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Likkutei Torah · Parshas Shelach · Maamar 5

בפ׳ נסכים כתיב כי תבאו אל ארץ מושבותיכם…

In the section on the libations it is written, “When you come into the land of your dwellings”

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The big idea

The fervor of the Shema, in which the G‑dly fire of the soul consumes the natural fire of the animal soul, is the “burnt offering,” but it does not yet make G‑d a dwelling. That is made through the “meal offering and libations” of tefillin, Torah and practical mitzvos: by bending down into physical things with total self-nullification, the “land of Canaan” the spies refused, a person turns the Land into “the land of your dwellings.”

The maamar in brief

Why does the Torah, introducing the libations, call the Land “the land of your dwellings” rather than “the land of Canaan”? The Alter Rebbe answers through the Sages’ saying that reciting the Shema without tefillin is like a burnt offering without a meal offering and libations. The Shema is the burnt offering: contemplating that Havayah, who never changes, is the very source and strength of Israel’s souls kindles the soul’s G‑dly fire, which consumes and uplifts the natural fire of the animal soul, as the fire from heaven consumed the offerings. Yet fervor is not a complete and constant service, for “He formed it for dwelling.” Tefillin stand for the whole Torah and its practical mitzvos, in which the Infinite Light, “the great hand,” is clothed in physical matters. Drawing it there demands self-nullification and lowering oneself, “Canaan,” submission, which the spies, lofty souls, refused. The descent risks a fall, so one must turn holy anger against one’s own evil: the hornet. Through the vegetative and inanimate, the meal offering and salt, parchment and ink, G‑d “sits” below, and Israel make the Land “the land of your dwellings.”

Outline

  1. The question, and the burnt offering of the ShemaWhy “the land of your dwellings” and not “Canaan”? Shema without tefillin is a burnt offering without a meal offering and libations. Like the seraphim, the soul has a G‑dly fire, even greater than theirs because its root is above; Israel arose in G‑d’s thought, and its fire can consume and raise the natural fire of the animal soul, “fire consuming fire.”¶1–3
  2. Renewing the fire through the ShemaThe G‑dly fire is limited and wanes when spent on bodily things; “Havayah illumines my darkness” through the contemplation of the Shema, twice daily, until over a lifetime the animal soul’s powers rise into holiness. Havayah is unchanging, and “our G‑d” means our strength: the souls are drawn “straight” from Havayah itself, unlike the worlds, which receive through the other Names.¶4–6
  3. Near to Him, and gathering the inclinationsElokim is “close” to Israel because Israel come from Havayah above it; the Torah draws that closeness down, making them “the people near to Him.” Shema means gathering all the desires of the natural fire, through regret and resolve, so that both inclinations love G‑d.¶7–11
  4. Fervor is not enough: the dwelling below“He formed it for dwelling”: the higher service is drawing G‑d’s dwelling into the lower realms through Torah and practical mitzvos, the “royal wine” in “vessels of diverse vessels,” “the great hand” that reached even Mitzrayim, with complete self-nullification to G‑d’s will. This is “the land of Canaan,” submission; its danger of falling is met by “the hornet,” the angels’ “sweat” of wrath turned against one’s own evil.¶12–13
  5. The hornet: holy anger against one’s evil“A person should always rouse the good inclination to rage against the evil inclination”: the fervor of the Shema makes a day far from G‑d look like idolatry, the meaning of the second section, and the resulting anger cools the evil, like a eunuch, and blinds the envious eye, so that blessing, which rests only with a good eye, can rest.¶14–16
  6. The spies, the seven nations, and the land of your dwellingsThe spies, lofty souls, would not lower themselves into physical mitzvos. The seven nations are the evil traits of Tohu, great only because we make them so: “Havayah is with us” in the Torah. Salt and flour, parchment and ink, the inanimate and vegetative, bring G‑d to “sit” below, and Israel settle the Land as “the land of your dwellings.”¶17–18
  7. SummaryThe G‑dly fire of the Shema, its drawing down through mitzvos, and the care against falling in the descent, together the meal offering, the libations and “the land of your dwellings.”¶19

Key concepts

The G‑dly element of fireיסוד האש האלקי
The soul’s fiery longing for G‑d, the element of the seraphim. Kindled through the Shema, it consumes and uplifts the natural fire of the animal soul: “fire consuming fire.”
The natural element of fireיסוד האש הטבעי
The heat of the animal soul: its passion for worldly pleasures, its anger and envy. It is not destroyed but raised and absorbed into holiness, until it too loves G‑d.
Havayah is our G‑dהוי׳ אלקינו
Elokeinu, read as “our strength”: the souls’ strength and life come straight from the essence of the Name Havayah, while the worlds receive their life through the other Names, through Malchus and Elokim.
The great handהיד הגדולה
The boundless expansion of the Infinite Light into the lowest, physical matters of Torah and mitzvos, through the Chesed in which Chochmah is clothed; it is G‑d’s humility.
The land of Canaanארץ כנען
From hachna’ah, submission: lowering oneself into physical mitzvos with total self-nullification to G‑d’s will. It is higher than fervor, but it carries the danger of falling into physical desire.
The hornetהצרעה
Holy anger, the Gevuros within the fervor of the Shema, turned against one’s own evil. It “castrates” the evil by cooling its heat and “blinds” the envious eye.
Mayin nukvin and mayin duchrinמיין נוקבין ומיין דוכרין
The raising up from below of the physical thing used in a mitzvah, and the flow from above that must first arouse it; the spies were meant to be the flow from above.
Sitting (yeshivah)ישיבה
Lowering oneself from standing: G‑d’s “sitting” is His coming down to dwell in the lower realms, which Israel bring about through Torah, mitzvos and prayer, making the Land “the land of your dwellings.”

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The question, and the burnt offering of the Shema ¶1–3

1בפ׳ נסכים כתיב כי תבאו אל ארץ מושבותיכם כו׳ ועשיתם אשה לה׳ עולה וגו׳. להבין למה שינה הכתוב לקרוא ארץ ישראל כאן בשם ארץ מושבותיכם יותר מבכל התורה שנק׳ ארץ כנען

In the section on the libations it is written, “When you come into the land of your dwellings,” etc., “and you make a fire-offering to Havayah, a burnt offering,” etc. We need to understand why Scripture changed [its wording] to call the Land of Israel here by the name “the land of your dwellings,” rather than as in all the rest of the Torah, where it is called “the land of Canaan.”

Explanation

The maamar opens with the Torah’s section on the libations of wine that accompany the offerings, which begins, “When you come into the land of your dwellings.” Everywhere else the Torah calls the Land “the land of Canaan,” so the Alter Rebbe asks why here it is called “the land of your dwellings.”

(וקושיא זו מבואר במדרש ס״פ שלח. ועיין עוד בקהלת רבה ע״פ הגדלתי מעשי. כי תבאו אל ארץ מושבותיכם ועשיתם עולה.

(This question is explained in the Midrash at the end of Parshas Sh’lach. See also Koheles Rabbah on the verse “I made great my works”: “When you come into the land of your dwellings… and you make a burnt offering.”

Explanation

In a parenthesis the Alter Rebbe notes that the Midrash at the end of Parshas Sh’lach already takes up this question. He also points to Koheles Rabbah on Shlomo’s words “I made great my works,” where this verse about entering the land and bringing offerings is cited.

ועוד שם ע״פ ושתה בלב טוב יינך זו פ׳ נסכים כי כבר רצה האלקים את מעשיך זו הכנסת ישראל לארץ שנאמר כי תבאו אל ארץ כו׳.

And further there, on the verse “And drink your wine with a glad heart”: this is the section of the libations; “for G‑d has already favored your deeds”: this is the bringing of Israel into the Land, as it is said, “When you come into the land,” etc.

Explanation

A second passage in Koheles Rabbah reads “drink your wine with a glad heart” as the section of the libations, and “for G‑d has already favored your deeds” as Israel’s entry into the Land. The Midrash thus ties the libations to G‑d’s favor and to coming into the Land.

ונראה שפירשו ארץ מלשון רצון וכ״ה בפרדס בעה״כ ערך ארץ ועמ״ש מזה ע״פ והארץ הדום רגלי וע״פ היום הזה ה׳ אלהיך מצוך).

It appears that they interpreted eretz, “land,” as a term related to ratzon, “will”; and so it is in the Pardes, in Erchei HaKinuyim, under the entry eretz. And see what is written about this on the verse “And the earth is My footstool,” and on the verse “This day Havayah your G‑d commands you.”)

Explanation

Because the Midrash links entering the eretz with G‑d’s favor (ratzah), the Alter Rebbe infers that it reads eretz, “land,” as related to ratzon, “will” or “favor.” The Pardes, in its lexicon of Kabbalistic terms (Erchei HaKinuyim), gives the same derivation, and two other discourses take up the theme.

הנה אמרו רז״ל (פ״ב דברכות) כל הקורא ק״ש בלא תפילין כאלו הקריב עולה בלא מנחה וזבח בלא נסכים.

Now, our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Berachos, chapter 2): “Whoever recites the Shema without tefillin is as if he offered a burnt offering without a meal offering, and a sacrifice without libations.”

Explanation

The Talmud teaches that reciting the Shema without tefillin is like offering a burnt offering without its meal offering, or a sacrifice without its libations. This saying links the Shema and tefillin to the offerings and libations of the opening verse.

וצריך להבין ענין דמיון זה שמדמה ק״ש לעולה וזבח ותפילין למנחה ונסכים. והנה ענין הקרבנות שהיה יורד אש מן השמים על גבי המזבח ותאכל את העולה ואת חלבי השלמים.

We need to understand the meaning of this comparison, which likens the Shema to a burnt offering and a sacrifice, and tefillin to a meal offering and libations. Now, the matter of the offerings was that fire would come down from heaven onto the altar and consume the burnt offering and the fats of the peace offerings.

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe asks what lies behind the comparison: why the Shema corresponds to the animal offering, and tefillin to the meal offering and libations that go with it. He begins with the offerings themselves, on which fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the fats of the peace offerings.

וכן הענין בק״ש כי הנה האדם הוא מורכב מד׳ יסודות אש רוח מים עפר כמ״ש מזה בד״ה והיה מספר בנ״י

And so it is with the Shema. For man is composed of four elements, fire, air, water and earth, as is explained about this in the discourse beginning “And the number of the children of Israel will be,”

Explanation

The same thing happens in the Shema. To show how, the Alter Rebbe recalls that a human being is made of the four classical elements, fire, air, water and earth, as he explained in an earlier discourse in Bamidbar.

שהם בחי׳ דומם צומח חי מדבר כנגד ד׳ אותיות של שם הוי׳ ב״ה שמשם נמשכו ונתהוו בחינות אלו ובחינת יסוד האש הוא בחינת החי (כמ״ש במ״א ע״פ כי תצא)

which are the levels of the inanimate, the vegetative, the animal and the speaking, corresponding to the four letters of the Name Havayah, blessed be He, from which these levels were drawn and came into being. And the level of the element of fire is the level of the animal (as is explained elsewhere on the verse “When you go out”).

Explanation

The four elements correspond to the four kinds of created things, inanimate, vegetative, animal and speaking, and to the four letters of the Name Havayah, the source from which they came into being. Fire is the element of the animal, which is why the animal offering belongs to fire.

והנה כתיב שרפים עומדים שיש בחי׳ מלאכים וחיות הקדששנקראים שרפים מפני שהם מיסוד האש האלקי

Now, it is written, “Seraphim stand,” for there is a level of angels and holy chayos that are called seraphim because they are from the G‑dly element of fire;

Explanation

Isaiah saw “seraphim standing” above G‑d’s throne. The name seraphim comes from saraf, “burn”: these angels, and the holy chayos, are made of the G‑dly element of fire.

ותמיד הם עומדים בהתלהבות מחמת שאין להם כ״א מחשבה אחת כל ימיהם מששת ימי בראשית שמשיגים רק זיו שכינתו ית׳ המחיה ומהוה אותם מאין ליש.

and they always stand in fervor, because all their days, since the six days of creation, they have only one thought: they apprehend only the glow of His Shechinah, may He be blessed, which gives them life and brings them into being from nothing to something.

Explanation

Their fervor never changes, because since creation they have had only one thought: the awareness of the glow of G‑d’s Shechinah that gives them existence. With nothing else in their minds, they burn constantly.

ולכן יומם ולילה לא ישקוטו והיינו מפני שאין להם כ״א יסוד אחד פשוט שהוא יסוד האש האלהי ואינם מורכבים (עמ״ש בביאור ע״פ והניף הכהן אותם על לחם הבכורים).

Therefore day and night they are never at rest; that is, because they have only one simple element, the G‑dly element of fire, and they are not composite (see what is written in the explanation on the verse “And the kohen shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits”).

Explanation

The angels never rest because they are simple, made of one element only, the G‑dly fire, with nothing in them that could cool it. The Alter Rebbe refers to his explanation of the wave offering in Parshas Emor for more on this.

משא״כ האדם שהוא מורכב מד׳ יסודות וגם הוא מלובש בגוף ונפש החיונית לא יוכל לעמוד במדרגה ומחשבה אחת כל ימיו.

Man, however, who is composed of four elements and is also enclothed in a body and a vital soul, cannot remain at one level and in one thought all his days.

Explanation

Man is different: he is made of four elements, and his soul is clothed in a body and a vital soul. So he cannot stay fixed at one level, in one thought, all his life.

אך הנה מ״מ יש בכח נפשו האלהית הצמאון מיסוד האש כרשפי אש שלהבת יותר מהמלאכים כי אף שלמטה

Yet nevertheless, in the power of his G‑dly soul there is the thirst that comes from the element of fire, like flashes of fire, a flame, more than in the angels. For although below

Explanation

Yet the G‑dly soul has a thirst for G‑d that comes from the element of fire, like the “flashes of fire” of the Song of Songs, and it is greater even than the angels’. The Alter Rebbe now explains how this can be, when man seems to stand lower than the angels.

הנה מדרגת האדם גרועה ופחותה ממדרגת המלאכים היינו מפני שלמטה הוא מלובש בגוף ונפש החיונית.

the level of man is inferior and lower than the level of the angels, that is because below he is enclothed in a body and a vital soul.

Explanation

Man’s lower standing belongs only to his state here below, where his soul is clothed in a body and a vital soul. It is not the soul’s true level.

אבל שרש נשמתו למעלה כל אחד ואחד לפי מדרגתו שלא כל הנשמה היא מלובשת בגוף

But the root of his soul is above, each one according to his level; for not all of the soul is enclothed in the body,

Explanation

The soul’s root remains above, each soul according to its own level. Only part of the soul enters the body.

רק הארה ממנה והשרש נשאר למעלה במקור חוצבה בעולם העליון שממנו נלקחה, עמ״ש ע״פ יונתי בחגוי וע״פ האזינו השמים.

only a radiance from it, while the root remains above, in the source from which it was hewn, in the higher world from which it was taken. See what is written on the verse “My dove, in the clefts,” and on the verse “Give ear, O heavens.”

Explanation

What is in the body is only a radiance of the soul; the soul itself remains in its source, the higher world from which it was “hewn.” The Alter Rebbe refers to his discourses on “My dove, in the clefts of the rock” and “Give ear, O heavens” for more on this.

Paragraph 1 in brief

The maamar asks why the section on libations calls the Land “the land of your dwellings,” and why the Sages compare the Shema to an offering and tefillin to its meal offering and libations. It begins its answer with the four elements: the angels burn constantly because they are pure G‑dly fire, while man is composite, yet the root of his soul above is greater than the angels.

Deeper

In the parallel discourse on “And the number of the children of Israel will be,” the Alter Rebbe cites Etz Chaim that the four elements are the four letters of Havayah and also the four worlds of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. The discourse on “When you go out to war” explains the offering in the same terms: fire came down from above, and the fire below, the animal soul, was absorbed into the fire above.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    בפ׳ נסכים · המאמר משנת תקנ״ז — ראה ברשימת המאמרים שבסו״ס מאמרים קצרים ע׳ תריח הערה 91. בדרך מצותיך צג, ב מציין ”תורה ברבים בפ׳ שלח בפ׳ נסכים כי תבואו אל ארץ מושבתיכם שם נת׳ הטעם ענין הקרבנות ובנסכים”. ממאמרי אדה״א במדבר-ג ע׳ א׳קפח. מיוסד על מאמר זה. אוה״ת כרך-ו ע׳ א׳תשצב ובשינוים והגהות אחרות שם ע׳ א׳תתב. קצורים ע׳ א׳תתג. ראה גם ד״ה זה ש״פ שלח תשמ״ג. ד״ה להבין ענין הנסכים תשמ״ז.
  2. 2
    Numbers 15:2
  3. 3
    ועשיתם אשה לה׳ עולה · Numbers 15:3
  4. 4
    מבכל התורה שנק׳ ארץ כנען · להעיר מתו״א כו, ג ”ומה הוא היחוס שבח אי׳ בזה”.
  5. 5
    הגדלתי מעשי · Ecclesiastes 2:4
  6. 6
    Ecclesiastes 9:7
  7. 7
    Kohelet Rabbah 9:7:1
  8. 8
    ארץ מלשון רצון · בראשית רבא פרשה ה. נתבאר באוה״ת בראשית-ב דף תפא, ב.
  9. 9
    ארץ מלשון רצון · Bereshit Rabbah 5:8
  10. 10
    ארץ מלשון רצון · Pardes Rimmonim 23:1:212
  11. 11
    וכ״ה בפרדס . . ערך ארץ · ראה גם אוה״ת ויקרא-ב ע׳ תמב.
  12. 12
    היום הזה ה׳ אלהיך מצוך · Deuteronomy 26:16
  13. 13
    (פ״ב דברכות) כל הקורא ק״ש · יד, סע״ב.
  14. 14
    Berakhot 14b:24
  15. 15
    אש מן השמים ע״ג המזבח · Leviticus 9:24
  16. 16
    II Chronicles 7:7
  17. 17
    כי הנה האדם הוא מורכב מד׳ יסודות · מסומן לעיל ה, סע״א מאדר״נ פנ״א ובשם ע״ח שמ״א פ״ג.
  18. 18
    והיה מספר · Hosea 2:1
  19. 19
    בד״ה והי׳ מספר בנ״י · לעיל ה, ב.
  20. 20
    כנגד ד׳ אותיות של שם הוי׳ · בלקו״ת שם מציין לע״ח שמ״א פ״ג.
  21. 21
    ע״פ כי תצא · לקמן פ׳ תצא לד, ג. וראה גם לקמן פנחס עה, סע״ד.
  22. 22
    שרפים עומדים · Isaiah 6:2
  23. 23
    בביאור ע״פ והניף הכהן · לעיל פ׳ אמור לז, ג ואילך.
  24. 24
    והניף הכהן אותם על לחם הבכורים · Leviticus 23:20
  25. 25
    כרשפי אש שלהבת · Song of Songs 8:6
  26. 26
    Song of Songs 2:14
  27. 27
    האזינו השמים · Deuteronomy 32:1
  28. 28
    יסוד א׳ פשוט · באוה״ת במדבר כרך-ו ע׳ א׳תשצג הג״ה ארוכה בשם פי׳ המשניות להרמב״ם בענין יסוד א׳ והאדם מד׳ יסודות.
  29. 29
    Isaiah 66:1
  30. 30
    Leviticus 23:37

2והנשמות שבכל עולם ועולם הם ביתר שאת ומעלה לאין קץ על מדרגת המלאכים שבעולמות ההם והן הן אותן הנשמות עצמן שמתפשט הארתם להתלבש למטה בעוה״ז.

The souls in each and every world are of surpassing excellence, infinitely superior to the level of the angels in those worlds; and they are the very same souls whose radiance extends to be enclothed below in this world.

Explanation

Since each soul’s root remains above, the souls in every world stand immeasurably higher than the angels of that same world. And these are the very souls whose radiance comes down to be clothed in bodies in this world.

וזהו אע״ג דאיהו לא חזי מזליה חזי פי׳ מזלא מלשון יזל מים והיינו שרש נשמתו למעלה שממנו נוזל ונמשך הארתו למטה.

And this is [the meaning of]: “Even though he does not see, his mazal sees.” The word mazal is from the expression yizal mayim, “water shall flow”; that is, the root of his soul above, from which his radiance flows and is drawn down below.

Explanation

The Talmud says of Daniel’s companions, who were terrified by a vision they did not see: “Even though he does not see, his mazal sees.” The Alter Rebbe reads mazal as from yizal, “flow”: the soul’s root above, from which its radiance flows down into the body, perceives what the person below does not.

Paragraph 2 in brief

The souls in every world surpass the angels of that world, and the soul in the body is only the radiance of a root that remains above: the mazal of the Talmud’s saying.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    אע״ג דאיהו לא חזי · Megillah 3a:14
  2. 2
    יזל מים · Numbers 24:7

3והיינו לפי שישראל עלו במחשבה פי׳ כמו למשל באדם הגשמי הנה מחשבתו מיוחדת בנפשו והיו לאחדים יותר מדיבורו שהוא דבר נפרד ויוצא חוץ ממנו ובידו לחסום פיו ולשתוק.

That is because Israel arose in [G‑d’s] thought. The meaning is: as, by way of analogy, in a physical man, his thought is united with his soul and they become one, more than his speech, which is a separate thing and goes out of him; and it is in his power to close his mouth and be silent.

Explanation

This is why the souls stand so high: “Israel arose in [G‑d’s] thought” before creation. In a person, thought is united with the soul far more than speech, which leaves him and becomes a separate thing, and which he can stop whenever he wishes.

משא״כ בחי׳ המחשבה כי הנפש מלאה אותיות כך כנס״י מקור נש״י עלו במחשבה עילאה ומיוחדים במהותו ועצמותו ממש

Not so with thought, for the soul is full of letters. So too the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael), the source of the souls of Israel, arose in the supernal thought and is united with His very being and essence.

Explanation

Thought is not like speech, for the soul is always full of the letters of thought and cannot fall silent. So too the Congregation of Israel, the source of all Jewish souls, arose in the supernal thought and is united with G‑d’s very being and essence.

(הגם דכתיב כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם מ״מ הרי אפס קצהו ושמץ מנהו תקח אזנינו להבין מעט מזעיר עד״מ) (ועמ״ש ע״פ אני ישנה ולבי ער)

(Although it is written, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,” nevertheless our ear may take in the merest edge of it and a faint whisper of it, to understand a tiny bit by way of analogy.) (And see what is written on the verse “I sleep, but my heart is awake.”)

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe qualifies the analogy: G‑d’s thoughts are not like ours, as Isaiah says, yet we may grasp a faint trace of the matter by way of comparison. He also refers to his discourse on “I sleep, but my heart is awake.”

אלא שבהשתלשלות העולמות רבות ועצומות נשתלשל ונתפשט הארת הנשמה להתלבש בגוף ונפש הבהמית ועודנה בכחה לשלוט על הגוף ונפש הבהמית להסיר החמימות שבלבו לתענוגי העולם ותאוותיו מיסוד האש הטבעי ולהיות גובר בו יסוד האש האלהי.

Only, through the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus), in many and mighty [stages], the radiance of the soul has descended and spread forth to be enclothed in a body and an animal soul. And it still has the power to rule over the body and the animal soul: to remove the heat in his heart for the pleasures and desires of the world, [which comes] from the natural element of fire, and to make the G‑dly element of fire prevail in him,

Explanation

Only through a long chain of descent through the worlds does a radiance of the soul come to be clothed in a body and an animal soul. Even so it keeps the power to rule them: to remove the heart’s heat for worldly pleasures, which comes from the natural element of fire, and to make the G‑dly fire prevail.

שמשכנו בלב להלהיב נפשו ולבו להכלל ולהבטל באחדותו ית׳ (ועמ״ש מזה בפ׳ אמור ע״פ ונקדשתי בתוך בנ״י)

whose dwelling is in the heart, to set his soul and his heart aflame to be absorbed and nullified in His unity, may He be blessed (and see what is written about this in Parshas Emor on the verse “And I will be sanctified among the children of Israel”).

Explanation

The G‑dly fire dwells in the heart, where it sets a person’s soul and heart aflame with the desire to be absorbed and nullified in G‑d’s unity. For more on this the Alter Rebbe refers to his discourse in Parshas Emor on “And I will be sanctified among the children of Israel.”

ועי״ז מעלה גם יסוד האש הטבעי שבכח נפשו הבהמית להיות נכלל ועולה לה׳ כקרבן להיות שבכל עת שמגביר כח יסוד האש האלהי מתמעט ומתקרר כח יסוד האש הטבעי ונכלל בקדושה.

Through this he also raises up the natural element of fire in the power of his animal soul, so that it is absorbed and goes up to G‑d like an offering: for whenever he strengthens the power of the G‑dly element of fire, the power of the natural element of fire diminishes and cools, and is absorbed into holiness.

Explanation

When the G‑dly fire grows stronger, the natural fire of the animal soul is not destroyed: it weakens, cools and is drawn into holiness. This is the human parallel to an offering, in which the animal goes up to G‑d.

וזהו אש אוכלה אש וכן היה בקרבנות ממש שאש של קדושה של מעלה אכלה בעלי חיים שהם מבחינת יסוד האש:

This is [the meaning of] “fire consuming fire.” And so it was in the actual offerings: the holy fire from above consumed animals, which are of the level of the element of fire.

Explanation

The Talmud speaks of a “fire that consumes fire.” In the Temple this happened literally, as holy fire from above consumed animals, which belong to the element of fire; in the Shema the G‑dly fire consumes the natural fire of the animal soul.

Paragraph 3 in brief

Because the souls are rooted in G‑d’s thought and united with His essence, even a soul clothed in a body can overcome the animal soul’s natural fire with its G‑dly fire. The natural fire then cools and is absorbed into holiness, just as fire from heaven consumed the animal on the altar: this is how the Shema is like an offering.

Deeper

A gloss in Or HaTorah, quoted in the Kehot note, gives the reason the soul can rule the animal soul: the soul’s root is in the supernal thought, while the animal soul came into being, through many stages of descent, from the level of speech. In Vaes’chanan the Alter Rebbe describes the same process as first subduing (iskafya) and then transforming darkness into light, so that the natural fire’s desire becomes a desire to cleave to G‑d.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    ישראל עלו במחשבה · Bereshit Rabbah 1:4
  2. 2
    כי הנפש מלאה אותיות · נסמן לעיל פ׳ נשא כו, ב.
  3. 3
    כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם · Isaiah 55:8
  4. 4
    אפס קצהו · Numbers 23:13
  5. 5
    ושמץ מנהו תקח אזנינו · Job 4:12
  6. 6
    ע״פ אני ישנה ולבי ער · באוה״ת שם ע׳ א׳תרצה יש כאן הג״ה ארוכה ומציין לתו״א בד״ה זכור.
  7. 7
    אני ישנה ולבי ער · Song of Songs 5:2
  8. 8
    להסיר החמימות שבלבו · בקונטרס העבודה ע׳ 26 מציין שזהו כמו שכתוב בתניא פמ״ג: שלא תתלבש בשום דבר הנאה.
  9. 9
    ולהיות גובר . . להכלל באחדותו ית׳ · באוה״ת במדבר כרך-ו ע׳ א׳תשצה יש הג״ה: (כי לפי ששרש הנשמה ממחשבה עילאה לכך יש לה שליטה על נה״ב ששרשה ומקור התהוותה ע״י רבוי השתלשלות מבחי׳ הדבור כו׳)
  10. 10
    ונקדשתי בתוך · Leviticus 22:32
  11. 11
    שבכל עת שמגביר כח יסוד האש · ראה לקמן פ׳ ואתחנן ב, ג. חוקת נו, ב.
  12. 12
    אש אוכלה אש · Yoma 21b:5–6
  13. 13
    כמ״ש בזח״א וירא דק״ג ע״א · ראה לעיל פ׳ במדבר א, א. ולקמן פ׳ מטות פה, ב.

Renewing the fire through the Shema ¶4–6

4ב אך עכ״ז הנה היסוד האש האלהי שבו הוא במדה וגבול ומתלבש בנפשו החיונית ולכן כשמשתמש בו בעניני גופו

2. Even so, the G‑dly element of fire within him is in measure and limit, and is enclothed in his vital soul. Therefore, when he uses it in the affairs of his body,

Explanation

The second section begins with a limitation: the G‑dly fire in a person is finite, and it is clothed in his vital soul. When he spends it on the concerns of his body, it is used up.

כמו בכעס וקנאה ושנאה ודומיהם וכל מיני תאוות וכו׳ מתמעט ונחסר מן המדה ושוב לא יתלהב לבו כ״כ בעבודת ה׳. ועצה היעוצה לזה הנה כתיב כי אתה תאיר נרי וה׳ יגיה חשכי.

such as in anger, envy, hatred and the like, and all kinds of desires, etc., it diminishes and falls short of its measure, and his heart will no longer be so aflame in the service of G‑d. The counsel given for this: it is written, “For You light my lamp, and Havayah illumines my darkness.”

Explanation

Anger, envy, hatred and physical desires all draw on this fire, so that less of it remains and the heart is no longer as aflame in serving G‑d. The remedy lies in the verse “For You light my lamp, and Havayah illumines my darkness”: G‑d Himself rekindles the lamp of the soul.

פי׳ שע״י ההתבוננות באמונת ה׳ אחד באמת בעומק מחשבתו ולבו ולא די בזכרון הדברים במח׳ בלבד כ״א שיעמיק ויתקע מחשבתו בחוזק

That is: through truly contemplating the faith that G‑d is One, in the depth of his thought and his heart; it is not enough merely to recall the matters in his mind, but he must go deep and fix his thought firmly;

Explanation

The lamp is lit through contemplating G‑d’s oneness truly and in depth, with mind and heart. Merely recalling the ideas is not enough; one must concentrate and fix one’s thought on them firmly.

ואזי יאיר לו יסוד האש האלהי להשלים חסרונו ויגיה חשכו וכמ״ש כי אשב בחשך ה׳ אור לי

then [G‑d] will light up for him the G‑dly element of fire, to make good its deficiency, and will illumine his darkness; as it is written, “Though I sit in darkness, Havayah is a light to me.”

Explanation

Then G‑d rekindles the G‑dly fire, restores what was spent, and lights up the person’s darkness. Micah’s words, “Though I sit in darkness, Havayah is a light to me,” express the same thing.

(ועמ״ש מזה בפ׳ מקץ בד״ה רני ושמחי בת וסד״ה כי אתה נרי. ועמ״ש סד״ה כי ביום הזה יכפר גבי ושמתיך בנקרת הצור).

(See what is written about this in Parshas Mikeitz, in the discourse beginning “Sing and rejoice, O daughter [of Zion],” and at the end of the discourse beginning “For You are my lamp.” And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “For on this day He shall atone,” regarding “And I will place you in the cleft of the rock.”)

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe refers to other discourses on this theme: in Parshas Mikeitz, on “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion,” the end of the discourse “For You are my lamp,” and the end of the discourse on “For on this day He shall atone,” at the verse “And I will place you in the cleft of the rock.”

ולכן קורין ק״ש פעמים בכל יום שבה מבואר ענין ההתבוננות כדלקמן להיות כי אי אפשר לאדם להיותו מלובש בגוף ונפש הבהמית ועוסק בדברים גשמיים כל היום לעורר את האהבה וההתלהבות כ״א ע״י ק״ש.

Therefore the Shema is recited twice every day, for in it the contemplation is set out, as will be explained below; because a person, being enclothed in a body and an animal soul and occupied with physical things all day, cannot arouse the love and the fervor except through the Shema.

Explanation

This is why the Shema is said twice a day: it contains the contemplation that rekindles the fire, as the maamar will explain. A person immersed all day in bodily life cannot arouse love and fervor for G‑d in any other way.

ובכל יום מגביר כח יסוד האש האלהי וכנגדו מתמעט והולך כח יסוד האש הטבעי ועולה ונכלל

And every day he strengthens the power of the G‑dly element of fire, and correspondingly the power of the natural element of fire steadily diminishes, and rises and is absorbed

Explanation

Each recitation strengthens the G‑dly fire, and in step with it the natural fire of the animal soul grows weaker. As it weakens, it rises and is absorbed into holiness.

בקדושה עד שבמלאות הימים כימי שנותיו שבעים שנה או שמונים שנה יתמעטו כל הכחות שביסוד האש הטבעי ויעלו להכלל בקדושה היינו

into holiness; until, when the days are fulfilled, according to the days of his years, seventy years or eighty years, all the powers in the natural element of fire will have diminished and risen to be absorbed into holiness. That is,

Explanation

Over a lifetime, the seventy or eighty years of which the Psalm speaks, this happens to every power of the natural fire. In the end all of them have been raised into holiness.

כי בישראל גם כחות נפשו הבהמית הוא נצחיי ונעשים כסא לקדושה (משא״כ עובדי כוכבים שנפשם הבהמית כלה והולכת ואין להם עלי׳ כלל).

because in a Jew even the powers of his animal soul are eternal, and they become a throne for holiness (which is not so with idolaters, whose animal soul steadily perishes and has no ascent at all).

Explanation

This is possible because in a Jew even the animal soul is eternal: its powers are not lost but become a “throne” for holiness, a vehicle that bears it. The Alter Rebbe adds in a parenthesis that this is not so with the animal soul of idolaters, which perishes and has no ascent.

ומדת ימי חייו אשר ניתנו לו מן השמים הוא כפי שיעור שצריך להעלות כ״כ כחות

The measure of the days of his life, which were given him from heaven, is according to the amount he needs to raise up: so many powers

Explanation

The length of a person’s life is measured by this task. Heaven allots him as many days as he needs to raise up the powers of his vital soul.

מנפש החיונית בכל כך פעמים אשר יקרא ק״ש, וענין הק״ש הוא שיתבונן ויעמיק במחשבתו להיות לזכרון על לבו כי הוי׳ שהוא היה הוה ויהי׳.

of the vital soul, in so many times that he will recite the Shema. And the substance of the Shema is that he should contemplate and go deep in his thought, so that it becomes a remembrance upon his heart, that Havayah is “He was, He is and He will be.”

Explanation

Each recitation of the Shema raises a share of these powers, so the number of his days matches the number of times he will say it. The heart of the Shema is a deep contemplation, held until it becomes a “remembrance upon the heart”: that the Name Havayah means “He was, He is and He will be.”

פי׳ שהיה הוה ויהיה הכל שוה אצלו והוא לבדו יחיד ומיוחד ואין בו שום שינוי ח״ו בין היה להוה ויהי׳ כמ״ש

That is: “was,” “is” and “will be” are all the same to Him; He alone is single and unique, and there is no change in Him whatever, G‑d forbid, between “was” and “is” and “will be”; as it is written,

Explanation

The letters of the Name Havayah combine the Hebrew words for “was,” “is” and “will be.” For G‑d, past, present and future are all the same; He is utterly one and undergoes no change at all.

אני הוי׳ לא שניתי ואתה הוא עד שלא נברא העולם ואתה הוא משנברא כו׳ כי כולא קמיה כלא חשיב והוא עצמו ית׳ הוא הוא אלהינו.

“I, Havayah, have not changed,” and, “You were the same before the world was created, and You are the same since it was created,” etc., for all before Him is considered as nothing. And He Himself, may He be blessed, is our G‑d (Elokeinu).

Explanation

Malachi’s “I, Havayah, have not changed” and the words of the morning prayers, “You were the same before the world was created,” both say this. Since everything is as nothing before Him, creation changes nothing in Him, and this same G‑d is “our G‑d,” Elokeinu.

פי׳ מלשון ואת אילי הארץ לקח (ביחזקאל סימן י״ז) שהוא לשון כח דהיינו ששם הוי׳ ב״ה הוא הוא כחינו וחיותנו

The meaning [of Elokeinu] is from the expression “and the mighty (eilei) of the land he took” (Ezekiel, chapter 17), which denotes strength; that is, the Name Havayah, blessed be He, is itself our strength and our life-force;

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe reads Elokeinu as related to eilei ha’aretz, “the mighty of the land,” in Ezekiel, where the word means strength. So “Havayah is our G‑d” means that Havayah Himself is our strength and our life-force.

דהיינו שהוא הוא מקור וחיות של כל נש״י שעלו במחשבה להכלל באחדותו ית׳ במהותו ועצמותו כנ״ל (ועמ״ש בפ׳ פנחס בד״ה קדש ישראל).

that is, He Himself is the source and life-force of all the souls of Israel, which arose in thought to be absorbed in His unity, in His being and essence, as mentioned above (and see what is written in Parshas Pinchas, in the discourse beginning “Israel is holy”).

Explanation

The souls of Israel receive their life directly from G‑d’s own essence, since they arose in His thought and are absorbed in His unity, as explained earlier. The Alter Rebbe refers to his discourse “Israel is holy” in Parshas Pinchas.

משא״כ שאר כל הנבראים שמקור חיותן הוא מבחי׳ מלך כמ״ש בשכמל״ו ומלכותו בכל משלה ואפילו עולמות עליונים כי מלכותך מלכות כל עולמים כתיב הגם שאין דבר נפרד חוץ ממנו ית׳ כמ״ש

This is not so with all the other creatures, the source of whose life-force is from the level of King, as it is said, “Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever,” and, “His kingdom rules over all”; and even the higher worlds, for it is written, “Your kingdom is a kingdom of all worlds.” Although there is nothing separate apart from Him, may He be blessed, as it is written,

Explanation

All other creatures, even the higher worlds, draw their life from G‑d as “King,” from His kingship, as the verses about His kingdom show. The Alter Rebbe adds that this does not mean anything is truly separate from Him.

כי ממך הכל וכתיב כי הוי׳ הוא האלקים שההסתר וההעלם של שם אלהים הוא מבחינת שם הוי׳ כמ״ש במ״א וכהדין קמצא דלבושי׳ מיני׳ וביה מ״מ אין זה כ״א זיו והארה המתפשטת ממנו

“For all is from You,” and it is written, “For Havayah is Elokim,” meaning that the hiddenness and concealment of the Name Elokim is of the level of the Name Havayah, as is explained elsewhere, “like the locust whose garment is of itself and within itself”; nevertheless this is only a glow and a radiance that spreads forth from Him,

Explanation

Even the concealment of the Name Elokim comes from Havayah, as “Havayah is Elokim” teaches, “like the locust whose garment is of itself.” Nevertheless, what gives life to the worlds is only a glow and radiance that spreads forth from G‑d, not G‑d Himself.

ואף גם זאת היא הארה מ ועטת כמארז״ל ביו״ד נברא העוה״ב שהזיו הזה והארה זו אינה

and even this is a meager radiance, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “With the yud the World to Come was created”; for this glow and this radiance are

Explanation

And this radiance is meager. The Sages say that the World to Come was created with the letter yud, the smallest of the letters.

אלא מעט מזעיר כמו למשל יו״ד שהיא אות הקטנה שבמחשבתו של אדם שהוא רק כמו ניצוץ אחד קטן.

only a tiny bit, like, for example, a yud, which is the small letter, in a person’s thought, which is only like one small spark.

Explanation

A yud in a person’s thought is like a single small spark compared with his whole mind. So too, the light that creates the worlds is a tiny glimmer compared with G‑d Himself.

אבל מקור נש״י מיוחדים במקור וחיי החיים א״ס ב״ה וכמ״ש הודו על ארץ ושמים כו׳ לבנ״י עם קרובו (וזהו אשר עשה האלקים את האדם ישר) (בקהלת סי׳ ז׳ כ״ט).

But the source of the souls of Israel is united with the Source and Life of all life, the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He; as it is written, “His glory is above earth and heaven,” etc., “…for the children of Israel, the people near to Him.” (And this is [the meaning of] “that G‑d made man upright” (Koheles, chapter 7, [verse] 29).)

Explanation

The source of the souls of Israel, by contrast, is united with G‑d Himself, the Source and Life of all life. The Psalm says that G‑d’s glory is above earth and heaven, yet Israel is “the people near to Him”; and Koheles says that “G‑d made man upright.”

פי׳ ישר היינו שכמו שהוא למעלה כך הוא למטה כמ״ש במ״א ע״פ פקודי ה׳ ישרים דפי׳ ישרים שבהם ועל ידם נמשך שיהי׳ גילוי אור א״ס למטה ממש

The meaning of “upright” (yashar) is that as it is above, so it is below; as is explained elsewhere on the verse “The precepts of Havayah are upright,” that the meaning of “upright” is that in them and through them it is brought about that the revelation of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof) will be below exactly

Explanation

“Upright” (yashar) means straight, without bending: as the light is above, so it is below. The mitzvos are called “upright” for the same reason, since through them G‑d’s infinite light is revealed below just as it is above.

כמו שהוא למעלה ועמ״ש סד״ה כי תשמע בקול בפי׳ לעשות הישר בעיני ה׳ וכך הוא ענין את האדם ישר.

as it is above. And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “When you hearken to the voice,” on the meaning of “to do what is upright in the eyes of Havayah.” And so too is the meaning of “man upright”:

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe refers to another discourse, on “to do what is upright in the eyes of Havayah.” Man is called “upright” in the same sense.

שנמשך בו הכח משם הוי׳ ממש וכמ״ש במדרש קהלת שזהו ענין מ״ש הן האדם היה כאחד ממנו.

that the power from the Name Havayah itself is drawn into him; and as it says in Midrash Koheles, that this is the meaning of what is written, “Behold, man has become like one of us.”

Explanation

Man receives his power directly from the Name Havayah itself, without its bending through intermediate stages. Midrash Koheles links “G‑d made man upright” with the verse “Behold, man has become like one of us.”

Paragraph 4 in brief

Because the G‑dly fire in a person is limited and is spent in bodily life, it must be rekindled every day through the contemplation of the Shema, until over a lifetime the whole natural fire is raised into holiness. The Shema’s content is that Havayah, beyond time and change, is “our G‑d,” our very strength and life, while the rest of creation lives only from a small radiance of His kingship.

Deeper

The Kehot note points to the opening of Etz Chaim, which says that the Name Havayah denotes G‑d’s eternal being, “was, is and will be,” before creation, while it lasts and afterwards; and Or HaTorah explains at this point that time itself is created. In the discourse on Pinchas the Alter Rebbe uses the same reading of eilei ha’aretz as “strength” for the angels called benei eilim.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    כי אתה תאיר נרי ה׳ · II Samuel 22:29
  2. 2
    Psalms 18:29
  3. 3
    להשלים חסרונו · באוה״ת במדבר-ו ע׳ א׳תשצו יש כאן הג״ה בענין בינה שנק׳ צור.
  4. 4
    כי אשב בחשך ה׳ אור לי · Micah 7:8
  5. 5
    רני ושמחי בת · Zechariah 2:14
  6. 6
    Leviticus 16:30
  7. 7
    ושמתיך בנקרת הצור · Exodus 33:22
  8. 8
    שנותיו שבעים שנה · Psalms 90:10
  9. 9
    Ecclesiastes 8:15
  10. 10
    וענין הק״ש · ראה אוה״ת פ׳ ראה ע׳ תשפב.
  11. 11
    הוי׳ שהוא היה הוה ויהי׳ · Sefer Etz Chaim 1:1
  12. 12
    אני ה׳ לא שניתי · Malachi 3:6
  13. 13
    אתה הוא עד שלא נבה״ע · תפלת השחר. של״ה ג, ב.
  14. 14
    כולא קמי׳ כלא חשיב · Zohar I, 11b
  15. 15
    ואת אילי הארץ לקח · Ezekiel 17:13
  16. 16
    בפ׳ פנחס בד״ה קדש ישראל · לקמן עט, ג.
  17. 17
    קדש ישראל · Jeremiah 2:3
  18. 18
    בשכמל״ו · Pesachim 56a
  19. 19
    מלכותו בכל משלה · Psalms 103:19
  20. 20
    Psalms 103:19
  21. 21
    מלכותך מלכות כ״ע · Psalms 145:13
  22. 22
    כי ממך הכל · I Chronicles 29:14
  23. 23
    כי ה׳ הוא האלקים · Deuteronomy 4:39
  24. 24
    וכהדין קמצא דלבושי · Bereshit Rabbah 21:5
  25. 25
    ביו״ד נברא העוה״ב · Menachot 29b:13–14
  26. 26
    הודו על ארץ ושמים · Psalms 148:13
  27. 27
    עם קרובו · Psalms 148:14
  28. 28
    Kohelet Rabbah 7:29:1
  29. 29
    אשר עשה האלקים את האדם ישר · Ecclesiastes 7:29
  30. 30
    לעשות הישר בעיני ה׳ · Deuteronomy 13:19
  31. 31
    וכמ״ש במדרש קהלת · ז, נ.
  32. 32
    Genesis 3:22
  33. 33
    הי׳ הוה ויהי׳ · ועל״ק בד״ה ש״ה ממעמקים [ר״ה סב, ד] סופ״א. [כ]. ראה שו״ע אדה״ז או״ח סי׳ ה. עץ חיים שער דרוש עיגולים ויושר ענף א׳. באוה״ת במדבר-ו ע׳ א׳תשצו מבאר כאן ענין שהזמן הוא נברא ומחודש.
  34. 34
    פקודי ה׳ ישרים · Psalms 19:9

5ואיתא בבראשית רבה פכ״א בפי׳ הן האדם היה כאחד ממנו ר׳ יהודה בר סימון אמר כיחידו של עולם שנאמר שמע ישראל ה׳ אלקינו ה׳ אחד עכ״ל.

It is stated in Bereishis Rabbah, chapter 21, on the meaning of “Behold, man has become like one of us”: “Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon said: Like the Unique One of the world, as it is said, ‘Hear, O Israel, Havayah is our G‑d, Havayah is One.’” End of quote.

Explanation

On the verse “Behold, man has become like one of us,” the Midrash records the reading “like the Unique One of the world,” proved from the Shema’s “Havayah is One.” Man resembles G‑d’s own oneness.

והיינו כנ״ל שהכח הנמשך בו נמשך ביושר משם הוי׳ ממש שלא ע״י שום השתלשלות ושום אמצעיים כלל ואפילו לא ע״י העלם בשאר

That is, as mentioned above, the power drawn into him is drawn straight (beyosher) from the Name Havayah itself, not through any chain of descent (hishtalshelus) or any intermediaries at all, and not even through concealment in the other

Explanation

This fits what was said above: man’s power comes “straight” (beyosher) from the Name Havayah itself. It does not pass through the chain of descent, through intermediaries, or even through concealment in the other divine Names.

השמות משא״כ התהוות העולמות צבא השמים הן נמשכי׳ משם הוי׳ ע״י השתלשלות והעלמים רבים עד שעי״ז אין נק׳ שם השפע כ״א על שם שאר השמות.

Names. Not so the coming into being of the worlds, the host of heaven: they are drawn from the Name Havayah through a chain of descent and many concealments, until, through this, the flow is called by no name but that of the other Names.

Explanation

The worlds and the heavenly hosts also come from Havayah, but only through a long chain of descents and concealments. As a result, the flow that reaches them bears the name of the other Names, not of Havayah.

לפי שהאור והשפע נתעכב ומתעלם בהן ומהן נמשך אח״כ השפע וגם עוד ע״י השתלשות רבות.

For the light and the flow are held back and concealed in them, and from them the flow is afterwards drawn, and moreover through many [further] stages of descent.

Explanation

The reason is that the light is held back and hidden within those Names, and only then flows on to the worlds, through many further stages. What reaches the worlds is a concealed light.

וע׳ בפי׳ הרמ״ז פ׳ שלח (דקנ״ח ע״ב) ע״פ היש בה עץ אם אין שיש ב׳ מיני שפע כו׳, ועיין עוד מענין את האדם (בזח״ג ס״פ אמור דף ק״ז).

See the commentary of the Ramaz (Rabbi Moshe Zacuto) on Parshas Sh’lach (158b), on the verse “Is there a tree in it or not,” that there are two kinds of flow, etc. And see further on the subject of “man” (in the Zohar, Part III, at the end of Parshas Emor, folio 107).

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe points to the Ramaz’s commentary on the Zohar in Parshas Sh’lach, on the spies’ question “Is there a tree in it or not,” which speaks of two kinds of divine flow. He also refers to a passage in the Zohar at the end of Emor on the subject of “man.”

ויש לומר שזהו פי׳ ישראל ישר אל פי׳ אל הוא לשון כח והיינו שנמשך בחי׳ הכח משם הוי׳ בבחינת ישר ממש,

One may say that this is the meaning of Yisrael: yashar Kel, for Kel denotes strength; that is, the level of strength is drawn from the Name Havayah in a manner that is truly straight (yashar).

Explanation

He suggests that the name Yisrael itself means yashar Kel: Kel signifies strength, and yashar means straight. Israel’s strength is drawn from Havayah in a straight line.

וזהו ענין אשריך ישראל מי כמוך עם נושע בהוי׳ והיינו לפי שהכח והעוז נמשך בהם מבחינת מי כמוכה באלים הוי׳ וע׳ מזה באד״ר (דקכ״ח א׳)

And this is the meaning of “Happy are you, Israel; who is like you, a people saved by Havayah”: because the strength and might are drawn into them from the level of “Who is like You among the mighty (eilim), Havayah.” See about this in the Idra Rabba (128a),

Explanation

Moshe’s blessing, “Happy are you, Israel; who is like you,” echoes the Song at the Sea, “Who is like You among the mighty, Havayah”: Israel’s strength comes from that very level of Havayah. The Idra Rabba brings these two verses together.

משמע דקאי על עתיק יומין ע״ש, ועמ״ש במ״א בפי׳ מי כמוכה באלים הוי׳ ע״פ מאמר הזח״ג פ׳ אמור (דף צ״ד סע״א)

which implies that it refers to Atik Yomin; see there. And see what is explained elsewhere on the meaning of “Who is like You among the mighty, Havayah,” according to the statement of the Zohar, Part III, Parshas Emor (folio 94, end of side a),

Explanation

The Idra Rabba applies these verses to Atik Yomin, the innermost level of Keser. Elsewhere the Alter Rebbe explains “Who is like You among the mighty” through a passage in the Zohar on Emor.

דקאי על שם הוי׳ נגד שאר השמות שהן הן בבחינת ממכ״ע אבל שם הוי׳ הוא בחינת סוכ״ע אני הוי׳ לא שניתי.

that it refers to the Name Havayah as against the other Names, which are of the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin), whereas the Name Havayah is the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin): “I, Havayah, have not changed.”

Explanation

That passage reads the verse as setting the Name Havayah apart from all the other Names. The other Names are the light that fills the worlds, measured to each one; Havayah is the light that encompasses all worlds, unchanged by them: “I, Havayah, have not changed.”

עכ״פ מובן מזה הענין דהכח הנמשך ומתגלה משם הוי׳ הוא למעלה מעלה מבחינת הכח הנמשך

At any rate, it is understood from this that the power drawn and revealed from the Name Havayah is far, far above the level of the power drawn

Explanation

Whatever the details, the conclusion is clear: the power revealed from the Name Havayah is far above the power drawn from the other Names.

משאר השמות ועמ״ש ע״פ ועתה יגדל נא כח אד׳ ומ״ש בפי׳ העונה יהא שמיה רבא מברך בכל כחו. דפי׳ כחו הוא ענין גילוי ההעלם.

from the other Names. And see what is written on the verse “And now, let the power of Ado-nai be great, I pray,” and what is written on the meaning of “One who responds ‘May His great Name be blessed’ with all his power”: that the meaning of “his power” is the revelation of what is hidden.

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe refers to his explanations of Moshe’s prayer, “Let the power of Ado-nai be great,” and of the Talmud’s teaching that one should answer “May His great Name be blessed” “with all his power.” There “power” means the revealing of what is hidden.

Paragraph 5 in brief

Man is “like the Unique One” because his power comes straight from the Name Havayah, while the worlds receive a light concealed in the other Names. This is the meaning of Yisrael, yashar Kel, “straight strength,” drawn from the level of Havayah that is above all the other Names.

Deeper

The Zohar distinguishes Havayah as the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev) from the other Names, which fill the worlds (memalei); the Idra Rabba places “Who is like You among the mighty” at the level of Atik Yomin. Israel’s strength, then, comes from a level beyond the measured light that sustains creation.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    Genesis 3:22
  2. 2
    Bereshit Rabbah 21:5
  3. 3
    שמע ישראל ה׳ אלקינו ה׳ אחד · Deuteronomy 6:4
  4. 4
    ישראל ישר אל · ראה ר״מ בוטריל לספר יצירה פ״א מ״א (טו, א). רמ״ז ר״פ שמיני. ראה אוה״ת משפטים ע׳ א׳שטז. תצוה ב׳תשעח.
  5. 5
    אשריך ישראל · Deuteronomy 33:29
  6. 6
    מי כמוך באלים · Exodus 15:11
  7. 7
    אשריך ישראל מי כמוך · Zohar, Idra Rabba 1:4–3:14
  8. 8
    מי כמוכה באלים הוי׳ · Zohar, Emor 24:104–111
  9. 9
    אני הוי׳ לא שניתי · Malachi 3:6
  10. 10
    ע״פ ועתה יגדל נא · סה״מ תקס״ג ע׳ תקאו ואילך. אוה״ת פ׳ שלח ע׳ תפו ואילך. שם ע׳ תעט.
  11. 11
    העונה יהא שמיה רבא מברך בכל כחו · Shabbat 119b:5
  12. 12
    Numbers 13:20
  13. 13
    Numbers 14:17

6וא״כ פי׳ הוי׳ אלקינו היינו שהכח והעוז של הנשמות שזהו פי׳ אלקינו הוא נמשך מעצמות שם הוי׳ ממש שהוא הוא עצמו הוא מקור וכח וחיות של נשמות ועמ״ש סד״ה וידבר כו׳

If so, the meaning of “Havayah is our G‑d (Elokeinu)” is that the strength and might of the souls, which is the meaning of Elokeinu, is drawn from the very essence of the Name Havayah; He Himself is the source, the strength and the life-force of the souls. And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “And He spoke,” etc.

Explanation

So “Havayah is our G‑d” in the Shema means that the strength of the souls, Elokeinu, comes from the very essence of the Name Havayah. Havayah Himself is their source, strength and life.

וארא אל אברהם בפי׳ וידעתם כי אני הוי׳ והייתי לכם לאלקים פי׳ שבחינת הוי׳ לבדו הוא בעצמו יהי׳ לכם בבחינת אלקים השורה עליכם.

“And I appeared to Avraham,” on the meaning of “And you shall know that I am Havayah” and “I will be to you as Elokim”: that is, the level of Havayah alone will itself be to you as the level of Elokim, which rests upon you.

Explanation

In another discourse the Alter Rebbe reads “And you shall know that I am Havayah … I will be to you as Elokim” the same way. Havayah Himself becomes for Israel the “Elokim” that rests upon them.

Paragraph 6 in brief

“Havayah is our G‑d” means that the souls’ strength and life come directly from the essence of Havayah, who Himself becomes their “Elokim.”

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    סד״ה וידבר וארא · תו״א נו, ד.
  2. 2
    וארא אל אברהם · Exodus 6:3
  3. 3
    וידעתם כי אני הוי׳ והייתי לכם לאלקים · Exodus 6:7

Near to Him, and gathering the inclinations ¶7–11

7ו עד״ז יש לפרש מ״ש במדרש רבה פ׳ ואתחנן ע״פ אשר לו אלקים קרובים אליו אשר לו גוי קרוב אין כתיב כאן

And in the same way one may explain what is said in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Vaes’chanan, on the verse “that has Elokim close to it”: “‘That has a nation close to it’ is not written here,

Explanation

The paragraph opens with the Midrash on Moshe’s words “that has Elokim close to it.” It notes that the verse does not call Israel a nation close to G‑d; it says the reverse, that Elokim is close to Israel.

אלא אשר לו אלקים קרובים אליו עכ״ל. ויש לפרש שהם עיקר לגבי שם אלקים לפי שנמשכים משם הוי׳ שלמעלה משם אלקים.

but ‘that has Elokim close to it.’” End of quote. One may explain that they [Israel] are the principal in relation to the Name Elokim, because they are drawn from the Name Havayah, which is above the Name Elokim.

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe explains why: in relation to the Name Elokim, Israel is the principal, since the souls come from Havayah, which is above Elokim. So it is Elokim that is drawn close to them.

Paragraph 7 in brief

The Midrash’s reading of “Elokim close to it” shows that Israel, rooted in Havayah, stands higher than the Name Elokim, which is drawn near to them.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    אשר לו אלקים קרובים · Deuteronomy 4:7

8ובזה יתכן דאין להקשות על המדרש הנ״ל דקאמר אשר לו גוי קרוב אין כתיב כאן

With this it may be that there is no difficulty with the Midrash mentioned above, which says, “‘That has a nation close to it’ is not written here,”

Explanation

One might object to the Midrash: Scripture does call Israel near to G‑d. With the explanation just given, the objection falls away.

דהא כתיב לבני ישראל עם קרובו אלא דכאן נאמר על שם הוי׳ והתם נאמר על שם אלקי׳.

for it is written, “for the children of Israel, the people near to Him.” Rather, here it is said of the Name Havayah, and there it is said of the Name Elokim.

Explanation

In the Psalm, “the people near to Him” speaks of the Name Havayah, to which Israel is near; in Deuteronomy, “Elokim close to it” speaks of the Name Elokim, which is near to Israel. The two verses describe two different Names.

Paragraph 8 in brief

The two verses do not contradict each other: in relation to Havayah, Israel is near to Him; in relation to Elokim, Elokim is near to Israel.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    לבני ישראל עם קרובו · Psalms 148:14

9וזהו מ״ש כי קרוב אליך הדבר פי׳ הדבר הוא מל׳ כמ״ש באשר דבר מלך והוא ענין שם אלקים והוא בחינת קרוב אליך כמ״ש אשר לו אלקים קרובים אליו.

And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “For the word is near to you.” The meaning: “the word” is Malchus (sovereignty), as it is written, “Inasmuch as the word of a king…”; and this is the Name Elokim, and it is the level of “near to you,” as it is written, “that has Elokim close to it.”

Explanation

Moshe’s words “For the word is near to you” fit this too. “The word” is Malchus, G‑d’s kingship, for a king rules by his word; and Malchus is the Name Elokim, which is “near to you.”

ובמדרש רבה ס״פ נצבים ע״פ כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד אמר להן הקב״ה בני אם יהיו דברי תורה קרובים לכם אף אני קורא אתכם קרובים שכן כתיב לבני ישראל עם קרובו הללוי״ה.

And in Midrash Rabbah, at the end of Parshas Nitzavim, on the verse “For the word is very near to you”: “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: My children, if the words of Torah are near to you, I too call you near, as it is written, ‘for the children of Israel, the people near to Him, Halleluyah.’”

Explanation

The Midrash on this verse adds that if the words of Torah are near to Israel, G‑d calls them near, as the Psalm says, “the people near to Him.” It is through the Torah that Israel becomes near to G‑d.

Paragraph 9 in brief

“The word is near to you” describes Malchus, the Name Elokim, which is near to Israel; the Midrash adds that through the Torah Israel itself becomes “the people near to Him.”

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    כי קרוב אליך · Deuteronomy 30:14
  2. 2
    באשר דבר מלך · Ecclesiastes 8:4
  3. 3
    ובמדרש רבה ס״פ נצבים · ראה גם יהל אור ע׳ כז.
  4. 4
    לבני ישראל עם קרובו הללוי״ה · Psalms 148:14

10והענין יש לבאר ע״פ מ״ש בד״ה כי תשמע בקול בענין שהתורה נק׳ מפתחות הפנימיות שע״י התורה נמשך גילוי בחי׳ פנימיות דהיינו גילוי אור א״ס ב״ה ממש וכו׳ ע״ש.

The matter may be explained according to what is written in the discourse beginning “When you hearken to the voice,” on the Torah’s being called “the inner keys”: through the Torah is drawn the revelation of the level of the inner dimension (pnimiyus), that is, the revelation of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof) itself, blessed be He, etc.; see there.

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe refers to his discourse “When you hearken to the voice,” which explains why the Torah is called “the inner keys.” Through the Torah the inner dimension, the Infinite Light itself, is revealed.

ועוד עפמ״ש בד״ה יונתי בחגוי שלהמשיך ההמשכה מבחינת שרש הנשמה שבה נאמר הוי׳ אלקינו ממש

And further, according to what is written in the discourse beginning “My dove, in the clefts,” that to draw down the flow from the level of the root of the soul, of which it is said, in the full sense, “Havayah is our G‑d,”

Explanation

He also refers to the discourse “My dove, in the clefts of the rock.” The root of the soul above is where “Havayah is our G‑d” holds in its full sense.

להמשיך משם האור מלמעלה למטה לבחינת הנשמה שבגוף זהו ע״י התורה א״כ לשיהיו עם קרובו ממש זהו ע״י אם יהיו דברי תורה קרובים לכם.

to draw the light from there, from above to below, to the level of the soul in the body: this is through the Torah. If so, for them to be truly “the people near to Him” is through “if the words of Torah are near to you.”

Explanation

Drawing that light down from the soul’s root to the soul in the body is done through the Torah. So Israel becomes truly “the people near to Him” when “the words of Torah are near to you,” as the Midrash said.

Paragraph 10 in brief

Through Torah study the light of the soul’s root, where Havayah is “our G‑d” in the full sense, is drawn down into the soul in the body; this is how Israel becomes “the people near to Him.”

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    בד״ה כי תשמע בקול · לקמן פ׳ ראה כב, ד.
  2. 2
    כי תשמע בקול · Deuteronomy 13:19
  3. 3
    מפתחות הפנימיות · Shabbat 31b:1
  4. 4
    בד״ה יונתי בחגוי הסלע · לקמן שה״ש יז, ב.
  5. 5
    יונתי בחגוי · Song of Songs 2:14

11וזהו שמע ישראל פי׳ שמע מלשון אסיפה כמו וישמע שאול והענין לאסוף ולקבץ כל הכחות ורצונות שביסוד האש הטבעי ע״י עקירת הרצון מהם

And this is “Hear (Shema), O Israel.” Shema is a term of gathering, as in “And Shaul gathered (vayeshama)”; the idea is to gather and collect all the powers and desires in the natural element of fire, by uprooting the will from them;

Explanation

Now the Alter Rebbe explains the words of the Shema. Shema means “gather,” as when Shaul gathered the people; the task is to gather all the desires of the natural fire by uprooting one’s will from them.

דהיינו להתחרט על העבר ולקבל עליו להבא שלא ישוב עוד לכסלה, והיינו מפני שהוא בחי׳ ישראל שעלו במחשבה והוי׳ הוא אלהינו שהוא הוי׳ אחד שמיוחדים בו ית׳ כנ״ל

that is, to regret the past and to take upon himself for the future that he will not return again to folly. This is because he is of the level of Israel, who arose in thought, and Havayah is our G‑d, who is “Havayah is One,” for they are united with Him, may He be blessed, as mentioned above;

Explanation

Uprooting the will means regretting the past and resolving never to return to folly. A Jew can do this because his soul arose in G‑d’s thought, and Havayah, who is One, is “our G‑d,” with whom the souls are united.

ועל ידי כן יתלהב לבו כנ״ל. וזהו ואהבת בכל לבבך בשני יצריך ביצר טוב וביצר הרע.

and through this his heart will be set aflame, as mentioned above. And this is [the meaning of] “And you shall love … with all your heart (levavcha)”: with both your inclinations, with the good inclination and with the evil inclination.

Explanation

Through this contemplation the heart is set aflame. The Sages read “with all your heart (levavcha),” with its doubled letter, as “with both your inclinations,” the good inclination and the evil one.

פי׳ שגם היצה״ר שהוא כח יסוד האש הטבעי הוא העולה ונכלל לאהבה את ה׳ בהתלהבות הנ״ל:

That is, even the evil inclination, which is the power of the natural element of fire, is what rises and is absorbed into loving G‑d with the fervor mentioned above.

Explanation

So the evil inclination, which is the natural fire, is itself raised up and joins in the burning love for G‑d. This is the offering of the Shema, in which the fire from above consumes the fire below.

Paragraph 11 in brief

“Hear, O Israel” means gathering the natural fire’s desires through regret and resolve, so that even the evil inclination joins in the love of G‑d: “with all your heart,” with both inclinations.

Deeper

This completes the answer to how the Shema resembles a burnt offering: as the fire from heaven consumed the animal on the altar, the G‑dly fire kindled in the Shema absorbs the animal soul’s fire into the love of G‑d.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    שמע ישראל · Deuteronomy 6:4
  2. 2
    וישמע שאול · I Samuel 15:4
  3. 3
    שלא ישוב עוד לכסלה · Psalms 85:9
  4. 4
    ואהבת בכל לבבך · Deuteronomy 6:5
  5. 5
    ואהבת בכל לבבך בשני יצריך · Berakhot 54a:6–7

Fervor is not enough: the dwelling below ¶12–13

12ג אך אמנם ענין זה ומדרגה זו להגביר יסוד האש האלהי שבנפשו להלהיב לבו לדבקה בו אין זו עבודה תמה ותמידית (וכמ״ש לא תהו בראה לשבת יצרה)

3. However, this matter and this level, strengthening the G‑dly element of fire in one’s soul to set one’s heart aflame to cleave to Him, is not a complete and constant service (as it is written, “He did not create it for chaos (tohu); He formed it for dwelling (lasheves)”)

Explanation

The third section turns to the limit of the service described so far. Strengthening the G‑dly fire so that the heart burns to cleave to G‑d is not yet complete or constant service, for Isaiah says the world was made not for chaos but “for dwelling.”

(בישעיה סי׳ מ״ה י״ח) ועמ״ש סד״ה וישלח יעקב מלאכים בענין בן עזאי ועמ״ש במ״א ע״פ הזח״א וירא דקי״ב א׳ בפסוק וגם אמנה אחותי בת אבי היא כו׳

(Isaiah, chapter 45, [verse] 18). And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “And Yaakov sent messengers,” regarding Ben Azzai; and see what is written elsewhere on the Zohar, Part I, Vayeira, 112a, on the verse “And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father,” etc.

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe refers to two other discussions: of Ben Azzai, at the end of the discourse “And Yaakov sent messengers,” and of a passage in the Zohar on the verse “And moreover she is indeed my sister.”

וזהו ענין לשבת יצרה והוא בחינת ארץ מושבותיכם כדלקמן וע״ז אמרו הקורא ק״ש בלא תפילין כו׳.

And this is the meaning of “He formed it for dwelling,” and it is the level of “the land of your dwellings,” as will be explained below. And of this they said, “One who recites the Shema without tefillin,” etc.

Explanation

The world’s purpose is “dwelling,” and this is the meaning of “the land of your dwellings,” as the maamar will explain. This is also why the Sages said that the Shema without tefillin is lacking, like an offering without its libations.

Paragraph 12 in brief

The fervor of the Shema alone is not the complete service: the world was made “for dwelling,” which is the meaning of “the land of your dwellings,” and so the Shema needs tefillin.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    לא תהו בראה לשבת יצרה · Isaiah 45:18
  2. 2
    סד״ה וישלח יעקב · תו״א כה, ב.
  3. 3
    וישלח יעקב מלאכים · Genesis 32:4
  4. 4
    ע״פ הזח״א וירא דקי״ב א׳ · ביאה״ז לאדה״א.
  5. 5
    וגם אמנה אחותי בת אבי היא · Genesis 20:12
  6. 6
    וגם אמנה אחותי בת אבי היא · Zohar, Vayera 23:349–354

13וענין התפילין דרך כלל הוא כלל כל התורה והמצות מעשיות כי הוקשה כל התורה לתפילין כמו שבתפילין מלובשים מוחין עליונים שבעשר ספירות עליונות בתמונות אותיות גשמיות והוא

The matter of tefillin, in general terms, is that which encompasses the whole Torah and the mitzvos of action, for the whole Torah is likened to tefillin: just as in tefillin the supernal intellect (mochin) of the ten supernal Sefiros is enclothed in the forms of physical letters. And this is

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe now turns to tefillin, the second half of the Sages’ comparison. Tefillin stand for the whole Torah and all its practical mitzvos, since the Talmud likens the whole Torah to tefillin; and just as in tefillin the highest divine intellect is clothed in physical letters on parchment, so the Torah and mitzvos clothe G‑dliness in physical things.

כי צריך האדם להשפיל עצמו ולומר די לעבד להיות כרבו ולעשות מכון לשבתו להיות לו דירה בתחתונים.

because a person must lower himself and say, “It is enough for the servant to be like his master,” and make a fixed place for His dwelling, so that He has a dwelling place among the lower realms.

Explanation

The reason is that a person must lower himself, for “it is enough for the servant to be like his master”: as G‑d, so to speak, comes down to the lower world, so must man. In this way he makes for G‑d a fixed place to dwell, fulfilling the Midrash’s teaching that G‑d desired a dwelling place among the lower realms.

דהיינו במקרא משנה ותלמוד הלכות ואגדות שהם מדברים מענינים תחתונים גשמיים והם כלים מכלים שונים ויין מלכות שהוא אור א״ס ב״ה המלובש בהם רב כיד המלך שהוא ענין היד הגדולה

That is, in Scripture, Mishnah and Talmud, halachos and aggados, which speak of lower, physical matters; and they are “vessels of diverse vessels,” and “royal wine,” which is the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, enclothed in them, “in abundance, according to the hand of the king”; this is the matter of “the great hand”

Explanation

This is done through Torah study: Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, halachah and aggadah all speak of lowly physical matters. The Alter Rebbe borrows the language of Achashverosh’s feast in Megillas Esther: the Torah’s subjects are the “vessels of diverse vessels,” and the “royal wine” poured into them “according to the hand of the king” is the Infinite Light itself, which is “the great hand.”

(עמ״ש סד״ה אם בחקתי תלכו ובפ׳ בשלח ע״פ וירא ישראל) וכמ״ש וירא ישראל את היד הגדולה אשר עשה הוי׳ במצרים.

(see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “If you walk in My statutes,” and in Parshas Beshalach on the verse “And Israel saw”), as it is written, “And Israel saw the great hand that Havayah had wrought in Egypt.”

Explanation

He refers to two discourses where “the hand of the king” and “the great hand” are discussed, in Likkutei Torah on Bechukosai and in Torah Ohr on Beshalach. The phrase “the great hand” comes from the verse after the splitting of the Sea: “Israel saw the great hand that Havayah had wrought in Egypt.”

פי׳ הגדולה היא התפשטות אשר נתפשטה עד אין קץ ותכלית והיא ענותנותו אשר עשה ה׳ במצרים.

The meaning: “great” is an expansion that has spread forth without end or limit; and it is His humility, “which Havayah wrought in Egypt.”

Explanation

“Great” here means an expansion that spreads forth without limit. That boundless spreading down is G‑d’s humility: as the Talmud says, wherever one finds G‑d’s greatness, one finds His humility.

פי׳ כי פעל ועשה בחי׳ שם הוי׳ אפילו בארץ מצרים שהוא בחינת מצרים וגבולים כמו כל עניני הלכות זרעים מועד כו׳ שהם מדברים מעניני העולם הגשמי

That is, the level of the Name Havayah acted and wrought even in the land of Egypt (Mitzrayim), which is the level of straits (meitzarim) and boundaries, like all the matters of the laws of Zera’im, Mo’ed, etc., which speak of the matters of the physical world

Explanation

“Which Havayah wrought in Egypt” teaches that the Name Havayah, which is beyond all limits, acted even in Mitzrayim, read as meitzarim, “straits” and boundaries. In the same way the laws of the Mishnah’s orders, such as Zera’im (agriculture) and Mo’ed (the festivals), deal with the physical world, and Havayah is present in them.

(ועמ״ש בד״ה וירא ישראל את היד הגדולה כו׳ בת״א פ׳ בשלח. ועמ״ש בד״ה ביום השמע״צ בפי׳ זה היום עשה הוי׳ ועמ״ש בד״ה לך לך מארצך ובד״ה באתי לגני גבי אריתי מורי.

(and see what is written in the discourse beginning “And Israel saw the great hand,” etc., in Torah Ohr, Parshas Beshalach. And see what is written in the discourse beginning “On the eighth day, an assembly (Shemini Atzeres),” on the meaning of “This is the day Havayah has made”; and see what is written in the discourse beginning “Go forth from your land,” and in the discourse beginning “I have come into My garden,” regarding “I have gathered My myrrh.”

Explanation

In a parenthesis the Alter Rebbe lists related discourses: in Torah Ohr on “And Israel saw the great hand,” and on “This is the day Havayah has made” (for Shemini Atzeres), “Go forth from your land,” and “I have come into My garden … I have gathered My myrrh.”

ופי׳ היד הגדולה י״ל ע״ד מ״ש באדר״ז שהחכמה מלבשת לבחינת חסד עילאה בחינת ורב חסד ועמ״ש מזה בד״ה ה׳ יחתו מריביו ומבחינה זו נמשך להיות התפשטות החכמה עילאה גם למטה כנ״ל ועמ״ש מענין זה ג״כ בד״ה שחורה אני ונאוה)

The meaning of “the great hand” can be explained along the lines of what is said in the Idra Zuta: that Chochmah (wisdom) clothes the level of supernal Chesed (kindness), the level of “and abundant in kindness”; and see what is written about this in the discourse beginning “Havayah, those who contend with Him shall be broken”; and from this level it comes about that there is an expansion of supernal Chochmah even below, as mentioned above. And see what is written on this subject also in the discourse beginning “I am black but comely.”)

Explanation

He adds a Kabbalistic reading of “the great hand”: the Idra Zuta teaches that Chochmah clothes itself in supernal Chesed, the attribute “abundant in kindness.” Through that kindness supernal wisdom spreads down even into the lowest levels, the expansion described above; he refers to two more discourses on the theme.

ואפילו בעסקים ומו״מ אם הוא נושא ונותן באמונה הרי עולם זה חסד יבנה וגם אח״כ יתן צדקה מיגיעו שהוא ממדת החסד והוא ענף החכמה כמ״ש מוריד הטל מכלכל חיים בחסד

And even in business affairs and commerce, if he deals faithfully, then this world “is built with kindness”; and afterwards, too, he will give charity from his toil, which is of the attribute of Chesed, and it is a branch of Chochmah, as it is said, “He causes the dew to descend; He sustains the living with kindness”;

Explanation

This applies even to business: one who deals honestly builds the world with kindness, as the Psalm says, “The world is built with kindness.” And the charity he later gives from his earnings is Chesed, which is a branch of Chochmah; he cites the Amidah’s words linking the descent of dew with sustaining the living through kindness.

וגם כמו שהחכמה תחיה כו׳, כך בצדקה שנותן לעני מחיה נפשו רק אם ישים אליו לבו רוחו ונשמתו אליו כו׳

and also, just as “wisdom gives life,” etc., so through the charity he gives to the poor man he revives his soul. Only, if “he sets his heart upon Him, his spirit and his breath to Him,” etc.,

Explanation

As Koheles says that “wisdom gives life,” so charity, a branch of wisdom, revives the poor man’s soul. But all this depends on a prior condition: that the person has set his heart on G‑d, “his spirit and his breath to Him,” in the words of Iyov.

בק״ש כנ״ל אזי רוח אייתי רוח ואמשיך רוח להיות שורה ה׳ אחד גם בתורה ומצות מעשיות (ועמ״ש בפ׳ וארא סד״ה לכן אמור לבנ״י).

in the Shema, as mentioned above, then “spirit brings spirit and draws down spirit,” so that the One G‑d rests also in the Torah and the mitzvos of action (and see what is written in Parshas Va’eira, at the end of the discourse beginning “Therefore say to the children of Israel”).

Explanation

That devotion is achieved in the Shema, as explained above. Then “spirit brings spirit and draws down spirit”: the person’s own spirit of devotion draws down a divine spirit, so that the One G‑d rests in his Torah study and practical mitzvos as well.

והנה ענין עבודה זו להמשיך דירתו ית׳ בתחתונים להיות אין עוד מלבדו היא למעלה מעלה ממדרגת התלהבות הנק׳ בשם גדפין לבד לפי שעכ״פ מוכרח להיות שיצייר

Now, this service, drawing down His dwelling, may He be blessed, among the lower realms, so that “there is nothing else besides Him,” is far, far above the level of fervor, which is called only “wings” (gadfin); because in any case he must necessarily picture

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe now ranks the two services. Drawing G‑d’s dwelling into the lower realms, so that “there is nothing else besides Him,” is far higher than fervor, which is called only “wings” (love and awe being the soul’s two wings). The reason, given next, is that fervor still involves a sense of one’s own existence.

איזה יש ודבר בפני עצמו בחינת לב ונפש שמתלהב משא״כ בבחינת אין עוד וביטול במציאות לגמר י לא ימציא מקום לעצמו כלל ואין לו רצון אחר

some existence, a thing in itself: a heart and soul that is aflame. Not so at the level of “there is nothing else” and self-nullification (bittul) of one’s existence entirely: he leaves no place for himself at all, and he has no other will

Explanation

In fervor, a person still pictures some self that exists in its own right: a heart and soul that is burning. At the level of “there is nothing else,” and complete nullification of one’s existence, he leaves no room for himself at all and has no will of his own.

כי אם רצון השי״ת ורצון ה׳ הוא שוה למטה כמו למעלה כמ״ש במ״א (ע״פ בהעלותך את וסד״ה וארא אל אברהם כו׳) והנה ע״ז נאמר סוף מעשה במחשבה תחלה

but the will of G‑d, may He be blessed; and G‑d’s will is the same below as above, as is explained elsewhere (on the verse “When you raise up…” and at the end of the discourse beginning “And I appeared to Avraham,” etc.). And of this it is said, “Last in deed, first in thought.”

Explanation

He has only G‑d’s will, and G‑d’s will is the same below as above: a physical mitzvah carries it as fully as any spiritual level. This is the sense of the phrase “last in deed, first in thought”: physical deed, which comes last, was first in G‑d’s intention.

והנה בחינה זו נק׳ ארץ כנען מלשון הכנעה והשפלה (עמ״ש סד״ה ויהי בשלח פרעה ועמ״ש ע״פ וישב יעקב) שנופל ומשפיל א״ע למטה.

Now, this level is called “the land of Canaan” (Kena’an), from the term for submission (hachna’ah) and lowliness (see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh sent,” and see what is written on the verse “And Yaakov dwelt”), for he falls and lowers himself below.

Explanation

This level of lowering oneself into physical deeds is called “the land of Canaan,” for Kena’an is related to hachna’ah, submission. The person bends down to the lowest place; the Alter Rebbe refers to two discourses in Torah Ohr on this theme.

ובבחינ׳ זו כתיב רגליה יורדות מות וכו׳ כי מאחר שהוא מקושר למטה בענינים גשמיים אפשר לו ליפול ח״ו בתאוות גשמיים וע״ז כתיב ובערת הרע מקרבך

And of this level it is written, “Her feet go down to death,” etc.; for since he is bound below in physical matters, he can fall, G‑d forbid, into physical desires. And of this it is written, “And you shall eradicate the evil from your midst.”

Explanation

Going down into physical matters carries a danger, alluded to in the verse “Her feet go down to death”: being bound up with the physical, one can fall into physical desires, G‑d forbid. Against this the Torah commands, “You shall eradicate the evil from your midst.”

(ועמ״ש במ״א בפי׳ מ״ש בירושלמי ומטבע ארוך פותח בברוך וחותם בברוך בפ׳ בראשית בד״ה להבין ענין הברכות, וע׳ סד״ה ביום השמיני שלח גבי ולפני קרתו ובפ׳ וארא בביאור ע״פ לכן אמור בפי׳ אל הארץ אשר נשאתי את ידי כו׳)

(And see what is explained elsewhere on the meaning of what is said in the Jerusalem Talmud, “and a long formula opens with ‘Blessed’ and closes with ‘Blessed,’” in Parshas Bereishis, in the discourse beginning “To understand the matter of the blessings”; and see the end of the discourse beginning “On the eighth day he sent,” regarding “and before His cold”; and in Parshas Va’eira, in the explanation on the verse “Therefore say,” on the meaning of “to the land concerning which I raised My hand,” etc.)

Explanation

Another parenthesis with related discussions: on the Jerusalem Talmud’s rule that a long blessing opens and closes with “Blessed,” on “before His cold” (in the discourse on “On the eighth day he sent the people away”), and on “the land concerning which I raised My hand” in Parshas Va’eira.

וכתיב כי יביאך אל ארץ הכנעני כו׳ גדולים ועצומים כו׳ וכתיב וגם את הצרעה ישלח ה׳ אלקיך בם עד אבוד הנשארים והנסתרים מפניך.

And it is written, “When He brings you to the land of the Canaanite,” etc., “great and mighty,” etc.; and it is written, “And also the hornet will Havayah your G‑d send among them, until those who are left and those who hide from you perish.”

Explanation

Two verses about the conquest of Canaan: the nations there are “great and mighty,” and G‑d promises to send “the hornet” until even those who remain and hide are destroyed. The Alter Rebbe will read both as describing a person’s inner struggle with evil.

וענין הצרעה כי הנה אמרו רז״ל שהצרעה היתה מסמא את עיניהם מלמעלה ומסרסם מלמטה. וביאור הענין הנה ארז״ל שמזיעתן של חיות יוצא נהר דינור על ראש רשעים בגיהנם.

The matter of the hornet: our Sages, of blessed memory, said that the hornet would blind their eyes above and castrate them below. The explanation of the matter: our Sages, of blessed memory, said that from the sweat of the chayos the river of fire (nehar dinur) goes forth upon the head of the wicked in Gehinnom.

Explanation

The Talmud says that the hornet blinded the Canaanites’ eyes from above and castrated them from below. To explain this he brings another teaching: the river of fire that pours upon the head of the wicked in Gehinnom comes from “the sweat of the chayos,” the holy angels of the divine Chariot.

פי׳ זיעה הוא ארס וחימה וכמ״ש (ירמיה כ״ג י״ט) הנה סערת ה׳ חימה יצאה וגו׳

That is, “sweat” is venom and wrath, as it is written (Jeremiah 23:19), “Behold, a storm of Havayah, wrath has gone forth,” etc.

Explanation

“Sweat” here means venom and wrath, as the prophet speaks of “a storm of Havayah” going forth in wrath. The angels’ burning fervor produces a residue of fierce anger.

והוא פסולת שלהם כי בכל עולם ועולם יש בחינת טוב ורע ואין ר״ל רע ממש ח״ו

And it is their waste; for in each and every world there is the level of good and evil, and this does not mean actual evil, G‑d forbid,

Explanation

That wrath is the angels’ “waste.” In every world there is something called good and evil, but in the higher worlds this is not real evil, G‑d forbid.

אלא רע מלשון כעס וחימה והוא ענין חו״ג שבכל העולמות (וע׳ בלק״ת בפ׳ בראשית בענין פי׳ עה״ד טו״ר) וכן הענין באדם שהוא עולם קטן יש בו ג״כ בחינות אלו

but ra in the sense of anger and wrath; and this is the matter of Chesed and Gevurah (restraint) in all the worlds (and see the Arizal’s Likkutei Torah, Parshas Bereishis, on the meaning of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil). And so too with man, who is a small world: these levels are in him as well,

Explanation

There “evil” means anger and wrath, the side of severity: Chesed and Gevurah as they exist in every world. He points to the Arizal’s Likkutei Torah on the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, and notes that man, called “a small world,” has these same levels within him.

וצריך לעורר הגבורות שבו על עצמו דהיינו על הרע שבו שהוא מסטרא דס״מ ונוקביה שהם הם הרשעים. וכמ״ש על ראש רשעים יחול.

and he must arouse the Gevuros in him against himself, that is, against the evil in him, which is from the side of Samael and his female counterpart, which are “the wicked”; as it is written, “it shall whirl upon the head of the wicked.”

Explanation

So a person must turn the Gevuros within him, his power of anger, against himself, that is, against the evil in him, which comes from Samael and his female counterpart, the forces of impurity called “the wicked.” Upon these the storm of wrath “shall whirl upon the head of the wicked.”

Paragraph 13 in brief

Fervor in the Shema is not enough: G‑d’s dwelling below is made through the Torah and practical mitzvos, “the great hand” of the Infinite Light reaching into physical matters, which demands that a person bend down, the meaning of “the land of Canaan.” That descent carries the danger of falling, and the remedy is “the hornet”: turning one’s holy anger, like the angels’ “sweat,” against the evil in oneself.

Deeper

The “great hand” is read as Chesed through which Chochmah descends, so that even halachos about agriculture and business carry the Infinite Light. Self-nullification to G‑d’s will, which is the same above and below, ranks above the fervor of love, which still feels its own existence. The river of fire that flows from the angels’ sweat onto the wicked becomes, within a person, the Gevuros he directs against his own evil.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    וענין התפילין · ראה אוה״ת ואתחנן ע׳ רס.
  2. 2
    הוקשה כל התו׳ לתפלין · Kiddushin 35a:5
  3. 3
    שבעשר ספירות עליונות · באוה״ת במדבר כרך-ו ע׳ א׳תשצז: מששה ספירות עליונות (היינו חב״ד דזו״נ).
  4. 4
    די לעבד להיות כרבו · Berakhot 58b:4
  5. 5
    דירה בתחתונים · ראה תנחומא בחקותי ג. נשא טז.
  6. 6
    להיות לו דירה בתחתונים · Midrash Tanchuma, Nasso 16:1
  7. 7
    כלים מכלים שונים · Esther 1:7
  8. 8
    סד״ה אם בחקתי תלכו · לקו״ת בחוקתי מה, ג דשם מביא בענין ביד המלך.
  9. 9
    אם בחקתי תלכו · Leviticus 26:3
  10. 10
    ע״פ וירא ישראל · תו״א בשלח סב, א.
  11. 11
    וירא ישראל את היד · Exodus 14:31
  12. 12
    והיא ענותנותו · Megillah 31a
  13. 13
    שהם מדברים מעניני עולם הגשמי · ראה הג״ה באוה״ת שלח כרך-ו ע׳ א׳תשצח ”ושיומשך א״ס ב״ה אפי׳ בעניני׳ גשמי׳ זה נמשך דוקא מבחי׳ יד הגדולה” ע״ש.
  14. 14
    זה היום עשה הוי׳ · Psalms 118:24
  15. 15
    לך לך מארצך · Genesis 12:1
  16. 16
    באתי לגני גבי אריתי מורי · Song of Songs 5:1
  17. 17
    ה׳ יחתו מריביו · I Samuel 2:10
  18. 18
    שחורה אני ונאוה · Song of Songs 1:5
  19. 19
    עולם זה חסד יבנה · Psalms 89:3
  20. 20
    החכמה תחיה · Ecclesiastes 7:12
  21. 21
    ישים אליו לבו רוחו ונשמתו אליו · Job 34:14
  22. 22
    לכן אמור לבנ״י · Exodus 6:6
  23. 23
    אין עוד מלבדו · Deuteronomy 4:35
  24. 24
    בהעלותך את · Numbers 8:2
  25. 25
    ויהי בשלח פרעה · Exodus 13:17
  26. 26
    וישב יעקב · Genesis 37:1
  27. 27
    רגליה יורדות מות · Proverbs 5:5
  28. 28
    ביום השמיני שלח · I Kings 8:66
  29. 29
    ולפני קרתו · Psalms 147:17
  30. 30
    אל הארץ אשר נשאתי את ידי · Exodus 6:8
  31. 31
    וגם את הצרעה ישלח ה׳ אלקיך בם עד אבוד הנשארים והנסתרים מפניך · Deuteronomy 7:20
  32. 32
    מסמא את עיניהם מלמעלה ומסרסם מלמטה · Sotah 36a:9
  33. 33
    מזיעתן של חיות יוצא נהר דינור על ראש רשעים בגיהנם · Chagigah 13b:14
  34. 34
    באדם שהוא עולם קטן · Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei 3:3–4
  35. 35
    Jeremiah 23:19
  36. 36
    Numbers 8:1–12:16
  37. 37
    Exodus 6:3
  38. 38
    Genesis 18:1–22:24

The hornet: holy anger against one’s evil ¶14–16

14וכמארז״ל לעולם ירגיז אדם יצר טוב על יצר הרע. ופי׳ לעולם כי הרי תמיד יש לו בחי׳ הרוגז

As our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “A person should always rouse the good inclination to rage against the evil inclination.” The meaning of “always”: for he always has in him the level of anger (rogez),

Explanation

The Talmud teaches: “A person should always rouse his good inclination to rage against the evil inclination.” The Alter Rebbe explains “always”: the capacity for anger is always present in a person.

שהוא מצד הגבורה שאין לך אדם שאינו כלול מטוב ורע והרע היינו הרוגז והחימה והכל הוא מסטרא דרע

which comes from the side of Gevurah (restraint); for there is no person who is not composed of good and evil, and the evil is the anger and the wrath, and all of it is from the side of evil,

Explanation

Anger comes from the side of Gevurah. Every person is a mixture of good and evil, and the “evil” in him is this anger and wrath, all of which comes from the side of evil.

וכמאמר רז״ל רע לשמים ורע לבריות והרוגז והכעס ישפוך על הרע שבו שיקצוף מאד ויחרה אפו

as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “bad to Heaven and bad to people.” And the anger and the rage he should pour out on the evil within him, so that he is very angry and his wrath is kindled:

Explanation

The Talmud describes the truly wicked man as “bad to Heaven and bad to people.” The anger that could make a person bad to others should instead be poured out on the evil within himself, so that he is furious with it.

למה הוא כך והתעוררות בחי׳ הגבורה הנ״ל הוא מזיעתן של חיות שהוא ההתלהבות בפ׳ ראשונה של ק״ש ויש בה בחינת גבורות ג״כ

why is he like this? And the arousal of the level of Gevurah mentioned above is from “the sweat of the chayos,” which is the fervor in the first section of the Shema; and it too has in it the level of Gevuros.

Explanation

He should be angry at himself: why is he like this? This arousal of Gevurah is the “sweat of the chayos” mentioned above: the fervor of the first section of the Shema, which itself contains Gevuros, just as the angels’ fervor yields their “sweat.”

לכן צריך הוא לשפוך חמתו וירגיז על יצרו הרע ביתר שאת כאשר יעמיק בשכלו ענין ההתבוננות באמונת ה׳ אחד

Therefore he must pour out his wrath and rouse anger against his evil inclination with greater intensity, when he goes deep with his intellect into the contemplation of the faith that G‑d is One,

Explanation

Therefore the deeper his contemplation of G‑d’s oneness, the more intensely he should rage at his evil inclination. The anger grows out of the contemplation itself.

ושישראל עלו במחשבה ושלכן רוצה לדבק מחשבתו להתכלל באחד אז יעשן אפו מדוע לא היה כזאת בכל עת ואפילו שלא בשעת התפלה.

and that Israel arose in thought, and that therefore he wishes to cleave with his thought, to be absorbed in the One. Then his anger will smoke: why was he not like this at all times, even when not at the time of prayer?

Explanation

When he understands that Israel arose in G‑d’s thought, and longs to merge his thought with the One, his anger “will smoke” at himself. He asks why he has not been like this at every moment, even outside the time of prayer.

Paragraph 14 in brief

The Talmud’s instruction to rouse the good inclination against the evil inclination is the inner meaning of the hornet: the anger present in every person, born of Gevurah, should be turned against his own evil, and it is fed by the very fervor of contemplating G‑d’s oneness in the Shema.

Deeper

Just as the angels’ fervor produces “sweat,” the river of fire, so the fervor of the Shema carries Gevuros. Directed inward, this wrath is the person’s own “hornet,” cooling the heat of his evil inclination.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    לעולם ירגיז אדם יצר טוב על יצר הרע · Berakhot 5a:2
  2. 2
    רע לשמים ורע לבריות · Kiddushin 40a:9–10
  3. 3
    מזיעתן של חיות · Chagigah 13b:14

15וזהו ענין פ׳ שניה שבק״ש וחרה אף כו׳ שנמשך מהתלהבות הפרשה ראשונה ולכך כתיב התם וסרתם ועבדתם אלהים אחרים

And this is the matter of the second section of the Shema, “And the anger will be kindled,” etc., which is drawn from the fervor of the first section. That is why it is written there, “and you turn aside and serve other gods.”

Explanation

The second section of the Shema warns, “And the anger will be kindled.” The Alter Rebbe says this section grows out of the fervor of the first, and that is why it speaks of turning aside to serve other gods, as the next lines explain.

כי באמת שלא בשעת התפלה אינו כעוברי רצונו וכפורק עול ח״ו אף בשעה שאינו עובד ה׳ כלל משא״כ בשעת

For in truth, when it is not the time of prayer, he is not like those who transgress His will, or like one who casts off the yoke, G‑d forbid, even at a time when he is not serving G‑d at all. Not so at the time of

Explanation

Outside the time of prayer, a person who is simply not occupied with serving G‑d is not considered one who transgresses His will or casts off His yoke. The time of the Shema, described next, is different.

ק״ש בהתלהב לבו ידמה בעיניו מה שהיה רחוק מה׳ כל היום כאלו פורק עול ח״ו ממש וכמ״ש פן יפתה לבבכם מיחודו ואחדותו

the Shema: when his heart is aflame, it will seem in his eyes that his having been far from G‑d all day is as if he had actually cast off the yoke, G‑d forbid; as it is written, “lest your heart be enticed,” [away] from His oneness and unity;

Explanation

During the Shema, when his heart is aflame, his distance from G‑d during the day looks to him like a real casting off of the yoke. He reads the verse “lest your heart be enticed” as being drawn away from G‑d’s oneness and unity.

והרי זה כאלו וסרתם ועבדתם והיטב יחרה לו ובזה הוא מקרר הכעס והחימה שברע גמור ולא יהיה רע לאחרים כלל.

and this is as if “you turn aside and serve.” And he will be exceedingly angry; and through this he cools the anger and the wrath that are in the utter evil, and he will not be bad to others at all.

Explanation

Seen this way, his distance is like “turning aside and serving other gods,” and he becomes deeply angry at himself. This anger, aimed at the evil within, cools the heat and wrath of the evil itself, so that he will not be harmful to others at all.

Paragraph 15 in brief

In the fervor of the Shema a day spent far from G‑d looks like idolatry, and the anger this arouses against oneself, the inner meaning of the second section’s “the anger will be kindled,” cools the wrath of the evil so that it no longer harms others.

Deeper

In Or HaTorah this anger is linked with “And the anger will be kindled” and with the Idra Rabba’s account of the Gevuros and judgments drawn from the “nose” of Z’eir Anpin: the same severity, turned here against one’s own evil.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    וחרה אף · Deuteronomy 11:17
  2. 2
    וסרתם ועבדתם אלהים אחרים · Deuteronomy 11:16
  3. 3
    אינו כעוברי רצונו וכפורק עול ח״ו · באוה״ת שלח-ו ע׳ א׳תשצט ”אינו כעובד כומ״ז ח״ו”.
  4. 4
    והיטב יחרה לו · ”(וזהו ע״ד וחרה אף וכו׳, ובאד״ר ביאר שהוא הגבורות והדינין הנמשכין מחוטמא דז״א)” — אוה״ת נ״ך-ג ע׳ א׳קסה.
  5. 5
    כי בכל עולם . . שבכל העולמות · ראה ד״ה ויעמוד העם מרחוק תרנ״ח. אוה״ת בראשית כרך-ג דף תקסב, א. ובאוה״ת נ״ך-ג ע׳ א׳קסד. ד״ה חייב אדם לברך תרל״ח ע׳ כח.
  6. 6
    וע׳ בלקו״ת פ׳ בראשית · להאריז״ל. ”(דמחזה דז״א ולמטה מתחיל עה״ד טו״ר ופשיטא שאין שייך שם רע ח״ו)” — אוה״ת שלח כרך-ז ע׳ א׳תשצט. וראה לקמן פ׳ בלק סט, ב. מסעי צ, א.
  7. 7
    באדם שהוא עולם קטן · תנחומא פקודי ג. ועוד. נסמן לעיל פ׳ במדבר לדף ה, א.
  8. 8
    על ראש רשעים יחול · Jeremiah 23:19
  9. 9
    לעולם ירגיז אדם · Berakhot 5a:2
  10. 10
    רע לשמים ורע לבריות · Kiddushin 40a:9–10
  11. 11
    והרוגז והכעס · ראה אוה״ת מסעי ע׳ א׳תז.
  12. 12
    ויש בה בחינת גבורות ג״כ · ”(שהוא בחי׳ שם מ״ב)” — אוה״ת נ״ך-ג ע׳ א׳קסד.

16וזהו ענין הצרעה שמסרס את הרע פי׳ שמקררו להיות כמו סריס שאין בו חמימות ולכן אינו מוליד

And this is the matter of the hornet, which castrates the evil: that is, it cools it so that it is like a eunuch, who has no heat in him and therefore does not beget.

Explanation

This is the meaning of the hornet that “castrates” the evil: holy anger cools the evil inclination until it is like a eunuch, without heat. Without that heat it can no longer beget anything.

וגם מסמא את העינים פי׳ שלא יביט על אחרים לא במילי דעלמא ולא בעבודתם בעין רעה וקנאה שמצד הרע

It also blinds the eyes: that is, he will not look at others, neither in worldly matters nor in their service [of G‑d], with an evil eye and envy, which come from the side of evil.

Explanation

The hornet also “blinds the eyes”: the person no longer looks at others, either in worldly matters or in their service of G‑d, with the evil eye and envy that come from the side of evil.

כי אין הברכה שורה אלא על דבר הסמוי מן העין וכן ברכת ה׳ היא המשכת אלהות אינה שורה כ״א בעין טובה:

For blessing rests only on a thing hidden from the eye; and so too the blessing of G‑d, which is the drawing down of G‑dliness, rests only with a good eye.

Explanation

The Talmud teaches that blessing rests only on what is hidden from the eye. So too G‑d’s blessing, the drawing down of G‑dliness, rests only where there is a good eye; blinding the evil eye makes room for blessing.

Paragraph 16 in brief

The hornet’s two effects describe what holy anger does to the evil within: it cools its heat so that it cannot “beget,” and it blinds the envious eye, so that G‑d’s blessing, which rests only with a good eye, can rest on the person.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    סריס . . ולכן אינו מוליד · Yevamot 80b:4
  2. 2
    אין הברכה שורה · Taanit 8b:13
  3. 3
    אין הברכה שורה אלא על דבר הסמוי מן העין · Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 230:2

The spies, the seven nations, and the land of your dwellings ¶17–18

17ד ובזה יובן ענין המרגלים שלא רצו ליכנס לארץ כנען שהוא ענין ההשפלה למטה במצות מעשיות שהם ענינים הגשמיים באמונת יחודו בתחתונים כי אמרו ארץ אוכלת יושביה היא.

4. With this the matter of the spies will be understood. They did not want to enter the land of Canaan, which is the matter of lowering [oneself] below, into the mitzvos of action, which are physical matters, in the faith in His unity among the lower realms; for they said, “It is a land that consumes its inhabitants.”

Explanation

The fourth section turns to the spies. The land of Canaan stands for lowering oneself into the physical mitzvos, with faith that G‑d’s unity is found in the lower realms; the spies did not want this, and said that the land “consumes its inhabitants.”

פי׳ יושביה אין תופסין מקום לעצמן כלל ומבטלין עצמן ליחודו ית׳ שבתחתונים להיות אין עוד כו׳ כי היו דור דעה כו׳ ושרש נשמתם למעלה מעלה.

That is: its inhabitants take up no place for themselves at all, and nullify themselves to His unity, may He be blessed, among the lower realms, so that “there is nothing else,” etc. For they were the generation of knowledge (dor de’ah), etc., and the root of their souls was far, far above.

Explanation

The Alter Rebbe reads their words as a spiritual statement: those who dwell in such a land take up no place for themselves and are wholly nullified to G‑d’s unity below. The spies, of the “generation of knowledge,” had souls rooted very high, and did not want to descend to such self-nullification in physical deeds.

Paragraph 17 in brief

The spies’ refusal to enter Canaan was a refusal to descend into the physical mitzvos and the total self-nullification they require; as souls of “the generation of knowledge,” rooted far above, they did not want that descent.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    ארץ אוכלת יושביה היא · Numbers 13:32
  2. 2
    ושרש נשמתם למעלה מעלה · באוה״ת במדבר-ו ע׳ א׳תת מבאר זה באריכות.

18וגם החתי והיבוסי והאמורי יושב בהר שהם הם השבעה אומות עובדי כוכבים שבאמת היו דרים בה בעת ההיא ושרשם משבע מדות דעולם התהו

And also, “the Hittite, the Jebusite and the Amorite dwell in the mountains”: these are the very seven idolatrous nations who in truth were living in it at that time; and their root is from the seven attributes (middos) of the World of Tohu,

Explanation

The spies reported that “the Hittite, the Jebusite and the Amorite dwell in the mountains.” These are the seven nations who actually lived in the land, and their spiritual root is the seven emotive attributes of the World of Tohu (“chaos”), whose intense, unharmonized attributes shattered.

והם שרש השבע מדות רעות אשר צריך ליזהר מאד שלא ליפול בהמדות ההם ח״ו כי רגליה יורדות מות כו׳ וכמ״ש שבעה גוים גדולים ועצומים כו׳.

and they are the root of the seven evil attributes, regarding which one must take great care not to fall into those attributes, G‑d forbid; for “her feet go down to death,” etc.; and as it is written, “seven nations, great and mighty,” etc.

Explanation

From those attributes of Tohu come the seven evil traits in a person, and he must take great care not to fall into them, for “her feet go down to death.” This is why the seven nations are described as “great and mighty.”

אך באמת אמר ועצומים ממך ממך דוקא פי׳ שאתה מגדלם כמ״ש ירמיהו ואתם למדתם אותם עליכם אלופים לראש

But in truth it says, “and mightier than you” (mimcha): mimcha, “from you,” specifically, meaning that you make them great; as Yirmeyahu says, “And you have trained them as chiefs over you, at the head.”

Explanation

But the verse says they are “mightier than you” (mimcha), and the Alter Rebbe stresses the word: their might comes from you, because you make them great. Yirmeyahu says the same: “You have trained them as chiefs over you.”

כי מה שנחשבו לאלופי׳ ודבר גדול הוא מחמתכם שאתם מחשיבים אותם ליש וגדול הוא בעיניכם.

For that they are regarded as chiefs and as something great is because of you: because you regard them as something (yesh), and it is great in your eyes.

Explanation

The evil traits seem powerful only because a person treats them as real and important. Their greatness exists in his own eyes.

אבל באמת צריך להקטין אותם בעיניו וכמ״ש כלב סר צלם מעליהם וה׳ אתנו פי׳ שהוי׳ נמשך אתנו במקרא משנה כו׳ וכלים מכלים שונים כנ״ל

But in truth one must make them small in his eyes; as Kalev said, “Their shade has departed from them, and Havayah is with us.” That is, Havayah is drawn down with us in Scripture, Mishnah, etc., and “vessels of diverse vessels,” as mentioned above.

Explanation

In truth one must make them small in one’s eyes, as Kalev said, “Their shade has departed from them, and Havayah is with us.” “Havayah is with us” means that G‑d is drawn down into the Torah we study, Scripture, Mishnah and the rest, the “vessels of diverse vessels” described above.

(וענין שילוח המרגלים היה ע״ד שמברכים על המצות עובר לעשייתן והיינו שקודם העלאת מ״נ שהוא העלאת הדבר הגשמי שבו נעשית המצוה כמו האתרוג דנוגה צריך תחלה להיות המשכת מ״ד מלמעלה המעורר העלאת מ״נ כו׳

(The matter of the sending of the spies was along the lines of blessing over the mitzvos before their performance. That is, before the raising of mayin nukvin (feminine waters), which is the raising of the physical thing with which the mitzvah is done, such as the esrog, which is of nogah, there must first be a drawing down of mayin duchrin (masculine waters) from above, which arouses the raising of mayin nukvin, etc.

Explanation

A parenthesis explains why spies were sent at all. Just as a blessing is said before a mitzvah is done, so before the mayin nukvin, the raising up of the physical object of a mitzvah (such as the esrog, which belongs to nogah, the mixed realm that can be elevated), there must first be mayin duchrin, a flow from above that arouses that raising.

ועד״ז קודם שנכנסו כל ישראל לארץ שלח מרבע״ה איש אחד שנשמתם נמשכו מבחינת אחד כולם אנשים שהיו מבחי׳ עלמא דדכורא והוא ענין מ״ד לעורר המ״ן כו׳,

In the same way, before all Israel entered the Land, Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him, sent “one man,” whose souls were drawn from the level of “One”; “all of them men,” who were from the level of the masculine world (alma dedechura); and this is the matter of mayin duchrin, to arouse the mayin nukvin, etc.

Explanation

In the same way, before Israel entered the Land, Moshe sent one man from each tribe, men whose souls came from the level of “One” and from “the masculine world,” the realm that gives rather than receives. Their mission was to be the mayin duchrin that would arouse the elevation of the Land.

אך עד״מ כשצריכים להגביה איזה דבר שהוא ענין המ״נ צריך להשפיל א״ע למטה כדי להגביהו והם לא היה בהם שפלות זו להשפיל א״ע למטה.

But, by way of analogy, when one needs to lift something up, which is the matter of the mayin nukvin, one must lower oneself down in order to lift it; and they did not have this lowliness, to lower themselves down.

Explanation

But to lift something up, which is the work of mayin nukvin, one must bend down to it. The spies lacked this lowliness: they were unwilling to lower themselves.

אבל באמת ע״י השפלה והכנעה זו אזי אח״כ אותו הדבר שמגביה נושא את נושאיו ומגביה אותו למעלה מעלה ויובן ממ״ש במ״א ע״פ הרע״מ פ׳ תשא בענין אבנא למשקל בה דא יו״ד כו׳) וזהו ענין מנחה ונסכים.

But in truth, through this lowering and submission, afterwards the very thing that he lifts “carries its carriers” and lifts him far, far above. This will be understood from what is explained elsewhere on the Raaya Mehemna, Parshas Tisa, on the matter of “a stone to weigh with: this is the yud,” etc.) And this is the matter of the meal offering and the libations.

Explanation

Yet through bending down and submitting, the thing one lifts ends up lifting the one who lifts it, as the Ark “carried its carriers.” He refers to his explanation of the Raaya Mehemna on Tisa, “a stone to weigh with: this is the yud,” and then returns to the main theme: this is the meaning of the meal offering and the libations.

שהמנחה היא מבחינת צומח (והצומח הוא מיסוד המים היפך החי שהוא בחי׳ אש) וכל קרבן מנחתך במלח תמלח

For the meal offering is of the level of the vegetative (and the vegetative is from the element of water, the opposite of the animal, which is the level of fire); and “every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt,”

Explanation

The meal offering comes from the vegetative realm, which belongs to the element of water, unlike the animal offering, which belongs to fire. And every meal offering had to be salted.

שהוא בחינת דומם וכך ענין התפילין ושאר המצות מעשיות ירדו ונשתלשו בבחי׳ דומם כגון התפילין שבפסוק ואהבת שבק״ש.

which is the level of the inanimate. And so is the matter of tefillin and the other mitzvos of action: they descended and were drawn down by stages into the level of the inanimate, such as the tefillin in the verse “And you shall love” of the Shema.

Explanation

Salt belongs to the inanimate realm. So too tefillin and the other practical mitzvos have come down into the inanimate: the tefillin of the Shema are parchment and ink.

וכן קדש לי כל בכור שהוא בחינת חכמה עילאה נתגשם על הקלף ואותיות בדיו שהם ענינים גשמיים

And likewise “Sanctify to Me every firstborn,” which is the level of supernal Chochmah, was made physical on the parchment and in letters of ink, which are physical things;

Explanation

For example, the passage “Sanctify to Me every firstborn,” one of the passages in the tefillin, expresses supernal Chochmah, the first of the Sefiros, yet it is made physical in letters of ink on parchment.

רק שצריך להסיר הרע שבהם כמ״ש ובערת הרע מקרבך ואז נקרא ארץ מושבותיכם כמ״ש וישב ה׳ מלך לעולם.

only, one must remove the evil in them, as it is written, “And you shall eradicate the evil from your midst.” And then it is called “the land of your dwellings,” as it is written, “And Havayah sits as King forever.”

Explanation

Only the evil in physical things must be removed, as the Torah commands, “You shall eradicate the evil from your midst.” Then the land is called “the land of your dwellings,” as the Psalm says, “Havayah sits as King forever.”

פי׳ ישיבה הוא מלשון הורדה והשפלה שהיושב מוריד ומשפיל עצמו ממקום עמידתו להיות לו דירה בתחתונים וכמארז״ל משחרב בהמ״ק אין לו להקב״ה בעולמו

The meaning: sitting (yeshivah) is a term of bringing down and lowering, for one who sits brings down and lowers himself from the place where he stood, so that He has a dwelling place among the lower realms. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Since the Holy Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, blessed be He, has in His world

Explanation

“Sitting” (yeshivah) means descent: one who sits lowers himself from his standing height. G‑d’s “sitting” is His coming down to have a dwelling place in the lower realms; and the Talmud teaches that since the Holy Temple was destroyed, G‑d has in His world only the four cubits of halachah.

אלא ד׳ אמות של הלכה ובבהמ״ק כתיב כי האמנם ישב אלקים על הארץ (מ״א סי׳ ח׳ כ״ז) וכמ״ש מזה ברבות תרומה פל״ד קנ״ב א׳.

only the four cubits of halachah.” And of the Holy Temple it is written, “Will G‑d indeed dwell on the earth?” (1 Kings, chapter 8, [verse] 27). And as is explained about this in Midrash Rabbah, Terumah, chapter 34, 152a,

Explanation

The Holy Temple was G‑d’s “sitting” on earth, as Shlomo asked in wonder, “Will G‑d indeed dwell on the earth?” The Midrash on Terumah describes this same wonder, that G‑d whose glory fills all worlds should dwell in a Mishkan or a Temple.

ובפ׳ נשא פי״ב קרוב לר״פ. ועד״ז מעין זה הוא בעסק התורה כמ״ש ברבות פ׳ שמות פרשה ה׳ ע״פ בשבתו עם זקני ארץ ובפ׳ שמיני ס״פ י״א

and in Parshas Nasso, chapter 12, near the beginning of the chapter. And along these lines, something like this applies to the study of Torah, as is written in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Shemos, chapter 5, on the verse “when he sits among the elders of the land,” and in Parshas Shemini, at the end of chapter 11.

Explanation

The Midrash on Nasso has the parallel passage. Something similar applies to Torah study: on “when he sits among the elders of the land,” the Midrash describes G‑d as present, as it were, among the judges of the Sanhedrin.

אך היינו ע״י שמתחלה נודע בשערים בעלה ע״י שיעמיק ויתבונן בגדולת א״ס ב״ה כפי עומק מחשבתו לכל חד לפום שיעורא דיליה

But this is through, first, “Her husband is known in the gates”: through his going deep and contemplating the greatness of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, according to the depth of his thought, “to each one according to his own measure,”

Explanation

But this “sitting” comes about only when first “her husband is known in the gates”: each person contemplates the greatness of the Infinite One as deeply as he can. The Zohar reads “gates” (she’arim) as measuring: to each according to his own measure.

כמו דמשער בלבו כמ״ש בזח״א וירא דק״ג ע״א וכמשנ״ת לעיל ר״פ במדבר והיינו כי ישיבה ודירה זו עושין ישראל בכוונתם בתפלתם כו׳

“as he measures in his heart,” as is written in the Zohar, Part I, Vayeira, folio 103a, and as was explained above at the beginning of Parshas Bamidbar. That is, this sitting and dwelling Israel make through their intention in their prayer, etc.,

Explanation

That is, “as he measures in his heart,” as the Zohar explains and as the Alter Rebbe developed at the start of Parshas Bamidbar. Israel make G‑d’s “sitting” and dwelling below through the intention of their prayer.

דרוח אייתי רוח ואמשיך רוח (ועמ״ש סד״ה בשעה שהקדימו ישראל נעשה בענין פי׳ גבורי כח עושי דברו לשמוע בקול דברו)

for “spirit brings spirit and draws down spirit” (and see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “When Israel put ‘we will do’ first,” on the meaning of “mighty in strength, who do His word, to hearken to the voice of His word”).

Explanation

For “spirit brings spirit and draws down spirit”: the person’s spirit of devotion in prayer draws down G‑d’s presence. He refers to a discourse on Israel’s “we will do” before “we will hear,” explaining “mighty in strength, who do His word.”

ולכן נקרא ארץ מושבותיכם דייקא שאתם מיישבים אותה וכמארז״ל א״ת בניך אלא בוניך ע״י ההלכות המלובשים בדברים תחתונים

Therefore it is called “the land of your dwellings,” precisely: that you settle it. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Do not read banayich (‘your children’) but bonayich (‘your builders’)”: through the halachos that are enclothed in lower things,

Explanation

This is why the Torah says “the land of your dwellings”: it is you who settle it, making it a dwelling for G‑d. As the Sages read “your children” as “your builders,” Israel build that dwelling through the halachos, which are clothed in lowly physical things.

כמו דומם וצומח שבנסכים וד״ל (ועמ״ש ע״פ וישב יעקב כו׳ בארץ כנען וזהו כענין ארץ מושבותיכם המבואר כאן שאתם מיישבים אותה ועי׳ בזהר בפ׳ בהר) (דק״ח ע״א) הה״ד

like the inanimate and the vegetative in the libations; and this suffices for one who understands. (And see what is written on the verse “And Yaakov dwelt,” etc., “in the land of Canaan”; and this is like the matter of “the land of your dwellings” explained here, that you settle it. And see the Zohar, in Parshas Behar) (folio 108a): as it is written,

Explanation

Those lowly things are like the inanimate and vegetative elements of the libations, and the rest is left for the reader to grasp. In a parenthesis he refers to a discourse on “And Yaakov dwelt … in the land of Canaan,” which makes the same point about settling the land, and to the Zohar on Behar.

כי תבאו וגו׳ ושבתה הארץ נייחא ודאי ועמ״ש סד״ה המגביהי לשבת ועיין ברבות בשלח ר״פ כ״ג ע״פ נכון כסאך מאז בענין המשל אגוסטוס יושב כו׳

“When you come,” etc., “the land shall rest”: rest, indeed. And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “Who is enthroned on high”; and see Midrash Rabbah, Beshalach, at the beginning of chapter 23, on the verse “Your throne is established from of old,” regarding the parable “Augustus is seated,” etc.;

Explanation

The Zohar reads “When you come into the land … the land shall rest” as true rest. He also refers to a discourse on “Who is enthroned on high” and to the Midrash on “Your throne is established from of old,” whose parable contrasts a king, who stands, with an Augustus, who is seated.

ע״ש וזהו ועתיק יומין יתיב. ועמ״ש ע״פ תבנה ותכונן עיר סיחון. וע״פ וכל בניך כו׳ בענין בוניך.

see there. And this is [the meaning of] “and the Ancient of Days (Atik Yomin) sat.” And see what is written on the verse “Let the city of Sichon be built and established,” and on the verse “And all your children,” etc., on the matter of “your builders.”

Explanation

In the Midrash, G‑d’s throne becomes settled, He is “seated,” once Israel sing at the Sea; this, the Alter Rebbe says, is the meaning of Daniel’s vision, “and the Ancient of Days sat.” He also refers to explanations of “Let the city of Sichon be built and established” and of “And all your children,” read as “your builders.”

ועיין בזח״ג דקמ״א ע״ב ע״פ כתפארת אדם לשבת בית ועמ״ש מענין בית וחצר הפנימית בד״ה וארשתיך לי:

And see the Zohar, Part III, folio 141b, on the verse “according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house”; and see what is written on the matter of the house and the inner courtyard in the discourse beginning “And I will betroth you to Me.”

Explanation

Last, he points to the Zohar on “according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house,” and to a discourse on “And I will betroth you to Me” about the house and the inner courtyard, images of G‑d’s dwelling.

Paragraph 18 in brief

The spies’ error and the meaning of the meal offering and libations come together: G‑d’s dwelling below is made only by bending down into physical mitzvos and halachah, salt and parchment and ink, once the evil in them is removed. This “sitting,” G‑d’s descent to dwell below through Israel’s prayer and Torah, is what makes the Land “the land of your dwellings,” settled by Israel.

Deeper

Sending the spies was meant as the mayin duchrin that would arouse the Land’s elevation, but elevation requires bending down, which they lacked. The theme of “sitting” (yeshivah) runs through “He formed it for dwelling,” “Havayah sits as King,” the Augustus parable and “the Ancient of Days sat”: in each, G‑d’s settled presence comes about through descent.

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    החתי היבוסי והאמורי יושב בהר · Numbers 13:29
  2. 2
    רגליה יורדות מות · Proverbs 5:5
  3. 3
    כמ״ש ירמי׳ ואתם למדתם אותם · Jeremiah 13:21
  4. 4
    סר צלם מעליהם · Numbers 14:9
  5. 5
    איש אחד · Numbers 13:2
  6. 6
    כולם אנשים · Numbers 13:3
  7. 7
    במ״א ע״פ ברע״מ פ׳ תשא · ביאה״ז לאדה״א.
  8. 8
    וכל קרבן מנחתך במלח תמלח · Leviticus 2:13
  9. 9
    קדש לי כל בכור · Exodus 13:2
  10. 10
    וישב ה׳ מלך לעולם · Psalms 29:10
  11. 11
    פי׳ ישיבה הוא מלשון הורדה · ראה ספר החקירה פ, ב.
  12. 12
    משחרב ביהמ״ק אין לו להקב״ה · Berakhot 8a:18–19
  13. 13
    כי האמנם ישב אלקים על הארץ · I Kings 8:27
  14. 14
    כי האמנם ישב אלקים על הארץ · Shemot Rabbah 34:1
  15. 15
    ברבות תרומה פל״ד . . ובפ׳ נשא פי״ב · הלשון נעתק באוה״ת נ״ך כרך-א ע׳ קכח.
  16. 16
    בשבתו עם זקני ארץ · Shemot Rabbah 5:12
  17. 17
    בשבתו עם זקני ארץ · Vayikra Rabbah 11:8
  18. 18
    נודע בשערים בעלה · Proverbs 31:23
  19. 19
    נודע בשערים בעלה · Zohar, Vayera 7:140–9:152
  20. 20
    וכמשנ״ת לעיל ר״פ במדבר · א, א. וראה לקמן מטות פה, ב.
  21. 21
    סד״ה בשעה שהקדימו · לעיל פ׳ במדבר יג, ד ואילך.
  22. 22
    בשעה שהקדימו ישראל נעשה · Shabbat 88a:7–8
  23. 23
    גבורי כח עושי דברו לשמוע בקול דברו · Psalms 103:20
  24. 24
    וישב יעקב כו׳ בארץ כנען · Genesis 37:1
  25. 25
    כי תבאו וגו׳ ושבתה הארץ · Leviticus 25:2
  26. 26
    ושבתה הארץ נייחא ודאי · Zohar, Behar 1:3–4:13
  27. 27
    המגביהי לשבת · Psalms 113:5
  28. 28
    נכון כסאך מאז · Psalms 93:2
  29. 29
    נכון כסאך מאז בענין המשל אגוסטוס יושב · Shemot Rabbah 23:1
  30. 30
    ועתיק יומין יתיב · Daniel 7:9
  31. 31
    תבנה ותכונן עיר סיחון · Numbers 21:27
  32. 32
    וכל בניך · Isaiah 54:13
  33. 33
    כתפארת אדם לשבת בית · Isaiah 44:13
  34. 34
    כתפארת אדם לשבת בית · Zohar, Idra Rabba 41:297–42:309
  35. 35
    וארשתיך לי · Hosea 2:21

Summary ¶19

19קיצור. ענין השרפים הם מבחי׳ יסוד האש האלקי וכמ״כ יש בחינה זו בנפש האלקית רק שהוא כלולה מד״י.

Summary. The matter of the seraphim: they are from the level of the G‑dly element of fire. And likewise this level is in the G‑dly soul, only that it is composed of the four elements.

Explanation

The maamar closes with a summary. The seraphim come from the G‑dly element of fire; the G‑dly soul has this same fire, but in man it is joined with all four elements.

וכתיב והוי׳ יגיה חשכי. והיינו ע״י ק״ש בהתבוננות באמרו הוי׳ אלקינו ועי״ז יבא לבחינת ואהבת.

And it is written, “And Havayah illumines my darkness.” That is, through the Shema, with contemplation, when he says “Havayah is our G‑d”; and through this he will come to the level of “And you shall love.”

Explanation

The verse “Havayah illumines my darkness” is fulfilled through the Shema, by contemplating “Havayah is our G‑d.” This contemplation brings a person to “And you shall love,” the love of G‑d.

וזהו אש אוכלה. ועכ״ז להגביר רק יסוד האש האלקי אין די כ״א שצ״ל אח״כ המשכה ע״י מצות וזהו הוקשה כל התורה לתפילין וזהו את היד הגדולה כו׳

And this is “a consuming fire.” Even so, strengthening only the G‑dly element of fire is not enough; rather, there must afterwards be a drawing down through mitzvos. And this is [the meaning of] “The whole Torah is likened to tefillin,” and this is “the great hand,” etc.

Explanation

That love is “fire consuming fire,” the G‑dly fire consuming the natural one. Yet fervor alone is not enough: it must be followed by drawing G‑dliness down through mitzvos, the meaning of “the whole Torah is likened to tefillin” and of “the great hand.”

אך בהשוב צריך ליזהר שלא יפול והיינו על ידי לעולם ירגיז. וזהו ענין מנחה ונסכים. ארץ מושבותיכם:

But in the returning (shov) one must take care not to fall, and that is through “A person should always rouse to rage.” And this is the matter of the meal offering and the libations. “The land of your dwellings.”

Explanation

In the “return” (shov), the descent from fervor back into physical deeds, one must guard against falling, by rousing the good inclination against the evil inclination. This is the meaning of the meal offering and the libations, and of “the land of your dwellings.”

Paragraph 19 in brief

The summary retraces the maamar: the G‑dly fire kindled through the Shema, the need to follow it by drawing G‑dliness down through mitzvos, and the care against falling in that descent, which together make the Land “the land of your dwellings.”

Marei mekomos

  1. 1
    והוי׳ יגיה חשכי · II Samuel 22:29
  2. 2
    הוי׳ אלקינו · Deuteronomy 6:4
  3. 3
    ואהבת · Deuteronomy 6:5
  4. 4
    הוקשה כל התורה לתפילין · Kiddushin 35a:5
  5. 5
    את היד הגדולה · Exodus 14:31
  6. 6
    לעולם ירגיז · Berakhot 5a:2
  7. 7
    ארץ מושבותיכם · Numbers 15:2

Finished the maamar?

Mark it as learned; it counts toward the week and the year’s siyum.

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In one’s avodah

Recite the Shema with real contemplation of G‑d’s oneness and of the soul’s root in Him, so that the heart’s fire for G‑d overpowers the heat of worldly desire. But do not rest on that fervor: draw it down into tefillin, Torah study and practical mitzvos, even honest business and charity, lowering yourself to G‑d’s will. In that descent, guard against falling by turning your anger against your own evil inclination, never against others: in the Shema, see a day spent far from G‑d as if it were casting off the yoke, and do not regard the evil traits as great, for “Havayah is with us” in the Torah.

Questions for discussion

  1. Why is the fervor of the Shema compared to a burnt offering, and what is the “fire consuming fire” in a person?
  2. Why is self-nullification in physical mitzvos higher than the fervor of love, which is called only “wings”?
  3. How can “the great hand,” the boundless Infinite Light, be present in laws about agriculture, festivals or business?
  4. Why, according to the maamar, did the spies, “the generation of knowledge,” refuse to enter Canaan, and what does this say about lofty spiritual experience?
  5. What does it mean to rouse the good inclination to rage against the evil inclination, and how does that anger make a person kinder to others?

Key terms in this maamar

The Name Havayahהוי׳
The Tetragrammaton: G‑d as transcending time and bringing all into being.
The Shechinah (Divine Presence)שכינה
G‑d's presence as it dwells in the world.
The G‑dly soulנפש האלקית
The soul that is 'a part of G‑d above'. ×1
The chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus)השתלשלות
The step-by-step descent of divine light from the highest level down to this world. ×3
The animal soulנפש הבהמית
The soul that animates the body and its drives. ×3
Life-forceחיות
The divine vitality that sustains every creation. ×5
The Name Elokimאלקים
G‑d as concealed within nature, measuring and limiting. ×12
The Infinite One (Ein Sof)אין סוף
G‑d's own boundless essence.
The Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof)אור אין סוף
G‑d's light as it is, beyond all limits, before any contraction.
The light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin)ממלא כל עלמין
Divine light that enters each world and gives it life according to its measure.
The light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin)סובב כל עלמין
Divine light too great to enter the worlds; it 'surrounds' them and affects them from beyond.
Malchus (sovereignty)מלכות
Kingship: the level through which G‑d's word creates and rules the worlds. ×2
The Holy One, blessed be Heקב״ה
The inner dimension (pnimiyus)פנימיות
The innermost core of a level. ×2
The intellect (mochin)מוחין
Chochmah, Binah and Daas as a whole. ×1
The Sefirosספירות
The ten divine attributes through which G‑d relates to creation. ×1
A dwelling place among the lower realmsדירה בתחתונים
The purpose of creation: that G‑d be at home in this world. ×2
Chochmah (wisdom)חכמה
The first flash of insight. ×5
Chesed (kindness)חסד
Expansive giving. ×5
Willרצון
Desire; in G‑d, the level above intellect. ×5
Self-nullification (bittul)ביטול
Setting aside one's own sense of self before G‑d. ×1
Gevurah (restraint)גבורה
Measure, limitation and judgment. ×2
The emotive attributes (middos)מדות
Love, awe, compassion and the rest. ×3
Yesod (foundation)יסוד
The channel that connects and transmits. ×22

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Contents

Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורה

Parshas Shelachשלח

  1. 1שלח לך אנשים כו׳“Send for yourself men” (Numbers 13:2)
  2. 2ויאמרו אל כל עדת בני ישראל…“And they said to the whole congregation of the Children of Israel” (Numbers 14:7)
  3. 3ועתה יגדל נא כח אדני כאשר…“And now, please, let the power of Ado-nai be great” (Numbers 14:17)
  4. 4ביאור ע״פ ועתה יגדל הנ״לAn explanation of “And now, let [the power] be great” (Numbers 14:17)
  5. 5בפ׳ נסכים כתיב כי תבאו אל…In the section on the libations it is written, “When you come into the land of your dwellings”
    1. The question, and the burnt offering of the Shema ¶1–3
    2. Renewing the fire through the Shema ¶4–6
    3. Near to Him, and gathering the inclinations ¶7–11
    4. Fervor is not enough: the dwelling below ¶12–13
    5. The hornet: holy anger against one’s evil ¶14–16
    6. The spies, the seven nations, and the land of your dwellings ¶17–18
    7. Summary ¶19
    1. 1
    2. 2
    3. 3
    4. 4
    5. 5
    6. 6
    7. 7
    8. 8
    9. 9
    10. 10
    11. 11
    12. 12
    13. 13
    14. 14
    15. 15
    16. 16
    17. 17
    18. 18
    19. 19
  6. 6ענין הנסכיםThe matter of the libations
  7. 7ויהיו בני ישראל במדבר וימצאו איש…“And the Children of Israel were in the wilderness, and they found a man gathering wood” (Numbers 15:32)
  8. 8קצת ביאור ע״פ מקושש עצים הנ״לA brief explanation of “gathering wood”
  9. 9והיה לכם לציצית וראיתם אותו וזכרתם…“And it shall be to you as tzitzis, and you shall see it and remember” (Numbers 15:39)
  10. 10ביאור ע״פ והיה לכם לציצית כו׳…An explanation of the verse “And it shall be for you as tzitzis”: “The heart sees”
  11. 11והיה לכם לציצית וראיתם אותו וזכרתם…“And it shall be to you as tzitzis, and you shall see it and remember…”
  12. 12ביאר ע״פ והיה לכם לציציתAn explanation of the verse “And it shall be for you as tzitzis”
  13. 13[נמשך לדרוש דלעיל]Continuing the Discourse Above
  14. 14אני ה׳ אלקיכם אשר הוצאתי אתכם…“I am Havayah your G‑d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Numbers 15:41)
  15. 15מעט ביאור ע״פ אני דפ׳ ציצית
  16. 16אני ה׳ אלקיכם אשר הוצאתי אתכם…
  17. 17ביאור הדברים ע״פ אני כו׳ דפ׳…
  18. 18וישלח יהושע מן השיטים שנים אנשים…