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Shalosh Seudos1ofParshas Vayakhel-Pikudei 5768
" , - : -
... :
, ".
These are the accounts of theMishkan, even theMishkan of the testimony, as they
were rendered according to the commandment of Moshe, through the service of the
Leviim, by the hand of Itamar, the son of Aharon HaKohen... And the hundred
talents of silver were for casting the sockets of theMishkan, and the sockets of the
veil: a hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.2
Rashi explains: The sockets of the sanctuary[the sockets] of the forty-eight
boards of theMishkan, which had ninety-six sockets, together with the four sockets of
theparoches makes a total of one hundred. The Torah says that all of the other sockets
were of copper.
Upholding theMishkan
The main support of the Mishkan was from the placement of the boards within
their sockets, which were donated by the Jewish people through the fixed rate of the
half-shekel regardless of the wealth of the individual donor. It is this that the verse
describes when it lists the measure of the hundred talents of silver, one talent for each
1The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos.
2Shemos 38:21,27
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socket. These were the sockets that upheld the boards which formed the structure of the
Mishkan itself.
Reb Nosson of Breslov explains why it was necessary that the silver of the
sockets come equally from every Jew: They were commanded to each bring a half-
shekel to teach us that no Jew is complete on his own; he has to join together with his
fellow. The main rectification is achieved when everyone is brought together in love and
unity, when each one is just a half until he is united with his friend, and that friend with
yet another, until all of the varieties of opinions and personhoods become one within theabsolute and simple unity of Hashem Himself. This process is most precious before
Hashem. This is why, The wealthy shall not add and the poor shall not give lessso
that there should be no division or difference among them. It is necessary so that, Each
mans wealth will atone for his soul, and the poor will not hear rebuke3so that the
wealthy will not lord it over the poor and they will all achieve the rectification of
tzedakah, which is to support the Torah in mutual love and respect. The main objective
is to be united and subsumed within Hashems oneness, and this is only possible when a
person is humble and self-effacing, when he nullifies his ego before his fellow Jews,when he, Does not regard the wealthy above the poor.4 The giving of a uniform half-
shekel demonstrates that all are equal before Hashem and everyone has a part to play in
the establishment of theMishkan, and through this Hashems absolute unity is revealed
in the midst of variety and multiplicity. This is also why all the other offerings for the
Mishkan were given in accordance with the persons means, as Rashi explains at the
beginning of Parshas Terumah. The unique nature of the half-shekel offering was to
highlight to the wealthy that there is nothing to be prideful in their resources, because
Hashem could just as easily build theMishkan through the offerings of the poor, and He
has the power to enrich the poor and impoverish the wealthy in any case. Although He
does choose to give the merit of charity to those whom He has blessed with abundance,
nevertheless the actual framework of the Mishkan is provided by each person equally.
3Mishlei 13:8
4Iyov 34:19
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And the wealthy have no cause for pride, For all is from You, and from Your hand do
we give to You.5
The main act of tzedakah is in supporting Torah scholars who give
birth to halachos, because this is a manifestation of the Mishkan built by Moshe
Rabbeinu in every generation. And the main way in which we accomplish this is by
revealing Hashems absolute oneness from among a multiplicity of actions.6
This means that the basis of the integrity of the structure of the Mishkan derives
from a relationship of equality between Torah scholars and those who support them, that
they should be in a state of complete unity of the soulthat the silver sockets and theboards they support should be all of a piece. It is only when the supporters are unified
with the talmidei chachamim and do not feel above them and the scholars do not feel
superior in their scholarship that they are truly bound together and equal. Then the
holiness of the boards also rests upon the sockets and the structure can stand securely,
and the light of theyichudcan shine brightly.
The Half-Shekel Offering
The Arizal revealed the inner meaning of this mitzvah: In the midline of the
head there is a parting that is free of hair, and half the hair falls to one side and half the
hair to the other. The two segments represent Netzach and Hod; the parting itself
represents Yesod within Atik. This halfway parting is embodied in the machatzis
hashekel, which is referred to in the verse as thiswhich refers to Yesod [the
masculine]. " , " This shall they give, all who
pass among them that are numbered, half a shekel.7 The word for all [] also refers
to Yesod, which passes among them that are numbered, it passes between Netzach and
Hodwhich are the numbers of the Jewish people [like numerous hairs] that are called
Netzach and Hod. This is why the value of the half-shekel translated to twenty gerah
units, because the word [with its kollel] has the same gematria as the word or
5Divrei HaYamim I:29:14
6Likutei Halachos,Hilchos Apotropos #1
7Shemos 30:13
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pathway. It is expressed as a half-shekel because Yesodis a masculine attribute and is
draws from the right-hand side, which is Netzach, rather than from Hod. This is also
related to the fact that, The wealthy shall not add, and the poor shall not diminish from
it. The wealthy [indicates Tiferes, the higher parallel ofYesod] comprises the aspect of
yud[ten], and so he cannot give more than ten gerah, while the poor which is [the lower
aspect of] Yesodcannot give less than ten. This is why they shall each give ten gerah,
which is the machatzis hashekel.8
Uniting the Good Days and the Bad Days
This matter is explained further in the Idra, where we find that in the upper
worlds, in the realm known asArich Anpin, there are hairs that lie to both sides of the
head which parallel Netzach and Hod. They are the innermost root of two different
types of Jewish souls. The concept also has relevance to all of us in the sense that we all
go through situations that are better and others that are difficult. We have Jews who are
privileged to learn Torah and those who do not merit to occupy themselves with Torah
study but who support it instead. Sometimes a person is in the aspect ofNetzach and
other times he is in the aspect ofHod. Even so, there needs to be absolute unity between
these two statesthe boards must be one with the sockets that uphold themand a
person must not place a higher value on the good days over the bad days, on the
wealthy over the poor. A person must serve Hashem with integrity no matter what his
circumstances may behe must join all of the good and the bad so that the
attributes ofNetzach andHodare one.
This is what is meant by the machatzis hashekel expressing the pathway that
runs between Netzach and Hod, like to letters vav to the side of a clear parting on the
head. This is the, Pathway of the righteous [that] is like a shining light,9
which derives
from YesodwithinAtikthat animates the clear pathway along the midline of the head
ofArich Anpin.
8Taamei HaMitzvos, Parshas Ki Tisa
9Mishlei 4:18
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It is well known that at its root Yesoddoes incline toward the left-hand side of
Hod in order to shed light into Malchus [the feminine]. The chiddush here is that the
pathway ofYesod is the route- of, of twenty, in the sense that it stands at the
point of balance so that it can draw from the ten of the right side ofNetzach and then
later incline toward the leftward ten ofHodto bear its influence toMalchus.
The Pathway of the Baal Shem Tov
It was the general practice of the Baal Shem Tov to focus on drawing the
simpler people to Hashem. Even his greatest disciples initially had a very difficult time
grasping his intention in this. On Shabbos, the Baal Shem Tov would only give shirayim
to the simple folk at both of the main meals, and it was only during Shalosh Seudos that
he would sit privately with his close students and focus on them. In truth, every single
motion of the Baal Shem Tov was permeated with the deepest meaning, and certainly
this particular practice of paying especial attention to the simple people was rooted in
the highest realms. The tzaddik haemes is the expression ofDaas that is hidden within
YesodofAtik, and this is the pathway through which all positive influences flow down
into the world. The three great aspects of blessingchildren, life and good health, and
sustenanceare the manifestations of the three permutations of the Divine Name
HaVaYaHthat are sourced in the high level ofYesodwithinAtik. Since the true tzaddik
embodies this lofty level, he is the appropriate channel for these positive influences to
enter the world [through his prayers and blessings].
This is why the Baal Shem Tovs attention was directed toward the
unsophisticated and plain folkthey already have the quality necessary to receive his
positive influence: humility. The scholarly require a great deal of heavenly assistance to
shed the pride that their learning confers before they can reach that level ofbitul. This is
the goal of the talmidei chachamim who parallel the boards; the word is an
analogue of the word , connection. They must become connected with the simpler
people who parallel the sockets and then, in turn, become bound to Hashem.
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Netzach and Hod are the roots of the aspects of Zeir Anpin and Malchus,
respectively. Regarding Zeir Anpin, the verse says, He establishes the heavens with
understanding.10
[ Zeir Anpin-Yesod is associated with the heavens for a number of
reasons; it is the accrued influence of the six lower sefiros which are like the multihued
heavens, and is also a masculine aspect like the heavens that bestow abundance on the
feminine earth below.] Malchus, on the other hand, is mainly rooted in Hodwhich is
where Chochmah predominately shines. Abba established the daughter [Malchus].11
Even though Yesod inclines toward Hod in order to shed its light down to Malchus,nevertheless at the higher level Yesod within Atik inclines toward Netzach which is
associated with Binah. This side ofNetzach-Binah is associated with Dovid HaMelech
who is the comprehensive soul that expresses all of the latent powers of the fallen souls
[as he was himself originally destined to be a , a miscarriage, and his falling was only
to teach that the individual can repent fully]. Because the fallen or simple souls do not
shine with the light of Torah themselves, they must have it shine into them in order to
exist. This is expressed by the statement of Dovid, the sweet singer of Yisrael: Sweet
song in Your right hand, eternally [ which is to the right side].
12
This is why the truetzaddik focuses on the simple people. Although he is illuminated by the Torah, he is
influenced by the side of Dovid-Netzach to show his appreciation of the souls associated
with Dovid HaMelech and bring about a unity betweenNetzach andHod.
He is Exalted over the Haughty
The way of the true tzaddikis also to demonstrate to the great that they havent
yet begun to serve Hashem at all. Even though it seems to them as though they already
know the ways of Torah and dveikus, the tzaddikmakes clear to them that, relative to
the absolute truth, they have not even tasted of genuine Yiddishkeitin their lives. He can
do this because he cleaves to the aspect of, I will sing to Hashem for He is exalted over
10Mishlei 3:19
11ZoharIII:258a
12Tehillim 16:11
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the haughty.13
Because the great scholars feel that they have already achieved
something spiritually, they need to be brought down to the humility of the simple
people. The true tzaddik accomplishes this by putting them down [somewhat] and
creating some distance between himself and them. It is only then that the person of
higher stature can receive the light of the tzaddikhe needs to be as humble as the plain
folk who know just how little they know. This pathway of the tzaddikthe path of the
machatzis hashekelis the level of the crown of crowns, and the highest light can
only penetrate to his students if they really feel that they are one with the entirety of theJewish people and honor them all accordingly. The students must be, of the humble of
the earth,14
nullified completely before the Creator like Moshe Rabbeinu, who was,
the humblest in all the earth.
The World of Delight
The true source of humility derives from the fact that when Hashem created the
universe, He first generated a tzimtzum that was in the form of a circle, which is like a
coin. Within this circular conceptual space, He made a kind of garment; its upper half is
associated with the half-shekel offering, the coin illuminated by the fire ofBinah that
Moshe Rabbeinu saw. This half-circle is like a garment, in the sense that the lower
worlds ofBeriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah are like a garment in comparison to the world of
Igulim. This world of the garment, the Olam HaMalbush, is a world of delight where the
letters are rearranged from below to above.15
[When Hashem created the world, He first imbued the letters of the Hebrew
alphabet with His infinite light. In this manner, the twenty-two letters became a kind of
tallis or enfolding garment that holds the light of Hashem. At first, Hashem set the
letters in their proper order. Alefwas first, then beis, and so on,until the final taf. But
then Hashem created what is known as Olam HaMalbush. To do this, He folded the
13Shemos 15:1
14Tehillim 76:10
15See Sefer Vayakhel Moshe
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garment, as it were. This caused the first eleven letters from alefuntil chaf to stand
next to each corresponding letter of the remaining eleven from lamed until taf. This
arrangement ofalef beis was: -,-,-,- , etc. Below the Olam HaMalbush, He
formed the worlds discussed in Eitz Chaim: Adam Kadmon, Atzilus, Beriyah, Yetzirah,
and Asiyah. But the soul of Moshiach comes from the higher realm of the Olam
HaMalbush, which is the source of the level ofyechidah, of pure delight in Hashems
existence.]
In terms ofavodah, this deep teaching means that the tzaddikdoes not derivedelight from all of the ways in which Hashem reveals Himself to him, through new
Torah concepts and lofty avodos. Rather, he delights in the essential source in the
highest realm which is the root of faith itself [which does not require demonstrations].
He delights in the existence of Hashem Himself, from the essence of the purity of the
light at its source.
Even when the tzaddikstudies Torah and prays, he is really bonded with the
essential G-dly light within the letters, the light that is the source of faith. He does not
receive his spiritual vitality from the many ways in which Hashems light is revealed inan obvious way; rather, he is enlivened by the current of Divine light accessed by simple
faith which animates all holy endeavors.
The Shechinah aspect ofRachel is built up through the engagement of the
imagination by way of the letters, but the essence that animates the letters is faiththe
simple reality of Hashems existence. Within the body of the Jewish people as a whole,
the tzaddik himself corresponds more with the outer expression of revelationthe
letterswhile the souls of the simple Jewish people correspond with the life-giving
faith itself. Even though the tzaddikis outwardly an expression of the revelation of G-
dliness accessible through Torah study and prayer, an articulation that is like the limbs
and organs of the body, inside his true delight is found in pure and simple faith which is
like the higher animating soul. This is why the greatest tzaddikim have a particular
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kinship with the simple people and why the Baal Shem Tov focused on them to a greater
degree than on his own disciples.
This can be compared to the tzaddikwho enters into the kodesh hakodashim and
sees the half-coin of the yud and hei of Hashems Name above the aron hakodesh
superimposed over the cloud of smoke that hovers there. The smoke alludes to the
simple people, but it is precisely there that the highest light ofemunah is revealed to the
tzaddik. This means that when a simple person open a Gemaraand tries to learn what he
can, it brings the greatest delight on high.
Yonasan and Shaul
Shaul HaMelech embodied the aspect ofYesod, yet we learn of him that he was
occupied with matters of vows and oaths.16 Vows are associated withBinah [teshuvah],
whose influence flows down to Netzach on the right side. Even though the actual
verbalization of an oath reflects Malchus, the fact of the self-prohibition is related to
Binah, yet it is the sagewho has the ability to overturn it when necessary.
Shaul, an expression of Yesod [and Chochmah, since he is from the side ofRachel-
Yosef], receives from his counterpart side, which isBinah.
This is why Shauls son Yonasan was in danger of his life, because Yonasan
represents the proper child of the tzaddikthe disciple of high standingwho runs
the risk of losing his life-giving connection with the tzaddikbecause his mentor lavishes
so much attention on the simple people. Because the disciple cannot understand this
practice, it has the potential to drive him away. He does not understand that this is the
natural result of the influence ofLeah-Binah-Dovid HaMelech as it flows down so that
the light ofYesodcan reach Malchus. This flow of influence from the tzaddikdown to
the lower echelons of the Jewish people is really the way in which all of the souls will
be rectified, but it can be confusing for those who are already on a high level. This
danger can be understood from the practice of a certain tzaddikwho prayed every night
16Shmuel I:14:24;Midrash Tanchuma, Shemos #12
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for six years that he not be forcibly driven away from the light of the truth and fall into
the many forms of self-deception to which countless people are prey.
Amalek constantly attempts to hide the point of truth from people, to make them
forget that there are tzaddikim whose level transcends that of the revelations of Torah,
because they are bound up with the light of emunah and joy in Hashems existence
itself. This is why Amalek can only fight against Yehoshua and not Moshe Rabbeinu
himself; but Moshe Rabbeinu bestows his own influence on his student so that
Yehoshua can go out and do battle with Amalekhe carries with him the power toreveal the absolute unity that transcends all hierarchies that divide. This level of holiness
is very lofty and hidden, and it is just this type of tzaddik that focuses on the simple
people that causes so much confusion in the heart of the talmid chochom. Yet this
tzaddikreceives the presence of the Shechinah every day, and he merits to pray in a state
of total self-forgetting and dveikus.
To come to this within ourselves, we must learn to unify that good days and
bad daysthe scholar and simple person within ourselvesand constantly delight in
Hashems existence and pure emunah regardless of external successes or failures. Intruth, all conflict that exists is a reflection of this division between good and bad,
wealth and poverty, success and failure. If we could only realize that, at the source,
Hashem is good to alleverything is goodconflict would be eliminated. As the
Arizal taught, the hidden light has seventeen aspectsthe gematria of the word ,
good. He also taught that the 72-Name [which is the gematria of the word Chessed]
actually splits into two parts: " and " 55 and 17. Nun-hei stands for the unity of
Netzach and Hod, and the result is the grasp of the seventeen lights of Hashems pure
goodness.When we honor every situation and every person, we make it possible for the
Shechinah to be revealed there, because the Shechinah can only be revealed in the place
ofkavod. We do not have to have a sense of the holiness of the situation or the person
we have to reach for that which is higher, which is faith in the essential holiness sourced
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in Hashem Himself which exists unchanging regardless of the presence or absence of an
observable revelation.
The Light of Shabbos
This unity comes alive on Shabbos, when all of the Jewish people are joined in
the simplicity of singing the Shabboszemiros at the tableboth the greatest scholar and
the most humble person. Everyone is equal in the expression of delight in the Creator on
Shabbos, and this carries through to Motzei Shabbos, when the light of the bearer of
goodtidings, Eliyahu HaNavi, descends to redeem us.
Let Your Soul Know Wisdom
This is the meaning of: " " Let your soul
(nefesh) know (dei) wisdom (Chochmah) and it will be a crown (Kesser) for your
head.17 We must unite the light of Chochmah to the light of simplicity which is the
aspect ofnefesh so that we can receive the spiritual vitality provided by pure and simple
faith.
If a person finds himself feeling far from taking pleasure in the fact of
Hashems existence, he should make an effort to bind himself to simple Jewsthe
wealthy man and the poor man as one. Then he will receive new insight as to how he
can delight in emunah itself. Generally, people only enjoy spiritual light in its state of
being revealedthe state ofNetzach andHodbut by valuing every Jew he will come
to see and feel that every good point shines from one Jew to another because we are all
really part of a single whole. This is the essence of Dovid HaMelech, and this was how,
Dovid and Yehonasan were bound together until Dovid rose to greatness. This is the
unity of the two redeemers, and when ones nefesh comes to know Chochmah, it will
be a crown to your head. Through this, one comes to even higher levels of awareness
that are beyond consciousness, beyond that which one can articulate or feel, but its light
shines nevertheless in an aspect of a makifor crown. This highest light is the animating
17From the Shabbos zemerDror Yikrah, based onMishlei 24:14.
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power of emunah itself that transcends all revelations and expressions. The entire
redemption depends on this, because both the sin of the golden calf and its origin in the
initial eating of the Tree of Knowledge resulted inDaas falling from place ofyichudah
ilaah down to the place ofyichudah tataah. This means that the avodah ofLeah-Binah
fell down to the level of the heart where pure contemplation is impossible, because the
heart is sullied by unclean thoughts and desires and humanity is in an overly-material
state.
The way we correct this is by raising Daas back up to the level ofKesser, byconnecting with tzaddikim who follow the path of Moshe Rabbeinuthe higher path of
Kesserand delighting in the fact of Hashems existence alone. This is the meaning of
the verse, And Moshe raised up theMishkan on the eighth dayhe uplifted the aspect
ofLeah-Binah [associated with eight, since it is the eighth sefirah from below to above]
to the higher place whereDaas belongs so that it could be repaired.
May Hashem help us to rise up to the place of the higher Daas, not to see this
world at all but only to see the simple fact of Hashems absolute existence. When the
aspect ofKesseris reached, negativity will lose its force and we will merit to enter andleave in peace, with the arrival of our righteous redeemer speedily and in our days.
Amen.
Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.
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Nesiv Chaim 13, Part 2
We now return to our path, the path of life, in our study of the Otzros Chaim of
the Arizal.
After having learned that, at the beginning, everything was only Ohr Ein Sof,
Hashem wanted to reveal His mercy [i.e. He chose to create a universe in which His
mercy could be expressed upon an object], He therefore constricted Himself to form the
chalal hapanui, the vacated space in which the world was created. Hashem drew a line
or channel through which His infinite light could penetrate the space, and He enclothed
it with the supernal world ofAdam Kadmon, from which emerge a number of other
worlds. We are not involved in a discussion of the lights that emerge from the "ear, nose
and mouth" ofAdam Kadmon. In the prior lesson, we learned that there are four alef-
forms associated with the nose and the mouth, two of which are like "breath" and two of
which are like "speech." [SeeNesiv Chaim, Lesson 12.] We will now continue with an
explanation of how these four alef-forms are drawn down in the realm of the "mouth" of
Adam Kadmon.
Otzros Chaim, Sha'ar Ha'Akudim, Chapter 2:
"Now these four alef-forms that we visualized above in our discussion of
the 'nose' enter into the 'mouth' and become four expiration-breaths [] there.
When we multiply the word by four we have a total value of " ['flour'],
because the teeth within the mouth grind down the four 'breaths' until they are
flour, and their action is completed"We are immediately faced with a question, because when we first studied the
matter of the "mouth" we learned that the four alef-forms comprise two "breaths" and
two acts of "speech." Why, then, did the Arizal then go on to teach that they are four
exhalation-breaths?
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We can find our answer in that which we have already learned in the Nesiv
Mitzvosecha, where the Komarna Rebbe explains that there are lights and vessels.
"Light" indicates bitul to the ultimate Ayin, and the "vessel" indicates the sense of
individuated self andyeish-ani. The goal is to have theyeish-aspect nullified to theAyin.
"If there is no flour, there is no Torah." One must take the light and the vesselthe
"mouth" which is both a light and a vessel, as we have already learnedwhich parallel
Kesser and Malchus, respectively. As discussed earlier, it is necessary that there be
some element ofyeish, each person in accordance with the mission with which Hashemhas entrusted him. Whether he teaches others or only learns himself, and so on, all that
he does has some degree ofyeish involved. The main avodah is to join the yeish to G-
dliness, toAyinto take that which one does and transform it into absolute bitul before
Hashem.
The root of this avodah is in the mouth ofAdam Kadmon, and it is there that
one grinds down the yeish-aspect into flour so that it becomes Ayin. For this reason,
even though at the mouth there is both breath and speech, it is the site where the vessel
of speech is broken down to absolute Ayin. Even though there is some very refinedaspect ofyeish that remains, there is only enough of it to serve as a vessel for the greater
revelation ofAyin.
Inner Light and Surrounding Light
Before we move on to the next teaching of the Arizal, we need to preface it with
a concept found in the Eitz Chaim, in Sha'ar Ha'Akudim: the seat of the nefesh is in the
liver; the seat of the ruach is in the heart; and the seat of the neshamah is in the mind.
Surrounding the body from head to toe is a makifwhich is chayah, and surrounding that
makifis another encircling light that extends to a circumference of four amos, and it is
called yechidah. These are the five levels of the soul. He goes on to explain there that
chayah is also called Abba and it surrounds, and neshamah is Imma-Binah and is
internal. We know, however, that Abba and Imma are always bound together. This
teaches us that the surrounding light and the inner light that are a person's internalized
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elements of Divine awareness shine into one another. In so doing, they refine the
person's body.
For example, when a person travels to the tzaddikand hears Torah from him,
the Torah that he hears and that which he understands and can grasp with his mind
becomes an inner light for him. On the other hand, when he travels to the tzaddikand
witnesses his elevated practices and the extent to which the tzaddik is immersed in
Torah study and prayer and how he eats with holiness, how he is always joyous, all of
this is not a quantifiable study where the student can describe or repeat that which hehas learned. That which he receives is a surrounding lightit is an inspiring influence
that transcends his own grasp. Because the student believes that the tzaddikis far, far
beyond him, he is able to receive an illumination upon his soul in the form of a makif.
The surrounding light and the inner light are joined; if the student was to hear
exactly the same words of Torah from a simple person, they would not have nearly the
influence that they have when he has received them from his rebbe, in whom he has
faith that he is connected to a very lofty place. But when he hears and understands
words of Torah from the tzaddik, the surrounding light illuminates that inner light,which then reflects back to the surrounding light, and between the two lights his own
body goes through a genuine process of refinement. Either light, on its own, will not
serve to refine his physical nature.
Human beings are naturally more immersed in the state ofyeish than in that of
Ayinpeople spend their whole lives chasing after the ani, their own self-interest. They
think of themselves all day long and are incabable of self-forgetting. The tzaddikim,
however, are attached to G-dliness all the time, and only the least part of themselves is
dedicated to maintaining the necessaryyeish that keeps them alive, and that too is only
for the purpose of attaining bitul. Since there is such a gap between the way the
tzaddikim live and the way the average person lives, how can it be possible for the latter
to refine himself? By receiving the inner light through absorbing the teachings of the
tzaddikand simultaneously receiving the influence that is only possible through faith in
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the tzaddikand his loftier level, slowly but surely the student is purified and refined.
Then his ownyeish can also attain bitul, at the level that is appropriate for him.
With this preface we should now find it easier to understand the rest of the
words of the Arizal in this segment, which continues with the concept of the lights and
vessels that shine in the "mouth" ofAdam Kadmon. He explains that the root of the
external aspect of the vessel is actually higher than the root of the inner aspect of the
vessel. This is, at first, difficult for us to grasp, since even physically we see that a
vessel's insidewhat it containsis necessarily more refined than its external nature.[Note: This is true physically. In order for a vessel made of one substance to contain
another substance, the vessel's substance must be more dense than that which it
contains.] The main element of everything that exists in this world is its inner nature, not
its outer nature. For example, containment of the liquid that is within a vessel is the
purpose of the outer vesselthe inner matter is the essential part, and the outer vessel
only serves to hold it. It is just as obvious to any sensible person that a more inner-
directed individual is of greater stature than a purely superficial person. The former is
always focused on the fact that everything is G-dliness, while the latter only seek thevain exteriors of worldly things. If so, it appears as though the inner aspect is of greater
value. Why, then, have we said that the spiritual root of an external thing is higher than
the root of an inner thing?
It is certainly true that the surrounding light is loftier than the inner light,
because the reason why the makifsurrounds is because it is too great and powerful to
constrict itself into a vessel. This can be compared to what happens when a person hears
a teaching from a tzaddikand sees his holinessthe experience of the lofty nature of the
tzaddik is higher than the Torah that the student is able to grasp and absorb. If so,
shouldn't we find that the lower manifestation of that which is "external" [i.e. physical
reality] is really more rarified than that which is "within?"
"You should not be perplexed when considering that which was written
earlier, that from the light that emerges from the left ear and enters into the mouth
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and forms the external aspect of the vessel, and from the left nostril the inner
aspect of the vessel is produced. While it is true that the surrounding light is
greater than the inner light, nevertheless the inner nature of the vessel is greater
than the external nature of the vesselwhich we see ourselves with our own eyes.
This is not so of the lights, because the light that is so great that it cannot be limited
by the vessel or received within it, instead shines outside in the manner of amakif.
The lesser light remains within the vessel. Yet when it comes to the vessels
themselves, this is not the case. If so, how can it be that the outer aspect of thevessel derives from the ear, which is higher, while the inner aspect of the vessel
derives from the nose, which is lower?
"The answer is that one must be aware that the light is entirely even [it is of
even intensity throughout itself], and when it sought to enter and be confined
within the vessel, the light that could not be contained remained outside in the
manner of a makif. The inner light shines within the vessel, and it penetrates
halfway through the thickness of the walls of the vessel on the inner side. Themakif
shines from outside upon the vessel and penetrates halfway through the thicknessof the walls of the vessel from the outer side. It is through the action of these two
lights that the vessel is illuminated and is refined. We need that half of the vessel
from without should be illuminated by the light of the makif. The makif-light is
very great and it would have not been possible for its illumination to penetrate and
shine into the wall of the vessel because of the vast distance and difference between
them; it was therefore necessary that the lowly inner aspect of the vessel be
matched with the lowly inner light, and they would be able to shine into one
another. The loftier outer aspect of the vessel would be illuminated by the loftier
makif-light. If not, the outer aspect of the vessel would have remained without any
illumination"
The Simple Man
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This last statement of the Arizal alludes to a very deep concept. The truth is that
the outer aspect has advantages over the inner aspect at its root. Rebbe Nachman of
Breslov devoted a great deal of attention to this matter, and we will address it in a
straightforward and down-to-earth manner. It appears to be a simple fact that a Torah
scholar is of greater stature than a simple person, because the former is filled with the
Torah's wisdom and the latter is not. Nevertheless, there is a unique point within the
simple person which elevates him far above the Torah scholar.
It is well known that Hashem is revealed in the way of simplicity. [Note:Hashem's absolute unity is called , and the most elemental and vital faith
in Him is .] A scholarly person is accustomed to investigating into
everything so that he can understand it intellectually, but a simple person has simple
faith that the matter in question is so. Since the pinnacle of holiness is the light of
Kesserwhich is a "simple light" [the undifferentiated and pure light of Hashem's unity],
it actually turns out that, in a certain way, the simple person has an advantage that the
scholar lacks.
We can compare this to an infant. Surely an adult is greater than a tiny child.The adult has mastered any number of subjects and knows a great deal, and the infant
lacks all of this. Nevertheless, anyone can sense that a happy baby has some unique
charm or quality that an adult lacks, even if this quality is not an intellectual one. Not
only that, the infant is far from a master of order, cleanliness and good mannersbut
the infant's charm is a reflection of his nearness to G-dliness that comes from simplicity.
This is why the Baal Shem Tov specifically sought out simple people and
shared his shirayim with them at his pure Shabbos table. The great Maggid of Mezeritch
was doubtful about this practice, since it seemed to him wrong when the table was filledwith great scholars who were true tzaddikim. How could the Baal Shem Tov ignore such
great people and only pay attention to the simple Jews in attendance? This was the Baal
Shem Tov's practice at the evening and morning Shabbos meals; it was only when they
reached the third meal that the Baal Shem Tov would begin to reveal the Torah's secrets
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to his righteous students. While the Maggid certainly thrust these doubts away from
himself with both hands and trusted in his master's decisions, nevertheless he had
entertained the question in his mind for a moment.
During the third meal, the Baal Shem Tov laid his hands upon one of his
students and said that each of them should lay hands upon the other, and all of them
ascended to a trance-state of dveikus during which they all began to hear a heavenly
recitation ofTehillim. The light of their fervor was so powerful and overwhelming that
the Maggid was struck with a thought of repentance and heavenly awe. It made hisentire body break out in a sweat until the soles of his feet were damp. Just then, the Baal
Shem Tov removed his hands from his student and said, "This is the how the angels hear
the Tehillim that are recited by simple Jews who speak to Hashem with such simplicity.
They are so close to Hashem." This is how the Baal Shem Tov explained to the Maggid
why he would seek out the simple peoplethose who have this point of simplicity.
Rav Shimshon of Kinon was one of the greatest mystics who knew all of the
kavanos, nevertheless it is said of him that he prayed like a newborn child.1
His fellow
Kabbalists explained that there is no doubt that Rav Shimshon knew all of the kavanosof prayer with absolute clarity, yet for all their loftiness the person who prays with them
runs the risks of losing the point of simplicity. The tzaddikmust, therefore, rise to an
ever higher level and return to simplicitynot the simplicity of the unlearned, but a
much deeper and greater experience ofpeshitus.
This is what we have been speaking about all alongthat the yeish of a person
must be refined and transformed into ayin, and then he can reach a much higher level of
ayin. This is the order ofavodah: one must study Torah and serve Hashem even though
it bolsters the yeish, but one must then refine himself and serve Hashem with self-
sacrifice, for the sake of heaven. This brings him to a much higher level ofayin.
We can now return to the matter at hand. In this world we can see with our own
eyes that the inner nature of something is greater than its outer nature, just as the scholar
1Shailos u'Teshuvos HaRivash #147
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surpasses the simple man. Nevertheless, at the highest spiritual roots, the opposite is
true; the outer aspect of the vessel has a quality that the inner aspect lacks. The reason
why is because the outside is closer to the simple light [ofEin Sofwhich is the origin of
everything]. If so, it would seem natural that the simple man should remain higher than
the "inner" man, yet this is not the case.
The inner light illuminates the inner man [the Torah scholar], and this light is
concentrated within the vessel. The concentration of light within the vessel serves to
purify his body, and so the inner part of the vessel becomes more refined. Since he lacksthe simplicity of the simple man, he runs the risk of falling into pride and self-seeking.
He might even begin to think that he has the authority to disagree with the Rishonim and
Acharonim, since his yeish has been bolstered so much by the light that fills the vessel.
Not so the simple man who exists with absolute simple faith in every word of every
Rishon or Acharon. Yet if the Torah scholar will continue and study Torah for the sake
of heaven he will become more refined and ultimately reach a greater degree of bitul
than is possible for the simple man.
The reason why the outside shines so much more than the inside is becausesimple people feel within themselves the holiness of the light of the tzaddikim way
before Torah scholars grasp it. Simple people are "external" and they are therefore
closer to the makif-light. This is expressed by the words of Yechezkel HaNavi: "The
voice of the masses is like the voice of the Almighty."2 The masses have a grasp of the
voice of the Almighty, because they have point within them that is sensitive to the
holiness of the tzaddik, and it is because they are closer to the makif-light.
While the Torah scholar may find it more difficult initially to sense this
surrounding light, if he refines himself further through Torah lishmah and bitul, he
eventually begins to feel the makif-light as well. For him, this is because the inner and
outer lights are attracted to one another more and more as the vessel becomes more
refined [i.e. the wall "thins"], and what ultimately happens is that he is able to receive
2Yechezkel 1:25
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far more than the simple people because his vessel is ready, both within and without, to
absorb the surrounding light.
"There is another reason, and it is very close to the first reason. The
makif-light is powerfully drawn to join with the inner light. If the outer half of the
thickness of the wall of the vessel would not have been more refined, themakif-light
could not have penetrated and the inner light would have lacked illumination from
the surrounding light. However, because the outer half of the thickness of the wall
of the vessel was pure, themakif-light could penetrate halfway through to reach theinner half-thickness of the wall. The lights could then shine into one another even
though the inner half of the thickness of the wall was not refined. There was not a
problem [of occlusion] because the inner light also penetrated halfway from its
inner side, even if the wall itself was not so refined. If you would like to pose the
question that this seems to defy our own experience, since the inner aspect of the
vessel is more refined that the outer, the answer is as follows: While it is true that
the inner light is less than the surrounding light and this is what enabled it to be
contained within the vessel, it also resulted in the inner light having provided amore complete illumination within the vessel [because it is confined and not
dispersed]. Themakif-light is far greater, nevertheless because it is not attached to
the vessel or contained within it, it does not provide as much illumination to the
external aspect of the vessel. Now the matter has been made clear."
The Torah scholar may only be illuminated with the small inner light [to begin
with], but nevertheless he is bound up with the light of the Torah and avodah [he is
"within the vessel"]. This is not so of the simple person. Even though the makif-light
shines upon him, it is not bound together with him nor does it press him or pressure him.
It is a great light, but it is at a distance from him and diffused around him.
In terms of practicalities, every person has to focus on two areas of avodah:
drawing close to the tzaddikim and contemplating their holy ways in order to receive
their kedushah by way of the makif-light; he must also study Torah and the teachings of
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the tzaddikim and refined his inner vessel with their light. In that way, the inner aspect
of the vessel will be refined by the inner light, and the outer aspect of the vessel will be
refined by the surrounding light.
It is obvious that it is impossible to exist in a constant state of attachment to the
makif-lights every hour of the day. The surrounding light is a makif[something that is
inspiring but not yet absorbed fully], but one must fill the inner part of his vessel with
Torah day and night. Yet the former, the makif, is still higher. When engaged in these
two aspects ofavodah, the surrounding and inner lights get closer and closer togetherand they shine into one another. Then, the person's Torah study is not a form of self-
seeking and ani, but becomes Torah lishmahTorah withAyin andElokus. This brings
to ever-further refinement of the vessel until it reaches the state ofAyin completely, and
the person merits complete dveikus. With the arrival of our righteous redeemer in mercy,
speedily and in our days. Amen.
Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.