Tanya (Shabbos) - 24 Nissan 5786

The episode explores a profound dimension of Jewish service through the Tanya’s Perek Malaf, contrasting two spiritual extremes: Avdus (servitude) and Ben (sonship). R' Yossi Paltiel explains that true Yiras Hashem (fear of God) is not merely an emotional state but the essence of being an Eved—someone who surrenders their will entirely to Hashem’s command, not out of personal feeling, but because Hashem is master. This is the highest form of Bittul (self-nullification), accessible to every Jew through the inherited spiritual legacy of Moshe Rabbeinu. In contrast, Ben represents the highest level of Ahavas Hashem—serving Hashem not for personal closeness, but to elevate the divine presence in the world. The Rebbe’s insight reveals that the reason Yitzchak is not repeated in the Torah like Avraham and Yitzchak is because Yitzchak embodies a singular, unified fear—Bittul—whereas Avraham’s repetition reflects the dual levels of service. The episode culminates in the idea that Da’as (knowledge) is not intellectual alone, but the internalization of truth so that understanding becomes felt in the heart, transforming fear from emotion into lived Avdus. This is the path of every Jew: to know Hashem not as an idea, but as a reality so real it compels action.