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Essay 09 – Part 1 1:04:25

6 years ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Video is also available – click to open הוכח תוכיח את עמיתך, אפילו מאה פעמים [It is written,] 1 “You shall surely reprove your comrade” — “even one hundred times,” add our Sages, 2 taking up the hint offered by the repetitive form of the Hebrew verb. ולזאת לא אוכל להתאפק ולהחריש מלזעוק עוד, בקול ענות חלושה Therefore, writes the Alter Rebbe , I cannot contain myself and cannot refrain from crying out yet again, in a voice betraying [pained] weakness. 3 במטותא מינייכו ברחמין נפישין I plead with you out of deep compassion, חוסו נא על נפשותיכם, והשמרו והזהרו מאד מאד על התורה ועל העבודה שבלב, זו תפלה בכוונה have pity on your souls. Take care, be extremely vigilant, concerning the study of Torah and the service of the heart, which is prayer 4 with proper intent. להתחיל כולם יחד כאחד, מלה במלה, ולא זה בכה וזה בכה, וזה דומם וזה משיח שיחה בטלה, ה׳ ישמרנו All should begin [the prayers] in unison, as one, word by word, not one person here and another elsewhere, one mute and the other idly chatting, may G‑d protect us. ועיקר הסיבה וגרמא בנזקין, הוא מהיורדים לפני התיבה The main cause and instigator of [this] damage comes from those leading the services. שהוא הפקר לכל הרוצה לפשוט רגליו החוטף אפרתי That office is abandoned to whoever wishes to stride forth and snatch the honor, 5 או מחמת שאין גם אחד רוצה כו׳ or because not even one desires it…, so that ultimately the prayers are led by someone inappropriate to the task. ואי לזאת, זאת העצה היעוצה ותקנה קבועה, חוק ולא יעבור עוד, חס ושלום For this reason, this is the counsel offered, and a regulation established as law not to be violated further, G‑d forbid. דהיינו, לבחור אנשים קבועים הראוים לזה, על פי הגורל או בריצוי רוב המנין That is, choose fixed individuals fit for this office of leading the prayers, by lot or by consent of the majority of the worshipers. And who, indeed, is fit for this office? דהיינו שמתפללים מלה במלה, בדרך המיצוע, בקול רם These shall be men who pray word by word, at a moderate pace, aloud, ולא מאריכים יותר מדאי, ולא מקצרים וחוטפים, חס ושלום neither overly prolonging the prayers, nor racing intemperately, G‑d forbid. ועליהם מוטל החובה לירד לפני התיבה, כל אחד ואחד ביומו אשר יגיע לו Theirs is the duty to lead the prayers, each on his day as determined. ולאסוף אליו מסביב סמוך כל המתפללים בקול קצת על כל פנים, ולא בלחש ולא חוטפים, חס ושלום He shall assemble close around him all those who pray audibly, at least, neither whispering nor rushing, G‑d forbid. וכמבואר בתקנות ישנות בכמה עיירות This is amplified in age-old communal regulations in many towns. ועתה באתי לחדשן ולחזקן ולאמצן, בל ימוטו עוד לעולם, חס ושלום I come now, writes the Alter Rebbe , to renew them, to strengthen and invigorate them, never again to be weakened, G‑d forbid. (גוולד גוולד) ( 6The following two words appear in Yiddish 7 in the Alter Rebbe’s original manuscript: Gevald ! Gevald! — an outcry of agonized consternation.) עד מתי יהיה זה לנו למוקש How long will this be an obstacle for us? 8 How long will we burdened by praying without proper intent? ולא די לנו בכל התוכחות והצרות שעברו עלינו, ה׳ ישמרנו, וינחמנו בכפלים לתושיה, ויטהר לבנו לעבדו באמת Have we not sufficient reproofs and troubles that have overtaken us? — May G‑d protect and console us with redoubled support, 9 and purify our hearts to serve Him in truth. חזקו ואמצו לבבכם, כל המייחלים לה׳ Strengthen and fortify your hearts, all who hope in G‑d. 10 * * * גם לגמור כל הש״ס בכל שנה ושנה Also: Complete the study of the entire Talmud year after year, ובכל עיר ועיר, לחלק המסכתות על פי הגורל או ברצון and in every community apportion the tractates by lot or by consent, each individual choosing the tractate that he desires to study. ועיר שיש בה מנינים הרבה, יגמרו בכל מנין ומנין, ואם איזה מנין קטן מהכיל, יצרפו אליהם אנשים מאיזה מנין גדול In a city with numerous synagogues, each congregation should complete [the Talmud ]. And if a congregation is too small to implement this program, they should join forces with men of a larger one. בבל ישונה, חק ולא יעבור This statute — that the entire Talmud be studied every year — shall not be varied or violated. וכל אחד ואחד מהלומדים הנ״ל יגמור לעצמו בכל שבוע התמניא אפי שבתהלים קי״ט In addition, each of the participants shall individually read the whole of the eightfold Psalm 119 every week. 11 The Previous Rebbe comments on the connection between completing the study of the Talmud and the recitation of Psalms as follows: 12 “From here we see that the study of Gemara is complete only when it is accompanied by the recitation of Tehillim ; and in order to recite Tehillim properly, one needs to study Gemara .” The post Essay 09 – Part 1 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 09 – Part 2 1:10:21

6 years ago1:10:21

1:10:21

Video is also available – click to open ולהיות מחמת חלישות הדור, אין כח בכל אחד ואחד להתענות כראוי לו Moreover, since, due to the frailty of our times, not everyone is capable of fasting as he ought, In Iggeret HaTeshuvah 13 the Alter Rebbe cites the classical works of Mussar as to the number of fasts prescribed for each major sin, so that a penitent will be able to render himself as acceptable to G‑d after his repentance as he was before sinning. לזאת עצה היעוצה, כמאמר רז״ל: כל השומר שבת כהלכתו, מוחלין לו על כל עוונותיו the counsel offered follows the declaration of our Sages, of blessed memory, 14 “Whoever observes Shabbat according to its law, is forgiven all his sins.” כהלכתו דייקא The term “according to its law” is used advisedly, for the Shabbat cannot be properly observed without a knowledge of its laws. לכן מוטל על כל אחד ואחד, להיות בקי בהלכתא רבתי לשבתא It is therefore incumbent upon every individual to master the “great law” of Shabbat. The term “great law” echoes the expression in the Gemara 15 regarding checking one’s clothes before sundown on Friday in order not to transgress a prohibition later. The laws of Shabbat thus not only inform us of what is prohibited, but also of how to avoid transgression. וגם יזהר מאד שלא לשוח שום שיחה בטילה, חס ושלום Also, be most careful [on Shabbat ] not to indulge in idle chatter, G‑d forbid. בהיות מודעת זאת ליודעי חכמה נסתרת, כי בכל המצות יש פנימיות וחיצוניות For, as is known to the initiates in the mystical wisdom [of Kabbalah ], all the mitzvot comprise an internal and an external aspect — the spirituality of the mitzvah , and the physical act which it requires. וחיצוניות מהשבת היא שביתה מעשיה גשמיית, כמו ששבת ה׳ מעשות שמים וארץ גשמיים The externality of the [ mitzvah of] Shabbat is the cessation of physical activity, just as G‑d ceased making the physical heaven and earth. ופנימיות השבת היא הכוונה בתפלת השבת ובתלמוד תורה, לדבקה בה׳ אחד The internal dimension of Shabbat is one’s intention in the Shabbat prayers and during one’s Torah study, to cleave to the One G‑d, כמו שכתוב: שבת לה׳ אלקיך as it is written, 16 “It is Shabbat to the L‑rd your G‑d.” Underlying the cessation of labor on Shabbat is the concept of elevation. When a person rests from his labor at any time, the energy that had been vested in it rises and returns to its source within the soul. So, too, the cessation of labor and resting on Shabbat means that the soul, which during the week had been immersed in mundane activities, is uplifted “to the L‑rd your G‑d.” וזו היא בחינת זכור This [internal level of the mitzvah of Shabbat ] is the element of “remembering”. The Shabbat comprises two elements, “remembering” ( zachor ) and “observing” (shamor), reflecting the two commandments, 17 “Remember the Shabbat day, to sanctify it,” and 18 “Observe the Shabbat day, to sanctify it.” Elevating the soul on Shabbat through proper intent (kavanah) during prayer and Torah study, is an act of “remembering”. ובחינת שמור בפנימיות, היא השביתה מדיבורים גשמיים, כמו ששבת ה׳ מיו״ד מאמרות שנבראו בהם שמים וארץ גשמיים The inner dimension of the element of “observing” is refraining from speech about material affairs, just as G‑d ceased from the Ten Utterances through which the physical heaven and earth were created. The external aspect of “observing” is refraining from active labor; the internal aspect of “observing” is refraining and resting from speech about material affairs. כי זה לעומת זה כו׳ For 19 “one opposite the other…” — speaking about material affairs on Shabbat is the inverse of the rest and elevation that a Jew secures on Shabbat , through prayer and Torah study. Footnotes 1. Vayikra 19:17. 2. Bava Metzia 31a. 3. Cf. Shmot 32:18. 4. Taanit 2a; Sifrei , commenting on Devarim 11:13. 5. Note of the Rebbe (in Likkutei Biurim, foot of p. 487): “‘To stride forth’ — cf. the expression in the Responsa of the Rashba 1:450 (quoted in Bet Yosef, Orach Chayim 53); ‘to snatch’ — cf. Chullin 133a [regarding the priestly dues], and Yalkut Shimoni (quoted in Rashi ) on Balak , sec. 769: ‘snatches Keriat Shema. ’” “ Efrati — possibly the intent is to both explanations that the Radak offers on this word ( I Samuel 1:1) : ‘person of distinguished lineage,’ and ‘one who shares in something sanctified.’” 6. Parentheses are in the original text. 7. See Likkutei Sichot, Vol. XXIII, p. 415. 8. Shmot 6:7. 9. Cf. Iyov 11:6 . 10. Note of the Rebbe: “Cf. Tehillim 31:25.” 11. Note of the Rebbe: “I have not observed that people make a point of doing this.” Elsewhere the Rebbe adds: “It will be noted that in many places it is customary to recite this Psalm on Shabbat after Minchah (and this too was the custom of my revered father, of blessed memory).” 12. Sefer HaSichot 5704, p. 48. 13. Ch. 3. 14. Shabbat 118b. 15. Ibid. 12a. 16. Shmot 20:10. 17. Ibid., verse 8. 18. Devarim 5:12. 19. Cf. Kohelet 7:14. The post Essay 09 – Part 2 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Rabbi Krasnianski Siyuym HaTanya 15:57

6 years ago15:57

15:57

Video is also available – click to open 19 Kislev Farbrengen – Rabbi Ben Tzion Krasnianski Siyuym HaTanya The post Rabbi Krasnianski Siyuym HaTanya appeared first on TanyaClass.com .

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Essay 08 – Part 1 51:11

6 years ago51:11

51:11

Video is also available – click to open Word had evidently reached the Alter Rebbe that the chassidim of a certain synagogue did not permit a worshiper who would pray at length to lead the services, because some individual there was pressed for time. In this letter of admonition, the Alter Rebbe writes that it is better for this person to even forgo participation in the congregational responses of Barchu and Kedushah (if it is absolutely impossible for him to remain longer), than to keep his fellow-congregants from praying at length. For deliberate prayer involves life itself, and, indeed, prolongs one’s life; by cutting short the prayers of others, this busy individual tampers with their very lives. The Alter Rebbe also explains that meditation during prayer with the goal of revealing the love of G‑d that is concealed within the heart of every Jew, constitutes an obligation explicit in the Torah — “And you shall love the L‑rd your G‑d….” הנה לא טובה השמועה שמעתי, ותרגז בטני I have heard with foreboding and am deeply grieved, writes the Alter Rebbe, אשר עם ה׳ מעבירים מלפני התיבה האיש החפץ בחיים ואריכות ימים של כל אנשי שלומנו, שבמקדש מעט הזה של אנשי שלומנו that G‑d’s people are preventing 1 one who yearns for the life and longevity of all our brethren, from leading the services in this small sanctuary 2 — the synagogue — of our [chassidic] brotherhood. The person who leads the service at a measured pace and thus enables his fellow-congregants to pray at length, provides them all with life and longevity. כמאמר רז״ל: שלשה דברים מאריכים ימיו של אדם, ואחד מהם: המאריך בתפלתו As our Sages of blessed memory teach, 3 “Three things prolong the days of man,” and one of these is prolonged worship. ואף גם מי שהשעה דחוקה לו ביותר, ואי אפשר לו בשום אופן להמתין עד אחר עניית קדושה של חזרת השליחצבור הזה Even one extremely pressed for time, who finds it utterly impossible to wait until the congregational response called Kedushah in the repetition of the Shemoneh Esreh by this person who leads the prayers [slowly], הלא טוב טוב לו שלא לשמוע קדושה וברכו, מלירד לחייהם של החפצים בחיים far better is it for him to forgo hearing Kedushah and Barchu than to tamper with the lives of those who desire life, and hence desire to pray at length. ואונס, רחמנא פטריה The Torah does, after all, exonerate the compelled. 4 Moreover: והשליחצבור מוציאו ידי חובתו, אף שלא שמע, כאילו שמע, שהוא כעונה ממש The Reader discharges his obligation for him 5 of hearing Kedushah and Barchu even though he did not hear them recited, 6 just as though he had heard, and this — hearing from the Reader, even without reciting — is counted precisely like responding. 7 Unlike other instances of duress where the Torah indeed exonerates the individual concerned but does not consider him to have performed the omitted act, in this instance he is considered to have done so, for the Reader discharges his obligation for him. וכדאיתא בגמרא גבי עם שבשדות, דאניסי, ויוצאים ידי חובת תפלת שמונה עשרה עצמה בחזרת הש״ץ, כאלו שמעו ממש The Gemara 8 notes this in reference to “the people in the fields” who are considered to be under duress, and fulfill their obligation of reciting the Shemoneh Esreh prayer itself, and not only of participating in the responses of Barchu and Kedushah , with the Reader’s repetition, as if they had actually heard it from him. וגם קדושה וברכו בכלל Kedushah and Barchu are also included among those obligations which are fulfilled through the Reader’s prayer. This being the case, a person under duress should obviously not inconvenience others who seek to prolong their prayers. והנה זאת חקרנוה, כן הוא This we have searched out and verified, 9 אף גם בדורות הראשונים של חכמי המשנה והגמרא even regarding the early generations of the Sages of the Mishnah and Gemara , שהיתה תורתם קבע ועיקר עבודתם, ולא תפלתם whose Torah study, not prayer, was constant and their primary service. Even with them, prolonged prayer was related to life and longevity. ומכל שכן עתה הפעם בעקבות משיחא, שאין תורתינו קבע מצוק העתים It is even more emphatically true at this time, in the period just preceding the advent of Mashiach , when our Torah study is not constant because of the difficulty of our times. ועיקר העבודה בעקבות משיחא היא התפלה, כמו שכתב הרב חיים ויטל, זכרונו לברכה, בעץ חיים ופרי עץ חיים The primary service in the period just preceding the coming of Mashiach is prayer, as Rabbi Chayim Vital (of blessed memory) writes in Etz Chayim and Pri Etz Chayim. 10 מכל שכן וקל וחומר, שראוי ונכון ליתן נפשינו ממש עליה Surely then, it is fitting and proper to devote ourselves utterly to it. והיא חובה של תורה ממש למביני מדע תועלת ההתבוננות ועומק הדעת קצת, כל חד לפום שיעורא דיליה This — prolonged prayer buttressed by the disciplined contemplation of G‑d’s greatness — is an actual Torah-mandated imperative to those who understand the efficacy of at least a little profoundly-considered meditation, each according to his measure, In some individuals, as discussed in ch. 41 of Tanya , a feeling of love or awe of G‑d will be aroused by a brief effort of meditation, and in others, only by a deeper and longer stretch of meditation. בסדור שבחו של מקום, ברוך הוא, בפסוקי דזמרה ושתי ברכות שלפני קריאת שמע, יוצר ואהבה in the ordered enumeration of the praises of G‑d, blessed be He, 11 in Pesukei DeZimrah and in the two blessings preceding Shema , viz., Yotzer (Yotzer Or) and Ahavah (Ahavat Olam ), לעורר בהן האהבה המסותרת בלב כל ישראל, לבא לבחינת גילוי בהתגלות הלב, בשעת קריאת שמע עצמה in order to arouse through [these blessings] the love latent in the heart of every Jew, so that it attain a state of revelation in the openness of the heart during Keriat Shema itself, which follows these two blessings. שזאת היא מצות האהבה, שבפסוק ואהבת גו׳ בכל לבבך גו׳, הנמנית ראשונה בתרי״ג מצות This is the meaning of the commandment of love that appears in the verse, 12 “And you shall love [the L‑rd your G‑d] with all your heart…,” that is reckoned first 13 among the 613 mitzvot . כמו שכתב הרמב״ם ז״ל, שהיא מיסודי התורה ושרשה, ומקור לכל רמ״ח מצות עשה Thus the Rambam , of blessed memory, writes 14 that this is a fundament of the Torah and its root, and the source of all 248 positive commands. Concerning these commandments the Alter Rebbe states in ch. 4 of Tanya , “For he who fulfills them in truth, is he who loves G‑d’s Name.” This commandment — “And you shall love” — is the obligation imposed by the Torah to meditate during prayer in order to arouse and reveal one’s latent love. As to the emotion of love itself, a commandment is obviously impossible and irrelevant: if one has it, he has it, and if not, no command is going to produce it. Thus, in reply to the question, How is it possible to mandate love?, the Maggid of Mezritch points out 15 that the subject of the command is not the love but the meditation that will assuredly lead one to experiencing it. When one considers (“Hear, O Israel ” 16) how “the L‑rd is our G‑d, the L‑rd is one,” one will surely come to love Him. The key verb (Ve’ahavta) is thus not not be understood as a command (“You shall love”), but as an assurance (“You will love”). The post Essay 08 – Part 1 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 08 – Part 2 1:10:06

6 years ago1:10:06

1:10:06

Video is also available – click to open כי על אהבה המסותרת בלב כל ישראל בתולדתם וטבעם, לא שייך ציווי כלל For regarding the love latent in the heart of all Israel by birth and nature, there can be no command at all, for it already exists. Rather, the command is that this latent love be revealed; moreover, that it be felt not only by the G‑dly soul, but by the animating soul as well, which previously did not harbor it at all. ודעת לנבון נקל This is apparent to the understanding, כי כשהאהבה היא מסותרת, היא עודינה בנפש האלקית לבדה that while the love is concealed it is still lodged within the divine soul alone. וכשבאה לבחינת גילוי לנפש החיונית, אזי היא בהתגלות הלב בחלל שמאלי, מקום משכן נפש החיונית Only when it attains to a state of revelation in the animating soul is it revealed in the heart in the left chamber, the abode of the animating soul. 17 Since this soul animates the entire body, the person as a whole will be permeated with this love. וזהו ענין בירור ניצוצות, המוזכר שם בעץ חיים ובפרי עץ חיים, גבי תפלה This is the meaning of the “elevation of the sparks” mentioned there in Etz Chayim and Pri Etz Chayim 18 in reference to prayer: through prayer one elevates the sparks of holiness that fell from Tohu . שלכן היא עיקר העבודה בעקבות משיחא, לברר ניצוצות כו׳ And for this reason prayer is the primary service in the period just preceding the coming of Mashiach — in order to seek out and elevate the sparks, and so on. שהוא בחינת אתהפכא או אתכפיא של נפש החיונית לנפש האלקית, כנודע This may take place either through the transformation 19 or the subjugation of the animal soul to the divine soul, as is known. כי הדם הוא הנפש כו׳, והדם מתחדש בכל יום מאוכלין ומשקין “For the blood is the soul…” 20 and hence the life-force of man, and the blood is renewed daily through food and drink, By directing his eating and drinking to the holy goals of the divine soul, one refines and elevates the sparks found within the food and drink. וגם מתפעל ונתקן ממלבושים ודירה כו׳ and [the man] is affected and improved by his garments and his shelter, and so on. The refinement of the sparks latent in all these physical things is effected by revealing one’s innate love of G‑d during prayer. In our days prolonged prayer and meditation are thus a necessity. מה שאין כן בדורות הראשונים, שהיו נשמות האלקית גדולי הערך It was different, however, in earlier generations, when the divine souls were of a higher order, היה הבירור נעשה כרגע בקריאת שמע לבד וברכות שלפניה, ופסוקי דזמרה בקצרה וכו׳ and the refinement and elevation of the sparks were instantaneous by means of Keriat Shema alone 21 and the blessings preceding it, and the abridged Pesukei DeZimrah, and so on. 22 These prayers alone then sufficed to reveal the Jew’s love of G‑d, and brought about the resulting beirurim of the sparks. ודי למבין This will suffice for the discerning. Footnotes 1. Cf. I Shmuel 2:24. 2. Cf. Megillah 29a, commenting on Yechezkel 11:16. 3. Berachot 32b. 4. Nedarim 27a, commenting on Devarim 22:25-27. 5. The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 124:1. 6. Ibid . 591:2. 7. Ibid . 124:2. 8. Rosh HaShanah 35a. 9. See also Igrot Kodesh (Letters) of the Alter Rebbe (Kehot, N.Y., 5740), sec. 15. 10. Pri Etz Chayim, Shaar HaTefillah, ch. 7. 11. Tur Orach Chayim, sec. 52. 12. Devarim 6:5. 13. Note of the Rebbe: “This requires some further examination. (In Sefer HaMitzvot of the Rambam this appears as the third positive command. In the Zohar I, 11b, the order is (1) awe, (2) love, (3) knowledge of G‑d, and so forth.)“ Note the idiom of our Sages, of blessed memory (in Avodah Zarah 73a), ראשון ראשון בטל [where each successive portion of wine poured into the vat is nevertheless called ‘the first’]. “Note also that in Chinuch Katan [see Vol. III in the present series, p. 817, and notes there], love is the root of all positive commandments (including the positive commandment of awe (which in turn is the root of all prohibitory commandments) and hence) the source of all the commandments.” 14. Beginning of ch. 2 of Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah. 15. See also the Addenda to Or Torah by the Maggid of Mezritch (Kehot edition), sec. 12. 16. Devarim 6:4. 17. Tanya , ch. 9. 18. Pri Etz Chayim, Shaar HaTefillah, ch. 7. 19. Ibid . ch. 10. 20. Devarim 12:23. 21. Berachot 13b, citing the case of Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi. 22. The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 52:1. The post Essay 08 – Part 2 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 07 – Part 2 1:05:29

6 years ago1:05:29

1:05:29

Video is also available – click to open ואותיות איתן משמשות לעתיד The letters that spell the [Hebrew] word eitan [each] indicate the future tense. At a deeper level, this term thus hints at future revelation: in the Time to Come there will be a revelation of the spiritual degree called eitan . פירוש: אנא עתיד לאתגליא This means, 8 “I am destined to reveal myself”; that which is presently in a state of concealment is destined to become manifest in the Time to Come; כמו שכתוב: הנה ישכיל עבדי וגו׳ as it is written, 9 “Behold, My servant will prosper…” — i.e., in the future. והיינו, שיתגלה אז אור אין סוף ברוך הוא ויחודו יתברך תוך פנימיות נקודת הלב This means that at that time — with the arrival of Mashiach , about whom the verse states “My servant will prosper” — the [infinite] Ein Sof -light and the Divine Unity will be revealed within the innermost point of one’s heart, על ידי המשכת נחל איתן, הוא הארת חכמה עילאה שיאיר בפנימיות הלב by the calling forth of the “mighty river,” which is a radiance of the Supernal Wisdom that will illuminate the inwardness of the heart, ליבטל ביחודו יתברך בתכלית, מעומקא דלבא so that one will be nullified utterly in the Divine Unity, from the depths of one’s heart, אחרי הסרת הערלה מתאוות הגשמיות וכו׳ after it has been cleared of the [obscuring] orlah of physical lusts, and so on. When the metaphorical orlah (lit., “foreskin”) will then be removed (as in the verse, 10 “And you shall excise the orlah of your heart,” and likewise, 11 “The L‑rd your G‑d will circumcise your heart”), nothing will hide the innermost core of the heart. It will then be possible for the heart to experience the utter self-nullification of the Neshamah to G‑d, that derives from the revelation of Chochmah in the soul. This essential soul-level reflects all three above-mentioned connotations of eitan — the resolute “vigor” of the soul’s essence, its unswerving “toughness”, and the hoary “antiquity” of this bequest to the Jewish people from the Patriarchs of old. והנה עתה, בגלות החל הזה At present as well, during the exile of this folk, 12 יש גם כן עצה יעוצה, להאיר קצת אור ה׳ מבחינת איתן לתוך נקודת פנימיות הלב, כעין לעתיד counsel is offered [herewith] as to how to bring a glimmer of the illumination of the light of G‑d from the state of eitan into the innermost point of the heart, as in the Time to Come. והיינו, על ידי שמעורר על ניצוץ אלקות שבנפשו, בחינת רחמים רבים העליונים This is [attained] by arousing the abounding Divine mercies for the G‑dly spark within one’s soul. כי באמת, כל זמן שאין האדם זוכה שיתגלה אור ה׳ מבחינת איתן בנקודת פנימיות לבבו For in truth, so long as a man does not merit the revelation of the light of G‑d from the state of eitan in the innermost core of his heart, ליבטל ביחודו יתברך מעומקא דלבא, עד כלות הנפש ממש so that he becomes nullified in the Divine unity, until the very expiry of the soul, אזי באמת יש רחמנות גדולה על הניצוץ שבנפשו then the spark within his soul is indeed to be pitied. כי הניצוץ נמשך מבחינת חכמה עילאה ממש For that spark is drawn from the state of the Supernal Wisdom itself, וכשאינו יכול להאיר מבחינתו לתוך פנימיות הלב and when it cannot illuminate from its own state — from the state of Chochmah that is utterly nullified to G‑d — into the innermost core of the heart, ששם מקום גילוי הארה זו which is the proper place for the revelation of this illumination, הרי זה בבחינת גלות ממש then it is really and truly in exile. For what is exile if not the shackling of one’s gifts? ועל ידי רחמים רבים העליונים, יוצא מהגלות והשביה Through the plentiful Supernal mercies, however, that are drawn down upon the soul, it goes out of exile and imprisonment, ומאיר לתוך נקודת פנימיות הלב בחינת אהבה רבה זו and illuminates the innermost core of the heart with this great love, כנודע ממה שכתוב: ליעקב אשר פדה את אברהם as is known from the verse, 13 “For… Jacob who redeemed Abraham ,” וכמו שכתוב בלקוטי אמרים, פרק מ״ה as expounded in Likkutei Amarim, ch. 45. The Midrash 14 teaches that Abraham was saved in the future merit of Jacob, who was destined to descend from him. In spiritual terms: 15 When Abraham’s characteristic attribute, kindness and love, remains latent within a Jew, it is revealed and redeemed by Jacob’s characteristic attribute — mercy. The post Essay 07 – Part 2 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 07 – Part 3 44:57

6 years ago44:57

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Video is also available – click to open Since we are speaking here of Supernal Mercy, there must first be a sufficiently vigorous “arousal from below” that will cause it to descend to this lowly world. The required arousal initiated from below must therefore spring from the palpable realities of this lowly world. In plain words, as the Alter Rebbe will now conclude, this is the practice of tzedakah . ומודעת זאת כי אתערותא דלעילא, באתערותא דלתתא דוקא תליא מלתא It is known 16 that an arousal from above is specifically dependent on an arousal from below, דהיינו, על ידי התעוררות רחמים רבים בלב רחמנים וגומלי חסדים meaning [that the abundant mercies from above are secured] by an arousal of great mercies in the hearts of “the compassionate…and the kindly,” as Jews are characterized in the Gemara , 17 להשפיע השפעה גשמיית, זהב וכסף וכו׳ so that they bestow physical gifts of gold and silver, and the like. ולכן פעולת הצדקה היא פעולת נחל איתן ממש Thus the effect of tzedakah is actually the effect of the “mighty river” (nachal eitan) . For the “arousal from below” expressed by the practice of tzedakah draws forth the loving self-nullification of the vigorous essence (the “ eitan ”) of the soul, so that it becomes revealed — through the “river” of Binah — within the innermost core of man’s heart. The Alter Rebbe now goes on to write that one’s tzedakah should be given unstintingly, without regard for limitations. Just as a person in jeopardy spends without limit in order to save his life, so, too, should one hold one’s own G‑dly soul in high regard, and give tzedakah boundlessly. והנה מודעת זאת מה שכתוב: עור בעד עור, וכל אשר לאיש יתן בעד נפשו האלקית All know the verse, 18 “Skin for skin,” 19 i.e., a person will protect one limb at the expense of another, “but all that a man possesses he will give for his soul” — he will give away everything in order to save his life. The Alter Rebbe adds a word to the quoted verse, so that it ends, “…for his G‑dly soul.” One should be willing to forego everything for the sake of his G‑dly soul, להאירה באור החיים, אין סוף ברוך הוא in order to illumine it with the light of life — the Infinite One, blessed be He. 20 Footnotes 1. Parentheses are in the original text. 2. Verse 24. 3. Sefer HaMaamarim 5703, p. 71ff. 4. Sotah 9:5. 5. See I Kings 8:2 and Targum there. 6. Cf. Zohar I, 20a. 7. Zohar III, 4a. 8. See Likkutei Torah, Parshat Re’eh 18d. 9. Yeshayahu 52:13. 10. Devarim 10:16. 11. Ibid . 30:6. 12. Ovadiah 1:20. The phrase may alternatively be translated as “this valley.” 13. Yeshayahu 29:22. Note of the Rebbe: “The verse states beit Yaakov (‘the house of Jacob ’) . However, Sanhedrin (19b) and Bereishit Rabbah (63:2) explain plainly that it is ‘ Jacob who redeemed Abraham.’ The phrase is likewise cited in many other sources. Indeed, this too is the meaning in the continuation of this very verse (quoted in Sanhedrin, loc. cit. , and elsewhere): ‘Now will Jacob not be ashamed….’” 14. See Bereishit Rabbah, loc. cit. 15. Note of the Rebbe: “Cf. Tanya , ch. 45.” 16. Zohar I, 88a, et al. 17. Yevamot 79a. 18. Iyov 2:4. 19. Note of the Rebbe: “At the end of Epistle XVI in Iggeret HaKodesh , this verse is quoted [in its entirety] as well. This is not the case at the end of Epistle X [which quotes only the conclusion of the verse, ‘but all that a man possesses he will give for his soul’], and so too in many other places. Evidently, since the opening phrase (‘skin for skin’) signifies a limited degree of tzedakah (as in the plain meaning of the verse), this phrase is quoted only when the Alter Rebbe speaks (also) of this degree of tzedakah .” 20. The conclusion of this letter appears in Igrot Kodesh (Letters) of the Alter Rebbe (Kehot, N.Y., 5740), p. 95. The post Essay 07 – Part 3 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 06 – Part 1 53:51

7 years ago53:51

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Video is also available – click to open The last two Essays explained how the observance of the commandments seeks out the exiled sparks hidden in this world and thereby suffuses it with G‑dliness. They also pointed out that the same is true of the study of their laws. The present Essay goes one step further, and explains that the laws of the Torah transcend the world beyond any possible comparison. When David triumphantly brought back the Ark from its captivity in the hands of the Philistines, 1 it was placed on a wagon. David had momentarily forgotten the stipulation of the Torah, 2 “On the shoulder shall they carry it.” Commenting on this episode, our Sages 3 teach that David’s forgetfulness came as a punishment for his having referred to the laws of the Torah as “songs”: 4 “Your statutes were songs for me in my place of terror.” Why should this expression be regarded as an offense? And in what way is it related to its punishment? These are among the questions discussed in the Essay before us, and at greater length in Likkutei Torah and Or HaTorah, and in Derech Mitzvotecha, Mitzvat Masa HaAron BaKatef . דוד, זמירות קרית להו כו׳ “David! You call them songs?!” 5 Because he had referred to the laws of the Torah as “songs”, David was punished by being made to 6 “stumble in a matter that even schoolchildren know” — that the Ark is to be carried on the shoulders. הנה בזהר: שבחא דאורייתא ורננה כו׳ In the Zohar 7 we find the expression, “the praise of Torah and its song” — the Torah is a hymn and a song to G‑d . ולהבין מהו השבח להקב״ה, כשזה אסור או מותר Let us understand, what is the praise of G‑d when a particular object is forbidden or permitted. 8 הנה הוא על דרך: מה גדלו מעשיך ה׳, מאד עמקו מחשבותיך A similar concept is implicit [in the verse], 9 “How great are Your works, O G‑d, Your thoughts are very deep.” Why does the verse make the deed precede the thought? The Alter Rebbe will soon explain that from an appreciation of G‑d’s great works one begins to understand the depth of His thoughts. כי הנה נודע שכל העולמות, עליונים ותחתונים, תלוים בדקדוק מצוה אחת As is known, all the worlds, the exalted and the lowly, are dependent on the meticulous performance of a single mitzvah . דרך משל: אם הקרבן כשר, נעשה יחוד עליון, ועולים כל העולמות לקבל חיותם ושפעם For example, if an altar offering is valid then a Supernal Union in the Sefirot is effected, and all the worlds are elevated to receive their life-force and spiritual sustenance. 10 ואם שינה, שקיבל הדם בשמאלו, דרך משל, או שלא בכלי שרת כשר, או שהיתה חציצה However, if [the celebrant] altered the precise requirements of the law — if, for example, he received the blood of the offering with his left hand, or in an invalid vessel, or 11 if there was a separation 12 — אזי נתבטלה עליות העולמות, וחיותם ושפעם מחיי החיים, אין סוף ברוך הוא then all the elevations of the worlds that would have been accomplished are nullified, as is the life-force and sustenance that they would have received from the Source of Life, the Ein Sof , blessed be He. וכן בתפילין כשרות, מתגלים מוחין עליונים דזו״נ, שהם מקור החיים לכל העולמות So, too, through the use of valid tefillin there is revealed the Supernal Intellect of Zu”n, Za and Malchut of Atzilut , the source of life for all the worlds. ובדקדוק אחד נפסלין, ומסתלקין המוחין Yet through [the omission of] one required detail they are invalidated, and the Intellect departs. וכהאי גוונא בדקדוקי מצות לא תעשה The same applies to the detailed requirements of the prohibitory commandments — a single detail affects all the worlds. והלכך המתבונן מה גדלו מעשי ה׳ שבריבוי העולמות וכל צבאם Let one therefore ponder how great are the works of G‑d in the multiplicity of worlds and all their hosts, ואיך כולם בטלים במציאות, לגבי דקדוק אחד מדקדוקי התורה and how all of these are literally null, relative to any one of the specific requirements of the Torah, שהוא עומק מחשבה העליונה וחכמתו יתברך for it is the profundity of the Supreme thought and the Divine wisdom. אשר בדקדוק קל, עולים כל העולמות ומקבלים חיותם ושפעם, או להיפך, חס ושלום For through [the observance of] one minor specification, all the worlds ascend and receive their life-force and spiritual sustenance — or the reverse, G‑d forbid. In the case of a detailed requirement of a prohibitory commandment, transgression brings about (G‑d forbid) a descent in all the worlds. ומזה נתבונן גדולת עומק מחשבתו יתברך, שהוא בבחינת בלי גבול ותכלית From this we may ponder the prodigious profundity of G‑d’s thought, which is boundless and endless, ומעלתה לאין קץ ותכלית על מעלות חיות כל העולמות and which infinitely transcends the vitality of all the worlds. שכל חיותם שופע מדקדוק אחד ממנה For their entire vivifying power issues from a minor requirement of [G‑d’s thought], שהוא נמשך ממקורו, הוא עומק מחשבתו יתברך [this requirement being] drawn from its source, namely the depth of G‑d’s thought that specified it. כמו שער האדם הנמשך ממוחו, על דרך משל Analogously, man’s hair issues from his brain, וכנודע מהתיקונים והאידרא רבה as is known from Tikkunei Zohar and Idra Rabbah . וזאת היתה שמחת דוד המלך, עליו השלום, שהיה מזמר ומרנן לשמח לבו בעסק התורה בעת צרתו This was the delight of King David , may he rest in peace, as he sang to gladden his heart in his Torah study during his time of anguish. He was overjoyed when he contemplated how the entire world is of no account, relative to one minor specific detail of the Torah. The post Essay 06 – Part 1 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 06 – Part 2 49:11

7 years ago49:11

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Video is also available – click to open אך מה שהיה משתבח בתהלת התורה במעלתה זו, ואמר: זמירות היו לי כו׳, נענש על זה However, for extolling the Torah with this quality, saying, 13 “[Your statutes] were songs for me,” he was punished. ואמר לו הקב״ה: זמירות קרית להו G‑d reproved him: 14 “You call them songs?!” משום שבאמת, מעלתה זו, שכל העולמות בטלים לגבי דקדוק אחד ממנה For indeed, this quality [of the Torah], that all the worlds are nothingness compared to one detail of it, היא מבחינת אחוריים של עומק המחשבה is [but] of the hinderpart, the externality, of the profound Supernal Thought. כמו שכתוב במקום אחר בשם האריז״ל על מאמר רז״ל: נובלות חכמה שלמעלה, תורה This is explained elsewhere 15 in the name of the AriZal , on the teaching of our Sages, 16 “Torah is [merely] a shade of Supernal Wisdom.” אבל פנימית שבעומק, שהוא פנימית התורה, היא מיוחדת לגמרי באור אין סוף ברוך הוא, המלובש בה בתכלית היחוד However, the innermost core of the depth [of Supernal Thought], which is the innermost core of the Torah, is utterly fused with the [infinite] Ein Sof -light that is vested within the Torah in a perfect unity. ולגבי אין סוף ברוך הוא, כל העולמות כלא ממש, ואין ואפס ממש Relative to the Infinite One, all the worlds are as absolute naught, sheer nothingness, nonexistent. כי אתה הוא עד שלא נברא העולם וכו׳ For 17 “You were [the same] before the world was created, [You are the same since the world has been created].” Being of absolutely no account relative to G‑d, all the worlds effect no change in Him. והלכך גם לפנימיות התורה אין לשבחה כלל בתהלת חיות כל העולמות, מאחר דלא ממש חשיבי Hence, the internal aspect of the Torah too (which is wholly united with G‑d) is not at all to be lauded as being the animating force of all the worlds, for relative to the internal aspect of the Torah they are reckoned as nothingness itself. ובבחינת פנימיותה, אינה שמחת לבב אנוש ושעשועיו In this inward aspect of the Torah there can be no mortal heartfelt joy and delight, אלא, כביכול, שמחת לב ושעשוע המלך, הקב״ה, שמשתעשע בה but rather, in a manner of speaking, the heartfelt joy and pleasure of the King, the Holy One, blessed be He, Who delights in it. כי אלקים הבין דרכה, וידע מקומה ומעלתה For [only] 18 “G‑d understands its way, and knows its station” and quality בידיעת עצמו, כביכול through His self-knowledge, 19 as it were; knowing Himself, he also knows the Torah that is entirely one with Him. The post Essay 06 – Part 2 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 06 – Part 3 1:27:50

7 years ago1:27:50

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Video is also available – click to open Being of absolutely no account relative to G‑d, all the worlds effect no change in Him. והלכך גם לפנימיות התורה אין לשבחה כלל בתהלת חיות כל העולמות, מאחר דלא ממש חשיבי Hence, the internal aspect of the Torah too (which is wholly united with G‑d) is not at all to be lauded as being the animating force of all the worlds, for relative to the internal aspect of the Torah they are reckoned as nothingness itself. ובבחינת פנימיותה, אינה שמחת לבב אנוש ושעשועיו In this inward aspect of the Torah there can be no mortal heartfelt joy and delight, אלא, כביכול, שמחת לב ושעשוע המלך, הקב״ה, שמשתעשע בה but rather, in a manner of speaking, the heartfelt joy and pleasure of the King, the Holy One, blessed be He, Who delights in it. כי אלקים הבין דרכה, וידע מקומה ומעלתה For [only] 18 “G‑d understands its way, and knows its station” and quality בידיעת עצמו, כביכול through His self-knowledge, 19 as it were; knowing Himself, he also knows the Torah that is entirely one with Him. אבל נעלמה מעיני כל חי This, however, is 20 “concealed from all mortal eyes.” כמו שכתוב: ופני לא יראו, דהיינו בחינת פנימיותה, כמו שכתוב שם בשם האריז״ל As it is written, 21 “My Face — i.e., the innermost dimension of the Torah, its pnimiyut , as implied by the word panim — shall not be seen,” as is explained there 22 in the name of the AriZal . וזהו שאמר הכתוב: ואהיה אצלו כו׳ שעשועים Hence the verse, 23 in which the Torah itself is the speaker, “I was… a delight unto Him,” אצלו דוקא specifically “unto Him .” The order of the words in the original makes it clear that the Torah is G‑d’s delight alone. משחקת לפניו [Likewise, in the following phrase] which describes the Torah as causing G‑d delight by “playing before Him,” לפניו דוקא, דהיינו בבחינת פנימיותה the verse specifies the term “before Him” — lefanav, deriving from panim (“face”), which is related to pnimiyut (“inwardness”) — for this refers to the inwardness [of the Torah] that cavorts before the inwardness of the Infinite One. * * * The Alter Rebbe will now explain that this sublime level of Torah in which G‑d alone delights, descends to nurture the souls of the Jewish people. For this reason the Midrash calls the Torah uman (lit., “a craftsman”), one who skillfully nurtures a young child. ועל זה אמר: ואהיה אצלו אמון, אל תקרי אמון, אלא אומן כו׳ Concerning this [innermost level of the Torah] it is written, 24 “I was by Him amon (‘one who is nurtured’) ,” [and the Midrash comments], 25 “Do not read amon, but uman (‘one who nurtures’) .” This sublime and innermost level of the Torah descends to nurture Jewish souls, inasmuch as they transcend the world. The world, however, is vitalized not by this level of the Torah but by its externality. ועל בחינת אחוריים אמר: משחקת בתבל ארצו, ושעשועי את בני אדם It is with reference to the hinderpart (the external aspect of the Torah) that it is written, 26 (and in this verse the Torah describes itself as) “Playing in the world, His land; and my delights are with mortal men.” It is the external aspect of the Torah that brings delight to the world and to man. כי התורה ניתנה בבחינת פנים ואחור For the Torah was given in states of both inwardness and externality; כדכתיב במגילה עפה דזכריה: והיא כתובה פנים ואחור as it is written concerning the “flying scroll” of Zechariah , 27 “and it was written front and back.” Panim (“face” or “front”) is the root of pnimiyut (“inwardness”); achor (“back”) is the root of achorayim (“hinderpart”, i.e., externality). ולפי שתפס דוד בבחינת אחוריים Since David seized upon [and praised] the hinderpart [of the Torah], A term such as “songs” relates to the merely external aspect of the Torah that relates to the world and animates it. לכך נענש בשכחה, הבאה מן בחינת אחוריים he was punished with forgetfulness, which derives from an attitude of externality. A person does not forget things that are truly internalized within him, but only things which remain external to him. ונעלם ממנו לפי שעה מה שכתוב: עבודת הקדש עליהם, בכתף ישאו He thus became momentarily oblivious to the verse concerning the Ark, 28 “The sacred service is their duty; on the shoulder shall they carry it” — לחבר וליחד את הכתפיים, שהן בחינת אחוריים in order to combine and unite the “shoulders”, which are akin to the hinderpart, אל עבודת הקדש, היא חכמה עילאה, בבחינת פנים with the sacred service, viz., the Supernal Wisdom, which is also called “sacred”, in a manner that reflects inwardness. שמשם נמשכו הלוחות שבארון For this state [of inwardness] is the source of the Tablets in the Ark, כמו שכתוב: כתובים משני עבריהם כו׳ of which the verse states, 29 “Written on both their sides….” וכמו שכתוב בירושלמי דשקלים, שלא היתה בהן בחינת פנים ואחור And as explained in the Yerushalmi , Tractate Shekalim , 30 [the Tablets] did not have any front (panim) and back (achor) — they were entirely panim, signifying pnimiyut (“inwardness”). The purpose of carrying the Ark on the shoulders was thus to connect the external aspect of man with the inwardness of the Torah. עיין שם Study that reference (in the Yerushalmi ) well. Footnotes 1. II Shmuel 6; I Divrei HaYamim 13. 2. Bamidbar 7:9. 3. Sotah 35a. 4. Tehillim 119:54. 5. Sotah 35a. 6. Sotah 35a. 7. III, 8b. 8. Note of the Rebbe: “As is explicit in many sources, including Tanya , there are in fact six specific categories — mutar [‘permitted’], kasher [‘fit for use’], tahor [‘pure’], (and also, as in Tanya , end of ch. 52, patur [‘exempt’]?), and their respective opposites. It seems to me that the Alter Rebbe chose just these two categories [‘forbidden’ and ‘permitted’] because they embody a principle common to them all: assur [lit., ‘bound’] implies that something is held in the clutches of the sitra achra [and hence cannot be elevated to G‑d], while mutar [lit., ‘unbound’] is so called (as in Tanya [ch. 7; see also ch. 8]) because a permitted thing is free to be elevated.” 9. Tehillim 92:10. 10. Note of the Rebbe: “Cf. the end of Iggeret HaTeshuvah. ” 11. The Rebbe notes that the first example is a change that relates to the person; the second is a change that relates to the vessel; while with regard to “there was a separation” the Rebbe notes that “both of the preceding stages were done without any change.” 12. “Separation” (chatzitzah) can denote (e.g.) the intervention of a foreign body between the Kohen and (i) the vessel (Zevachim 24a, in the mishnah) or (ii) the floor (the Gemara there, 15b) or (iii) his vestments ( ibid ., 19a). 13. Tehillim 119:54. 14. Sotah 35a. 15. Note of the Rebbe: “See Iggeret HaKodesh , Epistle XIX.” 16. Note of the Rebbe (in Likkutei Biurim , Vol. I, p. 485): “ Bereishit Rabbah 17:5 and 44:17; explained in Etz Chayim, Shaar HaKlalim, end of ch. 1, et al.” 17. Text of the morning prayers, cf. Tanna Dvei Eliyahu Rabbah, sec. 21. 18. Cf. Iyov 28:23. 19. Rambam, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:10. 20. Iyov 28:21. 21. Shmot 30:23. 22. Note of the Rebbe: “See Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle XIX.” 23. Mishlei 8:30. 24. Mishlei 8:30. 25. Beginning of Bereishit Rabbah . 26. Mishlei 8:31. 27. The scroll referred to in Zechariah 5:1-2 is the same (see Rashi there) as that referred to — earlier in the Tanach — in Yechezkel 2:9-10, from which the above quotation is drawn. The Rebbe notes that an explanation is needed as to why the later reference is quoted. 28. Bamidbar 7:9. 29. Shmot 32:15. 30. 6:1. The post Essay 06 – Part 3 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 07 – Part 1 56:17

7 years ago56:17

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Video is also available – click to open Tzedakah , as we shall presently appreciate, sensitizes the Jew who practises it so that the superrational degree of Chochmah in his Neshamah is able to light up the innermost recesses of his heart. As mentioned in the introduction to Kuntres Acharon , the Rebbe observes that this is one of several Essays that would appear to belong more logically in Iggeret HaKodesh . The Rebbe also notes that the subjects discussed in this essay are elaborated upon in Likkutei Torah , beginning of Parshat Re’eh, and in the maamar beginning Amar R. Yehoshua ben Levi , BeChol Yom…, which the Previous Rebbe delivered in 5688 (1928). וצדקה כנחל איתן בעמוס, (סוף סימן ה׳) It is written, “…and charity like a mighty river” ( 1 Amos , end of ch. 5 2). The verse begins by saying that justice should become manifest like water that gushes into revelation from the hidden depths of the earth; it goes on to say that tzedakah (“charity”) should likewise reveal and maintain its intensity like the surging current of a mighty river (Heb.: nachal eitan ). פירוש: The meaning in spiritual terms is, כמו שנחל איתן הוא המשכה הנמשכת מבחינת איתן that [ tzedakah ] resembles a mighty river which issues from the state of eitan. “River” suggests a downward flow, in this case emanating from Chochmah , which is termed eitan . For this word, as is known, 3 has three meanings: “vigor”, “toughness”, 4 and “antiquity”. 5 All three meanings relate to the soul’s element of Chochmah , and are reflected in the tripartite written form of the letter yud (commonly representing Chochmah ), which comprises the basic point of the letter and its upper and lower tips. This level of eitan (Chochmah) flows down into the intellectually expansive “river” called Binah . שהיא בחינת נקודה בהיכלא In this state it is known in Kabbalistic terms as 6 “the point in its chamber,” This phrase can refer either (a), as above, to the seminal point of Chochmah being drawn into the broad chamber of Binah , or (b) to the essential self-nullification of the soul that derives spontaneously from Chochmah (which transcends the loving self-nullification that is consciously produced by the meditation exercised by Binah ) being drawn into the innermost point of the heart — the “chamber” for the issue from Chochmah . ותרין רעין וכו׳ and as 7 “two comrades [who are inseparable].” The continued existence of all creation depends upon the constant union in Atzilut of the Supernal Sefirot of Chochmah and Binah . The post Essay 07 – Part 1 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 12 56:40

7 years ago56:40

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Video is also available – click to open כמו ביום טוב, שחסד דאצילות, המלובש לגמרי בחסד דבריאה, מחיה עולם הזה הגשמי just as on the festivals, when Chesed of Atzilut , which is completely clothed in Chesed of Beriah , vivifies this physical world על ידי מעבר חסד דיצירה ועשיה by passing through the Chesed of Yetzirah and of Asiyah , הנקרא גם כן התלבשות this [passage] is also called investment, 64 שאם לא כן, לא היה פועל בגשמיות עולם הזה for otherwise it would not affect the physicality of This World. Thus, just as with regard to the festivals, though the animating light first passes through Yetzirah and Asiyah it is still considered to be an illumination of Chesed of Beriah , so too with regard to the laws: The light within the laws merely “passes through” the physicality with which they deal; it always retains a radiation of Supreme Wisdom. ואף שגשמיות עולם הזה ודאי מסתיר לגמרי אפילו החסד דעשיה Now though the physicality of This World as discussed in the law unquestionably conceals completely even the Chesed of Asiyah — and surely, then, it conceals the diffusion of Supreme Wisdom, מכל מקום ההלכה עצמה אינה גשמיות ממש still the law proper is not actually physical; שהיא בחינת רצון, הנמשך מחכמה עילאה, להקל או להחמיר it is the Divine Will, drawn from the Supreme Wisdom, for leniency or severity. G‑d’s wisdom affirms that it be His will that a particular legal ruling be either lenient or strict. רק שיורד ומאיר בבחינת גילוי בגשמיות, כמים היורדים ממקום גבוה כו׳ It is only that this [Will] descends and illuminates in revealed fashion in the realm of the physical, just as water descends from a high place, and so on. It is the very same water that is now to be found in a low place. והדבר הגשמי עצמו, שבו מדברת ההלכה, באמת הוא מסתיר לגמרי The physical object itself which the law discusses does, in fact, utterly obscure, כמו המחליף פרה בחמור, וכן בשר הפיגול, או לא פיגול וכשר as, for example, in the law of 65 “one who exchanges a cow for a donkey,” or the laws concerning flesh that is pigul , or is not pigul and is kosher . The actual cow or donkey or flesh do in fact completely conceal the radiance from the Supreme Wisdom. In contrast, it was stated above that when holding a physical etrog one is grasping the G‑dly essence of Atzilut . The difference lies in the fact that the etrog is part of the mitzvah . As such, it has no identity other than G‑dliness and thus does not conceal it. Since, by contrast, the physical cow or donkey are not part of the law, they can conceal G‑dliness. With regard to the human intellect, however, which studies this law, since the “intellectual” cow and donkey are part of the law, they in fact do not act as a concealment. רק ההלכה בעצמה, עם הטעם הנגלה, היא מבחינת מלכות דבריאה ויצירה דבחינת נשמה Only the legal ruling itself with its revealed rationale are from Malchut of Beriah (i.e., the reasoning of the Gemara ) and of Yetzirah (i.e., the rulings of the Mishnah ), of the state of Neshamah , שהוא אלקות, המחיה ומהוה נפש רוח דבריאה יצירה עשיה which is G‑dliness that vivifies and brings into being the Nefesh-Ruach of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah which are in the category of created beings, שהן דחילו ורחימו של המלאכים והנשמות וחב״ד שלהם, מאין ליש and which are the awe and love of angels and souls and their ChaBaD , i.e., the contemplation of G‑d’s greatness that leads to love and fear; — all this is created and vivified ex nihilo, as are all created beings. ולכן הוא מרוה צמאונם As to this radiation of Supreme Wisdom that descends through Malchut of Beriah and Yetzirah , in the form of Torah as it is found in those worlds prior to its descent below, it therefore slakes [the] thirst of the souls and angels in the Worlds of Beriah and Yetzirah , קודם שירדה לעולם הזה, כמים היורדים כו׳ before its descent into This World like descending waters…. 66 וגם אחר שירדה לעשיה, היא למעלה מעלה מבחינת חכמה בינה דעת דעשיה, אפילו דבחינת נשמה, שהיא אלקות Even after it descends into Asiyah , it transcends by far ChaBaD of Asiyah , even of the state of Neshamah , which is G‑dliness. For this is G‑dliness of Asiyah , while the illumination of Supreme Wisdom within the laws is the G‑dliness of Atzilut. והטעם: משום דחב״ד דעשיה דבחינת נשמה, הוא מקור החיות דחב״ד דנפש רוח The reason for this transcendence is that the ChaBaD of Asiyah of the state of Neshamah is the source of life of ChaBaD of Nefesh-Ruach ותולדותיהן והתהוותן מאין ליש עם תולדותיהן, עד סוף העשיה, היא הארץ וכל צבאה and their offspring, and their coming into being ex nihilo with their offspring, unto the ultimate stage of Asiyah , namely the earth and all its hosts. The ChaBaD of Asiyah (in the state of Neshamah ) is thus a source for created beings. אבל חב״ד דהלכות וטעמיהן, שבמלכות דבריאה ויצירה But as to the ChaBaD of the laws with their rationales, that are in Malchut of Beriah and Yetzirah , This level of ChaBaD is not a source of created beings; rather: ענין החכמה היא בתיקון פרצופי האצילות the function of the Chochmah [within them] is the rectification of the visages of Atzilut , שבהן תלוין כל טעמי המצות upon which are dependent all the rationales of the commandments — מצות עשה בה׳ חסדים, ומצות לא תעשה בה׳ גבורות [the rationales of] the positive commandments [depend] on the five attributes of Kindness of Za of Atzilut , and [the rationales of] the prohibitions in the five attributes of Severity of Za of Atzilut . ומשום הכי נמי כשירדו להתלבש בנבראים Therefore, even when they descended to be clothed in created beings, Even when the rationales for the laws, that essentially derive from visages of Atzilut , descended to become rationales for laws for created beings, — הן במלכות דבריאה ויצירה, דבחינת נשמה דוקא, שהוא מכלים דאצילות they are in Malchut of Beriah and Yetzirah of the specific [G‑dly] state of Neshamah , which is of the vessels of Atzilut — for the thirty vessels of Zu”n of Atzilut become a Neshamah for Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , ולא בבחינת נפש רוח and not of the degree of Ruach and Nefesh ; the rationales for the laws did not vest themselves within Ruach and Nefesh , which are created beings. The post Essay 04 – Part 12 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 13 1:00:39

7 years ago1:00:39

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Video is also available – click to open ואף דחב״ד דבריאה יצירה דבחינת נשמה, שגבהה מאד מעלתן על בחינת מלכות דבריאה יצירה דנשמה Now though ChaBaD of Beriah-Yetzirah of the state of Neshamah by far transcend Malchut of Beriah-Yetzirah of the state of Neshamah , for ChaBaD is the highest of the Sefirot of the world, while Malchut is the lowest, ואף על פי כן, הן מקור לחב״ד דבריאה יצירה של בחינת נפש רוח, שהן המלאכים still, [the ChaBaD of Beriah and Yetzirah ] are the source for ChaBaD of Beriah-Yetzirah of the state of Nefesh-Ruach, namely the angels. How do we then say that Malchut of Beriah and Yetzirah of the state of Neshamah cannot descend to become a source for created beings, when ChaBaD of Beriah and Yetzirah of the state of Neshamah that is far loftier than Malchut does serve as a source for created beings? לא קשיא מידי This is not a question at all. דבאמת המלאכים והנשמות אינן אלא מטפה הנמשכת מחב״ד דנשמה ליסוד ז״א, וניתן לנוקבא For in truth, the angels and souls that are created of ChaBaD of Beriah and Yetzirah are only of a drop drawn from ChaBaD of the Neshamah to the attribute of Yesod of Za , and then transmitted to nukva , i.e., to Malchut , ומשם יצאו בבחינת לידה and from there they (the souls and angels) went forth in a state of “birth” — a new entity resulted. Thus, this is not a mere emanation from ChaBaD , as is the case with laws, for such an emanation cannot in fact serve as a source of created beings. Rather, it resembles the drop that brings about a birth. For this reason it is possible that created beings should result even from ChaBaD of Beriah and Yetzirah . כי אף אם תמצי לומר שנבראו מהארת הכלים דנוקבא דאצילות, הרי הם היורדים ונעשים נשמה For even if it is proposed that they are created from the radiance of the vessels of nukva of Atzilut , nevertheless, they themselves descend into Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah and become Neshamah unto them. אבל עצמות חב״ד דנשמה מתפשט בו׳ קצוות דזו״ן But the essence of ChaBaD of Neshamah extends into the “six directions” of Zu”n, ושם הם שיתא סדרי משנה וגמרא and there they are the Six Orders of Mishnah and the Gemara — the laws of the Torah. The essence of ChaBaD thus descends specifically within the laws of the Torah, which are Divinity. Torah, in turn, descends within the level of Neshamah , which is also Divinity. The post Essay 04 – Part 13 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 14 47:53

7 years ago47:53

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Video is also available – click to open ומה שכתוב בעץ חיים ושער היחודים שעל ידי הכוונה נעשה לבוש נשמה As to the statement in Etz Chayim 67 (and in Shaar HaYichudim 68) that through intention a Neshamah -garment is formed, ועל ידי התורה: לבוש רוח דרוח דיצירה על ידי משנה, ורוח דנשמה דבריאה על ידי הגמרא and through Torah study, a Ruach -of- Ruach garment of Yetzirah is formed through [the study of] Mishnah , which derives from Yetzirah , and a Ruach -of-Neshamah [garment] of Beriah [is formed] through Gemara , which derives from Beriah: It would thus seem that Torah precipitates a garment of Ruach , which is a created being. יש לומר דהיינו דוקא על ידי תורת האדם בעולם הזה, העולה למעלה This can be understood as referring only to Torah studied by man in This World as it ascends above; it then becomes a garment of Ruach , since it derives from created man. אבל התלמוד עצמו, שניתן בסיני, הוא בנשמה But the Talmud itself that was given at Sinai, i.e., the Torah as it was given from above, is at the level of Neshamah , which is a degree of Divinity. ולכן הוא מברר הרוח Therefore it (the study of the Talmud ) refines Ruach . וכן במשנה דיצירה So too with Mishnah of Yetzirah : as it was given from above at Sinai, it too is of the degree of Neshamah . ואף אם תמצי לומר שגם הניתן מסיני הוא ברוח דבריאה יצירה Even if it be suggested that even what was given from above at Sinai is at the level of Ruach of Beriah-Yetzirah, Even so, it is not like an independent created entity, but rather like an emissary, who merely expresses the power of his principal. הרי נודע שכל מלאך שהוא שליח מלמעלה, אזי נקרא בשם ה׳ ממש, השוכן בקרבו it is known that every angel that is an emissary from above, is literally called at that time by the Name of G‑d, which then dwells within him. מה שאין כן כשאינו שליח, יש לו שם אחר כפי עבודתו However, when he is not a messenger, he has some other name according to his manner of service. ואזי קורא: קדוש קדוש קדוש ה׳ כו׳ Then he proclaims, 69 “Holy, holy, holy is G‑d…,” כלומר ששם ה׳ מובדל ממנו meaning that the Name of G‑d is separate from him, for the word kadosh (“holy”) implies separateness. We thus see that it is entirely possible for a created being to be called by the name of actual Divinity. וכן הוא ממש בבחינת התלבשות התלמוד בבחינת רוח דבריאה, והמשנה ברוח דיצירה Exactly this is the case with the investment of the Talmud in the Ruach state of Beriah , and the Mishnah in the Ruach of Yetzirah , Ruach being a created being: הם שלוחי ה׳, דהיינו כלים דנוקבא דאצילות they are messengers of G‑d, meaning vessels of nukva (Malchut) of Atzilut; החיצונים בתלמוד, והאמצעים במשנה the external vessels in Talmud , and the intermediate vessels in Mishnah . אשר המשנה והתלמוד שבהם נמשכים מיסוד אבא, המקבל מחכמה סתימאה דאריך אנפין, שבו מלובש אור אין סוף ברוך הוא For the Mishnah and Talmud that are within them (i.e., within the Ruach of Beriah and Yetzirah ) issue from Yesod of Abba (i.e., of Chochmah ), which receives influence from Chochmah Stimaah of Arich Anpin (i.e., from Chochmah of Keter ), in which is clothed the [infinite] Ein Sof -light. ונמצא שאור אין סוף, הוא שם ה׳, שוכן ברוח דבריאה יצירה עשיה, במקרא ומשנה ותלמוד The result is that the infinite light, namely the Name of G‑d, abides in the Ruach of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , in Scripture, Mishnah and Talmud . וכשהאדם לומד, ממשיך אור אין סוף ברוך הוא בעולם הזה And when a man studies [them], he draws forth the [infinite] Ein Sof -light into This World, להיות נכלל ובטל באורו יתברך so that it will be incorporated and nullified in the Divine light. כי זה כל האדם For this is all of man. 70 The entire purpose of man’s creation is to make the world become nullified in G‑d’s light. And this is accomplished through Torah study. וזאת היתה עבודת רבי שמעון בר יוחאי וכל התנאים ואמוראים בנגלה This was the spiritual service of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and of all the tannaim and amoraim who studied the revealed aspect of the Torah — להמשיך אורו יתברך, ולברר בירורי נוגה to call forth the Divine light within this world, and to effect the purifications of kelipat nogah, כל משך זמן הגלות, דשלטא אילנא דטוב ורע throughout the entire period of the exile, the time of dominion of the Tree of Good and Evil, for the life-force of this world derives from kelipat nogah, which is composed of both good and evil; כמו שכתוב: עת אשר שלט האדם באדם כו׳ as the verse states, 71 “The time that [the evil] man dominates the man [of holiness].” כי זהו תכלית ההשתלשלות For this is the ultimate purpose of the chain of descent which brings the worlds into being — שירד העליון למטה, ויהיה לו דירה בתחתונים that the One Above descend, and that there be a dwelling for Him among the nethermost creatures, כדי להעלותן, למהוי אחד באחד in order to elevate them, so that there be “one in one” — that the “one” of the lower level of Unity (yichuda tata’ah) of the Worlds of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah be similar to the “one” of the higher level of Unity (yichuda ila’ah). מה שאין כן עבודת המלאכים, דחילו ורחימו שכליים, אינה בבחינת המשכה כלל וכלל, רק הסתלקות כו׳ In contrast, the spiritual service of the angels with intellectual fear and love does not call forth G‑dliness [within the world] at all; rather it is a mode of departure alone…, for they are in a state of longing and self-nullification to G‑dliness. The true intention of creation is that G‑dliness be drawn down below, not a state of departure. ובזה יובן מה שנבראים מלאכים מאין ליש על ידי עסק התורה, אפילו שלא בכוונה Thus we may understand how angels are created ex nihilo through the study of the Torah, even without proper intent, שהוא בחינת רוח בלבד, שאינה אלקות כלל when [such study] is only in a state of Ruach , which is not Divinity at all. The intended state is Neshamah , which is Divinity. However, when the kavanah is lacking, and one’s study is merely at the level of Ruach , how are angels created ex nihilo, when such creation derives only from Divinity? אלא לפי שאף על פי כן, שם ה׳ שוכן וכו׳ Still, nevertheless, i.e., even though these words of Torah are studied without proper intent, the Name of G‑d does dwell [within them]. As explained earlier, even a created angel is called by the Divine Name at the time that he is carrying out his mission, because at that time G‑d abides within him. So, too, since G‑d abides within the words of the Torah, angels can be created ex nihilo. ודי למבין This will suffice for the understanding. (br/>(br/> Footnotes 1. Bereishit Rabbah 3:9. 2. Note of the Rebbe: “Examine there, Shaar 1, ch. 7.” 3. Peah 1:1. 4. Peah 1:1. 5. From the Introduction to Tikkunei Zohar which begins, Patach Eliyahu . 6. Cf. Yeshayahu 55:10. 7. Cf. Yeshayahu 55:10. 8. The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch , beginning of sec. 641, and sources cited there. 9. Devarim 6:5. 10. Shabbat 10a. 11. Shabbat 10a. 12. Note of the Rebbe: “As above: through Torah and mitzvot one draws down the Divine Intellect ( mochin ) and so on, within the Ten Sefirot of Za .” 13. Note of the Rebbe: “See Or HaTorah by the Tzemach Tzedek on Bereishit , Vol. III, p. 471, et al. ” 14. See Etz Chayim, Shaar Kitzur ABiYA, ch. 4. 15. Note of the Rebbe: “ Zohar III, 129a.” 16. Sotah 14a. 17. Moed Katan 9a. 18. Yechezkel 1. 19. Devarim 11:22. 20. ׳ Cf. Sotah 14a et al . 21. Bereishit 18:27. 22. Bereishit Rabbah 47:6; Tanya ch. 23. 23. Bereishit 2:9. 24. Yeshayahu 6:3. 25. Vol. IV in the present series, p. 376. 26. Shmot 33:22. 27. Note of the Rebbe: “Examine Iggeret HaKodesh , Epistle 19 [above].” 28. The brackets are in the original text. 29. The Rebbe explains that here the prefix ב in בנפשו does not mean “ in his soul,” but “ through his soul” (as in the verse, ויקח בידו — “He took by means of his hand”). 30. The parentheses are in the original text. 31. Shmot 33:22. 32. The parentheses are in the original text. 33. Note of the Rebbe: “Cf. the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim , beginning of sec. 98; Hilchot Talmud Torah 4:9.” 34. Note of the Rebbe: “Possibly the intent is p. 116b ff.” 35. Note of the Rebbe: “At its conclusion. This requires some examination, for there the text makes a point of enumerating seven [species].” 36. The parentheses are in the original text. 37. Avot 5:1. 38. The closing parenthesis has been relocated according to the Table of Glosses and Emendations. 39. See Iggeret HaKodesh , beginning of Epistle 20 (above). 40. Vayikra 7:37. 41. Menachot 110a. 42. Current Hebrew editions of Tanya read, “a great (רבה) and exalted mitzvah ,” which the Rebbe amends to read (as above) “a lofty (רמה) and exalted mitzvah .” This is how the phrase is quoted (and explained) in Likkutei Torah on Vayikra , in the discourse entitled VeLo Tashbit . 43. Devarim 4:39. 44. I Divrei HaYamim 28:9. 45. Devarim 6:24. 46. Tikkunei Zohar , end of Tikkun 6; discussed in Likkutei Sichot , Vol. XV, p. 42ff. et al. 47. Bereishit 36:31. 48. Devarim 8:3. 49. Bereishit 1:26. 50. Shevuot 48a, and sources cited there. 51. Tanya , ch. 2. 52. Shmot 30:23. 53. Note of the Rebbe: “On the forthcoming text see Or HaTorah, Parshat Acharei, p. 549ff.” 54. Note of the Rebbe: “Inspection of the manuscripts of Kuntres Acharon is required, for it appears that the text is incomplete and should read as follows: ‘…and equally in the case of Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah and the vessels of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah …in the vessels of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , in the state of….’ However, Or HaTorah gives the text as above.” 55. The brackets are in the original text. 56. P. 249a. 57. Shaar HaShabbat, ch. 7 of the Introduction, et al . 58. Devarim 3:23; Devarim Rabbah 11:9. 59. Bereishit 1:11. 60. Kiddushin 39b. 61. Note of the Rebbe: “See Or HaTorah, Parshat Shemini, p. 462ff.” 62. Bava Metzia 100a. 63. Tehillim 104:24. 64. Note of the Rebbe: “See Or HaTorah, Parshat Shemini, p. 470ff.” 65. Bava Metzia 100a. 66. Taanit 7a. 67. Shaar 49, ch. 5. 68. Ch. 2. 69. Yeshayahu 6:3. 70. Kohelet 12:13. 71. Ibid. 8:9; see above, Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle XXV. The post Essay 04 – Part 14 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 05 – Part 1 54:15

7 years ago54:15

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Video is also available – click to open The mitzvot requiring action were a major theme in Essay IV. There the Alter Rebbe explained how their observance extricates and elevates the sparks of holiness that originated in the World of Tohu and that are embedded in this material world, and thereby causes G‑dliness to descend there. The same, it was stated, is true regarding the study of the laws that govern the mitzvot . The Alter Rebbe went on to say that this applies as well to the prohibitory mitzvot , where one cannot apply the dictum that “it is considered as if one performed the command.” Moreover, Torah study remains valuable even with regard to the laws concerning situations that will never occur, even though there too we cannot say that “if one remained passive and did not transgress, he is rewarded as if he had performed a mitzvah .” Nevertheless, even in such cases, a Torah law draws down Supernal Wisdom within the world. In the Essay before us, the Alter Rebbe will state that although it would seem that purifications (beirurim) cannot be brought about when studying these types of laws (for one only draws down Supernal Wisdom), yet in point of fact, purifications do come about through this Torah study. Moreover, the reason for this is not that the Torah study leads one to observe a positive commandment or to refrain from transgressing a prohibition; nor is it that by virtue of his study he is regarded “as if” he performed the positive commandment or is rewarded for refraining from transgressing a prohibition. ולהבין פרטי ההלכות דלא שכיחי כלל Let us understand [how this applies to] the details of the laws that never occur at all, ואפשר שלא היו מעולם במציאות and possibly never actually existed, מכל שכן שלא יהיו לעתיד לבא and certainly will not come to pass in the Time to Come; כמו פרטי דיני פיגול, וכהאי גוונא for example, the detailed laws of pigul 1 and the like. How does the study of these laws extract, refine and elevate the sparks of Tohu ? הנה מודעת זאת שכל איסור שבעולם יש לו שרש ומקור חיים בקליפות It is known that every prohibited thing in the world has a source and a root of life in the kelipot . שאם לא כן, לא היה יכול להיות במציאות בעולם, בלתי השפעה עליונה Otherwise, it could not exist in this world, without the flow from above, i.e., without receiving vitality from a spiritual source. ואפילו המסלסל בשערו, וכהאי גוונא, מקבל חיותו ברגע זו מהיכלות הקליפות, כמו שכתוב בזהר Even one who crinkles his hair, and the like, receives his life-force at that moment from the spiritual chambers of the kelipot , as is explained in the Zohar . 2 והלכך גם פרטי האיסורים שלא באו לידי מעשה מעולם, בעולם הזה הגשמי Therefore even the particular prohibitions that never became practical issues in this physical world, מכל מקום שרשי חיותם הן במציאות בפועל ממש בהיכלות הקליפות still the roots of their life-force do actually exist in the spiritual chambers of the kelipot. וגם הפרטים שיוכל להיות שלא היו ולא יהיו לעולם במציאות Even the particular instances that possibly never did and never will actually occur, כגון טעות ושגגות, שטעה וקרא לתשיעי עשירי כו׳, וכהאי גוונא for example errors and unwitting misdeeds, like (when tithing) erroneously calling the ninth [sheep] the tenth, 3 and the like, דלא שייך במזיד, להיות קליפה שורה על זה the kind of eventuality that cannot be deliberate and thereby cause a kelipah to light upon it. ויוכל להיות דכהאי גוונא אינו במציאות בהיכלות הקליפות Possibly in these circumstances it does not exist in the chambers of the kelipot . How, then, does it possess a source and root in the kelipot ? הגה״ה מאדמו״ר בעל צמח צדק, זכרונו לברכה, נשמתו עדן: נראה לי מה שכתב ויוכל להיות, אלמא דלא ברירא ליה, היינו משום שהשגגות באות מנוגה, אם כן יש לומר דיש להם שרש בהיכלות דנוגה [ 4 Note inserted by the Tzemach Tzedek , of blessed memory: It appears to me that the Alter Rebbe uses the word “possibly”, implying uncertainty, because unwitting errors derive from nogah . It may therefore be said that their origin is in the chambers of nogah .] מכל מקום, על כל פנים ישנו במציאות, להבדיל, בחכמה עילאה שנתפשטה בפרט זה למשה רבנו, עליו השלום, בסיני In any event, it does exist if not in kelipot, then at least — keeping in mind the distinction between the sacred and the profane — in the Supreme Wisdom that issued and descended in this detail to Moses at Sinai, כמאמר: מה שכל תלמיד ותיק עתיד לחדש כו׳ [ 5as in the expression, 6 “Whatever teaching] any seasoned student will one day innovate… [was taught to Moses at Sinai].” וכל פרטי האבעיות דרבי ירמיה Likewise, all the detailed queries of R. Yirmeyah, who posed so many hypothetical possibilities that he was escorted from the House of Study, as the Gemara relates, 7 Obviously, his queries involved situations that were entirely unlikely to ever take place. 8 וכרכתו כו׳, פרק ד׳ דחולין and [detailed queries such as] “If she wrapped him…,” in ch. 4 of Chullin . 9 The question discussed there is whether a firstborn animal can be considered to have directly “opened the womb” (and hence be sanctified) in either of two hypothetical cases. According to Rashi , it is a question of what happens if the person assisting in the birth entirely wraps up the animal as it is born. According to Rabbeinu Tam , the question involves a multiple birth, with a cow being born together with the firstborn bull, and wrapping itself completely around it — something extremely unlikely to ever occur. Nevertheless, all these detailed queries were given to Moses at Sinai. כי התפשטות חכמה עילאה היא בחינת אין סוף, המלובש בה בפועל ממש For the extension of the Supreme Wisdom that is vested in the laws of Torah is infinite, since the Infinite is actually clothed in it. וכל פרט הלכה הוא שער נמשך מחכמה עילאה Every particular of the law is a gate drawn from the Supreme Wisdom דיסד ברתא, ומלובש בה which “founded the daughter,” and is clothed in it, Chochmah (the “father”) founded Malchut (the “daughter”). “ Malchut is the mouth, which we call the Oral Torah.” 10 Chochmah , then, is clothed in the laws of the Oral Torah as they are to be found in their source in Malchut of Atzilut . וממנה נמשך, ומתלבש בבריאה יצירה עשיה and from [Malchut], [Chochmah] is drawn and invested in Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah . The post Essay 05 – Part 1 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 05 – Part 2 1:16:03

7 years ago1:16:03

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Video is also available – click to open כי התפשטות חכמה עילאה היא בחינת אין סוף, המלובש בה בפועל ממש For the extension of the Supreme Wisdom that is vested in the laws of Torah is infinite, since the Infinite is actually clothed in it. וכל פרט הלכה הוא שער נמשך מחכמה עילאה Every particular of the law is a gate drawn from the Supreme Wisdom דיסד ברתא, ומלובש בה which “founded the daughter,” and is clothed in it, Chochmah (the “father”) founded Malchut (the “daughter”). “ Malchut is the mouth, which we call the Oral Torah.” 10 Chochmah , then, is clothed in the laws of the Oral Torah as they are to be found in their source in Malchut of Atzilut . וממנה נמשך, ומתלבש בבריאה יצירה עשיה and from [Malchut], [Chochmah] is drawn and invested in Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah . The Alter Rebbe will now conclude by explaining how this brings about the refinement of the sparks. ונודע כי יניקת הקליפות, מאחוריים דיו״ד ספירות דקדושה It is known that the nurture of the kelipot derives from the hinderpart of the Ten Sefirot of holiness, ובפרט, מלבושים דיו״ד ספירות דבריאה יצירה עשיה and more precisely, from the garments of the Ten Sefirot of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , ובפרט, דיצירה ועשיה המעורבים בקליפות and yet more precisely, [they derive their nurture from the garments] of Yetzirah and Asiyah that are intermingled with kelipot , The evil of the kelipot in the Worlds of Yetzirah and Asiyah is intermingled with the good. כנודע שיניקתם מבחינת הלבושים for, as is known, their nurture derives from the state of garments. ועל ידי עסק ההלכות בדבור ומחשבה, מתפרשים ומתפרדים מהקדושה Through the study of the laws, in speech and in thought, they become separated 11 and distinct from the sacred. כמו שכתוב בתיקונים ורעיא מהימנא: לאפרשא כו׳ Thus it is stated in Tikkunim and Raya Mehemna, 12 “To separate [ 13etc.] [the kelipot from holiness through Torah study].” How does Torah study accomplish the separation and refinement of the kelipot , when the issue of Supernal Wisdom originally in Torah was unable to effect this, and there came about the admixture of good and evil in the Worlds of Yetzirah and Asiyah ? והיינו כנודע ממה שאמרו: על שלא ברכו בתורה תחלה כו׳ This accords with what is known concerning the teaching of our Sages 14 (in answer to the prophet’s query, 15 “Why was the land destroyed?”) : “For they did not recite the blessing before Torah study….” The inner meaning of this is that the people of those times failed to draw down the infinite light into their study of the Torah (for ברך, the root of the word in the Holy Tongue that means “blessing”, signifies “drawing down”). Evil cannot be separated from good by the Torah alone: it must be studied in the proper manner. שהוא על ידי המשכת אור אין סוף בחכמה עילאה המלובשת בהן This [separation] is effected by drawing down the infinite light into the Supreme Wisdom clothed in them, in the laws of the Torah. ובחכמה איתברירו, באור אין סוף שבה Through Chochmah they are sorted out — through the infinite light that is within it, i.e., within Chochmah . This is equally true regarding the study of the laws of prohibitory commands, even those that most probably will never occur. For the Torah study itself accomplishes this purification. והמשכה זו נעשה על ידי דיוקן העליון של האדם, העוסק גם כן בהלכות אלו למעלה This [light] is drawn into the Supreme Wisdom by the supernal “likeness” of man, who is also occupied with these laws above, When a man studies Torah below, his source above engages in Torah study as well. בשרשו בנוקבא דז״א דבריאה יצירה עשיה in its source in nukva of Za of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah . ובזה יובן חיוב כל נפש רוח נשמה להשלים כל התרי״ג, במחשבה דבור ומעשה Thus we can understand the requirement 16 that every Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah fulfill all 613 commandments in thought, speech and deed, שהן פרטי ההלכות meaning the details of the laws, for thought and speech refer to the study of all these details. וצריכות לבא בגלגול להשלים התורה בפשט, רמז, דרוש, סוד They (any Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah that failed to complete a previous mission in this world) must be reincarnated to fulfill the Torah — in its simple meaning, allusions, homiletics and secrets, 17 כדי לברר כל הבירורין הנוגעים להם מכל הרפ״ח, שהיא קומת אדם שלמה in order to sort out and refine all that pertains to them from among the 288 sparks that constitute the complete structure of man, תרי״ג בחינות כלליות ופרטיות with the 613 categories, general and particular, that relate to each soul. אבל לעתיד לבא, כשיושלם הבירור, יהיה עסק התורה בבחינת עשה טוב לבד But in the Time to Come, when the refinement is culminated, the study of Torah will be in the form of “do good” alone, and no longer in order to separate good from evil. להעלות הנפש רוח נשמה מעלה מעלה עד אין סוף [Its purpose will be] to elevate the Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah ever and infinitely higher; וגם בשס״ה לא תעשה, בשרשן למעלה, שהן גבורות קדושות and also, with regard to [the study of] the 365 prohibitions, [to elevate them] to their source, the holy attributes of Severity, ולהמתיקן בחסדים ברמ״ח מצות עשה, ולכללן יחד and to “sweeten” them through the attributes of Kindness that are in the 248 positive commandments, and to fuse them — the attributes of Severity with the attributes of Kindness. ועל כן התורה כולה נצחית בכללה ובפרטה The entire Torah is thus eternal in general and in detail. I.e., including even all the detailed laws that have no practical application at all in the Time to Come. שגם פרטי ההלכות דשס״ה לא תעשה, הן הן ענפים מהכללות For even the individual laws of the 365 prohibitions are branches of the Torah’s general statements. ויש לכולם שרש למעלה, בה׳ גבורות דקדושה All of them have a source above in the five holy attributes of Severity, כמו השס״ה לא תעשה עצמן שהן למעלה, בחינת הדם המחיה האברים דכלים דז״א just as the 365 prohibitions themselves as they are above, in the state of “blood” that animates the organs of the vessels of Za . Footnotes 1. Vayikra 7:18; Zevachim 29a. 2. See Zohar I, 166b. 3. Bechorot 59a. 4. The brackets are in the original text. 5. The brackets are in the original text. 6. Cf. Megillah 19b; Yerushalmi, Peah 2:4; et al. 7. Bava Batra 23b. 8. Note of the Rebbe: “But see also Tosafot [which gives a different reason for his being asked to leave]. See also p. 165b there [where the Gemara states that R. Yirmeyah was reinstated in the House of Study because of problems which he solved]. Moreover, the Acharonim note that most of his queries remained unresolved.” 9. P. 70a. 10. Tikkunei Zohar, in the Introduction which begins, Patach Eliyahu. 11. Emended according to Luach HaTikkun of the Rebbe. 12. See Zohar III, 11b; 27b. 13. The brackets are in the original text. 14. Nedarim 81a. 15. Yirmeyahu 9:11. 16. Note of the Rebbe: “See also above, Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle XXIX; the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Hilchot Talmud Torah [1:4, and sources cited there].” 17. In the Heb. original, the last four words are abbreviated to בפרד״ס — “In the Pardess” (lit., “orchard” of the Torah). The post Essay 05 – Part 2 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 06 46:04

7 years ago46:04

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Video is also available – click to open מה שאין כן בכוונתו This is not the case concerning one’s intention while performing the mitzvah of the etrog . אינו משיג ותופס, אף היודע הסוד, אלא מציאותה ולא מהותה Here, even if he is familiar with the mystical [Kabbalistic and chassidic] meanings involved, he does not grasp and hold on to the essence (of Malchut of Atzilut , the source of the etrog ) , but only to the external fact of its mere existence. This is entirely unlike holding a physical etrog and performing the mitzvah with it, at which time one grasps the essence of the physical etrog together with its source in Divinity. אך בלימוד הלכות אתרוג, משיג ותופס האתרוג ממש ומצותו כהלכה, בבחינת דבור ומחשבה However, by studying the laws of the etrog one does attain and grasp the etrog proper and its mitzvah appropriately, by speech and thought. For here he is articulating or understanding or thinking about the laws of the physical etrog , whose essence he can grasp, and not its spiritual intent in the heavenly realms. וכל שכן, הלומד הסוד Even more so, he who studies the esoteric dimension of the mitzvah of the etrog according to the teachings of the Kabbalah and Chassidut . For here, too, we are speaking of the esoteric dimension of the physical etrog , whose essence he can comprehend, and not of the spiritual intentions of the mitzvah or, yet higher, the relevant configurations of Sefirot in the World of Atzilut . * * * אבל דוקא סודות המצוה This, however, refers only to [the study of] the Kabbalistic mysteries of the mitzvah itself, דלא גרע מלימוד הלכותיה, ואדרבה כו׳ for this is not inferior to the study of its laws; indeed, quite the contrary…, אף שאינו משיג המהות even though he does not apprehend the essence of the spiritual intent of the mitzvah as it applies to the visages of Atzilut . Moreover, his understanding of the essence of the etrog , the object with which the mitzvah is observed, grants him some comprehension of the essence of the mystical reaches of the subject at large. מה שאין כן בסדר ההשתלשלות It does not apply to [the study of] the order of Hishtalshelut , the chainlike stages of progressive self-screening whereby the Divine light descends from level to level until ultimately this corporeal world is created: אף אם משיג המציאות Even if one does comprehend the external aspect of the existence of the Sefirot and spiritual levels involved, לא עדיף מצד עצמו כלימוד המצות, שמשיג ותופס המהות this is not intrinsically as worthy as the study of the laws of the mitzvot , where one comprehends and grasps their essence. Knowledge of the various spiritual levels may indeed be superior for an unrelated reason, namely, that it leads to a “complete heart” ( lev shalem ), a wholehearted awe of G‑d — and this, as the Alter Rebbe will later say, is the purpose of all the mitzvot . Intrinsically, however, gaining this knowledge is not superior to studying the laws governing the performance of the mitzvot , whose essence he can understand. ומעלה עליו כאילו קיים בפועל ממש Moreover, this [study] is considered [in certain cases] the equivalent of actual performance, כמו שכתוב: זאת התורה כו׳ as it is written, 40 “This is the law [of the burnt offering and the meal offering…].” The Gemara comments on this, 41 “He who occupies himself with these laws is considered as if he had actually offered a burnt offering and a meal offering.” Mastering the revealed laws of the commandments is thus in one sense superior to delving into the innermost dimension (the pnimiyut ) of the Torah, on esoteric subjects such as the order of Hishtalshelut . For the study of the laws relates to the essence of the subject at hand, such as the physical objects with which the commandments are performed. G‑d’s wisdom, moreover, which is inherent in these laws, descends and permeates the physical objects around which the laws revolve. It is thus the essence of G‑d’s wisdom that the student comprehends, and thereby he becomes involved in the “wondrous union” described in ch. 5 of Tanya , whereby his mortal intellect simultaneously “encompasses and is encompassed by” the Divine wisdom embodied in the Torah which he is studying. This intellectual union in turn unites his soul (which transcends his intellect) with the infinite light that is vested in the wisdom of the Torah. The above is true only when he understands the essence of his subject. This is the case when he studies (for example) the laws regulating the observance of the commandments. If, by contrast, his subject is the hierarchies of angels in the Worlds of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , or, yet higher, the configurations of Sefirot within the World of Atzilut , then his grasp is no more than external: he may indeed be aware of his subject’s existence, but he will be unable to know its essence. * * * And now, all the above notwithstanding, the Alter Rebbe is about to point out the superior aspect of the study of Hishtalshelut . אלא שידיעת המציאות מההשתלשלות היא גם כן מצוה רמה ונשאה, ואדרבה, עולה על כולנה However, the knowledge of the existence of the Hishtalshelut is also a lofty and exalted mitzvah . 42 Indeed, it outweighs them all, all of the mitzvot and the study of the laws of the Torah. כמו שכתוב: וידעת היום כו׳ Thus it is written, 43 “Know this day […that the L‑rd is G‑d],” דע את אלקי אביך כו׳ and 44 “Know the G‑d of your father…”; i.e., there is an obligation to attain a knowledge or apprehension of Divinity. ומביאה ללב שלם כו׳ Moreover, this leads to a “whole heart,” for the latter verse concludes, “and serve Him with a whole heart”; i.e., a knowledge of G‑d leads one to serve Him with one’s entire being. The post Essay 04 – Part 06 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 07 1:08:45

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Video is also available – click to open ומביאה ללב שלם כו׳ Moreover, this leads to a “whole heart,” for the latter verse concludes, “and serve Him with a whole heart”; i.e., a knowledge of G‑d leads one to serve Him with one’s entire being. As explained in Likkutei Torah , in the discourse beginning VeLo Tashbit , this refers to serving G‑d with awe — and this is the ultimate intent of all the mitzvot , as the Torah states, 45 “G‑d has commanded us to perform all these statutes so that we may fear the L‑rd our G‑d.” And it is the study of the innermost dimensions of the Torah and a knowledge of the various spiritual levels which comprise the order of Hishtalshelut that enable one to fulfill the mitzvah of “knowing G‑d,” which leads in turn to the “whole heart” of “fearing Him.” Thus the Alter Rebbe concludes: שהוא העיקר And this is the essential thing: the wholehearted awe of G‑d is the ultimate purpose of all the commandments. As mentioned above, one can attain this state only through a knowledge of the order of Hishtalshelut , even though this knowledge is merely an awareness of its existence and not a grasp of its essence. והשגת המציאות הוא להפשיט מגשמיות כו׳ The comprehension of existence entails divesting [this subject] of any physicality…. In other words, one should endeavor to picture its spirituality . Hence, as the Rebbe has often stressed, one should study the innermost and mystical dimension of the Torah in such a way that one 46 “derives sustenance from it” (יתפרנסון מיניה) — viz., the “sustenance” derived from comprehension. And soundly-based comprehension can be secured only when this dimension of the Torah is studied with the intellectual elucidation afforded by the teachings of Chabad . רק שזו היא מצוה אחת מתרי״ג However, this mitzvah (of knowing G‑d and apprehending Divinity) is but one mitzvah of the 613, והאדם צריך לקיים כל תרי״ג and a man must fulfill all 613, לפי שהן השתלשלות המהות דחיצוניות דכלים דאצילות for they descend from the essence of the external aspect of the vessels of Atzilut , a source whose standing was explained above. לכך צריך להרבות בלימוד כל התרי״ג, וקיומן בפועל ממש, במחשבה דבור ומעשה, שהן בריאה, יצירה, עשיה Hence, one must extensively study all 613 mitzvot , and [hence] fulfill them in actual practice in thought, speech and deed — which parallel Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah respectively — לברר בירורין אשר שם in order to purify whatever needs purification ( beirur ) there. As previously explained, the extraction and elevation of the sparks exiled in the various worlds is the ultimate purpose of creation. The post Essay 04 – Part 07 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 08 1:01:19

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Video is also available – click to open ועוד זאת In addition: The Alter Rebbe will now state that beyond the above-discussed superior quality of mitzvot requiring action (as well as the study of their laws), they are also essentially superior to the source of the soul, by virtue of their source. Thus, the love and awe experienced by the soul, though spiritual in nature, pale in comparison to these mitzvot (even though they are performed with physical entities), not only because these mitzvot and the extraction of the sparks accomplished thereby are the ultimate purpose of creation, but in essence too they are superior to the source of the soul. שבאמת הבירורין שבבריאה יצירה עשיה מרפ״ח, על ידי תורה ומצות, במחשבה דבור ומעשה For the truth is that the purifications in Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah of the 288 [sparks of Tohu ] by means of the Torah and mitzvot that man fulfills in thought, speech and deed, גבוהין בשרשן מנפש רוח נשמה שבאדם are superior in their source to the Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah of man that possess the love and fear of G‑d. כי הן מס״ג שבפנימיות אדם קדמון For they derive from the Divine Name Sa’g of the internal aspect of Adam Kadmon , ונפש רוח נשמה שכבר נתקנו על ידי מ״ה הוא יוצא מהמצח, הארה בעלמא while the Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah that has already been corrected through the Divine Name Ma’h issues (i.e., this Name issues) from the “forehead” [of Adam Kadmon ], being a mere reflection [of it], but not of its essence. The Divine Names Sa’g and Ma’h are two of the four Names that echo the varying numerical values which result when the names of the four letters that comprise the Name Havayah are spelled out in any of four different ways. For example, one possible spelling entails the repeated use of the letter vav , while another possible spelling entails the repeated use of the letter alef . When the Hebrew names of the four letters yud and hei and vav and hei are written out with the full complement ( milui ) of the letter vav , the numerical equivalent of the letters used totals 63 (hence the Divine Name ס״ג). When it is written with the full complement of the letter alef , the numerical equivalent of the letters used totals 45 (hence the Divine Name מ״ה). The Kabbalah explains how the Name Sa’g is related to the World of Tohu , while the Name Ma’h is related to the World of Tikkun , which is inferior to it. The Alter Rebbe is thus stating here that the purifications of the action-related mitzvot find their source in the Divine Name Sa’g that derives from the internal aspect of Adam Kadmon , the primal Divine thought of creation that encompasses all subsequent stages and levels of creation. By contrast, since the souls of Jews derive from the World of Tikkun (lit., “correction”), the Nefesh or Ruach or Neshamah is of a level at which it was already corrected by means of the Divine Name Ma’h . And this Name is but a glimmer that derives from the “forehead” of Adam Kadmon . וזהו שכתוב: לפני מלך מלך כו׳ Hence it is written, 47 “…before a king ruled [over the Children of Israel ].” The verse reads thus: “These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before a king ruled over the Children of Israel.” The Kabbalah understands these “kings” as a reference to the Sefirot in the World of Tohu who reigned before (i.e., on a superior level to) “a king who ruled over the Jews,” i.e., the World of Tikkun , which is the source of their souls. For the World of Tikkun is merely a glimmer of Adam Kadmon , while Tohu (from whence derive the exiled sparks and their purification) stems from the Divine Name Sa’g , which is rooted in the internal level of Adam Kadmon . והאי טעמא שהאדם חי במזונות דומם צומח חי, ומבררן במ״ה שבו For this reason man is sustained by food of the inorganic, vegetative, and living classes, and purifies them by the Ma’h within him, Since the soul derives from the World of Tikkun and incorporates the Divine Name Ma’h , it is thereby able to extract and purify the sparks found within the inorganic, vegetative and living classes. וחי בהם and lives through them, Having refined these sparks that are found within the inorganic, vegetative, and living classes, and having drawn Divine energy upon them from their lofty source in Tohu , man in turn is then invigorated by them with an additional measure of spiritual vitality. לפי שהם מס״ג because they derive from Sa’g . But is it not paradoxical that man, who is so far superior to the inorganic, vegetative and living classes, should derive his sustenance from them? The teachings of Chassidut find the answer in the verse, 48 “Not on bread alone does a man live, but on all that comes forth from G‑d’s mouth does a man live.” It is not the physical, vegetative bread alone that sustains man, but the creative Divine utterance that is found within the bread. However, since man is provided with his ongoing existence by his own creative Divine utterance, viz., 49 “Let us make man,” why does he need to be sustained by the creative word that sustains vegetative growth (or, for that matter, the inorganic and living classes of existence)? The answer lies in the fact that the creative utterance that animates bread derives from a loftier source (the World of Tohu ) than the source of the creative utterance that animates man (the World of Tikkun ). In terms of the Divine Names, Sa’g transcends Ma’h . ועוד זאת Furthermore there is yet another reason as to why action-related mitzvot are loftier than the soul’s love and fear of G‑d, כמ”ש ופני לא יראו As it is written,– “My face i.e., my innermost dimension, My pnimiyut , as implied by the word panim — shall not be seen.” שפנימית העליון אינו יכול לירד למטה This means that the inwardness of a truly higher degree cannot descend below in a revealed manner, רק חיצוניותו ובחי’ אחוריים but only the external aspect and the hinderpart, שהוא נובלות חכמה עילאה Which are shades of the Supreme Wisdom. Thus the love and awe by which man connects with the Supernal attributes (middot) , which are the innermost essence of the Sefirot , cannot drawn down into the soul the innermost essence of these attributes, but merely their external attributes. The action-related mitzvot , by contrast, derive from the Netzach-Hod-Yesod — the external and revelatory aspect – the external and reveltory aspect – of the sefirot . The lower level can descend below in its essential and inward state in action-related mitzvot . ועוד זאת Another point in which the mitzvot requiring action are superior to the love and awe experienced by the soul: The Alter Rebbe will now explain that since love and fear are essentially spiritual in nature, they resemble the mere glimmer (and not the essence) of the master’s own intellectual illumination that he imparts to his disciple. In contrast, a physical seminal drop is capable of creating a child — it imparts the entire essence. So much so, in fact, that it is possible for the 50 “power of the child to outshine the power of his father,” so that gifts dormant within the father can become manifest in the child. The Alter Rebbe will now use this analogy to explain the difference between love and awe, which are spiritual, and the action-related mitzvot , which are physical. Love and awe are “illuminations” (orot) , like the illumination of intellect, while the practical mitzvot are “vessels” (kelim) that give forth the essence, similar to the physical drop that gives forth the entire essence of its source. שהרי הדבור מדברי חכמה עילאה אינו מוליד For verbalizing any phrase of the Supreme Wisdom does not procreate — imparting wisdom does not create any being ex nihilo , והטפה שנמשכה מהכלי דחכמה עילאה, יש בה כח המוליד ומהווה יש מאין whereas the drop drawn from the vessel of the Supreme Wisdom, like the drop that derives from the father’s brain, 51 has the power to procreate and bring about existence ex nihilo . וגם המשכת חכמה עילאה כלולה בה Also, a flow of the Supreme Wisdom — an illumination which is paralleled by a person’s capacity for wisdom — is incorporated within it (i.e., within the drop that derives from the vessel of Supernal Wisdom). והטעם, מפני שבה נמשך מהותה ועצמותה דחכמה עילאה The reason is that into it there is drawn the essence and nature of the Supreme Wisdom. All the above refers to the drop that derives from the vessels of wisdom. מה שאין כן בדבור ומחשבה This is not the case with thought and speech, where the intellect they draw forth does not possess the essence of the original wisdom, ואפילו בהשכלת השכל באיזו חכמה even in intellectual conception in any field of wisdom, Though this is a rarefied level of conceptualization, transcending even the subtle articulation sketched by “letters of thought,” nevertheless: הרי חכמה זו, רק הארה מתפשטת ממהות השכל שבנפש ועצמותו this wisdom is a mere reflection that extends from the essence of intellect in the soul. והארה זו היא רק לבוש למהותו ועצמותו של השכל Then, too, this reflection is a mere garment for the very essence of the intellect, והשכל הוא הארה ולבוש למהות הנפש and the intellect in turn is but a reflection and garment for the essence of the soul. Thus, the soul’s essence is not to be found even within intellectual conception — unlike the drop, which, though physical, comprises within it the essence of the soul, as the Alter Rebbe now goes on to say. מה שאין כן, הטפה נמשך בה גם ממהות הנפש ועצמותה המלובשת במוחין In contrast, there is also drawn into the drop something of the very essence of the soul which is clothed within the brain. ולכן מולידה בדומה לה ממש Hence it begets offspring precisely similar to itself, to the soul itself. וזהו ההפרש בין עבודת המלאכים היוצאין מנשיקין This is the difference between the divine service of angels, which are born of a spiritual kiss, and hence their divine service is likewise spiritual, להנשמות היוצאין מהכלים and that of souls, which issue from the “vessels” that contain an element of the “essence”, and which thus resemble the tangible product of the seminal drop which incorporates the entire essence of its source. According to the above, however, it would seem that within the love and awe of souls as well, there should be an element of essence — whereas we learned above that the love and awe of souls are likened to the mere reflection (and not the essence) of his own illumination which a master imparts to his disciple. The Alter Rebbe anticipates this query by explaining that since the vessels of Atzilut become a Neshamah to Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , there are therefore two forms of issue from the soul itself: one is a radiation , which is intellectual love and fear; the other is an issue of essence , that finds expression in action-related mitzvot . אך הכלים דאצילות נעשו נשמה לבריאה יצירה עשיה But the vessels of Atzilut become the soul of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah — and from this soul emanate two manners of issue. והלכך, דחילו ורחימו שכליים הן כמלאכים דנשיקין, מהארת חיצוניות דחב״ד בבריאה יצירה עשיה Therefore intellectual love and awe are comparable to the angels that issue from the spiritual kiss, which irradiates only the external aspect of ChaBaD — Chochmah , Binah and Daat , the three intellective Sefirot — in Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah . Though it derives from the vessels of Atzilut , it is still not of the degree of essence. והטעם, משום דפנימיות חב״ד ומהותו ועצמותו של אור פנימי אינו יכול להתגלות אלא על ידי הארת הכלים דוקא, היורדים למטה The reason is that the innermost dimension of ChaBaD and the essential nature of the indwelling light (or pnimi ) cannot be revealed except through the radiance of the vessels that descend below, כטפת האדם ממוחין as does the seminal drop of man issuing from the brain. וכמו שכתוב: ופני לא יראו As it is written, 52 “My Face — My innermost dimension — shall not be seen.” Not being manifest, it must therefore descend in a concealed manner, similar to the drop. The Alter Rebbe will now point out the superior quality inherent in the very service of action-related mitzvot in comparison to intellectually-generated love and awe. For the direction of the latter form of divine service is merely elevation (haalaah) , which causes a corresponding “elevation of the lights” above. The ultimate intent of creation is fulfilled not by this, but by the practical commandments, for their function is the drawing down ( hamshachah ) of Divinity to a state of revelation in this world below. The post Essay 04 – Part 08 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 09 1:00:01

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Video is also available – click to open ובר מן כל דין Besides all the above, 53 i.e., all the above-mentioned ways in which the action-related mitzvot are superior to intellectually-aroused love and fear, there is yet another superior quality to the practical mitzvot : אפילו בנשמה דאצילות, אף שהיא מכלים דאצילות Even in the case of a soul of Atzilut , though it derives from the vessels of Atzilut , וכן בנפש רוח, מכלים דיצירה עשיה and equally in the case of Nefesh-Ruach which derive from the vessels of Yetzirah-Asiyah, 54 הנה רחימו אולי צריך לומר: דחילו ורחימו שכליים שלהם מעוררים גם כן בכלים דיצירה עשיה בחינת העלאה ממטה למעלה, באתערותא דלתתא their intellectual love [ 55this should possibly read: “fear and love”], which themselves are a mode of elevation, also arouse in the vessels of Yetzirah-Asiyah a state of upward elevation, through an arousal initiated from below. וזהו בחינת הסתלקות לבד, חס ושלום However, this is a state of departure alone, G‑d forbid. The effect on the vessels is that they depart upwards and do not fulfill their purpose, just as love and fear that do not descend into expression in mitzvot are also in a state of elevation and departure. When love and fear do descend into mitzvot , they enhance the effect of the mitzvot in drawing down Divine light. אבל בחינת המשכה מלמעלה למטה, הוא על ידי מצות מעשיות דוקא, להמשיך אור בכלים But eliciting from above downward is effected only by means of the practical mitzvot , which draw light into the vessels, ובחיצוניות הכלים דוקא, שחיצוניות העליון יורד למטה, ופנימיות התחתון עולה למעלה and specifically into the external aspect of the vessels, so that the external aspect of the superior level descends, while the internal aspect of the inferior level rises. As created beings thus experience an upward-directed longing for the Divine, Divinity descends into this world. וזהו שכתוב בזהר, פרשת פקודי הנ״ל, דאית סדורא כו׳ This is the intent of the above-quoted Zohar in Parshat Pekudei, 56 that “there is an order [of elevation and an order of descent].” ושתיהן צורך גבוה, העלאה והמשכה Both are needed for the Divine purpose, i.e., for man’s spiritual service, the elevation and the elicitation, על ידי העלאת מין נוקבין מס״ג, בבחינת עובדא ומלולא by the elevation of mayin nukvin from the Divine Name Sa’g that is accomplished (by the elevation of the sparks) by deed and speech. וזהו תכלית ההשתלשלות, להתגלות אור עליון למטה This is the ultimate purpose of the downward progression of all the various worlds — that the supernal light be revealed below, ולא לעלות התחתון למעלה, שזה אינו אלא לפי שעה and not that the inferior level be elevated, for this [elevation] can only be momentary, until a further descent. ואף גם זאת, דוקא עליות הכלים לאורות עליונים And even so, when an elevation is necessary, this involves — not the ascent of the light, for that would be a move toward departure, but — specifically an elevation of the vessels toward the supernal lights. היא מעלת השבת ויום הכפורים This is the specific quality of Shabbat and Yom Kippur , at which time there is an “elevation of the worlds” (aliyat haolamot), where the vessels are in a state of elevation towards the supernal lights, אבל לא עליות והסתלקות האורות, חס ושלום, כמו שכתוב בפרי עץ חיים but not the elevation and departure of the lights, G‑d forbid, as is written in Pri Etz Chayim. 57 ונפש רוח נשמה של האדם, לגבי גופו בעולם הזה, חשיבי כאורות לגבי כלים The Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah of man relative to his physical body in This World are considered as lights relative to vessels. וכן דחילו ורחימו שכליים, לגבי מצות מעשיות So too are intellectual fear and love, relative to mitzvot of action; they, too, are considered as lights relative to vessels. ולכן התפלל משה רבנו עליו השלום תפלות כמנין ואתחנן, על קיום מצות מעשיות דוקא This is why Moses offered [515] prayers equivalent in number to [the Hebrew word] Vaetchanan, 58 asking that he be privileged to enter the Holy Land, specifically so that he could fulfill the practical mitzvot . Only in the Holy Land can the practical mitzvot be fulfilled in their entirety — and the fulfillment of the practical mitzvot is the ultimate purpose of the entire Hishtalshelut , for through them Divinity is drawn down to this nether world. והוא הדין לדבור גשמי של הלכותיהן So too as regards the physical utterance of their laws. For by uttering and studying the laws of the mitzvot with physical speech one also draws down the light below. The post Essay 04 – Part 09 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 10 1:03:00

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Video is also available – click to open אך להבין איך האתרוג, שהוא מרפ״ח שלא נבררו עדיין But let us understand how an etrog, which derives from the 288 sparks that have not yet been purified, Since this physical fruit derives its life-force from kelipat nogah, it contains some element of the 288 sparks of Tohu which have not yet been elevated to Divinity. וכן קלף התפילין and so too the parchment scroll of the tefillin , upon which the Torah passages are inscribed, ימשיך אור בכלים דזו״ן דאצילות, שכבר נבררו ונתקנו על ידי שם מ״ה, להיות בחינת אלקות can elicit light into the vessels of Zu”n of Atzilut , that have already been purified and rectified through the [purifying] Name Ma’h , so that they are a state of G‑dliness. הנה המשל לזה היא הזריעה והנטיעה The analogy for this is the process of sowing and planting. שהגרעין מעורר כח הצומח שבארץ The seed stimulates the power of growth within the soil, שהוא דבר ה׳: תדשא הארץ כו׳ עץ פרי כו׳ which is G‑d’s command, 59 “Let the earth sprout forth … fruit trees…” The actual growth is not from the seed but from the power of growth (as explained above in Epistle XX). The seed merely serves as an “arousal from below,” stimulating the particular aspect of the power of growth that finds expression within it. After the seed decomposes, this particular power becomes incorporated within the universal power of growth that is found in the ground. It then stimulates the power of growth within the earth to produce the same sort of fruit tree as the seed that was implanted. The essence of the power of growth is the Divine decree, “Let the earth sprout forth…,” which is the ultimate source of all vegetative growth. The G‑d-given ability of the seed to rouse the power of growth acts: על ידי העלאת מין נוקבין לשרשו through the elevation of mayin nukvin to its source. The seed, whose source is within the power of growth, serves as an “arousal from below,” from the recipient below to the benefactor. Although the seed that is planted can in no way compare to the power of growth, it can nevertheless arouse this power, for this is its source. ככה מעוררים הקלף והאתרוג עד רום המעלות, שהוא שם ס״ג שלפני השבירה In this manner the parchment of the tefillin and the etrog of the “Four Species” arouse unto the loftiest of levels; this is the Name Sa’g which precedes (and transcends) the shattering of the vessels, שהוא מהות ועצמות אורות שבאדם קדמון and which is the very essence of the lights of Adam Kadmon, As explained above, Adam Kadmon is the first visage and thought of the infinite light as it encompasses all of creation. Here is to be found the essence of the visage and not merely a radiation. Thus, the Divine Name Sa’g relates to the essence of the illuminations of Adam Kadmon. ולא הארה בעלמא, כמו שם מ״ה שממצחו and not merely a reflection, as is the Name Ma’h which issues from the “forehead”. All this is accomplished through the actual performance of the commandments of the tefillin and the etrog . וכן בלימוד ועיון הלכותיהן Similarly the study and careful examination of their laws, the laws regulating these mitzvot , מעורר בחינת חב״ד שבעשר ספירות דכלים דזו״ן arouses the Chochmah-Binah-Daat of the Ten Sefirot of the vessels of Zu”n, ועד רום המעלות, גם כן בחינת חב״ד שבס״ג דפנימיות אדם קדמון, היוצא דרך העיניים כו׳ and so upward to the greatest heights, including Chochmah-Binah-Daat of Sa’g of the inner dimension of Adam Kadmon issuing through the “eyes” [of Adam Kadmon ]. “Eyes”, signifying sight, denote an inner and essential level of Divinity, unlike the external aspect denoted by “forehead”. In summary, practical mitzvot performed with physical objects arouse their source unto the loftiest of levels, unto the Divine Name Sa’g , the level that transcends the “breaking of the vessels.” This is also true with regard to studying the laws of these mitzvot ; study likewise effects an elevation to this lofty level, for the study of a mitzvah is likened to its actual performance. What, however, happens when one studies the laws of prohibitory commands? One cannot say that this study too is regarded “as if he performed them.” Particularly so, with regard to those instances that do not occur in practice at all. For with regard to those that can occur, we at least say that 60 “if one remains passive and does not transgress, he is rewarded as if he had performed a positive command.” However, when the relevant opportunity does not occur at all, this obviously does not apply. Yet despite all this, it was stated above that one should study the laws to an even greater extent than one studies the order of Hishtalshelut , even though a study of the latter leads to a love and fear of G‑d! The Alter Rebbe now addresses this issue, explaining that there is a certain aspect of Torah study that is common to both positive and negative commandments: Simply studying a subject, even if it has no practical application, binds the individual to Supernal Wisdom, inasmuch as this is the source from which all the detailed laws emanate. וכל הנ״ל All the foregoing, i.e., as to how through observing the practical mitzvot and studying their laws one attains to the Divine Name Sa’g that transcends the “breaking of the vessels,” הוא במצות עשה, אבל לא בלימוד פרטי הלכות איסורי לא תעשה לכאורה concerns positive commandments, but not, it would seem, the study of particulars of the prohibitions, ובפרט בדלא שכיחי כלל particularly those that do not occur in practice at all, for in these cases we cannot even state that “if one remains passive and does not transgress, he is rewarded as if he had performed a positive command,” כמו פרטי הלכות פיגול, וכהאי גוונא for example the detailed laws of pigul and the like, which presently have no practical application. Why should these laws too be studied extensively, and in fact even more than one studies the order of Hishtalshelut , which can rouse one to a love and awe of G‑d? אך עוד זאת השוה בכל There is yet another common characteristic 61 shared by all the laws of the positive and prohibitory commandments, including those that have no practical application. כי כל דחילו ורחימו שכליים של המלאכים, הן בחינת נבראים מאין ליש For (in contradistinction) all intellectually-generated fear and love experienced by the angels are created ex nihilo, והן בחינת נפש רוח דבריאה יצירה עשיה and they are the (created levels of) Nefesh and Ruach (and not the G‑dly level of Neshamah) of the Worlds of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah . Now, if the intellectually-generated awe and love experienced by mortals can likewise not be compared to the study of the laws, why does the Alter Rebbe here choose to speak of angels? To explain: (a) The love and fear experienced by souls is different from the souls themselves, for souls are not actual created beings; (b) the love and fear experienced by souls is, after all, a mitzvah , while that of the angels is not. Thus the angels’ love and fear better stresses their created aspect, and this enables us to understand that even with regard to souls, the essential aspect of love and fear is a created entity. The laws, by contrast, are G‑dliness. The post Essay 04 – Part 10 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 11 58:28

7 years ago58:28

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Video is also available – click to open אבל פרטי ההלכות הן המשכות חכמה עילאה דהמאציל ברוך הוא, המלובשת בגשמיות However, the detailed laws of the various mitzvot are drawn from the Supreme Wisdom of the Emanator, blessed be He, which is clothed in physicality, within the physical objects to which a particular law applies, such as the law governing the case of 62 “he who exchanges a cow for a donkey,” and the like. והלבשה זו אינה כהלבשת חכמה עילאה בדחילו ורחימו שכליים This investment of Supreme Wisdom in the physical aspects of the laws is not similar to the investment of Supreme Wisdom in intellectually-generated fear and love, Supreme Wisdom is actually vested in all things, as is soon to be explained. This is especially so with regard to the love and awe which are aroused by intellectual activity, for the source of all such activity is Supreme Wisdom. In intellectually-aroused love and awe, however, the vestiture takes on a different form. דהתם הלבוש הוא מעלים ומסתיר לגמרי for there the garment conceals and completely obscures the Supreme Wisdom that is vested within it, כהסתר והעלם הארץ החומריית לגבי חכמה עילאה המלובשת בה just as the material earth thoroughly conceals the Supreme Wisdom clothed within it; כמו שכתוב: כולם בחכמה עשית as it is written concerning all created beings, 63 “All of them You made with Wisdom.” Supreme Wisdom is thus vested within all physical things as well, even the earth — which, however, completely conceals it, just as intellectually-aroused love and awe conceal the Supreme Wisdom vested in them. והיינו, חיצוניות דחיצוניות דכלים דמלכות דאצילות שבעשיה, שהיא מסותרת לגמרי ברוח נפש דעשיה This [Supreme Wisdom] is the externality of the externality of the vessels of Malchut of Atzilut found in Asiyah , that is absolutely hidden in the Ruach-Nefesh of Asiyah. Malchut of Atzilut with the externality of the externality of its vessels is wholly concealed in Ruach-Nefesh of Asiyah . Malchut of Atzilut itself, even the externality of the externality of its vessels, belongs to the realm of the Neshamah and of Divinity proper — yet it is entirely hidden within Nefesh-Ruach, which belongs to the realm of created beings. Since Supreme Wisdom is vested in Malchut of Atzilut , and Malchut of Atzilut illumines Asiyah with its Ten Sefirot , containing as they do the element of Wisdom as well, we thus have Supreme Wisdom entirely concealed within the physical earth. וכן בבריאה היא מסותרת לגמרי ברוח נפש So too in Beriah it is completely hidden in the Ruach-Nefesh [of Beriah ], שהם בחינת נבראים בהסתר והעלם הבורא מהנברא which are beings that are created by the concealment and hiding of the Creator from the created. We thus have here an element of Supreme Wisdom concealed within intellectually-aroused love and fear, the source of which is the World of Beriah , the realm of comprehension. מה שאין כן ההלכות, הרי הארת החכמה מאירה בהן בגילוי This is not so, however, with regard to the laws, in which a radiance of Wisdom illuminates them manifestly; they do not conceal it. ולבוש העשיה הוא דרך מעבר לבד The garment of Asiyah serves merely as a passage, Though the laws vested in the physical things of this world (the physical World of Asiyah ) are thus subject to the concealment that pervades Asiyah , they are not garbed in it to the point that the garment essentially affects the wearer, for they merely pass through the garment of Asiyah . The post Essay 04 – Part 11 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 03 36:55

7 years ago36:55

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Video is also available – click to open והנה במקום אחר כתב שרמ״ח מצות עשה הן בה׳ חסדים Now, in one source 13 it is written 14 that the 248 positive commandments are [rooted] in the Five Attributes of Kindness of Za of Atzilut , for every positive command serves as a vessel to receive an expression of the kindly attributes and a calling forth of Divinity, ושס״ה לא תעשה בה׳ גבורות וכו׳ and the 365 prohibitions are [rooted] in the Five Attributes of Severity of Za of Atzilut . The Gevurot (the attributes of severity) reflect a Divine thrust to self-contraction and limitation. The prohibitory commands thus derive from them, since the intent of these commands is to withhold the efflux of holiness from kelipot . ובמקום אחר כתב שהן תרי״ג ארחין נמשכין מחד ארחא כו׳ Elsewhere it is written 15 that there are 613 paths (i.e., the 613 mitzvot) that derive from one path…, שהוא לבנונית וכו׳ which is the Lavnunit …, the benevolent pristine “whiteness” of the Supernal Keter . This level includes no element of severity at all. As the Zohar states there, “There is no ‘left’ in Atik ” — i.e., there is no element of Gevurah in the internal level of Keter ; there is only Chesed . We thus seem to have a compound contradiction: We have just stated here that the 248 positive commandments stem from the vessels of the Ten Sefirot of Za ; the Zohar states that the 248 positive commandments stem from the Five Chasadim (attributes of kindness) of Za while the 365 prohibitory commandments stem from the Five Gevurot (attributes of severity) of Za ; and the Zohar states elsewhere that the commandments derive from the Lavnunit of the Supernal Keter , where attributes of severity do not exist at all. אך הענין, שכל המצות לתקן רמ״ח אברי ז״א, על ידי המשכת אור אין סוף ברוך הוא במוחין, הכלולין בה׳ חסדים וה׳ גבורות The explanation is: All the mitzvot are designed to rectify the 248 organs of Za , by drawing the [infinite] Ein Sof -light into the [Divine] Intellect as incorporated within the Five Attributes of Kindness and Five Attributes of Severity. (In mortal man, too, by way of analogy, one’s intellectual decisions are commonly swayed by a natural leaning to kindness or severity.) Since the purpose of mitzvot is to “repair” the 248 organs of Za , it is true to say that mitzvot are rooted in the vessels of the Sefirot that constitute Za . Since the repair is accomplished through drawing the infinite light into the Divine Intellect that is housed in the Five Attributes of Kindness and the Five Attributes of Severity, it is also sometimes said that the mitzvot themselves are rooted in the Five Attributes of Kindness and the Five Attributes of Severity. ומקור המוחין הוא לבנונית כו׳ The source of the [Divine] Intellect is the Lavnunit [of Keter ], הוא הענג וחפץ העליון להמשיך אור למטה, לרמ״ח אברין דז״א which is the supreme delight and desire to draw the light below into the 248 organs of Za , for relative to Keter , Za is deemed “below”. Thus the Zohar also says elsewhere that the commandments are rooted in the level of Supernal Keter called Lavnunit , where there are no attributes of severity whatever, for this is the source of mitzvot as they exist in the supreme delight and desire of Keter . The post Essay 04 – Part 03 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 04 59:38

7 years ago59:38

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Video is also available – click to open ומקור המוחין הוא לבנונית כו׳ The source of the [Divine] Intellect is the Lavnunit [of Keter ], הוא הענג וחפץ העליון להמשיך אור למטה, לרמ״ח אברין דז״א which is the supreme delight and desire to draw the light below into the 248 organs of Za , for relative to Keter , Za is deemed “below”. Thus the Zohar also says elsewhere that the commandments are rooted in the level of Supernal Keter called Lavnunit , where there are no attributes of severity whatever, for this is the source of mitzvot as they exist in the supreme delight and desire of Keter . ומתחלקת ההמשכה לתרי״ג המשכות פרטיות, לפי בחינת ערך המצות The light drawn forth divides into 613 individual streams according to the respective levels of the mitzvot . כגון בצדקה וגמילות חסדים, נמשך אור אין סוף ברוך הוא לחיצוניות הכלי דחסד דז״א For instance, through charity and kindly deeds the [infinite] Ein Sof -light is drawn into the external aspect of the vessel of the Attribute of Kindness of Za , Since “ Chesed is of the right side” of Za , a kindly act of charity in this world below draws down the infinite light into the corresponding “right side” above — into the Attribute of Kindness of Za . Just as this “arousal from below” sprang from kindness, so too the reciprocal “arousal from above” comes as a direct and similar response, drawing down the infinite light into the Chesed of Za . ובקיום הדינין, בחיצוניות גבורה ברחמים כו׳ while through observing mitzvot that are in the order of severity, [the infinite light is drawn] into the external aspect of Severity [of Za ], with mercy…. ודרך ומעבר ההמשכה הוא על ידי פנימיות הכלים ומוחותיהן The path and passage of the issuing light that is drawn into the external vessels of Za is through the internal aspect of the vessels and their Intellects, שהן דחילו ורחימו שכליים או טבעיים which are, in terms of a Jew’s service, awe and love, either intellectually generated or innate. (Whereas the former is an expression of intellect, the latter is an expression of the spiritual emotions.) שהן בחינת מוחין דקטנות וגדלות These [attributes] correspond, in terms of the Supernal Sefirot , to the “major” or “minor” [Divine] Intellect. The “minor [Divine] Intellect” corresponds to man’s innate love and fear of G‑d, while the “major [Divine] Intellect” corresponds to the love and fear of G‑d that are born of meditation. ולזה ביקש משה רבינו עליו השלום מאד, לקיים המצות מעשיות התלויות בארץ This is the reason for Moses ’ fervent plea to fulfill the active mitzvot that are contingent on the Land, 16 i.e., that can be fulfilled only in the Holy Land. שהן תכלית ההשתלשלות For these [practical mitzvot ] are the ultimate purpose of the Hishtalshelut , the chainlike stages of progressive self-screening whereby the Divine light descends from level to level until ultimately this corporeal world is created — להמשיך אור אין סוף ברוך הוא, לברר הכלים דז״א דבריאה יצירה עשיה, דבהן הן הרפ״ח ניצוצין to call forth the [infinite] Ein Sof -light, in order to refine the vessels of Za of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , in which are located the 288 sparks. על ידי תורה ומצות מעשיות שבבריאה יצירה עשיה דוקא [And this purification is effected] exclusively through Torah study and mitzvot requiring action, in Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah . Since this is the purpose of all of creation, and the mitzvot can be fully performed only in the Holy Land, Moses fervently desired to enter it so that he would be able to perform them in the most complete manner possible. From all the above we understand why the extraction and refinement of sparks is primarily accomplished through prayer, even though the study of Torah is loftier than prayer. For prayer involves the elevation of the sparks of Tohu to their most supreme source there, and from there even higher to the Ein Sof . As the Alter Rebbe will soon explain, this is so specifically in contemporary times because the loftier souls of earlier generations could accomplish this speedily, merely by reciting the Shema with its introductory blessings and selections from the Verses of Praise. In our days, however, when such lofty souls are not to be found, the task of beirur must come about through prayer. * * * והנה לקיום מצוה שאי אפשר לעשות על ידי אחרים, מבטלין תלמוד תורה, ואפילו מעשה מרכבה To perform a mitzvah that cannot be delegated to another one forgoes Torah study, 17 even [the study of] maaseh merkavah , the sublime Kabbalistic mysteries of the celestial “Chariot”, 18 וכל שכן תפלה, שהיא בחינת מוחין ודחילו ורחימו שכליים and beyond question one forgoes prayer, which is the state of intellect and intellectually-generated awe and love. והטעם כנ״ל The reason is as we have noted; i.e., in order to extract and refine the sparks by means of the practical mitzvot , this being the purpose of creation. ועוד זאת, שבאמת מאד גדלה וגבהה מעלות המצות מעשיות, וכן לימודם, על מעלת המוחין, שהן דחילו ורחימו שכליים In addition, indeed, the standing of the practical mitzvot and their study, far transcends the standing of intellect, meaning intellectually-generated awe and love. The mitzvot requiring action are superior — in their performance and in the study of their laws — not only because they fulfill the ultimate purpose of creation through the extraction of the sparks, but also because they bond the soul with G‑d. כי הגם דכתיב: ולדבקה בו, על ידי מדותיו For though the verse declares, 19 “and to cleave to Him,” i.e., through [cleaving to] His attributes ( middot ), 20 When one acts in a kindly manner, for example, he cleaves to the Supernal Sefirah of Chesed — and the Sefirot are wholly one with G‑d. מכל מקום, איננו דבק אפילו במדות העליונות אלא במציאותן, ולא במהותן still, one does not cleave to the essence ( mahut ) of the Supernal attributes but only to [the externality of] their existence ( metziut ) , וכמו שכתוב: ואנכי עפר ואפר as it is written, 21 “I am dust and ashes.” This was stated by Abraham with regard to the glimmer of his soul that illuminated his body, in comparing it to its source — an irradiation of Supernal Kindness, as explained above at length in Epistle XV, in the name of the Maggid of Mezritch . Abraham experienced such an intense degree of love (deriving from the attribute of Chesed ) toward G‑d, that he was a “chariot”, a vehicle humbly waiting to be steered by the hands of its Driver. 22 Nevertheless, he declared that his measure of love for G‑d was but “dust and ashes” relative to the Supernal attribute of Chesed . To appreciate the analogy: A tree, originally composed of the four elements of Fire, Air, Water and Earth, is burned. Losing its first three elements in smoke, it is reduced to its fourth element, mere ashes. Yet, though these ashes and the tree itself are of the same element, the ashes can hardly be compared to the original tree that was 23a “beautiful to behold and good to eat.” So, too, the attribute of kindness and love that Abraham possessed while his soul was in his body, cannot be compared to the attribute of Kindness which is one of the Supernal Sefirot . It is thus to be seen that one does not cleave to the essence of the Supernal attributes but only to their external state, their state of mere existence. The post Essay 04 – Part 04 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 05 1:04:18

7 years ago1:04:18

1:04:18

Video is also available – click to open וכל שכן באור אין סוף ברוך הוא, דלית מחשבה תפיסא ביה באורו והתפשטות החיות ממנו יתברך This is all the more true with regard to the [infinite] Ein Sof -light, for no thought can apprehend Him in His radiance or the diffusion of the life-force issuing from Him. כי אם במציאותו, שהוא שמחיה את כולם, ולא במהותו One can only grasp His existence, that He gives life to all, but not His essence. אפילו לעליונים, כמו שכתוב: קדוש קדוש קדוש ה׳ צבאות כו׳ This applies even to the supernal beings, of [whose praise] it is written, 24 “Holy, holy, holy is the L‑rd of Hosts.” The above phrase is uttered by the Seraphim, angels of the World of Beriah . They perceive that even as G‑d descends to relate to created beings so that He is called the “L‑rd of Hosts,” He is kadosh (“holy”), a term which implies that He is separate from them. לבד עלולים נאצלים משיגים כי אם בעילתו Only emanated “effects” can conceive their “cause”, The spiritual beings of the World of Atzilut are each an “effect” ( alul ) brought about by a “cause” ( ilah ) in the levels higher than themselves. These beings vest themselves in each other in turn, and at each level are able to comprehend the antecedent “cause” that is vested within them, כפי הסדר שבעץ חיים, בהתלבשות הפרצופים according to the order recounted in Etz Chayim , concerning the investment of the visages ( partzufim ) . Etz Chayim explains how the “visages” of the Supernal Sefirot of Atzilut vest themselves in each other. Each “effect” is able to comprehend its “cause” — the “visage” that is garbed within it. אבל לא לנבראים, אפילו לנשמות דאצילות This is not the case with created beings, even with souls of Atzilut , Though the souls of Atzilut are Divinity, still, since they have become sundered from the vessels of the Ten Sefirot (as explained above in Epistle XX 25), they are termed “created beings” and are unable to apprehend the essence of G‑dliness. כמו שכתוב במשה רבינו עליו השלום: וראית את אחורי כו׳ Thus it is written regarding Moses, 26 “You will see My hinderpart” — an external manifestation 27 of the mere existence ( metziut ) of Divinity, but not the essence ( mahut ). Thus, through the vision of his soul alone, as the soul gazes upon G‑d without the benefit of mitzvot , even Moses could apprehend no more than externality, not essence. * * * The performance of mitzvot , however, as the Alter Rebbe will now explain, connects a Jew with the essence of Divinity. When he holds an etrog together with the other three kinds of vegetation and fulfills the mitzvah of the “Four Species” on Sukkot , he is holding on to the essence of Divinity. And so too with regard to all the practical mitzvot . מה שאין כן מעשה המצות, מעשה אלקים המה הנה But as to the performance of mitzvot , these are the works of G‑d, unlike other worldly actions, from which Divinity is utterly concealed. The Alter Rebbe now explains how this comes about: בדרך השתלשלות מכלים דאצילות לבריאה יצירה עשיה, ממהותן ועצמותן דחיצוניותן In the process of the chain of descent from the vessels of Atzilut to Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , for the vessels of Atzilut that descend into these worlds are the Divinity of these worlds, from the very nature and essence of their external aspect — כמו, על דרך משל, אתרוג ומיניו as, for example, within the etrog and its “kinds” — הלביש בהן הקב״ה ממהותן ועצמותן דחסדים [פנימית] [פנימים] דז״א the Holy One, blessed be He, clothed something of the very nature and essence of the [ 28internal] attributes of Kindness of Za , והיינו מבחינת חיצוניותן meaning from their outward state, from the external aspect of these internal attributes, כנודע בכל מצות מעשיות as is known in the case of all mitzvot requiring action. מה שאין כן האדם Man, by contrast, who by means of his intellect or spiritual emotions can attain intellectually-generated love and fear, אפילו יש לו נשמה דאצילות even if he possesses a soul of Atzilut , מאחר שמלובשת בגוף yet since it is clothed in a body, לא יוכל למצוא בנפשו ולהשיג מהותן ועצמותן של פנימית החסדים דז״א דאצילות cannot detect and apprehend through 29 his soul the nature and essence of the inward attributes of Kindness of Za of Atzilut . (כי האצילות היא בחינת חיה בכללות העולמות, אצילות בריאה יצירה עשיה ( 30For in general terms Atzilut represents the state of Chayah in the Four Worlds of Atzilut , Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , Specifically, each of the Four Worlds possesses all four soullevels of Nefesh , Ruach , Neshamah and Chayah . In a general sense, however, each of these Four Worlds corresponds to one of these levels. Asiyah corresponds to Nefesh ; Yetzirah — to Ruach ; Beriah — to Neshamah ; and Atzilut corresponds to Chayah . שהיא בחינת מקיף מלמעלה, ואינה מתלבשת בכלי כלל) and [ Chayah ] denotes encompassing transcendence, not being vested within any vessel whatever.) Unlike the soul-level in man called Neshamah , which reflects his power of comprehension, or Ruach , which reflects his spiritual emotions, and so on, each of these soul-levels having their specific “location” within the body, Chayah is a transcendent soul-level that encompasses the individual from above. So, too, with regard to the worlds, Chayah (paralleled by the World of Atzilut ) is the spiritual level that encompasses from above and does not vest itself at all within a vessel. Thus, a person living within a body cannot possibly apprehend the essence of an entity at the level of Atzilut . כי אם מציאותן, על ידי דחילו ורחימו שכליים [With regard to the internal attributes of Kindness of Za , man is able to apprehend] only their existence, through intellectually-generated awe and love. ומה שכתוב: וראית את אחורי, הוא בדרך נבואה דוקא As to the statement, 31 “You shall see my hinderpart” — and seeing penetrates to the essence of a matter — this refers only to prophecy. (שהוא התפשטות הגשמיות, כמו שכתוב ברעיא מהימנא, פרשת משפטים) ( 32For prophecy entails divestment of the physical, 33 as explained in Ra’aya Mehemna, Parshat Mishpatim . 34) Thus, Moses’ apprehension of the essence of Divinity resulted from a state of prophecy that entails divestment from the physical. Through other, non-prophetic means, it is impossible for the soul to apprehend the essence of any of the levels of Atzilut . והטעם, היינו לפי שאי אפשר לנברא להשיג כלום במהות האלקות, שהוא הבורא This, then, is the reason: No created being is capable of grasping anything whatsoever of the essence of Divinity, the Creator. ובלי השגה, אין זו הלבשה ותפיסא ודביקות אמיתית And without comprehension there is no real investiture, or grasping, or cleaving. Man is thus incapable of truly cleaving to G‑d’s attributes, i.e., the attributes of Atzilut . In light of the above it is clear that the love and fear of G‑d that a Jew generates through meditation during prayer, grasps and cleaves to no more than the external aspect of the existence of Divinity, and not His essence. מה שאין כן האתרוג, על דרך משל, חיותו נמשכה ונשתלשלה ממהות חיצוניות דכלים דנוקבא דז״א דאצילות However, as to the etrog by way of example, its life is drawn and descends from the very essence of the outer aspect of the vessels of nukva of Za of Atzilut , שהוא בחינת אלקות which is truly a state of Divinity, כמו שכתוב בעץ חיים, שכל הפירות הן באצילות as stated in Etz Chayim , 35 that all the fruits are [rooted] in Atzilut . כי למ״ד כלים דאצילות ירדו לבריאה יצירה עשיה For the thirty vessels of Atzilut descended into Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah in order to become the Divinity of those Worlds (והן יו״ד מאמרות שבהן נברא העולם ( 36and these are the Ten Utterances 37 by which the world was created על ידי התלבשות בנוקבא דעשיה, מהות במהות) through enclothement in nukva of Asiyah , essence in essence). 38 The essence of the vessels of Malchut of Atzilut vests itself in the essence of Malchut of Asiyah , which is the source of all created beings of that world. Included among them are the fruits of that world, such as the etrog . While the G‑dliness found in other physical matters is concealed, in an object used for a mitzvah it is manifest, as explained in Tanya , ch. 23. כי הכלים דאצילות נעשו נשמה בעשיה, שהיא בחינת אלקות ממש For the vessels of Atzilut became the soul of Asiyah , which is actually a state of Divinity. לפי שבאצילות, איהו וגרמוהי חד, המאציל והנאצל For in Atzilut 39 “He and His vessels are one” — the Emanator (the infinite light) and the emanation (the vessels of Atzilut ) . ועל ידי התלבשות מהות הנשמה במהות הכלים דנוקבא דעשיה, נתהוה האתרוג And through the enclothement of the essence of the soul [of the vessels of Atzilut ] in the essence of the vessels of nukva (i.e., Malchut ) of Asiyah , the etrog came into being. נמצא כשתופס האתרוג ומנענעו כהלכתו The result is that in holding the etrog and waving it as the law requires, הרי זה תופס ממש חיותו המלובש בו מנוקבא דאצילות one is actually holding the life-force which is clothed within it and which derives from the nukva (i.e., Malchut ) of Atzilut , המיוחדת באור אין סוף, המאציל ברוך הוא and [ Malchut ] is united with the [infinite] Ein Sof -light, the Emanator of Atzilut , blessed be He. But is this not also the case when one holds any other fruit, where no mitzvah is involved? The answer is, as previously explained, that in other physical objects the G‑dly life-force is concealed, whereas it is revealed in objects used for a mitzvah , for these are the “works of G‑d.” מה שאין כן בכוונתו This is not the case concerning one’s intention while performing the mitzvah of the etrog . אינו משיג ותופס, אף היודע הסוד, אלא מציאותה ולא מהותה Here, even if he is familiar with the mystical [Kabbalistic and chassidic] meanings involved, he does not grasp and hold on to the essence (of Malchut of Atzilut , the source of the etrog ) , but only to the external fact of its mere existence. This is entirely unlike holding a physical etrog and performing the mitzvah with it, at which time one grasps the essence of the physical etrog together with its source in Divinity. The post Essay 04 – Part 05 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 03 – Part 1 46:50

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Video is also available – click to open In chs. 39 and 40 of Tanya the Alter Rebbe spoke of the various worlds to which souls ascend as a result of their Torah study and spiritual service. Their level in each case is determined by the individual’s intention at the time: If the study and prayer were accompanied by love and awe generated by the contemplation of G‑d ’s greatness, they rise to the World of Beriah , the world of comprehension; if the love and fear are merely instinctive (inasmuch as they are inherent within every Jew), then the study and prayer ascend to the World of Yetzirah , the world of the spiritual emotions. The Alter Rebbe also stated there that the Torah and spiritual service itself ascends to the Sefirot , which are the G‑dliness of the worlds. All this, however, applies only when the Torah study and the spiritual service are motivated by a kavanah lishmah , a pure intent born of a love or awe of G‑d. If, however, this intent is lacking, such as when one studies Torah out of habit, this Torah study does not ascend to the Sefirot of the worlds. For the Sefirot are the G‑dliness of the world, and “without love and fear they cannot [ascend and] stand before G‑d.” Such a grade of Torah study ascends only as far as the chitzoniyut (the “external” aspect) of the worlds, where the angels abide. Concerning this the Alter Rebbe quoted R. Chayim Vital , who states 1 that Torah study that is uninspired by proper intent (kavanah) creates angels in the World of Yetzirah , while commandments fulfilled without proper intent create angels in the World of Asiyah . (“Without intent” here means without an intent that stems from love or fear of G‑d; it does not mean that there was no intent at all. For, as explained by R. Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the saintly father of the Rebbe, since angels comprise both form and matter, as the Alter Rebbe stated above, we must say that the Torah study that creates them has form and matter likewise. These are speech and intent, respectively.) In any event, we see that Torah even without proper intent creates angels in the World of Yetzirah — and this it can do only by having risen to that world. Now why should this be different from prayer? For prayer without proper intent remains mired below in this world. Why is it that when Torah study and prayer are performed with proper intent they both rise to the same world (whether Beriah or Yetzirah ), while when they lack the proper intent, the Torah rises to Yetzirah and creates angels there, while the prayers remain below in this world? This is the central question addressed in the following essay. להבין מה שכתוב בשער היחודים, פרק ב׳ To understand the statement in Shaar HaYichudim , ch. 2, Shaar HaYichudim of R. Chayim Vital (which appears in Shemoneh She’arim of current editions of the writings of the AriZal ) is part of Shaar Ruach HaKodesh . The Rebbe once remarked in a talk, that the introduction to Shaar HaYichudim states that it is divided into several She’arim (Shaar HaNevuah, Shaar Ruach HaKodesh, and Shaar Tikkun Avonot) . The Rebbe then noted the precision of the Alter Rebbe’s writings: In ch. 40 of Tanya he quotes a passage from Shaar HaYichudim and specifies that its source is Shaar HaNevuah , while with regard to another passage he simply cites Shaar HaYichudim . In light of the above, clarification is needed as to why in ch. 40, when speaking of the angels that are created in the World of Yetzirah by Torah that is not studied lishmah (“for its own sake”), the Alter Rebbe cites Shaar HaNevuah , while here he cites Shaar HaYichudim . דעל ידי תורה שלא בכוונה, נבראים מלאכים בעולם היצירה that through Torah without proper intention, angels are created in the World of Yetzirah : ושם הביא מהזהר, פרשת שלח, דלית קלא דאתאביד כו׳, בר קלא דאורייתא וצלותא דסליק ובקע כו׳ There [this source] quotes the Zohar , Parshat Shlach: 2 “There is no voice lost [from this world], except the voice of Torah and prayer that ascends and pierces [the heavens]”; i.e., it does not remain below, but ascends. והנה מכוונת התפלה נבראו מלאכים בעולם הבריאה, כמו מכוונת התורה Now, through intention in prayer, angels are created in the World of Beriah , as with intention in the study of Torah. Considering the results of one’s intent in avodah , then, prayer and Torah are thus similar: they both ascend to the same level, the World of Beriah . ובלא כוונה, נדחית למטה לגמרי Without proper intent, [prayer] is repelled utterly downward. כמו שכתוב בזהר, פרשת פקודי, דף רמ״ה עמוד ב׳: גו רקיע תתאה כו׳ So it is stated in the Zohar, Parshat Pekudei, p. 245b, “Into the lowest heaven,…” When prayer is not “as it should be,” i.e., when it is without proper intent, it is banished “into the lowest [of the heavens that govern the world].” דאקרין צלותין פסילאן כו׳ “These [prayers] are called invalid prayers,” as the Zohar goes on to say. ועיין שם פרשת ויקהל, דף ר״א עמוד ב׳: אי היא מלה כדקא יאות כו׳ Examine also [the Zohar ,] Parshat Vayakhel, p. 201b: “If it is a seemly word…,” i.e., if a prayer is prompted by a proper intent, then the angel appointed as warden of prayers “kisses it” and elevates it. Thus, prayer ascends only when it is propelled by a proper intent. If so, then since Torah and prayer are similar when they are performed with the proper intent, why when the proper intent is lacking is Torah still able to create angels in the World of Yetzirah , while prayer without proper intent is repelled into the lowest heaven? אך ההפרש בין תורה לתפלה שלא בכוונה מובן מאליו However, the difference between Torah and prayer without intention is self-evident. כי לימוד התורה, הוא מבין ויודע מה שלומד, דבלאו הכי לא מיקרי לימוד כלל For in the study of Torah without proper intent one understands and knows what he is learning, for otherwise it is not called study at all. רק שלומד סתם, בלא כוונה לשמה מאהבת ה׳ שבלבו בבחינת גילוי It is only that he is studying neutrally, without the intention of lishmah (“for its own sake”) out of a manifest love of G‑d in his heart, רק מאהבה המסותרת הטבעית but only out of the latent natural love for G‑d that every Jew harbors in his heart. אך אינו לומד שלא לשמה ממש, להתגדל כו׳ On the other hand, he is not studying with an actual negative motivation, such as for self-aggrandizement or the like, דהא לא סליק לעילא מן שמשא, כמו שכתוב בפרשת ויחי, דף רכ״ג עמוד ב׳ “for this [manner of Torah study] does not ascend higher than the sun,” as stated in [the Zohar ,] Parshat Vayechi , p. 223b. The Zohar states there that the verse, 3 “What profit is there for man from all the toil that he toils under the sun,” does not refer to one’s toil in Torah study, for Torah is “loftier than the sun”; however, if this toil is undertaken “for self-aggrandizement,” it is also considered to be “under the sun,” for it does not ascend aloft. היינו משום שמחשבתו וכוונתו הן מתלבשות באותיות הדבור, ואינן מניחות אותן לסלקא לעילא That is because one’s thought and intent are clothed within the letters [of Torah] that he utters, and prevent them from ascending. The ulterior motive that derives from the kelipot thus encumbers his words of Torah. והכי נמי בתפלה שלא בכוונה, שמחשב מחשבות זרות So, too, in prayer without intent, 4 meaning that one entertains alien thoughts. The post Essay 03 – Part 1 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 03 – Part 2 1:08:41

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Video is also available – click to open אלא מפני שכוונתו לשם שמים) ( 5But since his intention is addressed to G‑d, He is, after all, in a state of prayer, except that alien thoughts interpose. לכך יש לה תיקון בקל, לחזור ולעלות it is therefore easily corrected, so that [his prayer] may once again rise to the state from which it was originally repelled, כשמתפלל בכוונה אפילו תפלה אחת מלוקטת מתפלות כל השנה when he prays with proper intention even one [full] prayer gathered piecemeal from the prayers of the entire year. When on one day one passage of the prayers was read with proper intent and on another day another passage, and so on, and then all these passages are gathered together, thus constituting one complete prayer from the prayers of a whole year, then all one’s prayers throughout the year are elevated. 6 כמו שכתוב במקדש מלך, פרשת פקודי Thus it is written in Mikdash Melech on Parshat Pekudei .) We thus see that in one sense Torah without proper intent is superior to prayer without proper intent, for such Torah study creates angels in the World of Yetzirah , while prayer without proper intent is repulsed. On the other hand, when the lack of proper intent in Torah study is such that it prevents it from ascending, as in the case of studying for the sake of self-aggrandizement, then this is lower than prayer without proper intent. For one proper prayer, or even a compilation of different prayers that add up to one prayer with proper intent, elevates all the other prayers of that year. With regard to Torah study, by contrast, even if one later studies with proper intent, this does not elevate his previous study; actual repentance is required. Until such time one’s Torah study is in exile within the kelipah which spawned his ulterior motive. Nevertheless, since all Jews will eventually repent, for 7 “No one of them will be rejected,” our Sages advise that 8 “one should always study Torah and perform mitzvot even when they are not done for their own sake” — and, indeed, even if they involve an ulterior motive — for eventually he will achieve the state of lishmah , when he repents. This is explained by the Alter Rebbe at the end of ch. 39 of Tanya. ומה שכתוב בפרשת פקודי: גו רקיע תתאה As to what is stated in [the Zohar ,] Parshat Pekudei, 9 [that prayer without proper intent is repelled] “into the lowest heaven,” indicating that it is allowed to rise at least to that point, ובפרשת ויקהל משמע דדוקא אי איהי מלה כדקה יאות, סלקין עמה עד אוירא דרקיע דלעילא כו׳ whereas in [the Zohar ,] Parshat Vayakhel, 10 the implication is that “only if it is a seemly word, i.e., prompted by the proper intent, do [the appointed angels] ascend with it to the atmosphere of the heaven above…,” How does this latter passage accord with the previously-quoted statement in Pekudei , that even when the prayer is without proper intent it still ascends, at least to the lowest firmament? לא קשיא מידי this [seeming contradiction] presents no problem. דרקיע תתאה מאינון רקיעין דמדברי גו עלמא, שבפרשת פקודי, הן דמלכות דעשיה For the expression in Pekudei , “the lowest heaven of the heavens that govern the world,” refers to Malchut of Asiyah , ודפרשת ויקהל, הן דז״א דעשיה, כמו שכתוב בעץ חיים, שער השמות פרק ג׳, גבי ז״א דעשיה, עיין שם whereas in Parshat Vayakhel , the reference is to Za of Asiyah , as is written in Etz Chayim, Shaar HaShemot, ch. 3, in reference to Za of Asiyah ; see there. It could be argued that the above question presupposed that the “lower heaven” of Pekudei was of the same level as the “heaven above” of Vayakhel , for the “lower heaven” too is “above the sun.” By the same token, the answer refers to two distinct levels of “heaven”. Pekudei refers to Malchut of Asiyah , while Vayakhel refers to Za of Asiyah , to which prayers ascend when they are “seemly”. From this level they ascend yet further, to the G‑dliness of the Ten Sefirot of Yetzirah and Beriah . The main point here is, however, that when a prayer is not “seemly” it is not elevated even to Za of Asiyah , but merely to Malchut of Asiyah . It could be explained that when prayer without proper intent is elevated to the “lower heaven,” its elevation does not bring about that which prayer should effect. For in order for a prayer to have its proper effect, such as the fulfillment of its requests, there must be drawn down into this world a degree of Divine influence that transcends the world, thereby healing the sick, or providing the year’s blessings, and so on. When, however, a prayer is repelled to Malchut of Asiyah , i.e., to that level from which all worldly things derive their life-force, then this level obviously cannot provide for whatever the world is lacking. But when a properly-motivated prayer reaches up to Za of Asiyah , from there an efflux can be drawn down into the world to provide whatever the world lacks, thereby fulfilling the individual’s petitions. והא דמשמע לכאורה, בפרשת פקודי, דגם תפלה פסולה עולה עד היכל הראשון, שממנו נדחית למטה, והוא בז״א דבריאה As to the apparent implication in Parshat Pekudei that even invalid prayer — prayer whose intent is confused by alien thoughts — ascends to the First Chamber, whence it is hurled down, and this [Chamber] is in Za of Beriah, It would thus seem that even an invalid prayer is at first elevated to Za of Beriah . לא קשיא מידי, שהרי אפילו כל העוונות ממש, קלות וחמורות, עולות לשם, אפילו עד היכל הד׳, כמו שכתוב דף רנ״ב עמוד א׳ this presents no difficulty, for even palpable sins, minor and grave, ascend there, even as far as the Fourth Chamber, as is written [in the Zohar ] on page 252a. אלא ודאי שאין מהות העליות שוות, ואין ערוך ודמיון ביניהם, אלא בשיתוף השם בלבד, ודי למבין It is thus certain that in essence the [above] ascensions are not identical, and there is no comparison or similarity between them except for the common name. This will suffice for the discerning. The elevation of good actions means that they are actually uplifted to higher degrees of holiness, where they accomplish whatever they are intended to accomplish. With regard to sins, however, their “elevation” to the higher worlds brings about a blemish there. So, too, when we say that an “invalid prayer” ascends to the First Chamber, we are not at all speaking of the kind of elevation that takes place when a prayer is offered with the proper intent. ובזה יובן גם כן מה שכתוב שם, דף רמ״ז, שבהיכל הב׳ (אולי צריך להיות: אזדמן הממונה, ואולי צריך להיות: קיימין הלבושים) ממונה על הלבושים שמלבישים הנשמה ממעשה המצות This will also enable us to grasp the statement [in the Zohar ] on page 247, that in the Second Chamber [there is to be found] the one appointed over the garments that clothe the soul as a result of the performance of mitzvot , The bracketed Hebrew text here offers several variations: [ 11 “Possibly the text should read, ‘there is found the one 12 appointed’; or possibly it should read, ‘the garments are 13 housed.’” 14] אף שהוא בגן עדן התחתון דעשיה, כמו שכתוב שם, דף ר״י even though [the mitzvot performed], and by extension, the soul’s garments that are fashioned thereby, are in the Lower Gan Eden in [the World of] Asiyah , as stated there (in the Zohar ) on page 210. How, then, do we say that the one appointed over — or alternatively, the garments of — the performance of the mitzvot are to be found in the Second Chamber of the World of Beriah ? However, as explained earlier, the above elevations are essentially dissimilar. Thus, though the mitzvot performed are located in the lower Garden of Eden of the World of Asiyah , the soul nevertheless ascends to the Second Chamber of Beriah and receives from there the garments that result from the performance of mitzvot . For the elevation of the soul to the level of Beriah in order to receive its garments is utterly different from the elevation of the mitzvot themselves to the lower Garden of Eden of the World of Asiyah . והנה תפלה פסולה עדיפא מתורה שלא לשמה ממש Now, invalid prayer is superior to Torah studied with a distinctly improper intention, שהיא תחת השמש for [the latter] is “under the sun,” since if it is undertaken for the purpose of self-aggrandizement it does not ascend at all, והתפלה היא גו רקיע כו׳ while prayer — even “invalid prayer” — is “into the heaven,” albeit the lowest heaven. אבל תורה סתם, שאינה שלא לשמה, רק מאהבה מסותרת טבעית But the neutral study of Torah, that is without a negative intention, but is prompted merely by one’s latent, innate love, For unconsciously, it is this love of G‑d that motivates even one’s merely habitual study of the Torah. לא גרעא מהבל פיהן של תינוקות של בית רבן, דסליק לעילא מפני שהוא הבל שאין בו חטא is not inferior to the “breath of the mouths of school children,” which ascends aloft because it is “breath untainted by sin.” 15 וסליק לעילא, אף אם הוא שלא לשמה ממש, מיראת הרצועה שביד הסופר This [breath] ascends aloft, even though it may be emphatically not altruistic, but only prompted by fear of punishment by the teacher. In the same way, an adult whose study is of neutral intent is not tainted by sin (which it would be if he had studied for an ulterior motive). It therefore ascends heavenward. ועיין שם, דף רנ״ה עמוד ב׳, שהמלאכים הם מעלים ההבל של תינוקות של בית רבן עד האצילות See there on p. 255b, [where the Zohar states] that the angels elevate the breath of schoolchildren to Atzilut . Addendum In its primary meaning, the term “breath untainted by sin” signifies that the breath of the Torah study of schoolchildren is untainted because it proceeds from individuals who at this age are incapable of sin. As the Gemara states in Shabbat , 16 “ Resh Lakish said in the name of R. Yehudah Nesiah, ‘The world exists solely by virtue of the breath of the mouths of schoolchildren [who study Torah].’ Said R. Papa to Abbaye : ‘And what of my Torah study and yours?’ He replied: ‘There is no comparison between breath that knows sin and breath that is free of sin.’” This means that children are not in the category of those who sin. The Previous Rebbe once recalled 17 that when his father, the Rebbe Rashab , taught him the above text, he first explained that the angels’ elevation of the Torah study of these children to Atzilut , as cited above from the Zohar by the Alter Rebbe, relates to the same rarefied level as the Supernal Unions that are accomplished by those who refine their bodies according to the secrets of the Kabbalah . The Rebbe Rashab then added that the Alter Rebbe’s emphasis that this study comprised “breath untainted by sin” can be explained as follows: This is the breath of Torah words spoken by little children in artless simplicity. When they say, for example, “kametz alef : ah,” and they believe with a simple and ingrained faith that these and likewise all the other vowels and consonants of the Torah were transmitted to Moses on Sinai, then the very breath that emanates from their hearts is utterly pure, and untainted by sin. (This commentary, continued the Rebbe Rashab, comes as an addition to the plain and primary meaning of “breath untainted by sin” — that these children are still pure from the taint of sin.) Moreover, the above interpretation of breath being untainted by sin inasmuch as it emanates from uttering words of Torah with simple faith, applies not only to children, but to adults as well. They, too, can effect sublime Supernal Unions. The Rebbe Rashab based this interpretation on a story he heard from the Baal Shem Tov when he visited his holy resting place at Mezhibuzh. At that time the Baal Shem Tov related that on his 16th birthday (18 Elul , 5474/1714) he had found himself in a small village. The local innkeeper was a very simple person who hardly knew how to read the prayers, let alone understand what they meant. He was, however, a very G‑d-fearing individual. On all matters and at all times he would quote the same phrase in the Holy Tongue, “Blessed be He; may He be blessed forever.” His wife too would always say in Yiddish , “Praised be His holy Name.” That day, in accordance with the age-old custom of meditating in solitude for some time on one’s birthday, the Baal Shem Tov went off by himself to the fields. He recited chapters of Tehillim and engaged in unifying the Divine Names that emanate from its holy verses. “As I was immersed in this,” the Baal Shem Tov related, “and unaware of my surroundings, I suddenly saw Elijah the Prophet . There was a smile on his lips. I was taken aback. For when I had been with the tzaddik R. Meir, and also when I had been in the company of the hidden tzaddikim , I had merited to see Elijah , but this was the first time that I had merited his appearance while all alone. I wondered about it. And besides, why was he smiling? “Elijah said to me: ‘You are toiling so mightily to have the proper mystical intentions in bringing about the Supernal Unions of the Divine Names that emanate from the verses of Tehillim . And Aharon Shlomo the innkeeper and his wife Zlata Rivkah know nothing of the Unifications that result from his “Blessed be He; may He be blessed forever,” and from her “Praised be His holy Name.” Yet the Divine harmonies they create resonate in all the heavens more than all the Unifications of the Holy Name that are effected by the mystical intentions of the greatest tzaddikim .’ “Elijah described to me,” continued the Baal Shem Tov, “the great pleasure, as it were, that results in heaven from the words of praise and adoration uttered by men, women and children. Especially so, when they come from the mouths of simple folk. And most especially, when these praises are offered consistently, for then these people are constantly united with G‑d in pure faith and with an undivided heart.” * * * Having recounted this episode, the Rebbe Rashab added that it served as the basis for his additional interpretation of “breath untainted by sin” — that it applies not only to children but also to adults who act with pure faith and heartfelt simplicity, and who are thereby constantly united with G‑d, at all times and in all places. * * * The Rebbe stresses that this applies equally to adults only with respect to effecting Supernal Unions. With regard to maintaining the world’s existence, however, it is clear from the above-quoted teaching in Shabbat that this is accomplished only by the “breath of the mouths of schoolchildren,” for this breath possesses as well the first quality of “breath untainted by sin”: it proceeds from those for whom sin is a virtual impossibility. With regard to the refinement of the world, this is accomplished by those adults to whom the second exposition of “breath untainted by sin” applies — that the breath itself is untainted. In a sense, indeed, their breath has an even greater effect than the “breath of the mouths of schoolchildren.” For as the Rebbe Rashab further explains, children do not relate to the corporeality of this world, but only to its atmosphere. Since adults have a relationship with the corporeality of this world as well, the Supernal Unions that they effect refine its very crassness and corporeality. Footnotes 1. Shaar HaNevuah, ch. 2. 2. 168b, 169a. 3. Kohelet 1:3. 4. Note of the Rebbe: “The specific intent that is lacking here, is keeping in mind the meaning of the words. This, however, does not make for an ‘invalid prayer,’ inasmuch as the worshiper has the pervasive intent of praying to G‑d. And this is what the Alter Rebbe goes on to specify: ‘meaning that he entertains alien thoughts.’ For these thoughts — thoughts other than those of one’s prayer — vest themselves in his speech and cause the prayers to be drawn downward.” 5. Parentheses are in the original text. 6. Note of the Rebbe: “The wording of the Zohar would appear to indicate that one would need to pray ‘one other [complete] prayer with pure intent,’ and when that ascends it elevates with it (since prayers can be gathered piecemeal together) all the previous prayers that were repelled. The commentary of the Mikdash Melech , however, states that ‘the master’ wrote that it is not necessary for all eighteen benedictions to be recited with proper intent, [as long as one full prayer with proper intent can be put together from the successful components of one’s various imperfect prayers throughout the year]. The wording of Mikdash Melech thus requires at least some examination. It would be worthwhile to compare the early editions, for there seems to be a printer’s error.” 7. II Shmuel 14:14. 8. Pesachim 50b. 9. P. 245b, quoted above. 10. P. 201b, quoted above. 11. Brackets are in the original text. 12. Note of the Rebbe: “Rather than ‘one’.” 13. Note of the Rebbe: “Rather than ‘appointed over the garments.”’ 14. Note of the Rebbe: “The expressions ‘is found’ and ‘are housed’ both relate [these garments] specifically to the Second Chamber. There is, however, some difficulty here, for it would seem that an even stronger statement is made there — that the garment is actually fashioned in this Chamber through the performance of the mitzvot .” 15. Shabbat 119b; see also the Addendum below. 16. Shabbat 119b; see also the Addendum below. 17. Sefer HaSichot 5703, p. 163ff. The post Essay 03 – Part 2 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 01 56:00

7 years ago56:00

56:00

Video is also available – click to open In the beginning, as the Midrash teaches, 1 G‑d “created worlds and destroyed them.” The Kabbalah explains that this refers to spiritual worlds, Supernal Sefirot (“emanations”), that first existed in one state of being and then in another. The Sefirot in the former state of being — called the World of Tohu (lit., “Chaos”) — underwent a “breaking of the vessels.” The World of Tikkun (lit., “Order”) was then built. The Sefirot comprise orot (“lights”) and kelim (“vessels”) that contain these lights. The crisis in the World of Tohu occurred because the orot were so intense that the kelim were incapable of containing them. As a result of this breakage, sparks of holiness descended within the kelipot . These sparks are to be found in the Worlds of Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah in general, but particularly within the physicality of our world. It is the task of the Jew to sift this materiality by using it properly, in order to extract and refine these sparks, thereby elevating them to their original source in the World of Tohu . This elevation in turn elicits a mighty downflow of Divine energy from Tohu , and from even higher than that level. (Certain Divine Names, whose respective Kabbalistic meanings are signified by Hebrew letter-combinations, are related to this process of beirurim , the extraction and refinement of the sparks of holiness. Thus the Name known as Ba’n (ב״ן) is the source of the fallen holy sparks; the Name Ma’h (מ״ה) is the power that extracts and elevates them; while the Name Sa’g (ס״ג) is the original source of the World of Tohu . When the extraction and elevation of the sparks deriving from the Name Ba’n is accomplished through the Name Ma’h , a lofty degree of Divine illumination is drawn down from the Name Sa’g , and is vested within the “capacious vessels” of the World of Tikkun .) This extraction is for the most part accomplished through the performance of action-oriented mitzvot involving physical objects which derive their life-force from kelipat nogah , and which house the sparks of Tohu . Performing a mitzvah with such objects disencumbers the hidden sparks of their corporeal husk and elevates them. The seeking out of sparks, however, can also be accomplished through the study of Torah , as well as through prayer. In the present essay the Alter Rebbe will explain the statement of Pri Etz Chayim that nowadays this “extraction” is mainly effected through prayer. For prayer is uniquely able to draw down an infinite degree of G‑dliness; prayer alone can bring about changes within the world, healing the sick and causing rain to fall. In order for such a degree of G‑dliness to be called down, there must first be an arousal initiated from below, an expression of man’s ardent desire to be the recipient of Divine benefactions. And if these benefactions are to flow from an infinitely high source, the plea that requests them must surge from a correspondingly deep source — “with all one’s might,” from the infinite depths of one’s soul. להבין מה שכתוב בפרי עץ חיים, דבזמן הזה עיקר הבירור על ידי התפלה דוקא To understand the statement in Pri Etz Chayim , 2 that in the contemporary period the refinement [of the sparks of Tohu] is primarily effected by prayer, As explained above, the task of sifting the materiality of this world and salvaging its hidden holy sparks is the ongoing mission of Jews living as souls within bodies in this physical world. This is accomplished either (a) through the performance of the action-oriented mitzvot which entail the use of physical objects whose life-force derives from kelipat nogah ; (b) through the audibly-articulated study of Torah subjects that deal with physical matters; (c) through prayer, a form of spiritual service through which the Divine soul influences and refines the animal soul (whose life-force derives from kelipat nogah ) to the point that it can attain a love of G‑d. As stated above, Pri Etz Chayim teaches that in these latter generations the extraction and elevation of sparks is effected primarily through prayer. אף שתלמוד תורה למעלה מהתפלה even though Torah study is superior to prayer: Torah study is 3 “equivalent to them all,” to all the mitzvot , and higher even than 4 “concentration in prayer.” Why, then, is the extraction of the sparks of Tohu mainly accomplished in the present era through prayer? הענין הוא, שעל ידי תורה ומצות מוסיפין אור באצילות כו׳ The explanation is, that through Torah and mitzvot additional light is drawn forth into Atzilut … Divine light is drawn forth into the various worlds either in accordance with (a) Sod Shoresh (lit., “the principle of the root”), the degree of revelation originally apportioned, or in accordance with (b) Sod Tosefet (lit., “the principle of addition”), depending on the spiritual service of mortals. This additional measure of revelation is much greater than the base allocation. Through Torah and mitzvot , as stated above, one draws down an additional measure of Divine illumination into the World of Atzilut . פירוש: אור אין סוף ברוך הוא בכלים דאצילות, על ידי תלמוד תורה, בפנימית, דהיינו המשכות המוחין This means that through Torah study the [infinite] Ein Sof -light [is drawn] into the inner aspect of the vessels of [the Sefirot of] Atzilut . This is a drawing down of the Divine Intellect. Since Torah study involves mortal intellect, its heavenly echo calls forth a corresponding revelation of the Divine Intellect, which is the inward aspect of the Sefirot . ובקיום המצות, בחיצונית הכלים, שהם בחינת נצח הוד יסוד שבי׳ ספירות ז״א שבאצילות Through mitzvah observance [the light is drawn] into the external aspect of the vessels, meaning Netzach-Hod-Yesod of the Ten Sefirot of Za (the six emotive attributes) of Atzilut . Za is a configuration ( partzuf , lit., “countenance”) which comprises a full complement of Ten Sefirot . Into Netzach-Hod-Yesod , the lower Sefirot which are “outside of the torso” 5 of Za and thus comprise its external aspect, the [infinite] Ein Sof -light is drawn down, by means of those mitzvot that are performed with man’s power of action. For this power is external to man’s essence, just as Netzach-Hod-Yesod are external to Za . The infinite lights from Divine Intellect that are drawn down by Torah and mitzvot are thus invested primarily in Atzilut . 6 רק שמתלבשים בבריאה יצירה עשיה, בתורה ומצות הגשמיים שבעולם הזה They [later] only clothe themselves with diminished intensity in Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , in the physical Torah and mitzvot in This World. The Divine Intellect that is drawn down into Atzilut is ultimately vested within the Torah of this world, while the Divine light which is drawn into the externality of the vessels of Za of Atzilut is vested within the mitzvot of this world. The effect is thus strictly within the material aspect of the Torah and mitzvot of this world, but not within the materiality of the world itself. אבל התפלה היא המשכת אור אין סוף ברוך הוא בבריאה יצירה עשיה דוקא, לא בדרך התלבשות בלבד Prayer, however, calls forth the [infinite] Ein Sof -light into Beriah , Yetzirah and Asiyah directly, and not by means of mere enclothement, as is the case with the study of Torah, where the Divine light is garbed in an entity which in turn is drawn down into this world. רק האור ממש, לשנות הנבראים מכמות שהם Rather, it is the actual light which modifies the state of created beings, שיתרפא החולה, וירד הגשם משמים לארץ ויולידה ויצמיחה so that (for example) the ill will be cured through the petition of “Heal us” in the Shemoneh Esreh, and the rain from heaven will fall to the earth so that it becomes fertile and yields vegetation, 7 in response to the prayer of the “Blessing of the Years.” These are changes effected within the actual physical world. מה שאין כן בתורה ומצות, שאין שינוי בקלף התפילין על ידי הנחתן בראש ובזרוע This is not the case with Torah and mitzvot : no modification in the parchment [on which are inscribed the Biblical passages] of the tefillin results from their being placed upon head and arm, notwithstanding the drawing down of Divine light and the subordination of mind and heart to the Divine Will. וגם במצות שעשייתן הוא גמר מצותן Even in the case of those mitzvot that are fulfilled through making [the object], Examples would be the writing of a Torah scroll or making a sukkah (according to the opinions that the actual construction of a sukkah is a mitzvah 8). Unlike tefillin , where the mitzvah is performed by wearing them and not by making them, these mitzvot are performed by modifying the relevant object. Nevertheless: השינוי הוא על ידי אדם, ולא בידי שמים כבתפלה the change within the object is effected by man, and not by Heaven, as is the case with prayer, When an individual succeeds in bringing about a change in this world through prayer, e.g., the sick person becomes well, this change is ultimately brought about from above, not by the individual’s prayer, שהיא המשכת החיות מאין סוף ברוך הוא, שהוא לבדו כל יכול for this calls forth the vivifying power from the Infinite One, blessed be He, Who alone is all-capable. It is only G‑d who can effect a change such as this in our world, bringing about the cure or the productive rain. והלכך, כדי להמשיך אור אין סוף ברוך הוא למטה, אי אפשר בלי העלאת מין נוקבין מלמטה דוקא Therefore, calling forth the [infinite] Ein Sof -light into the lower world is impossible without the [prior] “elevation of mayin nukvin” specifically from below, whereby the mortal recipient initiates an anticipatory “arousal from below” through his spiritual service during prayer. As the Alter Rebbe will soon explain, since this entails an infinite degree of service on the part of man it is able to draw down an infinite response from above, reciprocating each individual’s particular “arousal from below.” מה שאין כן לתלמוד תורה, שבאצילות, המיוחדת בלאו הכי במאציל ברוך הוא This is not the case with the study of Torah, which [affects] Atzilut , for [the Torah] is united in any case with the Emanator. Since Torah study thus does not need to be drawn down below, there is no need for an “arousal from below.” As the Rebbe notes, “The Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain how this may be considered mayin nukvin , and what is its connection to the infinite light .” The post Essay 04 – Part 01 appeared first on TanyaClass.com .…

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Essay 04 – Part 02 1:02:49

7 years ago1:02:49