Hayom Yom

The Alter Rebbe said: The mitzva of Ahavat Yisrael [1] extends to anyone born into the people of Israel, even if you have never met him. How much more so does it extend to every member - man or woman of the Jewish community where you live, who belongs to your own community.

Notes:

"Love of one's fellow." See Ahavat Yisrael, Kehot; also HaYom Yom for see 15 Kislev.

Wednesday Adar Sheini 3 5703

Chumash: P'kudei, Revi'i with Rashi.

Tehillim: 18-22.

Tanya: All the above (p. 155)...in the other. (p. 155).

The Tzemach Tzedek told a chassid who had mastered the entire Talmud and related works and had a profound grasp of Chassidus:

"Kabalat Ol [1] transforms one's being.

When a simple servant serves out of Kabalat Ol you can see that he bears the yoke of service even when he sleeps. When a pre-eminent savant and brilliant scholar acquires this sort of Kabalat Ol, even he can attain the height and value of the simple, sincere person who has Mesirat Nefesh - total devotion, self- sacrifice.

Notes:

Lit. "accepting the yoke (of Heaven)." Chassidus compares the Avoda of the scholarly who are intellectually motivated, aware of the depth and nuances of Torah and mitzvot, with the unquestioning obedience of the simple man, motivated by pure faith, ("pure" meaning unalloyed by rationales and ulterior motives).

each has a unique quality.

demands that the learned man acquire the virtue of unlettered, simple faith superimposed on scholarship bringing him to a fulfillment otherwise denied him.

itself has its limitations, the differing quality of the individual's knowledge, for example.

based on reason cannot surpass reason, so the Avoda is always restricted, limited.

knowledge is never absolute, so despite commitment and piety there may be gnawing if unarticulated doubts.

Ol transcends reason and penetrates to, or emanates from, the core or essence of the individual. His involvement is total. See 21 Adar I, and Tevet 5.