| Torah Ohr | |
| תורה אור | |
| Sefaria Community Translation | |
| https://www.sefaria.org | |
| Torah Ohr | |
| Bereshit | |
| Noach | |
| Lech Lecha | |
| Vayera | |
| Chayei Sara | |
| Toldot | |
| Vayetzei | |
| Vayishlach | |
| Vayeshev | |
| Chapter 1 | |
| And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan." To understand this matter, consider the repetition of the phrase "in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan." It is written, "I walk before the Lord in the lands of the living." There are two lands that serve as vessels for drawing inspiration for higher life (and just as 'life' is a plural term, so are 'lands'). The explanation of this matter requires understanding why the Land of Canaan is referred to throughout the Torah as Eretz Yisrael. Indeed, Ham is the father of Canaan, and what is the significance of Eretz Yisrael being associated with this (also to understand what is meant by 'Canaan in his control with deceptive scales')? Also, what is written, 'And there shall be no Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day'? It is known that the entire Torah is alluded to in this, as opposed to that. Just as Laban and Esau are in the realm of impurity, and likewise, the minister of slaughter, and the minister of libations, etc., so are all these aspects within holiness, for this contrasts with that which God has made. | |
| And behold, the three sons of Noah are elevated in sanctity through three aspects of the spectrum: white, red, and green. However, in the descent of the worlds from level to level, Cham becomes materialistic, the father of Canaan. To understand the concept of Canaan in holiness, the term 'Canaan' means merchant, as it is written, 'her merchants were the honored of the land. | |
| And it is written, 'Canaan is a trader; in his hand are the scales of deceit.' This means to say, metaphorically, like a merchant who scatters money, silver, and gold, taking them out of his possession in order to profit and gain. His main intention is to be a scatterer, and there is more to add. Similarly, the source of the soul of Israel, which is in the aspect of 'Kenaani,' is likened in exile to this merchant, as it is written, 'Come, your brothers with you, and take grain for the famine of your households.' For it is written, 'When a man’s power prevails over another to his detriment,' that through the enclothement of the Divine Presence in the aspect of exile within them, to influence them, all the sparks of holiness become apparent. As our Sages said, 'Israel was not exiled except to add to them [converts].' They are swallowed [the nations] like death, etc. | |
| And I will remove the impure spirit from the land and reveal the glory of the Lord, for they shall see, eye to eye, etc. And just as it is in the general world, so it is in particular with every soul of Israel in the service of God. For behold, the soul, before its descent into this world to clothe itself in a body, and the vital animalistic soul, was bound and connected at its source and root, with the emanation from the sublime spark of the fire of love by nature, like the flame ascending from its source, etc. It possessed the quality of love and awe naturally, manifesting greatly, which is in the form of silver and gold. 'Silver' is derived from the root 'yearning,' meaning the quality of love. | |
| And gold from the north will come forth, which is in the aspect of the left, which is the aspect of fear. Afterwards, when the soul descended into this world to clothe itself in the physical body, also in the aspect of love and awe, it turns out that these qualities were concealed and covered in the physical heart. It couldn't see with love and awe in such revelation as initially. Thus, it is found that love and awe were diminished from their original state. | |
| So why did the soul descend to this world since it involves a great descent and a significant reduction from the beginning? However, it is written, 'Better to me is Your Torah than thousands of gold and silver.' 'Thousands' linguistically implies learning. In other words, I have an advantage and superiority in Your Torah in this world more than in the aspect of gold and silver that the soul initially learned about. | |
| And the matter, as our sages said, 'One moment of repentance is beautiful,' for through sublime repentance, from the depths of the heart, the soul's adherence to the living God becomes more marvelous than the superficial love and awe, as mentioned later. Thus, even though there is a deficiency in natural love and awe in the external heart that is revealed, nonetheless, it will have an advantage in the aspect of the inner heart's evil over the external heart, like the advantage of light emerging from darkness specifically. | |
| The explanation of the matter is that it is written, 'I am the first, and I am the last, and besides Me, there is no God.' The meaning is, according to what is said, 'I am the Lord, I have not changed, and you are the same before you were created,' without any alteration because the creation of upper and lower worlds does not occupy any space in general, and all are considered as nothing before Him." | |
| And besides Me, there is no God" means, in other words, that aside from this level, which is perceived through time, the world appears as if it has substance and exists in a state of space and time, and there is no God besides You, who is in the aspect of the living God and the King of the world, as it is said: 'And besides You, we have no king, redeemer, etc.' All the worlds, upper and lower, were formed from the aspect of His kingship, as it is written, 'Your kingship is the kingship of all worlds,' and there, the comprehension of all created beings, both upper and lower, originated. However, concerning the Holy One, blessed be He, in His glory and essence, no thought can apprehend Him, for He is exalted and transcendent beyond the limits of comprehension. He is not grasped within worlds, neither in the aspect of immanence nor in the aspect of surrounding, with any intellect or comprehension in the world. Instead, He can only be apprehended through the innermost part of a person's heart and a deep understanding. | |
| And as it is written, 'I have called You from the depths, O Lord,' for the aspect of the innermost part of the heart draws from this contemplation itself if one directs their heart to it. For no thought can grasp Him at all, and He is exalted and transcendent beyond the highest level, reaching to infinity and beyond, even beyond the level of the highest wisdom. Therefore, the soul yearns and seeks to nullify itself in relation to Him, desiring to escape the confinement of the entangled body and to pour itself into the embrace of its Father. In contrast, when the soul, before descending to be clothed in a body, was in a state of love and attachment to its source in the realm of thought, so much so that it sought to nullify itself in the reality of Him, may He be blessed. In this way, the soul, before its descent, longs to emerge from the confinement of the entangled body and to pour itself into the embrace of its Father. Conversely, after the soul descends and is clothed in the body, it is love and attachment to its source, to the aspect of innermost thought and perception, that is concealed and ceases to be revealed. | |
| And behold, when the Temple stood, this aspect of innermost thought drew from the manifestation of the Infinite, blessed be He, in the Holy of Holies, as it is written, 'To be nullified in His will to His will,' and as it says, 'When you make for Me a desired land.' However, in the time of exile, it is written, 'And there you shall seek the Lord your God, and you shall find,' specifically from there, meaning when you contemplate the deviation from the ways of the Lord, how it is distant from the Lord to the utmost degree, like one who transgresses His will, and how the flow and vitality do not emanate to them, and their life and existence are not sustained by His will, for His will is what gives them life, as it says, 'And You give life to them all.' Yet, regarding this, they said, 'How patient is He before Him,' indicating that from the aspect of patience, it extends and descends from the higher levels through a descent to provide life for the nations, even though they transgress His will. | |
| And this is so for those who transgress His will, even more so for those who fulfill His will, how much the aspect of the Supreme Will, which is beyond the level of worlds, is drawn, more than can be expressed, from the level of Wisdom and Attributes, not in the sense of the descent and progression of degrees in the realm of Wisdom and Attributes, but in the sense of the inner point of the heart, which is the level of supernal repentance that preceded the world. And this is as it is written, 'And you shall seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul,' meaning that his heart should turn from one extreme to the other, and darkness should transform into light through the aspect of this inner repentance, which is to despise the life of this world and pleasures, and to turn his heart and soul to adhere to Him, blessed be He. | |
| Now, all of this happens through the analogy of the aforementioned merchant who takes out gold and silver from his possession to be scattered and added even more. Similarly, the soul, although it expends gold and silver, which is the aspect of love and fear, that are revealed to clothe and conceal in the body and the animalistic soul, through this, it has an advantage in the aspect of inner repentance like sparks of fire from the opposite. | |
| And this is the meaning of 'And Ham is the father of Canaan,' with a great bend, the heat of glowing sparks of fire and flames rising above the inversion. It is the one who acts in the aspect of Canaan, to trade, as mentioned, as it says, 'The merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.' However, initially, it is necessary to precede with the lower fear, which is drawn from the aspect of His Kingship, called the higher Canaan of holiness. From this, he ascends and comes to be in the aspect of Canaan, with scales in his hand, from deception to reach the inner repentance, the aspect of the internal heart, as mentioned. | |
| And this is so for those who transgress His will, even more so for those who fulfill His will, how much the aspect of the Supreme Will, which is beyond the level of worlds, is drawn, more than can be expressed, from the level of Wisdom and Attributes, not in the sense of the descent and progression of degrees in the realm of Wisdom and Attributes, but in the sense of the inner point of the heart, which is the level of supernal repentance that preceded the world. And this is as it is written, 'And you shall seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul,' meaning that his heart should turn from one extreme to the other, and darkness should transform into light through the aspect of this inner repentance, which is to despise the life of this world and pleasures, and to turn his heart and soul to adhere to Him, blessed be He. | |
| Now, all of this happens through the analogy of the aforementioned merchant who takes out gold and silver from his possession to be scattered and added even more. Similarly, the soul, although it expends gold and silver, which is the aspect of love and fear, that are revealed to clothe and conceal in the body and the animalistic soul, through this, it has an advantage in the aspect of inner repentance like sparks of fire from the opposite. | |
| And this is the meaning of 'And Ham is the father of Canaan,' with a great bend, the heat of glowing sparks of fire and flames rising above the inversion. It is the one who acts in the aspect of Canaan, to trade, as mentioned, as it says, 'The merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.' However, initially, it is necessary to precede with the lower fear, which is drawn from the aspect of His Kingship, called the higher Canaan of holiness. From this, he ascends and comes to be in the aspect of Canaan, with scales in his hand, from deception to reach the inner repentance, the aspect of the internal heart, as mentioned. | |
| It is in the aspect of the voice and the extension of Jacob, the letter Yud (10), which is wisdom on a high level, extending until the heel, and this is action. However, for a person to be a vessel and prepared for the high wisdom to flow and manifest in him in Torah study, there must first be a state of nullification, in the aspect of the still small voice, where the wind is not heard. I will continue with the spirit to become the light of the Lord, shining and manifesting in him to be the wisdom of the Lord within him in revelation. The ChaBaD (Chochmah, Binah, Daat) within his soul is nullified and subordinate to Him, and this is the concept of the attachment of spirit to spirit. | |
| Thus, it is said, 'Elohai b'kirbi (My God within me),' and it is written, 'I have placed My words in your mouth.' Literal words, for the word of the Lord is the halakha that is revealed in him and speaks from his throat. Therefore, it is said about the Torah, 'By me kings reign,' and we say, 'Who are the kings? The rabbis.' And in the Mishnah, 'Kingship.' For when one is in nullification to the word of the Lord, His will, and His wisdom, and does not occupy a place of his own at all, the word of the king is the rule, and it is in the aspect of a king who decrees and says that if Reuben argues this way, etc., it will be so. And similarly, to do this and not to do that, etc. It is not in the aspect of a servant but in the aspect of fulfilling commandments, like a servant carrying out the commandments of the king and doing His words. | |
| Miketz | |
| Vayigash | |
| Vayechi | |
| Chapter 1 | |
| Chapter 2 | |
| Chapter 3 | |
| Chapter 4 | |
| There are several basic types of love a Jew has for G-d. | |
| The first, called Ahavas Olam, Eternal Love, is aroused through contemplation of G-d’s greatness, in the sense that the entire universe is as nothing next to G-d. This love can wane when one’s contemplation gives way to other thoughts. | |
| The second, Ahava Rabba, or Great Love, is the deeply-rooted natural love of a Jewish soul for G-d. Since the Jew is truly united with G-d through his or her soul, which is literally a part of G-d and never changes, this love likewise cannot waver. | |
| Revelation of this Great Love is accomplished through study of the Torah, which is compared to wine. This is the inner significance of the Talmudic saying, “When wine [i.e., Torah] enters a person, the secret [longing of their soul for G-d] comes out.” | |
| This in turn elicits yet a third, and still higher, level of love for G-d, characterized by the person experiencing true delight in G-d. | |
| The above is complemented by a person’s scrutiny of their actions and motivations, and sincere efforts to assimilate the Torah into their own personality. | |
| ___________________________ | |
| AMONG THE blessings our forefather Jacob bestowed upon his sons before his passing, we find this statement addressed to Judah (Genesis 49:12): “[his] eyes are red with wine, and [his] teeth are white with milk.” This is a reference to the agricultural productivity of the tribe of Judah’s territorial portion in the Land of Israel: there would be enough grapes to redden the eyes from wine, and enough milk to whiten one’s teeth. On a deeper level, these two items were specified because they symbolize certain spiritual qualities; to appreciate the underlying significance of this, let us therefore examine the symbolism of “wine” and “milk.” | |
| Regarding wine, it is written (Judges 9:13), “my wine, that gladdens G-d and men.” This expression is puzzling: what is there about wine that “gladdens G-d”? The answer is that wine, like milk, is a metaphor for Torah, as we find in a passage referring to the Torah (Isaiah 55:1), “go buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Each of these two things represents a particular quality of Torah. | |
| “Wine” refers to a quality expressed by the Talmudic saying (Eruvin 65a and elsewhere), “When wine enters [a person], the secret comes out.” The “secret” is that deeply-rooted feeling at the secret base and foundation of every Jewish soul, his or her great love for G-d – a love which is brought to revelation through Torah study, just as actual wine causes a person to reveal what is buried in his or her secret heart. | |
| Now, there are basically two distinct forms of love for G-d, and the love mentioned above (which is known by the technical term, ahava rabba, Great Love) must be distinguished from a more superficial kind of love called ahavas olam, Eternal Love. While Eternal Love is a readily perceptible love for G-d, Great Love refers to that “hidden love” (ahava mesuteres in Hebrew) that is part of the basic core and essence of each and every single Jewish person, though not always revealed. To see why this hidden love is called “great,” let us contrast the two. | |
| The Hebrew phrase that means Eternal Love, ahavas olam, also means “worldly love” (the word olam implies both “world” and “eternity”); this is a love which relates to space and time. Ahavas olam results from deep and prolonged contemplation and meditation upon the sublimity of G-d, His majesty over time and space. The worshipper should consider that all the splendid grandeur of the universe, all that overwhelms him or her with awe, is truly nothing in its own right, but was created by G-d – and not only that, but is constantly being recreated by G-d, since it is only a constant influx of G-d’s creative energy that keeps the world from returning to the naught and nothingness of its origin – and not only that, but this Divine energy, the very life-force of the universe itself, is not even an extension of G-d’s own “Self,” so to speak, but is nothing more than a reflection of His sovereignty. | |
| There is a certain element of kingship that is entirely separate from the actual person of the king. This is his renown, his “name,” which reaches into the farthest corners of the land (where his will is carried out “in the name of the king”); by contrast, his physical body, and certainly his personal feelings and thoughts, remain inaccessible to the populace. In a similar fashion, the G-dly life-force that pervades every aspect of creation is compared to the sovereignty, the “kingship,” of G-d, His renown, since it brings the universe into being in accordance with G-d’s will, yet is separate from G-d’s very “Self” – which is so indescribably exalted as to utterly transcend any specific relation to the created universe. When a person reflects at length upon this, especially during prayer, there is aroused in him or her a deep feeling of love for G-d – the “eternal” or “worldly” love we have been discussing. | |
| (In fact, virtually all of the morning prayer service is arranged so as to help stimulate this love. As we recite psalms of praise to G-d, it is appropriate to reflect upon His greatness and how all is as nothing in relation to Him. These morning psalms lead up to the Shema prayer, by which point we are ready to proclaim the ultimate unity of G-d: that He is One with a perfect unity, and nothing has any existence whatever outside of Him. It is only by virtue of G-d’s “kingship,” His “name,” that “existence” has any meaning, as we continue by declaring, “Blessed be the name of the glory of His Kingdom ….” Having reflected on this theme throughout the service, culminating in the Shema, we have brought out our love for G-d and go on to recite, “And you shall love G-d your L-rd….”) | |
| All this is the case regarding Eternal Love, ahavas olam. Concerning this, it is written (also in the morning prayers, preparatory to the Shema), “You [G-d] have loved us with eternal love” (ahavas olam ahavtanu). The Hebrew word for “You have loved us,” ahavtanu, may be interpreted as a transitive verb, giving the phrase the meaning, “You have enabled us to love [You] with eternal love.” G-d has given us the capacity to hold this type of love in our hearts, even to fan it into a mighty love that fills every fiber of our beings; Eternal Love can be contained within a human heart and soul. | |
| On the other hand, ahava rabba, Great Love, is so profound that it cannot be “contained” by any vessel. No human heart is “big enough” to completely hold the great love of a Jew for his or her G-d. This is because of the essential nature of the Jewish soul and its relationship to G-d. Each and every Jew has within him or her a “spark” of G-d, literally a part of G-d Himself; this is the essence of the soul. While Eternal Love is the love which we, as intellectual beings, consciously develop, the love of a created being who recognizes his or her creator, Great Love is the natural love of the soul itself – an inseparable part of G-d – for G-d. | |
| The very root of the soul, which is united with G-d, is so lofty that it cannot be contained within one’s physical self, and the same is true of the Great Love that is in the root of the soul. Ahava rabba, Great Love, is present in every single Jew, but it is so basic, so close to the indefinable essence of the person, that it is often imperceptible on a conscious level. That is why it is also called “Hidden Love” – although it can indeed be brought to revelation. It is to this revelation of ahava rabba that the Torah is referring in the verse (Deuteronomy 6:5, recited as part of the Shema), “And you shall love G-d your L-rd … with all your might.” | |
| The difference between the two kinds of love is that “Eternal” or “Worldly” Love, which comes from contemplation of the world and G-d’s greatness, can wane. If a person did not contemplate the greatness of G-d, or if they reflected upon it in the morning and it is now afternoon; if the person turns his or her mind to other things; their heart may turn toward something else for a while rather than being filled constantly with Eternal Love. Great Love, however, innately stemming from the very root of the soul, cannot possibly depart, ever. Even if a person does turn their attention to other things – even if they don’t even believe in G-d (Heaven forbid) – the Great Love of their Jewish soul for G-d remains firm in the secret core of their being, and its impression is always with them. | |
| (That is why even irreligious Jews, if it ever came to that – G-d forbid – have given up their very lives rather than renounce G-d and Judaism: in time of mortal danger (G-d forbid), all worldly matters fade into insignificance, and the deeply rooted and unshakeable love of a Jew for his or her G-d shines forth.) | |
| Now, as mentioned above, this hidden love for G-d – Great Love – can indeed be brought out and revealed, and this is accomplished through study of Torah, which is compared to wine. Just as wine enters a person’s system and causes him or her to reveal what is in his or her secret heart, so it is with the Torah. The soul, source of one’s ahava rabba, Great Love for G-d, expresses itself in day-to-day life through the person’s thoughts, speech and actions. When the “wine” of Torah enters a person’s system, when he or she makes Torah the object of his or her soul’s thought and speech – through study and teaching of Torah – and actions – through actual performance of mitzvos – this stimulates the soul itself and brings its Great Love to the fore. | |
| In a mystical sense, this happens in a manner alluded to by the verse (Psalms 145:16), “You [G-d] open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” The Hebrew letter yud is frequently found in mystical literature as a symbol for contraction and concealment – specifically, G-d’s concealing His full revelation from our perception in order that we not be overwhelmed. It is identified with chochma, the intellectual faculty which conceives new ideas seemingly out of nowhere, since this faculty is characterized by the new ideas being contracted into a single, hard-to-define, point – the “germ” of an idea – which still requires elaboration and expansion to be fully understood. The degree of G-dliness “prior” to this condensation or concealment for our benefit may be identified with the faculty of “desire” or “will,” since these terms represent an aspect of a person which transcends chochma and intellect. (At the most basic level, a person “wants” something not for any intellectual reason, but just “because.”) | |
| In the above verse, the Hebrew word for “Your hand,” yadecha, can be understood as though it read yudecha, “Your yuds.” The meaning is that G-d “opens up” the contraction represented by the letter yud, and instead, “satisfies the desire of every living thing.” This latter phrase can be understood as meaning, “satisfies every living thing with ‘desire’,” that is, with the faculty of “desire” (ratzon in Hebrew), which, as explained above, is that aspect of G-dliness which is prior to His “contraction.” The Hebrew phrase “every living thing” literally means “all life”; the verse is thus saying that G-d opens up His contraction, with the result that all life – the G-dly flow of creative life-force which animates all levels of creation, spiritual and physical – is imbued, filled to satiety, with the lofty spiritual level of G-d’s ratzon, or will. | |
| This manifestation of the Divine Will or ratzon implies an increased amount of G-dly revelation at all levels of creation; aspects of holiness which ordinarily are concealed are openly revealed under these conditions. With respect to a person’s soul, this means that the ahava mesuteres (Hidden Love) – which we have been referring to as ahava rabba (Great Love) – is likewise brought out from its hidden state and openly revealed. And the factor which initiates this process – the “opening up of the yuds” and resulting saturation of all G-dly life-force into the universe with G-d’s underlying ratzon – is the Torah, which is itself the wisdom (chochma) and the will (ratzon) of G-d. | |
| We are now in a better position to understand the symbolism of the verse, “eyes red with wine.” As explained above, when the wine of Torah enters a person, the secret Great Love within him or her for G-d is brought out. This results in the person being rewarded by the bestowal upon them from above of a third type of love for G-d, a love which surpasses both ahavas olam and ahava rabba, and which a person cannot attain other than as a gift from G-d. This degree of love is characterized by true delight in G-d, and so is called ahava b’ta’anugim, Delightful Love. | |
| (Although in chapter 43 of Tanya, it is implied that ahava rabba and ahava b’ta’anugim are identical, this is explained by the term ahava rabba being used in two ways, depending on context. In one context, it refers to the level described in chapter 19 of Tanya – a love which is brought forth from its hidden state, but which has not yet risen to the level of open delight. In the second context, it refers to a love which is higher than this, that which is identified with Delightful Love.) | |
| Delightful Love is sometimes symbolized in the Torah by lovebirds or doves, which delight in each other and stare at one another continuously (see Song of Songs 1:15, “your eyes are doves’ [eyes].”) It is as though the two lovers “cannot take their eyes off of one another,” and gaze at each other with total rapture until their eyes become bloodshot and red. This is also what is meant by the parallel verses (Psalms 25:15), “my eyes are constantly upon G-d,” and (Psalms 33:18), “the eye of G-d is upon those who fear Him.” Our verse, too, referring to “eyes bloodshot from wine,” is speaking of the degree of Delightful Love which results after one has succeeded, through the wine of Torah, in bringing out the Great Love “hidden” within one’s soul. (This is also the level of love meant by the Kabbalistic expression, “to gaze at the glory of the King [G-d].”) | |
| Delightful Love, as stated, is only experienced as a gift bestowed from above. This level is identified with Shabbos, a day which is associated with the lofty spiritual level of “delight” or “pleasure” (ta’anug in Hebrew), as in the verses (Isaiah 58: 14 and 13), “[if you observe Shabbos…] then you will delight yourself in G-d,” and “you will call Shabbos a delight.” However, as the Talmud remarks (Avoda Zara 3a), “One who toils on the eve of Shabbos will eat on Shabbos,” that is, prior preparation is necessary to experience Shabbos properly. In our context, too, in order to experience the level of Delightful Love that is revealed on Shabbos, one must spend one’s week in sincere worship of G-d and toil in the effort to bring out both prerequisite levels, ahavas olam and ahava rabba. | |
| This aspect of our subject – that Delightful Love and the high spiritual level of ta’anug, delight, is bestowed only after achievement of the two relatively lower degrees of love – is alluded to by the Talmud’s aggadic exposition (K’suvos 111b) of our verse, “eyes red with wine.” (It also affords us an interesting and enlightening insight into the fact that although the aggadic, or narrative, portions of the Talmud (as opposed to the halachic, or analytical, legislative portions) can appear to the superficial reader as “light material,” they are in fact filled with a wisdom and spiritual content so profound as to require shielding behind the veil of the narrative form.) | |
| In the passage in question, the Talmud speaks in praise of the wines of the Land of Israel. Among the points made is that one cannot erroneously suppose that Israeli wine is not flavorful, for the verse states, “eyes bloodshot from wine”: the Hebrew word for bloodshot is chachlili, which can be separated into the components cheich (meaning “palate”) and the word li (meaning “to me”) repeated twice. The Talmud expounds from this that the wine of Israel is so flavorful that any palate that tastes it must exclaim, “to me, to me” – as if to say, “give me more!” or “this is to my liking!” | |
| The deeper significance of this exposition, however, is that the palate is that organ which senses the taste of wine (or anything, for that matter) and derives pleasure from it. It is a symbol for that spiritual level known as ta’anug, delight or pleasure – the same level we identified earlier as associated with Shabbos. Thus, “the palate which tastes the wine” – the spiritual level of ta’anug, having been elicited by the wine of Torah bringing out the prior two levels of ahavas olam and ahava rabba – will “exclaim, ‘to me, to me’” – that is, will absorb into itself (“to me”) and elevate to a higher spiritual level each of the two successfully achieved prior levels. | |
| Now, we said towards the beginning that wine and milk each represent a particular quality of Torah. The conclusion of our verse, “…and teeth white with milk,” alludes to the “milk” of Torah. | |
| Milk nourishes the body and promotes growth. Torah is also called “nourishment,” for reasons explained elsewhere (see Tanya, chapter 5); it is the nourishment of the soul. However, nourishment needs proper digestion in order to be beneficial. Teeth perform the necessary act of grinding up and finely chewing one’s food in order for it to be truly digested and nourish the body. Similarly, before a person can properly assimilate the spirituality of Torah, making it truly a part of themself just as food becomes a part of themself, they must perform the act of “chewing up and finely grinding.” They must thoroughly “grind” and minutely examine their own behavior – including their thoughts, speech and actions – and underlying motives in whatever they do; they must determine to work very hard at developing true love and fear of G-d, and not fool themself. Once the person has done this, the spiritual benefits of Torah serve to nourish their soul and their qualities of love and fear of G-d; this is symbolized by milk, which nourishes one’s limbs and promotes their growth. | |
| This is more than mere imagery. In a mystical sense, one’s spiritual “limbs” – which are nourished by the “milk” of Torah – are the “emotional” attributes of one’s soul, those qualities known in Hebrew as chesed, gevurah, tiferes, netzach, hod and yesod. These can be grouped in threes: the first three are collectively referred to by the initial letters of their names, which form the acrostic chagas; the latter three, by the same device, are referred to as nehiy. Furthermore, each of these midos – emotional attributes – encompasses within it something of the three “intellectual” attributes of the soul, chochma, bina and da’as, which gave rise to and perpetuate it. (For example, love of G-d, an aspect of the emotional attribute of chesed, is aroused by intellectual contemplation of G-d’s greatness.) This grouping of three is also known by an acrostic formed by the initial letters of its components: chabad. | |
| So far, we have a total of nine elements to the spiritual “limbs” of one’s soul: the three-pronged groupings of chagas and nehiy, as well as the chabad which sustains them. However, each individual element is actually a composite of all nine. In other words, chesed (for example) is not a simple attribute, but is comprised of the chesed aspect of chesed; the gevurah aspect of chesed; the tiferes aspect of chesed; and so on. Thus, the original nine elements of the “limbs” grow into nine times nine, or 81, elements. Now, it is known that each of these elements may also be viewed as possessing three more facets: the head, middle and end of each (called in Hebrew rosh, toch and sof, respectively). Therefore, the 81 elements now become 81 x 3, or 243. Finally, as explained in Kabbalistic texts, the source of all this growth stems from the five spiritual levels known as the five attributes of chesed (the “hey chasadim,” or five cheseds in Hebrew), which transcend them all and whose nature is to bestow bounty and growth. These 5 chasadim combine with the 243 we have so far, making a total of 248 “emotional limbs” of the soul – the number of limbs in the physical body, corresponding to the number of positive mitzvos in the Torah. | |
| The above may seem confusing, but it is simply a technically detailed description of the manner in which the aspects of one’s soul referred to as the “limbs” of the soul may be said to “grow” to the point at which they correspond to the so-called “limbs of the King [G-d]”; that is, the 248 positive mitzvos of the Torah. The Jewish soul is “designed” so as to be able to achieve this goal: to make one’s soul a true vehicle for the expression of the Torah, each aspect of the soul mirroring the spirituality of a particular mitzvah (and corresponding also to a physical limb of the body), so that the Torah literally unites with one’s soul and “nourishes” it like food is absorbed within and thereby nourishes the body. This is what is meant by the “milk” of Torah, which, like actual milk, helps the limbs to grow. | |
| Finally, this effect of minute examination of one’s actions (“teeth”) resulting in nourishment and growth of the soul (“milk”), causes one’s “teeth to be white from milk.” This expression refers to the fact that the beneficial effects of the “milk” of Torah will be such as to not merely grow one’s character traits quantitatively, but also cause them to shine with quality, like teeth that are bright white. | |
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| I humbly thank Hashem for enabling me to complete, with this maamar, a full set of selected adaptations in Sefer Bereishis. May Hashem grant me the merit to successfully complete this project. –Y.W. | |
| © 2001. Please note that the foregoing is an informal adaptation by a private person, and that, therefore, errors are possible. Also, the Hebrew original contains much more than could possibly be presented here, and constitutes a much more direct transmission of the Alter Rebbe’s teachings. Thus, for those with the ability to learn in the original, this synopsis should not be considered a substitute for the maamar. Good Shabbos! | |
| Shemot | |
| Vaera | |
| Chapter 1 | |
| And behold, just as in all these matters and according to this metaphor, the Children of Israel were likened during the time of exile, as it is written, "The Lord will roar from on high," meaning, as stated in the Zohar, that the Holy One, blessed be He, ascends above, and as it says, "Rachel weeping for her children," etc., for He is not there. The Zohar explains that this refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, as being absent, like a child who ascends, meaning that His presence ascended.This implies that His Divine Presence and revelation withdrew from the lower realms. It is similar to the eyes of flesh, as if the world speaks by itself, and the fat of the people's hearts, and their eyes are sealed shut; they do not see the light of the Lord because, above the heavens and below the earth, there is nothing else. Even the influence of commandments and good deeds, which are nourishment for the soul, does not pass through them in the way of breathing to send vitality to the heart and brain for the knowledge and love of the Lord. They do not serve Him with a complete heart, a willing soul, and a fervent desire felt in the heart, like flaming fire and thirst, except in the manner stated: "And their fear toward Me is a commandment of men learned by rote," meaning in the physical, practical aspect only, and in a cold manner. This is the main essence of spiritual exile. | |
| And behold, the ultimate perfection of the days of the Messiah is in the aspect of birth and the manifestation of the light of the Lord within each person, in a deep heart, as it is written, "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see," etc. It is also written, "For they shall see eye to eye," etc. This is dependent on our actions and our service during the days of exile, through the awakening of the hidden love, certainly in the heart of a person, until it delights in what it desires, with passion and a fervent soul. Let the soul yearn, and may the love of the Lord be revealed in the manifestation of one's heart. | |
| And behold, in the aspect of "conception," meaning during the days of exile, the Holy One, blessed be He, ascends to the highest heights, i.e., to His essence and being, in the dimension of uniqueness and singularity. He is not within the realm of created beings at all, and He does not manifest as He is not limited by worlds. However, His uniqueness and oneness are revealed and manifested below, as it is written, "On that day," meaning in the future, "the Lord will be One, and His name will be One," as the Gemara states, "Is He not One now?" This is because during the time of exile, His uniqueness is not apparent in revelation, and it seems as if the world is an independent entity. However, even in our exile, the Lord has not abandoned us, granting us the strength to remain as the Children of Israel, closely connected to Him, enabling us to continue experiencing His uniqueness and oneness below. This is reflected in the declaration "Hear, O Israel," meaning that Israel, with their closeness to Him, is given the power to continue in the dimension of the divine name Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei below, to be One, and unified among the lower beings. This is the ultimate goal of all our efforts because the Holy One, blessed be He, desires to have a dwelling place among the lower beings, specifically to suppress the impurity (Sitra Achra) and elevate the spark of holiness within it. Thus, the name of God will be One, manifesting even in the dimension of the separation of the upper and lower extremes, both physically and spiritually. This includes the realm of the divine attributes, as love and fear, being revealed in the heart, and the purpose is to bring Israel, with their closeness to Him, to continue in the dimension of the divine name Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei below. This unity and connection with the Divine is the ultimate goal of all the work. This is because the Holy One, blessed be He, desires to have a dwelling place among the lower beings, specifically to suppress the impurity (Sitra Achra) and elevate the spark of holiness within it. Therefore, it is said, "And Egypt shall know that I am the Lord," and in a place where Baalei Teshuvah (penitents) stand, even completely righteous individuals cannot stand. | |
| Chapter 2 | |
| Chapter 3 | |
| Chapter 4 | |
| <b>Say, therefore, to the Israelite people, "I am the Lord and I will take you out":</b> Behold our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said, "We mention at night, the exodus of Egypt." The meaning [of "at night"] is also at night (besides the day). And [we should] understand why the miracle of the exodus form Egypt is different from all other miracles, about which we were not commanded to mention them so much. Rather, behold that in every generation a person is obligated every day, in the morning and in the evening, to see himself as if right now was the time of the exodus from Egypt. And the idea is that, behold, it is well known that there is one thing across from the other. So across from the Egypt of husks, there is an Egypt of holiness. And in the same way as there is an Egypt below, so too is there one above in spirituality. Likewise is there an Israel below and an Israel above. And in the same way is it exists in the spirituality above in the supernal worlds, so too does it exist below in the soul of man in his service to God. | |
| Bo | |
| Beshalach | |
| Yitro | |
| Chapter 1 | |
| And behold the essence of the receiving of the Torah is that which is written with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-2), "And God spoke all of these words, saying, 'I […].'" For, at first glance, the word, saying, does not have the same understanding and is not like every other, saying, in Scripture - the explanation of which is to say to someone else. It is not like this in the Ten Commandments, [as] is it impossible to explain it thus. As behold all of the Jewish people heard, 'and the Lord spoke face to face with those that are here today and those that are not here, etc.' Rather the explanation is to say and to speak all the words of the Torah that were already said to Moshe at Sinai. For all of Scripture, Mishnah, Law and Aggadah was all already said to Moshe at Sinai. And even though in the Gemara, the names of Tannaim and Amoraim are mentioned as saying a certain law, like Beit Shammai says like this, etc. - it means that this word of God is the law that was said to Moshe at Sinai from the mouth of that Tanna or Amora. | |
| Mishpatim | |
| Terumah | |
| Tetzaveh | |
| Parashat Zakhor | |
| Ki Tisa | |
| Vayakhel | |
| Megillat Esther | |
| Chapter 1 | |
| Chapter 2 | |
| Chapter 3 | |
| Chapter 4 | |
| AND MORDECHAI WENT OUT FROM BEFORE THE KING etc. (Esther 8:15) Purim is the level of Yom Kippur because Yom Kippur means "like Purim." Yom Kippur is about Teshuvah that comes from below to above, and Purim is also so, as it's written, "'Pur' this is the lot," (Esther 3:7; Esther 9:24) which comes from below to above and similarly Yom Kippur has the lots on the two goats etc. However, how's it possible to bring it up higher? Aren't there troubles separating and stopping it? For this it says, "To G-d, a sin offering," (Yoma 39a) that even the sin offering, when it goes up, it's to G-d, because higher up it doesn't get dark because there's no darkness because everything is one there. True that there's no darkness, but still, how's it possible to bring it up higher? To preface, it's known that Yom Kippur was the giving of the Torah for the second set of Luchos... | |
| Therefore, it was chosen for Yom Kippur, and it's written by the time of the giving of the Torah, "Face to face G-d spoke with you." (Deuteronomy 5:4) However, doesn't G-d not have a body?! Rather, it's known that something connected to will is called "face," while something that is against His will is called "behind," and during the giving of the Torah, all of the will of the Jews was to G-d, while anything physical for them was the level of "behind." Like the Rabbis of blessed memory say, "On every utterance, their souls left," (Shabbat 88b) but really they did have bodies?! Rather, it means that anything that had. to do with their bodies was on the level of "behind," and it was as if that they didn't have bodies, and automatically G-d and the Jews had the same level of "face," "Like in water, the face," (Proverbs 27:19) etc. And like it's written, "And on what looked like a chair was the semblance of a human form," (Ezekiel 1:26) but how can human form be applicable to G-d? Rather it's like a person that loves his friend so much that his friend's form is engraved in his heart as if it's part of him. | |
| Supplements | |
| Vayechi | |
| Shemot | |
| Yitro | |
| Tetzaveh | |
| Ki Tisa | |
| Vayakhel | |
| Megillat Esther | |