Above and Then Beyond
The precise wording of the adage tells us to “...go over to begin with.” This also tells us that we should be aware that our current mode of ariber is only the beginning… We should constantly advance our ariber, taking this approach far beyond our original “ariber.”
Full Strength at Onset
- Lechatíchilah ariber also means that we can and should accept and implement new positive resolutions with the full sense of permanency and absolute strength (chazakah) – without having to wait until the third time that something is accomplished in order to render it the legal strength of a chazakah.
Since the mode of ariber is not a one-time occurrence, but rather, a perpetual mode of conduct which permeates all areas of divine service, it must therefore be continuously increased from time to time ...
This fact is alluded to by the Rebbe Maharsh being born at the beginning of the month of Iyar, the month of the counting of the Omer – which teaches us that even subsequent to the festival of Pesach and the start of the Omer counting, and even after the passage of two full weeks of Omer counting, taking us into the third week, we should nevertheless add even further in our conduct of ariber, so that our present conduct is considered “ariber” compared to the former “ariber.”
... This serves as a directive in our daily lives, as is the case with all aspects of Toras Chaim, the Torah of Life; an instruction in our daily living, in actuality. For, in all matter of Torah, the main thing is the deed.
Further, the ability to have the force of chazakah (not only after actually performing a matter three times, but rather) immediately upon beginning a particular undertaking, comes from the power of the [Rebbe Maharash. For he was] the Leader of the Generation that came on the heels of the completed service of three Leaders of preceding generations. [I.e., the Rebbe Maharash was the successor to (1) the Alter Rebbe; (2) the Mittler Rebbe; and (3) the Tzemach Tzedek. He thus inherited the power of a chazakah, which requires repeating something three times]. This is further underscored in our present generation, which comes after the completed service of three [further] generations [(1) the Rebbe Maharash; (2) the Rebbe Rashab; and (3) the Previous Rebbe,] who all conducted themselves according to the directive of lechatíchilah ariber. [Our generation thus rides on the] strength of a doubled three. Moreover, our generation is ninth from the Ba’al Shem Tov [who first began the Chassidic approach which led to lechatíchilah ariber], i.e., three times three.
As in the verse, “Each man will aid the other and say... chazak – be strong!”
