Communication Sciences Department of the Torah Science Foundation

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Formula for Success

“Naaseh” is the chaotic state of not taking rational considerations into concern. It means being totally naive as far as knowing how much one is able to do, saying mindlessly, “I will do it!” Like a simple Jew, who is not even aware of himself enough to recognize his limitations, he merely says, "Well, if the Rebbe has told me to do this, of course I will do it. I will not only do as much as I can, I will just do it.” He totally ignores the rational and practical implications of his limitations based on past experience and self knowledge. As we have said, this type of naןvetי is irrational and has its roots in the World of Chaos. With this statement alone a person will collapse under the strain and fail in the task.

On the other hand, if a person is completely rational, he may reach the conclusion that it is not in his power to complete the task at all. He may say to himself, “I know my limitations, I have a family to support, I have responsibilities, I cannot do any more than I am doing.” This rationalization alone will not bring about the success of the campaign either. If a person’s limitations are where he begins and also where he ends then nothing will ever be accomplished.

When the statement that “I know my limitations” comes to support the chaotic statement of “I will do it!” then this is the power of chaos contained in rectified vessels. This combined statement says, “I am committed to fulfilling the goal to its utmost, to the best of my ability.” This is the formula for success.

The complete picture is that one must have the faith of a simple Jew who’s own self limitations do not even come to mind, but together with this, he must know how to process his faith according to his limitations. This idea is expressed by the word for ability in Hebrew, “yecholet” which has the same sub-root as the word “kli,” vessel.

We can now see why the Jewish people, when given the Torah at Mount Sinai, had to say both “naaseh” and “nishma.” However, what is equally important is that naaseh had to come before nishma. The statements had to be made in a way in which all the power of the initial chaotic cry could be contained in a rectified manner within sturdy receptacles.

Chaotic Energies in Rectified Vessels

In ‘91, the Lubavitcher Rebbe gave a famous talk concerning the bringing of the Messiah. “How do you bring the Messiah?” He asked, his reply was, “You have to have chaotic lights but contained in rectified vessels.” He then continued, “Do all that you are capable of doing to bring the Messiah as soon as possible!”

We previously explained, based on the words of the Rebbe Maharash, that the very idea of saying to somebody, or saying to yourself, “I will do as much as I can,” sounds big, but in actual fact it is very limited. It reflects the state of “nishma” without “na’aseh.”

Therefore, we must find something in the words of the Rebbe that expresses the true “naaseh,” without any limitation at all. This we find in a previous talk, in which the Rebbe conveyed this message in a most powerful way. The Rebbe simply called out at the top of his voice to the congregation, “kair a velt heint!” He raised his hands and yelled, “kair a velt heint!” The whole talk was merely those four words in Yiddish repeated over and again, “kair a velt heint!” This means, “Overturn the world today!” This is not doing as much as you can, because nobody has the capability to overturn the world. Yet this is what he screamed, at everybody and every individual, “Make a revolution—turn over the world today!” This is a totally different level to doing “all that you are capable of doing.” Doing as much as one can becomes pale in the face of “kair a velt heint!”

However, according to the interpretation given by the Rebbe Maharash, they must both come together. The order should be first the true, ultimate, absolute “orot d’tohu,” “chaotic energies,” yelling “kair a velt heint!” but in the rectified vessels of, “Do all that you are capable of doing.”

This idea can explain another amazing paradox, because in the ’91 talk, the Rebbe said, “I've already done what I am capable of doing. Now you take over.” Even the Rebbe had his limits and he recognized the fact that he had reached his limit. However we see that the Rebbe did not give up at that point, he continued with his enterprise. The Rebbe knew that although he had reached the limit of his ability, it was not the end, because his ability was not the limit.

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