Time in the Teachings of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi

Sifra
1a-3a. 
164
One of the meanings of “
bar
” in Aramaic is “field.” 
Baraita
means a tannaitic tradition that is 
“external” to the Mishnah and is therefore associated here with work carried out outside, namely in 
the field. 
165
TO 49a [Appendix 27]. 

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112 
witnessed by the Israelites at Sinai were only the external aspect of the Torah, in the 
future-to-come they will witness the unfolding of its innermost aspect, including 
even the enigmatic rationales of the commandments [
ta’amei ha-mitsvot
]. In the 
context of the present exile, the most important task, common to all Jews, is the 
labour they are expected to perform, whose character is deduced from the types of 
work undertaken by the Israelites in Egypt. Rashaz interprets the Hebrew terms for 
these types of work by relating them etymologically to various elements of 
traditional Torah study
:
‘avodah kashah
signals tackling a talmudic 
kushiya
, 
homer
stands for 
kal va-homer
, work in the field refers to the study of 
baraitot
, and finally, 
levenim
are interpreted as clarifiation of the law [
libun hilkheta
].
166
Torah study will 
ultimately lead to redemption because it will eventually produce a final and 
unanimous exposition of the law that will establish a decisive separation between the 
pure and the impure, the 
kasher
and the 
pasul
, in contrast to the current presence of 
competing rulings within the sphere of Jewish law. It is therefore not surprising that 
Rashaz defines Torah study for the sake of clarifying 
halakhah
as the messianic 
process of purifying fallen divine sparks.
167
The third rabbinic pillar that supports the world besides prayer and Torah 
study is charity. As mentioned above, Rashaz, occasionally presents charity as the 
epitome of a commandment – the one commandment that comprises all the others 
[
kelalut
ha
-
mitsvot
],
168
the quintessential commandment [
mitsvah setam
],
169
“truly 
God’s commandment” [
mitsvat Hashem mamash
]
170
or an act that is “equivalent to 
166
Rashaz’s interpretation is based on Ziii, 153a. 
167
TO 49c-d. The idea of the clarification of the law [
libun hilkheta
] as purification of sparks [
berur 
nitsotsot
] resonates with Rashaz’s diagnosis (TO 49a) of the current exile as a time when there is “no 
clear 
halakhah
[
halakhah berurah
] and no clear judgment [
din barur
].” See also T4, 12:117b, where a 
person studying Torah 
li-shmah 
makes peace in both the upper and the lower worlds, namely 
separates good from evil, the mingling of which characterizes the exile, and the separation between 
them – the redemption at the end of days. 
168
See for example 
Seder tefilot
16a; TO 29c; LT 
Shelah 
43d, 
Re’eh 
23c. See also TO 63c, where all 
the commandments are called “charity” [
tsedakah
], as all of them bring divine vitality and light into 
the corresponding body parts through an act of goodness and mercy [
be-midat tuvo ve-rahamanuto
]. 
169
See for example T1, 37:48b; TO 27c, 29c; LT 
Shelah 
43d, 
Balak 
68b
 Re’eh 
23c. 
170
T4, 17:125a 

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113 
all the commandments” [