An adaptation of addresses by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
A Treatise on the observance of Yahrzeit, on the meaning of life and on the ascent of the soul.
A Tribute to Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson on her first Yahrzeit
This essay is adapted from the
Sichos of
Shabbos Yisro which dealt with the subject of
yahrzeit and specifically the
yahrzeit of
Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson.
At the close of the first year of mourning the family of the deceased enters a new phase of remembering, which includes yahrzeit observances, yizkor and good deeds performed in memory of the deceased. The soul of the departed also enters a new phase of elevation and influence on the material world.
In his talks the Rebbe presented us with a clear picture of the purpose of life, mans role in the cosmos and the interrelationship between the living and the departed souls. The Rebbe brought together lessons from the portion of the week, the Rambam and various other sources in his thorough analysis.
There are special practices and customs associated with the observance of
yahrzeit and performed in honor of the soul of the deceased.
A Yahrzeit is commemorated through the recitation of Kaddish by members of the family, as well as by leading the communal prayers in the role of Shaliach Tzibur. It is also customary to study Mishnayos and other sections of Torah on the Yahrzeit, as well as to donate additional funds to charity in memory of the deceased. Such practices give strength to the soul of the departed to rise to higher spiritual levels.
After the Yahrzeit passes there are other customs to be observed, such as the recitation of yizkor on the designated holidays, and the perpetuation of the memory by establishing institutions in memoriam.
Since man is an intelligent creature, "the living must take to heart," to learn a lesson from every occurrence in life -- especially from a traumatic experience such as death. Didactically viewed, the passing of a loved one and the observance of the Yahrzeit will leave a lasting impression on the serious-minded relatives and acquaintances of the deceased.
Put plainly -- the practices we observe in connection with the Yahrzeit etc. are done to bring elevation to the memory of the deceased so that it will rise higher and higher in Gan Eden.
This concept is explained in the Zohar:
Said R. Jose: If I had only come to hear this, it would have been worth my while. It is written, "...A son honors his father." (Malachi 1:6) We have learned that when the father is alive it is the sons duty to honor him with food and drink. Is he free from the obligation of honoring him after his death? Not so, since it is written, "Honor your father." (Shemos 20:12) If the son walks in the crooked path, of a surety he brings dishonor and shame on his father. But if he walks in the straight path and his deeds are upright, then he confers honor on him both in this world among men and in the next world with G-d, who gives him a special throne of honor. An example is R. Eliezer, who honored his father in his lifetime and now has made him more honored in the next world after his death as the progenitor of holy sons and a holy stock. (Zohar III, 115b)
There are, however deeper aspects in the meaning of
yahrzeit which sometimes come to the fore, based on the confluence of certain dates, people and Torah thoughts which reveal to us a more profound meaning in our material life and in the eternal life of the Jewish soul.
In the Laws of
Shabbos we find the rule that:
If one sets fire to anything at all, he is liable, provided that he needs the ash. (Rambam, Laws of Shabbos 12:1)
We know that the
Rambam directs us to glean a moral lesson in our Divine service from all the laws of Torah:
Although the statutes in the Torah are all of them Divine edicts, ...yet it is proper to ponder over them and to give a reason for them, so far as we are able to give a reason. And the greater part of the rules in the Torah are but...to correct our moral qualities and to keep straight all our doings. (Laws of Substituted Offerings 4:13)
With this in mind let us ponder for a moment the implication of the specific laws of Shabbos.
The 39 categories of creative work which are prohibited by Torah on Shabbos are all associated in the Bible with the work performed in the Tabernacle. This would indicate that they also represent general and fundamental forms of action in the worldly Divine service of a Jew. Plainly put, they would point to the various paths through which a Jew can fulfill the purpose of his creation to make the world a dwelling place for G-d. For the Divine directive given to every Jew is, "Make a Sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among you." Within this context a person can ideally serve the Holy One, Blessed be He.
The various work forms associated with the laws of Shabbos thus present us with the various forms of Divine service a Jew should employ in making his own part of the world a dwelling place for G-dliness.
If we take a closer look at the prohibition of combustion on Shabbos we see that a certain condition must be met, that "he needs the ash." This points to the idea that there must be a goal to the work and it must do some good in the "Sanctuary."
What really is the prime function of the Jew in his Sanctuary? To ignite himself and his surroundings with the G-dly fire of holiness -- the flaming fire of love -- which is alluded to in the verse:
There shall be a constant fire kept burning on the altar, without being extinguished. (Vayikra 6:6)
A Jew is expected to offer himself as a sacrifice, "a perfect
Olah for G-d," through the spiritual fire of love in his heart which rises:
Which flickers and bursts into flames with yearning and a burning, fiery desire, for the blessed G-d...this is the love of "the whole heart...," when the heart is completely consumed with the love of G-d. (Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 32c)
Generally speaking, this refers to the Divine service of complete devotion to the point of self-mortification -- when one is totally devoted to the Holy One, Blessed be He.
How is this Divine service brought into reality? by following the example of the Shabbos law: "If one sets fire to anything at all...," the quantity is not important. Every Jew has a spark of the G-dly fire in his heart and:
In the source of fire in the Jewish heart there is a spark and the spark must be fanned so that it ignites into a raging, flaming fire. (ibid.)
This occurs when even small details of ones life are ignited with the G-dly flame, even if it begins with a small flame of love for G-d, it is a true form of Divine service. For when we speak of sacrifice we speak of an essential aspect of
Yiddishkeit which is equal in all respects.
But there is another condition -- the ash. We must remember that the goal of the burning, pining love of G-d is not the ever-rising yearning, rather it is for the purpose of ultimately bringing down the practical outcome -- the ash. The fiery love which rises must produce a practical result, the self-sacrifice must create an entity down here below. The person must not lose control but must remain a human being, in a physical body, and he must deal with the materialism of the world -- the ash -- by doing Torah and
mitzvos in the real world.
When body and soul together are involved in Torah and mitzvos then you have ash permeated with sacrifice (ash=body, soul=sacrifice) and the involvement in Torah and mitzvos is truly with the whole heart, for the physicality is consumed in the G-dly fire in his heart just as a sacrifice which is offered before G-d.
This inner power of sacrifice is intrinsic to the Jew and it needs no preparation or rationalization. G-d always sees it.
What remains to be understood is, why is the "ash" a necessary condition? Furthermore, if one can awaken a strong force of mesirus nefesh to rise higher and higher with G-dly fire even though there must be a subsequent result, why do we say that the fire itself is not a complete, independent function?
In order to understand this problem we must first analyze another point associated with the general narrative of Matan Torah.
After the Jewish people heard the Ten Commandments at the foot of Mt. Sinai they approached Moshe and said:
You speak to us and we will listen. But let not G-d speak with us anymore for we will die if He does. (Shemos 20:16)
Let us go back a moment to follow the sequence of momentous events that took place just before and after
Matan Torah. The
Midrash relates:
And Moshe reported the words of the people unto the L-rd. (19:8) G-d wished at the moment to give them the Torah and to speak with them, but Moshe was still standing and G-d said: "What can I do because of Moshe?" R. Levi said: It can be compared to a king who wished to pass acts without consulting this lieutenant-governor; when he said to him: "Do this thing," the reply was: "It has already been done." The king tried once again: "Go and call this counselor that he may come with you," and when he had gone, the king carried out his wish. So when G-d desired to give the Ten Commandments, Moshe was standing at His side. G-d thought: When I reveal the heavens to them and say: "I am the L-rd your G-d," they will ask, "Who is speaking? G-d or Moshe?" Let Moshe, therefore descend and then I will proclaim, "I am the L-rd your G-d." Hence when G-d said to Moshe: "Go unto the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments," (Ibid. 10) he said: "I have already sanctified them; for its says, For You did charge us, saying, "Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it." (Ibid. 23) G-d then said to him: "Go down, and you shall come up, you, and Aharon with you" (Ibid. 24); and as Moshe descended, G-d revealed Himself; for immediately after it says, So Moshe went down unto the people, we are told that G-d spoke. (Shemos Rabbah 23:3)
Rashi explains that Moshe himself had actually brought this request to G-d in the name of the Jewish people:
He said to G-d: I have heard from them a reply... their desire is to hear the commandment from You and not from me. One who hears from the mouth of a messenger is not the same as one who hears directly from the mouth of the King Himself. (Rashi on 19:9)
When G-d spoke the Ten Commandments the Jewish people were thankful and appreciated G-ds attention; they expressed their gratitude in these words:
It is true that G-d our L-rd has showed us His glory and greatness and we have heard His voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that when G-d speaks to man, he can still survive. (Devarim 5:21)
At this point it becomes paradoxical that they should turn to Moshe and request that he serve as intermediary because they were afraid.
But now why should we die? Why should the great fire consume us? If we hear the voice of G-d our L-rd any more, we will die! What mortal has heard the voice of the living G-d speaking out of the fires as we did and has survived? (Ibid. 22-23)
This is truly paradoxical -- for they had just stated that "we have seen that when G-d speaks to man he
can still survive"!?
What makes this puzzlement even more frustrating is that G-d goes on to say:
I have heard what this nation has said to you. They have spoken well. If only their hearts would always remain this way, where they are in such awe of Me.... (Ibid.: 24-25)
This change of heart on the part of the Jewish people is truly inexplicable and needs some careful analysis.
The end purpose of all action is to reach the ultimate goal that G-d desired to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds. This happens when we make the world a dwelling place for G-dliness.
The power and potential to actually effectuate the Divine dwelling place on earth was given to mankind at the time of
Matan Torah. It was then that permission was granted for the spiritual forces to descend and for the material existence to rise. Before
Matan Torah there was a decree that separated the higher and lower worlds: "the higher shall not descend, and the lower shall not ascend." Before
Matan Torah the Torah was studied and
mitzvos were also performed, for Torah preceded the world, but the Torah and the world remained separate entities, spirituality did not influence the world.
The Sinai experience changed everything. It opened the way for Torah and mitzvos to permeate and refine the corporeality of the world so that the world may become an object of holiness. This novel approach to the world emerged with the revelation of the essential being of Torah that is bound to the essential being of G-d, Blessed be He. All this was very different from the Torah as it was learned before Matan Torah. This is the meaning of the Midrash:
All the precepts which the Patriarchs performed before You were mere fragrance, but for us Your Name is an ointment poured forth, 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments. (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:3(1))
What this means is that once G-d desired the dwelling place in the lower world, anything which is not directly focused on effecting that goal is not the
true purpose. All revelations of "our King" which do not lead to the lower world do not even bring true elevation for they miss the mark. True devotion and elevation is evaluated only if it eventually leads downward! The downward movement is not only for the benefit of those who inhabit the lower world but also for the benefit of the denizens of higher worlds, for it is only by infusing the nether worlds that the higher levels attain perfection.
Back to the story of Sinai, while it was true that after hearing G-ds voice the Jewish people remained alive, nevertheless, since that occurred by way of a miracle, they realized that it did not further the ultimate goal and they therefore demanded that Moshe serve as an intermediary. They also feared another round of death and resurrection. This is related in the Talmud:
R. Joshua b. Levi also said: At every word which went forth from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He, the souls of Israel departed, for it is said, My soul went forth when He spoke. But since their souls departed at the first word, how could they receive the second word? -- He brought down the dew with which He will resurrect the dead and revived them, as it is said, You O G-d, did send a plentiful rain, You did confirm Your inheritance, when it was weary. (Shabbos 88b)
It was as a result of this sequence of events that the people came to Moshe and asked him to be the "mouthpiece" of G-d, for they realized that only by receiving G-ds word through a "connecting intermediary," that would link the Jewish people with the Holy One, Blessed be He, could they hope to reach the perfect equilibrium -- the true purpose. In this way they could attain the viable
modus vivende of "He shall live by them but he shall not die because of them."
(Yoma 85b
) This process would allow the fulfillment of all responsibilities placed upon the Jewish people as living souls in corporeal bodies rather than a state in which they would only be able to ascend because "the great fire [would] consume us."
Another point now becomes more clearly understood. Having heard the request of the Jewish people placed before Moshe, the Holy One, Blessed be He accepted their proposal. Then at the close of the chapter G-d tells Moshe:
Make an earthen altar for Me. You can sacrifice your burnt offerings...when you eventually build a stone altar for Me... do not climb up to My altar with steps, so your nakedness not be revealed on it. (Shemos 20:21-23)
At first glance this admonition seems a bit strange. When the
Kohen ascends onto the altar he most certainly rises to a lofty spiritual level. One might assume that in that state he would be as spiritual as the world was before the sin of the Tree of Knowledge and should know no shame; why worry about revealing nakedness in such a condition? When, however, we remember that the purpose of
Matan Torah is to serve G-d as human beings -- just as they were when they proclaimed, "We will do and we will listen!" -- it becomes clear that
human action must eliminate the potential of "revealing the nakedness" by not climbing up on steps. Consequently, the human solution of providing a ramp instead of steps eliminates the potential problem.
Following the narrative of the Sinai experience the Torah goes on to teach the chapters of Mishpatim -- civil laws dealing mainly with everyday material matters including the laws governing slavery, robbery, damages, murder etc. Yet, Rashi points out that the juxtaposition of the civil laws of the Torah next to the Ten Commandments indicates that "just as the former were commanded at Sinai, so too, were the latter given at Sinai."
Esoterically speaking, the Mishpatim -- down-to-earth civil laws -- add a deeper dimension even to the loftier commandments. All of these laws must be "placed before the Jewish people" and infused into their inner psyche: "Like a table fully laid before a person with everything ready for eating." (Rashi, Shemos 21:1)
We may now comprehend the aforementioned rule in the Rambam that burning something is only considered a real act when the ash is needed -- for the ultimate purpose of all action is the creation of a dwelling place for G-dliness in the lower world. Remember, it was G-ds will for the abode below that initiated all the supernal effulgence, and so every action undertaken by man -- even the loftiest acts of self-sacrifice -- must revert to a down-to-earth result of making the dwelling place on earth. Any act which remains aloof and does not come back down to reality is not an entire service and not complete. The ascent created by the fire can be complete when it creates the ash down below.
The theme of a
yahrzeit is also connected to this process. A
yahrzeit occurs after a period of time has lapsed since the soul of the deceased has departed the material existence. Ostensibly, one might argue that after the soul rose and was sublimated in "fire," rising level above spiritual level, it no longer desires to descend and return to the lower corporeal worlds. By its very nature the soul desires only to rise.
The truth however is that an ascent in and of itself is not yet perfection. Combustion which brings only a rise does not satisfy the true goal. Ultimately there must be a need for the "ash." From the sublimation and elevation there must be a residue below that was permeated by the fiery ascent in the G-dly fire. This is what we mean when we say that when the soul of a tzaddik rises "it brings salvation in the midst of the land." (Iggeres HaKodesh Ch. 28)
As the soul rises higher there must be a concomitant influence, to a greater degree, in the lower worlds. This is what the Zohar means when it states:
The righteous man, even when he departs from this world, does not really disappear from any world, since he is to be found in all of them more than in his lifetime. (Zohar III, 71b)
Conversely, the more his spirit is to be found in the lower world, the more he ascends above.
Here we must stress the point made by the Rambam, "he needs the ash." The spiritual action of the soul does not suffice, it must feel that it "needs the ash" -- to be drawn down below and in the ultimate sense, to feel the need to be drawn down again as a soul within a body (at the time of the resurrection). In a sense this feeling is similar to G-ds desire for a dwelling place in the lower worlds.
Hence we may say, "he needs the ash," means that the soul actually desires and yearns that through its spiritual elevation there will be an increase of good acts in the lower worlds. This includes those good deeds, Torah, prayer and charity that are performed for the sake of bringing an elevation to the soul.
In general we speak of the principle that "the living must take to heart," in order for the resulting actions on the part of the living to bring not only elevation to the soul in the supernal worlds but also for the influence that it has on the lower worlds.
Our sages expressed this concept in the famous words of the Gemara:
Yaakov our Patriarch is not dead. He [R. Nachman] objected: Was it then for naught that he was bewailed and embalmed and buried? -- The other replied: I derive this from a scriptural verse, as it is said, Therefore fear not, O Yaakov, My servant, says the L-rd; neither be dismayed, O Israel; for, lo, I will save you from afar and your seed from the land of their captivity. The verse likens him [Yaakov] to his seed [Israel]; as his seed will then be alive so he too will be alive. (Taanis 5b)
It is through the action of his seed who are alive and functioning in this world that "he too will be alive."
We may now fathom why when we recite
yizkor on Yom Kippur we connect our prayers with a pledge to charity for the sake of the deceased. Clearly this is not only to bring elevation to the soul but also to bring a concrete result, since charity affects the physical world, as
Tanya explains:
You can find no commandment in which the vital soul is clothed to the same extent as in the commandment of charity." (Tanya Ch. 37)
Therefore, on the holiest of days we connect the memory of the soul with a positive act of charity in the real world.
Consequently, when the yahrzeit comes and a new period begins, and the soul is on the threshold of new elevation of an immeasurable sort, the soul "needs the ash," new actions and practices down below carried out by living people in the world.
The general discussion of mans role in the world and the theme of
yahrzeit has special meaning in connection with the first
yahrzeit (22nd of Shevat, 5749) of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka (late wife of the Rebbe).
The G-dly fire caused the soul of the Rebbetzin to rise and ascend higher and higher. In her lifetime she was a righteous woman -- she was the daughter of the Previous Rebbe and a daughter has a special connection to her father:
In one of the nocturnal visions in which the Tzemach Tzedek saw the Alter Rebbe (his grandfather), during the Thirty Days of Mourning for the Alter Rebbe, the latter recited for him the maamar, "Al shloshah devarim." After the maamar the Alter Rebbe said, "If the man emits seed first, she bears a female" -- that is your mother; "if the woman emits seed first, she bears a male" -- that is you. (HaYom Yom, Iyar 28)
In her lifetime she also benefited from the merit of her father and in fact she was involved in carrying out her role in Divine service in an ever-ascending way. She was a person who acted with self-sacrifice.
There is an anecdote that has been told relating to the education of the Previous Rebbes children.
The teacher engaged to tutor his daughters once came to the Previous Rebbe and suggested that when he would teach the narratives of Torah dealing with suprarational occurrences he wanted to minimize the magnitude of the miraculous events and try to explain the events in a more logical manner so as not to frighten the young girls with stories of supernatural events and self-sacrifice.
The Previous Rebbe reprimanded him and said, to the contrary, the education of a Jewish child must begin with tales of mesirus nefesh.
This anecdote dealt with the early education of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka which helps us to realize that her training was replete with mesirus nefesh.
After her passing, when her soul rose to the higher worlds, and when her first yahrzeit came and a new cycle of immeasurable elevation began -- the ultimate purpose is still: "The ash is needed"; it must bring concrete results in the real world. Her name was Chaya which alludes to real life in the corporeal world and the action done here causes her "to be alive." Her second name was Mushka -- a Yiddish appellation that points to greater reality.
The gematria -- numerical equivalent -- of her names is 470 (Eis -- a set time) -- which again points to measured time and space. Her yahrzeit is the 22nd of Shevat which alludes to the 22 letters of the Alef-Beis through which the world was created and through which the G-dly life-force infuses the material world. (see Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah Ch. 1)
The point is to reveal in all aspects of the world the 22 letters of Torah which enliven the world. The name of the month Shevat also has the symbolic meaning of rule. For a Jew, through Torah, rules and controls the world.
Man too, must meditate on the fact that life comes to man from G-d at every moment and he must rule the world and carry out the will of the Creator.
Thus, in connection with her yahrzeit there must be more actions and good works accomplished in the real world.
The effect will be to bring elevation to the departed soul and fulfillment to the living, for she will pray for us in the world of truth for all who are in need -- for long and good years of life, materially and spiritually, with good health and children, health and abundant prosperity.
At such a time the living must take to heart this lesson and there should be an increase in all good resolutions and actions. All this must be fired with the G-dly fire and mesirus nefesh. Increase Torah and mitzvos, set times for Torah in every place, public classes in Chassidus and Nigleh, new classes where none existed before and renewed vigor in existing classes. The study should lead to new advances in fear of G-d -- prayer and mitzvos -- especially tzedakah which descends to the simplest aspects of physicality.
New institutions should be established in her name and in her memory. Follow her example of mesirus nefesh, give her name to new born girls, this will ensure that her seed will be alive and she will be alive. This will evoke G-ds blessings for life, to the ultimate blessing that "the redeemer will come to Zion," to which we respond, Amen. There will be victory over the galus, when "a star will go forth from Yaakov -- Dovid" and "a staff will rise from Israel -- the King Mashiach." The real down-to-earth redemption.
Then "those who dwell in the dust will arise" and once again their souls will be clothed in bodies, and the glory of G-d will be seen and all flesh will see that the mouth of G-d speaks and "you will see your Master." And we will see the word of G-d which gives life to the world.
May this all be immediately -- immediate redemption.
