We have committed Ahavas Yisroel to memory;
in Elul let’s commit it to Life!
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
This week the Torah portion of Ki Tavo begins with the mitzvah of bikkurim. This past week we also observed Chai Elul, the birthdays of the Baal Shem Tov (born in the year ‘Nachas’ 5458-1698) and the Alter Rebbe (born in the year ‘Kehos’ 5505-1748).
Chassidus places Ahavas Yisroel as it’s primary focus as explained in detail in the 32nd Chapter (known as the lev which equals 32, the heart of the Tanya) of the Tanya. What does having true Ahavas Yisroel mean and how do we best live and act with true Ahavas Yisroel according to Chassidus? After all we all have such different personalities and perspectives. Feeling unified and bonded as true brethren in thought speech and deed can seem a challenge, especially in the tumultuous times we live today. The Tanya explains how this is possible by highlighting the difference between the soul and the body. If we care about another person because of their outward appearance or their greatness in learning etc., then we have not achieved true Ahavas Yisroel. True Ahavas Yisroel is when we love our fellow Jew simply because he's a Jew who is a chelek Elokai m’ma’al, a G-dly spark, and for no other reason. This is what the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe revealed, that the essence of the Jew is his or her neshama.
The mitzvah of bikkurim was performed in a very elaborate and public manner. The mitzvah is an opportunity to express our simcha and gratitude to Hashem for providing us with the first fruits. We only began performing this mitzvah in it's very elaborate and public form after 14 years after entering the land of Israel (after the seven years of conquering and the seven years of settling the land). Why did we wait so long? Some of the Jews received their property before that time and surely they were required to thank Hashem for their first fruits. So why didn't someone bring his first fruits and express his simcha and his gratitude before Hashem in the 8th or 9th year if they had first fruits? The answer is that a Jew cannot be completely happy with all of the fanfare, ceremony and publicity when there is even one Jew that is without his portion and not settled in the land. Even Though the mitzvah is a personal obligation, and was probably carried out in some fashion of thanking Hashem, nevertheless it was not done it it’s full and elaborate celebration until after the 14th year. Although the mitzvah was after the period between Shavuos and Sukkos the time of simcha when all the fruits were gathered, so that we should rejoice with all the goodness that we received, nevertheless the simcha is not complete, and had to wait until after everyone had their portion, and then there could be full and complete rejoicing. This is what true Ahavas Yisroel requires.
The Rebbe required us to focus on Ahavas and Achdus Yisroel as a prerequisite to bringing the geula. The Tanya came out in two editions. What we have today is the second edition. In the first edition there was no chapter 32 (which as mentioned above the Rebbe calls the lev of the Tanya), only in the second edition. The Rebbe once mentioned that the Maamar Lecha Dodi in Likutei Torah, commonly learned in the month of Elul is found on page 32 of Likutei Torah, hinting to us that the lev, the heart of Likutei Torah (as well as a connection with the 32nd Chapter of the Tanya) is to be found within this Maamar. We learn this Maamar and do the teshuva of Elul with a heart full of Ahavas Yisroel in preparation for Rosh Hashana, then our preparations are successful.
The Hayom Yom for the 16th of Elul states: “The Alter Rebbe interpreted the statement, "Whoever saves a single person of (the people) Israel is as though he saved an entire world": One must perceive a Jew as he stands in the primordial thought of Adam Kadmon. There, each soul stands with all the generations destined to descend from it until the coming of Moshiach, the righteous Redeemer. When one does a favor to an individual, it is a favor to all those souls until the end of all generations.
By doing our preparations for Rosh Hashana in the month of Elul with a heart of Ahavas Yisroel may we immediately merit the revelation of Moshiach and merit to hear the shofar of Moshiach this Rosh Hashana.
A Good Shabbos