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Hayom Yom 19 Elul - From the Woodchopper to the Water-carrier
Description
רַבֵּינוּ הַזָּקֵן זַייעֶנדִיג נאָךְ אִין וִויטעֶבּסְק
While the Alter Rebbe was still living in Vitebsk,
האָט אַמאָל געֶזאָגט אַ תּוֹרָה אוֹיפ'ן פָּסוּק אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים גו
he once delivered a teaching on the verse: “You are all standing today [before G‑d]..., [the choppers of your wood and drawers of your water].”
אוּן האָט געֶטַייטשְׁט מֵחוֹטֵב עֵצֶךָ לְשׁוֹן עֵצָה
The word meaning “your wood” (eitzecha) is phonetically related to the word meaning “counsel” (eitzah).
מְ'דאַרף אוֹיסהאַקעֶן דִי רַבּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֶב אִישׁ
That is, we must chop away the “many thoughts [that are] in a man’s heart,”
שׁוֹאֵב מֵימֶיךָ אוֹיסשׁעֶפּעֶן דִי מַיִם וואָס מַצְמִיחִים כָּל מִינֵי תַּעֲנוּג.
and cast out the water that causes all kinds of [improper] desires to flourish.
Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English