Based on a shuir from Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita (listen to the full shuir on Torah Anytime class ID 132595)
The 19th day of Kislev, known as “Yat Kislev”, marks the day that the Baal Hatanya was released after many years in a Russian prison. Although it is celebrated as the Chag Hageulah by Chabad chassidim, the essence of this day represents much more than the joy of any particular Chassidus that their Rebbe was freed. The Baal Hatanya himself understood that his imprisonment was the result of a Heavenly persecution against the very concept of teaching and spreading the light of Chassidus. By extension, his freedom represents the victory of the entirety of Chassidus and the pnimius haTorah from its Heavenly persecution.
Many years prior to his imprisonment, the Baal Hatanya was a chassid of the Mezritcha Maggid. The Mezritcha Maggid once became very ill, and he shared with his Chassidim that his illness was a result of a Heavenly persecution against him for teaching Chassidus. At that time, the Baal Hatanya revealed the following mashal that silenced the persecution and brought the Mezritcha Maggid a complete recovery.
There was once a very powerful and wealthy king who had only one son, who was lying on his deathbed with a terrible illness. Every remedy that the doctors tried failed.. Finally, a great doctor told the King that he had one solution, but it would require a great sacrifice from the King. We need to take the large jewel that is at the centerpiece of the King’s crown, crush it up, and mix it with water. Then we need to pour it into the son’s mouth, as he’s lying in a coma, unable to eat or drink. Most of it will probably spill down his chin, but if even a little bit makes it into his mouth and he swallows it, it might bring him a full recovery.
The ministers were hesitant. This jewel was the centerpiece of the crown! But the King jumped at the opportunity; after all, the prince represents the essence and future of the kingdom. What would be the point of a beautiful crown if there is no kingdom?
The Baal Hatanya explained that pnimius haTorah is the centerpiece of Hashem’s crown, and when simple people like us try to ingest it, we end up crushing and ruining it. Most of it ‘spills down our chin and onto the floor.’ But the prince – Klal Yisroel – is dying spiritually, and there is no Kingdom of Hashem without the Jewish people. Therefore, we have no choice but to spread pnimius haTorah to save the Kingdom, despite the risks involved.
If the Baal Hatanya successfully silenced the persecution, and brought healing to the Mezritcha Maggid, using this mashal, why was he himself imprisoned many years later for the same reason, for spreading Chassidus? The answer is that the Maggid spread Chassidus as a b’dieved – he had no choice but to spread it in order to save the Kingdom. Later on, however, the Baal Hatanya taught pnimius haTorah as a l’chatchilah, teaching us that not only are we allowed – but we have the right – to delve into these areas. This awakened a whole new persecution, which is why he was thrown into prison. What gave us this right, which resulted in the Baal Hatanya’s release from prison?
Perhaps we can answer with an idea from the Leshem. The Leshem writes that as the years go by, our minds get smaller and less intelligent, and therefore we need many more seforim of the revealed Torah to clearly explain concepts that early generations understood in one or two sentences. Therefore, the fact that the revealed Torah is “growing” in size is not exactly a compliment to our mental capabilities, as we simply need more explanation than our ancestors did.
But the growth of pnimius haTorah in our times has the opposite connotation. Pnimius Hatorah is not about “what Hashem said”, but rather “Who Hashem is.” The nature of any relationship is that you do not reveal the deepest secrets about yourself until you really get to know the other person well. The same pertains to our relationship with Hashem – as the years go by, Hashem gets to “know us better,” and gradually becomes more ‘comfortable’ revealing the secrets about the essence of who He is to the Jewish people. Therefore, the fact that pnimius haTorah is growing is a tremendous compliment to the Jewish people – it means Hashem is more comfortable revealing His inner essence to us!
As the generations go by, we may know less of the revealed Torah, but we are getting closer and closer to Hashem Himself. The Baal Hatanya taught us that we have the full right, l’chatchila, to know who G-d is, even if we struggle with Shabbos, with going to minyan, or with learning gemarah. There was a heavenly stamp of approval to this approach, ending the persecution of the Baal Hatanya, releasing him from prison, and guaranteeing every Yid the full right to get to know G-d himself through pnimius haTorah and Chassidus. Yat Kislev is a Chag Hageulah indeed, for all of Klal Yisroel!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 16.