This year's באתי לגני focuses on פרק י"ג of the פריערדיקער רבי's המשך.We begin the מאמר with setting the stage for פרק י"ג, by explaining what our job is, and how we get it done.Our job is to transform the lowest and lowliest situations of this world, situations in which G-dliness is so concealed that the foolishness of unholiness is the prominent reality.The way we get it done is by using the "treasures" that Hashem pumps in to this battle. Quoting תיקוני זהר, the theme of this פרק is how "אור אין סוף למטה מטה עד אין תכלית", Hashem's Infinite Light permeates the lowest of places. This is how we achieve the victory - as well as what the victory looks like.In this מאמר, the רבי focuses on the battleground: The world of ultimate קליפה, where Hashem's presence is not only hidden, but denied.

As the exodus from Egypt begins in this week's פרשה, we see a conspicuous importance placed on שם הוי-ה in the opening פסוקים. What is its significance in connection to redemption?

In the narrative of the פסוקים, we see a seeming contradiction in understanding משה's greatness. Was משה cherished by virtue of him himself being the seventh, or was he piggy-backing off the virtue of the אבות, with אברהם being greater than משה?

While תורה indeed brings Hashem into our world, our מאמר explains that this can only happen through a איד connecting - and submitting himself - to Hashem, which takes place during, and through, Davening.

The תורה is represented by משה, while Davening is represented by the אבות. While שם הוי-ה redeems this world with the light of תורה through משה, it can only happen with the framework of the selflessness expressed during Davening - the experience of the אבות.

We finish the מאמר by describing the גלות that exists even within what was meant to be the signs of Hashem - תורה and מצות.

Elaborately, the רבי describes the narrowness we unfortunately experience in our Davening, learning תורה, and interpersonal emotions.

The solution exists in the concept of "names", which is, ironically, where the problem presented itself as well. A "name" is the paradox of גלות and גאולה; of containing the עצם, while simultaneously concealing it.

Just as the Jews in Egypt did, through tapping into our Jewish "names", our עצם, we can reveal the Light of Hashem in our lives, and experience true redemption!

With פרשת שמות, we begin חומש שמות, the narrative of the Jews' slavery to, and ultimate redemption from, Egypt.

The Biblical exile down to Egypt is still ongoing, because the redemption that took place then was only a partial redemption; we are constantly working towards the completion of that redemption. To understand our redemption, and redemption process, we must begin by identifying our Egypt.

In this שיעור, we focus on the process of creation: as it was meant to be, and the corrupted version post חטא עץ הדעת. We see how it pertains to our life, being that our process of communication mirrors Hashem's process of creation.

In this 1-week מאמר, the רבי uncovers what is at the core of the celebration of י"ט כסלו, what caused it to happen, and the lesson we can all learn from it.The מאמר is based on the well-known letter of the אלטער רבי to ר' לוי יצחק of Berditchev, wherein the אלטער רבי describes his liberation of י"ט כסלו.The רבי analyzes the אלטער רבי's choice of words in recording the date upon which the salvation took place, and uncovers the depth of what is truly important about the day of י"ט כסלו.In the first half of the מאמר the discussion is centered around terminology of קבלה and חסידות. In the second half of the מאמר, the רבי spells it out in more simple terms.What was the great מסירות נפש of the אלטער רבי? In a fascinating twist, the רבי uncovers a much deeper מסירות נפש than the אלטער רבי agreeing to be imprisoned: The אלטער רבי agreeing to be freed!

We wrap up the מאמר by applying the three stages of נר"ן, חיה, יחידה to our day-to-day lives, thus answering the question from the beginning of the מאמר; how "פדה" and "שלום" can coexist.

We first see how these three stages of war and peace existed in the lives of דוד and שלמה, giving us the three terms of "התלבשות", then "התגברות", and "מנוחה בעצם". In our day-to-day lives, these correspond to doing business, eating, and Davening (in a borrowed sense).

The punchline is to be able to approach the ultimate involvement in גשמיות - business - with the complete clarity of the יחידה, wherein גשמיות can only exist as a springboard to serving Hashem. There is no other option.

With such a mindset, "פדה - בשלום!". The World War is - Won!

We continue to describe the love of Hashem taking place during Davening and specifically during שמע.

While "בכל לבבך" definitely deals head-on with the enemy, "בכל נפשך" is not either a true expression of peace, being that the enemy still exists, albeit subdued.

True peace, as defined by the non-existence of the enemy, only happens in the world of "בכל מאדך", the world of יחידה, as it is nothing but an expression of Hashem, a reality in which nothing else exists.

This is experienced (at this point of the מאמר) through true מסירות נפש, when a איד gives it all away not because he chooses to, but because of a non-choice reality - the reality of the יחידה!

Beginning the מאמר, the רבי points out the paradox of "פדה" and "שלום", and highlights the extreme opposites found in the two words.The topic of the מאמר is then introduced: identifying the "peace" and "war" within oneself that takes place during Davening.Loving Hashem takes on three stages. In this שיעור, we focus on the contrast between the first two: a logical debate - "war" - between the two souls vs. a non-negotiable fact - "peace" - with which the G-dly soul overwhelms and overtakes the animalistic soul.

We finish our מאמר with two different explanations of what we accomplish by doing מצות:

1) Completing Hashem's trip into our world, revealing levels connected to Hashem's journey, 2) touching Hashem's very essence, the Quintessential Concealment, through dealing with our own personal concealment.

The רבי beautifully connects these two explanations to the two מאמרים of the רבי רש"ב on פרשת וירא in המשך ס"ו, as they also connect to their respective placement on the calendar, as well as the רבי רש"ב's location when saying the two מאמרים!

By understanding the fundamental difference in the approach of the two

We walk away from this מאמר with a newfound appreciation of מצות, either as they pertain to our relationship with Hashem, or to our personal life struggles.

Building on the explanation of why מצות are called "Hashem's way", the רבי רש"ב emphasizes that Interstate 613 must be a two-way street. Hashem sends down תורה, and we send back our מצות. This happens when our מצות are done, not out of rote, but with self-scrutinization and pushing oneself past the comfort zone.

Why is it so important that we mirror back Hashem's Light through our מצות?

The first explanation is because that is how we complete the road; the true point of the King coming down to the village is for the village to be raised back to him.

When you do a מצוה, specifically when it is hard, you are showing up to the relationship, fulfilling the point of Hashem having given the תורה!