Igrot Kodesh · Letter 8614 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,

11 Nissan* 5723,

Brooklyn, New York,

To the sons and daughters of Israel, wherever they may be,

may Hashem grant you long life (note 1: This letter appears in the Haggadah* of Pesach* of the Rebbe*, volume 2, at page 597 of the edition of 5751),

I greet you and bless you,

Pesach* is the first (note 2: The Rebbe* underlines the words: "first," "first," "in the middle of this day," "a blink of an eye," "a glance," "moment," "blink of an eye," "in the middle of this day," "return to our true sources," "demand," "the broadest" and "immediately") day (note 3: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "As it is said (Shemos* 13, 3): 'Remember this day.' And, one will see the Midrash* Shemos Rabbah*, chapter 19, at paragraph 7, which says: 'Take heed of the day of Shabbos*... of this day'") and the first festival (note 4: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "Beginning of tractate Rosh Hashanah*") of the Jews, first in time and first in value, in importance, for its content is the liberation of the children of Israel, their birth (note 5: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "See tractate Yevamos* 46a") as an immutable people, possessing its own way of life, based on the Torah*, its own Mitzvos*, its own festivals.

Pesach* therefore has a particular importance for all Jews and for each Jew, at every era and in every place. This is the reason why the content of Pesach* and of the exodus from Egypt has a specific scope and it delivers a teaching, a lesson for Jewish life, at once for the individual, for the many, and for the whole.

* * *

One of the important aspects of the exodus from Egypt is the fact that it occurred: "in the middle of this day," which means, according to the interpretation of our Sages (note 6: The Rebbe* notes at the bottom of the page: "In the Mechilta*, regarding the verses Shemos* 12, 41-42, cited by the commentary of Rashi*, at this reference"), that, when the moment of the deliverance came, the children of Israel departed from their limits and were not delayed, "not even the time of a blink of an eye," that of a glance. To this is added (note 7: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "According to the commentators, in the name of the Zohar*, the Zayis Ra'anan*, cited by the Or HaTorah*, of the Tzemach Tzedek*, Parshas Bo*, at page 327") the fact that, if the children of Israel had missed this moment, all would have been lost, which may Hashem forbid, and they themselves (note 8: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "As the Haggadah* of Pesach* explains"), "we, our children and our grandchildren" would still be fully subjected to the exile of Egypt.

Yet, all of this is properly incomprehensible. The ten plagues had already occurred and, because of this, the Egyptians had sent the children of Israel away from their country. What, then, was the importance of this "blink of an eye"? How is it to be understood that, if the time of this blink of an eye had elapsed, the deliverance would have been entirely lost?

And, the essential question that arises is the following: what is the teaching that one can draw from this account of the Torah*, "in the middle of this day"?

* * *

The explanation is the following. When the deadline arrived, the moment to leave the impurity of Egypt, it was out of the question not to seize such an opportunity, nor even to delay it by a blink of an eye.

The danger (note 9: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "See the Tanya*, at chapter 31") of losing this moment did not result from the fact that the Egyptians could have been seized by regret, but rather that these regrets were liable to manifest within the children of Israel, who would not have wanted to leave the way of life to which they were accustomed, in Egypt, to go to the desert in order to receive the Torah* there.

The teaching that follows from this for every Jew, man or woman, young or old, is the following. The significance of the exodus from Egypt, on a daily basis (note 10: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "See, in particular, the Tanya*, at chapter 47"), is the liberation from the subjection of man to his body and to his animal soul, from slavery to physical needs, to habits, as well as to his material environment. To achieve this liberation, one must hear the permanent call of Hashem, "the Elokim* of Avraham*, of Yitzchak* and of Yaakov*" (note 11: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "Shemos* 3, 16 and 6, 6"), obey it: "I will bring you out of the servitude... I will be your Elokim*." This is expressed, as was the case at the time, during the exodus from Egypt, by the acceptance of the Torah* and the practice of the Mitzvos*.

* * *

This call is permanent (note 12: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "It is said, indeed, that the festival of Pesach* continues permanently, according to the talks of Pesach* 5703, of my father-in-law, the Rebbe*"). The exodus from Egypt must be daily, every day is the deadline, a propitious moment to hear the call. Yet, some are "late" and they postpone the propitious moment to the "religious dates of the year," Rosh Hashanah* and Yom Kippur*, or, at most, Shabbos* and the festivals. And, even among those who "leave Egypt" every day, at the time of prayer, some limit this departure to the time of prayer and they then lose the propitious moment that constitutes the rest of the day.

And, what is true for the existence of the individual applies, in the same way, to the life of the many and to that of the community. But, of course, the propitious moment is then much more important.

* * *

A wonderful propitious moment and an opportunity "are presently knocking at the door." Among the broadest circles, in particular the young, in recent years, one notes a profound motivation for a return to our true sources. In many places and in various domains, the non-Jews "send away" the Jews from the ideologies of modern "impurity of Egypt."

For the most part, these circles, which had distanced themselves from Jewish practice, find again the path of the Torah* and the Mitzvos*. Similarly, a significant proportion of the circles practicing the Torah* and the Mitzvos* seeks to strengthen and deepen the bond with these persons, to identify with them.

With the exception of those who stopped thinking several years ago already, all, at the present time, in particular the young, are not only disposed to hear the entirety of the truth, but, furthermore, they demand that it be transmitted to them. And, those who, for the time being, are not yet ready to accept simultaneously all the Mitzvos* and to modify their existence from one extreme to the other, are nonetheless desirous of hearing the pure truth, without compromise (note 13: See, on this subject, letters no. 8647 and 8648) and "tailored to measure." They are motivated for this. Practice has demonstrated that, every time young people come into contact with the true Judaism of the Torah* and the Mitzvos*, they are attracted and a large part of them have already begun to adopt a daily existence in conformity with this ideal, with the enthusiasm and ardor that are the characteristics of youth.

Yet, although this motivation has come to light for several years already, we must well recognize, with pain, that this propitious moment has not been used to the fullest extent possible. And, this pain is all the greater when one notes that those who are supposed to be spiritual leaders have practically done nothing, in this matter.

* * *

The departure of our ancestors from Egypt was not even delayed by the time of a blink of an eye, which had the effect of the entire deliverance of the body and the full redemption of the soul, thanks to the giving of the Torah*, which was the finality and the conclusion (note 14: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "Shemos* 3, 12. Tractate Yevamos*, at this reference. Zohar Chadash*, at the beginning of Parshas Yisro*") of the exodus from Egypt.

May Hashem therefore cause each one to fully use the wonderful propitious moment that is the present period in order to come to the aid of oneself and of one's fellow, of the greatest number and of the entire community, in order to liberate oneself from all forms of servitude and, above all, from the most bitter among them (note 15: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "See the Kuntres UMaayan*, at discourse no. 11"), the declaration: "let us be like all the other nations," in order to return to the Torah* and the Mitzvos*, in the broadest manner. And, may the promise be accomplished, which is also a Halachic* ruling (note 16: The Rebbe* notes, at the bottom of the page: "Rambam*, laws of Teshuvah*, chapter 7, at paragraph 5"), according to which: "Israel accedes to Teshuvah* and it is immediately liberated," during the true and complete deliverance, by our righteous Moshiach*. With my blessing for a kosher and joyous Pesach* celebration,

Menachem Schneerson,