Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Kosov is known eponymously as the Ahavat Shalom—the collection of his teachings. Why did he give his book this name? In the book's introduction, it is explained that almost every teaching in it refers to the Shabbat, to charity, and to the safeguarding of the covenant (i.e., rectifying one’s sexual urges). These three matters all relate to peace (shalom). We all known the common greeting for Shabbat: “Shabbat Shalom.” Regarding charity, the verse says, “And the act of charity will be peace.”
Finally, in Kabbalah, the sefirah of foundation, which corresponds to the procreative organs, is referred to as shalom. For this reason, we chose to bring these three stories about the Ahavat Shalom, which illustrate his approach to these three matters. In our explanation, we will see that these three points together touch upon all the conscious soul powers within a Jew, rectifying them and connecting them to holiness.
The mitzvah of charity rectifies the behavioral faculties within a person, which include the sefirot of victory, acknowledgment, foundation, and kingdom (netzach, hod, yesod, and malchut). The habitual/behavioral faculties direct the soul to practical action and influence. When a person uses these powers to give others the money that he has toiled for, he transforms the soul-powers from instruments for self-realization into tangible interfaces with other people and with God. Moreover, the source of these sefirot (netzach, hod, and yesod) is in the lower two-thirds of the sefirah of tiferet, whose inner essence is compassion. Giving charity does not begin with immediate action. As in our story, first and foremost, it starts with true compassion for others, which is the essence of these two-thirds of tiferet.
As we climb up to the next level of the soul’s faculties, known as the emotive level, we encounter the story about the cantor who prayed to impress the women and the rectification for which the Ahavat Shalom prayed. The sefirah of foundation (yesod) is associated with the connection between a man and a woman and the rectification or potential corruption of this relationship. Although it was already included in the previous story, here it is treated independently of the other sefirot. The reason for this is that the root of foundation is found in the sefirah of knowledge (da’at): “And Adam knew Eve, his wife.” Knowledge is divided into two halves known as the coronet of kindnesses and the coronet of judgment. The upper third of the sefirah of beauty (tiferet) is also included within it.
The covenant (referring to marital union and fidelity) is also known as "the quill of the soul," an idiom that the Alter Rebbe would commonly refer to melodies with. This connection between the covenant and music is also expressed in the Ahavat Shalom’s choice to compose a new melody specifically every holy Shabbat, the time of marital union for Torah scholars. This is the secret of the Song of Songs recited on Shabbat eve: this most select song is the love song between the Almighty and the people of Israel. The loving tzaddik trembles at any attempt to turn it into a song for strange women.
After we have surveyed the powers of action and emotion, Shabbat arrives and expresses the intellectual attributes of wisdom and understanding. Here we can see the rebbe's sense that the essence of Shabbat is not the fancy meals or the day of the week, but rather the simple joy we feel at having merited to receive a precious gift from God’s treasury.
