Igrot Kodesh · Letter 601 — Lag BaOmer — Kabbalistic Meaning of Hod of Hod

By the grace of Hashem,

Pesach Sheni* 5710,

To the distinguished Chassid* who fears Hashem,

the Rav I.,[1]

I greet you and bless you.

You will find enclosed the booklet edited for the occasion of Lag BaOmer*. Generosity is worthy of blessing, and you will therefore make it available to as many people as possible.

Chassidus* explains the meaning of Lag BaOmer, which corresponds to the Attribute of Hod of Hod — that is, to the barrier, the rupture, the mound[2] erected between Atzilus on one hand, and Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah on the other, but also between Atzilus and that which transcends it.

These two barriers have as their object to prevent two forms of dominion exerted by the forces of evil — one resulting from a great number of successive veils, and the other made possible because the Light only encompasses from a distance, transcending the actions of creatures and allowing all to receive.

It was therefore on Lag BaOmer that the disciples of Rabbi Akiva ceased to die, because this barrier disappeared before their accuser.

And so it still is in the present era. But when Mashiach* comes, "I will remove the spirit of impurity from the earth,"[3] and Chazal* say in this connection, in Midrash Koheles Rabbah 1:4: "I cut, and I shall make this cut disappear. I cut by introducing a separation between the celestial and terrestrial creatures, since the former are eternal and the latter mortal. But in the world to come, I will make this separation disappear." Then the separation introduced by this mound will become totally unnecessary.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is at the origin of the revelation of the secrets of the Torah. He thus accomplished the transformation of this separation, but what he accomplished will only be fully revealed in the world to come. He bore within himself the most perfect light, that of Mashiach.

You may consult on this the gate of Lag BaOmer in the Siddur, in the discourse entitled "This mound shall bear witness," with its commentary, and the discourse entitled "A man should recite a blessing," of 5638,[4] from paragraph 25 onward.

Chazal revealed to us the way to leave exile and access the messianic era. They explain that the Jewish people will taste the Tree of Life,[5] that is, the Zohar*, thanks to which "they shall be released from exile in mercy." And Mashiach indicated to our master, the Baal Shem Tov*, that he would come when his wellsprings (yafutzu ma'ayanosecha chutzah*) spread to the outside.

My father-in-law, the Rebbe, commented at length on this response. He said that the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov is the vessel containing the light of the revelation of Mashiach. The commentaries of the Baal Shem Tov, and the effort of avodas Hashem* needed to transform one's personality, will spread in the end. All will recognize the truth, and those who are on the outside will likewise be saved by the self-sacrifice (mesirus nefesh*) of their parents and grandparents.

You may consult on this the Zohar vol. 3 page 124b, the Baal Shem Tov's letter describing the ascent of soul (aliyas neshamah*) he experienced in 5507,[6] and the sicha* of Simchas Torah 5690.[7]

We must be fully aware that every action, every effort to spread the wellsprings outward, allows us to illuminate the gloom of exile and to hasten the coming and revelation of Mashiach. Words fail to express how painful one more moment in exile is, how precious one more moment in the presence of Mashiach is.

When our righteous Mashiach is revealed, very soon and in our days, Amen, the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause to disappear the barrier separating the celestial creatures from the terrestrial creatures, which has been previously defined. Then "those who rest in the dust shall awake and rejoice," and my father-in-law, the Rebbe, who showed us the path of elevation, will be at our head — at the head of all his disciples, his Chassidim, those who are bound to him and maintain a relationship with him. He will lead them out of the narrowness and conduct them into the divine breadth, at the time of the true and complete redemption (geulah sheleimah*).

Greeting you and wishing you all the best,

M. Schneerson

ב״ה ,י״א אלול ,השי״ת

שלום וברכה!

. . .בלשון פשוטה ,עליו לוודא שבמקום בו הוא נמצא ,יהי׳ אור ,כי

זהו כל מהות ותפקיד נשמתו שבשבילו ירדה מאיגרא רמה לבירא עמיקא . . .

ב . . .נמצאים אלפי יהודים שאינם יודעים אודות חסידות או אודות

הרבי ,ואלו שיודעים ,גם הם לא יודעים כפי שצריך לדעת .ויהודי

מהתמימים המבוגרים יותר ,שיש לו כמה וכמה סיפורים בקבלה וענינים

בחסידות נמצא בד׳ אמות שלהם וחושב לעצמו מה לי ולהם .אי ,הרבי נ״ע

אמר שהוא צריך להיות נר להאיר? הוא ישאיר זאת לפעם אחרת.

כעת הרי חודש אלול ,וכמו שבכל השנה אינני אוהב לשאול קושיות,

על אחת כמה וכמה שאינני רוצה להאריך כעת בחודש אלול.

אף על פי כן ,הייתי מציע ,אחר בקשת סליחתו ,שיעשה לעצמו קביעות

תשיט

מהעתק המזכירות.

א ג ר ו ת־ ק ו ר ש -מתורגמות)תשב(

]ללמוד לעצמו[ בתורת כ״ק מו״ח אדמו״ר הכ״מ ,וקביעות כמה פעמים

בשבוע ללמוד עם אחרים בזה ,ויחפש דרכים בהשתדלות הראוי׳ כדי לקרב

יהודים לתורה ולמצוות בכלל ולתורת החסידות של כ״ק מו״ח אדמו״ר

הכ״מ בפרט .ובאם יתעסק בזה ,סבורני שהרבי יעזור לו ,ש . . .יצליח

למלא את רצון הרבי הוא כ״ק מו״ח אדמו״ר הכ״מ.

בברכת כתיבה וחתימה טובה