecting “there is nothing else aside from Him,” and our only concern is how to unite with this truth more and more.

In  light of what has been discussed many times lately, that according to all indicators we are now found on the threshold of Redemption, when “Behold, he (Moshiach) is coming”	עַל-פִּי הַמְּדֻבָּר כַּמָּה-פְּעָמִים לָאַחֲרוֹנָה, שֶׁלְּפִי כָּל הַסִּימָנִים נִמְצָאִים אָנוּ כַּיּוֹם עַל סַף הַגְּאוּלָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר “הִנֵּה זֶה (מָשִׁיחַ) בָּא”1
hoping that immediately, a moment thereafter, we can declare “Behold, he has come,” in the past tense.	וְתֵכֶף וּמִיָּד רֶגַע לְאַחֲרֵי זֶה – כְּבָר בָּא.
One can accordingly appreciate that the nature of a Jew’s Divine service required during Simchas Torah and in its extension throughout the year, particularly this year,	וּמִזֶּה מוּבָן גַּם בְּנוֹגֵעַ לַעֲבוֹדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּדְרֶשֶׁת בְּשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה, וְהֶמְשֵׁכָהּ בְּמֶשֶׁךְ כָּל הַשָּׁנָה כֻּלָּהּ, וּבִמְיֻחָד בְּשָׁנָה זוֹ
is such that is imbued with the ideal of Redemption and Moshiach.	עֲבוֹדָה שֶׁחֲדוּרָה עִם עִנְיָן הַגְּאוּלָה וּמָשִׁיחַ.
This means, that the manner in which a Jew conducts his daily activities, even now, as we stand immediately before the Redemption,	הַיְנוּ, שֶׁהַנְהָגָתוֹ שֶׁל יְהוּדִי בְּכָל הָעִנְיָנִים בְּחַיֵּי הַיּוֹם יוֹם שֶׁלּוֹ גַּם בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד לִפְנֵי הַגְּאוּלָה
should be analogous to the way of life and conduct of the Jewish people to be practiced durring the actual Messianic Age.	– הִיא מֵעֵין וּבְדֻגְמַת חַיֵיּ וְהַנְהָגַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ מַמָּשׁ.
(This is also the reason for the recent emphasis on learning “laws for the Messianic times,” — a expression from the Gemara about halachos to become releveant only in the future — the halachos that relate to the life of Jews in the Era of Redemption.)	[ְוזֹוהִי גַּם הַהַדְגָּׁשָה הַמְּיֻחֶדֶת בַּתְּקוּפָה הָאַחֲרֹונָה בְּהַנֹוגֵעַ לְהַלִימוּד דְּ”הִלְכְתָא לִמְשִׁיחָא”, הַהֲלָכוֹת שֶׁנּוֹגְעוֹת לְחַיֵּי בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּזְמַן הַגְּאוּלָה].
The Rebbe provides an example of a Moshiach-time “upgrade” in the service of Hashem:
One of the essential features of the future era (stated in Tanya, as cited earlier), is that we will fully experience the state expressed in the verse “You have been shown to know that the L-rd is G-d; there is nothing else but him.”	אֶחָד הָעִנְיָנִים הָעִקָּרִיִּים לְעָתִיד לָבוֹא – הוּא (כַּמּוּבָא לְעֵיל מֵהַתַּנְיָא) שֶׁאָז תִּהְיֶה הַשְּׁלֵמוּת דְּ”אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת כִּי ה’ הוּא הָאֱלֹקִים אֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ”:
This verse refers to the giving of the Torah when “Hashem split the heavens” and showed Himself, allowing the Jews to see that “there is nothing else aside from Him.” This revelation allowed the Jews to “know that G-d (Havayah) is the L-rd (Elokim)”: Elokim refers to Hashem as He manifests Himself within nature, while Havayah is a name which describes Hashem’s “Essence” unbound by nature. In Tanya (chapter 36), explaining the spiritual aspect of the era of Moshiach, the Alter Rebbe cites this verse and classifies this event as a foretaste of how reality will be perceived in the future to come:
It will visible in the whole entire world that there is no other existence save G-d, “There is nothing else but him.”	בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ יִתְגַּלֶּה אֵיךְ שֶׁאֵין שׁוּם מְצִיאוּת אַחֶרֶת זוּלָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, “אֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ”.
This should and could be applied already now, moments before the Geulah:
The life of a Jew must reflect a similar sense and feeling — permeating all aspects of his life — that “There is nothing else aside from Him.”	וּבְדֻגְמַת זֶה נִדְרַשׁ גַּם בְּחַיָּיו שֶׁל יְהוּדִי – שֶׁיָּחוּשׁ וְיַרְגִּישׁ בְּכָל עִנְיָנָיו מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁ”אֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ”.
This means:	זאֹת אוֹמֶרֶת:
Not only should the intent and objective of all worldly matters be G-dliness, rendering one’s service to be in a manner that “All of your deeds are for the sake of Heaven,” and “Know Him in all of your ways,”	מִלְּבַד זאֹת שֶׁהַכַּוָּנָה וְהַתַּכְלִית דְּכָל עִנְיְנֵי הָעוֹלָם הִיא אֶלוֹקוּת, וּבְמֵילָא עֲבוֹדָתוֹ הִיא בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁ”כָּל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם”3, וּ”בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ דָּעֵהוּ”4,
— In “know Him in all of your ways” and “all of your deeds are for the sake of Heaven,” the “mundane” still exists. The physical remains “your deeds” and “your ways,” whose purpose is holiness —	אֲבָל יֶשְׁנָהּ מְצִיאוּת שֶׁל “חוֹל”, “מַעֲשֶׂיךָ” וּ”דְּרָכֶיךָ” (אֶלָּא – שֶׁתַּכְלִיתָם הוּא קְדֻשָּׁה),
Rather more is now expected:	אֶלָּא יְתֵרָה מִזּוֹ:
The service of “there is nothing else but Him” means that the worldly matters themselves be G-dly, and consequently one does not even begin to “detect” any other existence, because, “there is nothing else but Him…”	שֶׁעִנְיְנֵי הָעוֹלָם עַצְמָם הֵם אֶלוֹקוּת,וּבְמֵילָא לֹא “נִרְגֶּשֶׁת” מִלְּכַתְּחִלָּה שׁוּם מְצִיאוּת כְּלָל, כִּי “אֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ”…
Why so? — Since their own faith in the words of the Torah is intact even while it has yet to be grasped intellectually, they are able to (and consequently, required to) publicize these matters to others;	…– ועפ”ז אולי יש לומר הביאור בהעיכוב המבהיל של הגאולה – שזהו מצד זה שחסרה בבנ”י שלימות בהדרגה דעבודה באופן של “אני לא נבראתי אלא לשמש את קוני”,
first and foremost to their own family members (which certainly don’t need to “suffer” from his lack of comprehension of this matter…) They should also spread the word to all those within their surroundings and ultimately to each and every Jew.	שדוקא עי”ז מגיעים להגאולה אשר תהי’ באופן זה (של “אין עוד מלבדו”)32. –
Undoubtedly, the appropriate effort will be well received and it will have its intended effect on others,	עכשיו כבר הוסר גם עיכוב זה, ובמילא הרי “הכל מוכן לסעודה”, סעודת לויתן ושור הבר ויין המשומר33 בגאולה האמיתית והשלימה תיכף ומיד ממש.
as well as inspiring the one making the announcement and doing the publicity, that he too should internalize the message.]	…כמאמר חז”ל34: “אל תגעו במשיחי35 אלו תינוקות של בית רבן”.