Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Devarim

Shalosh Seudos1 of Parshas Devarim 5767

-" - - : - , ... , , , . , ; , ... - , , , , : ". ,
These are the words which Moshe spoke to all Yisrael beyond the Yarden; in the wilderness, in the Aravah, over against Suf, between Paran and Tofel, and Laban, and Hazteros, and Di-zahav... How can I myself alone bear your encumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? Get you, from each one of your tribes, men who are wise, with understanding, and full of knowledge, and I will make them heads over you. So I took the heads of your tribes, men who were wise and full of knowledge, and made them heads over you; captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, tribe by tribe.2

Rashi writes: Mencould we have possibly thought that Moshe was asking them to find women to appoint as judges? [Surely not, since women are halachically prohibited to act as judges.] The verse says men to teach that they were tzaddikim. Wisethis teaches that they were kisufim, which means beloved by their fellow man for their wisdom and modesty. [Kisufim means desire, and it also means shamefacedness. The Maharal explains that this if someones every action is based on wisdom, people will love him. This is an essential characteristic for a judge since people are more likely to

1 2

The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos. Devarim 1:1,12-13,15 3

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obey those whom they love.3] Understandingthis refers to people who understand one thing from another. When Arius asked Rabbi Yossi to explain the difference between a chacham and a navon, he explained with a parable: A chacham is like a wealthy moneychanger who evaluates [and exchanges] coins that are brought to him, but at other times he does nothing. A navon is like a moneychanger who is also a merchant. He evaluates coins that are brought to him, but during slower periods he brings in money of his own [through doing business]. Men who were wise and full of knowledgethe omission of the term understanding from Moshes description teaches that he did not find anyone with that quality. This was one of the seven qualities that Yisro discussed with Moshe, but Moshe found judges with only three of them: tzaddikim, chachamim, and yeduim. Tzion and Yerushalayim On the surface it seems strange that Moshe was unable to locate men of understanding. To grasp why this was so, we must first explore the precise meaning of the term nevonim. The Arizal explains that although Moshe did not find people who [personified the characteristic] of Binah which is related to the Yovel, the Jubilee, he did nevertheless find people on the lower level of Tevunah.4 This can be more clearly understood in light of Rebbe Nachmans explanation of one of the Rabbah bar Bar Chanah tales: One time when we were on a ship on the sea we saw a fish. Because of the [abundance of] sand and grasses which grew on it we thought it was an island. We disembarked and cooked and baked on [the surface of the island which was really] the creatures back. When it got hot, it flipped over. If we had not been close to the ship we all would have drowned.5 Rebbe Nachman explains: We saw a fishthe fish being on its back alludes to our exile, during which Hashem [turns and] hides His face from us. As it says in the
3 4

Gur Aryeh, ad loc. Shaar Halikutim, Devarim 5 Bava Basra 73b 4

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verse, ", " You hid Your face from me, I was frightened.6 The face indicates mercy, while turning ones back indicates judgment. All of our prayers and petitions to Hashem are that He should stop standing with His back to us, so to speak. We beg Him to turn toward us. As the verse states, "" , Turn to me and be gracious to me...7 We also find in the priestly blessing, ," ' " May Hashem shine His countenance upon you, and be gracious to you.8 As we endure our seemingly endless exile, some of our fellow Jews mistakenly feel in their hearts that all our prayers achieve nothing, G-d forbid. But the truth is that the tzaddikim of every generation lift up and establish our prayers, just as the verse states regarding Moshe who raised up the Mishkan.9 The tzaddikim are placing each part, each limb of the structure of prayer, in its proper place to build the Shechinah a little at a time until it will finally be upright. Then, Moshiach who is an aspect of Moshe will finally come and perfect the Shecinah and uplift it and repair it completely. This is the meaning of the words: One time when we were on a ship on the sea we saw a fish... The fish symbolizes the tzaddik of the generation who is an aspect of Moshe-Moshiach. [It emerges from the words of the Maharal that just as a fish lives in the water which is removed from the material world, a tzaddik lives on a completely different plane where spiritual realities are paramount.10 The Arizal points out that fish represent a very high level of providence since its eyes are always open. The tzaddikim draw down a very strong degree of Divine providence upon the Jewish people.] Because of the sand... This alludes to the prayers that we say before Hashem. [One reason why sand represents prayers is because it can be used to build. Another possible reason is because in order to pray effectively one must have humility, one must be like dirt to all. As we say after every Amidah, " ]" These prayers must be brought to the tzaddik of the generation. The words for the sand which was
6 7

Tehillim 30:8 Ibid. 86:16 8 Bamidbar 6:25 9 Shemos 40:18 10 Gur Aryeh, Parshas Noach for his explanation of why fish were not damaged in the flood. 5

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gathered, " ," also means to bring, since we must bring our and bind our prayers to the tzaddik of the generation. As the verse states, And they brought the Mishkan to Moshe...11 And grasses which grew on it... This alludes to the souls that are formed by words of Torah and which enter into ones prayers. We find that souls are called grass in the verse, "" , I cause you to increase, I have made you like the growth of the field.12 We thought it was an island... The word used for island here"" means dry, and is a reference to dry land. In our context, this refers to prayers that appear to be ineffectual and dry, since they dont seem to produce any fruit. But the truth is that all prayer has an effect. We disembarked... The word means we arrived, but in the context of this lesson this means that our prayers do ascend and arrive above. The more we pray, the more the Shechinah is built up and is prepared for a yichud with Hashem [which is a revelation of a much higher level of Divine providence]. Cooked and baked on... Cooking and baking are how we prepare to eat. Eating is also a form of yichud, as we see from the verse which alludes to the wife of Potifar, that she was, the bread that he did eat.13 [By eating with deep understanding, one merits a deep closeness to Hashem which is a union, much in the way that eating is the way in which both the eater and the eaten are joined together.] When the entire structure of the Shechinah is finally complete through so many [generations of] prayers, Hashems mercy will be aroused and He will turn from judgment to mercy. Therefore, When it got hotHashems mercy was aroused. It flipped overthe attribute of strict justice transformed into mercy.

11 12

Shemos 39:33 Yechezkel 16:7 13 Bereishis 39:6 6

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The verse states, For My sake, for My sake, I will do it.14 The Midrash explains the verse, Who came before Me, that I should pay him?15Who puts up a mezuzah before I give him a house...?16 Since Hashem Himself enables all of our accomplishments, it is really the case that every good deed or prayer is really from Him. It follows that one should not anticipate a reward for anything, since Hashem enabled us to acquire the merit in the first place by giving us the means to fulfill His will. Although it appears as though the ultimate redemption will come about as a result of our prayers and Torah learning, in truth we are dependent on Hashems kindness. It is only through His mercy that we will be redeemed. This is the meaning of the words in the story: If we had not been close to the ship... The word for ship also alludes to an aspect of kindness. As our sages taught, Most ,sailors, are chassidim [literally, they are pious, but the word is from the root of chessed, kindness].17 Were it not for His kindness, ...we all would have drownedin our exile, chas vshalom.18 Before we delve into what this means, it is important to explain that there are two different levels, Tzion and Yerushalayim. Yerushalayim refers to Mount Moriah, while Tzion refers to the City of Dovid.19 In the City of Dovid, the kings who descended from Dovid sat and ruled. This city was very near to the Beis Hamikdashk, which was on the mountain of Hashem. The Baal HaTanya explains that in spiritual terms, there are two aspects of Malchus which the Zohar calls the heart.20 Tzion is the innermost aspect and Yerushalayim is the outer aspect of Malchus. About the outermost aspect, My soul will weep in secretsince this is the place of Hashem mourning over the exile of His

14 15

Yeshayah 48:11 Iyov 41:3 16 Midrash Rabbah, Vayikra 27 17 Kiddushin 82a 18 The entire interpretation of the aggadata until here is from Likutei Moharan I:2. 19 Melachim I:8:1 20 Tikunei Zohar 21:49a; Chagigah 5b 7

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children.21 However, Strength and joy are in His placein His innermost place, where there is always rejoicing.22 Every Prayer Has Its Effect The Baal Shem Tov stressed that while every Jew stands up to pray and petition Hashem he must believe with complete faith that every prayer ascends on high and is accepted. The Arizal teaches on the verse, And I am prayer,23 that the Shechinah is referred to as prayer.24 So why are we so distant from true prayer? The simple reason is that the Shechinah is degraded, she is down in the dust since we do not value our prayers as we should. We lack true belief in prayer and so we are far from it. But the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash depends on rebuilding our understanding and our emunah and dveikus in the Shechinah [Hashems presence in the world and in our personal lives]. We must realize how elevated and exalted the Shechinah is, since the highest pinnacle of spiritual development depends on the Shechinah. The Beis Hamikdash wasnt only destroyed physically, it was destroyed spiritually as well. The practical result of this is that we sometimes do not feel as though our prayers make an immediate impression. At such times we must connect to the inner aspect of Tzion, which alludes to Yesod / Foundation [since this represents connecting to the level where every prayer bears fruit]. This aspect which represents the City of Dovid, finds expression in the concept of Dovid, King of Yisrael, is alive and exists. On this level one realizes that there is no such thing as death or destruction in spiritual matters. In the deepest recesses of ones heart he sees that his prayers do have an immediate effect. Even though he does not grasp this in material terms, in spiritual terms every detail of his prayer is accepted and fulfilled.

21 22

Yirmiyah 13:17 Divrei Hayamim I:16, 27 23 Tehillim 109:4 24 Pri Eitz Chaim, Hakdamas Hatefillah 8

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It Will be Rebuilt in Fire A tzaddik who contemplates Hashem on the level of the world of Binah and beyond will certainly believe completely in the power of every spoken prayer. Even an unspoken prayer that emerges from the deepest depths of his soul is like a spoken prayer which is immediately answered. And through these tzaddikim we will also grasp the power of our prayers. This is the deeper meaning of the words of our sages, It was consumed in fire, and it will be rebuilt in fire.25 It will be rebuilt in the merit of the righteous who are men of Binah / Understanding who are connected to the world of fire, of Binah in the world of Atzilus. Not merely Tevunah, which is a deep contemplation how Hashem is revealed in shallow material terms. Binah within Atzilus is a deep contemplation of the Creator Himself and His absolute unity, which is completely beyond any superficial level. In the merit of these tzaddikim the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuiltand so will our Daas, our own G-dly awareness. The tzadikim also mourn the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash during the three weeks. They feel the pain of the holy Shechinah and the appalling desecration of Hashems Name that our long exile causes. Hashems face has been obscured from us for so many years. Every Jew goes through so much pain and difficulty in material and spiritual matters. Yet at the same time, this tzaddik connects to the aspect of Tzionof Dovid King of Yisrael is alive and exists. It is in this place that the fire through which the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt can be found. The connection with Tzion is so essential because the redemption depends on the aspect of, sorry and sighing will flee.26 We must all feel such joy in Hashem that it is as if the ultimate redemption has already come, and we must take this with us when we face the bitter reality of the destruction. Through borrowing the joy of the future world, we are empowered to petition Hashem with our entire being since we know how potent every prayer truly is. We will rejoice further at every prayer since every prayer
25 26

From the Nachem prayer that we say on Tisha BAv during Minchah. Yeshayah 51:11 9

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brings the redemption closer. Every Divine unification and prayer completely changes the world Hashem sent a sign of redemption to the Jewish people through Moshe, I will be as I will bejust as I am with them in this exile, so will I be with them in future exiles. The Ramban explains that we need no further sign or proof, since the fact that Hashem listens to and answers our prayers is the clearest sign possible that He is with us in our exile.27 We must be ever vigilant never to give up on our efforts to pray for whatever we need and especially for the ultimate redemption. If we pray with our entire heart for that which we really and truly need for ourselves and the entire world, we will surely be answered, since prayer is the highest level. The only reason why we often do not see how our prayers are answered is the clouding influence of our exile. Even if it seems as though we have not received what we asked for, we must believe that our prayers achieved a more important goal. The most important aim is that Hashems Kingship be revealed as soon as possible. This is the purpose of all of creation: to reveal the light of Hashem in the lower worlds. Carrying the Aron Hakodesh When a person asks Hashem to help him attain a spiritual goal and this is not granted he must feel certain that his prayers have been answered in heaven. If he asked to complete a tractate or attain some other goal, it is counted in heaven as if he actually achieved these milestones. The more we work on praying with greater emunah and dveikus, the more we achieve. In addition, every person who does manage to achieve the spiritual goal he requested from Hashem does so only due to the prayers of those who asked for this and appeared not to have been answered. This explains why the moment one begs Hashem to fulfill a mitzvah with his whole heart, it is as if he has done so.

27

Shemos 3:14 10

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This is similar to the teaching of the Arizal, that through doing yichudim throughout the day, it is as if the person focusing on them has created the entire world and merits a very great spiritual reward.28 This is also reminiscent of the words of Rav Nosson of Breslov regarding Korachs error. He taught that Korach assumed that since only he had merited the distinction of carrying the Aron Hakodesh, he was of greater stature than Moshe Rabbeinu. What he did not understand was that although Moshe did not physically carry the Aron Hakodesh, it was only in the merit of the holiness of Moshe that Korach was able to carry this most holy vessel and its contents.29 Similarly, if a Jew asks Hashem for help to attain some goal and then sees it accomplished by someone else he should rejoice since it is as if he himself had achieved it. But if he continues to plead with Hashem and refuses to give up, he will eventually find his request fulfilled in himself as well. The Power of Tisha BAv Rav Pinchas of Koritz would say that Tisha BAv is a very auspicious time for prayer, because on that day all Jews connect to the Shechinah. A person who needs any kind of deliverance can achieve it much more easily on Tisha BAv. This is especially true regarding prayers to bring the final redemption. Although on the one hand we must mourn our long exile and lost Beis Hamikdash on this day, at the same time we must also realize that at that very same time we are connecting to Hashem Himself, which is an aspect of Tzion. This deep closeness to Hashem afforded to us on this day is in itself a comfort for us since we know that through true dveikus, the Beis Hamikdash will indeed be rebuilt. The avodah of the tzaddikim on Tisha BAv is to connect to Moshe Rabbeinu, the faithful shepherd of the Jewish people. Moshe himself petitioned Hashem with 515 prayers that he merit to enter the holy land, but he was denied. If he only would have

28 29

Shaar Hakavanos, Drushei Halailah, #4 Likutei Halachos, Hilchos Areiv, Halachah 5 11

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been allowed to enter the land, we would have built a Beis Hamikdash that would never have been destroyed, since it would have triggered the ultimate redemption.30 On this day, when we say the words of Yirmiyahu, Eichahhow does the city sit solitary!31 we should certainly remember Moshe, since Yirmiyahu stemmed from the soul of Moshe.32 Yirmiyahu surely cries with us on this day of commemoration of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. But of course, the point of Moshe that exists within each and every person can never be touched by any trace of destruction. We see this from the unsuccessful attempt of the people of Yirmiyahus generation to silence him by murder. It is impossible to quench the absolute truth. If it were possible, the world would revert to absolute chaos. Moshe and Yirmiyahu arouse within us the deep understanding that every Jew is really one with his fellow Jew. We are all one soul, the collective vehicle of the Shechinah, which is the source of all Jewish souls. On this day when we wish to rectify the destruction we must work hard to erase the main blemish which caused the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash: a lack of proper respect for our fellow Jews.33 Malchus which is an aspect of the Shechinah is called kavod, honor, for this very reason.34 We only see the outer aspects of the Shechinah. This is why we see our friends outer trappings but we fail to perceive his inner self, which is really at one with every Jew. We fail to see the respect due to every Jew because we do not delve into his essence. The rectification for this failing is through, men who are wise, understanding, and full of knowledge, through those who follow the path of Moshe Rabbeinu who himself ascended to the heights of Binah, through which Yesod DAbba in Atzilus is revealed. In practical terms this level indicates that someone attains a deep sensitivity to the G-dly glory within every Jew. He sees the hardship and pain that each person
30 31

For example, see Tiferes Shlomo, Chukas; and Sefas Emes, Veschanan Eichah 1:1 32 See Kehillas Yaakov, Erech Yirmiyahu; Megaleh Amukos, Veschanan, #84 33 Yoma 9b 34 Pri Eitz Chaim, Kriyas Shema pg. 29 12

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endures while at the same time seeing how everyone is one united soul. He prays for all Jews as one and perceives how every prayer is immediately effective. And, most importantly, he ascends from the aspect of Tzion to that of Yerushalayim by ceaselessly petitioning Hashem regarding the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. This is the deeper meaning of the proximity of Tzion to Yerushalayim: from the joy evident in the innermost aspect, one sees that the deliverance of the outer aspects is so very near. Adorning the Shechinah One time the Arizal said to his students on a certain Erev Shabbos, Let us perform certain yichudim to enable us to jump to the Kosel and bring the ultimate redemption. But the students did not understand the significance of that instant and wanted time to talk this proposition over with their families. The deeper meaning of this story is that the students failed to grasp that one can be endlessly stubborn until he gets his way. We can all be free of all the darkness which is an aspect of Erev Shabbos and bind ourselves to the deeper aspect of the Kosel HaMaaravi. In Hebrew, the word kosel can form two words: " ." "is the numerical value of the Shem HaVaYaH. [= " 10 + 5 + 6 + 5 = 26] The "has a numerical value of 430, the same as five times Elokim [86=5 ;x86=430] These five Elokim Names that are associated with heavenly judgments are sweetened by the ,"by the twenty-six of the Shem HaVaYaH. We must work to attain absolute emunah in our prayers, since we will merit to be redeemed through emunah and the practical application of it which is heartfelt prayer. We must believe that Hashem answers us at every time that we have a difficulty and call to Him with our entire hearts. We must fix this belief so powerfully that we are filled with joy in Hashems deliverance. In this manner. the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt speedily in our days. This was the way of Dovid Hamelech. Throughout the trials that he suffered at every moment of his life he always strengthened himself in Hashem and petitioning before Him regarding his difficulties. Despite his tests and his loss of connection with Hashem [judged according to his great level], he would immediately stand up to pray
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with unshakable belief in the potency of his prayers. I will exalt You, Hashem, for You have raised me up... You have raised up my soul from the depths.35 Although the Beis Hamikdash was not actually built in his day, his son Shlomo did build it. But even more importantly, because of his incessant prayers, it was as if it had been built in his day in a spiritual sense. Through visualizing the rebuilt Beis Hamikdash he forged a very powerful and eternal bond to the Shechinah in his innermost being. This is the only way to truly connect to the Shechinah since one only adorns the Shechinah when he honors the Shechinah through deep emunah and continuous heartfelt prayer with every iota of his being. This explains why the Beis Hamikdash was called after Dovid HaMelech: one who seeks after a spiritual goal with his entire being is considered to have attained it. Let Your Soul Know Wisdom This is the meaning of the phrase, "" Let your soul (nefesh) know (dei) wisdom (Chochmah), and it will be a crown (Kesser) for your head.36 Chochmah is an aspect of sight [since our sages tell us that a wise man sees the most likely to result of his actions and the actions of others]. Your soul refers to the Shechinah which is an aspect of nefesh. This means that one should see both aspects of the Shechinah, the outer aspect in which the Shechinah is in exile and the Jewish people suffer, and the inner aspect where he truly believes in his prayers and that the redemption is within our grasp if we will only work on yichudim and tefillah at every opportunity. This is the greatness of tzaddikim who cleave to Hashem every instant of the day. Through this they draw down the light of Hashem among those who dwell in the lower worlds and they see the results of their prayers immediately. Even though it is very hard to pray all the time since the obscuration of exile hides the fruit of our prayers from us, the tzaddikim realize that the task is to truly believe in ones prayers. Most often, those who daven with iron-clad
35 36

Tehillim 30:2,4 From the Shabbos zemer Dror Yikrah, based on Mishlei 24:14. 14

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belief will see a physical response to their prayers. Even if they dont, they must believe that what they seek is not yet the best thing for him or the world or both. [Reb Nosson of Breslov writes that, most often, a person does not attain something because he has either not prayed about it or he has not asked enough for it.] Through exerting a great effort to connect to Tzion, the innermost aspect of the Shechinah, one is able to feel the pain of all Jews, which an aspect of Yerushalayim, the outermost aspects of the Shechinah. Our sages tell us that Yirmiyahyu was so affected by the pain of others that when he saw a group of young men placed under a yoke, he joined them and placed chains around his own neck until Nevuzradan separated him from them. Subsequently, when he saw a group of older men in irons, he chained himself up with them until he was again noticed and moved away.37 Yirmiyahu could feel their hardship precisely because he prayed all the time and truly saw the future deliverance and the comforting of the Jewish people. One who sees the Shechinah, one who lets his soul know wisdom, merits a crown to his head. This means that he draws down the light of our righteous Moshiach, which is an aspect of Kesser. The point of all the hardships and difficulties a person endures in this world is to galvanize him to exert himself in prayer and to make a connection with the Shechinah. When Moshiach comes we will finally see how everything a person lacked was only withheld to encourage him to forge an ever fresh connection to the Shechinah. A person on this level will always be strong and joyously fulfill all of Hashems mitzvos because he has iron-clad emunah in the oneness of Hashem. This is the meaning of, Guard your holy mitzvos, guard your holy Shabbos. The Midrash teaches that Avraham Avinu bequeathed to his children two cradlestzedek and mishpat, righteousness and justice. As the verse states, For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of

37

Eichah Rabbah, Hakdamah, #34 15

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Hashem, to do righteousness and justice.38 As a result, Hashem also bequeaths to us two cradles: chessed and rachamim, kindness and mercy. As the verse states, And He will show you mercy, and have compassion on you.39 When the Jewish people lost the characteristics of justice and righteousness,40 Hashem in turn stopped treating us with kindness and mercyI have taken away My peace from this people, says Hashem, even mercy and compassion.41 When we stand up and set our sights on reinstating chessed and rachamim without ourselves, Tzion shall be redeemed with justice, and they that return of her with righteousness,42 Hashem will also return His part: My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall My covenant of peace be removed, says Hashem who has compassion on you.43 When Hashem also returns His part, He says, These and these should become a crown and be placed on the head of the Queen [Shechinah]. As the verse states, And I will betroth You to Me forever; I will betroth you to Me in righteousness, and in justice, and in lovingkindness, and in compassion.44 There are of course many levels of tzedek and mishpat. One level is that whenever one learns Torah he does so in an aspect of Toras Chessed, since he aims to act charitably with the Shechinah. Although the Shechinah is in exile and in this sense is degraded, one who focuses on it can give her .-This contraction indicates that one takes the Shechinah, an aspect of dalet which represents destitution [since this is the literal meaning of dal] and turns her into a hei, as in the verse: Here [literally, the letter hei] is seed [fruitfulness] for you.45 This is accomplished through the extra yud in the name .We add the yud to the dalet and the two of them form a .
38 39

Bereishis 18:19 Devarim 13:19 40 Amos 6:12 41 Yirmiyah 16:5 42 Yeshayah 1:27 43 Ibid. 54:10 44 Hoshea 2:21 45 Bereishis 47:23 16

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Mishpat is when we learn Torah to clarify and illuminate the true halachah. One example of this is when we lost so many halachos after Moshe died. Another aspect of mishpat is when one judges his every action. He evaluates if he was in accord with Torah and halachah or not. Through this, may Hashem fulfill the verse, Tzion will be redeemed in mishpat, and her captives with tzedakah. May Hashems deepest kindness and mercy be aroused. May Hashem help us offer up a multitude of prayers and holy yichudim from the depths of our heart until we merit to see the Beis Hamikdash rebuilt in fire, with the advent of our righteous Moshiach, speedily in our days. Amen!

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

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Explorations in Tanya

Chapter IV, Part 2

Sefer Tanya
Chapter IV, Part 2
The Torah has therefore been compared to water, for just as water descends from a higher to a lower level, so has the Torah descended from its place of glory, which is His blessed will and wisdom. [For] the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are one and the same and no thought can apprehend Him at all. From there, [the Torah] has progressively traveled and descended through hidden stages, level after level, through the downward descent of the [system and hierarchy of the] worlds, until it clothed itself in material matters and in things of this world, comprising almost all of the commandments of the Torah, their laws, and in the combinations of material letters, written with ink in a booknamely the twentyfour volumes of Torah, Neviim and Kesuvim. All this [was done] in order that every thought should be able to grasp them, and even the faculties of speech and action, which are on a lower level than thought, should be able to grasp them and be garbed within them. Since the Torah and its commandments clothe all ten faculties of the soul and all of its 613 limbs from head to foot, it [the soul] is altogether truly bound up in the Bond of Life with G-d, and the very light of G-d envelops and clothes it from head to foot. As it is written, G-d is my Rock, I will take refuge in Him [lit. be covered within Him], and it is also written, With ratzon [the Divine will as embodied in the mitzvos] will You encompass him as with a shield. That is to say, [the soul is surrounded] with His blessed will and wisdom which are clothed in His Torah and its commandments. In the writings of Rabbeinu Yonah and the Ramban we find that the early tzaddikim used to meditate in silence for an hour before prayer and contemplate how the Divine light encircles and surrounds them. This idea also appears in the Baal Shem Tovs teachings on the Torah, in Parshas Eikev. Such contemplation can bring a person
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to experience dveikus. How is dveikus to be achieved if not through focusing the mind on it? While it is true that the mitzvos reveal the Divine light, the portion that is garbed in thought can only be accessed by contemplating the revelation of G-dliness at that levelin the mind. It has therefore been said: Better one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world than the whole life of the world to come. The world to come is that state where one enjoys the brilliance of the Divine Presence, which is the pleasure of the apprehension [of G-dliness], yet no created beingeven celestial beings [like angels]can comprehend more than some reflection of the Divine Light. That is why the reference is to the brilliance [the shine, not the light itself] of the Divine Presence There is an aspect of Gan Eden in each of the four worlds of Atzilus, Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. Each person merits a place there, where it is appropriate for him, after his death. [Meaning, the level that suits the nature of the root of his own soul.] But as for the essence of the Holy One, blessed be He, no thought can grasp Him at all, except when it apprehends, and is clothed in, the Torah and its mitzvos. Only then does it truly apprehend, and is clothed in, the Holy One, blessed be He, since the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are one This is the literal truth, for the Torah and the Holy One are all one. Even though we dont feel this light right now because of the aftereffects of our encounter with the primordial serpent, in the ultimate future, after the resurrection of the dead, the light of Torah and mitzvos will be revealed. To understand the matter better, we must preface the discussion with the fact that there were great Kabbalists who did not do sufficient shimush [personal attendance] for their teachers, and so they made very subtle errors. Yet even a subtle error turns out to be a very great and terrible mistake [when dealing with these kinds of ideas]. This can occur when Kabbalah discusses parts of Elokus, in the sense that the Jewish soul is a portion of G-d from above, or the way we speak here of the fact that while no thought

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can grasp Him, nevertheless when He is enclothed by Torah and mitzvos it is possible to gain some grasp of Him. Meaning, that there is a revelation of G-ds essence in the Torah itself. These concepts need more clarification so that no one falls into an error when it comes to basic principles of our faith. Whenever we speak of there being some kind of apportioning of G-dliness, we only mean through the manner in which G-d reveals Himselfthat there are greater and lesser degrees of revelation. These revelations are not G-d Himself, but are united with Him absolutely. These lights which are apportioned are a means of revealing G-ds essence [so that it can be apprehended to some degree], but they do not actually reveal Him, because He utterly transcends them qualitatively. They are only minor revelations of His essence; His actual essence cannot be grasped by any thought at all, and certainly one cannot speak of apportioning in relation to His actual essence. Apportioning can only be relevant to the minor revelations through which it is possible to apprehend Him. So too, when we speak of the Shechinah descending into exile, we do not mean that Hashem Himself, in His essence, descends to exile, G-d forbid. He created everything, and it is impossible to say that He descends into obscurity and exile, for He rules over all. Rather, we mean that one of the ways in which He is revealed to usthe aspect of Malchus, His Shechinah that dwells in the lower worlds that gives everything vitalitythis revelation descends into exile and His glory is hidden. However, the Shechinah, which is Malchus dAtzilus, is united with His essence as one just like the rest of the sefiros of the world of Atzilus. The level of the shine of the Shechinah, is somewhat lower. [This is because it is the shine and not the Shechinah itself, and we have just learned that Shechinah is equivalent to Malchus dAtzilus, and all of the sefiros of Atzilus are bound up as one with Hashems essence, even if they are not His essence.] The Zohar teaches that all of the sefiros in the world of Atzilus are called yichuda ilaahthe upper yichud; the lower yichud [yichuda tataah] is the yichud within the lower worlds of Beriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah. In truth, there is an upper yichud

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within the lower worlds as well, but it is hidden. In the world of Atzilus, the main revelation is that of the yichuda ilaah and the yichuda tataah is included there in a hidden manner. What this means is, at that lofty level it is clear that Hashem is the source of everything and is bound up with everything, and the less obvious reality is that there are also other [vessels] in existence that subdivide into ten sefiros. In Atzilus, the main revelation is that everything that has been emanated forth into existence is bound up as one with Hashems essence. [This is the inverse of the situation in the lower worlds, where the lower yichud is more revealed and the upper yichud is concealed.] Now we can better understand the words of the Tanya here. After explaining that whenever we speak about the hischalkus [dividing or apportioning] we are only speaking about the lights that are revealed by Him and not His essence, we can understand that even the great tzaddikim who have the aspect of Moshiach and yechidah dyechidah, or who even reach the level of the soul of Adam Kadmon, nevertheless that which is apportioned to them is just a level [of revelation], not His essence [chas vshalom]. There is no such concept as a created being having the ability to garb [be a vessel for] Hashems essence, because no thought grasps Him at all. Even the loftiest souls are only various levels of the ways in which Hashem reveals Himself, but not His essence. For although the Torah has been clothed in lower material things, it is by way of illustration, like embracing the king. There is no difference, in regard to the degree of closeness and attachment to the king, whether while embracing the king, the latter is then wearing one robe or several robes, so long as the royal person is in them. This is likewise true when the king embraces one with his arm, even though it is dressed in his robes. As it is written, And His right hand embraces methis refers to the Torah which was given by G-ds right hand, which is the quality of Chessed and water.

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When a person merits to gain some grasp [of Divine awareness], it is like a bit of Gan Eden, which is associated with the world of Beriyah, or the lower Gan Eden which enclothes itself in this world. [Meaning, the feeling of spiritual delight that one can taste even here, in a subtle way, through Torah study or prayer.] Even though both of these spiritual experiences involve pleasure that goes beyond anything one can imagine, it still does not compare with what the soul experiences as a result of fulfilling a single mitzvah in this world, because the mitzvah is the light of Atzilus itself. And when one fulfills the mitzvah, [even though he does not have the same experience of it on the psycho-spiritual level in this world, nevertheless] he is literally united with Hashems essence. While it is true that he is only embracing the kings garment, the king himself is enclothed, layer within layer, inside that garment, and so they are in contact. This is how we can understand that the lights of Atzilus are Hashems essence, and reveal Hashems essence. It does not mean that the mitzvah itself is atzmus Hashem; rather, it is a revelation of Atzilus. But that revelation is at one with what the Maatzil reveals of Himself, just as the garment, while still a garment, nevertheless encapsulates the body of the king. There is Gan Eden, and there is the world to come, Olam Habah. The true goal and purpose is not the Gan Eden of now [that can be accessed now], but rather the world to come. Gan Eden is a manifestation of Hashems Chessed, His lovingkindness, in that G-d is benevolent to the world of souls and provides them with a good reward [in the interim, until the time of the resurrection of the dead]. The world to come, however, will be in the ultimate future, when the world will be clarified [all of its negative aspects will be transformed] and Hashems glory will be revealed utterly. The sense of holiness that one can have through fulfilling mitzvos in this worldeven though they are from the light of Hashems essencedoes not compare at all to the sense of holiness that the angels of Yetzirah have, or the Serafim of Beriyah. And this is all the more so when compared to the light of Gan Eden, and certainly when compared with the great light of the world to come. However, when we consider not

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what one can feel but the objective reality of the revelation of G-dliness that takes place at the time of the fulfillment of the mitzvah, the light of G-ds essence that shines when a single mitzvah is fulfilled is far, far more intense than even that which is experienced by the angels of Yetzirah. We simply lack the vessels to feel it. The ultimate purpose of all of the Jewish peoples Divine service is that the light of Hashems essence should be revealed. The Creator wanted to provide His creations with good, and not a partial good either. He wanted to provide complete and genuine good, and the ultimate good is the revelation of G-d Himself. The 613 commandments that we fulfill today are the means of preparing for the light of the World to Come. Everything depends on our fulfillment of the Torah here and now, because this Torah will not be exchanged. And while it is true that, today, the human eye and human sensibilities cannot perceive much in the way of Divine light when we fulfill a mitzvah, nevertheless, the completion of the revelation generated by the fulfillment of that mitzvah will take place in the ultimate future, forever, when creation is repaired. At that point, the lower worlds of Beriyah-YetziraAsiyah will be refined [uplifted] to [the level of] Atzilus, and then a subsequent refinement will take place to bring them to the level of Adam Kadmon and even higher, until the tzimtzum will be nullified and everything will be encompassed within the Ohr Ein Sof. One ought not then to ponder why we are so broken over the exile of the Shechinah and why we are anxiously awaiting redemption. What we have said makes it seem as though the deferring of Moshiachs arrival simply allows us to complete our avodah and gain the merit of as many more mitzvos as possible for the ultimate future. Such an assumption is false, because it ignores the main goal. While it is true that, today in exile, we are working toward uplifting the Divine sparks that have fallen because of the shevirah [the breakage of the primordial vessels of creation], nevertheless the root of all Divine awareness is the desire to see Hashems glory revealed. [Meaning, it would be self-serving and self-deceptive to focus on our

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own avodah when, in the world at large, G-ds presence is so obscured and the ultimate purpose of creation is not being served.] Revealing G-ds glory is the root of all mitzvos, just as and are the roots of all Daas. The deeper works explain that the way we fulfill the mitzvah of, I am Hashem your G-d, is by mourning over the exile and yearning for Moshiach. The verse itself hints this fact to us when it reads, I am Hashem your G-d who took you out of the land of Egypt, rather than, your G-d who created you. The exodus from exile is the main means of revealing Hashems glory, and it is necessarily true that this is also the purpose of all of the mitzvos. When a person really is complete in this yearning and anticipating redemption he has reached the highest level possible, and all of his sins are forgiven. It makes him worthy of [absorbing] the entire Torah. There is hardly a page in the Zohar that does not mention getting up for Chatzos [at midnight] to mourn over the exile of the Shechinah; there is no higher level than this. It is clear, then, that the innermost meaning of each and every mitzvah is that Hashems kavod should be revealed. This is the underpinning of our anticipation of the arrival of Moshiach, speedily and in our days. Incidentally, there were those who took this concept to an extreme and fell into grievous error by saying that the main focus is to be connected to this root, and the details of the practical fulfillment of all of the mitzvos are irrelevant. Chas vshalom, may Hashem have mercy, this is absolute heresy. It was this kind of twisted theology that led the sages to institute the blessing, And may the slanderers have no hope, because they took a holy Torah concept and corrupted it so horribly. While it is true that Chabakuk the prophet came and stood them all [the mitzvos] on a single principle, which is that the tzaddik lives by his faith, it is simple a reiteration of what we have already said: that the light of emunah and yichud and the anticipation of redemption are the roots of Divine awareness. Nevertheless, this Torah will not be exchanged. No prophet or tzaddik, no matter how great he is, can budge a single iota of any of the 613 commandments of the Torah. Quite the contrary; the more we avoid sin and act with

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dispatch to fulfill the Torah and the mitzvos, the more we find that the truth of the light of emunah shines for us, and the light of Moshiach will be truly revealed.

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

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