By the Grace of G-dIn the Third day of the week,1 11th of Nissan, 5738 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

At this time, in the month of Nissan, a few days before Pesach, and pursuant to the discussion² on the general significance of the month of Nissan in that it underscores the miraculous (supra-natural) aspect of Divine Providence (as also indicated in the name of the month: Nissan from the word ness, “miracle”³), with its instructive message relating to the “supra-natural” conduct of a Jew in the everyday life—to free himself, in all matters of Torah and Mitzvos, from the confines of (natural) restraints; which is also the inner content of Yetzias Mitzraim (in the sense of metzarim, “boundaries”),⁴

Let us now reflect on some particulars of the above general subject, which, like all details in Torah (=meaning, “instruction”),⁵ are also instructive guidelines in the daily life.

* * *

Speaking of miracles,⁶ it is to be noted that there are various kinds of miracles.

There are hidden miracles that are “clothed” (concealed) in “natural” garments⁷—

Such as the Miracle of Purim which, seen superficially, lends itself to the erroneous conclusion that the collapse of Haman’s evil plan came about wholly through the intercession of Queen Esther, and prior to that—Mordecai’s fortuitous foiling of the plot against Ahasuerus’s life, and earlier still— the circumstances that led to Esther’s becoming queen, and so forth, as related in the Megillah.

Each of the said happenings by itself appears as a “natural” lucky “coincidence,” and all of them apparently laid the ground for Haman’s downfall, leading to the complete “reversal”⁸ that culminated in the festival of Purim. In reality however, needless to say, all those events,⁹ in all their details, were one continuous chain—beginning with the events related in the first verses of the Megillah—each of which was later recognized as the intervention of Divine Providence¹⁰ working in a manner of concealed (in natural garments) miracles;¹¹ each event being a preparatory step and integral part of the ultimate reversal of the situation and the Miracle of Purim.

A second kind of miracles is revealed miracles, which are obviously supra-natural, such as the miracles of Pesach and Yetzias Mitzraim, as recounted in the Torah,¹² and as our Sages¹³ further emphasize that in the natural order it was entirely impossible for a single slave to get out of (escape from) Egypt, whereas on Pesach there was an exodus of a whole people, “about 600,000 men strong, apart from women and children,”¹⁴ all of whom departing with a “raised arm,”¹⁵ and even before, there were the “ten miracles that occurred for our ancestors in Egypt.”¹⁶

There is also another classification of miracles: miracles that occur to an individual (and his family); miracles that occur to many, till those that occur for the entire Jewish people;¹⁷ and miracles that influence also the outside world.¹⁸

The miracles of Nissan and Yetzias Mitzraim, being the prototype of the miraculous Divine Providence in general,¹⁹ comprised all the three types²⁰ of miracles mentioned above: There were the “ten miracles that occurred for our ancestors in Egypt”—for the entire Jewish people; they included also miracles for Jews individually, as, for example, in the cases of the plague of Darkness, when for a Jew it was light²¹ even when he entered the blacked-out house of an Egyptian neighbor, and he could see everything; and, of course, there was the impact of the “multiple Divine signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,”²² and beyond, as it is written, “Nations heard and trembled.”²³

* * *

The instructive message of all above to every Jew, man and woman, is: The “supra-natural” (unhindered and uninhibited) conduct of a Jew in his daily life, in addition to what it means for him (and his family), has, at the same time, a direct influence on the entire Jewish people, inasmuch as every Jew is a part of the Jewish people which is “one complete organism.”²⁴ Moreover, in light of our Sages’ interpretation²⁵ of the first words of the Torah, Breishis boro elokim (“In the beginning G-d created”), to the effect that because of two things called reishis (“first,”)—Jews and the Torah²⁶—created the heavens and the earth, i.e. the whole world with all that it contains—a Jew’s conduct has an effect in heaven²⁷ and on earth and on all that is in them.²⁸

Thus, when a Jew’s conduct is “supra-natural”, it evokes a corresponding Divine supra-natural Providence,²⁹ both for him and for all Jews, as well as for the whole world, eliciting and bringing down G-d’s blessings likewise without limit.

More in detail: Serving G-d (through Torah, prayer and Tzedoko)³⁰ without restraints, in a supra-natural way, must include both the fulfillment of the Mitzvos “between man and G-d” and the Mitzvos which are (also) “between man and man”,³¹ first and foremost of which is the Mitzva of vohavto Ireacho komocho‘‘³² (“love your fellow as yourself”), as well as fulfillment of the obligations towards non-Jews and humanity at large,³³

Including the Mitzva to do everything possible to pro-mote the observance of the “Seven Laws of Mankind,”³⁴ in all their ramifications—the Divine precepts given to all mankind, which are the cornerstone of every human society.

In this way a Jew helps to elevate the world³⁵ out of its materialistic limitations to be more in accord with the Will of the Creator.

* * *

May G-d grant that everyone, man and woman, aided and spurred by the strength, inspiration and vitality of the month of Nissan and, especially, the Festival of Pesach, should make the leap (“pass-over”)—which is one of the meanings of “Pesach”³⁶—to break through the barrier of mundane limitations,

And with the strength of the Month of Geulo and the “Festival of Our Liberation” illuminate and permeate also the commonplace natural activities of the daily life (eating, drinking, etc.)³⁷ throughout the year,³⁸ and do this with joy and gladness of heart.³⁹

May this also be the prelude to the immediate⁴⁰ Geulo— in accordance with the well-known ruling of the Rambam⁴¹ that when Jews do Teshuva they are redeemed at once—the true and complete Geulo of all the Jewish people and of every Jew individually, through our Righteous Moshiach,

When everyone will see that “You are the G-d Who acts wondrously; You make known among the nations Your might,”⁴²

When also the whole world and all mankind will be redeemed in accordance with the prophecies: “I will create new heavens and a new earth,”⁴³ and “Then I will revert unto the nations a pure language, that they all call upon the Name of G-d and serve Him with one consent.”⁴⁴ The whole world will be truly redeemed and restored to perfection.⁴⁵

With esteem and with blessing for

Hatzlocho in all above, and for a

Kosher and happy Pesach

/Signed: Menachem Schneerson/