Heichaltzu Class #1
A Discourse That Cleanses the Air: The Inner Battle Against Division

Listen on Spotify here

I am very excited to be learning and sharing this very fundamental ma’amar by the Alter Rebbe, the Baal HaTanya.

It is said that certain discourses—ma’amarim—delivered by the great tzaddikim over the generations literally had the power to cleanse the air. Not just metaphorically, but spiritually—they shift the energetic atmosphere of the world. This ma’amar, Heichaltzu, is one of them. It draws down a transformative light that purifies and elevates.

We begin with the verse in Parshat Matot:
“Heichaltzu me’itchem anashim la’tzava”—“Arm yourselves from among you for the army.”

This was the final battle of Moshe Rabbeinu before his passing—the war against Midian. G-d tells Moshe to gather 1,000 men from each tribe, totaling 12,000 soldiers, to wage this war. But the Torah’s phrasing is unusual: “Heichaltzu”—a passive verb that can mean divest yourselves, or draw out from within. It could have used a more active form. Why this specific language?

The Alter Rebbe explains that this battle was not merely physical—it was a spiritual war, aimed at subduing the root force of separation and divisiveness in the world: Midian.

What is Midian?

The name Midian shares a root with madon, meaning strife or conflict. In Chassidic thought, Midian represents the spiritual energy of machloket, of contention, of ego-based separation. It is the root of sinat chinam, baseless hatred—the very force that destroyed the Second Temple and keeps the exile going to this day.

Midian is not always overt evil like idolatry or immorality. It is subtle. It shows up as dislike, resentment, the feeling of “I do not like that person,” “They remind me of someone who hurt me,” or “They did not acknowledge me.” It is those inner frictions and frozen relationships we hold on to. That is why it is more difficult to identify and uproot—it feels justified, even minor.

But Midian is the root of all klipah, of all negativity, because it opposes the essence of G-d, which is achdut—oneness.

Torah as the Healing Force

The Alter Rebbe teaches that Torah study, especially when done lishmah—for its own sake and for the sake of unifying G-d’s name—brings peace. Not just peace between people, but peace between the upper worlds and the lower worlds.

The verse says:
“Hashem oz l’amo yiten, Hashem yevarech et amo ba’shalom”—“G-d gives strength to His people; G-d blesses His people with peace.”
Our sages explain that oz (strength) refers to Torah. The Torah is the bridge between the divine intellect and our finite human minds. When we learn Torah, we draw the infinite light of G-d—Ohr Ein Sof—into this world, and restore balance and unity.

In the heavenly realms, G-d’s name is always unified. But in our world, because of conflict, that unity becomes fragmented. The job of a Jew is to restore that unity, to be a vessel for G-d’s Oneness to be revealed in multiplicity.

The Destruction of the Temples and Our Role in Redemption

The First Temple was destroyed due to grave sins—idolatry, murder, immorality. And yet that exile lasted only 70 years.

But the Second Temple, destroyed because of sinat chinam, has left us in exile for nearly 2,000 years. Why? Because we do not think it is such a big deal. We rationalize our discord. We hold onto blame. We wait for others to make the first move.

The Alter Rebbe compares this to a case in Halacha where a person is uncertain if they sinned—they are required to bring two offerings instead of one. Why? Because without full clarity, without regret, the healing cannot truly begin. Baseless hatred is like that. It hides in the corners of the soul and persists.

This is why exile continues—because our souls are still working through this subtle, pervasive Midian-energy. And so G-d waits for us—not for grand gestures, but for inner shifts. For humility. For choosing unity.

Unity as the Foundation of Torah

In Tanya chapter 32, the Alter Rebbe writes that the entire Torah rests upon love for one’s fellow. That means the purpose of creation itself is unity.

Even the structure of G-d’s name—Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh—represents the interplay between multiplicity and oneness. The first two letters, Yud and Heh, represent Chochmah and Binah, intellect and expansion. Their unity draws from a hidden point, kotzo shel yud, the crown of the Yud—representing the infinite source beyond duality.

And it is Torah that connects those letters. Torah draws peace from the supernal realms into the lower world. Torah bridges opposites. Torah is the channel through which we become makhzirim atara l’yoshnah—those who return the crown to its original glory.

Where We Go From Here

This is just the first chapter of the ma’amar Heichaltzu. We have begun to explore the roots of divisiveness and the calling to uproot Midian from within. We have seen that Torah is not merely study—it is the Divine light that unifies worlds. And that true spiritual warfare is the cleansing of resentment, judgment, and ego.

In the coming sessions, we will explore the remaining letters of G-d’s name—Vav and Heh—and how they correspond to the lower unity, the unity we bring into this world through action, speech, and transformation.

May our learning bring true healing.
May we cleanse the spiritual air around us.
And may we each become vessels for the unity of G-d to be revealed—within ourselves, our communities, and all of creation.