An Amazing Talk By The Rebbe On This Week’s Parsha

As Rosh Chodesh Nissan is the first Rosh Chodesh (new month based on the counting of the months, which starts from Rosh Chodesh Nissan) hence its lessons permeate the entire year.

Rosh Chodesh Nissan is highlighted by its name (as we know, in Hebrew, a name represents the inner soul and purpose) and as the Gemarah says, “the two nuns in Nissan represent, great miracles.”

It is of-course the month when the Jews were freed from Egypt in a miraculous manner.

Furthermore, Nissan represents the miraculous nature of a miraculous order (vs. Tishrie, representing the New Year based on the natural order.)

It states, when G-d created the world, he chose Tishrie as the New Year, but when he chose the Jewish people, he created Nissan (the first of months.)

The entire purpose of redemption from Egypt was to enter a new lifestyle, one in which (as will be explained) a new miraculous order within the very universe can be accessed.

2. The difference between nature and miracles, is that nature is in truth repetitive miracles, hence due to their repetition, one sees only the force of the object (the sun rising and setting every 24 hours, the cycle of the moon etc.)

Whereas a miracle goes beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary.

We find this distinction, also regarding a “servant of God.”

The Tanya makes a distinction between someone who is following their natural inclination to be studious – say intellectual – hence their Torah study, being part of their nature or habit cannot be called “serving God.”

“Serving God” is only when we go beyond our norm (as the Tanya gives an example of taxi-drivers who would charge one zuz while driving within the city, no matter the distance; but as one left the city, even for an extra mile they would charge an extra zuz.)

Now, when a person accustoms themselves to a new level – albeit though it was higher than his previous habit – nonetheless, as this has now formed into a new habit, he thereof must go beyond this, ad-infinitum.

3. When Nissan arrives, we receive extraordinary abilities – miraculous abilities – to go beyond our personal (even positive) habits – we now can create a new pattern which is miraculous.

This new type of existence is not one where the normal reality of the Jew is natural but he occasionally has miraculous intervention; rather, his new normal is miraculous.

When God chose the Jewish people (as opposed to the nations of the world that are limited by natural reality, as it states, “there is no natural order by Jews”) the Jew is empowered to supersede the natural reality and create a new normal.

4. The explanation of the above: Nature and miracles are two sides of the same God, for He who makes one, makes the other – In fact it’s only relative to us human observers, that the first time we see a natural phenomena (as the Baal Shem Tov) teaches, we consider the miraculous nature of it and from then on we see it as natural – hence, the goal is to realize: a Jew connected to God has the Divine ability – and in this ability there is no big deal to live in a miraculous order.

However, as God is good and wishes that we should feel worthy which can only come through effort, hence achievement, he created that we exist in a natural order, with people following a natural assumption; and hence it takes a tremendous courage to realize that you are unique, and your natural reality, can be miraculous.

[Though it states “one shouldn’t rely on a miracle”, however, this refers only when the miracle is relative to your current position; However, when your natural order becomes miraculous – especially in going beyond your natural ability in adding Torah and Mitzvos, this must certainly be your natural way.]

As mentioned, once we achieve a new miraculous normal, we must see that as the new natural norm, and go beyond that, ad-infinitum.

5. Simply speaking, what this means is beginning from Rosh Chodesh Nissan a Jew must realize that whatever he thought was impossible (based on his natural assumptions) not only is possible, but can become as normal as the air he breathes (though to others who are not in this paradigm, they are amazed.)

Every cycle, when Nissan returns, a new extraordinary energy comes, in order to facilitate this transition to a new level – as mentioned, that within miraculous order there are infinite levels, so this month of Nissan, a Jew can go beyond any level which he was previously on and integrate it to become a new normal and consistently rise from level of new miraculous normal, to new miraculous normal.

 

The practical directive is, that a Jew must declare verbally and with his actions that from now on he is on a new paradigm – miraculous order! – This will be so successful that the nations of the world will be amazed, though to him this being his new normal will not even consider this out of the norm.

 

6. When one wonders “Who am I to achieve such a lofty position?” – a Jew must know, he is a great chain, going right back to the people who were at the giving of the Torah, which was not a one time event, but actually a new paradigm, in which this ability to trade the natural order was given (in fact, as we know, every Jewish soul was present).

 

Additionally, after so much effort, over thousands of years since the giving of the Torah, often with true sacrifice (mesirus nefesh, giving up one’s life which has the effect of causing gentiles to realize that, values supersede instincts) this has had a cosmic effect in refining the world, hence these energies are more readily acceptable.

7. Now every Jew, through his behavior must declare to the entire world (certainly through his speech) that henceforth, being a Jew, having this sense – power to live a supernatural order – this is his new order.

Practically speaking, there are those things, a person thought he was incapable of, be it in the realm of Torah, good deeds etc. – now he must undertake to do it and though it may seem to him as it’s beyond his ability, it will actually naturally manifest.

8. As all matters boil down to “Love you fellow as yourself”, we must undertake to redouble our efforts at helping people, for their positive experiences – we must take people out of poverty and bring them to living comfortably, and this includes those who are poor in knowledge of God, creating that not only do they have knowledge, but they and the knowledge become one, and they become an entirely new person.