Parshas Devarim English

7/31/2019 Parshas Devarim English

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/parshas-devarim-english 1/25





D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Devarim

3

Shalosh Seudos1 of Parshas Devarim 5767

" --: -

-,...,,,.

,;,...-

,, ,:,

,".

“These are the words which Moshe spoke to all Yisrael beyond the Yarden; in the

wilderness, in the Aravah, over against Suf, between Paran and Tofel, and Laban,

and Hazteros, and Di-zahav... ‘How can I myself alone bear your encumbrance,

and your burden, and your strife? Get you, from each one of your tribes, men who

are wise, with understanding, and full of knowledge, and I will make them heads

over you.’ So I took the heads of your tribes, men who were wise and full of

knowledge, and made them heads over you; captains of thousands, and captains of

hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, tribe by tribe.”2

Rashi writes: “‘Men’—could we have possibly thought that Moshe was asking them to

find women to appoint as judges? [Surely not, since women are halachically prohibited

to act as judges.] The verse says ‘men’ to teach that they were tzaddikim. ‘Wise’—this

teaches that they were kisufim, which means beloved by their fellow man for their

wisdom and modesty. [Kisufim means desire, and it also means shamefacedness. The

Maharal explains that this if someone’s every action is based on wisdom, people willlove him. This is an essential characteristic for a judge since people are more likely to

1The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos.

2 Devarim 1:1,12-13,15




4

obey those whom they love.3] ‘Understanding’—this refers to people who understand

one thing from another. When Arius asked Rabbi Yossi to explain the difference

between a chacham and a navon, he explained with a parable: A chacham is like a

wealthy moneychanger who evaluates [and exchanges] coins that are brought to him,

but at other times he does nothing. A navon is like a moneychanger who is also a

merchant. He evaluates coins that are brought to him, but during slower periods he

brings in money of his own [through doing business]. ‘Men who were wise and full of

knowledge’—the omission of the term ‘understanding’ from Moshe’s descriptionteaches that he did not find anyone with that quality. This was one of the seven qualities

that Yisro discussed with Moshe, but Moshe found judges with only three of them:

tzaddikim, chachamim, and yedu’im.

Tzion and Yerushalayim

On the surface it seems strange that Moshe was unable to locate men of

‘understanding.’ To grasp why this was so, we must first explore the precise meaning of

the term nevonim. The Arizal explains that although Moshe did not find people who

[personified the characteristic] of Binah which is related to the Yovel, the Jubilee, he did

nevertheless find people on the lower level of Tevunah.4

This can be more clearly

understood in light of Rebbe Nachman’s explanation of one of the Rabbah bar Bar

Chanah tales: “One time when we were on a ship on the sea we saw a fish. Because

of the [abundance of] sand and grasses which grew on it we thought it was an

island. We disembarked and cooked and baked on [the surface of the island which

was really] the creature’s back. When it got hot, it flipped over. If we had not been

close to the ship we all would have drowned.”5

Rebbe Nachman explains: “‘We saw a fish’—the fish being on its back alludes

to our exile, during which Hashem [turns and] hides His face from us. As it says in the

3 Gur Aryeh, ad loc.

4 Sha’ar Halikutim, Devarim

5 Bava Basra 73b




5

verse, "," —“You hid Your face from me, I was frightened.”6

The

face indicates mercy, while turning one’s back indicates judgment. All of our prayers

and petitions to Hashem are that He should stop standing with His back to us, so to

speak. We beg Him to turn toward us. As the verse states, "," —“Turn to me

and be gracious to me...”7 We also find in the priestly blessing, "',

" —“May Hashem shine His countenance upon you, and be gracious to you.”8

As we endure our seemingly endless exile, some of our fellow Jews mistakenly

feel in their hearts that all our prayers achieve nothing, G-d forbid. But the truth is thatthe tzaddikim of every generation lift up and establish our prayers, just as the verse

states regarding Moshe who “raised up” the Mishkan.9 The tzaddikim are placing each

part, each limb of the structure of prayer, in its proper place to build the Shechinah a

little at a time until it will finally be upright. Then, Moshiach who is an aspect of Moshe

will finally come and perfect the Shecinah and uplift it and repair it completely.

This is the meaning of the words: ‘One time when we were on a ship on the

sea we saw a fish...’ The fish symbolizes the tzaddik of the generation who is an aspect

of Moshe-Moshiach. [It emerges from the words of the Maharal that just as a fish livesin the water which is removed from the material world, a tzaddik lives on a completely

different plane where spiritual realities are paramount.10 The Arizal points out that fish

represent a very high level of providence since its eyes are always open. The tzaddikim

draw down a very strong degree of Divine providence upon the Jewish people.]

‘Because of the sand...’ This alludes to the prayers that we say before Hashem.

[One reason why sand represents prayers is because it can be used to build. Another

possible reason is because in order to pray effectively one must have humility, one must

be like dirt to all. As we say after every Amidah, " " ] These prayersmust be brought to the tzaddik of the generation. The words for the sand which was

6 Tehillim 30:8

7Ibid. 86:16

8 Bamidbar 6:25

9 Shemos 40:18

10 Gur Aryeh, Parshas Noach for his explanation of why fish were not damaged in the flood.




6

‘gathered,’ "" , also means to bring, since we must bring our and bind our

prayers to the tzaddik of the generation. As the verse states, “And they brought the

Mishkan to Moshe...”11

‘…And grasses which grew on it...’ This alludes to the souls that are formed

by words of Torah and which enter into one’s prayers. We find that souls are called

grass in the verse, ", " —“I cause you to increase, I have made you

like the growth of the field.”12

‘We thought it was an island...’ The word used for island here— "" —means dry, and is a reference to dry land. In our context, this refers to prayers that

appear to be ineffectual and dry, since they don’t seem to produce any fruit. But the

truth is that all prayer has an effect.

‘We disembarked...’ The word means we arrived, but in the context of

this lesson this means that our prayers do ascend and arrive above. The more we pray,

the more the Shechinah is built up and is prepared for a yichud with Hashem [which is a

revelation of a much higher level of Divine providence].

‘Cooked and baked on...’ Cooking and baking are how we prepare to eat.Eating is also a form of yichud , as we see from the verse which alludes to the wife of

Potifar, that she was, “the bread that he did eat.”13 [By eating with deep understanding,

one merits a deep closeness to Hashem which is a union, much in the way that eating is

the way in which both the eater and the eaten are joined together.]

When the entire structure of the Shechinah is finally complete through so many

[generations of] prayers, Hashem’s mercy will be aroused and He will ‘turn’ from

judgment to mercy. Therefore, ‘When it got hot’—Hashem’s mercy was aroused. ‘It

flipped over’—the attribute of strict justice transformed into mercy.

11 Shemos 39:33

12 Yechezkel 16:7

13 Bereishis 39:6




7

The verse states, “For My sake, for My sake, I will do it.”14

The Midrash

explains the verse, “Who came before Me, that I should pay him?”15

—“Who puts up a

mezuzah before I give him a house...?”16

Since Hashem Himself enables all of our

accomplishments, it is really the case that every good deed or prayer is really from Him.

It follows that one should not anticipate a reward for anything, since Hashem enabled us

to acquire the merit in the first place by giving us the means to fulfill His will.

Although it appears as though the ultimate redemption will come about as a

result of our prayers and Torah learning, in truth we are dependent on Hashem’skindness. It is only through His mercy that we will be redeemed. This is the meaning of

the words in the story: ‘If we had not been close to the ship...’ The word for ship—

—also alludes to an aspect of kindness. As our sages taught, “Most , sailors,

are chassidim [literally, they are pious, but the word is from the root of chessed ,

kindness].”17 Were it not for His kindness, ‘...we all would have drowned’—in our

exile, chas v’shalom.”18

Before we delve into what this means, it is important to explain that there are

two different levels, Tzion and Yerushalayim. Yerushalayim refers to Mount Moriah,while Tzion refers to the City of Dovid.

19In the City of Dovid, the kings who descended

from Dovid sat and ruled. This city was very near to the Beis Hamikdashk, which was

on the “mountain of Hashem.”

The Baal HaTanya explains that in spiritual terms, there are two aspects of

Malchus which the Zohar calls the heart.20 Tzion is the innermost aspect and

Yerushalayim is the outer aspect of Malchus. About the outermost aspect, “My soul will

weep in secret”—since this is the place of Hashem mourning over the exile of His

14 Yeshayah 48:11

15 Iyov 41:3

16 Midrash Rabbah, Vayikra 27

17 Kiddushin 82a

18The entire interpretation of the aggadata until here is from Likutei Moharan I:2.

19 Melachim I:8:1

20 Tikunei Zohar 21:49a; Chagigah 5b




8

children.21

However, “Strength and joy are in His place”—in His innermost place,

where there is always rejoicing.22

Every Prayer Has Its Effect

The Baal Shem Tov stressed that while every Jew stands up to pray and petition

Hashem he must believe with complete faith that every prayer ascends on high and is

accepted. The Arizal teaches on the verse, “And I am prayer,”23 that the Shechinah is

referred to as prayer.24 So why are we so distant from true prayer? The simple reason is

that the Shechinah is degraded, she is down “in the dust” since we do not value our

prayers as we should. We lack true belief in prayer and so we are far from it.

But the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash depends on rebuilding our

understanding and our emunah and dveikus in the Shechinah [Hashem’s presence in the

world and in our personal lives]. We must realize how elevated and exalted the

Shechinah is, since the highest pinnacle of spiritual development depends on the

Shechinah.

The Beis Hamikdash wasn’t only destroyed physically, it was destroyed

spiritually as well. The practical result of this is that we sometimes do not feel as though

our prayers make an immediate impression. At such times we must connect to the inner

aspect of Tzion, which alludes to Yesod / Foundation [since this represents connecting to

the level where every prayer bears fruit]. This aspect which represents the City of

Dovid, finds expression in the concept of —“Dovid, King of

Yisrael, is alive and exists.” On this level one realizes that there is no such thing as

death or destruction in spiritual matters. In the deepest recesses of one’s heart he sees

that his prayers do have an immediate effect. Even though he does not grasp this in

material terms, in spiritual terms every detail of his prayer is accepted and fulfilled.

21 Yirmiyah 13:17

22 Divrei Hayamim I:16, 27

23 Tehillim 109:4

24 Pri Eitz Chaim, Hakdamas Hatefillah




9

“It Will be Rebuilt in Fire”

A tzaddik who contemplates Hashem on the level of the world of Binah and

beyond will certainly believe completely in the power of every spoken prayer. Even an

unspoken prayer that emerges from the deepest depths of his soul is like a spoken prayer

which is immediately answered. And through these tzaddikim we will also grasp the

power of our prayers.

This is the deeper meaning of the words of our sages, “It was consumed in fire,

and it will be rebuilt in fire.”

25

It will be rebuilt in the merit of the righteous who are—“men of Binah / Understanding” who are connected to the world of fire,

of Binah in the world of Atzilus. Not merely Tevunah, which is a deep contemplation

how Hashem is revealed in shallow material terms. Binah within Atzilus is a deep

contemplation of the Creator Himself and His absolute unity, which is completely

beyond any superficial level. In the merit of these tzaddikim the Beis Hamikdash will be

rebuilt—and so will our Da’as, our own G-dly awareness.

The tzadikim also mourn the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash during the three

weeks. They feel the pain of the holy Shechinah and the appalling desecration of Hashem’s Name that our long exile causes. Hashem’s face has been obscured from us

for so many years. Every Jew goes through so much pain and difficulty in material and

spiritual matters. Yet at the same time, this tzaddik connects to the aspect of Tzion—of

“Dovid King of Yisrael is alive and exists.” It is in this place that the fire through which

the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt can be found.

The connection with Tzion is so essential because the redemption depends on

the aspect of, “sorry and sighing will flee.”26 We must all feel such joy in Hashem that it

is as if the ultimate redemption has already come, and we must take this with us when

we face the bitter reality of the destruction. Through “borrowing” the joy of the future

world, we are empowered to petition Hashem with our entire being since we know how

potent every prayer truly is. We will rejoice further at every prayer since every prayer

25From the Nachem prayer that we say on Tisha B’Av during Minchah.

26 Yeshayah 51:11




10

brings the redemption closer. Every Divine unification and prayer completely changes

the world

Hashem sent a sign of redemption to the Jewish people through Moshe, “I will

be as I will be”—just as I am with them in this exile, so will I be with them in future

exiles. The Ramban explains that we need no further sign or proof, since the fact that

Hashem listens to and answers our prayers is the clearest sign possible that He is with us

in our exile.27

We must be ever vigilant never to give up on our efforts to pray for whateverwe need and especially for the ultimate redemption. If we pray with our entire heart for

that which we really and truly need for ourselves and the entire world, we will surely be

answered, since prayer is the highest level. The only reason why we often do not see

how our prayers are answered is the clouding influence of our exile. Even if it seems as

though we have not received what we asked for, we must believe that our prayers

achieved a more important goal. The most important aim is that Hashem’s Kingship be

revealed as soon as possible. This is the purpose of all of creation: to reveal the light of

Hashem in the lower worlds.

Carrying the Aron Hakodesh

When a person asks Hashem to help him attain a spiritual goal and this is not

granted he must feel certain that his prayers have been answered in heaven. If he asked

to complete a tractate or attain some other goal, it is counted in heaven as if he actually

achieved these milestones. The more we work on praying with greater emunah and

dveikus, the more we achieve.

In addition, every person who does manage to achieve the spiritual goal he

requested from Hashem does so only due to the prayers of those who asked for this and

appeared not to have been answered. This explains why the moment one begs Hashem

to fulfill a mitzvah with his whole heart, it is as if he has done so.

27 Shemos 3:14




11

This is similar to the teaching of the Arizal, that through doing yichudim

throughout the day, it is as if the person focusing on them has created the entire world

and merits a very great spiritual reward.28

This is also reminiscent of the words of Rav

Nosson of Breslov regarding Korach’s error. He taught that Korach assumed that since

only he had merited the distinction of carrying the Aron Hakodesh, he was of greater

stature than Moshe Rabbeinu. What he did not understand was that although Moshe did

not physically carry the Aron Hakodesh, it was only in the merit of the holiness of

Moshe that Korach was able to carry this most holy vessel and its contents.

29

Similarly, if a Jew asks Hashem for help to attain some goal and then sees it

accomplished by someone else he should rejoice since it is as if he himself had achieved

it. But if he continues to plead with Hashem and refuses to give up, he will eventually

find his request fulfilled in himself as well.

The Power of Tisha B’Av

Rav Pinchas of Koritz would say that Tisha B’Av is a very auspicious time for

prayer, because on that day all Jews connect to the Shechinah. A person who needs any

kind of deliverance can achieve it much more easily on Tisha B’Av. This is especially

true regarding prayers to bring the final redemption.

Although on the one hand we must mourn our long exile and lost Beis

Hamikdash on this day, at the same time we must also realize that at that very same time

we are connecting to Hashem Himself, which is an aspect of Tzion. This deep closeness

to Hashem afforded to us on this day is in itself a comfort for us since we know that

through true dveikus, the Beis Hamikdash will indeed be rebuilt.

The avodah of the tzaddikim on Tisha B’Av is to connect to Moshe Rabbeinu,

the faithful shepherd of the Jewish people. Moshe himself petitioned Hashem with 515

prayers that he merit to enter the holy land, but he was denied. If he only would have

28 Sha’ar Hakavanos, Drushei Halailah, #4

29 Likutei Halachos, Hilchos Areiv, Halachah 5




12

been allowed to enter the land, we would have built a Beis Hamikdash that would never

have been destroyed, since it would have triggered the ultimate redemption.30

On this day, when we say the words of Yirmiyahu, “ Eichah—how does the city

sit solitary!”31 we should certainly remember Moshe, since Yirmiyahu stemmed from

the soul of Moshe.32 Yirmiyahu surely cries with us on this day of commemoration of

the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. But of course, the point of Moshe that exists

within each and every person can never be touched by any trace of destruction. We see

this from the unsuccessful attempt of the people of Yirmiyahu’s generation to silencehim by murder. It is impossible to quench the absolute truth. If it were possible, the

world would revert to absolute chaos.

Moshe and Yirmiyahu arouse within us the deep understanding that every Jew

is really one with his fellow Jew. We are all one soul, the collective vehicle of the

Shechinah, which is the source of all Jewish souls. On this day when we wish to rectify

the destruction we must work hard to erase the main blemish which caused the

destruction of the Beis Hamikdash: a lack of proper respect for our fellow Jews.33

Malchus which is an aspect of the Shechinah is called kavod , honor, for this veryreason.34 We only see the outer aspects of the Shechinah. This is why we see our

friend’s outer trappings but we fail to perceive his inner self, which is really at one with

every Jew. We fail to see the respect due to every Jew because we do not delve into his

essence.

The rectification for this failing is through, “men who are wise, understanding,

and full of knowledge,” through those who follow the path of Moshe Rabbeinu who

himself ascended to the heights of Binah, through which Yesod D’Abba in Atzilus is

revealed. In practical terms this level indicates that someone attains a deep sensitivity to

the G-dly glory within every Jew. He sees the hardship and pain that each person

30For example, see Tiferes Shlomo, Chukas; and Sefas Emes, V’eschanan

31 Eichah 1:1

32See Kehillas Yaakov, Erech Yirmiyahu; Megaleh Amukos, V’eschanan, # 84

33 Yoma 9b

34 Pri Eitz Chaim, Kriyas Shema pg. 29




13

endures while at the same time seeing how everyone is one united soul. He prays for all

Jews as one and perceives how every prayer is immediately effective. And, most

importantly, he ascends from the aspect of Tzion to that of Yerushalayim by ceaselessly

petitioning Hashem regarding the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. This is the deeper

meaning of the proximity of Tzion to Yerushalayim: from the joy evident in the

innermost aspect, one sees that the deliverance of the outer aspects is so very near.

Adorning the Shechinah

One time the Arizal said to his students on a certain Erev Shabbos, “Let us

perform certain yichudim to enable us to jump to the Kosel and bring the ultimate

redemption.” But the students did not understand the significance of that instant and

wanted time to talk this proposition over with their families. The deeper meaning of this

story is that the students failed to grasp that one can be endlessly stubborn until he gets

his way. We can all be free of all the darkness which is an aspect of Erev Shabbos and

bind ourselves to the deeper aspect of the Kosel HaMa’aravi. In Hebrew, the word kosel

can form two words: "" . " is the numerical value of the Shem HaVaYaH . [ " =

10 + 5 + 6 + 5 = 26] The " has a numerical value of 430, the same as five times

Elokim [ =86 ; 5x86=430] These five Elokim Names that are associated with

heavenly judgments are sweetened by the " , by the twenty-six of the Shem HaVaYaH .

We must work to attain absolute emunah in our prayers, since we will merit to

be redeemed through emunah and the practical application of it which is heartfelt

prayer. We must believe that Hashem answers us at every time that we have a difficulty

and call to Him with our entire hearts. We must fix this belief so powerfully that we are

filled with joy in Hashem’s deliverance. In this manner. the Beis Hamikdash will be

rebuilt speedily in our days.

This was the way of Dovid Hamelech. Throughout the trials that he suffered at

every moment of his life he always strengthened himself in Hashem and petitioning

before Him regarding his difficulties. Despite his tests and his loss of connection with

Hashem [judged according to his great level], he would immediately stand up to pray




14

with unshakable belief in the potency of his prayers. “I will exalt You, Hashem, for You

have raised me up... You have raised up my soul from the depths.”35

Although the Beis

Hamikdash was not actually built in his day, his son Shlomo did build it. But even more

importantly, because of his incessant prayers, it was as if it had been built in his day in a

spiritual sense.

Through visualizing the rebuilt Beis Hamikdash he forged a very powerful and

eternal bond to the Shechinah in his innermost being. This is the only way to truly

connect to the Shechinah since one only adorns the Shechinah when he honors theShechinah through deep emunah and continuous heartfelt prayer with every iota of his

being. This explains why the Beis Hamikdash was called after Dovid HaMelech: one

who seeks after a spiritual goal with his entire being is considered to have attained it.

“Let Your Soul Know Wisdom”

This is the meaning of the phrase, " " —“Let

your soul (nefesh) know (d’ei) wisdom (Chochmah), and it will be a crown (Kesser ) for

your head.”36

Chochmah is an aspect of sight [since our sages tell us that a wise man

sees the most likely to result of his actions and the actions of others]. “Your soul” refers

to the Shechinah which is an aspect of nefesh.

This means that one should see both aspects of the Shechinah, the outer aspect

in which the Shechinah is in exile and the Jewish people suffer, and the inner aspect

where he truly believes in his prayers and that the redemption is within our grasp if we

will only work on yichudim and tefillah at every opportunity. This is the greatness of

tzaddikim who cleave to Hashem every instant of the day. Through this they draw down

the light of Hashem among those who dwell in the lower worlds and they see the results

of their prayers immediately. Even though it is very hard to pray all the time since the

obscuration of exile hides the fruit of our prayers from us, the tzaddikim realize that the

task is to truly believe in one’s prayers. Most often, those who daven with iron-clad

35 Tehillim 30:2,4

36From the Shabbos zemer “ D’ror Yikrah,” based on Mishlei 24:14.




15

belief will see a physical response to their prayers. Even if they don’t, they must believe

that what they seek is not yet the best thing for him or the world or both. [Reb Nosson of

Breslov writes that, most often, a person does not attain something because he has either

not prayed about it or he has not asked enough for it.]

Through exerting a great effort to connect to Tzion, the innermost aspect of the

Shechinah, one is able to feel the pain of all Jews, which an aspect of Yerushalayim, the

outermost aspects of the Shechinah. Our sages tell us that Yirmiyahyu was so affected

by the pain of others that when he saw a group of young men placed under a yoke, he joined them and placed chains around his own neck until Nevuzradan separated him

from them. Subsequently, when he saw a group of older men in irons, he chained

himself up with them until he was again noticed and moved away.37

Yirmiyahu could

feel their hardship precisely because he prayed all the time and truly saw the future

deliverance and the comforting of the Jewish people.

One who sees the Shechinah, one who “lets his soul know wisdom,” merits a

“crown to his head.” This means that he draws down the light of our righteous

Moshiach, which is an aspect of Kesser. The point of all the hardships and difficulties aperson endures in this world is to galvanize him to exert himself in prayer and to make a

connection with the Shechinah. When Moshiach comes we will finally see how

everything a person lacked was only withheld to encourage him to forge an ever fresh

connection to the Shechinah.

A person on this level will always be strong and joyously fulfill all of Hashem’s

mitzvos because he has iron-clad emunah in the oneness of Hashem. This is the meaning

of, “Guard your holy mitzvos, guard your holy Shabbos.” The Midrash teaches that

Avraham Avinu bequeathed to his children two “cradles”—tzedek and mishpat ,

righteousness and justice. As the verse states, “For I have known him, to the end that he

may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of

37 Eichah Rabbah, Hakdamah, #34




16

Hashem, to do righteousness and justice.”38

As a result, Hashem also bequeaths to us

two cradles: chessed and rachamim, kindness and mercy. As the verse states, “And He

will show you mercy, and have compassion on you.”39

When the Jewish people lost the characteristics of justice and righteousness, 40

Hashem in turn stopped treating us with kindness and mercy—“I have taken away My

peace from this people, says Hashem, even mercy and compassion.”41 When we stand

up and set our sights on reinstating chessed and rachamim without ourselves, “Tzion

shall be redeemed with justice, and they that return of her with righteousness,”

42

Hashem will also return His part: “My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall

My covenant of peace be removed, says Hashem who has compassion on you.”43

When

Hashem also returns His part, He says, “These and these should become a crown and be

placed on the head of the Queen [Shechinah].” As the verse states, “And I will betroth

You to Me forever; I will betroth you to Me in righteousness, and in justice, and in

lovingkindness, and in compassion.”44

There are of course many levels of tzedek and mishpat. One level is that

whenever one learns Torah he does so in an aspect of Toras Chessed , since he aims toact charitably with the Shechinah.

Although the Shechinah is in exile and in this sense is degraded, one who

focuses on it can give her - . This contraction indicates that one takes the

Shechinah, an aspect of dalet which represents destitution [since this is the literal

meaning of dal] and turns her into a hei, as in the verse: “Here [literally, the letter hei] is

seed [fruitfulness] for you.”45 This is accomplished through the extra yud in the name

. We add the yud to the dalet and the two of them form a .

38 Bereishis 18:19

39 Devarim 13:19

40 Amos 6:12

41 Yirmiyah 16:5

42 Yeshayah 1:27

43Ibid. 54:10

44 Hoshea 2:21

45 Bereishis 47:23




17

Mishpat is when we learn Torah to clarify and illuminate the true halachah. One

example of this is when we lost so many halachos after Moshe died. Another aspect of

mishpat is when one judges his every action. He evaluates if he was in accord with

Torah and halachah or not. Through this, may Hashem fulfill the verse, “Tzion will be

redeemed in mishpat , and her captives with tzedakah.” May Hashem’s deepest kindness

and mercy be aroused.

May Hashem help us offer up a multitude of prayers and holy yichudim from

the depths of our heart until we merit to see the Beis Hamikdash rebuilt in fire, with theadvent of our righteous Moshiach, speedily in our days. Amen!

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.



Explorations in Tanya Chapter IV , Part 2

18

Sefer Tanya

Chapter IV, Part 2

“…The Torah has therefore been compared to water, for just as water

descends from a higher to a lower level, so has the Torah descended from its place

of glory, which is His blessed will and wisdom. [For] the Torah and the Holy One,

blessed be He, are one and the same and no thought can apprehend Him at all.

From there, [the Torah] has progressively traveled and descended through hidden

stages, level after level, through the downward descent of the [system and hierarchy

of the] worlds, until it clothed itself in material matters and in things of this world,

comprising almost all of the commandments of the Torah, their laws, and in the

combinations of material letters, written with ink in a book—namely the twenty-

four volumes of Torah, Nevi’im and Kesuvim. All this [was done] in order that

every thought should be able to grasp them, and even the faculties of speech and

action, which are on a lower level than thought, should be able to grasp them and

be garbed within them.

“Since the Torah and its commandments ‘clothe’ all ten faculties of the soul

and all of its 613 limbs from head to foot, it [the soul] is altogether truly bound up

in the ‘Bond of Life’ with G-d, and the very light of G-d envelops and clothes it

from head to foot. As it is written, ‘G-d is my Rock, I will take refuge in Him [lit.

“be covered within Him”],’ and it is also written, ‘With ratzon [the Divine will as

embodied in the mitzvos] will You encompass him as with a shield.’ That is to say,

[the soul is surrounded] with His blessed will and wisdom which are clothed in His

Torah and its commandments.”

In the writings of Rabbeinu Yonah and the Ramban we find that the early

tzaddikim used to meditate in silence for an hour before prayer and contemplate how the

Divine light encircles and surrounds them. This idea also appears in the Baal Shem

Tov’s teachings on the Torah, in Parshas Eikev. Such contemplation can bring a person




19

to experience dveikus. How is dveikus to be achieved if not through focusing the mind

on it? While it is true that the mitzvos reveal the Divine light, the portion that is garbed

in thought can only be accessed by contemplating the revelation of G-dliness at that

level—in the mind.

“It has therefore been said: ‘Better one hour of repentance and good deeds

in this world than the whole life of the world to come.’ The world to come is that

state where one enjoys the brilliance of the Divine Presence, which is the pleasure

of the apprehension [of G-dliness], yet no created being—even celestial beings [likeangels]—can comprehend more than some reflection of the Divine Light. That is

why the reference is to the ‘brilliance’ [the shine, not the light itself] of the Divine

Presence…”

There is an aspect of Gan Eden in each of the four worlds of Atzilus, Beriyah,

Yetzirah and Asiyah. Each person merits a place there, where it is appropriate for him,

after his death. [Meaning, the level that suits the nature of the root of his own soul.]

“…But as for the essence of the Holy One, blessed be He, no thought can

grasp Him at all, except when it apprehends, and is clothed in, the Torah and its mitzvos. Only then does it truly apprehend, and is clothed in, the Holy One, blessed

be He, since the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are one…”

This is the literal truth, for the Torah and the Holy One are all one. Even though

we don’t feel this light right now because of the aftereffects of our encounter with the

primordial serpent, in the ultimate future, after the resurrection of the dead, the light of

Torah and mitzvos will be revealed.

To understand the matter better, we must preface the discussion with the fact

that there were great Kabbalists who did not do sufficient shimush [personal attendance]

for their teachers, and so they made very subtle errors. Yet even a subtle error turns out

to be a very great and terrible mistake [when dealing with these kinds of ideas]. This can

occur when Kabbalah discusses “parts of Elokus,” in the sense that the Jewish soul is a

“portion of G-d from above,” or the way we speak here of the fact that while no thought




20

can grasp Him, nevertheless when He is enclothed by Torah and mitzvos it is possible to

gain some grasp of Him. Meaning, that there is a revelation of G-d’s essence in the

Torah itself.

These concepts need more clarification so that no one falls into an error when it

comes to basic principles of our faith. Whenever we speak of there being some kind of

apportioning of G-dliness, we only mean through the manner in which G-d reveals

Himself—that there are greater and lesser degrees of revelation. These revelations are

not G-d Himself, but are united with Him absolutely. These “lights” which areapportioned are a means of revealing G-d’s essence [so that it can be apprehended to

some degree], but they do not actually reveal Him, because He utterly transcends them

qualitatively. They are only “minor” revelations of His essence; His actual essence

cannot be grasped by any thought at all, and certainly one cannot speak of

“apportioning” in relation to His actual essence. Apportioning can only be relevant to

the “minor” revelations through which it is possible to apprehend Him.

So too, when we speak of the Shechinah descending into exile, we do not mean

that Hashem Himself, in His essence, descends to exile, G-d forbid. He createdeverything, and it is impossible to say that He descends into obscurity and exile, for He

rules over all. Rather, we mean that one of the ways in which He is revealed to us—the

aspect of Malchus, His Shechinah that dwells in the lower worlds that gives everything

vitality—this revelation descends into exile and His glory is hidden. However, the

Shechinah, which is Malchus d’Atzilus, is united with His essence as one just like the

rest of the sefiros of the world of Atzilus. The level of the “shine of the Shechinah,” is

somewhat lower. [This is because it is the “shine” and not the Shechinah itself, and we

have just learned that Shechinah is equivalent to Malchus d’Atzilus, and all of the sefiros

of Atzilus are bound up as one with Hashem’s essence, even if they are not His essence.]

The Zohar teaches that all of the sefiros in the world of Atzilus are called

“ yichuda ila’ah”—the upper yichud ; the lower yichud [ yichuda tata’ah] is the yichud

within the lower worlds of Beriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah. In truth, there is an “upper yichud ”




21

within the lower worlds as well, but it is hidden. In the world of Atzilus, the main

revelation is that of the yichuda ila’ah and the yichuda tata’ah is included there in a

hidden manner. What this means is, at that lofty level it is clear that Hashem is the

source of everything and is bound up with everything, and the less obvious reality is that

there are also other [vessels] in existence that subdivide into ten sefiros. In Atzilus, the

main revelation is that everything that has been emanated forth into existence is bound

up as one with Hashem’s essence. [This is the inverse of the situation in the lower

worlds, where the “lower yichud ” is more revealed and the “upper yichud ” isconcealed.]

Now we can better understand the words of the Tanya here. After explaining

that whenever we speak about the hischalkus [dividing or apportioning] we are only

speaking about the lights that are revealed by Him and not His essence, we can

understand that even the great tzaddikim who have the aspect of Moshiach and yechidah

d’yechidah, or who even reach the level of the soul of Adam Kadmon, nevertheless that

which is “apportioned to them” is just a level [of revelation], not His essence [ chas

v’shalom]. There is no such concept as a created being having the ability to garb [be avessel for] Hashem’s essence, because “no thought grasps Him at all.” Even the loftiest

souls are only various levels of the ways in which Hashem reveals Himself, but not His

essence.

“…For although the Torah has been clothed in lower material things, it is

by way of illustration, like embracing the king. There is no difference, in regard to

the degree of closeness and attachment to the king, whether while embracing the

king, the latter is then wearing one robe or several robes, so long as the royal

person is in them. This is likewise true when the king embraces one with his arm,

even though it is dressed in his robes. As it is written, ‘And His right hand

embraces me’—this refers to the Torah which was given by G-d’s right hand,

which is the quality of Chessed and water.”




22

When a person merits to gain some grasp [of Divine awareness], it is like a bit

of Gan Eden, which is associated with the world of Beriyah, or the “lower Gan Eden”

which enclothes itself in this world. [Meaning, the feeling of spiritual delight that one

can taste even here, in a subtle way, through Torah study or prayer.] Even though both

of these spiritual experiences involve pleasure that goes beyond anything one can

imagine, it still does not compare with what the soul experiences as a result of fulfilling

a single mitzvah in this world, because the mitzvah is the light of Atzilus itself. And

when one fulfills the mitzvah, [even though he does not have the same experience of iton the psycho-spiritual level in this world, nevertheless] he is literally united with

Hashem’s essence. While it is true that he is only embracing the “king’s garment,” the

king himself is enclothed, layer within layer, inside that garment, and so they are in

contact. This is how we can understand that the lights of Atzilus are Hashem’s essence,

and reveal Hashem’s essence. It does not mean that the mitzvah itself is atzmus Hashem;

rather, it is a revelation of Atzilus. But that revelation is at one with what the Ma’atzil

reveals of Himself, just as the garment, while still a garment, nevertheless encapsulates

the body of the king.There is Gan Eden, and there is the “world to come,” Olam Habah. The true

goal and purpose is not the Gan Eden of now [that can be accessed now], but rather the

world to come. Gan Eden is a manifestation of Hashem’s Chessed , His lovingkindness,

in that G-d is benevolent to the world of souls and provides them with a good reward [in

the interim, until the time of the resurrection of the dead]. The world to come, however,

will be in the ultimate future, when the world will be clarified [all of its negative aspects

will be transformed] and Hashem’s glory will be revealed utterly.

The sense of holiness that one can have through fulfilling mitzvos in this

world—even though they are from the light of Hashem’s essence—does not compare at

all to the sense of holiness that the angels of Yetzirah have, or the Serafim of Beriyah.

And this is all the more so when compared to the light of Gan Eden, and certainly when

compared with the great light of the world to come. However, when we consider not




23

what one can feel but the objective reality of the revelation of G-dliness that takes place

at the time of the fulfillment of the mitzvah, the light of G-d’s essence that shines when

a single mitzvah is fulfilled is far, far more intense than even that which is experienced

by the angels of Yetzirah. We simply lack the vessels to feel it. The ultimate purpose of

all of the Jewish people’s Divine service is that the light of Hashem’s essence should be

revealed.

The Creator wanted to provide His creations with good, and not a partial good

either. He wanted to provide complete and genuine good, and the ultimate good is therevelation of G-d Himself. The 613 commandments that we fulfill today are the means

of preparing for the light of the World to Come. Everything depends on our fulfillment

of the Torah here and now, because “this Torah will not be exchanged.” And while it is

true that, today, the human eye and human sensibilities cannot perceive much in the way

of Divine light when we fulfill a mitzvah, nevertheless, the completion of the revelation

generated by the fulfillment of that mitzvah will take place in the ultimate future,

forever, when creation is repaired. At that point, the lower worlds of Beriyah-Yetzira-

Asiyah will be refined [uplifted] to [the level of] Atzilus, and then a subsequentrefinement will take place to bring them to the level of Adam Kadmon and even higher,

until the tzimtzum will be nullified and everything will be encompassed within the Ohr

Ein Sof .

One ought not then to ponder why we are so broken over the exile of the

Shechinah and why we are anxiously awaiting redemption. What we have said makes it

seem as though the deferring of Moshiach’s arrival simply allows us to complete our

avodah and gain the merit of as many more mitzvos as possible for the ultimate future.

Such an assumption is false, because it ignores the main goal.

While it is true that, today in exile, we are working toward uplifting the Divine

sparks that have fallen because of the shevirah [the breakage of the primordial vessels of

creation], nevertheless the root of all Divine awareness is the desire to see Hashem’s

glory revealed. [Meaning, it would be self-serving and self-deceptive to focus on our




24

own “avodah” when, in the world at large, G-d’s presence is so obscured and the

ultimate purpose of creation is not being served.] Revealing G-d’s glory is the root of all

mitzvos, just as and are the roots of all Da’as. The deeper works explain

that the way we fulfill the mitzvah of, “I am Hashem your G-d,” is by mourning over the

exile and yearning for Moshiach. The verse itself hints this fact to us when it reads, “I

am Hashem your G-d who took you out of the land of Egypt,” rather than, “your G-d

who created you.” The exodus from exile is the main means of revealing Hashem’s

glory, and it is necessarily true that this is also the purpose of all of the mitzvos.When a person really is complete in this yearning and anticipating redemption

he has reached the highest level possible, and all of his sins are forgiven. It makes him

worthy of [absorbing] the entire Torah. There is hardly a page in the Zohar that does not

mention getting up for Chatzos [at midnight] to mourn over the exile of the Shechinah;

there is no higher level than this. It is clear, then, that the innermost meaning of each

and every mitzvah is that Hashem’s kavod should be revealed. This is the underpinning

of our anticipation of the arrival of Moshiach, speedily and in our days.

Incidentally, there were those who took this concept to an extreme and fell intogrievous error by saying that the main focus is to be connected to this root, and the

details of the practical fulfillment of all of the mitzvos are irrelevant. Chas v’shalom,

may Hashem have mercy, this is absolute heresy. It was this kind of twisted theology

that led the sages to institute the blessing, “And may the slanderers have no hope,”

because they took a holy Torah concept and corrupted it so horribly. While it is true that

Chabakuk the prophet came and “stood them all [the mitzvos] on a single principle,”

which is that the tzaddik lives by his faith, it is simple a reiteration of what we have

already said: that the light of emunah and yichud and the anticipation of redemption are

the roots of Divine awareness. Nevertheless, “this Torah will not be exchanged.” No

prophet or tzaddik , no matter how great he is, can budge a single iota of any of the 613

commandments of the Torah. Quite the contrary; the more we avoid sin and act with




25

dispatch to fulfill the Torah and the mitzvos, the more we find that the truth of the light

of emunah shines for us, and the light of Moshiach will be truly revealed.

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

Documents

Parshas Devarim English