The Rebbe's Rambam | Marking the completion of the entire set

Hilchos Melachim | Ch 11

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431

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“And crush all the children of Shais,” this refers to the King Moshiach, about whom it states: “And [117] his dominion shall be from sea to sea.” “And Edom shall be a possession,” this refers to David, as it states: “And Edom became servants to David…” “And he shall possess Seir …,” this refers to the King Moshiach, as it states: “And saviors shall come up on the mountain of Tzion to judge the mount of Eisav.”

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 117. “His dominion shall be from sea to sea” This verse from Zecharyah references Moshiach’s rule, describing it as “extending from sea to sea.” 381 The same concept is found in Rashi’s explanation to the prophecy of Bilaam, where he quotes the verse of Tehillim: “Let him rule from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth,” 382 as a reference to Moshiach. 383 Simply understood, these verses are trying to convey that Moshiach’s rule will extend across the entire world. As the Ibn Ezra explains, “sea to sea” means from north to south, and “the river to the end of the world” refers to east to west. 384 Considering that Moshiach’s rule is primarily upon the land and its inhabitants, it seems out of place to focus on water. Why didn’t the verse say simply that Moshiach’s rule will extend across the entire world? Why is it necessary to convey this message by mention ing the seas? This can be explained from a Chassidic perspective, with the following preface: The Alter Rebbe explains that the state of the world in the Messianic era is dependent on our service of Hashem during exile. Our Torah and mitzvos is what prepares the world, and ourselves, for the state of Messianic perfection. 385 In fact, Hashem treats us “measure for a measure,” mirroring our service to Him. 386 As such, our service of Hashem during exile, which is the catalyst for Moshiach, must be similar to,

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Pardes Hamelech

and mirror, the revelations of Moshiach. Now, true redemption in a human being is repre sented in the form of “conquering the seas.” The sea alludes to the concealed inner faculties and soul powers of a person; the sea’s waters conceal what is found within, in contrast to the inhabitants of dry land which are uncovered and out in the open. To truly redeem oneself, he must rule over his faculties from sea to sea; from the highest faculty of his charachter, to the last and lowest of his soul powers. The firstmost sea, a person’s highest soul power, is his intellect. It is imperative for a person to rule over his intellect, ensuring it is focused solely on holiness. This is because the intellect is what drives and controls a person’s general conduct; it is therefore of utmost importance to ensure it is focused correctly. However, it is also important to ensure that a person rules over his last soul power as well — the power of action. Although one’s mind may be focused in the right direction, it may not result in positive action. Even if one experiences an emotional attachment to holiness, and even if that permeates his thoughts and speech, it may not trickle down into concrete action. It is therefore imperative that a person ensure he rules from sea to sea, ensuring that his rule extends over tangible action, for “action is paramount.” 387 The above only focuses on a person’s inner personal service of Hashem. Even action, whose function is the means through which one interacts with the outer

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