Torah Ohr · Sefer Bereishis · Shabbos November 21
פרשת ויצא
Parshas Vayeitzei
5 maamarim of the Alter Rebbe on the parsha, in the Hebrew of the Kehot edition, with every marei makom opened right where it appears. Each small section with a faithful English translation and a short explanation.
Begin with maamar 1 ContinueThe parsha as a PDFPDF · 1.8 MBText onlyThe Hebrew and the translation · PDF · 563 KBThe parsha as an EPUBEPUB · 295 KB
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The maamarim 5
- ושבתי בשלום אל בית אבי והיה הוי׳ לי… “And I Shall Return in Peace to My Father’s House” Yaakov’s descent to Charan is the descent of divine light into a world that seems separate from G‑d; by raising its “stones,” the letters of creation, and drawing supernal wisdom into Torah and mitzvos, that darkness is turned into light, and this brings about a future delight so great that even the Name Havayah will be like a mere “Elokim” beside it.
- ביאור על הנ״ל An Explanation of the Above Yaakov, whose name joins the yud to the heel, draws the Infinite Light that is above all worlds down to the lowest level: by raising lifeless “stones,” the letters and the self-effacing Chochmah of the soul, and by descending to Charan to transform its darkness, he makes even the lowest into a “house of Elokim,” so much so that in the future even Havayah as it fills the worlds will seem only a concealment, Elokim.
- וללבן שתי בנות וגו׳ And Lavan Had Two Daughters Leah and Rachel are divine thought and divine speech, the hidden and the revealed worlds. Yaakov loved Rachel more because the Infinite Light is drawn down most fully through speech and action, where everyone can receive it, though thought must always accompany it.
- אם לא תדעי לך היפה בנשים צאי לך… “If you do not know for yourself, O fairest among women” The soul’s beauty has two levels: well-formed love and awe (“beautiful form”) and the inner desire of the heart that shines on the face (“beautiful appearance”). Souls that cannot reach them through contemplation are told to “go out in the footsteps of the flock”: to begin with Torah and mitzvos, which come from a level above the chain of worlds and lift the soul up to that beauty.
- וישכם לבן בבקר וינשק לבניו ולבנותיו ויברך אתהם כו׳ “And Lavan rose early in the morning, and he kissed his sons and his daughters” The Patriarchs’ open revelation of G‑dliness reaches ordinary souls through the level of the Tribes: compassion for one’s own G‑dly spark, aroused in prayer, draws down supernal mercy from the Supernal Whiteness (“Lavan”) beyond all worlds, which is then carried into Torah and mitzvos through the day.
Learn it in seven days Sunday to Shabbos
The Rebbe asked that all the maamarim of the week’s parsha be learned in that week, spread over its seven days. Here is the parsha in seven portions of about equal length.