Strength to Strength
17 Tishrei 5782
“The days of your old age will be like the days of your youth.” (Devarim 33:25)
Apart from the obvious first interpretation, Rashi offers an alternative explanation on this verse, that “the days which can be enumerated as your good days, namely, all those days on which you fulfilled the will of the Omnipresent - so will be “your flowing,” i.e., all the countries [in the world] will make silver and gold flow into the Land of Israel.”
“The expressions of Divine severity (the gevurot) will be sweetened at their source” (Lessons in Tanya, Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 22)
When we correct our ways and align our own innermost will with Hashem’s innermost will, we are be able to perceive with our naked eye the goodness that Hashem bestows upon us. He will sweeten His severity, and the love, which had earlier been garbed and hidden in a rebuke, will be transformed into a revealed love. His goodness will the “flow” into our life.
“They go from strength to strength” (Tehillim 84:8)
The Rebbe would often bless people with this particular verse from Psalms. In a letter dated 25 Adar, 5710 [1950], six weeks after the passing of the Rebbe Rayatz, he elaborates on this verse: “In order that those benefactions should be received and intimately integrated into the souls of those recipients, their “vessels” (i.e., their spiritual receptive capabilities) need to be ever more finely attuned.” This is not only true for the benefactions of a tzaddik, as covered in this letter, but of all blessings. In order to make ourselves receptive to the revealed good, we need to constantly and evermore finely attune ourselves.