Taste the Infinite “Shabbos Food”

לד. קטעים משיחות ש”פ ואתחנן, שבת נחמו, ט”ז מנחם-אב ה’תנש”א (2)

34. 16 Menachem-Av, 5751 − July 27, 1991 (2)

Our sages tell us that the world will exist six millennia in preparation for the Redemption which will be at the seventh, corresponding to the six days of the week, which are a preparation for Shabbos. Just as the preparations for Shabbos intensify as Shabbos gets closer, the spiritual preparations for the Redemption get stronger as the years proceed.One particular preparation is the custom to taste of the dishes prepared for Shabbos. In this sicha, the Rebbe explains what this means in our regard:

…What this means to us in practical terms:	… וּבְנוֹגֵעַ לְפֹעַל:
Since we are standing on the threshold of the true and complete Redemption, which is a time when everything will manifest itself in an unbounded manner,	כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּמְצָאִים עַל סַף הַגְאוּלָה הָאֲמִתִּית וְהַשְׁלֵימָה שֶׁבָּהּ יִהְיוּ כָּל הָעִנְיָנִים בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁל בְּלִי גְּבוּל
— The enormous miracles of the Geulah, include many supernatural events such as resurrection, eternal physical life, prepared food and clothing growing from the ground, and many more such promises. The underlying cause of all these miracles is the fact that no more will Hashem be concealed, and, therefore, the world will be freed from any limits and bounds of nature which are but an expression of G-dly concealment. Being on the threshold of such a time requires us to be ready for it:
one must have a “foretaste” of the infinite nature of the G-dly revelations of the Redemption on the “eve” of this “Shabbos-like” period, as is the custom to “taste a little of every dish” on the eve of Shabbos.	– צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת הַ”טְּעִימָה” (בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת, שֶׁ”טּוֹב לִטְעֹם מִכָּל תַּבְשִׁיל וְתַבְשִׁיל”8) מֵהַבְּלִי גְּבוּל דְּהַגְאוּלָה,
This is done by a commensurate unrestrained increase in matters of Torah and Mitzvos in general.	עַל-יְדֵי הַהוֹסָפָה בְּעִנְיָנֵי הַתּוֹרָה-וּמִצְווֹת בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁלְּמַעֲלָה מִמְּדִידָה וְהַגְבָּלָה.
— Mitzvos, by comparison to Torah, are of more physical, and thus more limited, nature. Mitzvos too can be performed in a “boundless” way, but tasting from the unbound nature of the Redemption reparation is even more attainable by Torah study which is a more spiritual, and therefore, more boundless occupation:
More specifically, there should be an increase in the study of Torah.	וּבִפְרָטִיּוּת יוֹתֵר – הוֹסָפָה בְּלִמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה (“מוֹסִיף לֵילוֹת עַל הַיָּמִים לַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה”)
…This includes both the revealed as well as the inner dimensions of Torah, including the study of Ein Ya’akov, an anthology of the Aggadah parts of Torah in which “the majority of the Torah’s secrets are hidden” disguised in story-like narratives and homilies.	הֵן נִגְלֶה דְתּוֹרָה וְהֵן פְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה, כּוֹלֵל לִמּוּד עֵין יַעֲקֹב, אַגָּדָה שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁ”רֹב סוֹדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה גְנוּזִין בָּהּ”,
Being so, Aggadah unites the “revealed” (it is an inseparable section of the Gemara) and the “inner” realms of Torah.
Within Torah itself, emphasis should be placed mainly on the study of the inner dimension of Torah, Kabbalah, and Chassidus,	וְעוֹד וְעִקָּר, לִמּוּד פְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה,
These are even more associated with the infinitude of Torah, as they speak of spiritual and G-dly concepts, whereas the “revealed” aspect teaches G-d’s wisdom as applied to worldly matters.
This increase follows the teaching of the Arizal (whose yahrtzeit was just recently, on the fifth of Menachem-Av) that “in these later generations, it is permissible and even mandatory that we reveal this esoteric wisdom.”	כְּדִבְרֵי הָאֲרִיזַ”ל (שֶׁיּוֹם הַהִילוּלָא שֶׁלּוֹ בַּחֲמִשָּׁה מְנַחֵם-אָב) שֶׁ”בְּדוֹרוֹת אֵלּוּ הָאַחֲרוֹנִים מֻתָּר וּמִצְוָה לְגַלּוֹת זֹאת הַחָכְמָה”,
This is particularly true now after these heretofore-secret teachings were elucidated and made accessible to each and every Jew in the teachings of Chassidus.	וּבִמְיֻחָד לְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁנִתְבַּאֲרָה בְּתוֹרַת הַחֲסִידוּת בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁשַּׁיָּךְ לַהֲבָנָה וְהַשָּׂגָה דְּכָל-אֶחָד-וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל,