Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, delivered the text of this discourse in 1802 to probe the deeper, mystical dimension of the mitzvah of milah. The freshly translated, extensively annotated text is crowned by an original introduction that sets the entire discourse into context.
Drawing upon the parallel between Queen Esther`s impassioned plea to King Ahasuerus for salvation and the soul`s entreaty to G-d for help in its spiritual struggle, this discourse examines the root of the soul`s exile, and the dynamics by which it lifts itself from the grip of materialism and ultimately finds a voice with which to express its G-dly yearnings.
Delivered on Shabbat Parshat Va`etchanan, Shabbat Nachamu, 5565 (1805), this discourse discusses the fundamental concept of faith in G-d as compared to the imperative to "know" G-D, and the differences between the two.
