Quotes from the Rebbe – Shavous 5751

Every Jewish festival holds a general lesson – this is extenuated some years based on the day it begins.

This year Shavous is marked by the fact it immediately follows Shabbos.

Everything connected to holiness such as the festivals, is one hundred percent preordained, hence this beginning adds to our understanding.

The connection between Shabbos and Shavous is underscored in the teaching that “everyone agrees that the Torah was given on Shabbos”.

As mentioned, these matters are precise, hence there is a deep meaning and message.

One of the lessons:

The central theme of Shabbos is tranquility.

As our sages teach – “what did the world ( following creation) lack? Tranquility – when Shabbos arrived so did tranquility.”

In truth true tranquility was achieved via the giving of the Torah.

The reason why both Shabbos and Torah create tranquility:

The nature of the world is one of movement and change ( apposite to the emotion of rest and tranquility.)
Generally time itself is always moving~ changing ( different days etc.) and the very definition of time is mainly past and future.

Furthermore all creations are subject both to the vagrancies of time and its  physical and emotional effect.

Furthermore going from one location to another also effects us, for one must get accustomed etc.

Now the reason that time and space, namely movement and change create lack of tranquility is for each change – it is like getting undressed and redressed-  it is disconcerting;

Hence Shabbos not only represents staying put, but by reminding oneself that all was created for a single goal – that every part forms the whole, this unifies.

The Torah being the reason detre of creation, hence creates this underlying unity.

Specifically speaking, when a person understands their own raison detre – namely to fulfill God’s purpose, hence instead of every detail of life adding more dichotomy, all is fundamentally part of a single oneness.

Not only does this bring tranquility to the individual but furthermore to everything s/he does and by osmosis to the world.

When God gave the Torah he fundamentally created everyone’s raison detre: to fulfill his will – for Jews the 613 Mitzvos, and for Gentiles the 7, creating both inner and inter harmony.

For the fundamental goal unifies.

Going deeper:

Though there are many Mitzvos nonetheless they all fall under the banner of serving God.

The first and fundamental reason we do any Mitzvah is as this fulfills God’s desire.

We know that all of Judaism is Ratzu Vshu, inspirational moments leading to higher application ( and like the heartbeat – in never ending positive cycles) however notwithstanding this, simultaneously we must be filled with the fundamental awareness that all is simply part of God’s desire.

This is accomplished fundamentally through understanding you are God’s servant ( for when the ego enters, not only does it disturb our mission, but it leads to frustration as one cannot understand how someone on such  high pedestal doesn’t get their way, as we see in toddlers who so used to getting their way begin to throw tantrums.)

And specifically through this humility one actually unifies with God.

This is also the notion of mind over matter, for the nature of the mind as  we see, is tranquility ( rational assessment)  however the nature of the heart is emotional feelings ( disconnected from rational assessment)  but through humility the mind enters, manages, directs, hence calms.

This practically was the sequence of the divine revelation on Sinai – for first the Jewish people humbled themselves as they said ” we will obey and then understand” which elicited God’s love.
The practical directive: every year once again on Shavous God gives us the Torah enabling us to recommit to our fundamental purpose of doing God’s will in every aspect of our lives.

We must  add to our Torah study, especially Chassidus.

The most important thing is to go out of Galus, which is the prime cuase of this dichotomy-  particularly going out of the inner Galus, our fears, inhibitions, trapping our soul – by realizing that “my soul is God and all I do in service to God, I also am doing  as this is my true soul request”.