Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Chukas

Shalosh Seudos1 of Parshas Chukas 5766

" ' ' : "... And Hashem spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying: This is the Torahs decree as commanded by Hashem: Speak to the Jewish people and have them bring you a completely red heifer, which has no blemish, and which has never had a yoke upon it.2 The Pesiktah asks why this sacrifice has to be brought from a heifer, a female cow, unlike most others which are brought from the male of their species. In answer, it cites the opinion of Rav Eivoh: This could be compared to a serving womans son who soiled the kings palace. When the king heard of this he said, Let the serving woman come and clean her offsprings filth off the palace floor.3 It is well known that the first set of tablets that were shattered after the sin of the golden calf were on a higher spiritual plane than the second pair that came to replace them. The first set was rooted in the Tree of Life, an aspect of the hidden realm of Torah. The second set was rooted in the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, an aspect of the revealed Oral Torah, or more specifically the Mishnah. The Mishnah is compared to a maidservant, or matrenusah.4 Although we blemished the first tablets and had to be satisfied with the second set, the first tablets were not completely nullified. On the contrary, the holy Arizal taught that even today the purpose and rectification of the world is to return to serving Hashem in the spirit of the first set of tablets.5 This aspect can be achieved through the mitzvah of Parah Adumah, the red Heifer. [Note: At Sinai,
The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos. Bamidbar 19:1-2 3 Pesiktah D Rav Kahana 4:8 4 See introduction of Rav Chaim Vital to Shaar Hahakdamos, Eitz Chaim, Shaar 49:3 and Shaar Hagilgulim, Hakdamah #36. 5 From the commentary of the Arizal on Pirkei Avos.
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before the sin, the Jewish people tasted immortality. The sin of the golden calf reduced them again to vulnerability to death and decay. Since the red heifer sacrifice is the means through which the impurity associated with death is lifted, it is a rectification for the taint of death brought on by the golden calf. Let the serving woman come and clean her offsprings filth.] TammuzThe Time of Repentance Approaches The red heifer embodies repentance and purification. Our sages taught that we will only be redeemed as a result of genuine repentance.6 Repentance is actually the main purpose of existence that will be achieved in the ultimate future. As the verse states: "" ' For then will I turn to the nations a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Hashem to serve Him united as one.7 Repentance is the deepest depths, since everyone really wants to repent. All desire to fear Your Name.8 This is especially true regarding the month of Tammuz, since the very word Tammuz alludes to repentance. As Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught, Tammuz is an acronym for the times of repentance approach. In Hebrew: "." Every person seeks out the proper path for them to achieve closeness to Hashem. There are two essential paths to repentance: the path of the first tablets, and the path of the second. A person on the first path focuses on Yichudah Ilaah, on the Upper Unification. This entails knowing and recognizing that "" nothing exists besides Hashem.9 The second path is the one of Yichudah Tataah, the Lower Unification.10

Sanhedrin 97b Tzefaniah 3:9 8 This is echoed in Nechemiah 1:11 and in the prayer of Rabbi Tanchum, as brought in Berachos 33a. 9 Devarim 4:35 10 Tanya, Shaar Hayichud Vhaemunah, chapter 7.
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The first path entails a certain danger, however. One who focuses too much on the fact that everything is from Hashem can begin to feel that there is no need to repent at all. After all, is not everything from Hashem? Was not the fact that I did wrong also a manifestation of Divine providence? One who feels this way has fallen from the true expression first path to the second lower path, at the very least! This is similar to the explanation that the Maggid of Kozhnitzs offered upon the verse, " " that has no blemish, that never bore a yoke. If one feels that he need not repent since he has no blemish, it is a sure sign that he has never really assumed the yoke of Hashems Kingship. [Such a person is exploiting his lack of understanding of Hashems nature to free himself from any obligation, since everything is from Hashem.] The Hebrew word for blemish""-is actually the final segment of what is known as the 72 Name since it comprises 72 triads.11 This Name represents Chochmah / Wisdom, which parallels the Yichudah Ilaah. While a person focuses on this Name, he must remain aware of his spiritual flaws. He is so far from truly serving Hashem because of these blemishes in his spiritual makeup. This Name represents the world of angels. The word blemish [mem (40) vav (6) and mem (40)] has the numerical equivalent to the name Elo-him. [aleph (1) lamed (30) hei (5) yud (10) mem (40) = 86] The Name Elokim12 represents judgment, an aspect of the six lower sefiros Chessed / Kindness, Gevurah / Judgment, Tiferes / Beauty, Netzach / Victory or Endurance, Hod / Splendor, Yesod / Foundation.13 These lower six sefiros are external compared with the higher sefiros of Chochmah / Wisdom, Binah / Understanding, Daas / Knowledge. This teaches us that even when one enters the aspect of deep contemplation of Hashems immanence, he must be aware of his own distance and the fact that such contemplation is not his by right but is merely a gift from Hashem. We are
Pri Eitz Chaim, Krias Shema, Chapter 1 Out of respect, we substitute letters of the Divine Name with kuf when pronouncing it aloud. 13 There are ten sefiros, or channels of Divine influence, that break down into the upper three known as Mochin / Mentalities, the lower six as described above, and the final sefirah of Malchus / Kingship.
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not really entering the inner sanctum of the King, since we arent really worthy because of our flaws. One who feels spiritually perfect as a result of contemplating Hashems existence is actually very far from holiness. Water, Water Our Rabbis tell us that Rabbi Akiva warned the four who entered Paradise: When you arrive at the stones of marble dont say, water water. As the verse states: He who speaks falsely will not be established before My eyes.14 The upper waters represent Hashem and the lower represent the creation. When one approaches the avodah, the service of the upper waters, he must understand that although he needs to correct his faults through repentance, he must not act as though there are two separate waters, above and below. This is false. When one reaches purity of the upper waters he must realize that everything is one and there is absolutely no division between the Creator and His creation. In this high place, everything is an absolute unity. If he cannot maintain consciousness of this, he is falsifying in this high place and does not deserve to be there. Of course, on the surface this seems to contradict what was just said. Does one retain an awareness of his spiritual blemishes when in the state of Yichudah Ilaah or not? Is this absolute unity not the opposite of remembering ones individual spiritual faults? This is the deep mystery of the parah adumah, the red heifer. The Arizal explained that the parah adumah is an aspect of Binah that also stems from Malchus.15 This is the root reason why the ashes of the heifer have the paradoxical effect of purifying the impure while also defiling the pure when lifted not for their intended purpose. It has an aspect both of Binah, with which it purifies the impure, and Malchus, with which it imparts impurity on the pure. This is because Binah is an aspect of the upper waters, while Malchus is an aspect of the lower waters. What one grasps of the
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Chagigah 14b Sefer Halikutim, Parshas Chukas, 19 6

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Creator is an aspect of Binah, while what one must rectify and correct is an aspect of Malchus. This is reflected in the statement of the sages: There is only a hairsbreadth of difference between the upper and lower waters.16 A hair, nimah, often refers to the aspect of Yesod, Foundation.17 This teaches that the first step of the avodah of the parah adumah is that a person has a sense that he is defiled, that he has flaws. Only then can he become purified through the aspect of Yichudah Ilaah, where everything exists in a state of unity with Hashem. It is only when one yearns for such spiritual completion because he is aware of his faults that he knows that he has advanced properly to an aspect of Yichudah Ilaah. One who feels righteous cannot enter into this process. If he tries, he will fall into the aspect of the red heifer with the power to defiling the pure. Spiritually, this means that the heifer confers impurity on one who feels he is flawless and pure. The Megaleh Amukos writes that the inner essence of the parah adumah is aligned with klipas nogahthe area just outside of the realm of holiness that comprises a mixture of good and evil.18 If one perverts the aspect of parah adumah as described before, one falls into a confused mixture of good and evil. We see, then, that the parah adumah contains elements of Binah, Yesod, Malchus, as well as klipas nogah. This is symbolized by the form of the letter alef, which depicts the bridging of the upper and lower waters to make a single unity. [The gematria of alef is one.] One who blemishes this falls from the upper waters into klipas nogah. But if he grasps the Yesod, that hairsbreadth link that connects the upper and lower waters, he reveals that he is still aware of his blemishes and yet yearns to enter the upper waters. To accomplish this, he must know that everything is one unity. He must not blemish the unity by saying water, waterby acting as though there are two types of water, rather than absolute unity.
Chagigah, 15a See Kehilas Yaakov under Nimah. 18 Megaleh Amukos, Parshas Chukas; Klipas nogah literally means, the shining husksee Yechezkel 1:4the shining husk is the innermost and final of the four klippos that preceded Yechezkels vision.
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Miriams Well This is expressed in the song of Miriams well: " " Then the Jewish people sang this song: Rise, O well, respond to [this song].19 The well is an aspect of the feminine element of Yesod, which is related to the nimah, or hair. This is the hairsbreadth of awareness of ones flaws that is vital for the person who continually yearns for Hashem. Beer, well, also represents the masculine element of Yesod, since the word beer comprises the same letters as the word eiver.20 The upper waters represent Hashems transcendence, while the lower waters represent His immanence. These aspects are also parallel that hierarchical relationship between the teacher and his studentthe one in the superior position always longs to give to the one in the subordinate position. This is what it means to always strive for the level of the first luchos, and this is expressed in the Name Makom, Place, since one knows that Hashem is absolutely unique and draws the entire world, everyone in every place, to repentance. One who wishes to access this pinnacle of holiness must realize his impurity, which is the starting point of repentance. Although one must feel blemished even as he approaches the aspect of Yichudah Ilaah, he must not feel so blemished that he forgets that Hashem will surely purify him completely and enable him to fulfill his spiritual potential. Feeling the former while forgetting the latter could lead a person to give up completely, G-d forbid. Such forgetfulness and despair is yet another manifestation of making too much of a distinction between the upper and lower waters. Even so, one needs to have a sense of his blemish to arouse within himself an intense yearning for Hashem. This yearning enables him to access the lofty level of Arich Anpin, the Long Face, an expression of Raavah Draavin, Hashems ultimate will.21 One who accesses Yichudah Ilaah doesnt distinguish between the lower and upper waters since he truly
Bamidbar 21:17 Eiver means limb and often refers to the masculine member. See Shaar Hapesukim, Vayeitzei 28 21 Arich Anpin is another way of referring to Malchus within the uppermost sefirah of Kesser / Crown.
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understands that Hashem orchestrates the entire creation. One must elevate the beer, the waters of Malchus, completely. Rashi writes that Moshe grasped the secret of parah adumah, and so it will always be called after his name.22 Moshe always draws the aspect of continual teshuvah and yearning upon the Jewish people. One needs to enter the Heichal Livnas Hasapir, the heavenly Chamber of Sapphire Stone, where one uses his flaws to empower him to truly yearn for Hashems salvation so that Hashem will truly purify him. The seeker then exists in a state of complete unity with the upper waters since Hashem is the one who purifies him through his being completely subsumed in Him. The Desert Serpents There are two issues that can deter a person from accessing the aspect of the parah adumah. He may not continually yearn for Hashem, and he may not truly believe that Hashem will purify even him even if he does long for purity. This helps to explain the episode of the serpents in the desert. The serpents represent the evil within the Jewish people that blocked their divine service, and that can block ours as well. To rectify this, Hashem tells Moshe to put a snake on a banner. This indicates that in order to defeat the snake, the evil within, one must lift it up to its source above. We find in the Talmud that a snake resembles the shape of a persons spine.23 The Vilna Gaon explains that the head of the snake parallels the base of the spine, while the tail of the snake parallels the site of the knot of the head tefilin. This point is associated with the aspect of Leah.24 Hashem told Moshe at the burning bush to grab the tail of the snake.25 If one wants to be relieved of the potential damage of the snake he must grab it by the tail which corresponds to his own head. This indicates that one needs to repent by entering the higher realms of Yichudah Ilaah, the upper waters which are
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Rashi on Bamidbar 19:2 Bava Kama 16a. 24 Eitz Chaim, Shaar 4, chapter 3 25 Shemos 4:4 9

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in the realm of thought. One must not only repent in deed, but one must also resolve to purify ones thoughts. The Light in the Firmament The Zohar explains that one draws the Upper Waters down to the Lower through the elements of Light, Water, and the Firmament 62., , Ones head is an aspect of light. It is the seat of all ones potential and is associated with masculine energies. The lower parts of a person are an aspect of the firmament, which is the feminine energy of action: the ability to actualize potential. This is the inner meaning of the verse that describes four things that are unknown: "" The way of a serpent upon a rock27 We understand this more clearly when we juxtapose it with Hashems instructions to Moshe: " " speak to the rock.28 The main way to neutralize the serpent and break through the stone-like barrier of evil within is through the power of speech. Through speech, one will understand how to repent. Speech is an aspect of light, as in the verse: "" The opening of Your words give light29 One must understand how to repent by connecting to Hashem in an aspect of Yichudah Ilaah, through doing holy Yichudim, and experiencing dveikus30 to Hashem. It is not enough to only reach the aspect of the firmament that represents action. [Note: The source of light is above the firmament, but it is the light of the Source that fills the firmament. This is the illumination of holy acts through holy thought.] This was the content of Hashems argument about the failing of Moshe and Aharon: "" For you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me before the entire Jewish people.31 It is not enough to merely follow the

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Zohar II:167a; Pardes Rimonim, Shaar 8, chapter 20; Eitz Chaim, Shaar 11, chapter 6. Mishlei 30:19 28 Bamidbar 20:8 29 Tehillim 119:130 30 Dveikus is the spiritual, mental, and emotional state of bonding with Hashem. 31 Bamidbar 20:12 10

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path of the second tablets, the path of action and repentance over any bad one may have done. One cannot withstand the serpents and idolatry as steeped in negativity as Baal Peor through this path alone.32 One must elevate the serpents to their source by connecting to the upper waters, as explained already at great length. One must truly yearn for Hashem and trust that He will turn everything bad to good and blessing. Continual yearning does not mean that one never falls. Even if one falls, one can access an aspect of continuous yearning by striving for Hashem with his entire self. The main thing is the quality of yearning. This caliber of yearning enables one to convert the water of Torah, into lightinto pure dveikus, connection with Hashem. Moshe struck the rock, however. He thought that the Jewish people were in danger of falling to klippas Nogah, into the confusion of good and evil which one can easily fall to when endeavoring to access the aspect of parah adumah. This was why he hit the rockto represent forging a different path. To first correct ones actions and only then to try and access Yichudah Ilaah. However, Hashem didnt approve of this path, since the true way to rectify the snake is to raise it up to the Source. This is all the more true now, when the time for teshuvah of Tammuz is approaching. We must grab the snake by its tail and elevate it to the Source. We must follow the path of the true tzaddikim: yearning for true closeness to Hashem while singing a new song to Him, a song of faith that He will transform us to true tzaddikim. The Path of the Tree of Life The verse states in Koheles: " "Hashem made man upright, but they sought many calculations.33 Hashem created us to learn Torah and pray with intense dveikus. We started out with the capability to naturally follow the path of the Tree of Life. This is the way of Yichudim that would have enabled us to enter into and enjoy many spiritual worlds. " "' To gaze upon the pleasantness of Hashem and visit in His
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Bamidbar 25:1-9 Koheles 7:29 11

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chamber.34 But we chose instead to go in the path of many calculations. We fall into the trap of working on bettering ourselves spiritually while forgetting Hashems love and closeness. The only real way to rectify ourselves is to lift the snake on a banner, to connect to the Source. This is the meaning of the verse: " " Make for yourself a serpent and place it on a banner, and all who have been bitten will see it and live.35 This is referring to raising the snake to its source by following the path of the Tree of Life. As the verse states, "" And choose lifego in the path of the Tree of Life. If we tread this spiritual pathway we will certainly correct the Tree of Knowledge as well. Moshe and the Parah Adumah The main way to truly follow this path is to connect to a true tzaddik. This is the significance of the fact that Parah Adumah is always associated with Moshes name. This explains the words of Shlomo HaMelech: "" I said, I will become wise, but it is far from me.36 The wisdom that Shlomo HaMelech sought was the understanding of the paradoxical nature of the parah adumah.37 When one wishes to connect to the Yichudah Ilaah, the light of Chochmah, he must know that he is far. He can only attain this greatness by connecting to Moshe Rabbeinu who really did understand the secret of this mitzvah. The Zohar states that in the sixth millennium, the staff of Moshe will be discovered.38 Of course, this is the staff that turned into a snake. As the verse says: "" And the staff that turned into a snake, take it in your hand.39 This signifies that before the final redemption we will be empowered to access the towering level of the first tablet, the pathway of the Tree of Life. This is the

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Tehillim 27:4 Bamidbar 21:8 36 Koheles 7:23 37 Yoma 14a 38 Source not provided in original. 39 Shemos 7:15 12

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path that the Baal Shem Tov revealed when he asked Moshiach when he will arrive and Moshiach replied, When your maayanos, your wellsprings, spread outward. This was the path of the tzaddikim, to make Yichudim and transform the water of Torah into the light of dveikus. They rectified everything at its source by continually yearning for true connection to Hashem with their entire being. Although they didnt make distinctions when in the Upper Waters, they still were able to maintain the yearning through the nimah, that hairsbreadth of their blemishes that require repair. 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.40 One path is to connect the aspect of Chochmah to the nefesh, and to convert the aspect of water associated with the nefesh to ohr, the illumination of Chochmah. Then it will be a crown for your head. Through yearning, one comes to the level of ravah dravin, will of wills, which is sourced in Kesser / Crown, as discussed above. In this way one rectifies the blemish of Moshe striking the rock at the waters of Merivah. Even when entering the highest place, one continues to yearn regardless of the fact that he recognizes that everything is Elokus and it is all absolute unity. This inspires ever more yearning for closeness to Hashem and further rectification. One then does even more teshuvah, which is an aspect of, guard your holy mitzvah, observe your holy Shabbos. [Note: Shabbos is the embodiment of the neverending cycle of yearning and repentancethe name Shabbos itself means shavtayou repented. All of this is alluded to in the form of the letter alef.41] This is why the haftorah of Chukas is: "" And Yiftach of Gilead was a powerful warrior42 Yiftach represents the illumination of

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From the Shabbos zemer Dror Yikrah, based on Mishlei 24:14. Likutei Moharan I:6 42 The haftorah is the weekly portion of the prophets that parallels, and is read after, the weekly Torah portion. Shoftim 11:1 13

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Chochmah, since Chochmah is referred to as ""The opening of Your words give light43 This is an aspect of the Upper waters. All spiritual delights are included in the world, are part of the Yichudah Taatah, the lower yichud. And this is especially true when a Jew feels a connection to all his fellow Jews and to the Torah. Sometimes Hashem deprives a person of this pleasure in order to enable him to access the Yichudah Ilaah. Sometimes it is only through loss and the longing that it engenders that we come to realize that Hashem is our portion. As the verse states: "" ' You are children to Hashem, your G-d.44 We see this with Yiftach. When he was shamed by his brothers, it says: "" And he settled in a goodly landthis means that he came to true dveikus.45 This is indicated by the word tov, good, which has the same numerical value as the first letters of the verse: " " the heavens and the earth.46 Sometimes Hashem gives a bounty which is an aspect of the lower waters, aretzthe earth. At other times, He shines upon us the light of shamayim, the heavens, which is an aspect of the upper waters. The verse tells us that eventually Yiftach becomes a katzin, an officer. This means he will truly unify the upper and lower watersthat he will connect the two extremes or kitzvos. This is the song of Miriams well. In addition to the spiritual pleasures of a new song, one enters and is included in the Yichudah Ilaah. Hashem should help us draw true understanding down into this world and merit to repent during these days as teshuvah approaches so that we will truly return to Hashem. May we merit to be redeemed through this repentance, and may our eyes see Your return to Tzion in mercy, speedily and in our days. Amen.

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

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Eitz Chaim, Shaar 8, chapter 1; Tehillim 119:130 Devarim 24:1 45 Shoftim 1:3 46 Bereishis 1:1; See Sode Yesharim II:2 14