txt/Chasidut/R' Tzadok HaKohen/Peri Tzadik/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt

Peri Tzadik
פרי צדיק
Sefaria Community Translation
https://www.sefaria.org

Peri Tzadik

Title



Introduction



Sefer Kedushat Shabbat



Kuntres Shvitat Shabbat



Bereshit



Rosh Chodesh (manuscript)



Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan



Noach



Lech Lecha



Vayera



Chayei Sara



Rosh Chodesh Kislev



Toldot



Vayetzei



Vayishlach



Vayeshev



Chanukah



Miketz



Vayigash



Chapter 1

To understand the approach of Yehuda (after he had already approached Joseph) by saying  מה נאמר לאדוני - he had accepted the judgement upon himself that they would all be servants and then afterwards when Yosef allowed them all to go free except for the one who had the goblet in his possession would be a servant, he suddenly advances on Joseph with rebukes also on this (he does a 360 degree turn in his approach - why is this? The answer to this is that that when the goblet was found in their possession and the law was that they should all be servants, as the brothers themselves said, then Yehuda himself felt that this was the correct judgement had come down from heaven upon them, to pay them back in measure for selling Joseph into slavery, and as a result of that they should all be servants.  And even though Benjamin wasn't a part of the sale of Joseph, he was included because the world is judged based on the majority.  (The proof for this is that) Reuben was also not involved in the sale of Joseph yet he was also included in the decree of being solved into slavery with his brothers.  Yehuda felt that this was a judgment from G-d as he states "האלהים מצא וגו". However, when Joseph said that only Benjamin should be a servant, Yehuda reconciled in his heart that this decree didn't come from the sale of Joseph.  Rather, the sale of Joseph was inspired by heaven in order to fulfill the decree of the covenant of the parts, and this would be fulfilled through Joseph because he was the best of them.  They (the brothers) saw this when Jacob mourned over his Joseph for many days they could understand that Joseph was truly righteous.  Yehuda thought that it was for this reason that he had been chosen to complete the affliction.  We have said previously that Jacob believed that he had already fulfilled the servitude and affliction (of the בין הבתרים).  It was for this reason that Jacob wanted to sit in tranquillity (c.f. Rashi 41:1).  Yehuda felt that Yosef was the one chosen to complete the servitude. Now, when the ruler of Egypt (Yosef) wanted to have Benjamin as a servant, Yehuda deduced from this that definitely Yosef had died, and now Benjamin had been chosen from heaven to fulfill the decree of servitude instead of him.  In this way, we can lay to rest the statement of "ואחיו מת", even though he said previously that "the other one had disappeared"- what difference would it have made to Joseph if he actually didn't want to believe Yehudah what he said, and also if he didn't know where he was, where would he bring him from! According to our words, he said this as the truth, because he had deduced that Yosef was now indeed dead. It was on this basis that Yehuda became resentful in his soul because he had already caused his father hurt with his mourning of Joseph, and now he had added greater hurt through his responsibility for Benjamin he might G-d forbid, cause death to his father.  He, therefore, approaches with bitterness to request in prayer that he should be accepted as a servant in order to have the servitude and the affliction (of the covenant) fulfilled through him, and Benjamin would be able to return with his brothers. All the words of Yehuda can be heard on various levels.  On a simple level he was speaking to Yosef, and the words were also directed towards a prayer to G-d -   אדני שאל ; בי אדני ידבר נא עבדך דבר באזני אדני (relates to G-d listening to his prayers), because he knew that everything that was happening emanated from G-d in terms of what Joseph had asked them, and in terms of his command to bring Binyamin.  We find a similar thing with regards to Nehemiah who prays to G-d and then speaks to the King.  Even though we don't find any specific prayers, we understand that the intention of his conversation was towards a prayer to G-d. This is the meaning of the Medrash which states that Yehudah entered to war, to appeasement, and to prayer, even though we don't find any apparent words of prayer.  We also find the same thing with Yaakov - when he stands up against Eisav that he prepares himself (for the meeting) with presents, prayer and war as is explained by Rashi, because every act of the Avot is a sign for their children - מעשה אבות סימן לבנים, as explained by the Ramban.  In the same way,  in this week's parashah the revelation of Joseph to his brothers is a hint at the future revelation of the Jewish people as a whole. The intention of Yaakov through the present is known as the element of the שעיר המשתלח on Yom Kippur (as is mentioned in the Zohar).  Yehuda also thought that by calling Yosef his master that this would in some way appease him, and would fulfill his need for enslavement, and in his heart he intended the words for G-d that it should be a prayer.  In the Medrash Rabbah there is a discussion as to what approach Yehuda took - prayer, appeasement or war, and the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer is that it was all three of them.  That is because these elements are what is required for the future redemption, and that (according to some opinions) one of these elements would suffice to reveal a redemption through it, after all we have suffered.  This is reflected in the name of the righteous that the fight between Gog and Magog, and the killing of Moshiach ben Yosef has already occurred. Similarly, Yehuda believed that he was the final element of TIKUN and that he had accepted upon himself the pains that came before Messiah.  After he had accepted upon himself this level of servitude that he was prepared to suffer for the needs of the many, then Joseph was unable to restrain himself even one moment, because this is the moment when he had to reveal himself.  So too, it will be in the time of the time of redemption, that G-d will not restrain himself even one moment, which is the meaning of the verse אני ה' בעתה אחישנה - when the time of redemption comes quickly - it will come incredibly quickly.

Vayechi



Chapter 1

 We find in the Torah that the details of the life of Yaakov are not written clearly, but are alluded to, as is written in Megilla 17A:  Why were the years of Yishmael counted?  In order to relate the longevity of Yaakov's life - to teach us that he was blessed (by Isaac) at the age of 63, and that he was 14 years in the study halls of Shem and Ever (although this was never explicitly stated anywhere in the Torah itself).  This is true especially when he arrived in Egypt and said to Pharoah: The days of my sojourn are 130 years, and since we know that he lived 147 years old, we know from this that he was in Egypt for 17 years.  If this is the case his age is obvious, and there is no need for us to be told his final age of 147 years.  There is therefore no need to mention both his final age or his 17 years that he lived in Egypt (we could derive one from another quite simply (ed))!
The 17 years that Jacob was in Egypt revived some of those bad years which befell him.  This idea is stated (in ) that if an individual lives a good year close to his old age, it is a good sign for him, and G-d considers it as if all his days were good.  All the days of Jacob when he was in pain was not considered to be life because they were not completed in holiness (?) and only in Egypt did he merit to complete them in his holiness.  Logic would dictate that since Israel is the place of greatest holiness in the world, as G-d told Abraham to leave Aram and go to the land of Israel, and Isaac was told that he would be blessed if he lived in this land.  Jacob himself loved the land, and it would have been fitting for Jacob to complete his life in holiness in the holy land, and not in Egypt which is an impure land, and its people are more polluted than any other. 
We find that in the exile in Babylon and in the exile of the second Temple that the main expansion of the oral Torah was specifically in exile.  Specifically there the secrets of the Torah were revealed, more than was revealed while the Jews were in Israel.  It is specifically from Babylon that the people of the great assembly arose and they were able to establish the law of Arava (c.f. Sukkah 44a) We also see in Sukkah (20A) that Ezra rose from Babylon and established Torah, and thereafter Torah was forgotten.  Hillel then went and re-established it (and Hillel was also from Babylon (ed)), Rabbi Chiya and his sons (from Babylon) reconstituted the Torah.  It also states in Medrash Shir Hashirim (4:4) that the righteous after the destruction of the Temple constituted the Torah in a greater way than the righteous in their building of the Temple.
Behold, the creation of the world was with the 12 signs of the zodiac and relates to the creation of the world in space.  The 12 months form the year (SHANA) which is called a SHANA because the sun returns to its original place in the sky a second time (SHEINIS) and strengthens the world a second time.  The world in time has 12 elements.  The 12 tribes represent the soul, because they are the elements which create time and space as is mentioned in SEFER HAYETZIRA.   Everything was created with the Torah, which is G-d's tools (as is expressed in Bereishis Rabbah) and in the book of Bereishit there are 12 Parshiot... The medrash says further that G-d looked into the book of Bereishis and created the world.  this means that this whole book and its stories are part of the creation of the world which was completed with the burial of Yosef who is the righteous one - the pillar of the world.   It is also connected to the story of the last years of Yaakov, his death as well as the blessings given to the tribes of Israel.
This Parasha is closed.  Our Rabbis have explained the reasons for it, and they are all true.  There is another reason for it being closed.  The completion of Jacob's holiness is specifically in Egypt, and not in the land of Israel.  This coincides with the notion that the revelation and arrival of the Jewish People which contains the souls which were prepared for the acceptance of the Torah specifically in a foreign land and not in Israel, and that the end of the creation of the world occurs in the land of Egypt.  These concepts are closed(Satum) from human understanding.
They have said (in the beginning of Vayikra Rabbah) that the purpose of the spaces in the Torah are there in order to give Moshe pause for thought between each parashah.  When something is beyond the understanding of man it is closed.
Nonetheless, this whole parasha alludes to the fact that we should not become discouraged as we are in the in the birth pangs leading to the Messiah, and in every generation the souls become smaller, and how is it possible for us to achieve the final redemption?  The answer lies in the fact that we see what happened to the Jewish people specifically when they were in exile, and specifically in exile they arrived to the exalted levels of holiness because this is the will of G-d.   I also heard in the name of the Rebbe from Parshische of blessed memory, that even though the souls of each generation decrease. nonetheless the hole/point in our hearts becomes more holy in every generation.

Shemot



Chapter 1



Chapter 2



Chapter 3

ויהי בימים וגו' וירא בסבלותם: In the Medrash it is written that G-d saw that they had no rest, and Moshe went and established the Shabbat day.  This needs explanation - how is it hinted to here that Moshe established the day of rest for them?  The verse says that G-d saw their hardships, no more no less.  However, there is undoubtedly a hint towards the Shabbat day.  The idea is that in every element of the creation of the world the words וירא אלהים כי טוב are used. How is it possible for the verse to say that G-d saw - didn't he see before/during his creation of the world? However, the intention of the verse is that through G-d's vision he was able to put the light (that he had created in the first day) into them.  The only time it doesn't say כי טוב  is when G-d created darkness and תוהו ובהו on the first day, and on the second day, G-d created Gehinom according to the Talmud in Pesachim (54A).  The verse that says that G-d created evil, even though such a concept is not mentioned in the Genesis account of the creation of the world.  
This notion is applicable to the Talmud in Shabbat (149B) which states that גם ענוש לצדיק לא טוב means that the evil that occurs to the righteous is by its nature evil.  The Talmud in Sukkah (52A) states that G-d calls the evil inclination 'evil'. This is essentially all one concept because the fire of the evil inclination is the self-same fire of Gehinom, and by its very nature a lack of the label of טוב must be evil.  On the sixth day, the Torah states והנה טוב מאד.  This means that G-d saw the overall creation and provided extra good into all of it as a whole, and even the opposite of good (as defined by the darkness of day one, or the Gehinom of day two) became טוב מאד.  
This idea is mirrored by the holy Zohar which states: " That which has no light, but is taken from darkness, and lacks goodness, and is taken from evil.  However, it can become טוב מאד through the process of repentance because of love.  Those intentional negative actions become merits and this is טוב מאד. After this, perforce rest must come שבת מכל מלאכתו.  G-d rests because he finds merit in the creation of the world.  
The Talmud in Rosh Hashanah 18A states: "Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: We, too, learn this in the Baraita: The verse states: “He who fashions their hearts alike, who considers all their deeds” (Psalms 33:15). What is this verse saying? If we say this is what it is saying: That He created everyone and unites all their hearts together, there is a difficulty since don’t we see that it is not so, as the hearts of people are not united and are not similar to one another? Rather, is this not what it is saying: The Creator sees their hearts together and considers all their deeds with a single scan." The original assumption of the Talmud is that there can only be one way of all people to have this level of unity, and that is through seeing their hearts (see above) through which he can place light in their hearts, as we see that the Jewish people all camped as one before Mount Sinai.  
 The verse (Psalms 34) states עיני ה' אל צדיקים.  The explanation of this verse means that the righteous merit to have an element of G-dliness which allows them to place spiritual light into objects.  Therefore when the Torah says that Moshe "saw" their affliction it hints to the goodness which he embedded into them, and this is the nod to the concept of Shabbat which Moshe gave to them. They merited to a level of faith which they were playing with from week to week that G-d would redeem them.
G-d himself called the Jewish people believers the son of believers  (מ"ר פ' ג) and it also states they bowed and prostrated themselves.  The Medrash says that it was in the merit of this faith that they were able to sing Shira.  The reason why the Torah tells us this is because the Jews vasilated in terms of their faith.    This idea is carried out in the Medrash which says that all the elders followed Moshe, and one dropped away, and so on until not one elder was with Moshe and Aharon.  This is because they lacked faith and were scared to enter with Moshe and Aharon, and this resulted in the cancellation of the Shabbat (which Moshe had established for them).   
This is like the pangs of the Messiah.... We can now understand Pharoah's statement:  ואל ישעו בדברי שקר.  The Medrash interprets this to mean the scrolls that they had written down the concept that they would be redeemed.  How could Pharoah call their actions a lie?  These scrolls were written down by prophetesses and were the promises written by G-d to our forefathers.  Why then would the Torah write it?  We see that lies are acceptable in the pursuit of peace, when the brothers said to Yosef after Jacob's death כה תאמרו ליוסף...etc. The only reason that the Torah writes it down is so that we can learn a dictum that lies are permissable in order to achieve peace.  How then could the Torah include Pharoah's statement if it was a lie - the scrolls spoke the truth!
According to what has been said the reason that they were using the scrolls in the first place to let them know that they would be redeemed was that they didn't have complete faith, and therefore because they didn't have complete faith, The Torah calls them (these statements of the scrolls) a lie (presumably because they didn't believe them [ed.]). The proof for this is in the fact that the elders disappeared one by one from Moshe's side.  The faith was re-ignited at the sea.  The Mechilta states that a maidservant saw on the sea what Ezekiel wasn't able to see. It was at that moment that they achieved complete faith, and this enabled them to sing shira.  This is alluded to in song of songs (4:8) תשורי מראש אמנה - I looked from the heights of Amana - the Jews merited to complete faith (EMUNA) which occurs when G-d his revealed.
In truth, every Jew believes that everything is from G-d, and he is the one who sustains (life).  Yet at the same time we don't study Torah, and we bother ourselves with the attempt to earn a living. Even though we believe that everything comes from G-d, and we should rely on the fact that there is no obstruction from G-d to save us if we do less.  The reason for this is that we don't have complete faith.  
This is the meaning of the Zohar (concerning the Mannah) where it states שטו העם ולקטו - they collected waste because they didn't have correct faith.  Definitely those who have sufficient faith would be able to achieve their sustenance with a minimum of physical input.  
This concept is also clearly stated in Shabbat (31A):When a man is judged by the heavenly court he is asked: Where your business deals are done in faith.  We also find that it states in Kidushin (40B) that a person's first judgement is towards his study of Torah (which contradicts the Talmud in Shabbat 31A).  These two ideas are actually one - business dealings are done in faith means that you had complete faith that G-d is the one who provides sustenance, and through that realisation a person will make sure that his Torah is his main focus, and spend less time on work...
We also find in Yomah (35B) that Hillel obligated the poor to study Torah.  On the Sabbath every person merits complete belief in G-d - because study of Torah is intricately connected to faith.  It is for this reason that the meals of Shabbat are called meals of faith, and every Jew receives the yoke of Torah in truth and completeness.

Vaera



Rosh Chodesh Shvat



Bo



Pidyon Haben



Beshalach



Tu BiShvat



Chapter 1

......
(a)G-d created man in such a way that he would need to eat in order to exist, and which provides spiritual sustenance, and this takes place through eating in a holy manner. When Man was first created, his food was only from the fruit of the tree, as it states in Genesis: And G-d planted a garden in the east of Eden, and he placed man there, and the planting was of trees, as the verse states :"And from all of the trees of the garden you should eat".  The ideal was that man should eat the fruit of the trees, and the animals should eat the grasses.  You should know that after man sinned, he was cursed to eat the grasses of the field.  The Talmud (Pesachim 118A) states that (when Adam heard this) his eyes were filled with tears.  He said: " Will my donkey and I eat from one trough?" G-d responded then that by the sweat of his brow he could eat bread.  At that moment, the fruits were cursed.... (b) However when the Torah was given, there was freedom from the angel of death and the evil inclination (which are one and the same thing), and its status returned to be before the sin, and the fruit were corrected to their previous status. (c) The month of Sh'vat has connotations of punishment, as there were punishments for the Egyptians through the plagues.  These punishments also caused the cure for the Jewish people, and this is the meaning of the verse "Your staff and your walking stick will comfort me" (Psalms 23), because, through the staff, we merit the walking stick which are words of Torah. (d) Adam, before he sinned, was only involved in studying Torah, because he was created with the free will only to do good.  His food was prepared for him without any effort on his behalf because the trees of the garden gave him food, and even the wheat grew on trees, as is seen in tractate Brachot (40A) where there is an opinion that the fruit of knowledge that Adam ate from was wheat.  Rashi writes that it is, for this reason, that on Shavuot we bring the 2 showbreads (made of wheat) in order that the fruits of the tree increase.  Then, the trees themselves grew loaves, as will be in the future (when the Messiah comes c.f. Shabbat 30B) and there was no need for baking and kneeding of the bread.  (e)  The Zohar states that the strength of the tree of life and the tree of knowledge spread throughout all the other fruit, and the argument is what fruit started the degradation of man.  After this degradation, when choice was given to choose good and its opposite was the commandment given to man to eat bread by "the sweat of his brow", that he would need to work hard in the ways of the land to help him choose life and goodness. (f)  The Ari of blessed memory writes that the souls of the generation which were in the generation of the flood where the same that were enslaved in Egypt.  Even the soul of Moses was part of the generation of the flood as is hinted to in the talmud (Chullin 139B) where it states that Moshe can be found in the words  בשג"ם  which adds up to the letters of Moshe's name.  This is also hinted to when the daughter of Pharoah states:"כי מן המים משיתוהו" which tells us that Moses was drawn from the waters of the flood.  This is so because from the sin of Adam there was a confusion of souls and the exile in Egypt had the purpose of separating the bad from the good and ensuring that the souls who were in the desert were rehabilitated.  (g) It is known that the sin of the generation of the flood was with desire, and the source of desire is in the heart, which is proven through the verse in Proverbs (4:23)  מכל משמר נצור לבך כי ממנו תוצאות חיים . (h) The plagues were smiting the Egyptians and healing the Jewish people, and the order of the plagues from those coming from the ground, till those (clearly coming) from G-d himself, and the plague of locusts was there to heal the Jewish people's understanding of their heart, as it says in the verse:" So you shall tell your children and your children's children how I exalted over Egypt" and this idea is again echoed in the book of Joel where it talks about the הצפוני type of locust.  The Talmud (Sukka 42A) tells us that this refers to the evil inclination which is hidden צפון in the heart of man.  (i) It is for this reason that the plague of locusts occurred in the month of Sh'vat which focuses on purifying the heart from the desires of the heart.  The צדיק only eats to satiate his soul, without any desire.  The month of Sh'vat is therefore a time to improve on the trait of eating from desire. (j) The next month is Adar, and the plague of darkness moves against mortal wisdom (undermining the truth of G-d) and that is the time of wiping out Amalek.  Amalek which is hinted at through the Moshiach the son of Yosef (the TZADDIK) because Amalek only falls through the sons of Rachel.  The month of Sh'vat is therefore a preparation for the destruction of Amalek. It is for this reason to make a feast on Purim, to eat and to drink because eating and drinking (out of desire) has already been ameliorated by the righteous who only eat to satisfy their souls. (k) There is a closeness between the two redemptions from Amalek (during Adar) and from Egypt (Pesach).  The month of Nissan hints to the Messiah from the house of David which relates to the ultimate power of G-d, and that Middah of understanding that ultimate power the Jews were redeemed from Egypt and we will be redeemed in the future. (l) Shavuot is the time of the giving of the Torah which heals the flaw of Adam who had freedom from the evil inclination, where we bring the 2 showbreads in order to bless the trees according to the opinion that the tree of knowledge was wheat, and this hints to the idea that through Torah we can heal the sin of Adam to before his fall.(m)...In Sh'vat when we heal the sin of the gluttony, is the new year for trees, and we make a blessing on the fruit to enhance them with blessing and holiness....  

Yitro



Chapter 1



Chapter 2

וישמע יתרו: the portion dealing with יתרו comes before the giving of the Torah.  There is a discussion whether יתרו's portion came before or after the giving of the Torah.  If the portion of  יתרו came before, we need to understand why the whole giving of the Torah was prefaced with the story of יתרו.  
If the reason that יתרו is mentioned is to connect it to עמלק                                         (- the reason for his coming was because he heard about the war with עמלק), then we should have mentioned יתרו at the end of the last Torah portion together with the war with עמלק.  
However the idea is that main element of the giving of the Torah comes through the love that G-d has for the Jewish people, as is expressed by the verseזכרתי לך חסד נעוריך וגו' לכתך אחרי במדבר וגו'.  The Jewish people made all the elements of this world completely redundant, and went into the desert following the word of G-d. They didn't challenge the word of Moshe- and there many pregnant, weak ladies, but they threw away all the elements of this world , and through it merited to receive the Torah.  This is reflected in the Medrash where it says that if one doesn't make oneself as ownerless as a desert he is unable to acquire Torah and wisdom. The same idea is expressed in Brachot 11A which says that one can fulfil the blessing on the Torah with אהבה רבה because in it is states that we received the Torah in His love for us, because of our trust in Him, "He taught us the laws of life".   The Jewish people did not ask how are we going to earn a livelihood, they became like gods in that they were going to live for ever.  When G-d spoke the first words of the 10 Commandments the study of Torah became thrust into their hearts, and when they heard the words  לא יהיה their evil inclinations became uprooted from within them (Shir Hashirim Rabbah).  Indeed this was the reason for the creation of man before his sin, so that he would be open only to studying Torah and serving G-d.  It was only after the sin of Adam that he had to work for a living, that he needed to create agricultural instruments, and gather your grains (as expressed in the second paragraph of the Shm'a). 
When the Torah was given, and the Jewish people had engraved in their hearts the concept of serving G-d as if it was self service.  In this way they would be open only to the service of G-d and Torah like the opinion of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
The words בלבב שלם mean that even in the recesses of his left-sided heart that holiness and Torah should reside since the evil inclination has been completely eradicated.  In that same  way, we would like to be taught and given grace - כן תחננו ותלמדנו.
Afterwards we say ותן בלבנו בינה referring to the higher level of fear - when fear is placed in the highest level of his heart, and then there is an understanding of fear of G0d. 









...This is the praise of Yisro.  He left wealth and honour, and donated his heart to go to the desert, a wasteland to hear the words of Torah.

Mishpatim



Parshat Shekalim



Rosh Chodesh Adar



Purim Katan



Rosh Chodesh Adar II



Terumah



Chapter 1

And take for Me an offering - And see the midrash [Shemot Rabbah 33:1] about the king. And the issue is that when Israel heard [the first commandment], the Torah became embedded in their hearts, and when they heard "there shall be no other" the yetzer hara was plucked out from their hearts, as the midrash says [Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:2]. At that point, there was no distinction between their various camps, rather every camp in Israel was enveloped by the clouds of glory, and it was all called the encampment of the Shechinah since God dwells in the heart of every Israelite. Regarding this, it is said "[vayikechu li] take Me” — as it were, I am purchased together with [the Torah], just as the Zohar says "The Holy One of Blessing is called Torah, and whenever you read Torah you should read the Holy One of Blessing". And this is also in the reason given for the blessing before the Torah "when I call the Name of Ad-nai, give y'all glory" (see Brachot 21a), since Torah is called by the name Havayah since all of Torah is names of the Holy One of Blessing. And it is written "I gave y'all a good portion [lekach tov]" meaning, to each and every person in Israel, as it is written 'the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob'. ... And in the Zohar (Zohar 2:82b:8) it is written that the 613 mitzvot are a mode of counseling, giving advice on how to merit that in your heart the light of Anochi can shine, and it is this recognition is the idea of that Torah is embedded in their hearts through the word Anochi. And so the Name of the Holy One of Blessing dwells in the heart, and this is why it is written "take Me". However, after the evil inclination returned to its place, then God said, “make Me a sanctuary,” that wherever you go make Me a house where I will dwell, that there should be a singular place for the Shechinah/Divine Presence. And we have said that [God is] in the world [space], the year [time], and in the soul, all those are the place of the Sanctuary. The Shabbat, in the year, when God dwells in the heart of of Israel and the heart becomes "My Holy Mount". It is from there that God pours words of Torah in the heart of every person in Israel” and ... there is no space for the accusation of the Yetzer hara. And a Torah scholar, who deals with Torah is called as, and is similar to Shabbat … and so when we deals with Torah, the Holy One of Blessing pours words of Torah, 'the words that I put in your mouth will never leave your mouth nor the mouths of your children' [Amidah, Shabbat Minchah], and so the heart becomes 'My Holy Mount'. And these are the Sanctuary in the soul. Regarding these three it is written “Make Me a sanctuary,” since every Jewish person has a portion in it as it is constructed by Israel, since the Mikdash and the Mishkan were made by the generosity of the hearts of Israel...

Tetzaveh



Parshat Zachor



Purim



Chapter 1



Chapter 2



Chapter 3



Chapter 4

<b>The matter</b> of that which they said (Megillah 6b at the end), "juxtaposing a redemption to a redemption is preferable," meaning the redemption of Egypt to the redemption of Purim: That is since the redemption of Egypt was the beginning of all miracles and the beginning of the revelation of the holiness of Israel in the world. And it was a miracle revealed to the whole world, that God, may He be blessed, chose us as a people and made open miracles which were not in the way of nature. And it was as is stated (Exodus 15:14), "Peoples heard and they trembled." The miracle of Purim, however, is called the end of all miracles (as it is said in Yoma 29b), since everything was with great concealment; and it was clothed almost as if it were the way of nature. For it was caused by that which Ahasuerus took Esther and she found favor in his eyes; it was through this that she [was able to] act and subdue Haman and raise up the Jews. And this is [the meaning of] that which they said (Chullin 139b), "From where in the Torah is Esther? 'And I will surely hide (<i>haster astir</i>)' (Deuteronomy 31:17–18)." And it is like it is found in the holy books, based on this, that the essence of the descent of a person is when it is hidden from him that he is in a state of God hiding his face. And this [is the meaning of] its being stated, "<i>haster astir</i>," that He will hide the hiddenness of His face. And that was the essence of the miracle of Purim. As they were then at the lowest level, when the Jewish people felt that they were in a state of the greatest hiddenness - as it is stated (Esther 4:3), "there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and lamenting." And, as is known, the matter of mourning and lamenting indicates something that is final in a person's mind; that its hope is already lost. And it is like the matter of mourning and lamentation about a dead person, since there is no way to bring him back. But because they felt the hiddenness of God's face, the mourning flipped into a joyful day. And this is [the meaning of] that which they said (Megillah 11a), "When did all 'the ends of the earth see the salvation of our God?' In the days of Mordechai and Esther." And the intention about that which is stated (Psalms 98:3), "all the ends of the earth have seen," is not about the nations of the world. For they did not see the salvation of our God, since it was clothed and close to being the way of nature, as mentioned above. And that which it is stated (Esther 8:17), "and many of the people of the land became Jews," was only out of fear of the Jews and fear of Mordechai, since they saw that the king elevated him out of respect for Queen Esther. Rather the intention of, "all the ends of the earth have seen," is about the Jewish people, who were then at the lowest point in hiddenness, to the ends of the earth. And it is precise! Through this, they saw the salvation of our God, precisely through this hiddenness! And this matter is strongly present every year on the days of Purim. It should be made known to all the singular Jewish souls that know in the inner recesses of their heart how they are on the lowest level and feel bitter on account of this. With this itself, it becomes known and shines in his heart, that it is flipping for him from despair to joy.

Shushan Purim



Ki Tisa



Parshat Parah



Vayakhel



Pekudei



Parshat HaChodesh



Vayikra



Rosh Chodesh Nisan



Tzav



Shabbat HaGadol



Pesach



Shmini



Rosh Chodesh Iyar



Tazria



Metzora



Achrei Mot



Kedoshim



Pesach Sheni



Emor



Lag BaOmer



Chapter 1

<b>This</b> day is called the celebration (<i>hilula</i>) of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, because he departed on that day. However we find that we have fixed fast days on the day of the death of the righteous, such as on the 7th of Adar, the passing of our teacher Moshe, peace be upon him; and likewise Rosh Chodesh (the first day of) Av. Even though it is Rosh Chodesh, it is permissible to fast, since it was the day of Aharon the Priest's passing (as is found in Megillat Taanit and in the Tur/Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chaim 580). So why, with the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, did they make it a holiday? However that which they fixed fast days on the days of the death of the righteous is only with the righteous whose root-source was the Written Torah. And [regarding] that which we find fasts with the death of those killed by the [Roman] empire, it is because they were killed and did not die in their beds. And our teacher, Moshe, peace be upon him, was the root-source of the Written Torah; and Rabbi Akiva was the root-source of the Oral Torah (as is found in the writings of the Ari, may his memory be blessed). And it is found in the Midrash (Bemidbar Rabbah 14), "'The masters of assemblies (<i>assifot</i>)' - when are words of Torah planted in a man? At the time when their masters are taken away (<i>ne'esafin</i>) from them. The whole time that one's master is alive, etc." And on the day that he departs, then the words of Torah are fixed in the heart of Israel, his students. And Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was the student of Rabbi Akiva. And he said (Gittin 67a), "Study my rulings, as my rulings are the finest rulings of the finest rulings of Rabbi Akiva." And that is to say, the root-source of my studies is Rabbi Akiva. And this is on Lag BaOmer, on the counting of Majesty (<i>Hod</i>) within Majesty (according to the kabbalstic association of each day with a trait and a sub-trait). As Majesty is the trait of Aharon the priest - since the seven shepherds correspond to the seven traits (as enumerated in the Zohar Chadash, Toldot) - and he was also the root-source of the Oral Torah. For our teacher, Moshe, peace be upon him, was the root-source of the Written Torah. And Aharon was the root-source of the Oral Torah, as it is stated (Malachi 2:7), "For the lips of a priest, etc. and Torah is sought from his mouth"; and as it is stated (Exodus 4:16), "and he shall be a mouth for you." And the counting of Majesty within Majesty is the root-source of the Oral Torah, like the finest rulings of the finest rulings of Rabbi Akiva. And the day of his departing is called the celebration of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, since all of Israel in his generation then accepted and fixed his words of Torah into their hearts - as it is said in the Midrash, "At the time when their masters are taken away from them." And the counting of Majesty begins on the 14th of Iyar, Pesach Sheni (the second Passover). As it is found in the holy Zohar (III, 152b), "The first Pesach is from the right and the second Pesach is from the left, etc. On the right, because the Written Torah is there." And afterwards, on Lag BaOmer, which is Majesty within Majesty - it is the root-source of Aharon, who loves the creations and brings them close to Torah. And it is with Rabbi Akiva, who is the root-source of the Oral Torah, as he would expound the crowns of the letters (as it is found in Menachot 29b). And in the Midrash (Tanchuma, Chukot 8), it is found that there were things that were not revealed to Moshe that were revealed to Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. And that is the Crown that they expounded in the Gemara (Megillah 16b:9), "'Glory' (Esther 8:16) - that is the head tefillin," which are above, like the Crown. But they could not fix the day of celebration on the day of Rabbi Akiva's passing, since he was killed. And about this, they said (Menachot 29b), "So did it come up in thought before Me." Meaning that he was from the root-source of thought. And he was called Akiva, son of Yosef, since he was like the Messiah, son of Yosef; as it is found in the Gemara (Sukkah 52a), that [this Messiah] would be killed. And it is from the secrets of the Torah that it is needed to be like this for the good of Israel. And so too was it needed with Rabbi Akiva. And that is why they fixed the celebration on the day of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's passing, since he was the finest rulings of the finest rulings of Rabbi Akiva. And it was from the secrets of the Torah that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was also born on that day, as they proved in the Gemara (Kiddushin 38a),"And from where do we [know] that Moshe was born on the seventh of Adar, etc. As the Holy One, Blessed be He, sits and completes the years of the righteous from day to day." And hence it was on this day that this soul, which was the root-source of the Oral Torah, descended. And that is why it is found in the Yerushalmi (Sanhedrin, Chapter 1), "As Rabbi Akiva said to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, 'It is enough for you that I and your Creator know your power.'" As no person knew his power; only the Holy One, blessed be He, and Rabbi Akiva, who was the root-source of the Oral Torah. And every year, when this day comes, every person can merit to grasp - according to his ability - the fixing of the words of Torah that descended on this day about the Oral Torah. And that is why they fixed it as a festival. 

Behar



Bechukotai



Kuntres Amalah shel Torah



Bamidbar



Rosh Chodesh Sivan



Shavuot



Nasso



Beha'alotcha



Sh'lach



Rosh Chodesh Tammuz



Korach



Chukat



Balak



Pinchas



Matot



Masei



Rosh Chodesh Av



Devarim



Vaetchanan



The Fifteenth of Av



Chapter 1

<b>In the Mishnah (Taanit 4:8):</b> Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said, "There were never such [joyous] holidays for Israel as the fifteenth of Av and [Yom Kippur], etc." And afterwards in the Gemara, they gave reasons for this, why there were not [other] holidays like this. But where do we find a hint in the Torah about this, that the fifteenth of Av is called a holiday? And it appears to me that it is from that which it is stated (Judges 21:19-21), "Behold, there is the festival of the Lord from year to year in Shilo, etc. behold, if the daughters of Shilo come out to dance in the dances, etc." And it does not specify which festival was from year to year. But the Radak (R. David Kimchi) explains it to be about Youm Kippur, about which the mishnah mentions, "And the daughters of Jerusalem went out and danced in the vineyards." But where have we have found that Yom Kippur is called a festival? Rather it is only called a holy convocation. As only the three pilgrimage festivals - the festival of matzot, etc - are called a festival (<i>chag</i>). As <i>chag</i> is always a term of joy. For that is why in the language of the Sages, may their memory be blessed, [the word,] <i>chag</i> by itself [always refers to] the festival of Sukkot; since it is the time of our joy. And it is like they said (Chagigah 10b), "<i>chogu chaga</i>" - which Rashi explains, "to increase joy." And that which Tosafot said - that "some say that it is a term of dancing, as in, 'they reeled (<i>yachogu</i>) and moved like a drunkard'" (Psalms 107:27) - also there is it a term of joy, since the heart of a drunkard is merry on account of the wine. And so is it written (1 Samuel 30:16), "eating, drinking and celebrating (<i>chogegim</i>) with all the spoils." That [means] that they were rejoicing with the spoils by way of eating and drinking, and dancing was also included. So it is distant to say that it is hinting to Yom Kippur. Hence it appears that the intention of "the festival of the Lord in Shilo, etc." is about the fifteenth of Av. For none of the festivals are called the festival of the Lord. And even [about] Sukkot, which is the time of our joy and on which the commandment of joy is explicit - it is written (Deuteronomy 16:14), "And you shall rejoice in your holiday." [Hence it embodies] the joy of Israel, in commemoration of the exodus from Egypt. And we have only found Aharon saying, about the seventeenth of Tammuz, "It shall be a festival for the Lord tomorrow" (Exodus 32:5). For the forty first days - upon which our teacher Moshe, peace be upon him, was on the mountain - ended then; and he said that he would descend from the mountain then with the two tablets in his hands. So were it not for the debacle (the golden calf), it would have then been the festival of the Lord. For 'the day of the joy of His heart' of the Holy One, blessed be He, was supposed to be then, like at the giving of the Torah. And it is like it was stated in Egypt (Exodus 5:1), "Send My people, so they may celebrate a festival (<i>veyachogu</i>) to Me in the desert." Yet we did not find that the Israelites made a festival in the desert. And if it is about the three pilgrim festivals that they observed - had they not already observed the festival of matzot in Egypt as well? Rather the intended content of, "so they may celebrate a festival to Me in the desert," is about the giving of the Torah (the tablets). And if there had not been the debacle with the calf and the tablets had not been broken, the seventeenth of Tammuz would have then been the festival of the Lord - for it is 'the day of the joy of His heart.' For then, what our Sages, may their memory be blessed, expounded about the verse, "engraved (<i>charut</i>) upon the tablets" (Exodus 32:16), [that the Torah would bring about] freedom (<i>cheirut</i>) from the angel of death and from the subjugation of the nations and that the words of the Torah would be inscribed into the heart of the Israelites, would have then come to pass. However after the debacle, [the less potent section of] the verse, "on the day of his wedding," was expounded about Yom Kippur - since it is the day upon which the second tablets were given. As there was not so much freedom or inscription upon the heart with the second tablets. So, "and upon the day of the joy of his heart," was [resultantly] only expounded about the building of the Temple - may it be built speedily in our days. As only then will everything be fixed. 

Eikev



Re'eh



Rosh Chodesh Elul



Shoftim



Ki Teitzei



Ki Tavo



Nitzavim



Rosh Hashanah



Vayeilech and Shabbat Shuvah



Erev Yom Kippur



Motzei Yom Kippur



Ha'Azinu



Sukkot