One usually follows the principle of "beginning with a blessing," -- with an obvious and apparent blessing. Nevertheless, there is a matter of immediate and present concern, the passing of a person al kiddush Hashem, sanctifying G-d's Name in public, which took place in this neighborhood.
This is the neighborhood in which the Previous Rebbe's house of prayer, house of study, and house of good deeds is located. And therefore, what has happened is totally inconceivable! There is no one to turn to for an answer. Everyone, including myself, is equally confounded. I -- and I'm sure you -- remain with an open question.
How can, Heaven forbid, G-d delay the true and ultimate Redemption even one moment longer!
To die al kiddush Hashem is a great merit. It is told that Rav Yosef Karo, who was on a very high spiritual level, was informed that he had merited that G-d allow him to die al kiddush Hashem. Afterwards, because an event took place which was not appropriate for his spiritual level, he was denied this privilege.
What happened afterwards? He composed the Shulchan Aruch, the source of Halachic directives for the Jewish people for all time.[359] Yet despite his subsequent achievements, the expression is used that "he was denied the privilege of dying al kiddush Hashem," i.e., dying al kiddush Hashem would have represented an even greater merit.
In the present instance, however, it is a young mother with small children who died al kiddush Hashem. These children will live long and good years and in that time -- if the fulfillment of the prophecy "Those that lie in the dust will arise and sing" will, G-d forbid, be delayed -- they will long for their mother. They will even tell their own children of this longing; they will tell them of her lofty spiritual plane, and that she merited to sanctify G-d's Name in public. And this prompts a question -- and the question remains unanswered....
For in the meantime, we see that the Redemption is delayed for another moment, and for another moment.[360]
If G-d desires the pleasure He derives from the Jews' mesirus nefesh ("self-sacrifice"), the mesirus nefesh of living in exile itself is sufficient. For we have been in exile for over 1900 years. A day passes, a week passes, a moment passes... and Mashiach still has not come.
We say -- indeed, we cry out -- Ad masai! "How long must we wait in exile?" And yet what do we see? -- The sanctification of G-d's Name; a Jewish neshamah is taken away; a mother is taken from her children.
Being taken from her children is a greater self-sacrifice than the sacrifice of her own life. For this means that she must give over the upbringing and education of her children to others. This is the greatest sacrifice possible for a mother.
What is there left to do? We tried the approach of simchah, emphasizing the happiness of the sixty consecutive days of Adar and its mazal of health and strength. We have tried every means possible. Mashiach has still not come.... The Redemption is not yet an actual reality....
What can come from making this demand again and again and again? My statements will be reviewed by the listeners, written down... But the Redemption has still not come!
What is the result of all these demands? G-d doesn't need us to justify Him. He is self-sufficient. May the first initiative He takes be to bring the Redemption immediately. This will avert all further questions, and all further mesirus nefesh, particularly the mesirus nefesh of a mother with young children -- may the children live long and good years -- when we do not know when they will merit to meet again in flesh and blood.
May there be no further need to discuss these matters for the Redemption will come immediately. "Those that lie in the dust will arise and sing," and those who died al kiddush Hashem will merit to be resurrected first, together with the righteous who will be resurrected before the entire Jewish people. And then this young woman will encounter her children and continue their education with a happy heart.
May this take place in the immediate future, without any delay whatsoever.
Notes:
- (Back to text) (Although we study the Shulchan Aruch with the gloss of the Ramah, that is merely a gloss -- referred to as the mapah, "the tablecloth" -- to the Shulchan Aruch itself, the "set table.")
- (Back to text) This relates to the Torah reading of the previous week, Parshas Terumah which contains the command, "And you shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell within" and this week's portion is Parshas Tetzaveh, the only Torah reading after the birth of Moshe, in which Moshe's name is not mentioned. Nevertheless, the omission of his name shares a connection with the inscription in the Book of Life. See the commentaries to Shmos 32:32. See The Chassidic Dimension pgs. 99-101.
Night Following 7th Of Adar, 5752