Parshas Nasso

The maamarim 8

1. 1 נשא את ראש בני גרשון וגו׳ “Lift up the head of the sons of Gershon” The Mishkan journeyed through the wilderness to subdue the kelipos by revealing G‑dliness, and every person must do the same with the wilderness of his own evil inclination. The three Levite families who carried the Mishkan are the stages of that service: Merari the lower awe of standing and nullified will, Gershon the love drawn down from Aharon, and Kehas the higher awe that comes through the Torah. Maamar 1.35 paragraphs~1 h 5 min164 sourcesEnglish
2. 2 ביאור ע״פ נשא An explanation of [the verse] “Take a count (Nasso)” The Sanctuary is the vessel in which G‑d’s two “hands,” the encompassing light (the right) and the light that fills the worlds (the left), are truly joined, through a third, “uplifted” hand drawn from the Infinite itself. The three Levite families embody these three hands: Merari the awe of the left, Gershon the Chesed of the right, and Kehas, bearer of the Torah, the higher union that binds everything to G‑d’s essence. Maamar 2.Biur41 paragraphs~2 h 15 min323 sourcesEnglish
3. 3 וידבר ה׳ כו׳ נשא את ראש בני גרשון… “And Havayah spoke, etc.: Lift up the head of the sons of Gershon, they too” The Mishkan and its Levites exist in every Jew: the Mishkan is the union of G‑d’s encompassing will with the light that fills the worlds, and the Levites are the powers of the soul that raise it when it has descended, Gershon by nullifying one’s will, Kehas through Torah and mitzvos, and Merari through steady, measured service. Maamar 3.25 paragraphs~1 h 30 min187 sourcesEnglish
4. 4 כתיב ה׳ יחתו מריבו וגו׳ It is written, “Havayah—those who contend with Him shall be shattered” Those who “contend with Havayah” are Gevuros cut off from Chesed, which want judgment for its own sake. They are shattered only when the unlimited Chesed of Arich Anpin, rav chesed, is drawn down through Abba and Imma into Z’eir Anpin, as the two-part cantillation on the Name shows; and this drawing-down, beyond the natural order, comes through the prayer of tzaddikim like Moshe. Maamar 4.16 paragraphs~45 min86 sourcesEnglish
5. 5 כה תברכו את בני ישראל אמור להם יברכך… “Thus shall you bless the Children of Israel, saying to them” (Numbers 6:23) The three verses of the Priestly Blessing follow the order of the soul’s service and G‑d’s response: “May Havayah bless you” is the ascent of prayer that raises the letters and sparks in food; “make His face shine” is Chochmah revealed in answer, through the Torah; and “lift up His face” raises the influx above the chain of worlds, so that, drawn down through the vessel of peace, it gathers even what is too small to rise. That is why G‑d “lifts up His face” to Israel, who bless Him even over an olive’s bulk. Maamar 5.19 paragraphs~55 min156 sourcesEnglish
6. 6 ביאור ע״פ כה תברכו כו׳ “Thus shall you bless,” etc. (Numbers 6:23) The three verses of the Priestly Blessing are three kinds of arousal from above: a blessing that empowers man’s service, the mayin duchrin that answer his mayin nukvin, and a blessing from above the measuring line, through which even a small offering, an olive’s bulk, holds the blessing as fully as a large one. That is why G‑d “lifts up the face” to Israel, and peace, made by Torah study, is the vessel that holds this blessing. Maamar 6.Biur27 paragraphs~1 h141 sourcesEnglish
7. 7 זאת חנוכת המזבח ביום המשח אתו מאת נשיאי… “This is the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed” Offerings and prayer raise up the animal soul: through contemplation its own desire, rooted in the angels of the Chariot, is stirred into a fiery love that surpasses the G‑dly soul’s natural love. Every such new beginning first needs an encompassing “glory,” as the princes’ incense and precious vessels came on the day of the anointing, before the altar’s regular “eating.” Maamar 7.19 paragraphs~1 h 10 min161 sourcesEnglish
8. 8 מעט ביאור על זאת חנוכת המזבח A brief explanation of “This is the dedication of the altar” The incense rises to the encompassing light at the “nose” of Atik, and the anointing oil is drawn from Mocha Stima’ah of Atik; being one level, both belong to “the day it was anointed,” while the altar’s eating draws only an inner light from Z’eir Anpin and comes “after it was anointed.” The oil can blend inner and encompassing light because both are rooted in a level above them, before which they are equal. Maamar 8.6 paragraphs~10 min41 sourcesEnglish

The Rebbe’s maamarim on this parsha 7

The Rebbe built 7 of his maamarim (5725–5748) on the Alter Rebbe’s maamarim of this parsha. Each maamar’s page summarizes them, with what the Rebbe adds; or see them all together.

• Maamar 1נשא את ראש בני גרשון וגו׳4 maamarim · 5725–5748
• Maamar 5כה תברכו את בני ישראל אמור להם יברכך…2 maamarim · 5731–5745
• Maamar 7זאת חנוכת המזבח ביום המשח אתו מאת נשיאי…1 maamar · 5728

Learn it in seven days Sunday to Shabbos

The Rebbe asked that all the maamarim of the week’s parsha be learned in that week, spread over its seven days. Here is the parsha in seven portions of about equal length.

1. SUNMaamar 1 ¶1 – maamar 2 ¶3~74 min
2. MONMaamar 2, ¶4–25~73 min
3. TUEMaamar 2 ¶26 – maamar 3 ¶5~82 min
4. WEDMaamar 3 ¶6 – maamar 4 ¶3~77 min
5. THUMaamar 4 ¶4 – maamar 5 ¶14~73 min
6. FRIMaamar 5 ¶15 – maamar 7 ¶1~78 min
7. SHABMaamar 7 ¶2 – maamar 8 ¶6~77 min