Editing Polishing the Buttons (section)

== Meaning of the Metaphor ==
A person's avodah in tikkun olam and transforming it into a holy reality is alluded to in the metaphor of buttons because the purpose of a button is to connect the two parts of the garment, the right and left sides. The connection of the garment is made by sewing the button on the left side and making holes on the right side, thus connecting the two sides with the right side over the left side (and the connection of both sides together (including the left side) makes up the completeness of the garment, because through the revelation of light (right), there is the advantage of light coming from darkness (left). This is also the avodah of the Jewish people to connect matters of the world expressed in the 'left' side to the right side - the side of kedushah. The emphasis that we're talking about military uniforms is because all of Israel are soldiers, "everyone who goes out to the army in Israel," and together they all go out in the Geulah to greet "Hashem Elokei HaTzvaos" with polished military uniforms.

Polishing the button is done to remove the dust (sitra achra) on it, and the hint to this by way of tzachus (wordplay) is that the translation of dust to English is "dust" - an acronym for '''Da''' '''St'''ra '''A'''chra (translation: This is sitra achra).

For further explanation in avodas ha'adam, the Rebbe explained: According to what is known, there are generally two approaches in avodas ha'adam: 1. The world is significant and has existence, but the person recognizes and knows there is a Master to the world and he must serve Him (alluded to in the Mishnah: "I was created to serve my Creator" in the common wording). 2. In his perception, the world has no significance at all; from the outset he recognizes and feels that "there is nothing besides Him." Consequently, his entire existence from the beginning is only to serve Hashem (alluded to in the wording: "I was not created... except to serve my Creator...!!") This is the meaning of the avodah of polishing the button. The button comes to connect two parts that are not inherently connected and only become connected through an action, and this is a metaphor for the first approach. However, the main avodah in our generation is to "polish" the button, meaning to "elevate" in this avodah, until one feels in their perception that there is truly nothing besides Him, and from the outset there is no possibility of separation between the world and Hashem.