From: david@bourbon.ee.tulane.edu (David Kaufmann)
Subject: Dvar Torah
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-5848]: bourbon
Organization: E.E. Dept., Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 06:55:07 GMT

The following is a free translation of a sicha (talk) of the
Lubavitcher Rebbe, shlita, on this week's Torah portion. All errors of
translation or otherwise are mine.

Parsha Akev

1.
Today's parsha - parsha Akev - is one of the seven consolations; 
not only the haftarah contains the concept of consolation, but 
also the sedra, since the haftarah, most of the time, is an aspect 
of the parsha. Since the haftarah speaks about the consolation 
of the redemption, one may say, that also the sedra speaks 
about the redemption.

In truth, the whole Torah speaks about redemption, since there 
is no one free except he who studies Torah (Avos 6:2); through 
the study of Torah the neshama (soul) becomes free from the 
exile of the body and animal soul, and through this the body 
also becomes free from exile in its simple meaning.

But the Torah speaks about other concepts, through
which it teaches about the redemption; but in the sedras of the 
seven consolations it speaks about redemption alone.

In regard to the current exile: in order to explain the concept of 
redemption, one first needs to understand the exile with the 
reasons for the exile; when one knows the reason for the 
exile, one knows how to correct the reason. When one 
corrects the reason, naturally the environment will be corrected
and thus the redemption will come.

An example is someone who is physically sick (b'gashmiyus):
when he knows he is sick and also knows [the symptoms of]
the illness, he will go to a doctor; he will know what to say to
the doctor, who will know what medicine to give him, 
and thus he will be healed.

The knowledge that he is sick and awareness of the symptoms
is already an aid to health, and with time [and] other aids to 
health, will come a complete recovery.

Similarly, explaining the concept of exile, and 
its reasons, already begins the redemption, since, 
knowing what exile is, one can look for a cure and go from 
there to a good and expansive land.

2.
At the time the Jews came into the good and expansive land (for 
the first time) they first went through a big wilderness 
(midbar), leaving the wilderness and coming into 
eretz Yisroel. The deeds of the fathers are a sign for the 
children: What the Torah tells us about the wilderness and what 
the Jews found before they came into eretz Yisroel is a 
sign for the children. The exile in which we find 
ourselves today is similar to the wilderness and where the Jews 
found themselves previously.

Understanding about the wilderness 
and where the Jews found themselves previously, also 
teaches us about the exile in which we find ourselves today, 
through which we will know how to cure the exile.

This week's sedrah, one of the seven consolations, explains about 
the wilderness. The verse describes the wilderness with the 
terms "in the great, terrifying wilderness, which had snakes, 
vipers, and scorpions and thirst where there was no water" 
(Devarim 8:15) (bamidbar hagadol v'hanorah nacash saraph 
v'akrav v'tzima-on asher ain mayim). All these 
different details about the wilderness also describe today's 
exile. As mentioned previously, detailed knowledge about the exile 
is a source of comfort, since through knowledge we will 
discover the necessary cure, and go out from the exile to a 
good and expansive land.

3.
A wilderness is a place which is not a human habitation. It says 
about the wilderness: a big wilderness. The place of 
wilderness which is not inhabited by people is bigger than the 
place in which people (bnei adam) dwell.

(The term) "Adam" (man) describes the Jews. You are called 
Adama. As the Shelah explains, Adam is comparable to the supernal:
Jews are compared to the supernal man on the throne.

The big wilderness, the place which is not settled by people 
(bnei adam) is larger than the place where man dwells. As the 
verse says, "since you are the least of all people" (Devarim 7:7), 
Jews are the smallest of all nations. This is also true of the Jews 
themselves; the Jews who observe Torah and mitzvahs as they 
should be are not, for the time being, the majority.

The first word with which the verse describes the exile is - a 
big wilderness. The first reason and first level of decline [into 
the trap of] the exile occurs when one considers 
the outside world to be bigger than oneself. That is, one thinks
that the inhabitated world - Jews and Judaism - is a smaller 
place, and the outside world, the wilderness of nations, is a
large place, a more important thing than Jews.

In truth, nothing in the world can have rulership over Jews. Just 
the opposite, all is nullified (batul) to Jews, as is said in this
week's
haftarah, "And kings shall be your foster fathers and queens 
your nursing mothers" (Is 49:23). And as the Gemorrah 
(Brochos 6a) explains that the verse, "And all the nations of the 
earth will see that the name of Hashem is called on you and they
will be afraid of you" (v'ra-u kol amey ha-aretz ki shem Hashem 
nikreh alecha  v'yiru mimeka), refers to the 
tefillin on the head. When the Shma Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu 
Hashem Echad is on the head and the mind is filled with the 
knowledge that Hashem  is the only baal-habayit 
(owner) of the whole world, then "all the nations of the 
earth will see, etc, and they will be afraid of you", all is nullifed
(batul) before him.

But when the Jew makes a calculation (chesbon) - a big wilderness,
then he gives importance to the world and argues that the world is 
great and he is small; naturally, he asks the question, who will 
raise up Yaakov, because he is small.

The question itself, the giving of importance to the world, makes 
for him an exile, a covering and concealing. Then the world can 
have a baalebatishkeit (ownership) over him. This is the 
beginning of exile.

But when he remembers that "You have chosen us from all the 
nations, etc, and elevated us", no one will have power over him, 
knowing that a Jew is higher than everyone. Then there will 
not be an exile for him. Since Hashem gives him 
parnassah (livelihood), he will conduct his business according to 
the ways of Torah, and he reserves for himself time set aside 
for the study of Torah.

4.
From accepting that the world is a big wilderness, one can come to 
a lower level, not only a big wilderness but also a terrifying 
one. 

Big means that the other is greater than him, but nevertheless 
he is also a separate existence, though smaller. But terrifying 
means he is afraid of the other, because he thinks the other has 
rulership and power over him.

When he only thinks that the wilderness is big, so when 
he comes into contact with the world and its concepts he will be 
affected by it, because he acknowledges its largeness, but when 
he is in his own daled amos, [four feet, personal space] he stands
strong.

But when he thinks that the world is a big and terrifying 
wilderness, even when he finds himself in his own daled amos, 
when he finds himself in shul, in yeshiva or by himself at home, then
also he fears the world, he fears to observe Torah and mitzvos 
openly, he trembles, if the world finds out, what will the nations 
say?

5.
From this one can come to a lower level - nachash (snake). 

In Erkei Hakinuim, the author explains that the snake's 
poison is hot. This means, it inflame itself with the enthusiasm
and passion of the world. Through his burning for the world,
his enthusiasm for holiness is boiled away and diminished.

From this one can come to a greater descent - serpents. 

The immersion in the world will become stronger, 
and not only will it lessen his enthusiasm in holiness, but it will 
entirely incinerate the enthusiasm for holiness, removing it
completely..

From this one can come to a greater descent - scorpions. About 
scorpions, the Erkei Hakinuim says that 
their poison is - cold. 

This is worse than the snake and serpent. Although his immersion
and passion is for worldly things, at least this shows 
liveliness. One can naturally turn this to ardor and 
enthusiasm for holiness. But when he is cold, which is a sign of 
the opposite of life, it is much worse.

From this one can come to an even greater descent -- thirst 
wherein there is no water. Even if he is aroused from above, 
through a bat kol [heavenly voice] and the like, as explained 
in Chassidus, and he becomes thirsty, there will be no water. 
Water is Torah. But now he doesn't know what he thirsts for;
though thirsty he doesn't feel and doesn't know for what,
because he is so far that he has no connection and doesn't 
know anything about the existence of holiness.

What does all this come from?

From the big wilderness, from thinking and making 
important, the wilderness - the world. This is the first step to all 
the descents until he thirsts and there is no water.

From this we can understand how to correct all the descents. One 
must correct the first reason: one must have a strength in 
Yiddishkeit, remembering that "You chose us from all the 
nations and elevated us" (Ata V'chartanu...)

And then one will be free from exile and go to a good and 
expansive land through Moshiach tzidkeynu, bimhayra 
v'yamanu [our righteous Moshiach, speedily in our days].
David Kaufmann
INTERNET:	david@bourbon.ee.tulane.edu
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