Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Mishpatim

Shalosh Seudos1 of Parshas Mishpatim 5767

"."
Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.2

Rashi explains: Now these are the ordinancesEvery place where scripture uses the term these [eileh], it is meant to set the forthcoming words apart from that which preceded them. The term, now these [veileh], however, is meant to bridge and add the forthcoming words to that which preceded them. [In this instance, the term now these serves to teach that] just as the preceding subject involved laws that were given at Sinai, so too were these laws given at Sinai. And why is the subject of civil jurisprudence juxtaposed with the subject of the laws of the altar [which immediately precedes it]? To teach that we are to place the chambers of the Sanhedrin adjacent to the kodesh, the inner part of the sanctuary. The Union of Yaakov and Leah3 The Arizal reveals that that there are various groups of Jewish souls. Some souls emerge from the union of Yisrael and Rachel which takes place during Mussaf on Shabbos.4 [Note: This is a very high union where Zeir Anpin and the Nukvah (lower feminine aspect) are elevated to the level of the higher mentalities of Abba / Chochmah and Imma / Binah. The mission of these souls is to imbue even the most mundane
The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos. Shemos 21:1 3 When these names are italicized, they indicate their respective partzufim, their transpersonal sefirah aspects, rather than the actual historical figures of Yaakov and Leah. 4 When we discuss the unions of various partzufim known by names of the avos or imahos, we are referring to the spiritual place which it was their mission to rectify in order to imbue intrinsic holiness in their offspring and form the Jewish people.
2 1

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actions of the week with the holiness of Shabbos.] Other souls emerge from the lower union of Yaakov and Rachel reached during the weekday morning Shemonah Esrei prayer. [Note: When we speak of a spiritual union during prayer which gives birth to a group of Jewish souls, we mean a spiritual union which yields spiritual bounty.] A total of twenty-four groups of souls emerge from the three unions between Yaakov and Leah. At true midnight (chatzos), Rachel enters into Imma and Leah is joined with the entire expanse of Zeir Anpin and Nukvah. This zivug generates ten groups of souls. There is another union of Yaakov and Leah during the dawn [kadrusah dtzafrah is an Aramaic term for alos hashachar] which generates two groups of souls. In addition, the spiritual trace that remains after Maariv also brings about a unification of Yaakov and Leah. This trace lasts the entire night since Maariv may be recited the whole night long, and it gives rise to twelve additional soul groups. The twenty-four students of the Arizal stemmed from the twenty-four unions which emerge from Yaakov and Leah, and it was their task to draw the light of the final redemption into the world. These souls are alluded to in the verse: " , ". - The watchman said: The morning comes, and also the night...5 [These are the souls that are generated through the spiritual unions of the partzufim that take place during the day and throughout the night.] The verse continues: ,"- "... If you will inquire, inquire; return, come.6 This is meant to teach that the ultimate redemption depends on the Divine service, the inquiry, of these souls. Their task is to petition Hashem regarding the exile of the Shechinah.7 [This results in the returning and coming of the redemption alluded to in the verse.]

5 6

Yeshayah 21:12 Ibid. 7 Shaar Hagilgulim, Hakdamah 39

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The Souls of Redemption Each group of souls possesses a distinct nature. The souls that stem from the union between Yisrael and Rochel are drawn primarily to learn Torah. This desire is so powerful that they often neglect to focus their formidable strengths on bringing the redemption. Although these souls are the strongest, the light of redemption is not revealed through them. It is through the work of the souls that emerge from the union of Yaakov and Leah that the redemption will arrive. These souls naturally gravitate toward the Divine service of prayer and emunah. This is the deeper meaning of the verse, " " ; -This will be written for a generation to come [literally, the final generation], and a people that will be created will praise G-d.8 Our spiritual work in the end of days is to praise Hashem and pray to Him, since it is this avodah which will bring the ultimate redemption. The Weak Eyes of Leah Generally, the spiritual place of Leah [along the array of the sefiros in the anthropomorphized form of the Partzufim] is from the chest of Zeir Anpin and above. This represents praying in the usual sense for children, a healthy life, and sustenance. [One reason why this is prayer merely from the chest and up is because, although such prayers strengthen emunahthey generally do not enable one to overcome his baser nature. These prayers only affect the higher elements of a person but do not strongly affect his lower cravings.] After midnight, however, the union extends across the entire expanse of Zeir Anpin. This represents turning Torah concepts one has learned into prayers [as discussed by Rebbe Nachman at length]. These prayers are most often said with feeling and by definition are petitions regarding spirituality and are most often said with dveikus [and rarely by rote]. The ultimate redemption rests with those souls that emerge from this zivug. This is why the Arizal specifically revealed the deep kavanos in the prayers. [This itself is an
8

Tehillim 102:19 5

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aspect of turning prayer into Torah study, since when done correctly the kavanos enable us to grasp how high the prayers reach, which inspires tremendous dveikus.] This also explains why the Baal Shem Tov worked so hard to instill within people an understanding of the importance of praying with great focus and dveikus. The Arizal actually said that in the ultimate future, there will be a claim on those souls that grasped the greatness of prayer yet did not work to pray at length with dveikus. Why didnt they rise at midnight to recite Tikkun Chatzos? There is less of a claim on simple people who did not truly grasp the power of prayer. This is the deeper meaning of the verse, "" And Leahs eyes were weak [from weeping in prayer]...9 Leah, the paradigm of prayer, cries from neglect since people dont often focus on praying as they should. On the contrary; they rush through their prayers and sometimes even skip segments of it. All they really want is to discharge their obligation and get on with their lives. The verse continues, " "... - But Rachel was of beautiful and fair to look upon.10 Rachelwhich represents Torahis beautiful in peoples eyes. People spend as much time as possible learning, since Torah is important to them. The Torah of the Hidden Mind The Zohar states that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, his son Rabbi Elazar, and Rabbi Abba engaged in the Torah of Mochah Sesimaahthe deep Torah of the hidden mind. Although every mitzvah can be performed in a superficial manner, it can also be performed in a much deeper way through this deep Torah which reveals the mystery of the essential unity between the Jewish soul and its Creator that is achieved with each mitzvah. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai began this revelation, and the earlier Kabbalists expanded on his teachings by explaining how to connect with Hashem by focusing on His Names. The Arizal revealed much more regarding how to enter the path of yichudim
9

10

Bereishis 29:17 Ibid. 6

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through contemplating the Divine Names and the Partzufim. The Baal Shem Tov went even deeper, revealing how to properly make yichudim. In a vision, the Baal Shem Tov asked Moshiach when he will arrive, and Moshiach replied, When your wellsprings will spread and people will make yichudim and aliyos like you do. Clearly the kavanos are not merely technical, that one unthinkingly contemplates a Divine Name by rote. As the Maggid of Kozhnitz said, each Name discussed in the Arizals work is actually an opening, a kind of spiritual ladder to enter into the light of Divine yichudim. This is how the Baal Shem Tov explained the verse, "" From my flesh, I will see G-d.11 Despite our physicality, we can nevertheless make great yichudim and ascend to the highest spheres by truly seeing only Hashem in every experience. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov takes this a step further by explaining that one can experience the highest yichudim through practicing the 613 mitzvos. He reveals that one can attain the deep dveikus that Adam did before he sinned: to be always so absolutely connected to Hashem that one makes the yichudim of the mitzvos even when not physically engaged in the mitzvos. The verse states that at Sinai," - You did not see any image.12 The Tzemach Tzedek taught that this indicates that the Jewish people were not worthy at that time to reach the ultimate level of seeing Hashem. But in the future we will merit the fulfillment of the verse, "" , ' For you will see, eye to eye, Hashems return to Tzion.13 Hashem wishes for us all to reach this towering level, one that is accessed by those who merit to become truly expert in the avodah of yichudim. This aovodah is the true character of how to fulfill the holy Torah. It is not meant to be merely a series of mindless acts. One should use the mitzvos to come to true dveikus to Hashem. There are myriads of levels in dveikus. The first step is simply connecting to Hashem and that everything is from Him, as alluded to in the verse:
11 12

Iyov 26:19 Devarim 4:15 13 Yeshayah 52:8 7

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" " ' I set Hashem before me always.14 Above this level is the deeper path of connecting to Hashem through the inner dimension of the Torah. The next level is connecting to one of the Divine Names. Those on even a higher level ascend to the upper worlds and the realm of the holy Partzufim. One on this level grasps Hashem as He fills all worlds and surrounds all worlds. The next level is that one grasps the level of Adam before the sin. The Arizal reveals that at this ultimate level, Adam did not perform the mitzvos through physical actions but rather through Divine unifications. As the verse states, "" To work it and to guard it.15 [Adam was commanded to work and guard the Garden of Edena paradise that required no cultivation, and which did not need to be guarded from any marauding person or animal.] To work alludes to positive commandments, and to guard signifies that Adam fulfilled the negative commandments.16 [Since Adam sinned, the world became more material than it had been previously, and it is therefore impossible now to achieve or sustain this level without physically doing the mitzvos. Even so, one on this level is also connected to the deeper level of doing mitzvos through yichudim as well.] Every Jew is obligated to serve Hashem as Moshe did, every second of every day. Moshe saw Hashem, as the verse states: "" ' He beholds the image of Hashem...17 This indicates that he truly served Hashem in an aspect of Chochmah, truly grasping Hashems immanence even as he grasps Hashems transcendence. At the same time Moshe also attained the level of Arich Anpin. This is alluded to in the verse: " "My servant, Moshe...18 The level of Arich Anpin is reached by one who never stops being a servant of Hashem for even one instant. This indicates that he fulfills the 613 Torah commandments and the seven Rabbinic commandments as he deeply
14 15

Tehillim 16:8 Bereishis 2:16 16 Zohar II:165b 17 Bamidbar 12:8 18 Ibid. 7 8

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contemplates Hashems immanence and transcendence,. One who merits this level has grasped Kesser. This is alluded to in the numerical value of these mitzvos: 613+7= 620, the numerical value of Kesser. [20+400+200=620] On this level, one gives Hashem the greatest pleasure at all times. The War of Amalek This explains a seemingly enigmatic Midrash. Moshe had a difficult time understanding the form that the half-shekel was to take until Hashem showed him a coin of fire and said, "" This is what they shall give.19 As is well known, the Hebrew word, " "alludes to the Shechinah, which is the revelation of Hashems Kingship in the world. The main element of Malchus is [the desire to declare Hashem King in ones day-to-day life, which is achieved through] thinking about and deeply contemplating that Hashem is the ultimate reality. The Zohar states that every level can only be accessed through Malchus, yet people do not understand its greatness since appears to them to be very narrow. This is the significance of the verse, "- "I called out to G-d from the narrow place...20 Slthough emunah at first appears to be very constrained, one must merit the end of the verse, "..." G-d answered me from the wide-open place.21 Through connecting to emunah / Malchus despite the difficulty, one merits to add the two letters [ -which represent the Mochin mentalities] to [ -which represents the emotions and a lower state where everything seems difficult] and completes Hashems name. This is the main fight of Amalek in each generation: to prevent us from completing the Divine Name, as it were, by drawing down the light of the mochin through deep thought and contemplation of Hashem, each person according to his level. But one must not stay on one level. He should enter the depths of emunah through the kavanos and learn through the works of the holy Baal Shem Tov to understand the
19 20

Bamidbar Rabbah 12:3 Tehillim 118:5 21 Ibid. 9

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proper path of true dveikus. One must internalize that his entire life and every detail of it depends primarily on prayer, as the verse states: "" Prayer to G-d is my life.22 One must learn how to make every prayer fresh. His prayer for today should never resemble his prayer of yesterday or the day before. The tzaddik never prays in a stagnant manner. Every prayer is said with true dveikus and with new holy yichudim before Hashem. Every Jew has a spark of his soul that stems from Yaakov and Leah that prompts him to do the avodah of prayer that will bring Moshiach. It is our task to uncover and broaden this during every prayer of each day. The Union of Prayer The first step is the union between Yaakov and Leah before chatzos, which alludes to praying on a simple level [with as much fervor as one can by working to pay careful attention to the meaning of each word of prayer]. The next step is to connect to the union of Yaakov and Leah after chatzos. This alludes to making ones prayer an aspect of Torah through praying with dveikus and kavanos. This level is the level attained in the month of Shevat, which is represented by the letter / tzaddik. This is the avodah of tzaddikim who are always occupied with dveikus and yichudim. But the main tikkun is to achieve the level of Adar and change the aspect of night into day. This transformational third step is alluded to in the description of Rav Brunah who was glad the entire day because he juxtaposed his prayers with redemption.23 This is the yichud of kadrusah dtzafrah, of the dawn, where one joins the morning and night together with prayer. This indicates that one enters so completely into the light of emunah and dveikus that he truly feels completely subsumed in Hashem. At this level, one merits to attain the aspect of Adam before the sin and fulfills the 613 commandments by his deep contemplation and connection. This was the level required of the four who entered the pardes to enter and exit safely. This joining of redemption
22 23

Ibid. 42:9 Berachos 9b 10

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and prayer is symbolized by the placement of the Sanhedrin next to the altar. The altar represents ones Divine service, and the Sanhedrin represents the Torah. This teaches that ones avodah must reach the level where he fulfills the mitzvos of the Torah through it. This is the light of David HaMelech. On the one hand, the halachah always follows David, which indicates that he is the ultimate in Torah.24 Yet he says about himself, "" And I am prayer.25 The Rectification of Purim The Baal Shem Tov and Rebbe Nachman of Breslov revealed that these avodos are not merely the province of tzaddikim. On the contrary, they apply to every Jew who is connected to true tzaddikim and learns their holy works. By doing so, a spark of the tzaddik enters into a person such that even the most distant Jew can also make holy unifications. One may think this is a very strange thing: How can people so distant and lacking in good be brought to such a high level that they can make yichudim? This is actually the rectification of Purim. Even the most distant person puts on a completely new garment of holiness even though he is not fitting for it. [This is one reason why we wear costumes on Purim.] Although he has not yet done complete teshuvah in the areas of personal purity and his fulfillment of mitzvos, he can still make such a yichud. This person is aping the true tzaddikim who are worthy of performing yichudim, and his antics cause a very elevated degree of mirth on high. This is the holy aspect of a kof a monkey or ape. For in truth, every Jewish soul is completely distant from even the smallest sin. No Jew truly sins of his own volition. Every sin we violate is only at a superficial and external level. Our inner most selves always remain pure. When we reveal the ultimate laughter of the future by doing yichudim despite our shortcomings, we arouse our innermost identities and move ever closer to becoming our true selves.
24 25

Sanhedrin 93b Tehillim 109:4 11

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This is our task: to transform the elements of night, which represent the exile, into day, which alludes to the ultimate redemption. This explains the laughter of the entire month of Adar. We must be filled with mirth as if we were already tzaddikim. We must act like the tzaddikim even though we are not yet on their level. For in truth each of us is a tzaddik inside; it is our task to reveal this inner self. This then is the spiritual work of the month of Adar. This month is symbolized by the letter .At first we must ape the higher levels in an aspect of kof. If we are pleased with every spiritual effort we make and rely on Hashem to help us truly transform our actions by doing what we can, we transform this kof into kadosh, holiness, which also starts with the letter kuf. In this manner we merit the fulfillment of the verse, " " --, And it will come to pass that he who is left in Tzion and he who remains in Yerushalayim will be called holy.26 This is the aspect of holy mirth that is dominant during this month. May Hashem draw upon us the light of the holy tzaddikim through learning their holy works and fulfilling them. May we never be distanced from Hashem through feeling alone. We must believe in the tzaddikim who teach us that we are never truly lost. The Arizal reveals that the evil within always tries to erode our resolve by weakening our belief in the tzaddikim. In this vein, the Baal HaTanya taught that one can be a great sage and pray with fervor but still lack emunah in the tzaddikim. This is caused by having never eradicated the evil within which sometimes remains from earlier incarnations. Since such a person doesnt believe in the tzaddikim, he also doubts their levels or the importance of following their ways. Sadly, this causes him to completely miss fulfilling his mission in life [despite his learning and prayer, which are nonetheless very precious]. But one who believes in the tzaddikim will learn their words and merit the avodah of yichudim until the heavens are opened to him. As each person merits to
26

Yeshayah 4:3 12

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follow the way of the tzaddikim, their avodos that were formerly hidden will spread throughout the entire world and reveal the inherent holiness of each and every Jewish soul. We will then merit to see our righteous redeemer. He will come when we unify the avodos of Chochmah and Binah. This is the meaning of the [Tikkunei Zohar and the] Arizals statement that the soul of Moshiach is waiting in the heavenly chamber of Kan Tzippur, the birds nest. Kan is a nest and alludes to Imma / Binah [because it is the place where the mother dwells]. Tzippur is an allusion to Chochmah [since one can only access Chochmah by flying high above the seemingly mundane nature of this world].27 Let Your Soul Know Wisdom This is the meaning of: "" Let your soul (nefesh) know (dei) wisdom (Chochmah) and it will be a crown (Kesser) for your head.28 Nefesh is an aspect of prayer. With the advent of Adar one must prepare for Purim by recognizing the importance of prayer when it is created out of Torah and joined together with it. Through this, one ascends step by step until he fulfils the writings of the Baal Shem Tov, the Vilna Gaon, and their students and fulfills the deep unifications of dveikus and emunah that Adam was slated to perform before he sinned. This deep level is an aspect of Kesser; through rising incrementally in the avodos of prayer one comes to have a crown to his head. But this level can only be accessed if he fulfills the continuation of the zemer, ...Guard your holy Shabbos. Shabbos alludes to the righteous, and this indicates that one can only attain such great yichudim by being connected to tzaddikim and learning their works. One must truly believe in their greatness and trust that Hashem plants them in each generation. One who has not yet merited to believe in the greatness of the tzaddikim must repent and rectify the source of the evil within. He must trust in the tzaddikim who are an aspect of Mordechai HaTzaddik. It is only in this way that he can truly connect to the
27 28

Sefer Adam Yashar, inyan Tzelem Haadam From the Shabbos zemer Dror Yikrah, based on Mishlei 24:14. 13

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highest level of prayer which is joined to Torah and access the powerful luminescence of the oral Torah. This Torah is continuously renewed in every generation in an aspect of Megillas Esther. The megillah does not mention the Name of Hashem outright. There are only allusions in the first and last letters of certain verses. This teaches that the main yichudim cannot be attained by focusing on Hashems Name alone. One must understand that he needs to access the deep secrets that these Names unlock. He must climb the rungs of the ladder of true connection and fulfill the 613 Torah commandments and the seven main rabbinical ordinances through yichudim until he is on the level of Adam before the sin. In this way we will merit the true redemption speedily in our days. Amen.

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

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Nesiv Chaim 10b

Nesiv Chaim 10, Part 2

The Light of Bitul Nesiv Mitzvosecha, Nesiv Emunah, Pathway 2.3: "Know, that it is impossible for the Ohr Ein Sof to be enclothed [and descend via] any of the ten sefiros unless the light of Chochmah has first been enclothed within them. 'You have made them all with Wisdom'" All light that descends from above must be cloaked in a number of garments [or filters]. The light of Ein Sof is cloaked by Adam Kadmon, and this in turn is cloaked by Atzilus, and Atzilus in turn is cloaked by Chochmah. The reason why the light must first be enclothed within Chochmah before it can be revealed is expressed by a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, as passed down to the Maggid and transmitted by the Baal HaTanya. Chochmah is a synthesis of the two words, " the power of what"which indicates the state of bitul. [If we say that the sense of self is ,then or what is that of non-self, or bitul.] The only way that created beings can receive illumination from G-d is through nullifying themselves before Him. The ultimate root of all of the Torah's inner dimension is the revelation of Hashem's light, and this is only possible through Chochmah, which is bitul. The more bitul a person attains, the more Divine light he has access to. And this is also true of the organization of the worlds; each world that is higher than its fellow is only loftier because it has a greater degree of bitul to the Creator. This is why its light is higher. The world that is lower contains a greater degree of or the sense of self, and that is why its light is less. We learn from here that anyone who wants to enter into the inner dimension of Torah and the upper worlds [of dveikus]meaning, that he seeks to apprehend more and more of G-dmust nullify himself more and more. This world is very lowly and it is difficult to perceive Hashem here because it is filled with ,with the sense of self, ego and substance. The tzaddikim who reached lofty levels only managed to do it by
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divesting themselves from this world by way of bitul. And this is true of everyone who wishes to gain access to spiritualityhe must work through the pathway of bitul and also become [ to the degree that is possible for him]. This is the deeper sense of, "You made everything with Wisdom"all spirituality is only attainable through the aspect of Chochmah, the , which is bitul. (In general, all of the sefiros are bitul as well: bitul of self; bitul of awareness of external reality; absolute bitul; the bitul of love; the bitul of dread, etc. At each level [and in each way] one must nullify himself more and more before Hashem [to access a higher revelation of love, dread, etc.) The Quality of Chessed "So, in this way, the six 'extremities' [six sefiros of Ze'ir Anpin] can only receive the Ohr Ein Sof if the light of Chessed has been enclothed within them first. The reason for this is that all forms of shefa [Divine abundance] change as they descend, but this not true of Chessed, which is a primal light which illuminates from the end of the world (of) Atzilus until the lowermost point of the world of Asiyah. It does not become dense or lose its force, and its light is so great that it can mitigate ('sweeten') below just as it does above. 'But the eyes of the wicked shall fail'because of the abundance of its great light, it is impossible for the klippos to draw sustenance from the shefa that descends by way of Chessed. It is for this reason that all forms of shefa must be enclothed within it. But when the generation lacks merit, the shefa descends without the cloak of Chessed, and it alters and becomes dense and the klippos draw sustenance from it. This is why one must always ask [Hashem] for an unearned kindness [ ,] from the One who is the Master of ratzon [desire or will]" After having already learned that all apprehension of G-dliness is only possible through bitul which is the nature of Chochmah, the Komarna Rebbe now explains that the light can only descend from level to level by virtue of the light of Chessed. We will see that the descent of the light, of shefa or Divine abundance, is only mediated by the
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attribute of Chessed. When a person asks for something from G-d, it should be that he asks for it as a chessed, an unearned gift. If notif he asks through force and not by appealing to Hashem's unconditional love and kindnessthen it is possible for the klippos to take hold of it and draw from it. It is therefore necessary to only make requests of Hashem by appealing to His lovingkindness, by asking for an unearned gift. Two Forms of Dveikus We can now return to the original subject of our discussion, which is that there two basic forms of avodah. We have that of "generating a vessel" which is associated with Malchus, a level at which one feels the presence of Hashem in a truly direct manner, in the way of an "image." [Note: Not, chas v'shalom, to justify the ascribing of form to that which is Ineffable, rather this level is achieved by activating the faculty of the imagination. For example, the Ramban suggests one imagine he is surrounded by divine light as has already been discussed elsewhere.] Even though this level is very small compared to true dveykus nevertheless it is an important stage which empowers and enables a person to continue seeking genuine dveikus at a higher level. We have already learned that dveikus means bitul, and the more one nullifies himself before Hashem, the greater degree of dveikus he will attain. After one reaches a degree of "direct" dveikus, one must continue his avodah so that he can reach a degree of dveikus that is totally abstract in the sense that it involves no imaginative images. This higher form of "hidden" dveikus is the awareness that there is no reality but Hashem, and the more a person is steeped in this consciousness and intensifies it, the greater dveikus he experiences. This is also a kind of bitulit is a nullification of the "direct" and imagination-based form of dveikus in pursuit of something higher and more true. But one cannot attain this higher form without first developing the vessel of the "direct" form. In prior lessons we have explained the aspects of the "ear, nose and mouth" [of Adam Kadmon], so a brief summary should suffice. The light that emerges from the "ear" signifies the [Binah] contemplation of G-dlinessthis is the deep focus on the fact
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that there is no existence but G-d's, and it is the contemplation of yichud. The "nose" signifies the sense of Divine love and awe/dread. The "mouth" is to be understood straightforwardly: using the mouth to speak to Hashem. This last avodah gives rise to both lights and the vessels [to contain them]. On the surface, it appears as though this avodah is somehow lesser than the levels that preceded it because it is the "direct" form of dveikus which is arguably lower than that of love and awe. [The Arizal writes explicitly that yichudim are the highest level of connection to Hashem and that speech is lower.] However, this is not the case; it is specifically through the dveikus of the "mouth" that one becomes at all able to attain the "higher" dveikus of love and awe, of hisbonenus contemplation which is the "hidden" dveikus. This dynamic applies to all of our Divine service. If we apply the principle to Torah observance in general, we can understand clearly that if a person claimed to be able to attain genuine dveikus of love and awe without Torah study, prayer or fulfillment of mitzvos it would be completely false. Dveikus is impossible without Torah and mitzvos, because the Torah and its mitzvos are the vessel and "direct" form of dveikus, together with its more superficial emotional arousal and engagement of the imaginative faculty. It is only by investing in them and then using them as a springboard for higher avodah that it is possible to reach genuine dveikus of the "hidden" type. Now we turn to the teachings of the Arizal, in Sha'ar Ha'Akudim, Chapter 1: "Afterward, the lower ta'amim [that sit below the line of the letters]; they are analogues of the letters that emerge from the 'mouth' of Adam Kadmon, from there outward..." As we have already learned, this is the dveikus generated by the faculty of speech. "Here, the lights that emerge are joined together completely" Here, the inner and surrounding lights achieve total joining. "For they emerge from a single channel alone" Because two types of lights emerge from a single place, it means that they crash into one anotherthe surrounding lights bang into the inner lightsand from this contact a vessel is formed. "The reason for this is that the extent to which the lights gain distance [from their origin] and spread out below" Meaning, to a

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lowlier place. "To that extent does it become more possible to grasp them and receive them." If so, the "lower" form of dveikus associated with the mouth actually turns out to be much "higher"because it is what makes ascent to higher levels possible. There is a great value to the "direct" avodah of, "I place Hashem before me always"this is the sense of His presence. Through it, one can eventually reach a dveikus that is not resting upon the activation of the imagination and the visualization of something that can be sensed. "Since the surrounding and inner lights have already joined together as one, the formation of vessels has begun. At this stage, however, they are at the greatest degree of refinement [subtle spirituality], as will be explained, and so here only the aspect of a single vessels is revealed. The lights, however, subdivide into ten" The physical form of the human body is an analogue of the world of Adam Kadmon; the human being includes all of the worlds. His physical ear parallels the ear of Adam Kadmon which signifies hisbonenus; his nose parallels the nose of Adam Kadmon which is the root of love and awe; his mouth parallels the mouth of Adam Kadmon which is the root of speech, and it is the "mouth of Adam Kadmon" that generates the primary vessel. This vessel is the root of Malchus, the source of the imaginative faculty which serves as the means through which it is possible to feel the direct presence of Hashem, so to speak. The Lights of Akudim "These lights are called Akudim. The meaning of this can be discerned from the verse, 'And I lifted my eyes and saw in the dream, and behold the hegoats which leaped upon the flock were streaked, specked and grizzled [akudim, nekudim u'verudim].'1 The verse also says, 'I have seen all that Lavan does to you'2 This verse hints at the concept of which we speak here"
1 2

Bereishis 31:10 Ibid., 31:12 19

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A very deep concept that applies to avodas Hashem is being revealed to us herethe matter of, "Akudim, Nekudim u'Verudim." The concept of Akudim relates to the "mouth of Adam Kadmon," and afterward is the avodah of Nekudim which alludes to the shevirah [the primordial breakage of the vessels]. Later still, the aspect of Verudim signifies the work of rectification. In the world of Verudim, the vessels are stronger than they were originally, in the world of Akudim. [Note: This is similar to a teaching of the Rambam, that a rope that has been cut and then retied is stronger in the place of its new knot than it is at any other point of its length. This refers to the process of teshuvah, and as we learn here this dynamicthe original state, its breakage and then its repairis also true of all of the worlds.] Even though the "mouth of Adam Kadmon" is the source of all of the vessels [that developed later], nevertheless speech is not action. The dveikus that is achieved through action is stronger than that which is achieved through speech alone. If Hashem had not given us mitzvos of action to perform and had only given us the Torahif only dveikus of speech had been available to uswe would have surely attained a degree of dveikus. But it wouldn't have been complete. Through action mitzvos we are able to draw G-dliness down to the world of Asiyah, the world of action. And we know that action is the main thing. If a person does not fulfill action mitzvos he is completely at a distance from G-d, because we have learned that all of the worlds were only created in order that Hashem should have a dwelling place in the lower worlds. This means that He desired that the Jewish people would fulfill the 613 commandments of the Torah in action, literally, through use of all of their limbs and organs. By activating the 248 limbs in Divine service, they become a vehicle that expresses and carries the "248 limbs of the King." To come to this, however, it is necessary for there to be an intermediate stage between the upper degrees and the lower degrees, and this intermediate point is the mouth. The "ear" and the "nose" are internal [their avodah is that of contemplation and emotion, which are inner states], and even though we hear external noise via the ear and

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smell that which is external to us via the nose, nevertheless all of their processing is internal. The first point at which we see the formation of an external vessela more this-worldly manifestationis the mouth, which is the place of speech. This quality of speech is made use of to speak to Hashem, and it comprises two elements. On the one hand, it is somewhat more materialized and actualized than thought and contemplation; on the other, it is not physical at all since we find that it is essentially far easier to pray a great deal than it is to do a great many action mitzvos. This is because bringing mitzvah down to the level of real action demands that one make Hashem King in the lower places, in the lower worlds. It was the shevirah and the subsequent potential for repair that made it possible that G-dliness could be revealed all the way down in the world of action. Descending and Ascending Dveikus We are speaking here of the world of speech, rooted in the "mouth of Adam Kadmon," but it is important to realize that the power of speech is not merely to speak a great deal, but afterward to rise upon the acts of speech to a higher level of dveikus. When we recite the Shema, we begin with the upper yichud ' ' and the awareness it brings us to is that there is nothing but Hashem. Afterward we "descend" to the lower yichud when we recite Boruch Shemthis is the "crowning" of Hashem as King here down below by having awareness of His absolute dominion also in the experience of individuated existence. But it is not enough to remain in that state of "direct" dveikus; we must return to the root of the "hidden" and higher dveikus, which is again the loss of self-awareness and focus on Hashem's absolute existence alone. This is the deeper meaning of the verse, "I have seen all that Lavan does to you" Lavan represents the "supernal whiteness" [Lavninus Ha'elyon or Loven Ha'elyon]this is the absolute upper yichud which is "all whiteness." [Note: Rav Nosson of Breslov explains that Lavan's source was in this supernal place, but he corrupted it. Instead of reaching the fiftieth gate of holiness where everything is the
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absolute oneness of Hashem, Lavan connects to this oneness to lie and misrepresent something bad as good, since in the source everything is one. This is why he is called Lavan; he whitens every bad to good and can provide an answer to allow any sin. The very word ,forms a conjunction for ' , allowing the heart to access the fifty gates of impurity.] This light is meant to be drawn down to the place of action ["all that Lavan does ( )to you"] so that it can be made palpable in the world of Akudim, by speaking to Hashem and using the power of speech for Torah study and prayer. Afterward, it is to be drawn down even further, to the place of Nekudim and Verudim, by serving Hashem through the actual fulfillment of mitzvos. But this process is not meant to be a masking or dilution of the original light; it should be "all that Lavan does to you"the supernal whiteness of absolute yichud must descend straight and uncorrupted, and then be returned in a rectified state to its source. This is the sum total of all avodah. As the Kotzker Rebbe taught on the verse, "And you shall know today and restore it to your heart, that Hashem is G-d in the heavens above and upon the earth below, there is nothing else"there is no other avodah other than knowing that Hashem is G-d both above and below. This is the man element of serving Hashem. "And he began with Akudim, because they are the lights that emerge from the mouth of Adam Kadmon, and it was in them that the existence of vessels began to be revealed, by becoming these ten lights that are both inner and surrounding. They are joined and bound together as one within a single vessel, and for this reason they are called Akudim [which indicates binding]. As the verse says, 'And he bound Yitzchak his son'meaning that he tied him, as we will explain" The fact is that the vessel within the world of Akudim is not a true vessel; it is only that in the world of Atzilus [which is below that of Adam Kadmon], it serves as the root and source of all of the vessels [that will eventually emerge]. Within it, there are ten other vessels, and they are the means through which G-dliness will come to be revealed in action. But at this prior level of Akudim, we remain in the world of speech which is only slightly more material than thought and feeling. At this primary stage, the vessel is
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still "single" [it has not yet diversified into its actual vessels], and it serves as a bridge between the completely abstract mochin which are the lights of the "ear" and the "nose", and the actual vessels of action. Subduing Evil There are times when a person might feel that the fulfillment of mitzvos is difficult for himthis is what the Zohar Hakadosh calls a kind of evil, in the sense of, "And to the wicked, G-d said, 'What is it to you, to speak of My laws?'" This does not mean actual evil in the simple sense, like a wicked person who is evil through and through. We are speaking here of an essentially good person who, in a moment of weakness, has fallen into a bad state, where he finds that he has to struggle to perform a mitzvah. He is at war with the klippah into which he has fallen. When a person is in that place, it is important for him to know that when he applies himself to fulfill the mitzvah in any case, he is killing off the sitra achra. It's as though, by tying on his tefillin, he is binding and strangling the sitra achra. This is not only true of tefillin, but also of every single mitzvah. This can also be the case when a person is studying Torah and his heart is hardly in it; he has to struggle to continue and he finds it bitter and burdensome. This bitterness that a person can feel while fulfilling a mitzvah is actually the means through which the person takes the sitra achra and breaks it, and he now has a hand in breaking down all of the klippos that exist in the world. He literally draws down G-dliness to the lower worlds, and this is the ultimate purpose of creation. This is a very difficult form of Divine service, however, and in order to accomplish it properly one must have first activated the more refined vessel, which is that of speech: to speak out one's heart to Hashem. For a person who is immersed in dveikus of the mind, it is something of a step down to begin speaking with Hashem. There is less delight in it, and one does not feel the same degree of yichud. Nevertheless, it is specifically this descent that allows a person to build the intermediate vessel of speech, which then enables him to draw G-dliness down to the lowest places, to the world of action.
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"But the higher lights of the ears and the nose were not discussed in this verse, because the formation of a vessel is not yet revealed in them. Later, further on with G-d's help, we will explain the aspects of Nekudim and Verudim" The Torah mentions Akudim, Nekudim u'Verudim but not the levels that are higher than Akudim, higher than the letters [and speech]. That is the level of dveikus that is very lofty, completely in the mind, and it is the root of all dveikus. However, there is also dveikus at levels below that of the letters. The Baal Shem Tov taught that when a person prays he has to take the letters and the words and illuminate them. This is what is meant by the verse, "Make a tzohar [source of light] for the ark [ = word]." When a person prays without feeling dveikus it means that he has the further work of contemplation either before or after having spoken, until he develops a more refined vessel so that the light can shine. When he does this, he will come to feel G-dliness. Thought, after all, is higher than speech, and through activating his thoughts he will be able to illuminate the word. Until he has uttered the word, he has not yet drawn down Elokus to the vessel, and it is still possible to think about the words and illuminate them. When he does this before speaking, it is not like doing it afterward [and having to catch up], because the latter work involves uplifting the word that is without vitality and light, not infusing it with light before it was said. This is mainly the work of tzaddikim who uplift the prayers throughout all of the worlds by bringing lights to the vessels. This illumination allows the tzaddikim to bring the words back up to their place above that of the vessels. But it is only possible to uplift them once they have already been formed and brought down to the world. When a person illuminates his prayer properly, then throughout his day he can later fulfill the mitzvos in action still bound up with his prayer, and those mitzvos are empowered by the vessel of prayer.

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

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