עשרה יהודים יחד? תכניסו דבר תורה | הרב מנחם מיידנצ'יק, כ"ב תשרי | אגרות הקודש סימן כ"ג

Today, 22nd of Tishrei, page 272, we continue with the Iggeret HaKodesh. The Alter Rebbe continues what he said yesterday about the matter of ten Jews upon whom the Shechinah rests. He emphasizes this point, that although they do not actually feel it, there is a very, very great holiness here for the future to come, to receive all the reward. At the moment, it is only, what is called, feeling a hint, but there is tremendous power here of 10 Jews, even if they aren't sitting and studying Torah, and certainly so if they are studying Torah.

And the Alter Rebbe will speak here about the importance of Torah study after prayer and to be careful regarding the seat of scoffers. A person—there is no such thing as a person just living, passing time, wasting time, how do they say it? How do they say? Everything in life needs to have a purpose.

Therefore, the Alter Rebbe says: "All the deeds that are done under the sun are evil." Generally , this means those people who engage in business or work that are matters " under the sun"—not like what you see, which is above the sun, yes? So he says : Before prayer or after prayer they do not study Torah, but rather it is a seat of scoffers. So he says: This is evil in my eyes, and especially when they approach Hashem. Approaching— this is prayer, to approach Hashem is prayer, and after prayer or before it, it becomes a seat of scoffers, heaven forbid.

As our Sages say: Two who sit and do not speak words of Torah, it is a seat of scoffers. And if a seat of scoffers is made among ten in Israel upon whom the Shechinah rests? We said earlier, today in yesterday's Tanya, that the moment ten Jews are together, even if they are not studying Torah, the Shechinah rests upon them, and even the angels cannot stand before them. The Alter Rebbe says, "There is no greater insult or disgrace to the Shechinah," heaven save us.

And if our Sages said regarding one who commits a sin in secret that he "pushes away the feet of the Shechinah"—every time a person commits a sin, he is as if moving to the other side; he pushes away the feet of the Shechinah, simply distancing the Holy One, Blessed be He; he harms himself, just as a person who eats unhealthy food harms himself—why does he eat unhealthy food? Because he doesn't notice that he is harming himself. The same thing, every sin a person commits, it harms the person, it harms the world. But if a person were to contemplate and know, he would not do it.

But he is not, what is called, truly contemplating it. It is the evil inclination that tricks him and tells him stories that everything is fine. Yes? So if a person commits a sin in secret, he pushes away the Shechinah, heaven forbid; one who sins in public pushes away, as it were, the entire stature of the Creator in the beginning .

As our Sages said: "I and he cannot dwell together in the world." But rather, "The King is bound in the tresses." The meaning is the King, the meaning is the Shechinah is in a state of being "bound." What is "bound"? It is tied against her will. She has to be there, she has no choice. So there is an insult here; you brought the Holy One, Blessed be He, you are ten Jews, and what are you doing?

You are driving away the Holy One, blessed be He, grasping at the Holy One, blessed be He , as if acting against the Holy One, blessed be He. But those who press upon the Shechinah, the Holy One, blessed be He, will lift her up, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will say, "Shake yourself from the dust; arise." To shake oneself from the dust, yes. And it is written about the three things that delay Israel in their exile—the Admur HaZaken brings from our Sages that the

Children of Israel are delayed in exile due to three things: for pressing upon the Shechinah, for causing distress to the Shechinah (the Shechinah is with them, as we said earlier); and for causing shame to the Shechinah. And all of this is as written in the Holy Zohar, it is written in the Holy Zohar, you must be careful regarding these matters, not to distress the Shechinah.

So when ten Jews are found, always, when a person is at a family meal, strive to say some word of Torah, some law, something—to bring holiness into every event. Even if a person is in a business meeting, tell some Jewish story, some message for life, not all the time just material things. And with the help of God, may we increase in holiness, and merit the revelation of the Rebbe, King Messiah, immediately and truly.