The Secret of the Geulah: Extracting the Precious from the Worthless and Creating a New Heart
Lesson No. 82 | Thursday Night, Parashas Mishpatim, the Eve of the 30th of Shevat, the First Day of Rosh Chodesh Adar I 5757 - A Lesson for the Youth Organization
The holy Rebbe Nachman reveals that the coming of Mashiach depends on the breaking of the personal pride of each and every individual. Through learning Torah in holiness and guarding the Covenant (Shmiras HaBris), we merit to "extract the precious from the worthless" and create a new heart even for those who are furthest away, thereby bringing the Geulah (Redemption) closer this very day.
The holy Rebbe Nachman reveals to us the secret of the Geulah (Redemption), the secret of the coming of Mashiach, which is hidden in the concept of "bar yoma" (a child of the day). The Geulah is not something we must wait generations for—the light of the Geulah can be revealed each and every day. Mashiach is called "bar yoma," as it is stated:
"Today, if you will hearken to His voice."
Every single day, the glory of Hashem is ready to emerge from exile, from the degradation in which it is found, and to be revealed in the world. Upon what does the Geulah depend? When will Mashiach come? The answer is that the matter depends on breaking one's pride. Every person, when at the peak of their pride, thinks they are the smartest, the strongest, and the wealthiest. However, when a person breaks their pride, the more they break their pride—the more Mashiach will come today. Through the breaking of the personal pride of each and every individual, the glory of Hashem is elevated and emerges from exile.
Extracting the Precious from the Worthless: The Power of Torah
The way to elevate the glory to its root and bring peace to the world is through learning Torah, and specifically learning the Shas (Talmud). Rebbe Nachman reveals that if a person learns Torah with d'chilu u'rchimu (with awe and love), he can bring the entire world back in teshuvah (repentance). The Torah that a person learns illuminates the entire world, in the aspect of "your wellsprings will spread outward."
Our Sages say that there is no glory other than Torah. Through the Torah, we merit to draw people closer to the love of Hashem, may He be blessed, and this is the secret of "extracting the precious from the worthless." When a person draws the distant ones closer and extracts the sparks of holiness from within the impurity, he extracts the glory of Hashem from the *zilusa d'galusa* (the degradation of the exile).
The Secret of Guarding the Covenant
However, in order to merit all of this, the foundation is guarding the Covenant (Shmiras HaBris). The Torah tells us about Adam HaRishon (the First Man) in the Garden of Eden:
"And He placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to guard it."
Where was Adam HaRishon commanded regarding guarding the Covenant? The answer is hidden in the word "and to guard it." Every concept of guarding in the Torah hints at guarding the holy Covenant. If a person does not have the guarding of the Covenant, he cannot attain anything spiritual, and all of his abundance goes to the *Sitra Achra* (the Other Side, forces of impurity).
Adam HaRishon shone like the sun, and his role was to extract the precious from the worthless—to extract every point and every spark of holiness from the Sitra Achra. When a person guards the Covenant and extracts the sparks from the impurity, he merits that his blessings will be true blessings, and he elevates the glory of Hashem from the exile.
Creating a Heart for Heretics Through Prayer
When a person learns Torah in holiness, every single letter that he utters from his mouth creates angels and brings a Jew back in teshuvah (repentance). Thus, the glory of Hashem is revealed out of the darkness. Rebbe Nachman says that it is possible to bring the entire Jewish nation back in teshuvah, even the greatest evildoers and the heretics.
How is this done? Many times, there is no need to speak with them at all. Through prayer with intention, it is possible to bring everyone back in teshuvah. In the world, there are voices of those who degrade and blaspheme, voices of heretics and fools who speak words of vanity, but the power of prayer with intention is capable of nullifying all of these voices and illuminating the truth for them.
Why do people actually fall into heresy? Rebbe Nachman explains that heretics are people who have a "large intellect and a small heart." Spiritually speaking, it is as if they were born without a heart. Their intellect is developed, but their heart is sealed and does not feel the Divine light.
Therefore, our spiritual work is to "create a heart" for those distant ones. Through learning the Torah with awe and love and praying with intention, we operate at the root of the souls of Israel and create a new, feeling heart for those who have fallen into heresy, thereby bringing closer the complete Geulah (Redemption) that will come "bar yoma"—this very day.
Part 1 of 3 — Lesson No. 82