“All that Adonai has spoken we shall do and obey.” Why? 

 

“All that Adonai has spoken we shall do and obey.” Why? To understand this, we are complete depended on the knowledge that our Rabbi’s received when: Exo_24:7 For Yehudah (Jews) and Ephraim (The Lost Sheep from the House of Israel) it is the same.
7And he took the Book of the Covenant and read it within the hearing of the people, and they said, "All that the Lord spoke we will do, and we will hear."	זוַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע:
What they wrote down the Talmudic studies, what we call – ‘The Oral Law’ -. You cannot find it anywhere else. Please read it good what our Rabbis are telling us? Deu 30:1-3
1And it will be, when all these things come upon you the blessing and the curse which I have set before you that you will consider in your heart, among all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you,	אוְהָיָה֩ כִֽי־יָבֹ֨אוּ עָלֶ֜יךָ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הַבְּרָכָה֙ וְהַקְּלָלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וַֽהֲשֵֽׁבֹתָ֙ אֶל־לְבָבֶ֔ךָ בְּכָ֨ל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִדִּיחֲךָ֛ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה:
2and you will return to the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and you will listen to His voice according to all that I am commanding you this day you and your children,	בוְשַׁבְתָּ֞ עַד־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֣ בְקֹל֔וֹ כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אָֽנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם אַתָּ֣ה וּבָנֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ:
3then, the Lord, your God, will bring back your exiles, and He will have mercy upon you. He will once again gather you from all the nations, where the Lord, your God, had dispersed you.	גוְשָׁ֨ב יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֶת־שְׁבֽוּתְךָ֖ וְרִֽחֲמֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁ֗ב וְקִבֶּצְךָ֙ מִכָּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֱפִֽיצְךָ֛ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה:
Rashi: The Lord, your God, will bring back your exiles: Heb. וְשָׁב, lit., The Lord, your God, will (Himself) return (with) your exiles. [That is, the verb שָׁב is in the simple conjugation. Now, since we understand the verse to mean: “The Lord your God will bring back your exiles,”] Scripture should have written, וְהֵשִׁיב ה׳ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ [with the verb וְהֵשִׁיב being in the causative conjugation, meaning “to bring back”]. But [although the meaning of the verse is indeed, “The Lord, your God, will bring back your exiles,”] our Rabbis learned from [the simple conjugation of the verb] here [which alludes to God Himself returning], that the Shechinah resides among Israel, as it were, in all the misery of their exile, and when the Jews are redeemed [from their exile], God writes [in Scripture an expression of] redemption for Himself [to allude to the fact that He has also been redeemed, as it were,] so that He Himself returns along with Israel’s exiles (Meg. 29a). A further [lesson] may be learned [from the unusual form of the verb which expresses “to bring back the exiles”]: The day on which Israel’s exiles will be gathered is so monumental and [this ingathering] will be such a difficult [procedure, as it were], that it is as though God Himself must literally take each individual Jew with His very hands, [taking him] out of his place [in exile. We see] the same concept [brought up in Scripture,] when the verse says, “And you will be gathered up, one by one, O children of Israel” (Isa. 27:12). [That verse refers to the ingathering of Israel’s exiles from Babylon. However,] we find this [idea] also regarding the [ingathering of] exiles from the other nations, as the verse says, “And I shall bring back the exiles of Moab (וְשַׁבְתִּי שְׁבוּת מוֹאָב)” (Jer. 48:47).	ושב ה' אלהיך את שבותך: היה לו לכתוב והשיב את שבותך, רבותינו למדו מכאן שהשכינה כביכול שרויה עם ישראל בצרת גלותם, וכשנגאלין הכתיב גאולה לעצמו, שהוא ישוב עמהם. ועוד יש לומר, שגדול יום קבוץ גליות ובקושי, כאלו הוא עצמו צריך להיות אוחז בידיו ממש איש איש ממקומו, כענין שנאמר (ישעיה כז, יב) ואתם תלקטו לאחד אחד בני ישראל, ואף בגליות שאר האומות מצינו כן (ירמיהו מח מז) ושבתי שבות מואב:

Deu 30:10-20

10when you obey the Lord, your God, to observe His commandments and His statutes written in this Torah scroll, [and] when you return to the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul.	יכִּ֣י תִשְׁמַ֗ע בְּקוֹל֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְו‍ֹתָיו֙ וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו הַכְּתוּבָ֕ה בְּסֵ֥פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֖ה הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֤י תָשׁוּב֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָֽבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ:
11For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away.	יאכִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָֽנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹֽא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹֽא־רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא:
Rashi is not concealed from you: לֹא-נִפְלֵאת. It is not concealed from you, just as it is said: כִּי יִפָּלֵא (Deut. 17:8), [which the Targum renders as:] אֲרִי יִתְכְּסֵי [lit.,“(If the matter) is concealed”]; similarly, the verse, וַתֵּרֶד פְּלָאִים (Lam. 1:9), [which means,] “she went down into concealment,” [i.e.,] she was covered and considered [as if] hidden.	לא נפלאת היא ממך: לא מכוסה היא ממך, כמו שנאמר (דברים יז, ח) כי יפלא ארי יתכסי, (איכה א, ט) ותרד פלאים, (איוב מ, יג) ותרד במטמוניות, מכוסה חבוש בטמון:
12It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?"	יבלֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַֽעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֨יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַֽעֲשֶֽׂנָּה:
Rashi It is not in heaven: for if it were in heaven, you would have to climb up after it [in order] to learn it. - [Eruvin 55a]	לא בשמים היא: שאלו היתה בשמים היית צריך לעלות אחריה וללומדה:
13Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?"	יגוְלֹֽא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַֽעֲבָר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַֽעֲשֶֽׂנָּה:
14Rather, [this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it.	ידכִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִלְבָֽבְךָ֖ לַֽעֲשׂתֽוֹ:
Rashi Rather, [this] thing is very close to you: The Torah was given to you in writing and [accompanied by an] oral [explanation].	כי קרוב אליך: התורה נתנה לכם בכתב ובעל פה:
15Behold, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil,	טורְאֵ֨ה נָתַ֤תִּי לְפָנֶ֨יךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם אֶת־הַֽחַיִּ֖ים וְאֶת־הַטּ֑וֹב וְאֶת־הַמָּ֖וֶת וְאֶת־הָרָֽע:
Rashi life and good: Each one [life or death,] is dependent upon the other: If you do good, you will be granted life, while if you do evil, you will receive death. The verse now proceeds to explain how this is so [as follows]:	את החיים ואת הטוב: זה תלוי בזה אם תעשה טוב הרי לך חיים, ואם תעשה רע הרי לך המות. והכתוב מפרש והולך היאך:
16inasmuch as I command you this day to love the Lord, your God, to walk in His ways, and to observe His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, so that you will live and increase, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the land to which you are coming to take possession of it.	טזאֲשֶׁ֨ר אָֽנֹכִ֣י מְצַוְּךָ֘ הַיּוֹם֒ לְאַֽהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ לָלֶ֣כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֔יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֛ר מִצְו‍ֹתָ֥יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֖יו וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֑יו וְחָיִ֣יתָ וְרָבִ֔יתָ וּבֵֽרַכְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ:
Rashi Inasmuch as I am commanding you this day to love [the Lord your God]: This is “good” [referred to in the verse 15]; and upon this, is dependent: so that you will live and increase: This is “life” [referred to in the verse 15. After this, the verse continues]:	אשר אנכי מצוך היום לאהבה: הרי הטוב, ובו תלוי: וחיית ורבית: הרי החיים:
17But if your heart deviates and you do not listen, and you will be drawn astray, and you will prostrate yourself to other deities and serve them,	יזוְאִם־יִפְנֶ֥ה לְבָֽבְךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמָ֑ע וְנִדַּחְתָּ֗ וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִ֛יתָ לֵֽאלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים וַֽעֲבַדְתָּֽם:
Rashi But if your heart deviates: This is “evil” [referred to in verse 15. The verse continues]:	ואם יפנה לבבך: הרי הרע:
18I declare to you this day, that you will surely perish, and that you will not live long days on the land, to which you are crossing the Jordan, to come and take possession thereof.	יחהִגַּ֤דְתִּי לָכֶם֙ הַיּ֔וֹם כִּ֥י אָבֹ֖ד תֹּאבֵד֑וּן לֹא־תַֽאֲרִיכֻ֤ן יָמִים֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתָּ֤ה עֹבֵר֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָב֥וֹא שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ:
Rashi that you will perish: This is “death” [referred to in verse 15].	כי אבד תאבדון: הרי המות:
19This day, I call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses [that I have warned] you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. You shall choose life, so that you and your offspring will live;	יטהַֽעִדֹ֨תִי בָכֶ֣ם הַיּוֹם֘ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֒רֶץ֒ הַֽחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֨וֶת֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּֽחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ:
Rashi This day, I call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses: For the heaven and earth exist for ever, and when the evil befalls you, they will be witnesses that I had warned you regarding all of this. Another explanation of “I call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses, etc.” : The Holy One, Blessed is He, said to Israel, “Look at the heavens which I created to serve you. Have they ever changed their ways? Has the sphere of the sun ever failed to rise from the east to illuminate the entire world, as it is stated, ‘The sun rises, and the sun sets’ (Ecc. 1:5)? Look at the earth which I created to serve you. Has it ever changed its ways? Have you ever sown [in] it that it did not grow? Or have you ever sown wheat and it yielded barley? Now, they [heaven and earth] were created with neither reward nor loss in mind-for if they are meritorious [by fulfilling their purpose for which I created them], they nevertheless do not receive reward [for this]; and if they sin, they are not punished. And yet [even with this lack of incentive], they have never changed their ways! So you, who will receive reward if you are meritorious and who will be punished if you sin-how much more so [should you fulfill My will]!”- [Sifrei 32:1] you shall choose life: [God says: “Even though you have free choice, nevertheless,] I instruct you to choose the portion of life.” It is like a man who says to his son, “Choose for yourself a fine portion of my estate,” and then directs him to the best portion, saying to him, “This [is the portion which] you should choose for yourself!” And regarding this, the verse says, “The Lord is my allotted portion and my cup; You guide my destiny” (Ps. 16:5). [The last clause, אַתָּה תּוֹמִי‏ךְ גּוֹרָלִי, literally means “You laid upon my lot.” That is to say:] “You laid my hand upon the good lot, saying, ‘Take this for yourself!’”	העדתי בכם היום את השמים ואת הארץ: שהם קיימים לעולם וכאשר תקרה אתכם הרעה יהיו עדים שאני התרתי בכם בכל זאת. דבר אחר העידתי בכם היום את השמים וגו' אמר להם הקב"ה לישראל, הסתכלו בשמים שבראתי לשמש אתכם, שמא שנו את מדתם שמא לא עלה גלגל חמה מן המזרח והאיר לכל העולם, כענין שנאמר (קהלת א, ה) וזרח השמש ובא השמש, הסתכלו בארץ שבראתי לשמש אתכם, שמא שנתה מדתה, שמא זרעתם אותה ולא צמחה, או שמא זרעתם חטים והעלתה שעורים, ומה אלו שנעשו לא לשכר ולא להפסד אם זוכין אין מקבלין שכר ואם חוטאין אין מקבלין פורענות, לא שנו את מדתם, אתם שאם זכיתם תקבלו שכר ואם חטאתם תקבלו פורענות על אחת כמה וכמה:   ובחרת בחיים: אני מורה לכם שתבחרו בחלק החיים, כאדם האומר לחבירו בחר לך חלק יפה בנחלתי ומעמידו על חלק היפה ואומר לו את זה ברור לך, ועל זה נאמר (תהלים טז, ה) ה' מנת חלקי וכוסי אתה תומיך גורלי, הנחת ידי על גורל הטוב לומר את זה קח לך:
20To love the Lord your God, to listen to His voice, and to cleave to Him. For that is your life and the length of your days, to dwell on the land which the Lord swore to your forefathers to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give to them.	כלְאַֽהֲבָה֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ בְּקֹל֖וֹ וּלְדָבְקָה־ב֑וֹ כִּ֣י ה֤וּא חַיֶּ֨יךָ֙ וְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמֶ֔יךָ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת עַל־הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע יְהֹוָ֧ה לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֛יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם לְיִצְחָ֥ק וּלְיַֽעֲקֹ֖ב לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶֽם:
Please follow the next?  Lesson in Tanya By Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, elucidated by Rabbi Yosef Wineberg Published and copyrighted by Kehot Publication Society Written by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), the founder of Chabad, Tanya is the central text of Chabad Chassidism. Its stated aim is to show a path to realizing one's purpose and developing a deeper relationship with G-d. Lessons in Tanya is a well-lit and accessible gateway to the Tanya - the fundamental, classic work upon which all concepts of Chabad Chasidism are based. The Tanya is indispensable to an understanding of the Chasidic movement and the philosophy behind it. More importantly, it offers guidance for every facet of the day-to-day life of a Jew in his or her service to G‑d. Lessons In Tanya takes the acute ideas and concepts of the Tanya and makes them readily accessible to the eager student, as it leads the reader through every paragraph and page, illuminating the mystical, often allusive, Talmudic, Kabbalistic, and Scriptural verses and concepts. It fills many gaps in what the terse Tanya text assumes to be the reader's background knowledge. Each of the lectures was examined and amended by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, so that much of the material includes the Rebbe's insights and explanatory comments. Daily Tanya Likutei Amarim, beginning of Chapter 23 Thursday, 11 Shevat 5783 / February 2, 2023 Daily Tanya - Daily Torah Study (chabad.org) In the previous chapters, the Alter Rebbe explained that from G-d’s perspective, nothing is ever separate from Him, for the Divine “Word,” which creates everything, is unlike a word spoken by a human being. The latter becomes separated from the speaker, while the former remains always within its source—G-d. It is only from the subjective viewpoint of the created beings that they are considered as separate, independent entities. They are able to regard themselves as such because they receive the Divine life-force, which animates them by way of many tzimtzumim and through the concealment of the Divine “Countenance,” i.e., the concealment of the inner, ultimate aspect of G-d’s will. The logical corollary to this idea is that anything in which the Divine will stands revealed is completely nullified before G-d and absolutely one with Him. In this chapter, the Alter Rebbe applies this idea to the Torah and the mitzvot, in which G-d’s will is manifest. He demonstrates how one can unite with G-d’s will and wisdom, and thereby with G-d Himself, through study of the Torah and observance of the mitzvot.
In light of all that has been said above, we can better understand and more fully and clearly elucidate the statement in the Zohar that “The Torah and G-d are entirely one,”1 and the commentary in the Tikkunei Zohar that “The 248 commandments are the 248 ‘organs’ of the [Divine] King.”2	וְעִם כָּל הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, יוּבַן וִיבוֹאַר הֵיטֵב בְּתוֹסֶפֶת בֵּיאוּר מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ בַּזֹּהַר דְּ"אוֹרַיְיתָא וְקוּדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא כּוּלָּא חַד",   וּבַתִּיקוּנִים פֵּירְשׁוּ דְּ"רַמַ"ח פִּיקּוּדִין אִינּוּן רַמַ"ח אֵבָרִין דְּמַלְכָּא".
Just as every organ in the human body is a repository for the particular faculty of the soul that is vested in that organ (e.g., the eye is the receptacle for the faculty of sight and the ear for the faculty of hearing), so, too, is every commandment a channel and a repository for the Divine will that is vested and expressed in that particular commandment. (The commandments in general represent G-d’s will, and each individual mitzvah is an expression of a particular aspect of this will.) It should be noted, however, that according to this analogy, the mitzvot are no more than G-d’s “organs.” An organ of the body is not one with the soul. True, when any particular soul-power is vested in its corresponding organ, they function together as one, but they remain two separate entities that have been joined together. By the same token, the mitzvot are not actually one with G-d: they are merely (as it were) joined to Him. Yet the Torah, whose whole purpose is to explain the mitzvot, is “entirely one with G-d,” as quoted earlier from the Zohar. What is the meaning of this greater unity with G-d found in the Torah (and in the act of Torah study) that surpasses even the unity in the mitzvot and in their fulfillment? This the Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain.
For the mitzvot constitute G-d’s innermost will and His true desire, which is clothed in all the upper and lower worlds, thereby giving them life.	לְפִי שֶׁהַמִּצְוֹת הֵן פְּנִימִיּוּת רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן וְחֶפְצוֹ הָאֲמִיתִּי, הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים לְהַחֲיוֹתָם,
All the worlds are a product of G-d’s will. He desired that they exist, and this desire is what brought them into being. However, this desire is but an external manifestation of His underlying, internal will—the desire for mitzvot. Why, in fact, does G-d desire that the worlds exist? Because He desires that the mitzvot be performed—and this is possible only when there is someone to perform them and when there are objects with which to perform them. To this end, G-d created all the worlds. This can be illustrated by the analogy of a man who travels abroad on business. Naturally, he travels because he wishes to do so. But his “internal” (i.e., ultimate) desire in the journey, his underlying motive, lies in the profit he expects to reap. When we probe still deeper, we find that the desire for profit is itself an external expression of an even more “internal” desire—the desire for the things which he will be able to buy with the proceeds of his business. Here lies the true object of his pleasure. It is this desire which creates the desire for profit, which leads in turn to his desire to travel. So, too, in the case of the worlds and the mitzvot. G-d’s external will, His desire that the worlds exist, is motivated by His desire for the true object of His pleasure—the mitzvot. Thus, the mitzvot represent His innermost will. It is for their sake that G-d gives life to all the worlds.
The very life and sustenance of all the worlds is dependent upon the performance of the mitzvot by the creatures of the lower worlds, as is known—that performing a mitzvah draws G-dly life and sustenance into all the worlds.   It follows that the performance and fulfillment of the mitzvot is the innermost garment for the innermost aspect of G-d’s will, since it is due to this performance of the mitzvot that the light and life of the world’s issues forth from the Divine will to be clothed in them—	כִּי כָּל חַיּוּתָם וְשִׁפְעָם תָּלוּי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁל הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, כַּנּוֹדָע,        וְנִמְצָא שֶׁמַּעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוֹת וְקִיּוּמָן הוּא לְבוּשׁ הַפְּנִימִי לִפְנִימִית רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן,      שֶׁמִּמַּעֲשֶׂה זֶה נִמְשָׁךְ אוֹר וְחַיּוּת רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּעוֹלָמוֹת.
I.e., since G-d desires the world’s only as a vehicle for the performance of the mitzvot, as explained above, and it is only for this reason that He animates the worlds—
hence, the mitzvot are figuratively described as “organs of the King.” For just as the organs of the human body are a garment for its soul and are completely and utterly surrendered to it,   as is evident from the fact that as soon as a person desires to stretch out his hand or foot, they obey his will immediately, without any command or instruction to them and with no delay whatsoever,   but at the very instant that it entered his will [to do so].	וְלָכֵן נִקְרָאִים "אֵבְרֵי דְמַלְכָּא", דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל; כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵבְרֵי גּוּף הָאָדָם הֵם לְבוּשׁ לְנַפְשׁוֹ וּבְטֵלִים לְגַמְרֵי אֵלֶיהָ מִכֹּל וָכֹל,       כי מִיָּד שֶׁעוֹלֶה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם לִפְשׁוֹט יָדוֹ אוֹ רַגְלוֹ, הֵן נִשְׁמָעוֹת לִרְצוֹנוֹ תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד בְּלִי שׁוּם צִוּוּי וַאֲמִירָה לָהֶן, וּבְלִי שׁוּם שְׁהִיָּיה כְּלָל,     אֶלָּא כְּרֶגַע מַמָּשׁ כְּשֶׁעָלָה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ,
The response of his organs is automatic; one need not consciously occupy himself with activating his hand. As to the phrase, “without any command or instruction”: When one must exert effort in activating his faculties (e.g., when one dislikes a particular task but forces himself to do it on the strength of logic), this effort is spoken of as an internal command from one faculty to another. However, when one’s will activate the organs of his body, there is no such command involved.
Just as the organs of the human body are completely united with one’s soul and are surrendered to it, so, too, is the life-force animating the performance and fulfillment of the commandments completely surrendered to the Divine will which is clothed therein, and this life-force becomes, in relation to the Divine will, like a body to a soul.   Likewise, the external garment of the divine soul of the person fulfilling and practicing the commandment, i.e., its faculty of action, which is external compared to the faculties of speech and thought, since it functions outside oneself,   clothes itself in the vitality of the performance of the mitzvah, and thus, it, too, becomes like a body to a soul in relation to the Divine will and is completely surrendered to the Divine will; i.e., the soul’s power of action becomes united with the Divine will in the same way as one’s body is united with his soul. In this way, those organs of the human body which perform the mitzvah —i.e., those organs in which the divine soul’s faculty of action is clothed during the performance and fulfillment of the mitzvah—they, too, become a veritable vehicle (lit., merkavah—a “chariot”) for the Divine will.   For example, the hand which distributes charity to the poor or performs another commandment becomes, in the act of performing the mitzvah, a “chariot” for the Divine will. Similarly, the feet which walk for the purpose of fulfilling a mitzvah, or the mouth and tongue which speak words of Torah, or the brain reflecting on the Torah or on the fear of heaven or on the greatness of G-d, blessed be He.	כָּךְ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, הַחַיּוּת שֶׁל מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוֹת וְקִיּוּמָן, הוּא בָּטֵל לְגַמְרֵי לְגַבֵּי רָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בּוֹ, וְנַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ מַמָּשׁ כְּגוּף לִנְשָׁמָה.           וְכֵן הַלְּבוּשׁ הַחִיצוֹן שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית שֶׁבָּאָדָם הַמְקַיֵּם וְעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה, שֶׁהוּא כֹּחַ וּבְחִינַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁלָּהּ,       הוּא מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בַּחַיּוּת שֶׁל מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוָה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה גַּם כֵּן כְּגוּף לִנְשָׁמָה לָרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן וּבָטֵל אֵלָיו לְגַמְרֵי.        וְעַל כֵּן, גַּם אֵבְרֵי גּוּף הָאָדָם הַמְקַיְּימִים הַמִּצְוָה,     שֶׁכֹּחַ וּבְחִינַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית מְלוּבָּשׁ בָּהֶם בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֵׂה וְקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָה, הֵם נַעֲשׂוּ מֶרְכָּבָה מַמָּשׁ לָרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן,       כְּגוֹן: הַיָּד הַמְחַלֶּקֶת צְדָקָה לַעֲנִיִּים, אוֹ עוֹשָׂה מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת,       וְרַגְלַיִם הַמְהַלְּכוֹת לִדְבַר מִצְוָה, וְכֵן הַפֶּה וְלָשׁוֹן שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וְהַמּוֹחַ שֶׁמְּהַרְהֵר בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם וּבִגְדוּלַּת ה' בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.
When these organs are occupied with the mitzvot, they are totally surrendered, like a chariot, to the Divine will clothed in these mitzvot. Note that a physical organ becomes merely a chariot for the Divine will. It does not become surrendered to and unified with the Divine will to the same extent as the divine soul’s faculty of action, whose unity the Alter Rebbe previously compared to the unity of body and soul. The unity of body and soul surpasses that of the chariot with its rider. Body and soul, although originally two separate, disparate entities, one physical and the other spiritual, become one entity when united. No part of the body is devoid of the soul; conversely, the soul completely adapts itself to the body, becoming transformed into a corporeal life-force. The divine soul’s faculty of action, being a G-dly power, can achieve this level of unity with G-d when it is employed in the performance of a mitzvah. The organs of the body, on the other hand, although they too are involved in fulfilling the mitzvah, can reach no higher than the level illustrated in the analogy of the chariot. A chariot, having no will of its own, is indeed completely subservient to its rider—yet it is not united with him.
This is what the Sages meant when they said that “The Patriarchs are truly the [Divine] chariot,”3   for all their organs were completely holy and detached from mundane matters, and throughout their lives, they served as a vehicle for nothing but the Divine will.	וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: "הָאָבוֹת הֵן הֵן הַמֶּרְכָּבָה",     שֶׁכָּל אֵבְרֵיהֶם כּוּלָּם הָיוּ קְדוֹשִׁים וּמוּבְדָּלִים מֵעִנְיְינֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְלֹא נַעֲשׂוּ מֶרְכָּבָה, רַק לָרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן לְבַדּוֹ כָּל יְמֵיהֶם:
The reason for the Sages’ designating specifically the Patriarchs as G-d’s chariot, although every Jew’s body becomes a “chariot” when he performs a mitzvah, is that the Patriarchs’ submission to the Divine will was unique in its power, its scope, and its consistency. All their organs were totally surrendered to the Divine will throughout their lives—whereas with other Jews, only those organs which perform a mitzvah are a “chariot,” and then only during the act. In fact, the same organ which today served as a “chariot” to G-d’s will might conceivably serve the opposite purpose tomorrow.   FOOTNOTES 1. Cf. I, 24a; II, 60a; Tikkunei Zohar 21b. 2. Tikkun 30. 3. Bereishit Rabbah 47:6. Thursday, 11 Shevat 5783 / February 2, 2023   About the book Lessons In Tanya » Buy Book Lessons in Tanya is a well-lit and accessible gateway to the Tanya - the fundamental, classic work upon which all concepts of Chabad Chasidism are based. About the Publisher Kehot Publication Society » Kehot Publication Society, the publishing arm of the Lubavitch movement, has brought Torah education to nearly every Jewish community in the world, and is the world's largest publisher of Jewish literature. Visit Site © 1993-2023 Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center Our Prayer and hope: All the gates to the Har HaBait must be opened for Jews and non-Jews seven days in the week 24 hours a day. The Jews need to have the freedom to go with Tefillin, Tallit and Torah Scroll up on the Mountain to serve Hashem. Everyone shows his/her respect for the Jewish and all other religions. But NOT for the words/deeds/sins spoken against any word of the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu and the 'real' teachings of the Jewish Rabbis.