Audio Text Chinuch Katan (Introduction to Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah) The heading written by the Alter Rebbe reads as follows: ליקוטי אמרים, חלק שני הנקרא בשם חינוך קטן מלוקט מפי ספרים ומפי סופרים קדושי עליון נ״ע מיוסד על פרשה ראשונה של קריאת שמע Likutei Amarim (“A Compilation of Teachings”) Part Two [whose introduction hereunder is] entitled1 […]

Audio Text והשנית היא אהבה שכל אדם יוכל להגיע אליה, כשיתבונן היטב בעומקא דלבא The second [level] is a love which every man can attain when he meditates earnestly, so that its echo resounds in the depths of his heart, בדברים המעוררים את האהבה לה׳ בלב כל ישראל on matters that arouse the love of […]

Audio Text The Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain what special quality lies in the lesser manner of service of “educating the child according to his way,” so that “even when he grows [spiritually] older he will not depart from it.” It is true that the lower level of love, that which is engendered […]

Audio Text והנה ראשית הדברים המעוררים האהבה והיראה, ויסודן, היא האמונה הטהורה ונאמנה ביחודו ואחדותו, יתברך ויתעלה First among the factors that arouse love and fear, and their foundation, is a pure and faithful belief in the Unity and Oneness of G‑d, may He be blessed and exalted. (“Oneness” here means that all of creation […]

Audio Text Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah1 The theme of this treatise, as the Rebbe notes, is stated in its subtitle: להבין מעט מזעיר מה שכתוב בזהר, דשמע ישראל כו׳ הוא יחודא עילאה, וברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד הוא יחודא תתאה Let us understand [at least] in a small measure, the statement of the Zohar,2 that3 […]

Audio Text עד שמשתלשל מעשרה מאמרות ונמשך מהן צירוף שם אבן so that ultimately the combination of letters [that forms] the name אבן descends from the Ten Utterances, and is derived from them, והוא חיותו של האבן and this combination of letters is the life-force of the stone. וכן בכל הנבראים שבעולם And so it […]

Audio Text In his opening chapter the Alter Rebbe explained that the Divine life-force which brings all creatures into existence must constantly be present within them, in order to recreate and revivify them on an ongoing basis. Were this life-force to forsake any created being for even one brief moment, it would revert to a […]

Audio Text והן הן בחינת אותיות הדבור מעשרה מאמרות שבהם נבראו [Activating forces such as the above] are the selfsame letters of speech [that constitute] the Ten Utterances by which [all beings] were created. This is why the above-quoted verse states, “Forever, O G‑d, Your word stands in the heavens.” G‑d’s speech, which is the […]

Audio Text The Alter Rebbe has explained that the activating force of the Creator must constantly be vested within creation, ceaselessly recreating and reanimating created beings ex nihilo. This force consists of the creative “letters” which emanate from the five supernal organs of verbal articulation. והנה אחרי הדברים והאמת האלה Now, following these words of […]

Audio Text Since the Divine activating force responsible for the existence of created things must continuously be present within them, they are completely nullified in their source. This means, as the Alter Rebbe explained in the previous chapter, that in reality they do not “exist”. Why, then, do we nevertheless perceive created beings as enjoying […]