Parshas Lech L'Cha-English

7/27/2019 Parshas Lech L'Cha-English

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Dei Chochmah LNafshechah Parshas Lech LCha

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Shalosh Seudos1ofParshas Lech LCha 576

-'" - - . ".

Hashem said to Avram: Go away from your land, from your birthplace, and from

your fathers house, to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great

nation. I will bless you and make you great. You shall become a blessing.2

Lech Lcha: Go For Yourself

Rashi explains that Lech Lcha means to go for your benefit and pleasure.

There I will make you into a great nation, while here you cannot have children. In

addition, I will make [your nature or name] known in the world.

On the words, I will make you into a great nation, Rashi elucidates that,

ordinarily, traveling negatively impacts three things: procreative capacity, money, and

fame. For this reason, Hashem promised Avraham that his journeys would bring him

children, wealth, and renown.

It is well known that Avraham was so completely unconcerned with the material

that he was willing to be cast into the fire for Hashems honor. Surely he served Hashem

with complete self-sacrifice at all times. As Chazal said, The Avos were themselves the

Merkavah or Divine chariot, as it were.3 It is only possible to be the vehicle that bears

Hashems glory if one has first attained the deep self-sacrifice which is an aspect of

Arich Anpin. What possible motivation could material promises have held for him?

Surely such promises were far below his exalted level.

1The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos.

2Bereishis 12:1-2

3Bereishis Rabbah 82:6


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Reaching the Tree of Life

The Tree of Life of the secrets of Torah is very hidden and difficult to truly

attain due to the revolving sword which bars entry to Gan Eden.4

The revolving sword

represents all of the numerous levels and apparently contradictory concepts which

confuse the seeker. Because of these upheavals, it is very difficult to ascend to a place

where one is able to make use of the powerful Tree of Life and grasp the Divine

illumination that enables a person to truly cleave to Hashem.

It is only through very great patience [with ones inability to comprehend due tothe vast intricate details of the very complex concepts] that one can ascend to such

levels. This is the deeper meaning of the verse, " z k-je " Wait for me a

little, and I will tell you...5 One who wishes to feel connection to Hashem must wait

patiently.

The importance of patience [in any holy endeavor and especially when seeking

constant dveikus] is emphasized in the statement of Rav Ada bar Ahavah. [He saw a

woman in the market wearing a forbidden garment and ripped it off of her, little

knowing that she was not Jewish. He was forced to pay her 400 zuz, a veritable fortune,for her discomfiture. Her name was Masoonwhich means patience in

Hebrew.] " ' " Patience. Patience is worth 400 zuz.6

[Rashiexplains that he declared that if he had only had enough patience to verify that

she was Jewish before acting, he would have saved the 400 zuz he was forced to pay her

for publicly shaming her.]

One reason why patience is required to come to an apprehension of the Divine

is because of the confusion inherent in the myriad spiritual levels that are constantly in

flux on high. At every instant, a different combination of [the mighty inner spiritualvitality encapsulated by] the holy letters of the Hebrew alphabet shines into the world

[causing a different spiritual influx]. This draws down a different aspect of the sefiros

4Bereishis 3:24

5Iyov 36:2 [SeeLikutei Moharan I:6]

6Berachos 20a


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which are the conduits of G-dly interaction with the universe. The Vilna Gaon explains

that there is no way to possibly speak of the feeling of connection imparted to one who

experiences a certain spiritual level, because of the multitudes of levels and aspects

which are in the heavensall of which are completely indescribable. But each person

grasps what they grasp according to their personal level.

Bituland YeshSelf-Nullification and Individuated Existence

It is well known that the attribute of Chochmah / Wisdom is associated with

nullification of the self, bitul, as indicated by the word "" itself, which can be

rearranged to spell " " the power of what, or the power of naught.

Chochmah indicates the holy tranquility of absolute nullification to Hashem. This is the

state of "" ornothingness, caused by the feeling that there is nothing but Hashem.

Binah / Understanding, on the other hand, is an aspect of holy yesh or individuated

existence, which is associated with serving Hashem through [harnessing ones inner fire

to] toil to find Hashem. This aspect of holy inner movement is the direct opposite of

spiritual menuchah, tranquility and self-nullification. On the contrary, in the state of

Binah/yesh,one must feel his distance from Hashem and yearn to move forward with

all of his being.] Just as Binah is movement compared to the tranquility ofChochmah,

so too isArich an aspect of toil compared to the absolute tranquility ofAtik. Chochmah

andBinah therefore parallelAtikandArich, respectively.

The Arizal reveals that the inner life force of a lower sefirah level is received

from the higher aspect of its opposite pole. [Note: The sefiros are aligned on different

poles in accordance with their primary nature and function. Chochmah, Chessed, and

Netzach are aligned to the right, since they represent lovingkindnesseach at its own

level and with its own expression. Binah, Gevurah,and Hodare ranged along the left

side since they represent might, each according to its level and expression.] For

example, Zeir Anpin as a whole is associated with the right side which represents

Chessed, while Malchus is aligned on the left of Gevurah. The general rule of

descending influence mentioned earlier, however, determines that Zeir Anpin receives


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its life force from the lower aspect ofBinah called tevunah,which is definitely aligned

on the left.Malchus, however,receives its life force from an aspect ofChochmah on the

right. As the verse states: "' a- ; k,e a" Hashem

founded the earth [Malchus] with wisdom [Chochmah], He established the heavens

[Zeir Anpin] with understanding [Binah].7

This is also seen in the statement in the

Zohar: Abba [literally Father, but signifying Chochmah] founded the daughter

[Malchus].8

Similarly, the partzufofAtikwhich is to the right side and is representative ofHashems absolute existence serves as the source of the attribute ofBinah [which is

lower than it and to the left]. ThepartzufofArich Anpin to the left serves as the source

ofChochmah, because it represents the experience of absolute self-nullification on the

part of the person.

All of this is true when we are discussing the inner nature of the sefiros.

However, in their outer aspects Atikis the obvious root ofChochmah since both are on

the right side, andArich Anpin is the obvious root ofBinah because they both are on the

left. This can be understood more clearly when we consider that when a personexperiences the absolute existence of Hashem (Atik), he naturally responds by coming to

the state of self-nullification. In this sense,Atikalso serves as the externalized source of

Chochmah as well.

Now we can better understand the meaning of Hashem promising material

rewards to Avraham Avinu, a person who it appears would have had no real use for

them. When Hashem promised worldly benefits to Avraham, when He sent His servant

abroad for himself, Hashem was indicating that there was a higher level to which he

could arrive, a level that far surpasses any act of self-nullification and self-sacrifice

associated withArich Anpin. This is the level ofAtik, ofyesh, of experiencing the pure

bliss and connection with Hashem that comes from feeling and knowing that He is all,

that there is nothing but Him, that abundance is a blessing of greater access to His

7Mishlei 3:19

8ZoharIII:258a


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essence, so to speak. The sages taught: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, In the ultimate

future, the Holy One will bequeath three hundred and ten worlds ( " ) to each

and every tzaddik. As the verse says9: To bequeath substance/existence ( " , the

inverse of " , which has a numerical value of 310) to My beloved ones, and I will fill

their treasuries.10Yesh is the aspect of the shai (gift) of 310 worlds, of the abundant

experience of Hashems absolute existence.

Experiencing the Self and Experiencing Hashem

When Hashem initiated the creation of all of the worlds at the level of thought,

He revealed an aspect of His Infinite Light. Afterward, He restricted this light to

generate a vacated space in which the universe could exist in apparent independence,

and vitalized it with a beam of the original light that penetrated to it innermost center.

It is written in the Arizals teachings that the Infinite Light itself is the aspect ofKesser,

and the Baal HaTanya added that the initial constriction is an aspect of Chochmah,

which is symbolized by the first yud of the Divine Name HaVaYaH. Although one

might find this surprising, since we know that the tzimtzum or primordial contraction, is

associated with the powerful flame or the gevuros,11 we can understand it more clearly

when we take into account the teaching of Rav Yisrael Sarug. He said that when

Hashem constricted His light, He left the letteryudat the center of the vacated space.12

What is the relevance of this deep teaching to our own personal avodah? When

a person wants to enter into Hashems service, he feels prepared to sacrifice himself for

Hashems sake just like Avraham Avinu did when he was thrown into the fiery furnace

of Ur Kasdim. However, as time passes, he takes stock of himself and realizes that he

doesnt really know his place in the world, what his mission is meant to be, he doesnt

9Mishlei 8:21

10Uktzin 3:12

11ZoharI:15a

12Even though we did not receive such a teaching directly from Rav Chaim Vital, nevertheless

he does allude to this concept in his workShaar Maamarei Rashbi, Hashem left a trace in the

place of contraction.


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know his right from his left, so to speak. And even though he might be able to speak

movingly about the need to be self-sacrificing for Hashem and not to waver,

nevertheless when he really examines himself he finds that he is unsure of his own core

selfwho and what he really isand his evil inclination uses this as leverage to

manipulate him. This is expressed by the sages as, The wicked forget their own

names. Every Jew is born with a holy name and with a unique inner essential point that

reaches up to the highest heavens. This unique shelichus, ambassadorship and mission,

is something precious that should never be lost. Avraham Avinu himself expressed thisanxiety to Hashem, Lest You exchange me for another. Yet Hashem reassured him

that He would not abandon him.

This core self, this ani or I, is symbolized by Dovid HaMelech, who was

promised by Hashem that no stranger shall sit on his throne, and not others would

inherit his honor. Each and every Jew is like an only child to the King, with his unique

mission that cannot be usurped by another. However, it is sometimes possible for the

person himself to lose sight of his own essential self, G-d forbid, and when that happens

he loses all of his life and vitality. It is this unique essence, the yechidah aspect of soul,that empowers a person to act with self-sacrifice for Hashems honor; its inner

dimension is the aspect ofKesser/Atikthat makes possible the confluence of Hashems

gifts of abundance being experienced not for yourself (lcha) in a selfish and personal

way, but for the point of self that is bound with Hashem Himself, as a means of

attaching to Him.

The Maggid of Kozhnitz expressed wonder at a certain statement of the sages:

One who is commanded is greater than one who is sent as an agent.13

Rashi explains

that this is because one who engaged his own body in the mitzvah receives greater

reward. The Maggid asks, how could the one who involves himself be greater simply

because he receives greater reward, when the receiving of reward itself means that the

mitzvah is no longer performed purely for the sake of heaven? Did the sages not

13Kiddushin 41a


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teach, Do not be like servants who serve the Master in order to receive a reward.

Rather, be like servants who serve the Master without expectation of reward.14

The

answer is as follows: The word for reward, , is from the language ofparsah or

halvesit is not the aspect of the revelation of the Kings essence and perfection.

[Note: There is a contradictory element to the nature of rewards. While they generally

indicate that a person is not sufficiently motivated by dedication to Hashem aloneas

seen inAvosthere is a second aspect to them that is, indeed, higheras seen in the

teaching that the one who fulfills the mitzvah himself is greater because his self isinvolved.]

This is what Hashem expressed to Avraham Avinu when He said, Go for

yourself: the fact that youve been so self-sacrificing is extremely precious, but moving

up fromArich Anpin to the level ofAtik, of holy self for yourself, will bind you to Me,

to Myself. Reb Nosson of Breslov explains the teaching of one who is commanded is

greater than an agent along similar lines. When a person fulfills a mitzvah, he is like an

agent fulfilling the will of the One who sent him. However, the true purpose of the

mitzvah is to bind the person to Hashems fulfillment of the mitzvah, so to speak. Forexample, the sages taught that Hashem dons tefillin.

15It isnt enough for a person to

merely be Hashems agent when he dons his own tefillin; he needs to become a vehicle,

a merkavah, for Hashem when he put them on, so that he is bound together with the One

who performs the essence of the mitzvahthe one who is commanded is greater than

the agent.16

This is the further meaning of the verse: Go for yourself, from your land...to

the land that I will show you. When a person rises from the level ofArich to the level

ofAtik and holy self, he becomes worthy of inheriting Eretz Yisrael. However, if he

remains at the level of the self-sacrifice ofArich Anpin, he remains with the name

14Avos 1:3

15Berachos 6b

16Likutei Halachos,Hilchos Shluchin 2,4


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Avramlacking the additional hei that represents Atik. He will not be able to take

possession of Eretz Yisrael for all time.

Upper and Lower Gan Eden

We are taught that Hashem created the universe because He desired to have a

dwelling place in the lower worlds.17 This dwelling place is generated whenever human

beings recognize Hashems existence and reveal His Oneness. It was for this reason that

Hashem descended upon Mount Sinai to give the Torah to the Jewish people. The Torah

comprises two parts: the written and oral, which parallel the hidden and the revealedTorah respectively. [The written Torah has encoded within it all of the levels of the

hidden Torah, while the oral Torah is the repository of the revealed aspects of the

Torah.] For this reason, the oral Torah is associated with the lower Gan Eden and the

written Torah with the upper Gan Eden. Hashem desired that when the Jewish people

study the oral Torah, they should ascend and experience the dveikus of the lower Gan

Eden, and when they study the written Torah, they should ascend and experience the

dveikus of the upper Gan Eden.

However, when a person studies Torah only at the level of the world ofAsiyahin the sense that he is only seeking to amass factshe fails to receive the light

that is inherent in the Torah. While he may absorb some light, nevertheless he fails to

really access the great light that is in Torah. Most people only access this light when

they have an understanding of the deeper aspects of the Torah, when they are shown

how the entire Torah is a revelation of Hashems Namewhen this light is revealed,

Hashem finds a dwelling place in the lower worlds.

The Midrash teaches that, in the ultimate future, Hashem will cause His throne

of glory to descend in the public sphere, and it will be seen by all just like the sun during

Teves [the mid-winter month, when the light of the sun is bearable and can be gazed at

without a screen]. We can understand this teaching in view of another that alludes to the

ways in which Hashem gifts us with the Torah itself: The Holy One castrated the male

17Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Naso


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Leviathan and slaughtered the female.18

This alludes to the fact that, in this world, the

revealed or male aspects of Torah have been emasculated and it is hard to apprehend

them, while the hidden or female aspects of the Torah have been altogether deadened

or hidden away. The main task of the tzaddikim is to immerse themselves in Torah study

day and night to such an extent that they overcome these barriers, that they delve until

they draw down spiritual vitality and dveikus into every word, so that the throne of

glory descends into the public sphere and becomes visible to everyone. And this is

really our task as well, to focus on the inner essence ofdveikus accessible in the Torah,to catch a whiff of the upper and lower aspects ofGan Eden while we learn.

And Darkness Covered the Face of the Depths

When a person attempts to cleave to Hashem during his study, he nevertheless

often finds that darkness covers the face of the depths, he is beset by an inner

confusion and darkness because he feels acutely the suffering and obscuring of G-ds

presence that afflicts the world as a whole. This darkness is an aspect of the original

contraction of Hashems light, and when a person feels it he needs to remember that

Hashem placed a trace, a yudthat represents Chochmah, right at the center of the place

oftzimtzum. Hashems Infinite Light parallels Kesser/Atik/Arich Anpin, but the entire

purpose of the constriction of that light was to reveal the yud, the fact that Hashems

vitalizing presence is always there, a trace of the light is always still accessible.

During the experience of darkness, a person can respond in one of two ways:

either he feels that he cannot tolerate the darkness and begins to long for light which is

the essence ofBinah, or he nullifies himself completely to Hashems will and accepts

the darknessand in doing so finds himself surrounded and supported by the trace of

theyudof Hashems light. This is the aspect ofChochmah. Though I walk in the valley

of the shadow of death, I will not fear for You are with me.19

Though I dwell in

18Bava Basra 4b

19Tehillim 23:4


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darkness, Hashem is my light.20

Through bitul, he accesses theyudof the lights trace,

and then is connected back to the Infinite Light ofKesserandAtik. This tiny point of the

yud is like the foundation stone from which the entire universe spun out into

existence. Although the yud is just a trace, it expands outward infinitely so that the

seeker is incorporated into Hashems Infinite Light.

Chochmah,Binah, andEretz Yisrael

The yudat the epicenter of the tzimtzum represents Chochmah, and this yudis

such a deep concept that it is barely alluded to in the writings of the Arizal. When a

person feels that he is in the thick darkness of the tzimtzum and nullifies himself to

Hashem, he accesses thisyud. Its influence then spreads outward, through the hei of the

tzimtzum which parallels Binah (with its gevuros), and empowers the person to ascend

and enter into the land that I will show youthe aspect ofEretz Yisrael. The spiritual

work ofEretz Yisrael is the development of perpetual faith and the drawing down of

Elokus into the lower worlds. Dwell in the land, and graze on faith.21

When one

dwells in the land, in the aspect ofEretz Yisrael, Hashem dwells in and grazes on

the lower worlds.

This is really the greatness ofEretz Yisraelthat one comes to the light of faith

by struggling against the coldness of Amalek, who cooled you off on the way with

doubts. Amalek claims that the Torah is nothing more than a collection of facts and

logical arguments, G-d forbid, so one must seek after the spirit of Hashem that hovers

over the waters. This spirit is the multifaceted essence of the Torah, which is a

revelation of the Divine light. The Holy One said to the Jewish people: I sold you My

Torah, it is as though I sold Myself along with her.22

And although Hashem has

slaughtered the female Leviathan, although this light is obscured now, it will ultimately

be resurrected when the redeemer arrives. Each and every Jew bears inside of him a

20Michah 7:8

21Tehillim 37:3

22Shemos Rabbah 33:1


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spark of the Moshiach, and it is through the power of this spark that one can uproot and

subdue the klippah of Amalek that threatens to cool us off. With this spark, one can

experience the upper and lower Gan Eden while he studiesbut one must be tenacious

in his study and his determination to find Hashem in His Torah.

The Descent toMitzrayim

The crux of this avodah is when a person descends, like Avraham, to Egypt /

Mitzrayim, the place of darkness and constriction, which is the paradigm of the pains of

exile. When a person descends to that place, he must remember that it is not enough forhim to serve Hashem with self-sacrifice; the time has come to go for himself, to come

to the level of theyudthat is hidden within the darkness. He must never think that Sarah

Imeinu, the aspect ofMalchus, has been defiled in the darkness; on the contrary, His

Kingship extends through every realm. Every single place can reveal the glory of His

Kingship, just as Sarah Imeinus beauty was revealed in Mitzrayim. In this way, the

unity of Hashems name is revealed: the self-nullification in the darkness allows one to

access theyudand its trace of the Infinite Light; its influence spreads through the hei of

the tzimtzum; the light is carried into the tzimtzum via the beam which is like the vav;and finally the hei of the lower worlds, ofEretz Yisrael, is filled with Hashems light

and glory. When this happens, We will see eye to eye, Hashems return to Tzion. All

of the barriers that obscure the Torahs true face will fall away, and His glory will fill

the entire universe, with the coming of our righteous redeemer. May it happen soon.

Let Your Soul Know Wisdom

This is the meaning of: " " Let your soul

(nefesh) know (dei) wisdom (Chochmah) and it will be a crown (Kesser) for your

head.23 One must let nafshechawhich is the darkness of the tzimtzum of the lower

aspect ofBinahbe filled with the knowledge of theyudofChochmah that animates it

at its core. When a person is fully nullified to Hashems will and rejoices in all that he

encounters because he realizes that it is all for his good, he is graced with Daas, with

23From the Shabbos zemerDror Yikrah, based onMishlei 24:14.


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holy awareness. This Daas is an inner manifestation of the infinite light ofKesser

And it will be a crown for your head.

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.


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Yam Hachochmah 5772 Maamar Ohr Zarua laTzaddik

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Yam Hachochmah 5772

Light is Sown for the Righteous, Part 31

Praying Together with the Tzaddikim

Having learned how important it is to forge the proper spiritual bond with the

tzaddik, it is now vital that we clarify that this bond does not mean that the tzaddik

serves as some kind of an intermediary, chas vshalom. It is unseemly to even discuss

these concepts in writing, but having already witnessed people in error on this matter

who are also sharing their mistaken view with others, there is no option other than to

clarify the issue. It would be far better for people to avoid this subject altogether and not

voice opinions about matters that are so subtle; they should instead pray with simplicity

before Hashem just as our ancestors and teachers did throughout all of the generations

that preceded us. They should not confuse other peoples minds with concepts that are

new and strange, and whichwhen mistakenborder on contradicting the pure emunah

that we received from our ancestors.

Rebbe Nachmans own path was to go in the way of simplicity, of simple

emunah, without resort to complicated philosophies about the tzaddik. It is therefore

very upsetting to find that there are some new innovators in Breslov who teach that

one should speak out ones needs to the tzaddikin hisbodedus; this is something that we

dont find in any of Rebbe Nachmans works. If a person wants to do such a thing he

can, but one should not make an inyan out of this practice, which gives the mistaken

impression of making requests of [i.e. praying to] the tzaddik. This practice is not

worthwhile [since the negative that can arise from it outweighs its possible benefit]. The

best way it to follow the path of simplicity and to make requests of Hashem alone. If

one wants to ask the tzaddikto pray for him, mostposkim hold that it is permissible. But

one should certainly not make out as though there is some special avodah to be done in

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


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speaking out ones needs to the tzaddik. Such a stance can confuse peoples simple

emunah, the faith that we received going all the way back to Sinai, that everything

depends upon Hashem alone. May Hashem instill perfectly pure and simple faith within

us.

If a person prays with simplicity and faith in the tzaddikim, trusting in the sages

words that there is something important about praying with the tzaddik or at the

gravesite of the tzaddikwithout delving into the exact mechanism of how or why this is

so, then he certainly does no wrong. He is simply acting in accordance with the acceptedtradition. It is only when a person tries to delve into the matter [and fails to understand

properly] that he runs the risk of erring, as we have already explained.

Souls from the World ofAtzilus

If we examine the issue through the perspective of its roots in Kabbalah, we find

that part of the error stems from a mistaken understanding of the nature of the souls

from the world ofAtzilus. It is known that the nature of the vessels [sefiros] ofAtzilus is

that it and His vitality and His vessels are all one in them. Yet even though the souls

of tzaddikim are rooted in the world ofAtzilus, Rav Aharon of Strasheleh and Rav

Yitzchak Aizik Homel both explain that this does not mean that they are Elokus, G-d

forbid. It is only the vessels of the sefiros of that world that are [formed of]Elokusnot

the souls or angels that are rooted in that lofty level. In Shaarei Kedushah,Rav Chaim

Vital taught that such souls ofAtzilus are an outer structure enclothed upon the vessels

of the sefiros, not that they are actually ofthose vessels. While it is true that there are

certain unique souls oftzaddikim rooted inAtzilus that are so lofty that they are indeed

forged from the inner quality of its sefiros,2

they too are still expressions of the vessels

ofAtzilus and not the Divine vitality that fills them. We could say that they are the

externality of the inner nature of the sefiros ofAtzilus [but we cannot say more than

that].

2Sefer HaTanya,Beeiras #20; Sichos LMoharashab, Sichah of 19

thof Kislev, 5673, as well as

5659 and 5666.


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If we consider the nature of the sefiros ofAtzilus, we see that their state ofbitul

is what allows them to reveal Elokus in the most perfect manner; this is why He and

His vitality and His vessels are one in them. The vessels ofAtzilus are not actually

Elokus, but they are so utterly nullified to the light that vitalizes them that it is as though

they are truly one with the Ohr Ein Sof. Even if we are to say that there are certain

unique souls that have the bitul qualities of the vessels ofAtzilus, we would have to

accept that the same stance that we take regarding prayer and the sefiros would also

apply to such souls, lofty as they may be. As we know, even when being mechavein tothe sefirah ofChochmah dAtzilus, one cannot actually be directing his prayer to the

sefirah; rather, the prayer is directed to the Ohr Ein Sof that is enlothed within the

sefirah. This is the implication of the directiveIn all our calling to Him: to Him and

not to His middos. The sefirah itself is only a vessel, it has no power of its own. The

soul of the tzaddik that is rooted in Atzilus is the same; one cannot make any prayer

request of the tzaddik himself, because he has no power of his own. In fact, his

uniqueness is in the degree of his bitul to the Ohr Ein Sof, and so there is no self there of

whom one can make requests.This is true whether we are speaking of a tzaddikwho is still alive and in his

earthly bodyfor directing prayer to him in that state is tantamount to idolatryor even

if his soul has already ascended on high. When the tzaddikis still alive, he is within the

lower worlds ofBeriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah, the place of division, and so he cannot be in a

state of absolute bitul no matter how lofty the level of his soul might be. The Rebbe

Rashab of Lubavitch explains that even after death, it is only certain unique tzaddikim

that attain an absolute degree ofbitul to the Ohr Ein Sof. And even such tzaddikim fall

under the rubric of, To Him, and not to His middoseven if their souls are as pure as

the vessels ofAtzilus, they are still only vessels for expressing G-dliness, and notElokus

itself. Even if a person was to say that he is praying to the Creator in His unity with the


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soul of this particular tzaddik, it is still forbidden, because prayer can only be directed

toward Hashem alone.3

The Face of the Master

We find in theZohar Hakadosh: Who is the face of the Master, Hashem?it

is Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.4

[Note: Rabbi Shimon is described here as being the

face, of Hashem, in the sense of being a vessel upon whom the Shechinah or Face of

Hashem can rest.] The Vilna Gaon writes in his commentary to Tikkunei Zohar: At a

time when there are no tzaddikim in the generation, and the Shechinah does not find a

place for herself to rest, then she rests upon the tzaddikim who dwell in the dust.5 This

subject requires deeper examination since the concepts are very subtle. While it is

impossible to really address them at the requisite depth in this format, nevertheless we

can take a brief look at some of the relevant sources and underlying principles. With

Hashems help, at some point in the future we will be able to expand on them in a more

fitting way.

The Vessels ofBeriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah

To understand the matter more clearly, we need to first gain a better

understanding of the nature of the prohibition of idolatry. The Baal Shem Tov was once

confronted by a certain philosopher, who posed a question: If, as you say, there is no

place devoid of Him, then how can you completely deny idolatry? If you deny that

there is any basis to idolatry, it means that you are also denying the Divine spark that

animates it as well? The Baal Shem Tov answered that there is a portal of the liver

which is an analogue to the paroches or divider that existed in the Mishkan and Beis

Hamikdash. It is via this portal that the waste is ejected. [Note: He means to say that we

3For more on the subject on the Kabbalistic direction of prayer, seeNahar Shalom, p. 34b;

Introduction of the Ben Ish Chai toDaas uTevunah as well as Od Yosef Chai, Parshas

Vayeshev, Chut Hameshulash; See Yam Hachochmah 5770, Kol Hanikrah bShmi,Anaf3:5-

end; Yam Hachochmah 5771, Elav vlo lMidosav.4ZoharII:38a

5Biur HaGra lTikkunei Zohar22d


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have a duty to make a division between theElokus that does vitalize everything and the

crasser vessels that contain it. In the case of idolatry, the vessel is like spiritual waste

that needs to be ejected.]

The verse says, You shall not have other gods upon My Face, and theZohar

adds, Except for Atzilus, which is His Face.6 We also find, Upon My Faceexcept

for the Face of the King [Zeir Anpin], for it is in it that the Holy King can be seen. They

are His Name, and it is them.7Atzilus is where the Light exists in a state of unity with the

vessel, and it is called His Face. Similarly, we find in Tehillim, Seek My Face, and theZoharadds, These are the Kings Crowns [the ten sefiros ofAtzilus], in which He is in a

state of unity with them, and they are with Him. They are His Name, and He and His

Name are a single entity. It was to this that Dovid HaMelech referred when he said, I will

seek Your Face, Hashem.8

The Baal HaLeshem explains that until the end ofAtzilus, the

Light is one with the vessel, and so it is all called Elokus, and everything is unified with

the Creator. AfterAtzilus, there is a partition and a barrier; even though Hashems Light

spreads forth throughout the lower worlds ofBeriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah, it is still only a

reflection of the kav [it is enclothed by increasing garments].

9

The vessels in the threelower worlds, as well as the spirits and souls associated with them [ ] arenotElokus, as the Arizal teaches. According to these principles, the root of idolatry is the

worship of the vessels ofBYA; because they are beyond the partition [at the bottom of

Atzilus], they are not nullified to the Light that animates them.10

The Tzemach Tzedek taught that the error of the generation of Enosh [of

idolatry] was in their honoring the vessels ofBYA because they were the repositories of

the Ohr Ein Sof.11 Even though they were aware that the vessels are not actually the

6Zohar, Parshas Yisro, p. 86a

7Ibid.

8Ibid., Parshas Emor, p. 93b

9The students of the Baal Shem Tov spoke about this in terms of the light that fills all worlds.

See theHeichalos of the Vilna Gaon, and theLeshem Shvo vAchlamaha,Hakdamos uShearim,

p. 17b.10

Leshem Shvo vAchlamah, Hakdamos uShearim,p. 15a11

Derech Mitzvosecha,Mitzvas Milah


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Creators Essence, nevertheless it is still idolatrous to honor the vessels ofBYA and

consider them to beElokus, that they are in a state of unity with the Creator. The truth is

that below the world ofAtzilus, the vessels are distinct and separate [from Elokus]. This

is the real meaning of the Baal Shem Tovs answer; even though His glory fills all the

universe and it exists everywhere, nevertheless one may not serve anything of the lower

worlds ofBYA even if one is focused on the Light that vitalizes it. The vessels ofBYA

cannot be honored as Divine in thought, speech or action since it appears as though the

person believes that the vessel is in a state of unity with the light. This is the underlyingreason why even though theMikdash is a vessel for holiness, one many not bow down

to it as Divine.12

The vessels in BYA that are nullified to the Lightlike the Mikdash and the

tzaddikim themselvesshould certainly be treated with respect because of the light of

the Shechinah that is revealed within them, however it cannot be a worshipful kind of

honoring, an attribution of G-dliness to them, chas vshalom. When it comes to vessels

that are not nullified to the Lightmeaning, idolatry itselfone has a duty to denigrate

them. And when it comes to places where the light of the Shechinah is hidden andcovered by the klippas nogahwhich is basically the entire external nature of the world

ofAsiyahone does not have to honor them or denigrate them. [Meaning, they are

more neutral.] This applies to every circumstance and experience that are neither

mitzvos nor forbidden; this is the realm of the merely permitted where holinessbitul

is not apparent.13

The Shechinah within the Souls of the Tzaddikim

The sages taught that the Shechinah spoke through the throat of Moshe

Rabbeinu. On the one hand, Hashem spoke with you face to faceRashi explains that

this communication was not made through an agent, but rather that Hashem Himself

12Yevamos 6b

13See the commentary of the Ramban to Parshas Vayigash, Vayisa Yisrael; Sefer Avodas

Hakodesh of the Maharam Gabbai, Chelek HaTachlis, Chapter 30; Tzemach Tzedekon the verse,

Vayikra Lo lYaakov E-l;Leshem Deiah, p. 54b


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spoke with you [at Sinai]. Yet we also find that Moshe Rabbeinu said, I stand between

Hashem and you [as interlocutor], since the Torah really was given via Moshe. How

are we to reconcile these two very different statements?

The Arizal taught that between every aspect [and level] there is some

intermediary quality. This is true in spiritual matters as well; two levels can be as far

apart as they may be, yet there is something to serve as a bridge between them. Moshe

Rabbeinu was the bridge between Hashem and the souls of the Jewish peopleI

stand between Hashem and you in order to tell you the word of G-d. The souls of theJewish people were not capable of receiving [the full force] of the word of Hashem.

At Sinai, we know that their souls departed them at every Divine pronouncement that

they heard. This is why they begged Moshe Rabbeinu to serve as an intermediary. The

deeper idea is that the intermediary has the ability to join the two aspects or levels

together because it contains both aspects. The verse says of Moshe Rabbeinu that he

was the man of G-d, and so it was possible for him to serve as the means through

which the Torah could be drawn down to the souls of the Jewish people [of which he

was a natural part].There are two basic types of intermediates: that which separates, and that which

joins. Moshe Rabbeinu was the latter type, and it was to this that the sages referred

when they said that the Shechinah spoke through the throat of Moshe. He can be

compared to a funnel through which liquid is poured from its source to its recipient.

Even though the liquid passes through the funnel, it doesnt retain any of the substance

itself. This is the way in which the Shechinah spoke through himwithout leaving any

sense other than that the word of Hashem was emerging through him. What is the

benefit of Moshe Rabbeinu not having felt anything? Perhaps it would have been better

for him to feel the Shechinah within him? We see, however, that had he felt anything

substantial as it came through him, Moshe Rabbeinu would have held onto it with force

for himself. If he would have allowed Hashems word to emerge after he had first held

it, it would no longer be Hashem Himself communicating with the Jewish people, but


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G-ds word as received by Moshe. Since he had no sense of it, he was able to serve as a

pure channel.

If the Jewish people were meant to receive Hashems actual word, then why did

they need Moshe at all? Because, as we said earlier, they didnt have the capacity to do

so. Even though the transmission of Hashems word through Moshe did not alter the

communication, it did accomplish something. We can compare this to the way in which

the minds thoughts are committed to writing through the agency of the hand and its

fingers. Even though all of the information that is to be conveyed is rooted in the mind,and all of the action of the hand is controlled by the mind, nevertheless the handthe

vessel or funnelis what transmits the abstract thought into writing that can be accessed

by others. In this way, Moshe Rabbeinus serving as an intermediary did contribute

something essentialhe made Hashems word into something that the souls of the

Jewish people could access and assimilate. The Light and the message was purely of

Hashem, but Moshe Rabbeinu was the channel by which they could receive it. Moshe

Rabbeinu was unique in the perfection of the manner by which he served as a clear

channel, so that only Hashems word was heard.

14

The role of the tzaddikim as intermediaries, then, is that they are joiners, that

serve as a clear channel or funnel through which Hashems light can be expressed, and

which allow us to connect with the Shechinah that is with them. The need to bind

ourselves to the tzaddikim is so that we realize that they are the ones who make

Hashems light accessible to us, not that they are the source of that light, chas vshalom.

The tzaddikim therefore parallel theMikdash itself, where one apprehends G-dliness but

which is not a manifestation of G-dliness. The Shechinah rests there, it is not one with

the place upon which it rests. And now we are more able to understand the intent of the

Zohar in its statement, What is the Face of the Master? It is Rabbi Shimon bar

Yochai.

14From a maamarof the Rebbe Rashab, taught during 5659, as recorded inAl HaTzaddikim, p.

91.


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Gather and Listen, Children of Yaakov

The Rebbe Rashabs explanation of an enigmatic statement of the sages is

necessary to help our understanding of this matter.15

We find in the Talmud that, the

Holy One called Yaakov El.16 This is an echo of a teaching from the midrash: And

listen to [ ] Yisrael your fatherEl is your father, Yisrael. Just as the Holy Onecreates worlds, so does your father create worlds. Just as the Holy One distributes

worlds, so does your father distribute worlds.17

The Rebbe Rashab explains: We need

to understand how it is possible to say such a thing about Yaakov, for even if he was asoul from the world ofAtzilus, nevertheless he was only a vehicle [merkavah for the

expression of] ZA dAtzilus, and not the aspect ofZA itself. We know this from the

Baal HaTanyas teachings inIggeres Hakodesh, #20, that the souls ofAtzilus [no matter

how lofty] are not actualElokus, with the ability to create actual worlds, since they have

already been differentiated as vessels. The power of creation belongs to the Light, not to

the vessels inhabited by that Light. How, then, can the midrash say, so does your father

[Yaakov] create worlds? And how could it attribute the Name El to Yaakov, when a

Name of that degree [it cannot be erased] refers to the Ohr Ein Sofas it is apprehendedwithin the vessel ofChochmah dAtzilus?

The sages taught that the image of Yaakov is engraved beneath Hashems

Throne of Glory. This idea of engraving has to do with the way in which all of the

Avosand Yaakov Avinu was the exemplar of them, for he embodied the attribute of

Tiferesmade an impression on high through the actions that they performed below.

Even though Yaakov Avinu cannot really have the Name El associated with him,

nevertheless because his actions caused an uplifting within the actual Ohr Ein Sof, he is

given the distinction of having the Name attached to him in some way. The verse says,

Gather together and listenthe word gather is meant to make us aware of the

15See the Rebbe Rashabs workYom Tov shel Rosh Hashanah, 5666, p. 495, Hikabtzu

uShimu.16

Megillah 18a17

Midrash Rabbah


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main avodah of Yaakov, which was the gathering and shoring up of the division and

separation that typifies the lower worlds, and the gathering up of the sparks.

The Arizal taught that there are two essential nitzotzinthat of the Creator and

that of the created being.18 When they are joined, it means that there is some

intermediary that bridges them. So even though the tzaddikis in this world, the loftiness

of his essential nature allows him to be both with us and with Hashem at the same

time, and he serves as that bridge. First, we join together with the tzaddikby realizing

that we are part of a great structure that includes all of the souls of the Jewish people,and the tzaddikis like the shaliach tzibbur. Once we are in a state of unity, like a single

soul, the tzaddik is able to rise, in a sense, into his higher self [which is engraved

beneath the Kisei Hakavod] and act as an intermediary, joining the collective soul of

the Jewish people to the Creator. This is the real way in which it is possible to bind

oneself to the tzaddikwithout falling into errorto first realize that we are all part of a

single whole, and the tzaddik is like the shaliach tzibbur, and then from there to

experience the Shechinah that rests upon him, in a way that can be apprehended by us.

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

18Eitz Chaim, Shaar42, Chapter 1

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