Igrot Kodesh · Letter 8442 — Chinuch

By the grace of Hashem,

eve of the holy Shabbos* Parshas Behaaloscha*

"When you will elevate the lights" 5722,

Brooklyn, New York,

To the students of the Yeshivah* Tomchei Temimim* Lubavitch

of Montreal, on the occasion of their closing celebration (note 1: Of the school year),

may Hashem grant you long life,

I greet you and bless you,

On the occasion of your closing celebration, I address my greetings and my blessing to all the students celebrating this joy and to all the participants in the joy of the Torah*. As I have emphasized on various occasions, I hope that the closing celebration will be a preparation and a beginning (note 2: The Rebbe* underlines the words: "beginning," "the candle of Hashem is the soul of man," "nation of priests," "his light," "every" and "candles to illuminate"), leading toward a higher level of Torah* study and the practice of Mitzvos*. For, such is the true content of a closing that is connected to the Torah*, in general, and that takes place in a Yeshivah*, in particular.

The Torah* introduces the Sidra* of this week, that of Behaaloscha*, "when you will elevate the lights," with the Mitzvah* of lighting the Menorah* in the Sanctuary and in the Temple, until it shines of itself (note 3: Without the external contribution of a flame). Moshe* our master was charged with transmitting this Injunction to Aharon*, the Kohen*. Now, the Torah* is eternal and immutable. All its teachings apply permanently, are limited neither to an era nor to a place. It is therefore quite clear that the Injunction to light the lights, in its profound dimension, concerns every Jew, at all times and in every place. According to the Chassidic* discourse entitled: "When you will elevate the lights," of the Admur HaZaken* (note 4: In the Likkutei Torah*, at the beginning of Parshas Behaaloscha*), author of the Tanya* and the Shulchan Aruch*, founder of Chassidus* Chabad*, the verse: "the candle of Hashem is the soul of man" (note 2) means that the soul of a Jew, "a veritable part of the Divine Above," is the divine "candle." It must be said that every Jew is a Kohen*, a name that Hashem gave to the entire people of Israel, "nation of priests" (note 2). Consequently, every Jew receives the objective and has the merit of lighting "his light" (note 2), his soul, with the clarity of: "the candle (which) is a Mitzvah* and the Torah* (which) is a light." In fact, these lights are the souls of every (note 2) Jew, those that manage to reveal themselves and those that remain still obscure, for various reasons, that are not yet luminous and that do not radiate, as Jewish souls should.

You are students of Lubavitch and I therefore have good hope that you will permanently keep in mind the necessity of being: "candles to illuminate" (note 2), to light and illuminate other candles, to spread the clarity of the Torah* and the Mitzvos*, with enthusiasm and energy, in application of the Mitzvah*: "You shall love your fellow as yourself." May Hashem grant you success in this matter and may you thereby obtain blessing and success in all that concerns you. With my blessing of success in all that has just been said,