Lo Hayu Yamim Tovim 5740. This maamar originally came out as a sicha but was re-issued on 3 Tammuz 2020 as a maamar on the mishnah “Lo Hayu Yamim Tovim l’Yisrael K’Chasmisha Asar B’Av U Ki Yom Ha Kippurim”. The Rebbe presented many maamarim on this mishnah. In this version there is a correspondence drawn between seasonal yomim tovim and types of avodah: the tzadik corresponds to Nissan versus the baal teshuva to Tishrei. But Chamisha Asar BiAv is a third idea, representing Pnimiyus HaTorah (perhaps even higher than Teshuva). The Rebbe compares it to the analysis in the Kuntres Eitz Chayim, where there are also three ideas: נר מצוה and תורה אור and ודרך חיים תוכחת מוסר. It is further compared to the three בתי מקדש and the Karbanos brought in each. An important concept is discussed at the end of the class: Why learn Chassidus that is too advanced for one to apply to his or her avoda? The point of view of various luminaries of Chassidic teaching are presented. The bottom line is that a spiritual “milchama” (war) has its down side – even when successful. A fight with the “yetzer hara” (evil inclination) can lead to heaviness – learning Chassidus brings “Ohr” (Light), joy and holiness into the struggle. That is the function of learning Chassidus above application to one’s own avoda – limud pnimiyus HaTorah for its own sake – connecting to the essence of God directly which ameliorates to some extent the heaviness of the spiritual struggle. Cross Reference: There is another Maamar on this mishnah from 1978 on the site https://insidechassidus.org/jewish-and-chassidic-calendar/av/284-15-menachem-av/1239-maamarim-15-menachem-av/ Class Length (1 hour and 13 minutes)
