Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Tala debedolcha
טלא דבדולחא
The crystal dew (tala debedolcha)
Tala debedolcha (“crystal dew”): the moisture of the hidden brain (Mocha Stima’ah), identified as Gevurah of Atik clothed there; above hishtalshelus, source of hidden Chochmah, the manna, purity and the dew of resurrection.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 27, ¶9Dew is never withheld because it comes down from a place far above hishtalshelus, the place from which the manna came, called tala debedolcha. It is one of the seven tikkunim of the Gulgalta: as the human brain has a spiritual moisture, the element of water that houses the intellect, so tala debedolcha is the moisture of the hidden brain. Being above the start of hishtalshelus, sin does not hold it back.
כך עד״מ זהו ענין טלא דבדולחא לחלוחית דמו״ס כו׳ והוא למעלה מהתחלת ההשתלשלות
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 5, ¶22The drawing down of the thirteen attributes of mercy is called “I will sprinkle pure water upon you,” and the Zohar says they are from tala debedolcha, Gevurah of Atik Yomin clothed in Mocha Stima’ah. Purity is rooted in Gevurah: not ordinary Gevurah of Atzilus but Gevurah of Atik, source of purity and of the supernal holiness, the wholly sweetened Gevuros that Malchus at its highest ascent receives from.
שהם מבחי׳ טלא דבדולחא שהוא גבורה דע״י המלובשת במו״ס
- Likkutei Torah, Reeh 9, ¶7David was “ruddy, with beautiful eyes”: Malchus is built from Gevurah, yet this Gevurah is the truth of Chesed. So too the “line of measure,” Gevurah of Atik clothed in Mocha Stima’ah, is tala debedolcha, like crystal: white in color, yet red hues are seen in it.
גבורה דע״י המתלבשת במו״ס טלא דבדולחא כעין הבדולח גוון לבן אלא דגווני סומקי אתחזי ביה
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 3, ¶7The manna, “bread from heaven,” is rooted in the source of the supernal Chochmah: “its appearance like crystal” is tala debedolcha, the source of the hidden Chochmah, and the Zohar’s “food of the wise” means food for the coming into being of Chochmah ilaah. Drawn from above time, it was absorbed in the limbs without waste, since its root is above Tohu, the root of all refinements.
ועינו כעין הבדולח דהיינו בחי׳ טלא דבדולחא מקור החכמה סתימאה וכמ״ש בזהר מזונא דחכימא
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7, ¶47The souls cannot receive the delight of Or Ein Sof itself except through a great contraction; their souls flew out toward Or Ein Sof, the source of delight, to draw the delight of the souls from there. The dew with which G‑d revived them, the dew that will revive the dead, is tala debedolcha: the drawing of the supernal delight into Gan Eden, the delight of the souls.
הוא ענין טלא דבדולחא שהוא בחי׳ המשכת ענג העליון לג״ע תענוג הנשמות
Stated differently
Whether the water of purification (mei chatas) draws tala debedolcha itself or only its remnants
ונקראים רק שיורי טלא והיינו כדי לטהר טמא מתThe sprinkled water of purification is “the remnants of tala debedolcha”: the flow drawn through the mazal of “nozer chesed,” called only remnants, enough to purify one impure from the dead. The resurrection itself will come through revelation of the essence of the “dew of lights.”
ממשיכים מבחי׳ קדש העליון טלא דבדולחא בהמים חיים היינו התלבשות גבורה דעתיק במו״סIn sanctifying the water of purification, the ash of the heifer raises mayin nukvin, and through it one draws from the supernal holiness, tala debedolcha, into the living water: the clothing of Gevurah of Atik in Mocha Stima’ah, drawn into Chochmah ilaah (offered as “it is possible to say”).
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 27, ¶9Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 1, ¶25Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 5, ¶22Likkutei Torah, Eikev 3, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Reeh 9, ¶7Torah Ohr, Yisro 7, ¶47
Where it appears
In 22 paragraphs of 17 maamarim.
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 2 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 12 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 2 ¶3 ¶14 ¶17 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 1 ¶25 ¶36
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 27 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7 ¶47
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 3 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 2 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 3 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 1 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 9 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 3 ¶7 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 5 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 4 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 8 ¶19
Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.