The "House of Yosef of our generation (my sainted father-in-law, the leader of our generation whose first name was yosef) distinguishes itself in comparison to former generations, even that of the Alter Rebbe ("The House of Jacob.") The innovation of our Yosef is that through him the wellsprings spread to the farthest ends of the world, beyond which there is nothing further, as the country of Tzarfas (France). The times of the Alter Rebbe (and also in the times of our Rebbeim and leaders that followed) the revelation of the wellsprings of the Torah of Chassidus was not so well established in France due to its lowly state (to such an extent that the Alter Rebbe feared it might be victorious...). Precisely in our generation, through "the House of Yosef," the wellsprings were revealed and spread even into France, through the establishment there of the Yeshiva "Tomchei Temimim," as in the city of Lubavitch. Therefore, we have actually reached the time of "they will inherit the cities of the South" and "the saviors will ascend to Har Tzion to judge Har Eisav."
This can be expanded and elucidated through an allusion: "Tzarfas" in Gematria is seven hundred and seventy (770). This is the perfection of the number seven, since it includes ten sevens (70) and a hundred sevens (700) and both of them together (770).
Notes
- The particular connection between the Alter Rebbe and Yaakov (see at length Ma'ayanei HaYeshua (Kehot 5748 p. 101 ff.) should be noted.
- See Sefer HaToldos Admur HaZakein (Kehos 5736) p. 259 ff. And elsewhere. [During the Napoleonic Wars, the Alter Rebbe was a vehement antagonist to Napoleon and the so-called "Enlightenment" he brought with him. Translator's note.]
- [The number 10 represents completeness, and thus 100 perfection. Here, we have the completeness and perfection of the number 7, which represents the physical world (seven days of Creation, etc. Translator's note.]
