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    Shalosh Seudos1ofParshas Vayeira 5767

    " ' ".

    And Hashem appeared to him by in Elonei Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in

    the heat of the day.2

    Rashiexplains:And Hashem appeared to himHashem came to visit the ill.3 Rabbi

    Chama bar Chanina taught that it was the third (and most painful) day after Avrahams

    bris, and Hashem came to ask after his welfare. In Elonei MamreiMamre was the

    one who had advised Avraham to go through with the circumcision, and it was to honor

    him that Hashem appeared to Avraham on his property.

    TheMochin that Descend at the Time ofMilah

    Bris milah comprises three stages: the milah itself which is the cutting, thepriyah which is the exposure of the corona, and hatafas dam which is the drawing of the

    blood. The Arizalwrites that each of these three stages reveals one of the three mochin,

    or mentalities. The milah reveals the mochin ofBinah / Understanding, through the

    mohel. Priyah, reveals the mochin ofChochmah/ Wisdom through the infants father.

    Hatafas dam reveals the highest mochin ofKesserthrough the sandek, the person who

    has been honored with the holding of the child during the circumcision. This last aspect

    is alluded to in the verse, "e k de z , k d e,

    d k"... ...And one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was as white snow,and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne...

    4[The custom is to seek out an

    1 The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos.2Bereishis 18:13Bava Metzia 864Daniel 7:9

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    elder tzaddik for the special honor of being the sandak who serves as a throne on

    which the bris is performed.]

    The Vilna Gaon taught that these mochin are not only associated with the

    masculine aspect ofZeir Anpin (the lower six sefiros from Chessedto Yesod), they are

    also from the feminine aspect of Nukvah (Malchus, but nukvah literally means

    feminine). The feminine aspect possesses two doors, which take the form of two

    dalets.5 [The womb is likened to a final mem, a chamber, that has hinges so that its

    doors (the literal meaning ofdalet) can open to release the child at birth.] This is thelesson of the sealed final mem )( that appears out of place in the verse "

    ) a ( e n - " That the rule may be increased and of never-

    ending peace...6

    When the doors are opened, the child is born. The two doors and the

    child itself parallel the three elements of the bris, and the two doors themselves

    symbolize Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid. They are the two main

    preliminaries before the birth of the child, the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu, the faithful

    shepherd. The verse says: " i e" That which was, is what willbe...

    7

    The acronym formed by the initials of the phrase is Moshe Rabbeinubecause our first redeemer will also be our final redeemer.8

    Our sages taught that the universe was created because Hashem desired for

    Himself a dwelling-place in the lower worlds.9 This is the inner meaning of the

    phrase, " k- " As the days of heaven upon the earth...10 The

    days of heaven are meant to infiltrate the earththe absolute nadir of creation.

    Hashem wants His people to be G-dly as well, that each of us should come to the level

    of Moshe the man of G-d and be a nation of prophets. The Torah commands us:

    "e z k' " Be holy, for I, Hashem your G-d, am

    5Taamei HaMitzvos, Ki Teitzei; Likutei Moharan II:4;Bechoros 45a;6Yeshayah 9:67Koheles 1:98Shaar Haleshem I:12:1; Tikkunei Zohar69:131a9Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Naso10Devarim 11:21

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    holy.11

    The Alshich explains that the verse comes to teach us that every single Jew

    must come to the level of holyofruach hakodesh, which is the spirit of prophecy.

    The fact remains, however, that the divided nature of this world makes it difficult for a

    person to be like a ladder standing on the ground whose top reached to the heavens

    and cleave to Hashem.12 Even so, since it is Hashem desire to dwell here, with us, in this

    lower world, He sent down three lofty soulsMoshiach ben Yosef, Moshiach ben

    Dovid, and Moshe Rabbeinuwho light the way for us to cleave to our Creator as we

    should. By following their illuminated path, we too can transform our bodies and soulsinto a dwelling place for the Shechinah. These are the three elements ofmilah.

    Moshiach ben Yosef, Moshiach ben Dovid, and Moshe / Moshiach

    The main impediment to our cleaving properly to Hashem is the divided and

    distracting nature of this physical world. Our problem stems from the fact that we are

    not constantly preoccupied with the spiritual work of Moshiach ben YosefTorah

    study, the contemplation of Divine Names, and effecting supernal unificationswhich

    has the power to purify and refine a persons vision. Both the Ramak and the Baal

    HaLeshem taught that the beginning of spiritual growth lies in the refinement of his

    body and soul through meditation upon the holy sheimos. All the while that a person is

    preoccupied with thoughts about all the worldly things and events that surround him, he

    will not be able to properly connect with his Creator. It is for this reason that Moshiach

    ben Yosef draws the hidden light of the Torahs inner dimension down into the Jewish

    people, to purify them so that they will be able to advance spiritually.

    Moshiach ben Dovid, represented by the second dalet, then draws down into the

    Jewish people the awareness that this work of contemplating the Divine Names is still

    insufficient. Rather, they must come to cleave to Hashems Infinite Lighta level that

    is beyond all Names and attributes, which is akin to absolute , or nothingness. While

    the soul of Moshiach ben Yosef is rooted in the sefirah ofChochmah/ Wisdom, whose

    11Vayikra 19:212Bereishis 28:12

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    nature is contemplative, the soul of Moshiach ben Dovid is rooted in Binah /

    Understanding, which extends up to the level ofArich Anpin or Kesser/ Crown. The

    level of Kesser, or of , is where one never loses sight of Hashems absolute

    existence, and that, in truth, nothing exist besides Him. Even when a person is

    contemplating the Divine Names, he must bind his thoughts with the overarching

    awareness of Hashems absolute existence, that He is One, Alone, and Uniquethis

    is the meaning of the recitation ofShema. Hear, Yisrael, Hashem our G-d, Hashem is

    One.

    13

    In order to give birth to the third and highest elementthe child itself, the

    soul of Moshe Rabbeinuone must open the two doors of the two redeemers by

    following in their respective paths. Doing so clears the way for the light of Moshe

    Rabbeinu, which is light of the lofty level of Divine awareness that will exist in the

    ultimate future, can descend to the world. The manifestation of this level of awareness,

    where, The world will be permeated with knowledge of G-d, like water covers the

    seabed, will occur when Moshiach ben Dovid receives a special additional aspect of

    soul, which is a spark of the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu. This is how Hashem will have adwelling place in the lower worldswhen this lofty level of awareness will be able to

    descend into the lower strata of our existence. At first, when a person is still in the

    Moshiach ben Yosef state of contemplation, he is unable to draw down this lofty level

    of awareness. However, once he reaches the level of Moshiach ben Dovid, where he

    realizes that there is no true existence outside of Hashem, it is possible for him to draw

    the awareness of Moshe Rabbeinu down.

    This principle is encapsulated by the acronym formed by the phrase, " " [In the beginning, Hashem created] the heavens and the earth.

    14

    The initials of the phrase form the Name EHYeHI will bethe Name associated

    withDaas / Knowledge [and Hashems revelation to the Jewish people through Moshe

    Rabbeinu just before the exodus]. The phrase alludes to the fact that this lofty level of

    13Devarim 6:414Bereishis 1:1

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    awareness is only accessible when a person exists both in the heavens and on the

    earth. In this state, the existence of the material world does not serve as an impediment

    to Divine awareness; quite the contrary, it brings the person to ascend and contemplate

    yichudim at an even higher level. This is what is meant by uplifting the creation to its

    Source.

    Naturally, the first step to this level is focusing on looking at things that are

    spiritually edifying, like the faces oftzaddikim, etc. But the main way in which this is

    accomplished is by spreading the light of the Torah throughout the worlds, because allof material existence is really animated by the Torahs holy letters. When the Torah

    says, And the spirit ofElokim hovered over the waters, the sages taught, This is the

    spirit of Moshiach that hovers over the facets of the Torah. This is the spirit of Moshe

    Rabbeinu [the ultimate level of Moshiach], which contains the awareness and power to

    uplift all material reality to a state of bonding with its Source. He knows how to focus

    on the letters of the Torah which served as the building blocks of creation, and rectify

    the world so that all of material reality reveals the glory of Hashems Kingship.

    These three levels are part of the spiritual evolution of every Jewhe mustultimately come to the place of revealing Hashems Kingship even as he conducts the

    normal business of his life.

    The Three Elements ofBris and the Three Redeemers

    Until Avraham Avinu was circumcised, he was unable to reveal the unique

    avodos of the three future redeemers. Although he was able to share with the world a

    spark of the general meaning of the three paths, he could not reveal the light ofBinah,

    Chochmah, and Kesser completely. Right after his bris, however, Avraham was

    empowered to really enter into these three paths. We can see this from the fact that the

    three angels stood over himthey are the three pathways that were revealed to him

    providentially.

    Avraham Avinu began to rectify the profound sins of the generations of the

    flood and the dispersion as well as those of the people of Sodom. Those three groups

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    had inflicted spiritual damage within the partzufim of the world ofAtzilus/ Emanation:

    Arich Anpin,Zeir Anpin, andMalchus.15

    The generation of the flood sought to damage

    the level ofArich Anpin and sin against the light of Hashems Essence, so to speak. We

    can see this from the fact that they lived incredibly long lives, nearly a thousand years,

    which parallels the inner nature of the level ofArich Anpin, which is associated with

    length of days or longevity.16 [Arich Anpin literally means the long facebut it has

    the further meaning of patience, which is associated with extreme longevity.]

    The generation of dispersion [the tower of Bavel] sinned against HashemsNamethe level ofZeir Anpin which is associated with His Nameand we see it

    from their cry: Let us make a name for ourselves...17

    The people of Sodom sinned

    against the principle of justice itself, which is associated with Malchus / Kingship.18

    However, as soon as Avraham Avinu completed his bris, Hashem appeared to him at

    Elonei Mamreto enable Avraham to reveal Hashems existence even in the outermost

    reaches of spiritual obscurity. This is the concept of Elonei Mamrei comes

    from the language of, vision. Once he had passed through the three pathways of

    the redeemers, the three stages ofmilah, Avraham was able to envision Hashems Lightin every single thing that he looked upon.

    ConstantDveikus

    In truth, the avodos described are not at all simple. Moshiach himself is

    described as being, Poor [], and riding on a donkey.19 The sages taught that the

    word poor () is an acronym of the initials of three tractates: ,, Eruvin,Niddah, and Yevamos.

    20Niddah is itself a conjunction of the terms -' the

    hei (which representsMalchus and the Shechinah) has wandered. [This is the spiritual

    15Abba/Chochmah andImma/Binah are subsumed withinArich Anpin.16Emek HaMelech 305b17Bereishis 11:1018 The deep meaning of the sins of these three generations has already been discussed in depth in many ofthe deeper works, especially those of Rav Aharon HaLevi Horowitz of Strashuleh. We will not delve into

    them more closely at the present time.19Zechariah 9:920Sanhedrin 98a;ZoharIII:276a

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    root of the actual state ofniddah, where the feminine aspect is in a state of exile.] There

    are places and situations in this world where Hashems presence cannot be seen, she has

    wandered from her place, however even in this state it is possible to retrieve ones

    awareness of the Divine. One can come to the state ofEruv [ ="+" The

    word Eruv, which means a mixture, symbolizes the mixing of unifying of the

    Chassadim and the Gevuros. The numerical value of the word Chessed( " ) is 72,

    and the numerical value of the word Gevurah ( " ) is 216.] One can also attain the

    state of Yibum; in its halachic sense, yibum is where it is possible to unite with theyounger brother because the older brother can no longer be accessed (is deceased). In its

    Kabbalistic sense, yibum is what happens when a person manages to attain a degree of

    unity with Hashem and effect a yichud through his thoughts on a lower level (the

    younger brother called Yaakov) despite the fact that the channels to the upper level

    (the older brother calledZeir Anpin)are closed to him.

    Even though the tzaddikim occupy themselves with both paths of Moshiach ben

    Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid, nevertheless they are not able to complete completely

    remove all of the spiritual obstacles which are the manifestations of the klippah ofAmalek that obscures the light of Hashem and His Torah from creation. The goal is to

    reach the level of Avraham Avinu, who did come to these three levels completely by

    virtue of his bris milah. He was " and " he cut away the veils that

    obstruct one from seeing Hashem, and exposed His Name. Then he was able to draw

    bloodthe word blood () has the same numerical value (44) as the NameEHYeH

    when it is written in the progressive articulation known as achorayim. [ +"+"

    +" = 44] This progressive expansion is associated with the evolution of Divine

    awareness that will come in the ultimate futurewhat is knows as the four-fold songthat will be sung in the future.

    21This is evolution is the ultimate goalthat Divine

    awareness should permeate even the lowest levels of creation. It is precisely when this

    happens that Hashems Name is revealed in all its glory, much as the Divine Name

    21Tikkunei Zohar21

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    unfolds from world to world, from above to below, but is only fully expressed in the

    lowest world of Asiyah / Action.22

    [The four-letter Name of Hashem begins its

    downward revelation in the world ofAtzilus with the letter Yud; it continues to the world

    ofBeriyah with the letter with the Hei; it is further articulated in the world of Yetzirah

    with the letter Vav; and only finds full expression the world ofAsiyah with the finalHei.

    Although the successively lower worlds are where, for the time being, the Divine light is

    more and more hidden, in the ultimate future this light will be revealed, with the greatest

    revelation taking place in the lowest world ofAsiyah.]

    The Unslaughtered Offering

    With this in mind, we can more clearly understand the extent of the test of the

    akeidah, the binding of Yitzchak. Avrahams son Yitzchak is associated with the

    Gevuros and successive contractions of Hashems light that facilitated the creation and

    maintenance of an independent-seeming universe. The command to slaughter Yitzchak

    has the inner meaning of nullifying all of this lower material reality in order to bind

    oneself completely to Hashem. This would mean having no interest whatsoever in the

    things of this world, and being absorbed exclusively in the contemplation of the upper

    worlds. However, this kind of retreat from reality or deadening of ones material

    existence is not the end goalone is really meant to come to the higher level of

    touching and not touching, of being both in contact and distanced from material

    existence at the same time. [This is called being in the heavens and on the earth

    simultaneouslyas discussed earlier.] When a person comes to this higher level, instead

    of slaughtering Yitzchak, he can substitute a ramhe can subdue the evil

    inclination by having his Torah-vision illuminate his worldly experiences so that they

    are no longer distractions from his purpose that require removal. Then, Yitzchak can

    liveall of the system of contractions of Hashems light that serve as the spiritual

    infrastructure of the universe can remain in place, because they have become part of the

    22Toras Chochom 150b

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    greater process of recognizing Hashem, of making a dwelling place for Him in the

    lower worlds.

    This is Hashems main delight [ = ]when the tzaddikim are not

    limited to abstract and removed spiritual work, but actively draw down the Divine

    awareness of Moshe Rabbeinu into their this-worldly experience, into every single thing

    that they learn. Their entire reality becomes material for further dveikus. In this way,

    their connection with Hashem is not limited to the time that can be dedicated to pure

    meditation, but instead, throughout the day, even experiences that would appear to bespiritual obstacles are transformed into vessels to hold Hashems light.

    The Birth of Awareness from the Darkness

    Avraham Avinu went down to Sodom, and it was precisely there that he stood

    to pray before Hashem. Those prayers still protect the Jewish people to this very day,

    and they will continue to do so until the end of time, they protect us when we are in

    Sodomin a spiritual free-fall. When a person binds himself to ten tzaddikim who

    parallel the ten sefiros ofAtzilus, it is possible to uplift all of creation to its Source. Then

    it is possible to draw the light of Moshiach out of the mire of Lot and his daughters, who

    represent the moral paralysis of depression and melancholy. Avraham and Lot are

    diametric opposites; Avraham represents holy self-nullification and holy uplifting, while

    Lot represents the self-abnegation of depression and melancholy. Even if person goes

    down to Sodom with Lotthe one who dwells in that corrupt place and feels that he is

    miserably far from Hashemhe must remember that the tzaddikim revealed to us that it

    is still possible to bind oneself to Hashem even in the midst of the maelstrom and thick

    darkness that surrounds him. He can still unite the Chassadim and the Gevuros and

    mitigate all harsh judgments [through faith and prayer] so that even he can help to birth

    the light of Moshiach.

    Even the tzaddikim are not able to birth this light unless they are in the state

    of the obscuring of Hashems presence. Although it is possible for them to prepare for

    this extremity ahead of time, when they feel connection and Hashems presence is

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    revealed, the actual birth can only come about through the challenge of the darkness.

    [Much as all the preparation for birth only helps an expectant woman so muchthe

    actual birth of a child is through toil.] In the Emek HaMelech we find that the time to

    pray for the redemption is specifically duringMinchah time oferev Shabbos, and not on

    Shabbos or Yom Tov itself. Although one would think that such lofty times would be

    more auspicious, the deeper works teach us that it is precisely in the state of

    admixture (erev), of confusion and obscurity and precedes the entrance to the next

    level which is represented by Shabbos, that the time is ripe to bring the redemption.[Erev Shabbos is also, for many, the hardest time of the week because so much needs to

    be done and the time is short. This often leads to tension, which makes it all the more

    difficult to focus on the inner light of material reality. This is one reason why the

    rewards of tearing away the veils of obscurity at just that time can be so great.]

    This is our task now, at the end of this bitter exile. Hashem has already prepared

    and lighted the way for us to escape our prisonHe is asking us to spend time and

    energy on the kinds of spiritual work that have the power to hasten the redemption. We

    must open up the gates of the redemption by following the path of Moshiach ben Yosef,the path of contemplation, and the path of Moshiach ben Dovid, which is the way of

    focusing on Hashems absolute existence. Then we will be able to birth the Divine

    awareness of the ultimate redeemer, Moshe Rabbeinu, so that knowledge of Hashem can

    penetrate to every limit of creation. When we do this we will find that even if we fall

    into the melancholy of Lot, we will not become like the sinners of Sodom, G-d forbid.

    Rather, the darkness will goad us to discover the light of Moshiach from within the

    midst of the turmoil and destruction, to bind our material reality with its source in the

    upper worlds. This will reveal Hashems Kingship in all its glory. In the place where the

    sitra achra thought that no G-dliness could be revealed, the greatest light of Hashems

    unity will be found. As the sages taught on the verse: I found My servant Dovid23

    23Tehillim 89:21

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    Where did I find him? In Sodom.24

    Where is the light of Moshiach ben Dovid

    revealed? From out of the greatest darkness.

    Chanukah, Purim, and the Light of Moshiach

    This light is the source of the unfolding lights of Chanukah, which illuminate all

    of the facets of the Torah with their thirty-six candles that parallel the thirty-six tractates

    of the Talmud. They draw down Hashems light into this lowest world, and they

    continue the unfolding process of redemption into Purim, when Amalek is destroyed.

    On Purim, Divine awareness expands exponentially [this is the mazal of the month of

    Adarthe fish that represent the explosive expansion of the awareness of the

    redemption]. This is the inner meaning of the Talmudic dictum: Anyone who brings

    delight to the Shabbos merits an inheritance that is without limits.25

    A person who

    exists in the state of Shabbos, who unifies Hashems Name in the aspect of Shabbos,

    merits to reveal Hashems glory without being subject to the limits and boundaries of

    creation.

    The Tears between the Letters

    How does one come to be able to fulfill all that we have discussed? Through the

    study of the Torah itself. The Torah is the root of all creation, and it also encompasses

    all that every person experiences. This is why Amaleks main objective is to block the

    light of Hashem from shining through the straightforward meaning of the Torahs

    words. Amalek seeks to swallow up the letters of the Torah [and keep them

    disassociated from higher meaning and the emotional and spiritual arousal it brings], but

    the tzaddikim and the Shechinah have shed rivers of tears between the letters to prevent

    this from happening.

    24Bereishis Rabbah 50:1025Shabbos 118a

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    Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught that a person who wishes to innovate

    genuine new Torah concepts must weep first.26

    These tears are an aspect of the inner

    meaning of the Torah that is hidden between the letters [much as we say between the

    lines]. It is only by virtue of these tears that the tzaddikim manage to reveal the true

    spiritual nature of the Torah. This process is described allegorically in Rebbe

    Nachmans story of the Lost Princess, the Shechinah, who wept copiously and wrote a

    message in tears on her scarf that could only be deciphered when held up to the sunlight.

    This is meant to teach us that it is not enough to learn what is written in the Torah, wemust pray and plead with Hashem to decipher the tears, the pathways to dveikus,that are

    hidden among the letters. When we do, we will be able, like the tzaddikim, to discover

    the light of Hashems presence in every single situation, no matter how dark it may

    seem.

    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.27

    We must draw down the great light of Moshiach by unifying Chochmah and

    Binah, by letting the aspect called soul (Binah) join with Wisdom. Then we will be

    simultaneously treading the paths of Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid

    toward the Kesser, the Crown of Divine awareness of Moshe Rabbeinu, the faithful

    shepherd. We will observe Your holy mitzvos, those that were commanded to us by

    Moshe, and guard Your holy Shabbos, with the arrival of our righteous redeemer in

    mercy. Speedily and in our days. Amen.

    Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

    26Likutei Moharan I:26227 From the Shabbos zemerDror Yikrah, based onMishlei 24:14.

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    Yam Hachochmah 5772

    Light is Sown for the Righteous, Part 41

    TheMakifim that Surround Us

    It is well known that there are two makifim [surrounding lights] that surround a

    personthe makifofchayah and the makifofyechidah [the two highest faculties of the

    soul], as explained at length in the Arizals writings. The makifofchayah is also known

    as the returning makif and the near makif, because it first enters into the vessels and

    afterward it exits as a returning light, in the manner of hairs which closely surround

    the entire sefirah. [Note: These concepts are explored at length in the 45thShaarofEitz

    Chaim. There, it discusses the makifin ofAtzilus and evokes the imagery of two levels of

    light that are too great for the vessels; one of them is so great that it cannot enter the

    vessels at all, and the other can enter but it has to exit again. This returning light is

    envisioned as hairs which emerge from the vessel of the head and then surround it.] This

    parallels the near makif of ones garments, which surround the body closely. The

    makifofyechidah is known as the straight makif as well as the distant makif because

    it illuminates [the vessels] from a distance without entering at all into them. It surrounds

    the entire partzuf[composite ofsefiros of a particular level] as a whole. This parallels

    the chamberones homewhich is the analogue of ones Malchus.2

    [The home

    surrounds a person at a further distance than his garment, but it still surrounds him.]

    There is an even larger makifwhich parallels the city in which a person resides,

    because it is an overarching perimeter that surrounds any number of houses. This makif

    derives from an even higher levela level more lofty than that ofyechidah[even

    though yechidah seems to be the highest of all] for there are always more and more

    1The lesson is found in Yam Hachochmah 5772, Maamar Ohr Zarua laTzaddik, p. 722-760,

    and this particular segment was part of a shiurgiven at the third meal of Shabbos in Tzfas, in

    honor of theyohrtzeitof the Arizal, Parshas Devarim, 5771.2Eitz Chaim, Shaar42, Chapter 1

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    levels reaching higher and higher. The broadness and encompassing nature of the

    makifin of each level are proportionate to that levels higher degree. For our purposes,

    we will say that the makifin ofchayah andyechidah are the makifin ofAtzilus, but there

    is an even more all-encompassing makifwhich derives from the level ofAdam Kadmon,

    which includes within it all of the houses of the city.3

    TheMakifin of the Tzaddik

    Now we can return to the focus of the lesson, which is on the nature of prayer

    and hiskashrus at the graves of the tzaddikim. A person needs to bind himself not only to

    the tzaddikhimself, but also to his makifin. The primary makif is, as we have already

    learned, invested in the garments of the tzaddik[chayah], and the secondary and more

    broad makifis that of his house [yechidah].There is a further makifthat of the city in

    which he resides or rests. Even though it is more rare for people to be able to sense this

    [presence of the tzaddiksurrounding the entire city], if a person contemplates into it

    deeply and merits to feel it, he grasps a makifthat is far greater than that which can be

    grasped within the immediate vicinity of the gravesite.4

    Even though it is true that the main holiness of the tziun is focused in its

    immediate vicinity because it is the resting place of the tzaddik, nevertheless there are

    other levels of makifin that spread outward. The makif directly above the tziun itself

    parallels that of the garments [chayah], as explained by the Mittler Rebbe of Lubavitch.

    The four amos surrounding the tziun embodies the makifof the house [yechidah]. But

    the makifthroughout the entire city in which he lies is the greatest of all, and it parallels

    3SeeEitz Chaim, Shaar Igulim vYosher,Anaf#4.

    4The great tzaddikRav Gedalia Koenig, ztl, taught that the phrase, Sound the great shofar alludes to a deep secret. The gematria of is equal to that of , and the

    word is equal to that of . We can say that Tzfas represents Yesod dAbba and thetzaddik haemes [the Arizal, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, all of the great tzaddikim buried in the

    Galil], and Yerushalayim representsMalchus and the building of theBeis Hamikdash. Yesod

    dAbba establishesMalchus, much as the tzaddik haemes [Moshiach] must come to build the

    Beis Hamikdash. Similarly, we travel to Tzfas not for its own sake, but in order to return to

    Yerushalayim with greater energy, because it is only when we first reconnect with the tzaddik

    that we are able to return and truly discover the holiness of Yerushalayim.

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    the makifin ofAdam Kadmon and the Olam HaMalbush. [Note: Olam HaMalbush is a

    figurative idiom, used by several disciples of the Arizal to refer to the Divine meta-

    plan for all Creation before the constriction of His infinite light. In chassidus its state is

    described as, G-ds conceiving within Himselfin potential all that was destined to

    become actual. We can see that this master level is associated with the tzaddik, since

    the true tzaddiklives up to his full human potential. As we sing of Rabbi Shimon bar

    Yochai: Let Us make man was said for your sake.] The tzaddik haemes himself was

    bound up with the concept of the kav that is associated with the Olam HaMalbush, andso the highest degree of his influence affects all of the houses within the city where he

    lies, because he brought the light of that highest world to the place when he still lived

    there. This can be sensed only by those who really delve into the inner nature of the

    level of the tzaddik.

    The makif that is directly upon the tziun allows a person to connect with the

    Torah and the mystical concepts that the tzaddikkrevealed [chayah = Chochmah]. The

    further makif that is embodied within the four surrounding amos helps a person to

    experience the awareness of G-dliness and the yichud that the tzaddik revealed[yechidah = Yichud]. Throughout the entire town, one can access the loftiest makif, and

    this is expressed in the sense of the depths of the greatness of the tzaddikand the manner

    in which he binds together and unifies all of the houses of the town, which really

    means all of the souls of the Jewish people, into a single spiritual unity. It was of this

    dynamic that Rebbe Nachman spoke when he offered his unique interpretation of the

    sages statement about the rebuke that Moshe Rabbeinu directed toward the Jewish

    people at the beginning of Sefer Devarim.5

    There, he only alluded to their sins in the

    wilderness by hinting at the places where the events took place. Rebbe Nachman said

    that this is a fulfillment of the verse, My nairdgave off its aroma Even the incense

    that was offered at the sin of the golden calf is still said to give off an aroma rather than

    a stench, because the rebuke of the tzaddik did not arouse the negativity within the

    5SeeLikutei Moharan II:5

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    Jewish people, rather it aroused the positive points within their souls. The recounting of

    the places where the sins took place alludes to the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu was able to

    awaken the souls of the Jewish people at the loftiest levelthe makifof the cities

    and unify them to draw them to Hashem. The redemption also depends on this kind of

    an arousalone that unifies all of the levels.

    Clear Advice

    The greatest advantage of accessing the highest of the makifin of the tzaddikis

    that it is a means of receiving true guidance about how we should behave in every

    matter. The fact is that everyone wants to be good; our only problem is that we stumble

    around in the dark and lack clear guidance as to what exactly we need to do in every

    circumstance. This is where the loss of theBeis Hamikdash is most acutely feltwe no

    longer have prophets or sages who can tell us unequivocally what path we should take.

    The main churban is the destruction ofDaas, which is the loss of true advice in avodas

    Hashem, when wisdom is in eclipse. Then we truly mourn over the loss of our Beis

    Hamikdash, because we have no idea what to do in spiritual or in physical matters.

    To really access genuine guidance and eitzah, we need to reach a level that

    surpasses that of any prophet or sagewe need the guidance of Moshiach, who is called

    pele yoetz, wondrous advisor. The root of Moshiachs soul is that of Moshe

    Rabbeinu. We know that the name Moshe is an acronym for the phrase, That which was, will be. Just as Moshe Rabbeinu was the original redeemer,he will also be the final redeemer. Moshe/Moshiach will be able to give us the highest

    type of advice, the guidance that suits the exact nature of each of our souls at its source.

    It encompasses the two types of advice that are rooted in the makifin of chayah and

    yechidah, it transcends them, includes them, reconciles them. If a person only follows

    the advice rooted in the near makif, he may find at some point that at the point of the

    far makif, it was not really suitable. And even if it is in tune with the level of

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    yechidah, it might not be in alignment with the absolute truth, which is the higher makif

    derived from the place ofAdam Kadmon and the Olam HaMalbushthepele yoetz.

    We can reach this level of advice by attaching ourselves to the ways of the true

    tzaddikim and the innermost nature of their avodahunbridled joy in Hashem, Yisrael

    will rejoice in his Maker.6 This enlivens the root of our souls with vitality from the

    very highest place, which parallels the place where the tzaddikim are secreted away,

    their burial place. This advice is a reflection of the far-off light of the Beis Hamikdash

    and Eretz Yisrael [in its fully spiritualized state], which will ultimately fill us withcertain knowledge and guidance as to what we should do in both spiritual and physical

    matters. Even though the redemption has not yet arrived, when we enter deeply into the

    joy of the tzaddikim in Torah and prayer, we can already receive a taste of it. To

    overcome the dark uncertainty of exile, we immerse ourselves in the ways of the

    tzaddikim who teach us the depth of emunah, that everything is for the ultimate good

    and that everything is G-dliness. This will bring us to rejoice in Hashem in general and

    also in every particular. Yisrael will rejoice in his Maker.

    Seeking the Shechinah

    The search for this level of guidance is essentially the search for the Shechinah.

    And when we seek the Shechinah, great joy abounds on high. The exile of the

    Shechinah, her dwelling in the dust, is really due to our forgetting about the Divine

    presence. When people live their lives, suffer through their problems and dont feel that

    any solution is at hand, when the Shechinah is abandoned, then the Divine presence is

    truly in exile. But when we realize that the Shechinah can help every person because it

    6 See the Introduction to Shaar Hamitzvos; in it we learn that the Arizal [and all of the other

    tzaddikim] only reached the incredible levels that he did in the merit of the joy that he felt in

    Hashem at all times. Although the intensity of his joy [which was more than what one would feel

    at having received millions of golden dinars] is beyond us, nevertheless we too can reach this

    level in a way that is appropriate to our own degree. And we see that the Arizals great joy made

    him worthy of revealing the most wondrous advice down to the level of precise action in spiritual

    and physical matters. We can also receive some of this light when we come to his city, to Tzfas,

    and rejoice in the Arizals great holiness.

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    includes everything, when we realize that even though we are bereft of prophets we still

    have the Shechinah with us, then we enter into the mindset of the true tzaddikim. They

    never let go of the Shechinah for a moment, and it is from the Shechinah that their

    eitzah derives. The search is itself the finding, because it means that we know that the

    Shechinah is to be found among us. This is the meaning of the famous parable, of a

    father who played with his child and hid himself so that his son would seek him. When

    the child finally finds him, what rejoicing goes on! The essence of the joy is in the

    realization that the father never actually went anywhere, that he hid only so that his sonwould seek him.7

    The verse says of Tzion, She has no seeker. Tzion, the city of Dovid, is not

    the Har HaBayis; it is like a preliminary. It is the burial place of Dovid and the other

    righteous kings of his line, and he is the exemplar of the true tzaddik that rejoices in

    Hashem and, in so doing, draws down the most wondrous guidance. During this time of

    churban, the aspect ofMalchus loses its independent status and retreats back up to

    Yesod. Even though this concept is very esoteric, we can understand it in this context as

    follows: when we seek the clear eitzah embodied by the Beis Hamikdash during itseclipse, we must first retreat back up to Tzion, the tzaddik, and seek it there. If we

    want to discover the Shechinah and thepele yoetz, we need to follow the path of Tzion,

    the true tzaddikim.

    The Baal HaTanyas Words inIgeres Hakodesh

    At this point, it would help us to see the teachings of the Baal HaTanya that

    relate directly to this subject, in his letter to the chassidim of the Galil upon the death of

    Rav Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk:

    7The ultimate level is to apprehend the three rishonos, the three uppermost levels which are

    symbolized by the three cities that border Eretz Yisraelthe Keini, the Knizi, and the Kadmoni.

    Even though such goals are far beyond us, nevertheless the Arizal himself did reach such levels

    by virtue of his joy in Hashem, and we therefore know that this is the path to follow in order to

    reach all of our own spiritual potential. We must learn to ignore all of the matters that confound

    and depress us, and focus exclusively on Torah and avodah with the utmost joy. This is the path

    to our personal redemption, as well as the collective redemption.

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    My beloved brothers and friends who are [as dear to me] as my own soul

    May Hashem be upon them; they should live a life forevermore, and their offspring with

    them, and may they be fully righteousthey are blessed of Hashem now and forever.

    Following the inquiry after their welfare as is becoming those that love His

    Name, I have come to comfort those who sigh and groan, and to console them doubly

    for salvation with what my ear has heard and noted for itself on the saying of our sages,

    of blessed memory, He has left life unto all the living.

    The tzaddiklives by his faith, and by the fear of Hashem which leads to life,and by the flashes of fire of the flame of his love [of G-d, which to him] supersedes life,

    to absorb the life of his ruach all the days of his duration. And when it comes about that

    the Hashem takes up [and] gathers to Himself his ruach and neshamah, and he ascends

    from one elevation to anotherto the peak of levels, he, then, leaves the life of

    his ruach upon which he labored throughout his life among the Jewish people [the labor

    of the righteous is for the living], to every living being. That is, [he leaves it to] the soul

    of every living being bound to his soul by the thick ropes of a magnanimous love, and

    an eternal love, that will not be moved forevermore. For he who is the man that desireslife to become attached to the Master of life, his soul will become attached through his

    service; [his soul] will be bound up in the bundle of life with Hashem, in the life of, the

    breath [ruach]of our nostrils of whom we said: in his shadowwe shall live [safely]

    among the nations. [Note: This is a reference to Moshiach.] [This] he left to us, in each

    and every one corresponding to the degree of his genuine alliance and his pure love, a

    pure love of truth from, the inward of man and a profound heart. For, as waters

    [reflect] the face...; and spirit [ruach]rouses spirit, and brings forth spirit. Thus

    his ruach remains truly in our midst, when he sees his children, the work of his hands, in

    his midst sanctifying His blessed Name. For [Hashems Name] is magnified and

    sanctified when we walk in the right way that he has shown us of his ways, and we will

    walk in his paths forevermore.

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    And this is the meaning of the statement in the sacred Zoharthat, When the

    tzaddikdeparts he is to be found in all worlds more than in his lifetime. That is, he is to

    be found more even in this world of action [this day to do them], because the action

    keeps sprouting secondary growth from the, light sown for the righteous in the field

    that is blessed by Hashem. [This light] radiates to the earth and the outside places, and

    also to usthose that are here this day, all of us that live in his ways, The holy way

    shall it be called. This is as regards the service of G-d, with respect to heavenly matters.

    As for mundane matters, it is stated explicitly in the sacred Zoharthatthe tzaddikim shield the world, and after their death even more than in their lifetime.

    Were it not for the prayer of the tzaddikim in that world, the world would not endure a

    single moment. And whoever is closer to the abode of Hashem during his lifetime has

    precedence to the blessing.

    It is stated in the Zohar Hakadosh that when the tzaddikdeparts he is to be

    found in all worlds more so than in his lifetime... Now, this needs to be understood. For,

    granted that he is to be found increasingly in the upper worlds, because he ascends to

    there; but how can he be found more in this world? This may be explained along thelines of what I received on the saying of our sages, of blessed memory, that, He has left

    life unto all the living.

    As is known, the life of the tzaddikis not a physical life but a spiritual life,

    consisting of faith, awe, and love. Of faith it is written, And the tzaddiklives by his

    faith. Of awe it is written, The awe of Hashem is for life. And of love it is written,

    He who pursues tzedakah and chessedwill find life, and chessedrefers to love. These

    three attributes are prevalent in every world to the topmost of levels, all proportionate to

    the levels of the worldsone higher than the other by way of cause and effect, as is

    known.

    Now, while the tzaddikwas alive on earth, these three attributes were

    contained in their vessel and garment on the plane of physical space. This is the aspect

    of the nefesh bound to his body. All his disciples receive only a radiation from these

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    attributes, and a ray [from them] radiating beyond this vessel by means of his holy

    utterances and thoughts. That is why our sages, of blessed memory, said that a person

    cannot comprehend his master... But after his passing, as the nefesh [which remains in

    the grave] is separated from the ruach [i.e. these three attributes] which is in the Garden

    of Eden, whoever is near to him can receive a part from the aspect of his ruach [which is

    in Gan Eden], because it is no [longer] within a vessel, nor on the plane of physical

    space. The saying of our sages with reference to Yaakov Avinu is well known, that Gan

    Eden entered with him [when he approached his father for a blessing]. Likewise it isstated in the bookAsarah Maamaros that the atmosphere of Gan Eden spreads itself

    around every person, and in this space are recorded all his good thoughts and his words

    of Torah and avodah. (This is also true to the contrary, chas vshalom. They are

    recorded in the atmosphere ofGehinnom which spreads itself around every person.] It is

    therefore very easy for his disciples to receive their part of the essential aspects of their

    masters ruach, i.e. his faith, his awe and his love with which he served Hashem, and

    not merely a ray of it which radiates beyond the vessel. For the essential aspect of

    his ruach is raised, elevation upon elevation, to become absorbed inhis neshamah which is in the upper Gan Eden, in the supernal worlds.

    Now it is known that something sacred is never wholly and totally uprooted

    from its place and original level, even after it has reached the highest point. Thus it is

    this original aspect, remaining below, in the lower Gan Eden, in its place and original

    level, which extends itself among his disciples; each one according to the level of his

    alliance and closeness to [the tzaddik]during his lifetime and after his death out of a

    magnanimous love. For the flow of anything spiritual is only accomplished by means of

    a magnanimous love. It is therefore stated in the Zohar Hakadosh that the

    spirit [ruach]animated by a willingness of the heart elicits a [matching] spirit from on

    high. He receives it only when he prepares himself towards his G-d with a great effort to

    receive these attributes in the way that his master taught him. As the sages taught: If

    you have labored and [claim to have] foundbelieve it.

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    Now, there is yet another type of radiation to his disciples. However, it does

    not vest itself truly in their mindas is the case with the first onebut radiates over

    them, from above. It stems from the ascent of his ruach and his neshamah to the source

    from which it was hewn, to the orchard of the holy apples. [This ascent] effects a

    unification there [yichud]by means of the elevation of the mayin nukvin of all his

    doings, his Torah, and the Divine service which he offered all the days of his life. The

    most sublime lights are implanted within that heavenly orchard, corresponding to the

    lights that he left in the lower world, i.e. his Torah and avodah. The illumination ofthese supernal lights radiates over all his disciples who became servants of Hashem

    through his Torah and avodah. And this radiation, which is over them from above,

    instills in their heart thoughts of repentance and good deeds. And all the good deeds

    born from this radiation [radiating from the lights implanted in the orchard mentioned

    above] are called secondary growth. But this radiation is in great latency and

    concealment, just like the sun radiating to the stars from below the earth. Thus it is

    stated in the Tikunim, in reference to Moshe Rabbeinu, that after his passing his

    radiation extends in every generation to the sixty myriad souls, just like the sun radiatingto the sixty myriad stars from below the earth.

    [Note: This is what the Baal HaTanya wrote to his relative-by-marriage, the

    rabbi and famous gaon, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, to console him on the passing

    of his son, the pious rabbi, Rav Meir.]

    Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.