Preparation for the Future

Begins in the month of Nissan

The season for reciting Pirkei Avos every Sabbath begins on the very first Shabbos following Passover in the (end of the) month of Nissan, the “month of Redemption”¹ One can find a connection between the recitation of Pirkei Avos and the future Redemption.

To be sure, the primary purpose of studying Pirkei Avos in the Sabbaths between Passover and Shavuos is to prepare for Mattan Torahthe Giving of the Torah.² However the means that we use involves refinement of one’s characteristics. The six chapters of Avos is said to correspond to the six primary charac- teristics.³ Once they are refined we are ready to receive the Torah at Sinai.

However, simultaneous with our preparation for Mattan Torah by refining our souls’ characteristics, we are also preparing for the future Redemption.

This premise is based on a discourse of the Rabbi Dovber, the Mitteler Rebbe⁴ who ex- plains how the focus now—before the Redemption—is on refining one’s midos, one’s emotional characteristics. We do not have the capacity, however, to bring refinement to the intellectual traits as well, for that task is too formidable for our abilities in the present day and age, and will be left for the Messianic Age.⁵ Hence the refinement of our six emotional characteristics that occurs with our study of Pirkei Avos throughout the six Sabbaths between Passover and Shavuos, which prepares us for the receiving of the Torah on Shavuos can also serve to prepare us for the future Redemption.

To underscore the role of Pirkei Avos as a preparation for the future Redemption, the recitation of Pirkei Avos is prefaced with a Mishnah from Tractate Sanhedrin: “All of Israel has a share in the world-to-come.”⁶ This refers to the world following the Resurrection of the Dead, the ultimate level of perfection within the Messianic Era. And it is through the study of Avos—and the concomitant refinement of our emotional traits—that actualizes the process that leads to the Resurrection of the Dead, the ultimate state of perfection.

This parallel between Avos as a preparation for the receiving of the Torah and a preparation for the ultimate Redemption is further exemplified by the very first Mishnah of Avos: “Moses received the Torah from Sinai.” Moses, the Midrash tells us was not only the “first redeemer” of Israel; Moses will also be the “final Redeemer.”⁷ This means that the power Moshiach will have to liberate the Jewish people and usher in the age of Redemption derives from the spirit of Moses within him.⁸ Hence the very first Mishnah alludes to the dual nature of Avos: preparation for receiving the Torah at Sinai and preparation for the future Redemption.

A third allusion to the relationship Avos has with the future Redemption can be found in the emphasis the author of Avos placed on the number three. Indeed, the very first Mishnah states: “they said three things.” The same is repeated in the next Mishnah that speaks of how “the world stands on three things.” The first chapter ends with “there are three things upon which the world endures.” And virtually all the other sayings in the first chapter (and to some extent in all the other chapters) are divided into three.⁹ This preoccupation with the number three relates to the theme of Redemption for the future Redemption is often referred to as the third Redemption and the time when the third Bais Hamikdash (Holy Temple) will be rebuilt.

In summation: There are three allusions to the theme of Redemption in Avos:

(a) The introductory Mishnah “All of Israel has a share in the world to come,” speaks explicitly of the future age of Redemption.

(b) The opening Mishnah that speaks of how “Moses received the Torah from Sinai,” alludes to Moshiach since Moses’ soul is “First and last redeemer,” i.e., the driving force for Moshiach and Redemption.

(c) The prominence of the number three in Avos is an allusion to the third Redemption and Bais Hamikdash.

Since every detail of Torah is precise, we may conclude that each of the three references to the future Redemption in Avos contributes to a different aspect and dimension of the Redemption and our preparation for it.

Introducing the Liberating Powers in Three Places

The Zohar relates how Rabbi Chiya went to Rabbi Shimon to study the “portion of Passover.” The Zohar then describes what appears to be an incidental occurrence. Before he arrived at R. Shimon’s place he heard sev- Zohar II 56b.

eral men reciting the forty-eighth Psalm that begins with the dual expression “Shir mizmor,” both words that mean song. The Zohar then raises the question as to the significance of the two expressions for song. The Zohar answers it own question by saying that a double song is an “exalted one,” a song that is more sublime than other songs. The Zohar then cites two other examples of a double song: Psalm ninety-two: “Mizmor shir l’yom haShabbos-A Psalm, a song for the Sabbath day;” and Shir HaShirim asher liShlomo-A Song of songs of Solomon.”

Even a cursory examination of this passage of Zohar will yield several questions that beg to be addressed:

First, what is the significance of a double song?

Second, why does the mere addition of a second expression of song so magnify its power?

Third, why does the Zohar, seemingly, “go off on a tangent” to discuss the double song that R. Chiya heard on the way to R. Shimon’s place to discuss the section concerning Passover? What connection is there between Passover and the double song idea?

To resolve these difficulties we ought to preface the words of the Midrash¹⁰ concerning double expressions in the Torah:

“Five letters were repeated, and they are all expressions of Redemption. [The letters] chof-chof [were used in the Torah] to facilitate Abraham’s exodus from Ur Casdim, as it says, ‘Lech Lecha, Go to you from your land….’¹¹ [The letters] tzadi-tzadi [are mentioned in the Torah], with it the Holy One Blessed is He is going to redeem Israel, in the future, at the end of the period of the fourth empire, as it says, ‘A man, Tzemach is his name, and in his place yitzmach-shall blossom.”¹² The Rebbe Maharash¹³ explains the relationship between double letters and Redemption by referring to another Midrashic comment that discovers the dual nature of the Sabbath: “All matters of the Sabbath are doubled, its omer [portion of Manna that descended before the Shabbos] is double, its song is double.”¹⁴ This double feature of Shabbos derives from the transcendent power of G-d that is referred to as Sovev Kol Almin, that which encompasses all the worlds, in contradistinction to the immanent force of G-d known as Memalle kol Almin, that which fills all the worlds.

In other words, the double expressions are not just intended to add emphasis to the word and theme that is repeated; it is actually indicative of a qualitatively higher and detached force. A “doubled expression” in the Torah represents unconventional powers that go beyond that which is needed for the routine running of the world. Only when one must break out of the parameters and confining influences of life—i.e., Redemption— does G-d introduce this transcendent force, the force of Redemption.¹⁵ We can now understand why the Zohar refers to the three double songs in the context of an effort to expound on the topic of Passover, the Holiday of redemption. Redemption is not a one-dimensional process. It must permeate through the three levels of existence that are referred to in Sefer Yetzirah as Olam Shanah and Nefesh-World (Space), Year (time) and soul (energy).

In order for the process of Redemption to be complete it must permeate the very soul and energy of the Jew (Nefesh). A Jew must feel the liberating powers within himself; he must introduce the double-song power of transcendence into his personality.

But, liberation is not just a personal experience; it must also affect one environment— one’s space Olam)—by affecting and uplifting the things that one does to change the world. When one performs a Mitzvah they are making an indelible impression on the world, forever changing its composition. One must therefore instill the “double-song” liberating force into one’s observance of the Mitzvos so that the liberating process extends to the world of space as well.

The liberating process, however, is not complete until it affects the third element of time as well, which serves as the intermediary between the more ephemeral aspect of nefesh and the more ethereal aspect of olam. This is accomplished by the study of Torah.¹⁶ For the liberation dynamic to be complete, one must generate the double-song transcendent force into one’s Torah study as well, so that the process of Redemption extends to all three components of existence.

These three “double songs” the Zohar refers to, thus, has a direct bearing on the “portion of Passover,” because Passover as the “Festival of our freedom” is the source of Redemption and in order that the redemptive process be complete it must be of a transcendent order (double song that alludes to Sovev kol almin)

and must also permeate all three dimensions of existence.¹⁷¹⁸

Loins Girded, Shoes on Feet and a Stick in Your Hand

We can find these three aspects of Redemption represented in the Torah’s account of Passover (The “portion of Passover”).

When the Jews were given the instructions by G-d as to the manner in which they were to leave Egypt, He told them to have: “their loins girded, their shoes on their feet and their sticks in their hands.”¹⁹ On the surface, these three instructions were merely external gestures intended to impress upon them the need for them to leave in haste. Upon deeper reflection, however, it is clear that these three instructions convey a more profound message.

The three instructions, to be girded, shoes on and stick in hand represent the three forego- ing areas of life into which one must instill the spirit of redemption.

Girding oneself refers to the way one must work on self-improvement. One’s loins are the support for the entire body. One must see to it that one’s entire structure is protected and fortified. This is liberation of self, i.e., nefesh.

The shoes are the support system for the feet with which one goes from one’s own personal life to come in contact with others. The admonition for the Jews who are about to be liberated from bondage to have the shoes on their feet, thus, is a directive for them to instill the spirit of liberation into the outside world with which they come in contact. This is bringing liberation into olam.

However there are realms that are beyond our immediate reach. One must therefore find a stick, an instrument with which one can exercise control over things that are beyond our grasp. This corresponds to the way we must instill the forces of liberation into the elusive realm of time.²⁰ When one approaches the daunting task of affecting oneself, one’s immediate environment and the entire cosmos, one can easily be stifled and intimidated. However, when one remembers the Talmudic dictum that “every person must say that the universe was created for me,”²¹ this enables the person to meet the challenge. The foregoing saying was not intended to let our heads swell or to exploit others, it is meant to teach us that all of the challenges that exist in the universe are in our hands to meet. When one rises to the occasion with a feeling of certitude, conviction and confidence, he brings a geulah, redemptive attitude to his task and will certainly succeed in his mission.

The Three Redemptive Thrusts of Avos

We can now appreciate the reason that the role of Avos as a catalyst for Redemption is alluded to in three parts of Avos.

The prefatory Mishnah of “every Jew has a share in the world to come” is a reference to the personal dimension of the Redemption. Every soul will shine so brightly that life will be perfect in both the most literal sense as well as the figurative sense of the word. We will all achieve eternal life.

The opening Mishnah that speaks of Moses’ role in receiving the Torah at Sinai represents the role of Redemption as it pertains to the Torah. Moses as the first and final redeemer is the very personification of Torah, and this alludes to the role of Redemption in opening up new vistas and revealing the most sublime secrets of Torah, that were heretofore concealed and in need of liberation.

And the pattern of citing and focusing on three teachings in most of Avos, beginning with the opening Mishnah, is indicative of the role redemption has to play in our effort to change the world. It refers to specifically to the role of practical Mitzvos that are geared to affect the world²². This is consistent with the nature of the directives in Avos that are about the way we behave in our interaction with the world around us.²³

From the book Introduction to Pirkei Avos (Biurim L’Pirkei Avos) by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and published by the Jewish Discovery Center.

Footnotes

1. Shemos Rabbah 15:11. ↩

2. Introduction to Medrash Shmuel [See also preceding essays – Translator’s note.] ↩

3. [See Essay Four for an explanation as to how the six chapters correspond to each of the six emotional traits of our souls. – Translator’s note.] ↩

4. [Rabbi Dovber Schneuri, son and successor of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of the Chabad Lubavitch movement. The Mitteler Rebbe was a prolific author and was known for the way he took his fathers seminal thoughts (which were considered a major expansion of the thought system of his mentor, the Maggid of Mezeritch and his predecessor the Ba’al Shem Tov) and expanded them into an elaborate philosophical system. The title Mitteler Rebbe means “Middle Rabbi,” a name given to him by the Chassidim of his successor, to differentiate him from his father, whom they called the Alter Rebbe-the Old Rabbi and from his successor, whom they called Rebbe. – Translator’s note.] ↩

5. S.v. Al tatzar es Moav (Kehot 5736) p. 6ff. Printed in Ma’amarei Admor Ho’emtzai, Devarim, volume p. ↩

6. Sanhedrin, beginning of Chapter 11. ↩

7. Shemos Rabbah 2:4. Zohar I 253a, and other sources. ↩

8. [It is not to be taken literally that Moses will physically be the Moshiach. See Likkutei Sichos, volume 11 p. 8ff – Translator’s note.] ↩

9. Even where it seems that there are more details in the Mishnah, they can still be divided generally into three categories as discussed on several occasions ↩

10. Yalkut Shimoni, beginning parshas Lech Lecha. ↩

11. Bereishis 12:1. ↩

12. Zecharya 6:12. ↩

13. [[The Rebbe Maharash (Acronym for Moreinu Harav Shmuel) was the fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe and is referred to by the Rebbe as “Lechatchilah Ariber-Surmount the obstacle from the outset.” This unusual title was given to him because of his fondness for the expression: “The world says, when you cannot go under an obstacles you then attempt to surmount it, and I say that one must surmount it from the very outset.” In other words, the Rebbe Maharash’s position in matters of holiness was to take an unconventional approach. This is consistent with the “double name” and Redemptive attitude that the Rebbe speaks of in the text. – Translator’s note.] ↩

14. Midrash Tehillim, Psalm 92. ↩

15. [When Abraham had to take leave of his “land, birthplace and father’s house” he had to be given by G-d enhanced soul powers that would enable him to break away from all that defined him. This required a “double force,” one that is transcendent. Similarly, all the other double expressions that the Midrash cites are all representations of the unconventional forces of Redemption. – Translator’s note.] ↩

16. [The Rebbe does not explain in the text how time and Torah serve as an intermediary between space and soul. Perhaps, it is based on the notion that time is more elusive and abstract than space. Nevertheless it is not as spiritual as soul. Furthermore, in order for the spiritual dimension of the soul to engage the materialistic nature of space, it must pass through the medium of time, which lives in both worlds simultaneously. Similarly, while Mitzvos deal with the most mundane aspects of existence—they involve physical objects and actions— and the soul is a purely spiritual entity, Torah, which combines the spiritual dimension (relative to Mitzvos, as it deals with spiritual concepts) with the human mind, possesses the dual quality of being spiritual and physical at the same time. It is therefore capable of serving as an intermediary between the physicality of space with the spirituality of soul. – Translator’s note.] ↩

17. My father in Likkutei Levi Yitzchak [R. Levi Yitzchak Schneersohn] explains these three levels in Kabbalistic terminology. The two lower sefiros (Divine attributes and soul powers), netzach and hod are twin forces of gevurah. Gevurah must be tempered or sweetened. Thus the double song represents the way the two twin forces of gevurah are sweetened. The reference to three songs in the Zohar, is to indicate that there are three different levels of gevurah that must be tempered, for the attribute of gevurah is situated [and dominates] in the realm of binah, gevurah and malchus. Hence, the forty eighth Psalm, the Psalm recited on Monday: “A psalm and song for the sons of Korach” alludes to the attribute of gevurah which corresponds to the second day of the week; the ninety second Psalm, “A Psalm and song for the Sabbath day,” alludes to the attribute of malchus, the seventh attribute. The song of songs of Solomon, which refers to the G-d of peace is associated with binah. All three levels of gevurah as they are situated in gevurah itself, malchus and binah are thus sweetened by the double song. ↩

18. The names cited in the Zohar, R. Chiya and R. Shimon are also connected to the Redemption. Chiya means life and it alludes to the ultimate manifestation of life that will follow the Resurrection of the dead, and R. Shimon is the author of and identified with the dissemination of the inner dimension of the Torah, the Torah of Moshiach. ↩

19. Shemos 12:11. ↩

20. [This theme the Rebbe alludes to in the sicha and refers us to his letter of that year (11th Nis- san, 5746), where he explains the three items in detail. The fact that the Rebbe compares the three steps of liberation within Olam, Shanah and Nefesh with the three items the Jews had to have when they departed from Egypt supports the way it is explained here in the text. – Translator’s note.] ↩

21. Sanhedrin 37a (See Rambam, Hilchos Sanhedrin Chapter 12:3) See Introduction of Rambam to his commentary on the Mishnah ad loc. s.v. da. ↩

22. [One could also add, in light of the Rebbe’s observation (Biurim l’Pirkei Avos, Chapter three, p. 135) that the number three alludes to one’s interaction with the world. The number one refers to G-d in His mode of total exclusivity. The number two refers to the relationship we have with G-d. The number three is where we recognize that there is a world outside of us and that we must bring it into the equation. – Translator’s note.] ↩

23. This is especially true if one follows the opinion of those who maintain that Avos is actually an introduction to the entire Talmud; “Derech eretz kodmah l’Torah,” Proper comportment precedes the Torah (Vayikra Rabbah 9:3.) See Meiri Avos, ad loc. Sichas Shemini 5743. [In this light, Avos is considered to be the source of all that which Torah teaches us about how a Jew is to practice Judaism – Translator’s note.]. ↩