Ahavas Yisrael as a Preparation for the Giving of the Torah

When Bnei Yisrael approached Mt. Sinai, the verse attests: "And (he) Israel encamped there." Grammatically, the verse should have been expressed in the plural, "And they encamped there." From the singular expression the Sages explain that when the people encamped at Sinai they were "as one man with one heart"[1] - with ahavas Yisrael. A number of reasons are given as to why ahavas Yisrael is a prerequisite to the giving of the Torah:

1. As mentioned above, ahavas Yisrael arouses the essence of the soul, and the giving of the Torah was from the Essence of G-d to the essence of the soul.[2]

2. The entire Torah was given to bring peace to the world.[3] It therefore follows that the preparation for such an event is unity and peace.[4]

3. The Torah was given in a desert to indicate that the Torah is of a higher source than the world and above worldly matters. In order to receive the Torah it must be given in a place that is hefker - a no-man's land where all can acquire it. The prerequisite then is that the Jew should rise above his own ego and make himself like a desert - which is achieved through ahavas Yisrael and ways of peace.[5]

4. Ahavas Yisrael also increases the potency of learning Torah, as the "cleaving to friends" and "discussions among the students"[6] are the ways in which Torah is acquired.[7]

Ahavas Yisrael as a Preparation for Prayer

At the very beginning of our daily services, many Siddurim quote in the name of the AriZal[8] that it is correct to make the following statement:

"I accept upon myself the responsibility to fulfill the positive commandment: 'Love your fellow as yourself.'"[9]

Our Sages tell us that when we pray, we should pray with the community. This acceptance of ahavas Yisrael causes one to be included within the community and therefore creates the true act of communal prayer.[10]

It is interesting that the Alter Rebbe instituted that the statement "I accept upon myself etc.," be specifically said before prayer rather than accepted in thought[11] or feeling.[12]

A possible explanation:[13] As the Alter Rebbe explains in chapter 32 of Tanya, all Jews are united at the soul level, as they are one in their Source. It is only as the souls descend into bodies that differences appear. This is especially so in the time of exile when the Jews are scattered among the nations. It is particularly in this situation that the challenge is greatest to reveal their true essence. For this reason, the Alter Rebbe instituted that the acceptance of ahavas Yisrael - which is a realization of the essence - should be verbalized, for it is necessary that the feelings of ahavas Yisrael not only remain in the realm of thought but are actually brought into the world of action.[14]

There are in fact many connections between ahavas Yisrael and prayer:[15]

1. Ahavas Yisrael is the gateway through which one enters in order to stand before the A-lmighty in prayer.[16]

2. As mentioned above, every soul contains within itself all other souls. Hatred of a fellow Jew causes a division within the soul, which renders a blemish in the soul.[17] Such a blemished soul is not readily accepted Above, for the A-lmighty is the source of all souls. Only a wholesome soul that is at peace with all other souls will be well received.[18]

3. One of the main purposes of prayer is to fulfill the imperative of, "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d, etc." - i.e., ahavas HaShem. As mentioned above, ahavas Yisrael is the vessel for ahavas HaShem.

4. The purpose of prayer is to elevate all echelons of existence, even the most basic levels. It is therefore correct to include oneself before the act of prayer with all Israel, even those who are not on one's level, even if they are to be found in a far-flung corner of the world and that one has never seen.[19]

5. Acceptance of the mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael also aids in the downward flow and receipt of the Divine influence which is revealed in the act of prayer. Doing a favor for another causes: 1), that all supernal gates and chambers are opened for him[20] (the downward flow); and 2), that his mind and heart become more receptive to receive the revelation.[21]

6. Most of all, the spirit and feeling of ahavas Yisrael causes a great nachas ruach (a great pleasure) Above, and because of that nachas ruach, G-d fulfills the requests made in the prayers.[22]

7. The Mishnah[23] states that the request for rain in the prayers was not made until fifteen days after the Succos festival in order "that the last of Israel should reach the river Euphrates," (i.e., those pilgrims who came from Babylon would have time to return home before the rainy season). This contains a powerful lesson in ahavas Yisrael. Even though the Land of Israel desperately needs rain, the request for rain is delayed so that not even the "last Jew" should be harmed by it.[24]

A Preparation for Building the Mishkan - Tabernacle

Ahavas Yisrael was an important prerequisite for the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The verse[25] tells us: "And Moshe gathered the entire congregation of Israel," to instruct them to donate materials for the construction. This contribution from the entire congregation constituted the creation of an edifice which united all Israel.[26]

The construction itself was carried out by Betzalel from the tribe of Yehudah, and Oholiov from the tribe of Dan. These two chief architects represented the greatest and the least significant of the tribes respectively to demonstrate true unity.[27]

The necessity for this unity was:

1. The whole purpose of "And you shall make for Me a Sanctuary" is so that "I may dwell in their midst."[28] The resting of the Divine Presence - the revelation of the Essence which reveals true Unity - is effected by "And Moshe[29] gathered the entire congregation," i.e., ahavas Yisrael and achdus Yisrael - Jewish unity - on all levels, both physical and spiritual.[30]

2. The purpose of the building of the Mishkan was to elevate base material items and transform them into vehicles for G-dliness. For this reason the Mishkan was made of physical substances, such as silver and gold. The objective, then, was similar to the act of prayer, i.e., to elevate even the lowliest forms of existence.[31] Accordingly, it was necessary for the most lowly of the tribes to participate in the construction of the Mishkan. This is analogous to prayer, before which a person must identify himself with the lowliest members of the Jewish people. He does so with the goal of elevating them, afterwards, through his prayer.[32]

Quotes For a drunk, every last drop of liquor is precious. I am drunk with the spreading of torah and Ahavas Yisrael, and every drop is very precious. (The Previous Rebbe) The communal good of Klal Yisrael must take precedence over personal ambitions and interests. (Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 22, p. 258) It is my deepest and most personal request that we should work to unite the Jewish people based on the Mitzvah of "Love your fellow as yourself." This Mitzvah must be kept in full and whoever increases in it is worthy of praise. (Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 22, p. 323) "Kol Yisrael Arevein Zeh Lozeh" (SHAVUOS 39A). The Previous Rebbe explained that there are three ways to translate the word Arev: sweet, mixed, and guarantor. Every Jew is sweet, all Jews together are mixed/intermingled and guarantors for one another. (Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 12, p. 264) One should love the simple Jew just like the greatest Torah scholar, because he is a Jew and we all have one father. "You are G-d's children and I love you," says G-d. (Igros Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe, Vol. 9, p. 329) Chassidim used to say: The angels in general, and the angel Michoel with his 186,000 camps of accompanying angels in particular, fashion out of every son and daughter of Israel a bright and shining chandelier. (Sefer HaMaamarim 5709, p. 206) If all Mitzvos must be done in a beautiful manner (Hiddur Mitzvah), how much more so should the Mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael - a great principle of the Torah - be done in a beautiful manner. (Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 2, p. 321) The Alter Rebbe once said: The Arizal merited the revelation of Eliyahu and Ruach Hakodesh because of his joy in doing a Mitzvah. The Baal Shem Tov merited the revelation of Eliyahu and Ruach Hakodesh because of his joy in doing Ahavas Yisrael. (Igros Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe, Vol. 8, p. 110) Ahavas Yisrael is precious to G-d, for to G-d, every Jew is a Sefer Torah. (Igros Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe, Vol. 9, p. 366) Doing a favor for another in the material world is greater than understanding a deep concept in learning. How much more so a spiritual favor. (Sefer HaMaamarim 5711, p. 152)

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Shemos 19:2. Rashi and Mechilta, ibid.

2. (Back to text) Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 2, p. 301.

3. (Back to text) Rambam, end of Hilchos Chanukah. See also Sifri, Nasso 6:26.

4. (Back to text) Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 2, p. 298. See also Yalkut Shimoni. Mishlei, Remez 934. See also at length Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 28, p. 241.

5. (Back to text) Sefer HaSichos 5751, Vol. 2, p. 545.

6. (Back to text) Pirkei Avos 6:6.

7. (Back to text) Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 25, p. 453.

8. (Back to text) Pri Etz Chaim Shaar Olam HaAsiyah, ch. 1, shaar 3; ch. 2 (end); Siddur of the AriZal. See Shaar HaKollel 3:2 and Sefer HaMaamarim of Alter Rebbe, Parshiyos, Vol. 2, p. 941.

9. (Back to text) Siddur of the Alter Rebbe. See Sefer HaMaamarim Meluket, Vol. 1, p. 395, Igros Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe, vol. 4, p. 190. In a sichah of the Previous Rebbe (Sefer HaSichos 5700, p. 156-157), he relates that on the day of his bar mitzvah, his father the Rebbe Rashab was in high spirits. The Rebbe Rashab commented that on the day of the bar mitzvah it was customary in the house of the Rebbeim that the bar mitzvah boy should ask something. He explained that this was also done at the bar mitzvahs of the previous Rebbeim. My father said to me, "Yosef Yitzchok, ask something!" I asked my father: "In the Siddur it says that one should accept upon oneself the mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael before prayer. Why particularly before prayer? If one has to have ahavas Yisrael immediately in the morning, this declaration should have been said with the morning blessings?" My father replied: When a father has many children, his main pleasure comes to the fore when he sees that they all get along and love each other. In prayer, a person makes his personal requests from G-d, both material and spiritual. Before this request, one has to create "nachas" for G-d. Therefore the declaration was fixed before prayer. This is the type of education a father should give his son on the day of his bar mitzvah. Ahavas Yisrael not only expresses itself in giving the other person food to eat, or lending him money, or giving him a place to sleep for the night. The concept of ahavas Yisrael encompasses the entire being, i.e. the needs of the other should be seen as a primary concern over and above one's own needs. This is expressed in a saying of the early chassidim when they said that a person should love himself as much as he loves another!

10. (Back to text) Sefer HaMaamarim 5709, p. 99. In a sichah on the 19th of Kislev 5724, the Rebbe explains that the Hebrew word "tzibbur" (rucm) is spelled tzaddik, beis, vov, reish, which stands for tzaddik=tzaddikim, beis=beinonim (intermediates), reish=resha'im (the wicked), and the vov connects the tzaddikim and beinonim with the resha'im, meaning that "tefillah betzibbur" (communal prayer) is when all strands of the community are united. See also Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 8, p. 47; Vol. 21, p. 257.

11. (Back to text) The Magen Avraham, Orach Chaim, ch. 46, and the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, ibid., only state that one should accept upon oneself the mitzvah, but do not stress that the acceptance must be verbal. However in the Siddur, he explicitly states that the acceptance should be verbalized.

    Although the source of making this declaration is in the writings of the AriZal, and not everything the AriZal writes is applicable to all, however since the Alter Rebbe writes this in the Siddur, it applies to everybody.

    In fact, in the Pri Etz Chaim, which is the source of the AriZal's words quoted in the Alter Rebbe's Siddur, the implication is that the mitzvah should actually be fulfilled before prayer; however, from the words of the Alter Rebbe it appears that it is enough to make a declaration. However one may suggest that there are in fact two stages: 1) the declaration before prayer and 2) the fulfillment in the saying of Mah tovu. On the verse Mah tovu, in fact, Sanhedrin 105b explains that it refers to the houses of study and houses of prayer. Rashi comments on the verse that the entrances of their houses (tents) are not opposite one another. Although these are two different commentaries, they may however be fused. It is well known that, in general, when one person looks at another, the first thing is to try and find fault. Whereas when a person looks at himself, the first thing is to look and find the good. The truth is that the opposite should be the case. The same thing is true of a person in the synagogue. In general, when a person sits in shul, he tries to look different from when he is sitting at home. Blending the Midrash and Rashi one may now explain the following: Do not look at your friend as he is at home - the entrances are not opposite one another - rather look at him as he stands in shul and try your best to imagine him at home as you see him in shul. Such a feeling when saying Mah tovu is the fulfillment of the declaration of ahavas Yisrael.

12. (Back to text) It may be suggested that the advantage of verbal expression is that another person will hear. However as a preparation to prayer, which is primarily a communication between a person and G-d, it would be preferable that the person first "adorn himself" (Bava Metzia 107b) which in this case would mean just a quiet thought to oneself - and yet the Alter Rebbe says that one should say the declaration aloud.

13. (Back to text) Sefer HaSichos 5750, Vol. 1, p. 214.

14. (Back to text) And speech is an action (Sanhedrin 65a; Bava Metzia 90b).

15. (Back to text) See also Sefer HaMaamarim Kuntreisim, Vol. 3, p. 46, regarding the different types of contemplation necessary before prayer - but contemplating on and developing a feeling to do another Jew a favor is the most important. See also Sefer HaMaamarim 5691, Parshas Bereishis.

16. (Back to text) HaYom Yom, p. 67.

17. (Back to text) As in the case of an animal sacrifice, an animal with a blemish is invalid (Derech Mitzvosecha, p. 28b). Further parallels may be drawn with animal sacrifice: Before the sacrifice, both hands were placed on the animal (semichah) which allowed the elevation of the sacrifice. So, too, acceptance of ahavas Yisrael before prayer is the preparation symbolically for sacrificing the "animal soul" within man (see Tanya, ch. 1). See VeHecherim 5631, p. 22.

18. (Back to text) Derech Mitzvosecha, ibid. See also Siddur of the Alter Rebbe, p. 22b. See also Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 8, p. 47.

19. (Back to text) Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 1, p. 201.

20. (Back to text) See HaYom Yom, p. 66; Sefer HaMaamarim 5711, p. 153.

21. (Back to text) There is a well-known story of the Tzemach Tzedek that he would often see, either in the form of a dream or while awake, his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, after the Alter Rebbe had passed away. On one occasion, he had many questions that he very much wished to ask the Alter Rebbe for direction on certain matters, but the Alter Rebbe failed to appear to him. One morning, before the morning prayers, he went to give a gemach (free-interest loan) to a simple Jew. After he had fulfilled that mitzvah, entered the synagogue, and put on tallis and tefillin, the Alter Rebbe appeared to him with a beaming face. See ch. 11 of this book.

    See also Sefer HaSichos 5700, p. 98; Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 2, p. 403.

22. (Back to text) HaYom Yom, p. 67; Sefer HaSichos 5700, Vol. 1, p. 157. See also Siddur of the Alter Rebbe, pp. 22b, c.

23. (Back to text) Taanis 10a. See also Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, ch. 117.

24. (Back to text) Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 20, p. 378.

25. (Back to text) Shemos 35:1.

26. (Back to text) See sichah of Vayakhel Pikudei 5724, section 2.

27. (Back to text) See Shemos Rabbah 40:4; Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 1, p. 201.

28. (Back to text) Shemos 25:8.

29. (Back to text) Ahavas Yisrael comes about through self-nullification and this is the attribute of Moshe (see Tanya, ch. 42).

30. (Back to text) Sichah of Vayakhel Pikudei, ibid.

31. (Back to text) See Talmud Yerushalmi, Berachos 4:3.

32. (Back to text) Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 1, p. 202.